3 Show Them the Art of Killing

Epigraph:

"Don't think about making an art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more arts." – Words from artist Andy Warhol

He Mo would never ascend in his throne at such young age of twenty-three if he is a man who does not know how to recognize an opportunity. Since the opportunity was offered before him by the lady, he would definitely use them. In this way he can test the potential of the lady in front of him as well as eradicate the few traitors in his kingdom.

He then thinks of his brother He Sim, who secretly offered his owned lands to the foreigners in exchange of their support and protection. He had been paying attention to this particular brother as he had suspected that this man is planning on bringing him down and taking away his throne from him. Such threat would never escape from his watchful eyes. His suspicions were confirmed last month as his spies reported that the barbarians causing trouble in his territory is also part of his brother's schemes.

"You won't ask me who are these people that I want to die?" the emperor curiously inquired to the lady standing few meters away from him.

"Even if you tell me who they are your majesty, I will not be able to recognize them for I live far away from the main city. I only know very limited people." Ye Shin quietly answered.

"That's also great. Let's change some battle clothes and meet here then." the emperor stated while glancing at the cloudy sky above him.

"There is no need for me to change my attire your majesty. My clothing is all the same, I shall wait here." the lady said while looking at the sky as well.

The young emperor glances skeptically at her white dress before walking away. When he comes back, his is already wearing a clothing that are all black. There is also a mask in his face and only his clear black eyes can be seen.

Two figures silently jumped from one tree to another going towards their victim's territory. One is wearing a black battle suit and the other is strangely wearing a white dress. Her hair is softly gliding through the winds.

"Aren't you afraid to be seen during the fight?" the emperor asked as he glanced to the naked face of Ye Shin.

"There is nothing that I also fear your majesty. Why would I be afraid? Even if they see me, they will be dead anyway. Dead men can no longer speak of what they have seen." she said while following his lead.

Why would she be afraid? Her words may sound arrogant but with her temperament, everything seems spoken out of modesty.

Emperor He Mo admired her calmness and confidence of killing these people. For some reason, there is no single doubt in her heart when he heard her words.

After a while, they have reached in their journey. Another large palace is standing in front of them.

"We are here." the emperor announced quietly.

He did not hear anything from the lady either. She just strides towards the entrance of the palace in a casual manner. This is beyond the emperor's expectations. He thought they would sneak inside and kill the people but judging from the girl's direction, she did not intend to hide. She is like death announcing her arrival to her victims.

The emperor followed from her behind and keeps glancing at her right hand. He would not want to miss the moment when her Spiral Sword will be materialized.

"Excuse me my lady, we do not allow any guest in this area. You must come back to-" the guard who just approached her suddenly stopped speaking and realized there is something struck in his chest!

He Mo also witnessed her hands suddenly holding the Spiral Sword. After the man fall down on the ground, the emperor saw that Ye Shin raised her sword sideways. She wanted to show him the details of the sword! The Spiral Sword!

As He Mo looked at the double fuller of the sword, his eyes saw not only six but twelve tiny blades surrounding it! He blinks his eyes simultaneously to make sure that his eyesight is not tricking him. The weapon has grown! Four of the blades look like a four-petal flower while the eight blades look like a snowflake. If the elder is with them he would have been shocked by this scene.

The moment the guard fall down, another group of guards were rushing towards their direction to capture them. She suddenly slashed her sword horizontally and all of them died instantly. It is too fast and sudden. Her sword did not kill the dozens of guards, it was the blades that struck them one after another. As the blades were detached to the fuller, her right hand is now carrying a very ordinary looking sword. But the blades were not vanished, they are flying in the air. He Mo glanced at her face as they entered the palace. The lady still wears a respectable expression as if nothing has happened even though the assigned guards in the area were instantly delivered to hell in just a matter of seconds by her own hands. After they entered in the palace, the grounds and hallways are empty and she casually opened the rooms one by one. The maids and the wives inside that they encountered were not spared by her blades. One life after another had fallen down.

