Chapter 503: The Decisive Battle

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Heavenly Lake was located on Mount Azure Dragon in Lan Province. The mountain was a special place in the northwestern region of the Great Han Empire, a place with many legends. One of the most popular legends was about a grandmaster, Hai Cangyue, who trained in seclusion on Mount Azure Dragon to progress into a Martial Emperor seven hundred years ago.

Ever since Hai Cangyue shook the world by progressing into a Martial Emperor, Mount Azure Dragon became the training grounds for countless experts and hermits. After gaining its fame, the Heavenly Lake on the mountain also gradually became well-known due to the frequent duels between the experts.

In the eleventh lunar month in the 14th year of the Yuanping reign, Elder Cai Yingwu from the Soaring Heaven Sect, also known as the best archer in Yun Province, challenged Yan Liqiang to a duel at Lan Province’s Heavenly Lake on the first day of the first lunar month in the 15th year of the Yuanping reign. News about the archery duel spread like wildfire through the northwestern region. One was a seasoned expert from Yun Province, while the other was a prodigy who had risen to prominence in the Imperial Capital. The moment word about this duel got out, it immediately caused a huge stir.

The reason for this duel, as explained by the Soaring Heaven Sect, was that their disciple was killed by Yan Liqiang. Therefore, the sect wished to seek retribution. Since Yan Liqiang never offered up any retorts in regards to this, the public took the explanation provided by the Soaring Heaven Sect as a fact. As for the cause of hostility between the two parties, they only knew from rumors that it had something to do with the Northwestern Transportation Office and Yan Liqiang’s manufacturing bureau, but not the details.

For contests like this, the reason wasn’t really that important as the main attraction was still the contest itself.

There was nothing much to say about Cai Yingwu. He was an elder in the Soaring Heaven Sect who was reputed for his archery skills in the northwestern region and idolized by many. Although Cai Yingwu never proclaimed himself to be the best archer in the northwestern region, he was recognized as one by many people in the Soaring Heaven Sect and Yun Province.

Yan Liqiang wasn’t a weak character either. His ident.i.ty as a mysterious young man who could communicate with deities through his dreams spread rapidly throughout the northwestern region. ‘The Great Han Times’ that he founded in the Imperial Capital took the Great Han Empire by storm and became a trend. His skills in the path of mechanics and the investigation of things were also recognized. These were all rumored to be knowledge imparted to Yan Liqiang by the deities in his dreams.

Although not many had seen his skills in archery, it was undoubtedly excellent for the Emperor to regard it so highly as to consider hiring him as the Crown Prince’s mentor in archery. Furthermore, Yan Liqiang established an archery academy in Gan Province and apprenticed three thousand disciples. This individual was definitely in his prime.

In a world where martial prowess was venerated, a duel between two powerful archers was the same as having two superstars issuing a challenge to each other on the Internet in Yan Liqiang’s previous life. It would inevitably attract a lot of attention. One month after the news got out, people started to gather at the edges of the Heavenly Lake on Lan Province’s Mount Azure Dragon in late lunar twelfth month, looking for good spots to watch the duel. Many even regarded this as a showdown between the best archers in the northwestern regions. Gambling joints were set up in many places so that people could bet on the outcome of the duel.

On the first day of the 15th year of the Yuanping reign, it was snowing heavily in Lan Province. Snow covered every part of the landscape and it was no different on Mount Azure Dragon. A thick layer of ice had formed on top of the Heavenly Lake which was seven or eight square kilometers in surface area.

Tens of thousands of people had gathered on the hills around the once quiet lake. Every spot was taken up by people who traveled all the way here from different prefectures in the northwestern region. All sorts of figures from influential clans, or even from the Gan and Yun Provinces’ Provincial Governor’s Offices, dressed plainly to blend into the crowds. This duel was definitely the biggest one in the recent fifty years.

It was scheduled to specifically take place at quarter to one o’clock in the afternoon, as this was when the Yang energy was at its peak. This was also the reason behind criminal executions taking place at the same time. Legend had it that if someone died at this hour, they wouldn’t turn into an evil spirit due to the intense Yang energy. Although no one said that this was a death duel, people who knew better understood that only one party could be left standing alive just by looking at the time the Soaring Heaven Sect had picked.

It was only a quarter past twelve o’clock when a figure appeared on the hill where the Soaring Heaven Sect was. Under countless gazes, the figure moved conspicuously like a bolt of lighting across the white icy surface. In just a flash, the person reached the center of Heavenly Lake. He stood solemnly against the chilly wind in silence, staring into the distance through his narrowed eyes.

It was a man in his fifties, with eyes as sharp as an eagle on his tanned face, carrying a crimson Horned Python Bow on his back. He was only standing in the middle of the Heavenly Lake, but his imposing aura was surging out.

“Yun Province’s best archer…! He’s Yun Province’s best archer, Cai Yingwu…!”

