Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 69 A Sorrowful Judgment

Blood Maple Forest is actually an ordinary maple forest, except that golden threads flow through the veins of its leaves.

In the center of the maple forest is the Judge's Pavilion. At the entrance of the maple forest stand six large black ebony notice boards. The five on the left are covered with bounty notices, densely packed with names, portraits, martial arts techniques, rewards, and even assassination difficulty ratings—ranging from "easy as pie" to "nine out of ten chances of survival," and so on.

On the right, a large banner was inscribed with three lines of blood-red characters, the infamous Ghost Market Laws:
Those who enter the Ghost Market, once the contract is signed, there is no going back.

[With the Yin Talisman in charge, even the humblest peddler can cast it with a single throw, witnessed by the nine netherworlds.]

The winner takes all, the loser pays with their life, those who break their promises are stripped of their flesh and skinned alive, their souls forever imprisoned in the Book of Life and Death.

The area in front of the list was packed with people.

Masked swordsmen whispered about their targets, while the evil Taoist squinted and calculated the bounty. Brokers weaved among them, hawking various "assassination aids."

"The Heart-Eating Gu will surely kill anyone who is afflicted within three days. All it takes is two Green Lotus Blades!"

"The 'Thousand Machines Technique' manual grants masterful control over hidden weapons, one and a half pieces!"

"'The King of Hell's Decree,' whoever it touches dies. Three green-skinned knives, no deception, young or old!"

"The Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell Talisman, a life-saving artifact in critical moments, and five Green Lotus Blades!"

Lu Chenyuan glanced around and was about to step into the woods.

Suddenly, the goddess gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Brother, that sword..."

Her gaze fell upon a young Taoist priest leaning lazily against a maple tree. The priest wore a gray-white Taoist robe, had a wine gourd hanging from his waist, and a tattered cloth spread out in front of him, on which were several weapons.

The most eye-catching item was a sixth-grade low-level dripping sword. The scabbard was ordinary, the hilt was worn, and it looked unremarkable.

Lu Chenyuan turned and walked closer, lightly flicking his fingertip on the sword. His discerning eyes flashed – sure enough, the sword's aura was wrong. There was another sword inside, which should be of the metal element, faintly echoing the metal aura on his body. However, it was sealed tightly, and the feeling was extremely subtle and difficult to detect with divine sense. Judging from the quality of the metal aura and the sharpness emanating from the sword, its grade was at least fifth grade!

Lu Chenyuan raised his eyes: "How much is this sword?"

The Taoist priest didn't even lift his eyelids, and lazily said, "Five Green-Legged Swords, no bargaining."

A scarred swordsman next to him sneered, "A low-grade sixth-rank sword is worth no more than three coins on the market. This broken sword has not been nurtured for many years, its sword energy and spirituality are insufficient, yet you dare to sell it for five coins? Even the black market shops aren't this greedy!"

The Taoist priest sneered, "Take it or leave it!"

Lu Chenyuan wasn't annoyed. He simply took out five Green-Legged Blades from his money pouch and tossed them over: "I'll take them."

The Taoist priest was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to be so decisive, but he still slowly accepted the money and handed over the sword.

Lu Chenyuan took the sword and examined it carefully. The sword was azure blue with simple water-based runes engraved on it. It was unremarkable, except for the hilt, which was slightly unusual. It was so thin that it was almost as wide as the sword, making it difficult to grip, but it was inlaid with several bright pearls.

He plucked the pearls one by one, revealing eight faintly engraved talismans beneath them, all of which were of the metal element!
"interesting……"

Lu Chenyuan roughly understood, gripped the hilt with one hand and the blade with the other, and began to slowly draw the sword horizontally.

The Taoist priest, who had already closed his eyes, saw that the man gripped the sword blade tightly with one hand, yet not a drop of blood flowed out. He thought to himself, "Appearances can be deceiving. This guy doesn't look strong, but he's actually a master of body refinement... It's just that he's not very bright. What is he up to?"

The scarred swordsman who had warned him earlier secretly shook his head. He had already made it clear, but who would have thought that this kid would knowingly take advantage of the situation? The Green Lotus Blade was extremely rare outside, and even in the Ghost Market, it was hard to earn. Three blades became five, which was almost double the price. Didn't you hear the bidding over there? That was enough to buy a Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell Talisman. However, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong and turned back abruptly.

click -

With a soft click, the hilt separated from the blade.

In the next instant, countless tightly sealed sword energies seemed to find an outlet, surging in all directions. Then, a sharp and fierce aura suddenly rose up, and the sound of clashing weapons resounded in all directions!
The entire Blood Maple Forest fell silent at the sound, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the noise.

Two swords appeared in Lu Chenyuan's hands. One was a hollow blade, the same one that had been used to cut water. The other was short and slender, no more than two feet long including the hilt, and was covered in golden light, its sharpness intimidating.

—A fifth-grade spirit sword!
Everyone was shocked.

