Zhan Zhao Adventures - Chapter Six (Part X)

Chapter Six: Crane Rushing to the Sky (Part X)

The blood was already spent.
 
The tears were already dried.
 
The people who detached from the dangerous place were still with their startled spirits unsettled, unable to extricate themselves from the nightmare before their eyes.
 
Perhaps among these kind and weak people, within this single life and single generation, day and night, they will also forever be unable to break free from the nightmare of this single day.
 
Within Zhan Zhao's heart, however, there did not possess a single shred of joy.
 
Only because at this time, a woman's tearing-like voice had already arisen; this voice was already not a human's voice, being so sharp, fierce, rasping, and hoarse as if it were a miserable shriek coming from hell.
——"My child! You put down my child!"
 
A woman with disheveled hair had already crawled and rolled out from the circle behind his body; beside her, a girl who was pulling at her garments emitted a weeping sound unimaginable from a child's body: "Mom! Mom! Little Mao brother! Little Mao brother!"
 
This miserable and tragic crying sound, even the Iron-Blood Guards' iron-like nerves were already chilled without shivering.
 
This girl's crying and shouting was already hoarse: "Mom, mom! Do not leave Rongrong behind! Do not leave Rongrong behind!"
 
Fear had already ordered her two hands to deathly clutch her mother's lapel; the tear water had already unceasingly flowed down upon that filthy face of hers.
 
The silent and wordless people had long since held onto this maddened mother; only although they were able to obstruct her from pouncing toward Mo Dao, they could however not obstruct her crazy struggling and hopeless shouting.
 
Zhan Zhao's heart had already turned cold, and his entire person appeared as if solidified.
 
He did not need to turn his head to also know that that child who very lastly left the 'Yanmei'er' array had already fallen into the hands of this green-clad Taoist!
——Was that child already shocked to the point of being stupefied, why unexpectedly was there not even a sound to his crying and shouting?
 
Mo Dao's voice however finally recovered to its original true color.
 
"Not waiting for the long sword within your hand to pierce to my heart-mouth, my Five-Poison Shura Palm will then be used out. Do you want to try it out for a round?"
 
Upon Zhan Zhao's hand that held the sword, the blue veins were already throbbing. His teeth had already been bitten very tightly.
 
Was he unexpectedly not daring to turn his head? Was he unexpectedly afraid that with this single turning of his head, that pitiful child would then change into a stiff corpse?
 
That mother's voice was already hoarse to the point of not forming words, repeating over and over, only being a bitter entreaty: "Daoist Master, I beg you, release our family's Little Mao! I will be an ox and a horse for you, I will enshrine your longevity tablet——we have no enmity and no grievance with you military gentlemen, I beg you to raise your noble hand high, and pass over our family's Little Mao."
 
Zhan Zhao still did not speak words.
 
He appeared as if he let out a long breath. His entire body appeared for a time to have relaxed down.
 
He finally turned his head. Facing all of this.
 
His sword was just thus coldly held up within his hand,
 
This matchless divine weapon appeared as if since antiquity past, it had consistently been this silent.
——Of his 'Crane Rushing to the Sky,' there already remained only a single stance.
 
Mo Dao's voice was however still calm: "You only need to take another step forward, and this child's relatives will then never see him again!"
 
No one doubted his words.
 
This strange Taoist was consistently responsible for his words.
——Was this precisely the reason why he very seldom spoke words?
 
That woman said raspingly: "I beg you, release my child! I beg you. Rescue for a rescue my child!" This very last sentence was already launched toward Zhan Zhao. Any single straw that could save a life, at this time, had already become even more important than gold.
 
Only until this time did the child within Mo Dao's hand hear his mother's voice, only then to let out a "wah" sound of a big burst of crying, with infinite and endless fear mixed inside the voice, which in a split second had already become hoarse and intermittent!
 
Zhan Zhao still stood right there. His hand still held his sword.
 
Beneath the sunlight, the surroundings were already a death-like heavy silence. Apart from that mother's hopeless, sharp, and fierce crying sound, and the sobbing of the child who was frightened half to death within Mo Dao's hand, he unexpectedly could still hear the sound of the river water.
 
The rapidly flowing water current had already become so muffled and heavy. Could it be that even this river water appeared as if it had also quieted down?
 
