Ch 23 – The Young Man Starved for Love

“What are you looking at?” the blond man asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi looked to the left, then to the right, before finally pointing toward his own face: “Are you asking me?”

“Who else would I be asking?!” The blond man grabbed Yu Xi by the collar.

Kersz and Tau immediately rushed forward. This wasn’t a third-class planet, and communication through violence was not tolerated. If Kersz dared to pull out a gun at this moment, he would definitely find himself pinned to the ground. Plus, this blond man had a rather special identity that made him problematic.

“Sorry, sorry, my little brother doesn’t know any better.” Kersz smiled ingratiatingly as he apologized, putting an arm around Yu Xi’s waist to pull him back. “He’s never seen a fight before, and he was curious.”

Tau was also a masterclass in acting: “He contracted radiation sickness at birth and spent the first forty years of his life in a medical ward. He just recently got out, and everything is very exciting to him. I hope you won’t take it personally.”

“Radiation sickness at birth?” The blond man no longer looked as aggressive as before.

Tau was familiar with this young master. He was the youngest child of the Supreme Governor, and had six older siblings. This young master possessed average talent, performed poorly in school, and was easily angered. He would never be the heir to the Supreme Governor’s estate, nor would he inherit his mother’s territories.

Nobles were always like this. They couldn’t just raise one successor, because what if the child didn’t live up to expectations or died unexpectedly?

They always had numerous offspring, and the relationship between parents and their children was rarely close.

This young master was a complete and utter dunce, and was always very short-tempered. He wanted to handle his father’s affairs, but he didn’t understand that his identity was completely unsuitable for associating with radical individuals, and outsiders had discovered his involvement with them.

His actions amounted to exposing his father’s association with those radicals, which caused the Supreme Governor considerable trouble.

This young master had been booted from the inheritance list. Likely having perceived his father’s attitude toward him, he was even more eager to prove himself useful.

But as a result, he was shoved to the side and became increasingly irascible.

Tau, however, knew exactly how to calm this person down.

He needed to portray Yu Xi as completely harmless, even somewhat pitiful, a weakling who didn’t pose any threat whatsoever to the young master.

Sure enough, the other party loosened his grip on Yu Xi’s collar.

“You’ve gone through radiation sickness?” the young master asked him.

Tau tensed up, but Yu Xi immediately nodded in agreement and lowered his head forlornly: “I’ve only ever seen fights on TV, and I used to be so weak that I couldn’t even swing my arms. My family tells me fighting is bad, but to me, it’s so fresh and novel. It’s something I’ve never been able to experience.”

Yu Xi even shed a couple of tears: “I’m sorry.”

Why was his acting so good now? Kersz was astounded.

Yu Xi’s acting skills had not actually improved. He still couldn’t look people in the eye when he lied, but he was able to control his tears.

“Huh?! It’s fine, it’s fine.” The young master seemed alarmed at Yu Xi’s state, and waved his hands repeatedly. “I-I didn’t know about your situation.” He appeared to be somewhat at a loss.

“Were you frightened?” The young master looked down to observe Yu Xi, who stepped back in fright at his sudden movement.

“You’re really scared of me?!” The young master scratched his head, then generously wrapped an arm around Yu Xi’s shoulders and gave him a couple of pats.

Kersz: ?

Tau: ?

What was he doing? Was he not going to let them take him away?

“I apologize. I’ll pay for anything you want to buy here.” The young master gently shook Yu Xi from side to side with his arm around him. “My name is Curtis. What’s yours?”

“Sarah.” Yu Xi glanced toward Kersz and Tau. He needed to shake off this young master.

“You and your brothers should come hang out with me, I’ll show you around. I have a big group of friends here.” Curtis was quite enthusiastic.

Yu Xi tried to restrain himself, but he had already started walking with Curtis.

Kersz could only continue to put on a show of timidity, following them with a forced smile. Tau wore a look of anxiety. He had to make that expression, because he had just made up a lie that required him to be concerned about Yu Xi’s health.