The Taoist priest sat up abruptly, his eyes wide, and blurted out, "[Golden Thread Blade]?!"

This sword was forged by Jin Hongzi, a master swordsmith of the Kongtong Sect. After its completion, the sword was nurtured for three years using the Kongtong secret technique, the Taibai Sword Classic, which allowed the sword's energy to arise spontaneously and its sharpness to be concealed. Although the sword is short, it can be wielded at will, requiring no nurturing, and can be used as easily as an arm. Originally a secret treasure of the Kongtong Sect, it was later stolen by a disgraced disciple and its whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

The Kongtong Sect has been searching for this sword for many years because it contains a wisp of the true meaning of the sect's treasured martial art, the "Taibai Sword Scripture." For Kongtong disciples, its value far surpasses that of an ordinary fifth-grade flying sword.

The Taoist's expression changed instantly. He was a disciple of the Kongtong Sect, and today he had actually sold off his sect's secret treasure at a low price!

People around were talking about it:
"I see. Using metal to generate water not only nourishes this dripping sword, but also allows us to use the water-based talismans on its body to conceal its unparalleled sword aura. It's quite ingenious."

"A fine sword! It's just a bit short; it can only be used as a flying sword, which is a bit of a pity."

"A fifth-grade spirit sword would be worth at most fifteen Qingfu Blades on the market, but the people of Kongtong might be willing to offer twenty."

"What a pity, if it were a longsword, the price could have doubled..."

The Taoist priest suddenly stood up, his voice trembling: "This sword... I'll pay extra to buy it back!"

Lu Chenyuan smiled slightly: "Thirty."

The Taoist priest said urgently, "There were only five just now! Even if we count them as fifth grade, there are at most fifteen!"

Lu Chenyuan said slowly, "Take it or leave it."

There was a burst of laughter all around.

The Empress covered her mouth and chuckled, while Lin Hanyi shook his head and smiled.

The Taoist priest gritted his teeth, took out his money bag from his pocket, and counted the coins one by one with trembling hands. He then sold off the items on his stall at a low price. After a long time, he barely managed to scrape together thirty coins. He closed his eyes and said, "Here you go!"

Lu Chenyuan then handed over the sword with a smile and said with a light laugh, "Be more honest next time you do business."

The Taoist priest snatched the golden blade and rushed into the depths of the maple forest without looking back, his back view looking as disheveled as a defeated rooster.

The onlookers, still enjoying the spectacle, laughed and said, "What goes around comes around, and retribution is inevitable!"

"This Taoist priest has been swindling people for years, and today he's finally caught!"

"That was satisfying! That was satisfying!" Lu Chenyuan laughed, then handed the Dripping Water Sword, now only the blade remained, to the scarred swordsman who had given him the warning: "Thank you for the reminder, brother. I don't need the sword, so it's yours."

The scarred swordsman was taken aback: "This sword is actually a Golden Threaded Edge scabbard, nourished by golden energy. Now that it no longer needs to restrain the sword energy within, it has gained some spiritual charm. It's at least a mid-grade sword. Even if it's hollow, its value is undiminished. I estimate it can sell for seven..."

Lu Chenyuan said, "I don't use a sword, but I find you pleasing to the eye. Take it."

The swordsman was somewhat surprised, then took the dripping sword, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "I am Tie Hengjiang, may I ask who you are..."

Lu Chenyuan smiled and said, "It's not appropriate to reveal your name when you're in the Ghost Market. We'll meet again someday."

After saying that, he strode towards the Blood Maple Forest. At the entrance of the forest, there was a girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.

She wore a pale yellow dress with a silver bell and red rope tied around her waist. A golden maple hairpin was tucked into her jet-black hair, making her skin appear as white as snow. Her eyes were bright and lively, and the corners of her lips were naturally upturned, as if she were about to burst into laughter at any moment.

"This young master has an excellent eye!"

The girl clapped her hands and laughed, "That old Taoist priest has been swindling and cheating people in my house for years, but he's finally been caught today!"

Lu Chenyuan raised an eyebrow: "Your home?"

The girl pointed to the maple forest behind her. "This is my home. My name is Chu Heng, but everyone calls me Aheng." She shook the silver bell on her wrist. "My father is the 'Sorrowful Judge' you're looking for."

The goddess suddenly leaned close to Lu Chenyuan's ear: "Brother, the jade pendant on her waist..."

Chu Heng's ears twitched; she had overheard the whisper. Smiling, she removed the jade pendant: "Little sister has a good eye. This is the [Insight Jade], capable of reflecting the flow of true energy." She deliberately waved it in front of Lu Chenyuan, and the jade surface indeed emitted a faint blue light. "Eh? Young Master's true energy is quite extraordinary..."

Lu Chenyuan said, "We came here to borrow the Book of Life and Death. Please do us a favor, young lady."

"Know it!"