Here was the Xiqiao Ferry. The opposite bank precisely was the termination of the flight.
——He was only short of this single step to be able to arrive at the opposite bank; having arrived at the opposite bank, Zhong Xiong and Mo Dao would then for a time never catch up to him again.
 
Zhong Xiong, who stood far away on one side, was already sighing: "Your 'Crane Rushing to the Sky' has already arrived at the very last stance. If you use this single move to coordinate with the 'Cloud-Ascending Step,' you still can pass through the ferry port. Only this child will then no longer see tomorrow's sun alive."
 
He looked at him, and said again: "If you use this single move to go rescue this child, you today will forever have no way to step across this ferry port by a single step again."
 
He said leisurely: "Once the powerful force of the 'Crane Rushing to the Sky' is spent, even I do not know what kind of consequence this single heirloom divine move of the Ding family will bring to the person who uses it."
 
Upon Zhan Zhao's corners of the mouth, a trace of a smile finally floated up.
 
His face, although still with paleness and haggardness that could not be covered, being reflected by this smile beneath the sunlight, unexpectedly possessed a layer of proud flying and flaunting.
 
His voice was however still so quiet as to not carry a single shred of emotion: "Chief Zhong's concern, Zhan Zhao appreciates it from his heart."
 
That pair of his eyes that were like the stars of the dark night, in a flash of a second, had already become firm as usual.
——If you were him, what kind of decision should you make?
 
Within Zhong Xiong's eyes, it had already become unspeakably dark and downcast. He already knew what kind of decision this was.
 
Mo Dao's entire body suddenly felt a burst of heat, and before his eyes a burst of ice-colored sword light flashed and shone, being so magnificent, beautiful, and dazzling to the eyes.
 
Zhan Zhao finally used out that single stance of 'Blood Flying in Pairs'!
——The 'Crane Rushing to the Sky's very last stance, 'Blood Flying in Pairs.'
 
Having seen this single stance, Zhong Xiong suddenly already could not breathe, and his face already did not possess half a shred of blood color.
 
What a move of 'Blood Flying in Pairs, Crane Rushing to the Sky'! This move being used, the sky light unexpectedly for it gave a darkening, losing its color; the bright sky unexpectedly appeared as if it were a blood-colored dusk.
 
This single stance appeared to have already sucked to completion the magnificent brilliance of the heaven, earth, sun, and moon.
 
This single stance appeared to already be the human world and the heaven above, being a white horse passing a crevice, being the earth growing old and the sky turning wilderness!
 
Within this single instant, Mo Dao's eyes suddenly could not see. His heart unexpectedly beat to the point of almost being unable to catch his breath!
 
The quickness of this single move had already transcended anyone's imagination.
 
A strand of infinite and endless pressure, like overturning mountains and expelling seas, poured and surged over; what was pressed down upon was his heart, not his body.
——Only anyone who had seen this single move, even if the person was fortunate enough to not die, the heart however was also already dead!
 
Mo Dao's hand, involuntarily, gave a loosening. Beneath this pressure between heaven and earth, that strand of true Qi that was filled with the Shura Five Poisons could no longer be lifted up. That toxic palm of his could already no longer be launched out!
 
This mountain-overturning and sea-expelling power unexpectedly appeared as if it wanted to squeeze and crush him.
 
Only he was after all experienced and old-handed; thinking not even a thought, he flew his body and retreated rapidly.
 
With a "chi" sound, his chest-mouth gave a softening, and he had already been struck by a single sword.
 
The child within his hand was already within Zhan Zhao's hand!
 
This lightning-flash, flint-spark-like instantaneous shock, however, consistently continued for a very long time.
 
Until a long time afterward, this excessively alarmed mother only then pounced up, tightly holding her child. Her crying sound had already arisen within the wind.
 
Mo Dao suddenly began to cough.
 
Within his heart, it was already unspeakable fear and endless desolation.
 
Zhan Zhao's long sword was already upon Mo Dao's neck and head.
——Why was he not dead?
——This single sword of Zhan Zhao's, why was it still not pierced down?
 
Mo Dao's pair of triangular eyes was upturned. This Taoist who cherished words as if they were gold, just now his words appeared to be very many, yet at this moment he was not uttering a single word.
 
