Life Going Wild With Plug-ins

Chapter 47 - I am certainly not stupid!


We swiftly travelled for a full day and night without stopping to rest, turning into a mountain forest before the sun set from the West. We were surrounded by range upon range of mountains on either side, with a slow stream running in between, our line of sight ended at a lofty and steep high mountain that had a small, open flat area where One Sword Tomb was located. This place, sitting north and facing south, with mountains on one side and water on the other, was really a prime location for a tomb.


As we got closer to that high mountain, I suddenly felt my hips drop as the Yulan White Dragon Steed suddenly fell down with a mournful whine. Ye Tan had been tense the whole way, not having taken any time to rest, and he still had the energy to react instantly, wrapping his arms around me and rolling over a few times to soften the impact. When I turned my head back, I saw that that the horse had had it’s four hooves identically cut off. The Yulan White Dragon Steed shrieked incessantly, and I closed my eyes, not daring to look again at such a ruthless act. They really weren’t an amiable group, and I was afraid these violent acts would only increase.

A calm an unhurried voice, carrying somewhat a hint of intoxication, berated us: “Since you came to visit the ancestors, how could you have a reason for riding a horse?”

I turned to look at the source of the voice, it was a debauched-looking, middle-aged man leaning on a blue rock, pouring himself a drink. It was the same person we met before at the Swords Convention in Yangxi, the one who was sitting to the side of Qiu Manor and who trapped me with that gift sword. I wondered: “You..... how can you be here?”

The middle-aged man sneered: “Since I was the one who referred you two small children, it’s only natural that it falls on me to discipline you.”

I respectfully asked: “Senior, please let me know how I should address you.”

“Qiu1 Wujiu.” He raised his head and drank the whole large cup, then let it fall and break, turning around and laughing: “You don’t even know me, you truly are very ignorant and inexperienced. It’s a shame that you won’t live past tonight, and I won’t have the good fortune of taking you on as my disciples.”

I sighed: “In all likelihood this good fortune is actually not, but we have come here to continue living, so I hope Senior will give us a few more words.”

“Today is the first of the month, and the sun is about to set behind the mountain. In this full month you didn’t accomplish anything at all, so you really deserve to die.” Qiu Wujiu disdainfully looked down on the two of us out of the corner of his eye, his face showed the resentment one has when something fails to meet their expectations, and there was no trace of sympathy in his heart.

I spoke again: “Although we deserve to die, we really don’t want to die. Someone told me there was still some leeway to discuss this matter, so I came here specifically to get advice.”

“There is, of course there is!” Qiu Wujiu acted as though he had heard something shocking, rubbing his palms together and loudly laughing, “If you change our ancient rules, say nothing of wanting to live, even if you wanted everyone in One Sword Tomb to commit suicide as a way of apologising for offending you, we would all listen to you.”

I hurriedly said: “Senior, I’m not here to joke around.....”

Qiu Wujiu didn’t laugh, coldly watching me and saying: “We at One Sword Tomb have been enshrining the world’s only true sword for many generations, if you are able to cut the true sword in half, then naturally you will be able to modify our rules.”

I understood, this was probably the method Yang Qinzhou spoke about.

It sounded very baseless, but I was at death’s door and didn’t have any other choice.

I nodded: “Senior, please allow me to try.”

Qiu Wujiu narrowed his eyes: “You can, of course you can. I look forward to it very much..... but you must understand, no one who has tried to has been able to cut the true sword, and if you fail, we will take your life as punishment for the crime of blasphemy.”

I laughed bitterly: “If I don’t try, I will certainly not see the sun tomorrow, so I have nothing to lose.”

Qiu Wujiu smiled and nodded in excitement and jumped up from the blue rock: “Follow me.”

We followed him into a misty stone forest, taking several winding turns for a long time, and came across a tunnel hidden between the rocks, Qiu Wujiu went down first, and we followed closely behind. Inside was a complex corridor that looked like a tomb passageway, with the sounds of dim candles crackling and the faint ringing of metal and stone being carried through the air.

We finally arrived in front of a stone door, and Qiu Wujiu turned his head to ask: “Once you go in, there is no turning back, do you understand?”

“Senior Qiu.... may I discuss one matter?” I hesitated over and over again, but still asked, “I chose the sword you sent by myself, my guard had nothing to do with it. If I fail, can.... you let him go?”