Yu Xi turned his head to glance at the man who had been beaten.

As it turned out, that man was also following them. Clutching the area where he had been punched, he hunched over and approached with small, shuffling steps: “Apologies, Director Curtis. I had too much to drink and let my mouth run.”

Curtis didn’t spare him a glance.

So this person was one of Curtis’s cronies?

“Director?” Yu Xi looked at Kus. “Are you an official?”

The other man, his face bruised and swollen, appeared shocked: “You don’t know him?”

“I do know him, his name is Curtis,” Yu Xi corrected him.

“He’s…..”

Curtis sent the man a glare, and he immediately shut up.

“I’m the director of a branch of the Human Cultural Heritage Conservation Administration,” Curtis said to Yu Xi.

“Wow!!” Yu Xi felt like he could also be considered a participant in this line of work.

“You think that’s impressive?” Curtis asked him.

“It’s very impressive. I like things from ancient times,” said Yu Xi.

Kersz chimed in: “He used to focus on stuff like that when he was sick, and we have a few old-timey things at home. He’s always yearned for the human society that existed before we ventured into the galaxies.”

Curtis looked even more delighted.

Tau knew that Curtis’s position as ‘Branch Director of the Human Cultural Heritage Conservation Administration’ was proof of his marginalization. Curtis didn’t like when people talked about this, except, of course, outsiders with no knowledge of his family’s internal disputes. This outsider in particular seemed to admire his position, and Curtis liked it when others admired and idolized him.

Curtis pulled Yu Xi over to where he had been sitting, and Yu Xi gave a shy smile.

His shyness was genuine. Because of Curtis, the other humans were exceptionally enthusiastic toward Yu Xi.

Yu Xi knew that their enthusiasm wasn’t sincere, but he didn’t care. Since humans were approaching him on their own, why not enjoy it?

After drinking some alcohol, Yu Xi was certain that there were crops on this planet, because many of the beverages here were clearly made from plants.

Yu Xi smiled shyly as he drank with the humans.

The others grew more talkative the more alcohol they consumed, and he finally figured out why Curtis had fought with that man.

Because they had been talking about Kersz.

Upon hearing that name, Yu Xi subconsciously looked in Kersz’s direction.

Kersz wore a timid appearance, smiling obsequiously at the people around the table. He continuously excused his little brother’s lack of manners, as if he feared that Yu Xi would offend this gaggle of second-generation rich kids.

But the Kersz described by these second-generation rich kids was the complete opposite in disposition.

They were all aware that the mad space pirate had sent the Supreme Governor a death threat, and Curtis had punched that man after he said that Kersz had never missed a shot.

Curtis was very fretful, and even wanted to solve this problem for his father by hiring someone to kill Kersz.

There was also that new accomplice at Kersz’s side.

Nobody knew where that accomplice had come from, and the Six Alliances were unable to discover anything about his identity. Of course, it was also possible that he was a criminal who had undergone cosmetic surgery.

But the scope of cosmetic surgery utilized by criminals was too broad, and there were too many suspicious individuals out there.

Conversation then shifted to the Illegitimate who was being controlled by Kersz.

“My father says that 152 is probably still alive.” Curtis pressed a hand to his forehead. “But he’s not entirely sure, because 152’s messages are just too strange.” Although the Supreme Governor hadn’t actually shown him those messages, his expression when mentioning them was very abnormal.

“If he’s still alive, he should take that space pirate to die with him, and that new accomplice too. What is he waiting for?” Curtis was very agitated. “Doesn’t he know who Kersz’s target is?”

They were actually discussing such things right out in the open.

Yu Xi looked toward Tau with a sigh, but the man didn’t react very strongly.

Tau was accustomed to such misconceptions. Those who were inexperienced always liked to boast and bluster, and believed that everything would be better if the world operated according to their own thoughts and ideas.

But the more they thought that way, the more they proved that they were simply a group of ordinary people without any authority. Perhaps Curtis had some limited experience through his interactions with his friends, or perhaps he was just making assumptions.