The ice-cold sharp Qi of the 'Zhanlu' sword appeared as if it had already soaked through to his entire body; even his head and neck also appeared stiff.
 
His face looked to already be like a dead person.
——Even if his person was not dead, his heart, was it already dead?
 
Zhong Xiong finally let out a long breath and said: "What a move of 'Blood Flying in Pairs, Crane Rushing to the Sky'! Only being for the sake of this child, I truly feel it is not worthwhile for you."
 
Within his corners of the eyes, surprisingly there possessed a trace of loneliness and pain.
——He was already able to move freely, and he was already no longer restricted by Zhan Zhao. This 'Crane Rushing to the Sky' finally arrived at its end, but why would he have loneliness and pain?
 
Among the Iron-Blood Guards behind his back, there already was a person who could not endure it: "Master, Taoist Mo has already fallen into his hands; why does Master not issue the order for us to go forward to rescue?"
 
Zhong Xiong gently shook his head, and said lengthily and faintly: "Only because Daoist Master Mo fundamentally does not need me to rescue."
 
Iron-Blood Guard said: "Why is that? That one surnamed Zhan clearly has already lost the 'Crane Rushing to the Sky'; if it were not for that mouth of a sword of his restricting Taoist Mo's vital part——"
 
Zhong Xiong had already cut off his words: "Because I am waiting, and Taoist Mo is also waiting."
 
"Waiting for what?"
 
Zhong Xiong said word by word: "High noon."
 
"High noon?"
 
Zhong Xiong's eyes had already stared intently at Zhan Zhao, saying word by word: "This, not only do I know it, you also know it, is it not?"
 
Zhan Zhao by Mo Dao's side was still not uttering a single word.
 
Zhong Xiong finally slowly nodded his head.
——"Good, this Zhong admires to the utmost! Time having arrived at today, you unexpectedly can still smile out."
 
Only now did Mo Dao know that the person by his side unexpectedly was smiling.
 
Zhong Xiong tilted his head back to look at the sun, turned his hands behind his back, and said slowly: "Alright, you know it, I know it: ten, nine, eight, seven, ——" counting down word by word.
 
Just having counted to three, Mo Dao felt the long sword pressed against his own throat give a shiver, unexpectedly slanting over, and sliding away from the place of the vital part.
 
He rapidly turned and flashed his body, detaching from the restriction of that person by his side.
 
The wind blew across, and only now did he perceive that his own spine-center was unexpectedly soaked through by sweat water. He had already been unable to catch his breath!
——He himself was also not clear, he clearly knew that that was Zhan Zhao's very last stance, why did he still not dare to act, why must he wait until the outbreak of that 'Yijianrugu' upon his body?
——Holding the status of a Shura Cult elder and being high up above, how could he be grabbed by the divine majesty of this person before his presence, to the point of unexpectedly not even daring to move a single move?
 
Within the gaze with which Zhong Xiong looked at Zhan Zhao, there already possessed a trace of pity: "You risked the very last stance of the 'Crane Rushing to the Sky,' yet used it to rescue this child; having lost the very last move stance, how can you then be able to extricate your body? Have you after all thought it through, whether this in the end is worthwhile? Will you in the future regret it?"
——Similar words, Zhan Zhao had also once asked him.
 
Inside that granary, when he restricted him, he had asked him.
 
The him at that time did not dare to answer.
——Was it that he himself knew, if he answered him, he would bound to regret it?
——Was it that within his heart, there possessed too heavy a train of thought, too many misgivings, and too heavy an ambition?
——Was it that he himself also knew, that all that he himself did did not possess true morality and justice, and a reason that truly made people submit from their hearts?
 
Zhan Zhao smiled and said: "Since Zhan Zhao used out this single move, it is forever worthwhile; since I used out this single move, I will not regret it."
 
This single sentence of his, after all, was not finished speaking.
 
A strand of true Qi had already, with a speed that did not allow the ears to be covered before the thunder-burst, rushed straight up.
 
The sun of the clear sky suddenly then appeared as if it changed into a one-eyed demon king.
 
The sun was right at the head-position.
 
The intense sunlight was piercing to the eyes as if it were the raging fire inside hell, exploding without reservation on this single day, this single hour, and this single moment all the madness and passion accumulated within who knows how many generations of cycles of life and death.
 
