Jun You Yun Chapter 42 English Translation

Most of the disciples under Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect came from the barren land of Yunhuang, and they were unfamiliar with the customs of the Central Plains. Therefore, they often clashed with Yunmeng Prefecture, which was adjacent to them. Once, because of a dispute over the ownership of a night-cool treasure horse, the disciples of Heavenly Water Manor were defeated by the Heavenly Gate Holy Sect. Manor Lord Meng Zexi personally challenged them with his blade, but Nangong Yunhuo, the great sect master of Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect, severed his tendons with a single stroke of his sword.

Since then, the name of Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect began to spread officially in the martial arts world.

But apart from the legendary feat where Nangong Yunhuo defeated the lord of Heavenly Water Manor with a single sword stroke, which had a bit of a martial arts legend feel, the rest of the rumors were not friendly. It was said that the disciples of Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect were all bloodthirsty and murderous, rude and barbaric, and they all practiced a kind of evil technique. They claimed that practicing this technique could lead them to ascend to immortality. This evil technique could enable those ignorant of martial arts to attain a level of martial power surpassing the Ascending Realm in mere months, and it could also allow them to unleash a burst of strength that was several times greater than their own in a flash. But it had a great backlash. After practicing this martial art for one or two years, these people would lose their ability to use their internal energy due to damage to their meridians. They would end up as martial embryos. The so-called martial embryos were prepared for Nangong Yunhuo. Nangong Yunhuo absorbed the power of those martial embryos, which enabled him to have such strong martial power.

This kind of cultivation method violates human morality, and naturally it is despised by the righteous path. If Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect still only operates in the Yunhuang land, it would not matter to the Central Plains, but since they crossed the borders of Yunmeng Prefecture, they affected Yunmeng Prefecture, and that was different. The three major sects of Yunmeng Prefecture sent a letter to Shanglin Heavenly Palace, hoping that Shanglin Heavenly Palace could come to intervene. Shanglin Heavenly Palace quickly gave a response, and this response had great sincerity.

The great palace master of Shanglin Heavenly Palace, Su Han, and the tower master of the Misty Rain Tower, Xie Kanhua, personally went south.

The story that followed was little known among the Jianghu. The most widely spread rumor at the time was that Su Han and Xie Kanhua had fought their way through Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect, with the final sword stroke beheading Nangong Yunhuo. However, in reality, Su Han and Xie Kanhua had merely paid a very polite visit to Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect and even stayed there for nearly half a month. After leaving, they informed Yunmeng Prefecture that all claims about evil technique were baseless rumors and such rumors should not be discussed in the future. Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect also promised to restrain their disciples from causing conflicts with Yunmeng Prefecture, and likewise, Yunmeng Prefecture should not provoke them without cause. Meng Zexi’s injuries would be treated by the best medical saint from Courtyard of Thousand Inventions, and Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect also sent their treasured medicinal herbs.

This matter was thus considered to be over.

Hearing this, Su Baiyi sneered, “How could it end like this?”

“It wouldn’t end like that. It didn’t matter whether Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect was a demonic sect or not, whether they practiced evil technique or not, whether their disciples were arrogant or gentle, none of that mattered. What mattered was that they had become the dominant force in Yunhuang, posing a threat to the Yunmeng Prefecture. So Yunmeng Prefecture was very dissatisfied with Shanglin Heavenly Palace’s actions, but they didn’t dare to speak up, so everything passed peacefully. Until…” Nangong Xi’er’s eyes were somewhat dim, “the Battle at Heaven’s Gate came.”

“The Battle at Heaven’s Gate.” Su Baiyi repeated these three words that had great significance in the Jianghu.

“Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect launched a conquest against the Central Plains, invading Yunmeng Prefecture with a mighty force. Shanglin Heavenly Palace gathered various sects to form the Weilong Alliance, and fought a decisive battle with Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect at the coast of the South Sea.This battle was even more devastating than the final showdown between the Wuji Sword Sect and the Heroes’ Tomb. The Shanglin Heavenly Palace’s grand palace master Su Han, second palace master Su Dianmo,  the  Misty Rain Tower master Xie Kanhua, all the heads of the four courtyards, as well as the elites of Yunmeng Prefecture, the four families, and Jimo City, all perished in this Battle at Heaven’s Gate, in exchange for the annihilation of Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect.” Nangong Xi’er took a deep breath, “This is the story of the Battle at Heaven’s Gate in the Jianghu. No one knows the details of it. The few survivors from the participating Jianghu sects kept silent about this past event. Perhaps because all the sects suffered heavy losses, it made the Jianghu maintain more than ten years of peace.”

“This is the story of the Jianghu, then what is the story that you know, senior sister?” Su Baiyi asked.

“The story that I know is that, in the half month that Su Han and Xie Kanhua visited Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect, a man fell in love with a woman.” Nangong Xi’er said faintly.

“It was master who fell in love with Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect’s…” Su Baiyi slowly said.

“Xie Kanhua met a woman of stunning beauty there, and the two quickly fell in love. This woman was Nangong Yunhuo’s sister, Nangong Yuwen. Afterward, Xie Kanhua and Su Han left, returning to Weilong Mountain, because Xie Kanhua had some unfinished business. They agreed that in three months’ time, they would return to marry. But their next meeting,” Nangong Xi’er’s eyes slightly moistened, “was on the shores of the South Sea.”

“Senior sister,” Su Baiyi sighed softly.

“I am the daughter of Xie Kanhua and Nangong Yuwen. I was born after my father had died, or at least that’s what everyone thought, until you showed up. Back then, Nangong Yunhuo led Heavenly Gate Sacred Sect northward, and because my mother was pregnant, he didn’t take her with him. He said he was going to meet with Shanglin Heavenly Palace to discuss some matters, not to launch an invasion. When the news of the Battle at Heaven’s Gate reached Yunhuang, my mother couldn’t sit still anymore. She took the remaining sect disciples and rushed to the South Sea coast day and night, but alas…” Nangong Xi’er’s expression became solemn, “That’s why I have to see Xie Kanhua, I have to ask him, why didn’t he come looking for us if he survived! And what exactly happened in the Battle at Heaven’s Gate!”

Su Baiyi nodded, “I understand.”

“Good, so now it’s your turn to tell me the story that you know.” Nangong Xi’er asked, “The evil technique that year, is what they now call ‘The Book of Immortals’.”

“I grew up with my adoptive parents, who told me they found me by the river, and I always believed them. Until one day, a group of assassins suddenly appeared. My adoptive parents, who usually just ran a small business, turned out to be martial arts experts, fighting their way through the assassins’ siege. But there were too many of them, and my adoptive father was eventually killed. My adoptive mother took me and fled, but assassins kept coming along the way. In the end, she stayed behind to fight them off alone, telling me to run. But I was just a child then, and I didn’t get far before being caught by a few of them. Just as I was about to be killed,” Su Baiyi paused, then continued, “I met my master.”