Qiu Wujiu had a strange smile: “You’re such a strange master, staking your own life and going as far as to protect your attendant, this truly has to be the most ridiculous thing in the world.”

Ye Tan spoke in a low voice: “This subordinate advances and retreats alongside Master, I do not ask to live.”

His heart was like a boulder, and there was nothing I could say. This was not the same person as the Ye Tan that said and did all those things a few days ago, and I couldn’t help but think back over my teaching methods and wonder whether or not I had gone wrong somewhere.

“What are you being polite for, neither of you will be able to run away.” Qiu Wujiu looked at us like we were ridiculous, and he went first.

We entered through the tomb door, and inside was a space that gradually opened up. The cliffs on either side had countless altar lamps that burned day and night at different heights, and I saw that every nook and cranny was entirely filled with stolen, broken swords. I didn’t know how many years had passed since these blades had been broken, but light still reflected off them, and I knew these were all once the illustrious divine swords of history, and were now piled up in the mountain like poor-quality scrap iron, they already didn’t deserve to have a name.

If the swords are like this, let’s say nothing of the human flesh.....


All along the way, I didn’t see the shadow of a single person, it truly was the deathly stillness of an old tomb, and I was a little suspicious.

Qiu Wujiu lifted the corner of his mouth: “It’s funny, usually, it’s always us who have to trouble ourselves looking for others, I had never seen others daring to take the trouble to come looking for us.”


We arrived to the central altar, there was a long sword enshrined in the middle of a raised platform.

The cave was gloomy and dark, but the body of the blade shone with magnificent light, reflecting the sun and moon from the sky outside the cave. I lost myself looking at it, and for a time I didn’t know what night it was tonight.

Qiu Wujiu bowed, paying his respects, and spoke in a clear voice: “This is the only sword since the rise and fall of ancient times, pointing the correct path for the changes of humanity. This sword is called the Lost Grains In the Vast Sea2 , and it is the world’s only true sword.”

When he finished saying this, he got up and beat a war drum. After the sound of the drum, countless people began rustling their way out of the dark nooks I had originally thought were uninhabited, gathering together as their numbers grew, not making a single sound. They knelt on rows in the ground, like troops, and raised their heads to gaze at the altar, their expression cold and apathetic but carrying a strange excitement. They were without the breath of a living person, as though they were Yin Soldiers returning from the Underworld.

If this kind of situation is what happens after death, I could understand why people were afraid of dying.


“Please.” Qiu Wujiu forcefully suppressed his excitement, and stepped aside.

I nodded and stepped forward, but Ye Tan pulled me back and rushed to say: “This subordinate will go first.”

I frowned: “A-Tan, step back.”

Ye Tan didn’t move a single muscle, completely lacking any intention of moving aside.

I sighed: “You’re getting more and more bold.”

Ye Tan lowered his head: “This subordinate deserves to die.” But even as he admitted his wrongdoings with his words, he remained standing steadily in front of me.


I was actually at a loss, I squeezed his calloused palms and tried to convince him in a soft voice: “A-Tan, listen to me, trust me this time, I have to go first. I really didn’t come here to throw away my life.”

Ye Tan hesitated for a long time, then asked in a low voice: “Master, which sword will you use?”

He finally understood, and I let out a breath. Sure enough, he was still that clever and sensible Ye Tan deep down, and wouldn’t go against something I genuinely insisted on. One Sword Tomb’s black Han sword would naturally not be a match for the true sword, so I have no choice but to place my only hope on the Small Dull Sword. I picked the sword and drew it out of its sheath,


The blades met, and both swords trembled softly. The Lost Grains In the Vast Sea let out a clear and melodious sound, more wonderful than any other musical instrument.

I couldn’t help but secretly praise it in my heart, the only true sword throughout the ages was really not comparable to any of the ordinary weapons of the Swords Convention. I applied ample inner strength, completely pouring it in and exerting my force into the strike.


The Lost Grains in the Vast Sea did not have a single crack.

The Small Dull Sword was cut in two.


.....I’m finished.

It was I who thought too much, even if they were both SSRs in the end there was still a division between strong and weak.


The people under the altar had still not uttered a single word, and I didn’t know if they were already used to the sight or of they didn’t have any feelings to speak about. Qiu Wujiu emitted a strange sound from his throat, like a sinister low laugh, and his expression was both proud and disappointed at the same time: “It truly is a pity.....” As he said this, he pulled out a sword to take my life.

