435 The Berserk Dragon Did Not Appear
"It's Berserk Dragon!" Even the usually calm Xie Xuan was so excited that he rushed to his feet. "The third realm of the Warring Kingdoms swordplay, Berserk Dragon!"
"The melodious sound of the phoenix xiao echoed all around, the jade-like moon gradually turned in the sky to a night of dancing fish and dragon lanterns." Xiao Se spun his long sword lightly. "Mister Luo, there's no need for either of us to hide anything. Why bother going through the Nine Songs sword dance stage by stage? Please execute the Hymn to the Fallen."
Luo Qingyang's long grey robes fluttered in the wind. When he took a second look at this young man now, his eyes were filled with admiration. He nodded. "As you wish."
He raised the Nine Songs sword.
The sword wind danced wildly, and it started to howl!
In the midst of the sword wind, tens of thousands of warriors seemed to be singing in sorrow!
This was not the first time that everyone present witnessed this powerful and majestic Hymn to the Fallen sword dance. But, when they saw it again, they were nonetheless affected by the desolation of the fallen city. They only felt a wave of grief well up in their hearts and couldn't help but… couldn't help but want to cry.
As for Xiao Se who was caught in the middle of that sword power, one could just imagine the battering he was receiving at that moment.
Wushuang was also excited and he rushed to his feet. "That's the sword, that's the sword. How could there be such an ultimate sword in the world? Xiao Se, how are you going to fight that?"
Luo Qingyang swung his sword and sang out loud, "We grasp our battle-spears: we don our breast-plates of hide. The axles of our chariots touch: our short swords meet. Standards obscure the sun: the foe roll up like clouds. Arrows fall thick: the warriors press forward. They menace our ranks: they break our line. The left-hand trace-horse is dead: the one on the right is smitten. The fallen horses block our wheels: they impede the yoke-horses! They grasp their jade drum-sticks: they beat the sounding drums…"
Li Fansong knew that this was "Hymn to the Fallen", written by Mister Qu, a loyal minister of the ancient Spring and Autumn Period. Last time, Xie Xuan sang along with Luo Qingyang's sword dance, but this time, Luo Qingyang actually sang it himself. Li Fansong was curious and asked, "Doesn't Luo Qingyang want to attack?"
"He's accumulating his power." Xie Xuan frowned slightly, looking a little worried.
Luo Qingyang bowed his head, looked at Xiao Se and his eyes were as sharp as a blade. "Heaven decrees their fall: the dread Powers are angry. The warriors are all dead: they lie abandoned on the open plains."
"Fuck your open plains!" Xiao Se suddenly grabbed the long sword and yelled angrily.
Everyone was shocked.
Even Luo Qingyang was stunned.
Xiao Se paused a little, then continued to curse out loud, "Bah! You old fart!"
This was a favourite of teachers telling stories in the teahouses. Every time a villain was committing a crime, the protagonist would jump out of nowhere and yell loudly, "Bah! You old fart!" Then, he would swing his blade and cut off the villain with one strike. It was very effective to vent anger and hatred. Every time he got to this part, the audience would all applaud with approval.
But this was a duel with a sword immortal. How did it become a scolding in a teahouse?
"You old fart, you've been hiding in your home like a headless tortoise for ten years. You think you've mastered some divine ultimate skill so you came to Heavenly Revelations looking for trouble? Does our business have anything to do with you? Are you sick in the head? You came to challenge Heavenly Revelations, but did Heavenly Revelations agree? You broke the plaque of Heavenly Revelations City, but did our Xiao family agree? Where's the Court of Judicial Review? Why aren't you arresting this guy!" Xiao Se was panting lightly.
The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shen Xiduo, was hiding amongst the crowd and he grinned wryly. Of course he knew that destroying the city plaque was a crime punishable by beheading, but he also knew who Luo Qingyang was, of course. If the Court of Judicial Review went to arrest him, they would each have to carry their own coffin along.
Nobody knew what was going on and why Xiao Se suddenly started cursing instead of fighting with his sword. Only Xie Xuan started laughing involuntarily. "Isn't this the Cursing Sword Formula created by Lei Wujie?"
The aura of the elegy in the sword wind actually seemed to weaken a little.
Xiao Se secretly rejoiced in his heart: Lei Wujie, this lousy idea of yours actually came in useful. Then, he pointed at the sky and continued cursing, "Stop fucking singing your elegy! What, only you can be sad? Only you can be depressed? Only you can be desolate? Who has it easy in this world? Only you get to act so pitiful and sad. Fuck off! You old fart, everyone knows you're just here for your shimei…"
"Enough," Luo Qingyang snapped angrily.
Xiao Se started. "What, you're not even letting me curse you? I'll keep cursing! You… you gutless cowardly chicken! You love someone, but what's that got to do with being number one under Heaven?
"What's the connection?"
"I said, enough." Luo Qingyang took a flying leap and slashed down with his Nine Songs sword.
Xiao Se swung his sword to block, and the long sword shattered instantly into tens of pieces. Xiao Se spat out a mouthful of blood and retreated thirty-six steps frantically.
