Chapter 16 — Sword God Appears

The group left Thanh Van Phai at dawn, including Bach Trinh, Dieu Vy, To Nhat Hac, and a few trusted disciples of Ly Ton Dao following as escort from afar. They followed the dangerous mountain road leading to the secret valley that the scout disciple had found. The deeper they went into the mountains bordering Tang Phong Mon, the heavier the air became, as if the mountains and forests themselves could sense the storm about to come.

On the way, Dieu Vy was silent most of the time, her hand tightly holding the small cloth bag in her body where her father's secret paper was hidden, her heart filled with hundreds of emotions. She both looked forward to facing the person who took away her father, and was scared at the prospect of witnessing a life-and-death battle that could also take away the person she was gradually falling in love with. To Nhat Hac, walking beside her, occasionally gently patted and comforted her, telling her a few more beautiful memories about the father she had never known, as a way to mentally prepare for what was about to be faced.

Approaching the gate to the valley, Bach Trinh signaled everyone to stop. Only he, Dieu Vy and To Nhat Hac moved forward, the rest stayed behind waiting for the signal. The gate to the valley was guarded by more than twenty soldiers, but when they saw Bach Trinh approaching solemnly, without concealment or stealth, they appeared confused, not knowing how to act against an opponent who had defeated many of their accomplices before.

"Go and tell your master that Vu Bach Trinh of Tang Phong Mon is coming to find Wei Thien Ba," he said loudly, his voice echoing throughout the valley. The real name was announced clearly and decisively, causing the guards to look at each other in shock, then one of them quickly ran inside to report the news, while the rest still maintained their guard positions, not daring to move without orders.

A moment later, the large wooden gate at the entrance to the valley slowly opened, revealing a large stone-paved courtyard, and from inside, a tall man stepped out, wearing a black cloak embroidered with a falcon, wearing a familiar bronze mask that covered half of his face. That person's gait exudes a cold authority, each steady step seems calculated to create psychological pressure on the opponent.

"It's been eighteen years, little senior brother still remembers me?" The voice rang out from behind the mask, low and somewhat mocking. Bach Trinh stood straight, his eyes unwavering: "Put down the mask, Thien Ba. You don't need to hide anymore, I already know everything." The man paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, a laugh that was both bitter and full of sarcasm, before reaching out to remove the bronze mask, revealing a face with many wrinkles from time, but his eyes still retained the cold, hateful look that Bach Trinh clearly remembered from the old days.

"That's right, it's me," Wei Thien Ba said, his voice full of challenge. "You Bach Trinh, the once famous sword god, finally stepped out of his secluded cave. I thought you had died in some corner of the mountain." Dieu Vy stood behind Bach Trinh, seeing the face of the person who had caused so much suffering to her family for the first time. Her whole body trembled with indignation, but still tried to stay calm as Bach Trinh had previously advised.

"Do you still remember who I am?" Dieu Vy suddenly spoke, her voice trembling but determined. "I am the daughter of Chuc Thanh Phong, the person you killed eighteen years ago." Thien Ba looked at her for a moment, his eyes flashed with something indescribable, perhaps surprise, perhaps a vague bit of guilt that was quickly covered up by a familiar coldness. "Ah, so you're Thanh Phong's daughter. I didn't expect that after so many years, you're so grown up, and just as troublesome as your father."

Bach Trinh took a step forward, his voice cold: "Before determining victory or defeat, I want to ask a few things clearly. Thanh Phong's notebook has been in the hands of his wife and children for eighteen years, you haven't moved at all. Why have you only sent someone to hunt you down until now?" Thien Ba curled his lips and smiled faintly: "Do you think I have free time to explore every corner of the streets for eighteen years? It wasn't until a few months ago that my people in Thanh Lang Uyen heard the rumor of a gossip teacher mentioning the Chuc family's book of strange mountain road symbols. Just that was enough for me to know that something I thought had long since been lost, turned out to still exist, and had to be erased before it fell into the hands of someone who knew how to read the true meaning of the word. it."

"And the evil cults you colluded with in the past," Bach Trinh continued asking, "where are they? Is the Ghost Police Department something you set up with them?" Thien Ba burst out laughing, a dry laugh echoing in the stone yard. "Those evil cults are only worthy of me borrowing a few tricks and then throwing them away. After Thanh Phong died, I knew they would never truly give power to a foreigner like me, so while they still believed, I struck first, exterminating most of their leaders in one night, stealing the remaining subordinates and wealth to build the Ghost Shadow Police Department myself, no longer having to share with anyone. You see, little senior brother, betrayal is not my thing. Just do it once."