Before his eyes was a blank expanse of white, bright and dazzling to the eyes.
 
The muscles upon his face suddenly tightened up, and suddenly relaxed down.
 
Only he himself was already no longer able to see it.
 
He finally fell down.
——He precisely at the time closest to success, failed!
 
He appeared as if he still could see the Iron-Blood Guards behind Zhong Xiong's back already stepping up with slow paces, outstretching their swords and standing, pressing against his entire body's vital parts.
 
The swords were cold and the knives were chilling; this piercingly painful feeling appeared as if it occurred inside another world. Only even these Iron-Blood Guards had already seen that their actions were how redundant. At this time, even if it were a child, the child could also casually stretch out a single finger, to lightly and with ease kill him.
 
But when they looked at him, within their eyes there both possessed fear and possessed respect.
——Being able to let the Iron-Blood Guards of Junshan respect, apart from Zhong Xiong by their sides, and the Xiangyang Prince who was at this time sitting to govern Xiangyang, under heaven, it appeared as if there were still not a few.
 
Zhong Xiong looked at him falling down, and could not help but murmur to himself: "Blood Flying in Pairs, Crane Rushing to the Sky, indeed it is matchless martial arts." He was still immersed within that single heart-string-shocking move of just now. What kind of move stance after all was this?
 
'Blood Flying in Pairs, Crane Rushing to the Sky,' could it be that what it took precisely was that reborn beauty when vibrating the wings in the long sky and chasing the fierce sun?
——This already was a move of a person outside of people and a heaven outside of heaven; could it be that it had already overdrawn all the spiritual Qi and legend between heaven and earth, and overdrawn all the beauty and souls from antiquity to the present?
 
Only any beauty and soul all possess a price.
——Could it be that the price of this 'Crane Rushing to the Sky' is precisely life?
——What he overdraws is precisely his own life?
 
Zhan Zhao's face in a single instant was already gray-white, gray-white as if he were a dead person.
 
From his dry, split, and pale corners of the mouth, fresh blood had already overflowed out. Only this blood was already no longer bright red; within the deep red that could not be looked to its completion, it was however mixed with a black-shining color. The silent black, the black of death.
 
The blood appeared to have already flowed to completion.
 
At the end of the blood, could it be that it is precisely the end of life?
——The end of his every single drop of strength, every single mouthful of breath, and every single drop of life?
 
His eyes were still open, but within those eyes that had once been bright like the stars of the dark night, there already did not possess light rays.
 
At the end of the light rays, could it be that it is precisely the end of spirit?
——The end of his every single life of love, every single portion of responsibility, and every single time of having no grievance and no regret?
 
He could hear the sound of the sword within his own hand dropping onto the ground.
——Then why would it be a deafening-to-the-ears loud sound?
 
The deafening-to-the-ears-like sound was again as if it were the unbearable lightness within life, appearing as if light thunder had once sounded, and a butterfly had once flown across.
 
That sword silently and without emotion flowed away from his hand, just like his life, plainly and dully passing away from his body.
 
Suddenly, he discovered that the sun above his head appeared to have been extinguished.
 
At this moment, time iced and chilled its that ancient face, beating the evening drum, walking past from the Xiqiao Ferry port.
 
Another world at this time sounded a single sad song, a single ruthless footstep.
 
When Zhan Zhao fell down, within the wind there appeared as if it had already arisen a single light hiss and sigh. This light and nimble sigh, however, appeared like a heart-shattering hammer, striking the lonely and regretless heart and the illusion-like and lightning-flash-like dream within the dark human world.
 
When this strand of lightly humming, mournfully hissing wind sound suddenly arose, by the side of the Songjiang Prefecture thousands of li away, inside the Flying-Flower Island, inside the Jasmine-Flower Manor, Ding Yuehua, who was languidly and obliquely leaning beneath the flower-stand, suddenly for no reason felt a burst of alarm and fright. At the place where she lost her spirit, the embroidery needle pierced through her finger, and a single drop of faint blood had already been dyed onto the white silk satin tautly stretched upon the embroidery frame.
——Upon the white silk satin, what was originally embroidered was his handsome and clear face and clear and elegant eyes. At this time, this drop of blood precisely dropped upon this pair of eyes; looking over, it appeared as if it were the blood within a departing person's tears.