Chapter 14: Slashing Across the Seas with a Sword!

“What kind of blade is this?”
Someone in the audience, confused, called out the question.
“It’s a blade from the Ye family!”
Which Ye family?
The outsiders exchanged puzzled glances, seeking clarification.
“The one that was annihilated five years ago, when all the great families joined forces against them.”
As soon as those words were spoken, silence fell. The speaker realized he had uttered something forbidden.
Ignoring the murmurs below, Sima Lin continued his introduction:
“It’s said that this broadsword slew thousands in battle. After years of nurturing, it has developed a blade spirit. For martial artists on the path of cultivation, it provides powerful enhancement—enough to be invincible among peers of the same level.”
“Unfortunately, for various reasons, ordinary people cannot draw it from its scabbard.”
“In my estimation, to wield this sword, one’s martial attainment must at least reach the rank of Grandmaster.”
There was one more thing Sima Lin did not say: if someone not of the Ye family attempted to draw the blade by force, they would need the strength of a Martial King.
But that was not something he dared or was permitted to voice.
“Well, that’s all the information. Those of you who know your collectibles surely recognize its worth.”
“The opening bid is fifty million!”
“Fifty million? Are you mad?”
A wave of exclamations rose throughout the hall as the base price was announced.
It was absurd.
The blade, at best, dated back to the Tang Dynasty; its historical value paled compared to relics from the Shang or Yin periods, and as a weapon, it brimmed with murderous energy, making it less desirable for collectors. What justified so high a price?
“This price is outrageous!”
Someone questioned it openly.
“The Sima family’s appraisals have always been fair. This item will go to the fated one. Please place your bids.” Sima Lin spoke with confidence.
No sooner had he finished than a bid rang out.
“Eighty million!”
“Eighty million? Is that person a fool?”
The crowd turned to look. On the bidding platform stood two men dressed in Japanese warrior attire.
“Why do the Japanese want this broadsword?”
“I’ll tell you exactly why!”
At that moment of confusion, a tall figure strode toward the commentary stage. More than a dozen security guards moved swiftly, but before they could act, a crushing pressure swept over them.
Thud, thud—
All of them fell to their knees at once.
“And you are?”
Sima Lin stared at the approaching youth in confusion. “The Sima family is known for making friends far and wide. We have no enemies that I know of. Sir, why create trouble at our auction?”
“Making friends, you say?”
A cold, mocking light flickered in Ye Tian’s eyes. He stepped forward, reached out, and grasped the broadsword on its stand.

“To steal and plunder the Ye family’s treasure, and then give it away as gifts—this is what you call making friends?”
As his words fell, the sword spun in his hand, forming a dazzling flourish.
A ringing clash!
A piercing, cold light flashed!
The legendary spirit blade, said to yield only to a Grandmaster’s strength, was drawn in an instant!
An uproar swept through the vast auction hall.
Stunned silence.
Sima Lin was first bewildered, then, upon seeing the young man’s face, terror overwhelmed him.
“Ye…Ye Tian!”
“You are Ye Tian of the Ye family?!”
Sima Lin’s worldview shattered.
“That’s impossible! Ye Tian’s heart was taken by those people—he died long ago!”
In his memory, the young heir of the Ye family had been killed by a group from the capital, his heart cut out, dead beyond saving.
Now, that very man stood before him, alive and well.
Terror engulfed Sima Lin. Pointing a trembling finger at the youth, he screamed,
“You’re not human, you’re a ghost! You’ve come for vengeance! The Sima family does not fear you!”
His hysteria on stage sent the audience below into chaos.
“Didn’t they say only Grandmasters could draw that blade?”
“This young man looks barely twenty—are you telling me he’s a Grandmaster? What an international joke! Do you two Japanese believe it?”
The crowd broke out in angry shouts, accusing the Sima family of false advertising and price gouging, and many stood to leave.
“I have something to say!”
At that moment, a man in the know stood up and spoke loudly:
“In truth, this is indeed the treasured blade of the Ye family, the most prominent household in Central Capital five years ago!”
“And the Sima family are thieves!”
“Back then, numerous families besieged the Ye family, slaughtered them to the last, and the Sima family stole all their treasures—including this blade!”
“To draw this blade, two conditions are required. One: the strength of a Grandmaster; and the other…”
“You must be of Ye blood!”
His words detonated like thunder.
The hall plunged into renewed shock.
A descendant of the Ye family?
None present were ignorant of the great upheaval in Central Capital five years ago, nor of the Ye family’s extermination—a secret impossible to keep.
But the deeper truths were unknown to outsiders.
Yet today, someone declared outright that the Sima family had played a role in the massacre.
“Is that true? If so, the Sima family are nothing but criminals!”
“No wonder they’ve risen so quickly these years—they’re just thieves, hah!”

Sarcastic voices echoed. Sima Lin’s face flushed red and pale by turns.
Lies do not wound; truth is the sharpest blade.
Every accusation from the crowd was fact—he had no grounds for rebuttal…
“Well, it seems I don’t need to speak—others are willing to bear witness.” Ye Tian slowly raised the broadsword in his hand.
Across centuries, the blade remained mighty. As a breeze brushed past, a mournful wail seemed to emanate from the sword’s edge, as if ten thousand souls were bound to it.
And the point of the blade aimed straight at Sima Lin!
“The world may reject fairness, but I, Ye Tian, uphold it!”
He declared in a resounding voice.
“For every debt there is a debtor; you slaughtered my kin, so in the name of justice, I will kill you!”
A glint of silver flashed.
A head tumbled from its shoulders, blood spraying like a geyser, staining the ceiling with crimson!
“Bloody hell, he killed a man!”
“Help! A Ye family remnant has returned to massacre us all!”
…
Those scions of noble houses who had once persecuted the Ye family were struck with terror, scattering like startled birds.
Many bystanders had already drawn out their phones to record the scene.
“Old dog of the Sima family, don’t think you can escape!”
After cutting down Sima Lin, Ye Tian swung his bloodied sword toward the audience.
An elder in a four-clawed robe was seized by panic, trying to rise but his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor.
“Damn it—the descendant of that man!”
The two Japanese men’s eyes burned with rage.
They shouted in their native tongue and charged forward, drawing two swords with a curve sharper than the Tang blade. They attacked Ye Tian from both sides!
“Ye Chengfeng of the Ye family killed my ancestor. I, Jiro Miyafuji, am here for revenge!”
“I, Saburo Miyafuji, am here for revenge!”
“So that’s it. No wonder your hatred runs so deep—you’re the offspring of Japanese pirates.” Ye Tian grinned, raising his broadsword.
He swept out a beautiful circular arc!
Clang! Clang!
Two crisp, rapid sounds—their swords were cut apart in an instant!
“Killing pirates is no burden to my conscience.”
Ye Tian’s voice was light, his body seeming to float like a leaf. Blade light flashed like water, and two bleeding corpses slumped to the floor.
Blood splattered across Sima Chun’s aged face!