Chapter 20: So That's How It Was

  On a sunny afternoon, in the open countryside, at the "Music Tea Bar" of a quasi-three-star hotel, a man and a woman sat opposite each other, with a pot of fragrant Bi Luo Chun tea between them. The scene was serene and beautiful. If some incomprehensible music were added to it, someone would surely believe that "Blue Valentine 2" had started filming at the train station in some Chinese city...

  But their conversation was an entirely different story.

  "I hastily said, 'Miss Su, I've explained to you many times already. Recently, many people have misunderstood me. I think you must have encountered the same problem too. I believe you are from that what's-it-called black continent, but I'm definitely not the person you're looking for.'"

  Su Jingdao said: "It won't be wrong, I even feel that power is in you, and you can't shirk it."

  "Alright, then you first tell me how you found me and how did you confirm that I am the Sword God you mentioned?"

  Su Jingdao said: "After you split the mountain, although your body died, we found that your power did not disappear, but continued to exist in a tangible and substantial way. We gathered all the top magicians on the continent to collect them, and then calculated the general location of your reincarnation through some special calculations. Then, using the most expensive and rare magical crystal, we transmitted these powers over, and now they have completely returned to your body."

  I immediately found her bug: "Since you've found those powers, why not put them on your own people? Wouldn't that save the effort later?"

  "The key to the problem is that those powers can't be fully integrated into someone else's body. At best, they can only borrow a few percent of it, and at worst, they can't integrate at all. However, once these powers are scattered, they lose their meaning. A group of people with sword god powers can't have equivalent strength. Your powers don't disappear or decrease, but they can never be restored by piecing them together again. In the end, we come to a conclusion: except for you, who is their original master, no one else can truly possess them."

  I said: "Then my second question is: why do you go to so much trouble to find me, instead of using this effort and energy to do something else? In other words, is the cost equal to the gain?"

  Su Jing said resolutely: "If we can find Sword God, we are willing to pay more efforts. You still don't understand what a Sword God means to a continent."

  "Understood, weapons of intimidation, just like America's first possession of nuclear weapons back then."

  Su Jing nodded in agreement, "The word 'deterrent' means that if you want to attack a country with this sword god, previously it would take 100,000 troops, now it may require 200,000 or even more."

  I said: "Alright then, let's seek common ground while preserving our differences. Even if I were your Sword God, my last question is: what did you bring me back for?"

  "Black Geis Empire has once again mobilized its army to launch a general offensive against the Federal Continent, our people have been exhausted from the previous disaster and are no longer able to withstand another war."

  "So you're looking for me to split the mountain again."

  Su Jingdao said: "Last time was an accident, I came to find you just to let you and me go back together to resist the enemy!"

  "And you?"

  Su Jing nodded: "With me."

  "I asked how many Sword Gods you have on your continent, can't this matter be left to others?"

  Su Jingdao said: "In the past when you were here there was only one and that was you, now there is still only one."

  "Who is it?"

  Su Jing said calmly: "Me!"

  I was so scared that I hid into the sofa: "You? How old are you this year?"

  Su Jingping said: "20 years old."

  "How old was I when I died back then?"

  "Thirty-five years old." Su Jing said, "The Sword God has nothing to do with age. Talent and opportunity are indispensable. A person with high talent may still be just a swordsman at the age of 80, and it's not necessarily impossible for a 20-year-old to become a Sword God."

  "So you're saying that in the entire continent, there have only been two Sword Gods like us?"

  "Yes, but my teacher said that in 300 years before you and 300 years after me, there may never be another Sword God again."

  "...... Your teacher is Feng Jie?"

  Su Jing suddenly stood up and said: "Su Jing asks Sword God to think of the people all over the world, follow me back to resist the great enemy together!"

  "I casually said: 'Can't you just go yourself? Aren't you also a Sword God?'"

  Su Jing Zheng said: "The Federal Continent is now disheartened, the people are discussing the enemy with a change of color. Su Jing is young and lacks virtue, unable to give them confidence. I need Mr. Sword God's prestige to go back with me to boost their morale!"

  I chuckled and said, "It turns out that the old signboard still has persuasive power."

  "Is there anything else you'd like to ask, sir?"

  I threw up my hands: "The problem is gone, but I still have to tell you one thing: I'm really not the person you're looking for."

  "Kala——" Su's anger caused her lips to turn white, and one of her fingers involuntarily pressed lightly on the table, causing a white crack to appear on the tempered glass, which spread towards me like the ice breaking in "Ice Age".

  I jumped onto the sofa and shouted loudly: "Miss Su, listen to me!"

  Su Jing's fingers slowly left the table, and her emotions quickly returned to calmness. She bowed to me again: "I can understand Mr.'s behavior, in general people's ears, this is naturally a nonsense, but Mr. should be different. Haven't you felt that there is something different from the recent peaceful times? For example, being agile, acting quickly, and having infinite strength."

  I made a bitter face and said: "I really didn't, you didn't see that I was surrounded by a group of hoodlums just now and couldn't do anything?"

  Su Jing smiled and said: "As Mr. Jian Shen, he naturally wouldn't stoop to fighting them."

  "How can I put it?"

  Just then the door opened and Old Wu came back, I shouted like seeing a lifesaver: "Old Wu come quick!"

  Su Jing suddenly turned around and unexpectedly said: "Sword Master's later period?"

  Lao Wu took a cold breath: "What a strong aura!"

