Chapter 284 – Heart Unsettled Draws the Sword, Joyful Rivals

Ye Kuang gently stroked the blade of his Cherished Sword, its continuous humming resonance cutting through the roaring wind that whipped at his robes. He stood firm, sword held horizontally before him.

For a moment, conflicting emotions tangled in his heart.

The question lingered: Why does one wield a sword?

When this inexplicable feeling struck, even Ye Kuang couldn’t suppress a shudder.

“Ancient emperors and generals wielded swords to manifest power, status, justice, and majesty; scholars and poets carried swords as symbols of refined elegance and social distinction.”

“As for battlefield commanders, their swords represented unyielding military orders—where the blade pointed, victory followed!”

One might say that even someone as wise as Ye Kuang found himself bewildered by these explanations.

Unbeknownst to him, he had always used the sword merely for the sake of using it, never pondering why he wielded it.

At that moment, the surrounding enemies gave him no time for contemplation, their furious rage radiating murderous intent.

Seeing this, Ye Kuang moved instinctively.

Though he hadn’t yet drawn his sword, he effortlessly evaded attacks from all directions.

Clearly, he still harbored some resistance toward the act of “using” the sword.

To put it bluntly, Ye Kuang currently didn’t understand why he wielded the sword!

Until a sudden thought crossed his mind: “The Nine Yin Manual’s only rival is the Dugu Nine Swords.”

Thus, it became evident that those skilled with the sword could also pursue Dao Inquiry in the martial world!

Inspired, Ye Kuang’s mind expanded. Not only did he continuously dodge the chilling sharpness before him, but he also contemplated the long-standing rivalry between the creators of the Nine Yin Manual and the Dugu Nine Swords.

Unaware, another memory surfaced—the life story of the Sword Demon.

“For over thirty years, he roamed the martial world, slaughtering all foes, defeating every hero, until none could oppose him. Left with no choice, he secluded himself in a deep valley, befriending an eagle. Alas, throughout his life, he sought a worthy rival in vain—truly a desolate and unbearable loneliness.”

It was then that his gaze completely transformed!

Instantly, the atmosphere shifted violently, and afterimages of Ye Kuang suddenly appeared everywhere.

His speed was like lightning—so fast that it became impossible to distinguish reality from illusion.

In the next moment, his figure quietly reappeared ten zhang away.

“Sigh… Fools fret over trifles, indeed they do. What concern are the Dugu Nine Swords or the Nine Yin Manual to me? No matter how powerful their creators were, all inevitably return to dust within a century. I am destined to surpass my predecessors, even everyone… I hereby swear this grand ambition: to challenge the entire martial world soon!” Having said this, Ye Kuang murmured to himself, “With the Nine Yin in hand, I shall also master the way of the sword.”

“Hahaha…” But before his laughter faded, he suddenly stood with his sword resting behind him. His inherent audacity knew no fear of the world’s heroes.

Undeniably, anyone facing Ye Kuang at that moment would tremble with awe.

Yet his laughter abruptly ceased. With breath that seemed to pierce the clouds, he declared to himself, “Why must I seek exhaustive answers? When confronted with injustice, I shall wield the sword without hesitation.”

Thus unfolded the scene that embodied the verse: “For ten years, I honed a single sword; its frosty edge untested. Today I hold it forth to you—who dares speak of injustice?”Ye Kuang suddenly brandished Dark Edge, blood splattering in three precise arcs, yet he didn’t even glance at the burly figures collapsing behind him.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

In an instant, horrified gasps filled the air, the scene before them too shocking to comprehend.

One could say that when this spectacle entered Yun Mengshu’s field of vision, it completely shattered any sense of casual detachment.

She stood utterly dumbfounded, her small mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ shape.

After all, she had previously witnessed the prowess of these opponents, yet the current outcome starkly contradicted her expectations.

At this realization, her astonishment reached a point beyond words.

Even when Ye Kuang walked up and waved his hand repeatedly before her eyes, she remained frozen in place.

“Let’s go, you silly woman,” Ye Kuang said.

“Ah? Oh…” Only then did Yun Mengshu snap out of her daze. Pointing at the severed heads of their enemies rolling on the ground, she stammered incoherently, “How… how are they just… gone?”

She still couldn’t believe it, unaware that her delicate frame had begun trembling slightly.

Hearing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t resist teasing her, mimicking her tone: “How… how are they just… gone?”

But no sooner had he spoken than an ear-piercing shriek erupted beside him.

“How is this possible? I exhausted every trick I had and couldn’t defeat even one of them! How did you…” Yun Mengshu trailed off before continuing vehemently, “I don’t believe it! I absolutely refuse to believe this! Pinch me – I must be dreaming!”

Hearing her disdainful words, Ye Kuang made a pained expression before actually giving her a hard pinch.

“Ah! You pervert! Why did you pinch me?” she cried out.

She seemed genuinely indignant, though whether from the pain or her inability to accept this unbelievable reality remained unclear.

Ye Kuang responded matter-of-factly: “Didn’t you tell me to pinch you, woman?”

“If I told you to pinch me, you’d do it? If I told you to chase after me, would you do that too?” The moment these words left her mouth, she realized her slip-up. Blushing furiously, she quickly spat out: “No no no, why would I ever tell you to pinch me? I’m not stupid! You must have done it on purpose to take advantage!”

“Even if I did tell you to pinch me, you actually did it! Are you settling some private score? And you pinched so hard! Do you know how much time and effort I’ve spent maintaining this smooth skin… I don’t care! You took advantage of me, so what are you going to do about it?”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang realized something: when it came to unreasonable behavior, none could surpass the Eldest Senior Sister of Kun Dao Academy.

He never considered himself to have lecherous intentions, yet following Yun Mengshu’s accusations, he’d suddenly become the pervert.

Anyone in his position would be cursing inwardly.

As things stood, remaining silent was the only way to deal with this willful Senior Disciple.

“Say something! Cat got your tongue?” Yun Mengshu fumed.

Ye Kuang: “…”

“Hey! Don’t walk away! Guilty conscience? You did it on purpose!” Yun Mengshu persisted stubbornly.

Ye Kuang: “…””You’re not saying anything—does that mean you admit it? Let me tell you, I won’t let this go. You have to take responsibility for me,” Yun Mengshu said inexplicably.

Hearing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but stop in his tracks and retorted, “What responsibility am I supposed to take?”

Little did he know, Yun Mengshu suddenly froze at his words and then appeared somewhat at a loss.

“I’ve never seen a woman as unreasonable and willful as you. It’s simply absurd,” Ye Kuang said angrily.

Yun Mengshu: “…”

“Say something, damn it! Hey, don’t you walk away! Running so fast—are you in a hurry to be reborn?” Ye Kuang fumed.

Yun Mengshu: “…”