In any case, Curtis’s assumptions were meaningless.

Because Curtis never could have guessed that “mad space pirate” Kersz had also become a prisoner in a sense, and that both of them were now being held hostage by an alien robot.

After monologuing for a while, Curtis clinked glasses with Yu Xi and praised him for his ability to drink.

Yu Xi was naturally a good drinker, because his body was unaffected by alcohol.

Being neglected by his parents didn’t seem to make Curtis want to run away from his family. Instead, he wanted to prove that his older siblings were a bunch of disloyal, scheming, mediocre people, and that only his feelings toward his parents were truly pure.

“Your brother and cousin are really good to you.” Curtis was now drunk, and leaned against Yu Xi’s shoulder. “They’re so…..so good to you.”

“You have older siblings too, ah.” Yu Xi didn’t understand why Kersz and Tau had set their identities as his relatives. Were they sneakily trying to gain an advantage over him?

Kersz might do something like that, but why would Tau have similar thoughts?

“It’s not the same. They’d love it if I died,” Curtis said. “It’s really…..really not the same.”

“If you and I switched places, they would never stand up for me like your brothers did,” Curtis said with a scoff. “They would enjoy watching me getting beat to death.”

“But you’re their loved one.” Yu Xi felt that making assumptions was useless, and that he could only know how his siblings would react if the situation actually occurred.

Curtis: “I’m really not.”

Yu Xi: “But you’ve never revealed your vulnerable side to them either.”

Curtis continued to sneer.

Yu Xi: “How about you tell them that you love them, but that you can’t feel their love?”

Curtis, already so drunk that he was oblivious to the world around him, muttered in a daze: “Ah….”

Yu Xi: “Will you do it?”

Curtis: “Sure.”

Kersz and Tau were astounded once more.

What was Yu Xi doing?!

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24

Ch. 88 – Call Upon My Divine Name

Yinglong, the God of War?!

This name instantly brought to everyone’s minds the image of that cold and ruthless deity standing high in the clouds one hundred years ago.

He had only appeared once, and very briefly, but the impression he had left in people’s minds was as indelible as if it had been branded into them with a red-hot iron.

The younger disciples were less impacted, as they only knew about that period in history from an outsider’s perspective. But those who were older and were lucky enough to survive witnessing such a disaster began to tremble uncontrollably the instant they heard that name.

Ji Chengyue was among them. Although he’d had a vague suspicion, he still couldn’t suppress the terror in his heart when that name reached his ears.

When had Xue Ren made contact with Yinglong? And he called him ‘master?’

Ji Chengyue hadn’t noticed. Just as he had never noticed the jealousy and resentment hidden beneath Xue Ren’s smiles.

He could hardly believe that after an entire century, that cruel and merciless god would appear once more.

But the facts had already been laid bare. When Xue Ren uttered that name, a black mist similar to that of a century ago erupted from that jet-black, nonreflective sword.

The mist slithered across his body like a venomous snake, coiling around his swordbearing arm.

Xue Ren’s cultivation level remained unchanged. He was still at Golden Core stage.

But standing before Xue Ren at this moment, a chilling fear arose in everyone’s hearts, rapidly intensifying.

Just like one hundred years before, when they gazed up at that supreme god amongst the clouds, so powerful that they were robbed of the will to resist.

But why? Why, a century after Jianmu was destroyed, had this god sought out Lingxiao Sword Sect again?

This question arose in everyone’s minds amidst their shock and fear.

Perhaps it had been wrong for mortals to presume to ascend to the heavens, but they had already paid the price. The former sect leader, the culprit who had planted the tree, was dead, along with so many others. Wasn’t that enough?

“God of War…..Yinglong…..?” Elder Zhou murmured in a trembling voice. Inconceivable things had transpired before him today. The always gentle Xue Ren had suddenly transformed into his ferocious figure, and had even attempted to murder his shidi. Yet that wasn’t near as shocking as Xue Ren’s words just now.