I hurriedly stopped him: “There’s no rush, don’t hurry, we still have a sword we haven’t tried.”

Qiu Wujiu blankly stared at me: “You don’t need to try that sword, I forged it myself, don’t tell me that you don’t understand?”

“At that time, before the Small Dull.... no, the Great Sword of the Divine Physics Oath of Victory got on stage, was there anyone who believed it could cut down a hundred weapons? Didn’t you also make an error of judgement then?” I saw Qiu Wujiu’s expression loosen somewhat, and I struck while the iron was hot, “Hey..... I’m already dead, even if I was given wings, I wouldn’t be able to fly away from your noble group, just do a good deed and give me a little time to finish my funeral arrangements.”


Qiu Wujiu waved his hand in a show of mercy, and ordered someone to take us to a guest side-room, my thoughts were in a whirl the entire way there.

How long can I stay alive for?

As long as a cup of tea3 ? A stick of incense4 ? One sichen? Or one night?

That’s not all..... how long can Ye Tan live?


The servant closed the door, and us two were the only ones remaining in the room. I saw tiredness on his brows, and I urged him: “A-Tan, you didn’t get any sleep for a whole day and night, rest for a moment, alright?”

Ye Tan only shook his head resolutely.

That’s fine too, why should you sleep a lot during your life when you’ll get eternal rest after you’re dead, and we were about to find the answer to that last part.

As I was thinking, Ye Tan suddenly lifted his hands to hold me, speaking in a soft voice: “You’re shaking.”


This is a matter of life and death, of course I’m extremely afraid, but Ye Tan was not so.

The instant my Small Dull sword broke, he was calm. I knew he was already determined to die, so he didn’t panic.

“It’s no use.” I laughed bitterly, “Can you hug me for a bit?”

Ye Tan nodded, putting me on his lap and wrapping his arms around me. I returned to this familiar harbour and buried my face in his neck, taking a few deep breaths, as my heart gradually calmed down.


What a pain in the ass.

This current predicament is all because I can’t freely open the Modifier Tool to make the value of my sword higher than that of the Lost Grains in the Vast Sea. With such intense circumstances, I’m afraid Ye Tan won’t be in the mood to kiss me tonight, but I absolutely can’t leave his life in the hands of such a random, uncontrollable event.

I couldn’t figure out why I had set up such an extremely inconvenient launch procedure that required someone to steal a kiss from me. Right now, the person I most wanted to beat up was myself from that time, the me who originally came up with this idea was simply stupid.


.....wait.

Why would I think that I’m stupid.

That’s impossible?!

Because I’m not stupid???


Since I’m not stupid, I also absolutely couldn’t have possibly set up such a stupid launch procedure. I never cheat people, so how could I specifically cheat myself.

Since the Modifier Tool was made to be used, naturally it was made for a crisis, the bigger the crisis the more I would rely on it, so I must have set up a way to easily launch it by myself: moreover, this command would certainly be extremely short, something that could be accomplished in a snap. Since going into the Modifier Tool leaves my body in suspended animation, having to be careful not to trigger it every day and let others see would also be very troublesome, so it couldn’t be something like clapping or waving my hands or any other action that is done every day.....

A movement I could easily do by myself, that I absolutely wouldn’t do under normal circumstances, and that could be done in a split second.


If I had to do it now.....

How would I set it up?

 

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1 Not the same Qiu as Qiu Manor. Qiu Manor’s name, 秋, means autumn, while this guy’s Qiu, 仇, if read as chóu, means hatred/animosity. His whole name is actually kind of ominous, with the jiu 咎 meaning blame/punishment/misfortune and the whole thing literally translating to something like ‘hatred lacking punishment’. Top.

2 The sword name comes from a mixture of the idioms 滄海一粟 lit. one grain in the vast sea, which is like the english metaphor ‘a drop in the ocean’, and 滄海遺珠 lit. lost pearls in the vast sea, which is a metaphor for undiscovered talents. Top.

3 Around 10~15 mins. Refers to the time it takes to drink a cup of tea from the moment it is served, including the time it takes to cool down. Top.

4 Around 30 mins. How long it takes for a stick of incense to burn. Top.