Chapter 27: Unity of Man and Blade! To Cut the Weeds Without Removing the Roots Is to Let Them Grow Again in the Spring Breeze

Even someone like Lin Chen, if caught, would either be thrown into Zhao Prison to be tortured or taken to Purgatory to be locked away. There was no other possibility.

Clearly, Lin Chen did not want to choose either of these fates.

So, after staring at Ye Liuyun for a moment, Lin Chen acted immediately.

He raised his hand and struck with a merciless slash toward Ye Liuyun.

“Watch out, sir!”

Even knowing that Ye Liuyun was formidable, Sinan and the others couldn’t help but exclaim at the strike from a postnatal martial artist.

Cangyang Force!

As internal energy surged, the fiery power blazed upon Ye Liuyun’s embroidered spring knife like flames.

“Clang!”

The clash of blades was heavy and forceful, not only chipping a notch on Lin Chen’s blade but also sending him flying several meters backward.

“This can’t be!”

Lin Chen couldn’t believe it.

In terms of internal power, his strength was not much less than Ye Liuyun’s, so why was there such a vast difference in force?

“Even among postnatal martial artists, there are highs and lows,” Ye Liuyun said knowingly.

It was the “innate frailty” trait that held Lin Chen back.

By contrast, Ye Liuyun himself possessed various enhanced traits, making him formidable among peers at the same level.

“Slash!”

Before Lin Chen could react further, Ye Liuyun launched blow after blow, relentless in his assault.

The fiery internal energy made Ye Liuyun’s knife glow a deep red.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Under the tremendous force, Lin Chen was forced to block defensively, unable to counterattack.

“Open!”

With a soft breath from Ye Liuyun, the final strike pierced directly into Lin Chen’s shoulder.

The force was so great that Lin Chen dropped to one knee, clutching the blade tightly with both hands.

“I’m not willing… I only wanted revenge. What wrong have I done?”

“No one says you’re wrong. You just happened to meet me,” Ye Liuyun said calmly.

He never claimed Lin Chen’s desire for revenge was wrong; as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, capturing the massacre culprit of the Golden Blade Sect was his duty.

“Since you don’t want to go to Zhao Prison, then I’ll send you on your way.”

He withdrew his blade and struck down at Lin Chen’s unwilling gaze.

“Whoosh!”

Watching Lin Chen fall with a face full of unwillingness, Ye Liuyun exhaled slowly. Indeed, he was naturally cold-hearted—striking down others without a hint of discomfort.

Instead, there was an inexplicable detachment.

“Long live the lord!”

As Ye Liuyun sheathed his embroidered spring knife, Sinan and the other guards approached with faces full of admiration.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard revered strength. They had thought Ye Liuyun had reached his rank through connections, but witnessing his overwhelming power changed their views to deep respect.

“Enough! Get to work!” Ye Liuyun waved off the flattery.

He ordered everyone to continue searching through the Golden Blade Sect’s belongings, then turned his attention to the fallen Lin Chen.

Though the “innate frailty” trait was useless, Ye Liuyun desired Lin Chen’s talent in blade techniques and extraordinary purple-grade comprehension.

Another purple-grade talent was within reach.

“Detected ‘photographic memory’ and ‘extraordinary comprehension’ traits with high compatibility. Fuse now?”

The previously acquired photographic memory trait was related to comprehension, and their high affinity allowed for fusion.

Fusion!

Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun chose to merge them.

“Talent Trait System! Host: Ye Liuyun! Realm: Postnatal Martial Artist! Martial Arts: Wind-Cutting Blade Technique, Cangyang Force, Pinewood Blade Technique, Jade-Shattering Hands. Talent Traits: Luck (Purple), Iron Bones (Purple), Human-Blade Unity (Purple), Extraordinary Comprehension (Purple), Sword Technique Talent (Blue), Extreme Yang Physique (Purple), Fragrance Recognition (Blue).”

“Human-Blade Unity (Purple): Outstanding talent in blade techniques, able to master any blade style quickly.”

The repeated blessing of blade technique talents elevated Ye Liuyun’s originally blue-grade talent to purple-grade.

His progress bar advanced significantly.

“Excellent! Excellent!”

Ye Liuyun was very satisfied with himself.

With the trait fusion, he could feel a new understanding of his original blade techniques.

If he faced Lin Chen again, Ye Liuyun was confident he could finish him within three strikes.

The other guards had gone off to search, leaving only Sinan and Shi Sheng beside Ye Liuyun.

“What have you learned?”

Ye Liuyun was pleased with these two subordinates so far.

The sudden question stunned Sinan and Shi Sheng momentarily, but Shi Sheng responded first.

“Sir, your blade technique is so fierce that I’m too dull-eyed to learn even a single move.”

“...”

Ye Liuyun rolled his eyes at Shi Sheng silently. Only he would give such an answer.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Is this what you mean, sir?” Sinan, skilled at reading expressions, immediately noticed Ye Liuyun’s displeasure and addressed Shi Sheng.

Did he understand his meaning?

Ye Liuyun looked at Sinan in surprise. Facing Ye Liuyun’s gaze, Sinan smiled ingratiatingly and decisively said,

“Sir, your insight is unparalleled, your judgment divine. If not for your wisdom, we wouldn’t have discovered that the culprit never left the Golden Blade Sect. Are you telling us that from now on, we must remain calm and think carefully when solving cases?”

Shi Sheng, standing nearby, also nodded as if enlightened.

“Nonsense!”

Ye Liuyun scoffed. Though he had watched many detective stories, he had never solved a case firsthand.

“What I’m telling you is this: if you don’t cut the grass to the root, the spring breeze will make it grow again!”

That was the lesson Ye Liuyun learned from Lin Chen.

Did Jin Yuanba, the head of the Golden Blade Sect, err?

In the martial world, it was common—almost routine—for people to massacre entire families over a martial arts manual.

Jin Yuanba’s greatest mistake was leaving Lin Chen alive.

That was the harsh reality of the martial world. Though it was said to be more than just fighting and killing, in most cases, it was exactly that.

“In the future, if something like this happens, remember: leave no survivors. Life is singular; death is final. Don’t worry about whether someone will avenge you. Even if revenge is taken, if your life is gone, what meaning does it hold?”

Shi Sheng still looked a bit confused.

But Sinan was the first to grasp the lesson, his expression enlightened.

“Understood, sir!”