“What do you mean…..” Elder Zhou even felt that in his old age, perhaps his mind wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. He was unable to make sense of how or why any of this was happening. How had Yinglong become involved with Xue Ren, to the point of even lending him his sword? What exactly was Xue Ren planning to do?

Elder Zhou was not the only one who couldn’t make sense of it. Everyone was wondering how a perfectly normal succession ceremony had taken such a turn for the absurd.

Cao Zirui was equally uncomprehending. He still hadn’t recovered from the shock of his shixiong attempting to kill him.

But when he looked at his master standing in front of him, unlike everyone else, Ji Chengyue’s indescribably complex expression held little doubt. Cao Zirui came to the sudden realization that his master knew.

Ji Chengyue knew that Yinglong had appeared one hundred years ago because of Jianmu, and that one hundred years later, he was here for the same reason.

In the wake of Elder Zhou’s question, Xue Ren took a deep breath and felt power surge through his body.

This absolute power to determine life and death was beautiful to the point of being intoxicating.

He looked toward the mist wrapped around his right arm, then began to explain to the crowd: “What does this mean? It couldn’t be more obvious.”

“In accordance with the will of God, I am here to hold you accountable for secretly hoarding away a fragment of Jianmu!” Xue Ren spoke loudly and with righteous indignation.

This declaration did not dispel the confusion in everyone’s minds, but instead intensified it.

“Jianmu?! Wasn’t Jianmu destroyed one hundred years ago?”

“The great fire burned for three days and three nights, and Jianmu was clearly reduced to ashes. Everyone saw it!”

The crowd was abuzz with discussion.

Just as Elder Zhou was about to ask, a thought occurred to him and he turned to look at Ji Chengyue with shock and doubt.

Ji Chengyue was in no state to respond to him. His mind was in complete turmoil.

“Shifu.” Xue Ren smiled and called out to Ji Chengyue again.

Ji Chengyue jolted out of his chaotic thoughts and stared at Xue Ren.

“In principle, a disciple should not challenge his superior. But now that Shifu has made a mistake and angered the gods, this disciple is left with no choice.” Xue Ren adopted an admonishing expression. “If Shifu hands over the Jianmu fragment now, I will guarantee the safety of everyone in Lingxiao Sword Sect.”

In just a few words, he positioned himself on the side of justice and claimed that he was acting on behalf of the gods, while Ji Chengyue was a sinner who secretly hoarded a Jianmu fragment and harbored wicked intentions.

The situation seemed to suddenly reverse, and everyone’s attention shifted from Xue Ren to Ji Chengyue.

Could Xue Ren be speaking the truth? Did Sect Leader Ji really have a Jianmu fragment in his hands?

Compared to the reappearance of Jianmu, Xue Ren’s recent attempt on Cao Zirui’s life seemed insignificant. The Jianmu matter involved more than just a single life.

If Jianmu still existed, history might repeat itself. And if Yinglong were to be angered, everyone present would likely face certain doom.

“Sect Leader, is it true?” With their own safety at stake, the crowd could no longer remain silent bystanders. 

The moment the first person spoke, many other voices followed. The crowd erupted, everyone demanding an answer from Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue glanced at the unruly crowd, but remained silent.

He had not been ignorant to the possibility of something like this happening. From the moment he hid the Jianmu fragment, he had worried that he would one day be discovered.

He was fully aware of the consequences, yet he did it anyway.

The sudden passing of his shixiong, who was like a brother to him, had left Ji Chengyue mired deep in grief. He had no choice but to accept the outcome, because there was no other option. He was powerless to stop it.

He could do nothing but wait in the distance for the all-consuming heavenly fire to extinguish itself.

But everything seemed to take a turn for the better when he found that tiny fragment of Jiamu, still radiating faint signs of life in the ashes.

Plants were far more resilient than humans, who could die from losing a single organ.

With enough nutrients, a plant could be born anew from a single branch or broken twig.

And after Ling Yun gave his heart to Jianmu, he developed an inseparable bond with the tree.

