12dz Chapter 60 A Hero?
Chapter 60 A Hero?
"Tsk... I never thought that Tian Boguang, though a lecherous scoundrel, would also be a man of responsibility." A burly man with a thick beard stroked his chin, and the disdain in his eyes had faded somewhat.
One of the people next to him immediately chimed in, as if they had found common ground: "Yeah! Look at him, he stole something, but instead of hiding, he dared to stand up and take responsibility. That's so upright... Hey, he's much better than those hypocrites who stab you in the back!"
"What's most admirable is that statement, 'Anyone who disrespects Brother Shen because of this matter will be causing trouble for me, Tian!' Knowing full well that after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, Young Master Shen might face criticism, he was still willing to shoulder the burden! This sense of loyalty... sigh, even many disciples who pride themselves on being from prestigious sects might not do such a thing!"
"I think Tian Boguang is a good man."
These words quickly spread among the crowd. The way people looked at Tian Boguang gradually shifted from pure hatred and fear to a hint of admiration? Perhaps even… approval?
So, what is the martial arts world?
The martial world is a place of swift justice and vengeance, of drinking and feasting. What do people in the martial world value most? It's "loyalty"!
It is true that Tian Boguang committed numerous evils and deserved to be killed by everyone. But at this moment, his sincerity towards his "friends" and his "heroic spirit" of daring to take responsibility moved countless outlaws of the martial world.
"Let's keep things separate! He deserves to die for being a lecher, but he's loyal and a true man!"
"You're right! From today onwards, I'll treat him with respect!"
……
Shen An found it jarring.
A true hero?
Just because of a few words about loyalty to friends? Just because of displaying some so-called chivalrous spirit?
A lecherous scoundrel who committed countless evils, harmed many people, treated human life as worthless, and regarded women as playthings, was so easily forgiven, even... accepted, by these self-proclaimed heroes of the martial arts world?
Perhaps, in this world, this is normal.
What does the life of an ordinary person matter?
Yu Canghai killed Lin Pingzhi's family; it was a father avenging his son, which is understandable.
But what did the dozens of bodyguards, cooks, servants, and maids of the Fuwei Escort Agency do wrong?
However, afterwards, Yu Canghai remained the leader of the Qingcheng Sect and a grandmaster.
People still treated him with respect and courtesy.
That's just how this world is, isn't it?
But Shen An refused.
The stacks of files he had been flipping through a few days ago now seemed to be burning before his eyes.
Each name, each life, each father weeping until his blood boils, each mother whose hair turned white overnight, each family shattered into pieces…
Behind those cold words are countless pairs of desperate eyes and countless dark nights without peace.
These images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, appearing utterly absurd amidst the praises of the "heroes" around him.
Shen An had thought that his emotions wouldn't fluctuate much today.
All we need to do is cooperate with Liu Zhengfeng and kill Tian Boguang.
But at this moment, the “tolerance” and “understanding” around him made him angrier than Tian Boguang’s own sins.
His killing intent had never been so intense as it was at this moment.
He looked up at Tian Boguang, at that face that seemed to grow even more magnanimous with the praise from those around him.
Shen An felt genuinely disgusted.
"Tian Boguang".
Shen An spoke slowly.
"Since you consider me a friend, then I will use my full strength in this sword strike."
Upon hearing this, Tian Boguang burst into laughter, his laughter filled with unbridled joy: "Good! This is the kind of friend I, Tian Boguang, have chosen! Brother Shen, go ahead and draw your sword! Otherwise, you're disrespecting me, Tian! Even if I can't withstand this sword and die by your blade, I won't flinch!"
This statement once again drew cheers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Shen An remained calm, not because he wasn't angry, but because he had suppressed all his anger.
If your heart is pure and clear, you will not be alarmed even if the sky falls.
His heart sank. The sounds of the wind, water, and people around him were all clearly audible, but they seemed to be separated by a layer.
It was separated by a layer of ice.
A fire burned within the ice shell, and the words spoken outside the shell acted as kindling, fueling the fire to burn ever brighter.
The momentum belonging to the Songshan sword technique also rose steadily, growing stronger and stronger!
Everyone, including Tian Boguang, was waiting for Shen An to draw his sword.
In their view, Shen An's silence at this moment was the gathering of strength before a great battle, the concentration of masters in a duel.
Only in the academy not far behind Shen An, the pupils of the scholar who had chatted with him the night before suddenly contracted.
He keenly sensed an invisible aura emanating from Shen An, spreading slowly like mercury across the ground. Even the wind on the river seemed to be drawn in, swirling restlessly around the young man in the blue robe.
He remained hidden in the shadows, watching Shen An and murmuring, "This is... the power of the heart? But... this isn't right."
Before he could finish speaking—
Shen An reached out his hand.
Everyone's heart was in their throat!
With a smug smile on his lips, Tian Boguang was already calculating whether he should pretend to have used all his strength to barely block it, or "narrowly lose" by half a move so as not to hurt Brother Shen's face and to get away unscathed. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong.
He saw Shen An's hand not reach for the sword at his waist, but instead... reached out to the antique weapon rack beside him, which displayed four replica swords of Dugu Qiubai!
That hand did not reach for the sharp steel sword that symbolized "fierce and fierce", nor did it pass by the soft sword that "accidentally injured the righteous man", but instead grasped the biggest, clumsy, and thickest sword that was almost not a sword at all!
It was a blade, entirely black, broad and heavy, without a sharp edge or tip; it was more like a block of iron than a sword.
Greatsword!
A heavy sword has no edge; true skill lies in simplicity!
"Squeak—"
The moment Shen An grasped the hilt of the heavy sword and lifted it, the sturdy wooden frame let out a mournful cry as it could not bear the weight.
Shen An grasped, lifted, and swung—or rather, cleaved—the entire movement was extremely fluid and smooth, as if he had practiced it countless times.
All of this happened so fast that when Tian Boguang reacted, all he saw was a black iron curtain that blocked out all the sunlight in front of him, descending over his head!
This is a completely different feeling from the previous "K-On!" sword.
"not good!"
Tian Boguang's face instantly turned from heroic to ashen!
All his previous ambition and promises were shattered at this moment by that pure, undisguised violence aimed at crushing everything!
Screw the tough guys! Screw the guys who won't even flinch!
He will die!
Really will die!
He's dead! What will happen to K-On!