At that man’s arrival, countless people in the crowds around the Heavenly Lake immediately recognized him and started shouting. The noises around the lake immediately increased in volume and everyone was anxiously watching the center of the lake. Cai Yingwu had arrived, and that meant the duel was about to commence!

Cai Yingwu stood solemnly at the center of the lake. He waited in silence for seven minutes, but Yan Liqiang never appeared. The crowds gathered around the Heavenly Lake started becoming agitated.

Transport Commissioner Jiang Tianhua was standing in the crowd from the Soaring Heaven Sect. He was dressed in plain clothes and he was even wearing a human face mask. Seeing Cai Yingwu standing out there for a while with Yan Liqiang nowhere in sight, he couldn’t help but get anxious. He turned his head to ask the person beside him, “Where’s Yan Liqiang? Don’t tell me he’s not coming!”

Jiang Tianhua came just for the sake of watching Yan Liqiang, the person who upset him, die before his eyes. He had offered a hefty price of five hundred thousand taels of silver to make this duel possible, just to see the Soaring Heaven Sect end Yan Liqiang’s life. As long as Yan Liqiang was alive, he was a thorn in Jiang Tianhua’s side.

The person beside Jiang Tianhua had silvery hair, a big nose, a pair of small eyes, and he was wearing a violet gold ancestor crown. His face would leave a deep impression on anyone who laid eyes on him. The man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, dressed in gorgeous azure silk robes. He was surrounded by a group of people from the Soaring Heaven Sect, including Zong Yi and He Tianhong who delivered the battle invitation to Yan Liqiang more than a month ago. This man was none other than the Soaring Heaven’s Sect Lord, Guo Yifei.

“Rest a.s.sured, Transport Commissioner. If Yan Liqiang dares to not show up, then he’s courting death!” An icy smile appeared on Guo Yifei’s face. “I only stood back this time out of respect for the Zhong Clan and Lei Sitong. If he doesn’t appreciate that and chooses to escape, then I’ll have no choice but to take matters into my own hands. The disciples of our sect will not die in vain. Since he dared to lay a finger on our disciples, then he should be ready to pay for the consequences with his own life!”

Jiang Tianhua’s mask kept his expression hidden, but his eyes flickered when he heard Guo Yifei’s words. He leaned his head closer and whispered, “Sect Lord, you should know Yan Liqiang offended the Grand Chancellor and made him extremely upset when he was in the Imperial Capital. The Grand Chancellor arranged a blindfolded contest for him back then and planned to take his life, but he didn’t expect Yan Liqiang to manage to escape from it. Although the Grand Chancellor is in the Imperial Capital now, he’s keeping a close eye on this duel. If the Soaring Heaven Sect can carry this out flawlessly and get the Grand Chancellor’s attention, then the sect will have boundless prospects…”

Guo Yifei’s eyes lit up for a moment, then he nodded. “Rest a.s.sured, Transport Commissioner. Even if Yan Liqiang manages to escape today, he won’t be able to escape tomorrow!”

“Glad to hear that!”

As time pa.s.sed, the atmosphere around the Heavenly Lake grew more and more restless and the crowds started getting noisy.

“Why is Yan Liqiang not here yet? Don’t tell me he’s a coward!”

“Maybe! I heard Yan Liqiang is only a young boy. Can’t blame him for chickening out when his opponent is someone like Cai Yingwu!”

“d.a.m.n, that really wasted our trip here! I even bet a hundred taels of silver that Cai Yingwu would be able to win this within three shots…!”

“Did something happen to Yan Liqiang?”

When it was only seven minutes away from quarter to one o’clock, most people thought Yan Liqiang wasn’t going to show up. Disappointment filled their hearts and they were about to start raining curses. Just then, the sounds of iron hooves were heard coming from the mountain pa.s.s south of the Heavenly Lake. Yan Liqiang appeared, riding swiftly on Snowstorm Cloud and leading another five hundred students from the archery academy…

The youths rode behind Yan Liqiang in high spirits, carrying a war bow on their backs. As they approached, their majestic singing voices also traveled into the ears of those gathered around the Heavenly Lake.

“When the fiery smoke rises I look at the vast land towards the north,

the roaring of the dragons and neighing of the horses are echoed by the chilling sword,

my heart is as boundless as the water of the yellow river,

who could challenge the power in the past twenty years?

Hatred is driving me toward madness.

Where my wide sword points,

countless brothers with loyal souls buried their bones in unfamiliar lands,

all would die a hundred times to protect the country and the land,

I sigh with the deepest regret, yet I could not find a word to say, only blood and tears fill my eyes.

The horses run toward the south, but the people look toward the north.

Toward the north, the gra.s.s are just dry and yellow, with dust flying high.

I am willing to station here and reclaim my land.

The mighty Great Han should be paid tributes and respect…”

Just hearing the song alone stirred the emotions of countless people…