Xie Xuan sighed lightly. "Some words should not be said. Provoking a sword immortal is no laughing matter."
Li Fansong asked, "Then, is Xiao-xiongdi using this Cursing Sword Formula right or wrong?"
"He's used it right. Whether it's anger or hatred, neither are the true natures of Luo Qingyang's sword power. Luo Qingyang was intending to accumulate his sword power, and attack with Hymn to the Fallen at the peak of its desolation. If he'd succeeded, Xiao Se would undoubtedly be dead. Now, though he's still powerful, he's at least not at his peak. Xiao Se has found an opportunity for himself," Xie Xuan said.
Xiao Se spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle. "Another one broken but so what? I have four more swords, and I have four more Berserk Dragons! I'm going to kill you, you old fart!"
Xie Xuan shook his head. "Luo Qingyang is about the same age as me. Doesn't calling him an old fart also mean I'm an old fart too?"
Luo Qingyang sneered. "Very well, I'll let you see just how many more Berserk Dragons you have!" The Nine Songs sword swung and actually aimed for the four swords stuck into the ground!
Xiao Se was startled, and made for the cluster of swords. He pulled out the heaviest sword from the ground and swung it hard to meet the oncoming sword aura.
There was a loud bang.
Xiao Se retreated another three steps.
The heavy sword in his hand remained intact.
But the other three swords around him were all snapped into two.
Luo Qingyang landed steadily and sneered, "How many more dragons do you have?"
Xiao Se was speechless for a moment. Then, he suddenly cursed, "Fuck you, you old fart!"
"Enough of your childish games!" Luo Qingyang came at him with a sword.
Xiao Se waved his left hand frantically, "The four phenomena produce the eight trigrams. The eight trigrams create all life." He pushed forward sharply, and the bagua pattern dispersed into a force of Daoist energy aiming straight for Luo Qingyang. With a swing of his sword, Luo Qingyang shattered it to pieces.
Xie Xuan sighed. "He tried his best."
"Fuck, why is Mo Yi's so powerful when he does it?" Xiao Se cursed in a low voice, but Luo Qingyang had already forced his way through. He swung his sword to block and was thrown back by a sword move. Finally, he landed on the roof of the nearest teahouse.
Luo Qingyang shouted at the top of his voice as if almost everyone in Heavenly Revelations City could hear him. "I am Luo Qingyang, the peerless sword immortal. I'm here to challenge your sword. Is there anyone else who wishes to dispute?"
This was his response to what Xiao Se said earlier: You came to challenge Heavenly Revelations, but did Heavenly Revelations agree?
But what was more telling was that Luo Qingyang had changed his self-proclaimed name from "Solitary Sword Immortal" to "Peerless Sword Immortal". Clearly, he was placing himself at a different level from the other four sword immortals! Luo Qingyang was never an arrogant person, but when such a person really became arrogant, it meant that… his killing intent had intensified!
Deep inside the palace, the imperial consort who had never stepped out of the gates of the imperial palace, was now standing at the door of her palace. She looked in the direction that voice came from and chuckled softly. "Oh, it's shixiong. It's been so many years since I heard shixiong speak so loudly."
*
Poetry note:
凤箫声动，玉壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞。
The melodious sound of the phoenix xiao echoed all around, the jade-like moon gradually turned in the sky to a night of dancing fish and dragon lanterns.
Xiao Se's line in tribute to his third realm, Berserk Dragon, is from the poem 《青玉案·元夕》 (Green Jade Table, Lantern Festival) by Song dynasty poet, Xin Qiji. I think he only wanted to reference the dragon. Here, fish and dragon lanterns refer to the shape of the lanterns and as they swayed, they resembled fish and dragons splashing in the sea. A xiao is a Chinese flute played vertically.
*
操吴戈兮披犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接。旌蔽日兮敌若云，矢交坠兮士争先。凌余阵兮躐余行，左骖殪兮右刃伤。霾两轮兮絷四马，援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。天时怼兮威灵怒，严杀尽兮弃原野。
We grasp our battle-spears: we don our breast-plates of hide.
The axles of our chariots touch: our short swords meet.
Standards obscure the sun: the foe roll up like clouds.
Arrows fall thick: the warriors press forward.
They menace our ranks: they break our line.
The left-hand trace-horse is dead: the one on the right is smitten.
The fallen horses block our wheels: they impede the yoke-horses!
They grasp their jade drum-sticks: they beat the sounding drums.
Heaven decrees their fall: the dread Powers are angry.
The warriors are all dead: they lie abandoned on the open plains.
These lines are from the Hymn to the Fallen, the tenth elegy of the Nine Songs collection. Luo Qingyang got halfway through the Hymn before he was rudely interrupted by Xiao Se. Hehe. I've used the same translation as from ch 426 (translation by Arthur Waley, 1918).
References: Jiu Ge - Wikipedia, Hymn to the Fallen - Wikipedia, 九歌（楚辞作品）_百度百科, 九歌·国殇_百度百科