In the last room was his brother completely oblivious of the silent deaths of his people. She opened the door and she saw the man with similar features of the emperor, understanding dawned upon her. Of course, the emperor wants to kill the person that threatens his throne. She smiled and walked towards him. The emperor followed her while hiding in the darkness. Seeing the girl holding a sword the man paled.

"Who are yo-" the man, who is named He Sim, could not finish his words as the blade was instantly stabbed in his chest. When the man took his last breath, the lady look at the emperor's direction and raised her weapon in front of him to see it clearly this time.

Spiral Sword!

The details are completely naked in the eye. Its double fuller long-sword has twelve tiny blades surrounding in it. The blades were now attached back to the sword and simply look like a decoration of the weapon. The appearance of the sword immediately carved to the emperor's mind. The protection from the foreign forces were totally useless! A small smile appears in the emperor's covered face.

He meets her gazed and they have a silent and wordless conversation.

Satisfied your majesty? - Satisfied.

As they traveled back to his palace He Mo secretly told himself to never offend this woman ever. Indeed, just like the elder said to him, an ordinary person respects the people with authority while the person in authority respects the strong and competent. At that moment, the emperor has nothing but respect to Ye Shin. When they arrived, the lady bowed her head and walks away. He stared at her back until she reaches her room. He realized that her clothes did not catch any single blood from fighting. He was slightly embarrassed that he had changed his clothing. The emperor then started walking towards his room.

The next morning, the emperor received a report that the entire palace of his second brother was massacred. No one survived. His men was somewhat taken aback by the lack of expression from him. He was not surprised by the news. He just instructed his men to bury the dead bodies and then sauntered towards the training grounds. As he arrived on the training ground all his soldiers stopped their exercises and assembled in front of him. The two generals bowed their heads as they great him.

"Your majesty, Lady Yin is inside the tent showing us some swordplay." General Tang told him. The generals know that their emperor is interested in fighting and swordsmanship. He Mo nodded his head but did not say anything.

"As for the other lady your majesty, she is eating her breakfast and she had told us that her swordplay is something that is not useful to us." General Xia added.

"I think she does not know any swordplay moves your majesty. She is just making some excuses. Lady Yin also said that she never saw the other lady performing swordplay at all." General Tang expressed his opinion.

"The other lady, I have seen her swordsmanship. Learning it is indeed not useful to our soldiers. You can just continue on learning with Lady Yin's swordplay." the emperor has finally spoken before he strides towards the kitchen leaving the two generals speechless. Did the emperor just defended Lady Ye Shin? Both of them pondered subconsciously.

As the emperor entered the kitchen, the area is very common unlike his dining place. He saw Ye Shin eating with her bare hands.

"Seeing your appetite, I must double our food supply." he said and sat opposite to her.

"Your majesty, I did not noticed your arrival. Do you want to eat?" the girl bowed her head before asking him. What an accurate appearance of a wolf in a sheep's clothing! The emperor thought earnestly.

"It's fine. I already had my breakfast. You just continue devouring these dishes." he said in a friendlier tone. The girl nods her head and continued eating the food in the table.

After a while the girl stopped chewing her food and tilted her head as if thinking of something then she told him, "If you learn Ye Yin's sword play your majesty, it could be useful to you also. They are inside the tent."

"I have already learned the Sword Cultivator Clan's swordsmanship. When I was young, your elder was my teacher in using swords." the emperor responded.

"I see. It's a pity! I can't use those moves as it will break the momentum of my few blades your majesty. The swordplay I know is obviously zero. I only use slash and stab alternately. They have asked me to join them but I doubt my moves would give benefits to them." Ye Shin said before finishing her food. Stab and Slash, the emperor somehow pondered briefly these two moves.

"I agree that your sword moves are completely useless for my soldiers." finally emperor said.

"I cannot show them any swordplay but I can show them the art of killing your majesty." Ye Shin casually offered.

"Yes, you can." the emperor absentmindedly commented while his mind is replaying to the things that had happened the other night.

The sight was indeed something along her terms. The art of killing... Only this girl is capable of stating these words with a completely calm composure. Not single trace arrogance is laced in her tone.