"Why did you kill my father?" Dieu Vy asked, her voice choked with emotion. "What did he do wrong to you?" Thien Ba smiled faintly, his eyes looking far away as if recalling the past: "Wrong? He did nothing wrong, except for discovering my plan too early. I simply did what was necessary to protect what I worked so hard to build." To Nhat Hac, standing next to him, couldn't hold back his anger and shouted: "You dare say that, Thien Ba! You betrayed the sect and colluded with the enemy to plot to seize power. Thanh Phong was just fulfilling his duty as a loyal disciple!"

Thien Ba turned to look at the old elder, his eyes flashed with a trace of complexity, perhaps a bit of respect left over from his youthful years, but was quickly overwhelmed by the bitterness accumulated over the years. "Do you still think things are that simple, Elder? Do you know what I had to endure during my years at the Tang Phong Mon? Always being compared, always considered the one behind the other two, even though I tried harder than anyone else. The Sect Master chose Thanh Phong to succeed me just because he cleverly won people's hearts, but no one cared about my true talent."

"That is no reason for you to betray the entire sect and collude with our mortal enemy!" Bach Trinh growled, the anger he had suppressed for eighteen years now began to overflow. "You sold out everything the Tang Phong Mon represents, just because of your own selfish jealousy!" Thien Ba was silent for a moment, then replied, his voice becoming deeper: "Perhaps you are right. But when Thanh Phong discovered my plan, he did not intend to immediately denounce me in front of the sect leader. He chose to handle it himself, personally coming to see me to convince me to give up, to save my face in front of the sect."

To Nhat Hac heard this, his old face suddenly turned pale, his trembling hands grasped the walking stick, his voice choked: "Thanh Phong... you have always been the most kind child among the old man's disciples, at the last moment do you still think about the person who betrayed you..." He turned to look at Thien Ba, his eyes were both painful and extremely angry: "Do you know what you have lost, Thien Ba? Not only the life of a senior brother, but also the last chance to rebuild your life in a dignified and righteous way."

Hearing this, Bach Trinh was stunned. "What do you mean?" Thien Ba sighed, for the first time in the conversation, his voice carried something akin to regret, even if it was only for a moment before being hidden again. "That night, at Vong Soul Alley, Thanh Phong came to see me alone, not to denounce, but to give me one last chance, advising me to leave the sect quietly, not to let this matter spread out and damage the reputation of both Tang Phong Mon and myself. But I, because I was too afraid of the risk of being exposed, took action before I could think clearly."

Dieu Vy heard this, tears rolled down her cheeks, unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears: "My father... at the last minute still wanted to give you a way to live, yet you cruelly killed him. Do you know that because of you, my mother lived the last years of her life in tears, and I grew up without once being able to call my father's name?" Her choked cry echoed throughout the stone yard, causing even the guards standing nearby to bow their heads, not daring to look directly at that scene.

That confession was like a knife cutting deep into Bach Trinh's heart, confirming what he had suspected for many years: Thanh Phong died not because of accidental exposure, but because of his own tolerance, because he gave the traitor one last chance to correct his mistakes, and the price for that tolerance was his life. "You killed someone a hundred times kinder than you, just because of your own cowardice and selfishness," Bach Trinh said, his voice shaking with extreme anger.

"Maybe so," Thien Ba replied, his voice cold again. "But what's happened is past, it can't be changed anymore. Now, you all came here, isn't it just to reclaim the blood debt eighteen years ago? Then, let me see, how much of the legendary sword god of the past, after eighteen years of seclusion, still retains his bravery." Having finished speaking, he pulled out the long sword hanging at his waist, the cold steel glinting in the sunlight, his defensive posture was full of menace, signaling that the verbal confrontation had come to an end, and the real battle was about to begin.

Bach Trinh gently pushed Dieu Vy back, his eyes did not leave Thien Ba for a moment, his deep and firm voice rang out in the suffocating silence of the yard: "I have been waiting for eighteen years for this day. Today, I will personally reclaim that blood debt, not only for myself, but also for Thanh Phong, for Dieu Vy, and for all the unjust souls who have fallen at your hands over the years."