  Lao Wu and Su Jing faced each other, and suddenly became vigilant. He said: "This Taoist friend, looking at your majestic breath, it seems that you are not some evil demon or external heretic. I am Wu Yongsheng, a thousand-year-old locust tree outside the Hangu Pass. Can you report your family origin, so that I can conveniently pay my respects?"

  Su Jing said: "I am Su Jing, the daughter of Su Chongwei, the Federal Continent's Country. My senior's cultivation is not shallow, don't you know my father?"

  These two, one made the other reveal their true intentions, and the other thought the other was also from the Federal Continent. The more they talked, the more they didn't see eye to eye. I jumped up on the sofa and shouted loudly: "Stop! Listen to me!"

  ……

  After a cup of tea's worth of effort, I finally managed to roughly explain our identities to each other.

  Old Wu suddenly said: "So to speak, this Miss Su is from another place outside of China."

  Su Jing didn't expect that in this world, a pagoda tree could actually be transformed into a human, and he was stunned.

  Old Wu suddenly said: "Miss Su just said that I am a late-stage sword master, it seems that my cultivation has a comparable standard in your world as well. In my opinion, Miss Su actually has a subtle sign of wanting to cross the heavenly tribulation. Although we are from different worlds, our strength levels are similar."

  I clapped my hands and said: "This can explain why Miss Su took me for the Sword God she was looking for."

  Old Wu smiled and said, "This is indeed a misunderstanding by Miss Su. Little Dragon doesn't know what special experience he has gone through, although it looks like he's been tempered in fire, but he actually doesn't have half a bit of magical power."

  Su Jing listened and suddenly grasped my arm with lightning speed, two fingers pressed on my pulse, his face suddenly changed: "You are the Sword God's true body, no doubt, but the sword energy... is completely gone."

  "I collapsed and said: 'How can you be so stubborn? I'm really not the Sword God you said!'"

  "Who are you? The true body has returned, but the power is empty and hollow. Did it really not pass on to your body?"

  Lao Wu said: "What do you mean by this?"

  Su Jingdao said, "On our continent, anyone who cultivates sword energy will have their body present a certain rank. This is something that can't be faked even in the slightest. His rank is Sword God, it's just that he doesn't have any sword energy." Su Jingdao stared at me and asked, "Do you have any special experiences?"

  This story doesn't need me to say it, Old Wu is already familiar with it. He recounted it to Su Jing one by one, and when he got to the last few sentences, Old Wu suddenly slapped his thigh: "I understand now!"

  "What did you understand?"

  Old Wu laughed and said: "Little Dragon, don't try to deny it anymore, you are indeed someone's Sword God!"

  "Hey, where are you from?"

  Old Wu sighed and said, "The heavens are mysterious, it has come to this. Let me sort out the cause and effect for you: Starting from Su Niang's United Continent, they passed on all of Xiao Long's past life powers to you. You indeed are their Sword God, so those powers were immediately transferred to your body. However..."

  Old Wu turned to Su Jingdao: "A world has its own rules, in our world, being too strong will lead to heavenly calamity. According to what you said, Little Dragon is the only Sword God on your continent, so his strength can be seen at a glance. In our world, it's logical that he suffered from heavenly calamity. However, there's one thing I don't understand: why did he pass through the heavenly calamity but didn't have any sword energy - or what you call 'sword aura'? This is something I just can't figure out."

  I sighed and said: "Perhaps I understand now."

  Su Jing and Old Wu asked together: "Why?"

  "At that time, when the lightning struck, I was pushed by someone, so it didn't hit my head."

  Old Wu stared blankly and said: "Can heavenly thunder also strike sideways?"

  Su Jingdao said: "I also understand a bit."

  I and Old Wu asked her together: "What else have you understood?"

  Su Jingdao said: "As Wu Qianbei said, your tribulation mainly targets extremely strong powers. Although the power of Sword God was brought over by us, it didn't have time to merge in the brief moment, and when he was pushed away, that bolt of lightning actually didn't go off target. It didn't hit Long Yangyang, but it did hit those powers. He dodged out of the way, but the power was dispersed!"

  Old Wu exclaimed loudly: "I understand again!"

  I weakly said: "Speak up, Grandpa, don't be mysterious."

  Old Wu said: "Anyway, that thunderbolt didn't strike you to death, so your body is equivalent to having passed the heavenly calamity, but because you have no magical powers, you can't ascend to immortality!"

  "I get it again and again!" I continued in one breath: "It's like an armored car delivering money to a bank, the money bag arrived, but the money is gone!"

  Old Wu patted my shoulder and said, "It's not that simple. At least you've already got the Golden Body after the tribulation. As long as you can find back those powers, you'll be able to ascend to the ranks of the immortals without any risk. I'm so envious!"

  I cautiously asked Su Jing: "Can it be found again?"

  "Right!" Su Jing said resolutely: "Those powers won't disappear, they won't decrease. I only have one worry, which is whether they will be absorbed by someone else's body - where were you at that time, and who was around you?"

  "I said: 'That's too much, I was on a bus at the time.'"

  Although I don't know what a bus is, Su Jing clenched his fists and said firmly: "From now on, we will find them one by one and take back your power - for the Federal Continent!"

  Division line

  What a mix... Do you guys see it? Recommend a book: "Super Repair": Fine repair of American aircraft carriers, Russian fighter jets, Chinese rockets, quantity and quality guaranteed, book number 1822704.