16-Dark

Wu Yong scowled as his brother shrieked about the evil sword, and the dangers of using it. He could not believe Xue Liang- the bright son of the Phoenix Couple -would not realize who he was by this event. The sword called to him in a low and deep voice, the voice that could belong to the former Demon King himself. The sword must have been his!

Meanwhile, the teacher was oblivious and smiling like a fool. He saw a student who possessed great potential even when the sword he picked was not the easiest to tame. If he could persuade the new sect member to take up the sword he would already find some fame as the teacher of a rare dark magic wielder.

"Yes, Dark King Sword is perfect for a man like you. You act like a mysterious king, a powerful and handsome man everyone would follow despite your evil ways! I will make my father agree with you owning the sword so take it and practice with it, Su Yong." Xue Liang watched the sword fuse itself with the hand of his student. The man thought the sword made the shadowy man look more dangerous than ever before, like the Demon King.

Wu Yong felt as if the sword became an extension of his arm and he asked Xue Liang if he could test the sword before claiming it as his own. He knew the sword must be his as it was used by the former Demon King but he needed to lay low and pretend to hesitate. He followed his brother out and through the house until they reached the southern training quarters.

Xue Liang clapped to gain the attention of practicing students, shouting for them to clear the ring and remove all wooden dummies so that his new student can try holding his new sword. The cultivator beamed proudly as he dragged the apprentice to the center of the grounds. He waved dozens of students over to him and they all made a circle by sitting on the dirt.

"This is Su Yong," He proudly introduced the man to the students who only nod in reply. They looked very bored and eager to return to training but cannot speak out against the only son of the Xue Sect. Xue Liang pulled his shy student so he stood behind him. "He will be your newest peer and my student so refrain from hurting him too much during training. Besides that, he will be testing his new sword for a moment here. He is going to be a dark magic wielder."

"Impossible! Why would anyone other than Mian Biaoqing consciously choose a dark sword? Unless he is a Demon but he does not seem like one." Bu Xin, the chubby student spoke from the circle. He shook his head, light brown hair flapping across his forehead. The man standing with the evil sword did not look like Mian Biaoqing so he cannot be a Demon.

"Of course he is not a Demon," Xue Liang walked over to Bu Xin to kick the latter on his shins. So far he was taking his role as a teacher very seriously which shocked the students sitting in a circle. Xue Liang had never defended anyone from rumors, so why else would he defend the new student holding a diabolic sword?

Bu Xin hissed, clutching his chest as if Xue Liang had kicked him a lot higher than he had. Still, the student glared at the man taking his training spot. Although he was dumb the boy saw something in the man. "I know Wu Yong is dead but I cannot stop feeling like this rogue looks like him. Wu Yong was slightly uglier though. I pity the Netherworld."

"Shut up and let my student try his sword. I do not care whether he is a demon like Mian Biaoqing, I want him to become a strong cultivator. Who knows if he can surpass his teacher." Xue Liang left the group of boys to urge his shy student to swing his sword comfortably. He even reached for the sword but Su Yong did not let the weapon enter the hand of another.

"Teacher, I know this sword is the best one. Please, I do not wish to flop around with a dangerous sword in my hands. As a new cultivator I also do not wish to embarrass myself." Wu Yong trembled as boys looked up at him and his teacher stared back at him for a long moment. He was puzzled when Xue Liang burst into laughter.

Xue Liang shook his head, burying his face into a stack of blunt training swords to hide his reddened face. He tried to stop the laughter escaping his throat, feeling sorry towards his student. He grabbed his own sword from his waist, throwing its scabbard onto a wooden dummy. Then, he turned to charge towards his student. This would definitely yield a reaction from the hesitant man.

Students gasp as they see an arc of gold flash through the air above the man holding the charcoal sword. The sword split into two smaller swords which Xue Liang caught in midair with a devious grin. He always enjoyed the attention he received for unsheathing his Golden Sun Blades for any reason. Red Dragon was still more glorious though.

Wu Yong heard the blades screech before it split and so, he quickly moved away from Xue Liang who was rapidly crashing to the ground like an angry assassin. Wu Yong found that he moved far enough for the golden man to be behind him which was never good during a fight. To avoid having his back to his opponent, he spun on one foot.

With lightning fast reflexes he deflected two blades with his own sword until he knew he was being pushed back by Xue Liang. Although his attacker was barely using any force, the cultivator looked mad. Wu Yong guessed that Xue Liang was expecting him to attack instead of defending. To avoid his arm being snagged he held his sword with both hands behind his back.

Everyone could see that Xue Liang did not approve of this move and the next swipe had more force but his student ducked and rolled away. Thinking he could fight with his back to the new cultivator he swung the golden blades over, then behind his head. His friends shrieked but he could not see why until his legs gave beneath him.

Wu Yong had ducked right before the blades could graze his nose and as fast as he could he used the butt of his sword to strike Xue Liang behind the knee. Xue Liang almost fell back onto him, still holding the blades tightly. Wu Yong grinned triumphantly as he plucked Golden Sun Blades out of their comfortable places in two warm hands. The surprised look on his brother made Wu Yong snort.