If Jianmu wasn’t dead, was it possible for his shixiong to come back to life?

Even if the possibility was small to the point of being negligible, it still fueled that tiny, unrealistic hope deep inside him. Ji Chengyue hid the Jianmu fragment in his sleeve, and didn’t tell a soul.

Over the past century, he had attempted to cultivate this small Jianmu fragment. But no matter what kind of nourishment he provided, the vitality of the fragment weakened until it was no different from a dead piece of wood.

One hundred years was a very long time, yet also very short. Over countless days and nights of waiting, his hope gradually wore away, and Ji Chengyue completely gave up hope that his shixiong could be brought back to life.

For him, Jianmu was nothing more than a lingering delusion in his heart.

If simply handing over the Jianmu fragment would guarantee the safety of Lingxiao Sword Sect, he would do it in a heartbeat.

But Xue Ren…..

“If I really do possess a Jianmu fragment, after handing it over to you, should I resign in recompense?” When Ji Chengyue finally spoke, it wasn’t the answer everyone expected.

Xue Ren was silent for a moment upon hearing this. Then he affirmed: “Naturally. Shifu has committed such a grave mistake. No matter what, a new sect leader is needed.”

Ji Chengyue suddenly laughed. He knew it would turn out this way.

Handing over the Jianmu fragment was acceptable, but passing the sect leader position to Xue Ren was not.

At this point, his decision had nothing to do with Xue Ren’s talent, but with his character. His vicious heart thoroughly disappointed Ji Chengyue.

No matter how Lingxiao Sword Sect might fall into decline, such a person must never be allowed to lead it.

So after laughing, he categorically denied it: “I have not hidden away a Jianmu fragment, nor have I committed any other crime. Likewise, Cao Zirui will remain the next sect leader. My decision has not changed, regardless of the outcome of today’s trial ceremony.”

“Shifu…..” Cao Zirui murmured from his position shielded behind Ji Chengyue.

Xue Ren, however, gritted his teeth and coldly rebuked him: “Stubborn to the end!”

“It is you who stubbornly refuses to see the truth! Xue Ren, you have made one mistake after another, and even now you show no remorse!” Ji Chengyue roared back.

Startled by his angry rebuke, Xue Ren took a reflexive step back – but soon after, he realized that he was no longer a disciple beholden to obeying his master’s every command.

He retorted loudly: “I’m not wrong! Even the gods are on my side. Shifu, do you dare to debate the gods over right and wrong?”

Just as Ji Chengyue was about to respond, Xue Ren shook his head: “Further discussion is pointless. I have received my orders, and I must carry them out no matter what.”

“Shifu, forgive this disciple’s offense!” Xue Ren raised his right hand and swung Fleeting Shadow toward Ji Chengyue.

With Xue Ren’s swing, a small portion of the black mist wrapped around his arm separated from him and Fleeting Shadow, transforming into a black bladepoint that stabbed toward Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue took Mountain Breaker, the Heaven-grade magic weapon reserved for the use of successive sect leaders, from his sleeve. He assumed a defensive stance while shouting toward those who were preparing to aid him: “No one else is allowed to interfere! I’ll handle this myself…..”

“I will deal with this traitor.”

Everyone, including Elder Zhou, paused in place, unsure whether or not to obey.

Although Sect Leader Ji was a powerful Nascent Soul stage cultivator…..Xue Ren was wielding the divine sword of the God of War. Could a mortal truly contend with divine power?

Although Xue Ren was a representative of Yinglong, since Ji Chengyue had denied the allegations, most of the disciples still chose to believe their sect leader.

Under the anxious gazes of the crowd, Ji Chengyue’s Mountain Breaker clashed with the blade formed from black mist. Humans felt fear, but objects did not.

When faced with a weapon like itself, Mountain Breaker immediately began to hum, as if to challenge and provoke its opponent.

Even though its opponent was far stronger, Mountain Breaker showed no fear. On the contrary, when the blades met, it released more spiritual power than ever before.