Chu Heng twirled her skirt and turned around. "Come with me." As she walked, she turned back and winked at Lu Chenyuan. "That 'Golden Thread Blade' just now actually had half of the incantation of the 'Tai Bai Sword Manual' hidden on its blade. Did you not notice, young master?"

Lu Chenyuan was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled—this was a test to see if he had truly seen through all the secrets of the sword.

"The young lady has keen insight."

Lu Chenyuan calmly replied, "However, the incantation can only be revealed using the 'Golden Rainbow Guiding' technique of the Kongtong Sect. I just happen to know this story."

Chu Heng paused, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes, then her smile widened: "Young Master knows so much!" She suddenly lowered her voice, "Father will definitely make things difficult for you later, but... I can help!"

Lu Chenyuan remained expressionless, while Lin Hanyi frowned slightly.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the pavilion.

The Judge's Pavilion is a hexagonal pavilion with green tiles. Bronze wind chimes hang under the eaves, and when they ring in the wind, they play strange tunes that relax the mind and make people feel drowsy. Atop the pyramidal roof stands a die carved from blood jade, with the six characters "life, death, wealth, lust, power, and infatuation" engraved on each of its six sides. Under the illumination of the dim array of symbols, it gleams with an eerie light.

Chu Heng suddenly straightened her clothes, instantly becoming dignified. She passed through the hexagonal pavilion and came to a wooden house with a plaque that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" hanging in the back. She gently knocked on the carved wooden door: "Father, I'm back. We have guests."

"understood."

A warm response came from inside the door, and then the wooden door slid open silently. The man who came out was about forty years old, wearing an indigo long robe, with slightly graying temples. His face was as refined as that of a scholar, except for the white bone on his right little finger, which showed a bit of eeriness.

He had a vermilion wine gourd hanging from his waist, and his body carried a faint fragrance of pear blossoms.

Chu Zhaoye tilted his head back and took a sip of wine, his gaze casually sweeping over the three people, pausing briefly on Lin Hanyi: "Is this Lin Gongren? It's been a while since I've seen her. And this one..."

Lin Hanyi smiled and said, "It's been a few years. Is the judge still following the same old rules?"

Chu Zhaoye smiled slightly, no longer caring about Lu Chenyuan's background. With a flick of his sleeve, the tea set on the stone table in the pavilion automatically moved aside, revealing a black jade chessboard. The chessboard had nineteen lines, each line gleaming with golden light. A bright pearl was embedded in the star position, and a blood-red amber was placed in the center position.

"The rules remain the same, but the way of gambling has changed."

Chu Zhaoye walked towards the pavilion: "The Book of Life and Death is of great importance. I have already revealed it twice, so I cannot easily make any moves. Moves that have already been broken should not be used again." He sat down in front of the chessboard and pointed to it, saying: "One game will decide the outcome. If you win, you can browse the Book of Life and Death at will; if you lose, you will leave behind your most valuable possession."

Chu Heng said anxiously, "Father! This young master is a first-timer..."

"Observe the game without speaking!"

Chu Zhaoye interrupted calmly, making a hand seal with one hand, and the pearl on the chessboard suddenly shone brightly.

When Lu Chenyuan looked down, he suddenly felt dizzy—

When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the vast starry sky.

Beneath my feet lies a vast, intricate chessboard, seemingly endless. When I raise my hand, my sleeve feels as heavy as a thousand pounds. The rich aroma of wine makes me drowsy with every breath. Whispers constantly whisper in my ear, disturbing my peace of mind.

"This game is called 'Drunken Dream of the Milky Way'."

Chu Zhaoye's voice came from all directions, "When a guest is at the host's disposal, I'll get off first!"

After saying that, he quickly placed a piece on the star position.

"..."

Lu Chenyuan's lips twitched; this was the first time he'd used the phrase "when in Rome, do as the Romans do"...

Outside the pavilion, Lin Hanyi was watching Lu Chenyuan closely from behind, while Chu Heng was also a little anxious, her eyes darting around.

Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes, then opened them again. The starry sky had vanished. Before his all-seeing eye, all illusions were nothing to worry about. But the aroma of the Thousand-Day Drunken Wine from the Judge's Wine Gourd, the lullaby "The Five Watches Soul-Shattering Sheng" suddenly playing from the bell on his head, and the spell [Nine Earths Binding] that suddenly erupted beneath his feet were drawing upon the powerful earth energy to lock his entire body, making every movement extremely difficult.

The combined pressure of smell, hearing, and touch was somewhat strenuous even for him.

What's the difference between this and the referee leaving the field?
I almost forgot, it really was the referee who stepped off the field!
He sets the rules, he chooses the venue, and everyone else seems to be there to lose!

Lu Chenyuan cursed inwardly, but he calmed his mind, braced himself against the pressure, raised his arm, picked up a piece, and placed it steadily.

　Chapter Two was 3600 words, and today it's 7200. The word count is up, so please bear with me a bit more in terms of time. Also, more and more people are starting to "grow" the book, and it breaks my heart when you all do it, sob sob...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)