Xue Liang screamed, not knowing how to recover from the harsh blow. He had seen many cultivators jump back up from a blow to the back of their knees but he could not. His right leg tingled until it became numb. Suddenly, strong hands wrapped around his waist like a man would dip a woman after a dance. Xue Liang would be the woman.

Wu Yong looked down at his brother, equally shocked as the man in his arms. Without being asked he dropped Xue Liang onto the dusty ground and used the golden blades to nick their owner on the neck. A single drop of blood fell down and the winner of the quick fight had been determined. Like any merciful and dumb conqueror, Wu Yong returned the blades to their rightful owner.

"Do not tell my father! If I hear about this, I will make your lives miserable!" Xue Liang stayed on the ground to point at all the boys sitting in a ring. He wanted more than anything to bury his face in his sleeves but he must show the boys he was a dignified fighter and teacher. If this duel was a real, he would be dead. "I doubt you never picked up a sword before. Help me up, will you?"

Wu Yong immediately dropped his sword and apologized to the fallen man despite the great urge not to. He knew he had just humiliated the son of the Xue house, the Phoenix Couple. If he had used the sword he might have embarrassed his teacher even more. As respectful as a child to their father, Wu Yong offered his brother assistance.

"What are you all gawking at, go to the lake or red books in the library! The gods know you boys never touch paper." Xue Liang grabbed his student by the wrist which brought a string of gasps and whistling. Of course, only immature boys would tease them. Xue Liang rolled his eyes and urged his student to ignore the hormonal boys. "Come to my quarters where we will speak about your sword test results."

"My sword test? Oh, was that duel an examination?" Wu Yong did not receive a reply, but he still shuffled behind Xue Liang. He could feel dozens of eyes burn holes into his head as he leaves the training grounds with his teacher. He could see that Xue Liang was not planning to wait for him and that the man was rushing away due to embarrassment.

As Xue Liang leads Wu Yong like a pet, servants would congratulate their master on obtaining a student. Wu Yong would not know how important having a student is but for a decent cultivator, a student is their lifeline. His father must have been actively searching for someone willing to study with Xue Liang, someone willing to boost his son up the ranks of the cultivation world.

Wu Yong received quick congratulatory speeches, but Xue Liang gave him little time to stop and chat with servants. Of course, being dragged around like a doll did not sit well with him, but he must act like the student he is. If and when he is the new Demon King, Xue Liang would not be beaming as brightly. The one thing Wu Yong wanted to carry out was kicking his brother into a pillar.

"I heard Father gave you a guest room to make your temporary home. You are a very lucky man." Xue Liang produced a ring of keys from his sleeves, grinning as his student gawked at the house. He knew the house his father gifted him was more luxurious than other Xue Sect buildings.

Nodding to show his understanding, he let the dark man become familiar with the dwelling. Keys chimed through the air as he tosses them up, catches them, and repeated the action. Xue Liang looked at his student with great affection. "You are now my student. My father will help you make your home in my house."

Wu Yong coughed into his sleeve, not prepared to hear Xue Liang's words. His brother could not instantly guess who he was, but if they live in the same house, his cover is bound to be pulled off. Being exposed when he could not claim ownership of the Demon throne was not a bright idea. If Xue Liang claims to know the Demon King, Wu Yong would be placed in front of the Righteous Council for the second time.

The Phoenix Couple bragged about Xue Liang's learning abilities. His investigation and deduction abilities should be strong. Xue Liang had already stepped into his courtyard, but he noticed his apprentice stood rigidly. Did he look intimidated? Sweat slid down the sides of his face, his left hand was clenched, and his right hand reached to loosen the sect uniform.

"Oh, come in already! We do not have all day to stare at blocks of wood. Come in Su Yong, no one will be able to hurt you in my house." Xue Liang tapped his feet impatiently, clearly puzzled by the strange reaction. In all his life he invited many friends and guests to his house, yet no one would react like the strange man. "Would you rather report to my father your test results?"

Wu Yong's head snapped up, his eyes were wide. Like any student gaining an opportunity to meet the school's headmaster, Wu Yong tried to avoid the encounter. Obeying his brother, he grudgingly crossed the threshold to stand under the branches of the maple trees. He looked up, understanding why Xue Liang chose fiery maples to be his favorite tree.

"They were planted on the day I broke through Understanding Nature Stage. Mother cried so much and Father planted full grown trees go me." Xue Liang plucked a yellow leaf off the lowest branch, twirled it in his fingers, and offered it to the man staring upwards. He saw that the man was uncomfortable in the new environment.

Before speaking about the Sword Test, he figured it would benefit both teacher and student if they broke the ice. Xue Liang let his mouth turn up in a smile, feeling relieved when the leaf was finally accepted after moments of hesitation.

The young master chuckled to himself, thinking about if the man was a woman. He thought that giving the man a part of his favorite tree could be romantic. He could feel the tension loosen up, his first victory as a teacher! Xue Liang turned to his student, "I cannot understand how you are a fisherman's son. Although I am a man, you are quite handsome. Dark, mysterious and handsome."