Spiritual power connected with the black mist, creating an invisible shockwave.

Dust and fallen leaves on the ground were sent flying by the impact, and Ji Chengyue was knocked back several steps, barely able to stop himself in front of Cao Zirui.

The onlookers were also impacted, and stumbled back from the spiritual blast. In the blink of an eye, the center of the battlefield emptied.

Ji Chengyue’s appearance was no longer as neat and tidy as when he had first appeared that morning, his hair and sleeves somewhat disheveled. Although he had shattered the black bladepoint with Mountain Breaker, he still didn’t lower his guard.

This….was merely a sword glare released by Xue Ren…..

Fleeting Shadow truly lived up to its reputation as a divine weapon capable of severing Jianmu with one strike. Even in the hands of a mere mortal, it was able to unleash such terrifying power.

Ji Chengyue quickly surveyed his surroundings. The blast just now had sent some of the disciples tumbling to the ground, and although none were seriously injured, they did suffer some minor scrapes and bruises.

Thus, before Xue Ren could unleash his next attack, Ji Chengyue switched positions. Leaving solid ground behind, he stepped into the air and led Xue Ren away from the crowd.

Xue Ren saw through Ji Chengyue’s intentions, but his eagerness to defeat his master prevailed. If he could defeat Ji Chengyue, he would be proven right.

The two flashed away from the crowd and engaged in combat mid-air. Xue Ren stopped using sword glares, and instead slashed at Ji Chengyue with the blade of Fleeting Shadow.

The two swords – divine and mortal – clashed.

Despite Fleeting Shadow’s power, Ji Chengyue possessed more spiritual power than Xue Ren and showed no immediate signs of falling behind as master and disciple fought mid-air.

Hao Chen watched the scene above, then suddenly turned to look at Feng Ye beside him.

Feng Ye’s brow was furrowed. He had looked astonished when Xue Ren called out Yinglong’s name.

Hao Chen could only lament inwardly that he had already given Feng Ye a subtle warning, but this fellow simply wouldn’t listen. Today, he must have finally come to the realization that Hao Chen was not exaggerating.

Feng Ye was truly unable to handle an enemy as powerful as Yinglong.

Ji Chengyue was no better. Although he was evenly matched with Xue Ren in this battle, that was only because Xue Ren was unfamiliar with handling the power of the God of War. Once he acclimatized to it, Ji Chengyue’s defeat was only a matter of time.

As a god himself, Hao Chen understood just how great the difference in power between gods and mortals truly was.

Even if Yinglong declined to personally intervene, and instead lent some of his power to Xue Ren, a mortal simply could not stand against it.

Of everyone present, Hao Chen was the only one capable of holding his own against him.

Unfortunately, he was not one to meddle in the business of others, and the destruction of Lingxiao Sword Sect was none of his concern. 

He wouldn’t become enemies with Yinglong for the sake of these people.

But he was afraid that…..

Observing Feng Ye’s expression, Hao Chen cautiously asked: “What does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye plan to do?”

Feng Ye didn’t reply immediately. After a moment, he seemed to snap back to the present and asked: “What did you say?”

It turned out that Feng Ye hadn’t heard him at all, even though he had spoken rather loudly.

Hao Chen interpreted Feng Ye’s state as…..scared out of his wits.

He must have been so terrified upon learning that Yinglong was the enemy he’d been searching for that he couldn’t even focus on what was going on around him.

Driven by the masculine instinct to project an image of strength and security in front of his sweetheart, Hao Chen puffed out his chest and comforted Feng Ye: “Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. With me here, nobody will be allowed to bully you.”

Wait, what?

Feng Ye was briefly taken aback, and regarded Hao Chen with a puzzled expression. Although he didn’t know what this fish was talking about, he still thanked him politely.

Although this ‘thank you’ was only two words, it still very much satisfied Hao Chen’s vanity. At that moment, he felt that even if Yinglong himself made an appearance, he would dare to fight him head-on for Feng Ye’s sake.

Of course, this determination was very brief. After the impulse passed, he regained his senses and sighed inwardly, beauty can lead people astray.

Although Feng Ye was currently wearing a mediocre face, beauty was in the eye of the beholder, as well as in the eye of the fish.

Feng Ye paid little attention to what was going on with Hao Chen, and fell deep into thought after thanking him.

The backer behind Xue Ren…..was Yinglong?

Feng Ye had never dreamed that this would be the case.

But whether he had considered it or not, the facts had been laid bare before him. Xue Ren, with Yinglong’s aid, was defying his master in order to seize the Jianmu fragment.

Hao Chen knew perfectly well that Ji Chengyue was destined to lose, and so did Feng Ye.

Even though he had not yet rooted out the hiding place of the person behind all of this, he was unable to wait any longer.

He abruptly raised his head in search of Fang Yang.

While everyone was gazing up at the master-disciple duo in the sky, Fang Yang had shakily flown on his sword to Cao Zirui’s side.

Due to Xue Ren’s mention of Yinglong, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the combatants, and they completely forgot about the seriously injured Cao Zirui.

Fang Yang was the only one who remembered his friend. He asked Cao Zirui, who was sitting on the ground: “Are you alright?”

“I’m….I’m fine,” Cao Zirui replied between coughs.

His words would be more credible if he wasn’t spitting blood as he spoke.

Upon seeing this, Fang Yang couldn’t help but remember that Cao Zirui seemed to have done the same thing when they were being chased by Lu Chengye in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Despite the change in location and the people involved, Cao Zirui was always the one getting hurt.

Cao Zirui possessed great talent and was given many good opportunities, but in some aspects, his luck was extremely poor. He clearly hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he had inexplicably become the target of Xue Ren’s attack.

“Can you move?” Fang Yang asked.

Cao Zirui nodded.

Fang Yang then helped him up and half-carried him to a corner far from the battlefield.

Although Sect Leader Ji intended to keep Xue Ren away from the crowd, swords had no eyes, and accidents could happen at any time. This situation was beyond his control, so for safety’s sake, Fang Yang took Cao Zirui a little farther away.

Once Fang Yang felt that the distance was sufficient, he stopped and turned to watch the mid-air battle with Cao Zirui.

Throughout the process, Cao Zirui’s eyes had remained fixed on the two people up above.

One was his master, and the other was his shixiong.

Before today, he had never imagined that his shixiong would attempt to kill him and even fight with their master.

Even when Xue Ren severed the spirit sword in his hand and caused him grievous injuries, Cao Zirui still couldn’t come to terms with Xue Ren wanting him dead. But then, he heard Xue Ren’s words after he lost control of himself, and felt that sword glare that was determined to take his life.

Cao Zirui wasn’t a fool. After accepting the fact that Xue Ren wanted him dead, he suddenly understood. He understood that Lu Chengye hadn’t hunted him down because he was a demonic cultivator, but because he was acting on Xue Ren’s orders.

And the bell he wore on his belt even now had likely not been given to him as an early warning system.

Cao Zirui abruptly ripped the bell from his waist and clenched it tightly in his hand. Alerted by this movement, Fang Yang briefly averted his gaze from the battle.

He saw that Cao Zirui’s lips were tightly pursed. Although Fang Yang was not very good at reading the expressions of others, he knew that Cao Zirui’s feelings at this moment were likely very complicated.

This sort of thing would perplex anyone. Fang Yang didn’t know how to comfort him, either. After thinking for a long time, he could only attempt to distract his friend: “You should take some pills and regulate your breathing. Your internal injuries from last time haven’t fully healed yet, and now you’ve been injured again. Don’t neglect yourself and cause any lingering health problems.”

Cao Zirui gave it some thought, then obediently did as he was told. No matter how his heart was in turmoil, he was too weak to move and could do nothing at this time. It would be better to rest and recover from his injuries. Once he regained his mobility, he might be able to offer some assistance.

After watching Cao Zirui take a few pills and sit cross-legged on the ground, Fang Yang was slightly relieved, and turned his attention back to the sky.

Ji Chengyue and Xue Ren had already fought dozens of rounds, their figures colliding repeatedly in the air.

Spiritual energy clashed against black mist, sending invisible shockwaves through the air.

Although Ji Chengyue did his utmost to maintain a distance from the crowd, a portion of the rippling shockwaves still reached the ground. With a flick of his sleeves, Elder Zhou used his spiritual power to raise a barrier, shielding the disciples behind it.

Everyone held their breath as they watched the mid-air battle.

The master and disciple used the same swordsmanship style, and were very familiar with one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Due to this, they fought for a long while with no clear winner.

But that was just taking swordsmanship into consideration. In terms of weaponry…..

After clashing with Xue Ren’s Fleeting Shadow, Ji Chengyue slightly increased the distance between them and glanced at Mountain Breaker in his right hand.

The blade was trembling incessantly. This was not the reaction that arose when two swords met. Rather….this sword was nearing its limit.

Even the most advanced of Heaven-grade magic weapons, representing the pinnacle of human skill, ultimately could not hold out against the power of a god.

But even though he was outmatched, he had no choice but to fight!

Ji Chengyue once again met the thrust of Xue Ren’s sword. He had said that he would deal with this traitor, but in reality, none of the moves he had made thus far were meant to kill. They had all been attempts to subdue Xue Ren.

For this reason, Xue Ren had been able to match him in terms of swordsmanship. But now, Mountain Breaker had reached its limit. If it broke, there was likely no other weapon in the mortal world that was capable of stopping Fleeting Shadow in Xue Ren’s hand.

At last, Ji Chengyue hardened his heart. This time, he accurately seized an opening in Xue Ren’s next strike. His blade grazed past Fleeting Shadow’s defense and thrust straight toward Xue Ren’s chest.

Xue Ren’s pupils contracted. No matter how powerful Fleeting Shadow was, he was still just a mortal. If Ji Chengyue’s strike connected, even if he escaped death, he would still be grievously wounded.

But he had no time to dodge his master’s attack. Just when Xue Ren thought he would be pierced through the chest, the sword came to an abrupt stop with the point pressed against his skin.

A crack appeared in Ji Chengyue’s resolute expression. He couldn’t do it…..

Although Xue Ren had become frighteningly unfamiliar, that face belonged to a person he had watched grow up through childhood. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the disciple he had raised.

Seeing Xue Ren’s stunned expression, Ji Chengyue couldn’t help but try to dissuade him once more: “A-Ren, turn back…..”

But Xue Ren was not moved by his words, and instead became even more furious.

Turn back? He hadn’t done anything wrong!

He deflected Ji Chengyue’s sword with a single stroke, then swung his blade at him while shouting: “If not for Shifu’s favoritism, it wouldn’t have come to this!”

Ji Chengyue was continuously forced to retreat as Xue Ren struck Mountain Breaker over and over again. A crack appeared, and as Xue Ren uttered that last word, the sword split completely down the middle.

Ji Chengyue watched as his precious sword, which had been passed down for over one thousand years, crumbled to pieces in his hand.

The outcome was decided.

Xue Ren was panting heavily. Although Fleeting Shadow didn’t consume spiritual power, the repeated swings had exhausted him. He regulated his breathing and refrained from attacking for the moment.

The crowd watching from below felt their hearts clench. Their sect leader had been defeated!

“Damn it!” Fang Yang cursed, clenching his fists.

Only after he had already spoken did he realize that he might have disturbed Cao Zirui’s meditation. He immediately covered his mouth and glanced at his friend, only to find that Cao Zirui’s eyes were already open.

No matter how hard he tried, Cao Zirui couldn’t calm down. Meditation was not helping his injuries, and might even cause his internal strength to spiral out of control, so he had simply opened his eyes to watch the battle in the sky while Fang Yang was distracted.

Having witnessed his master’s defeat, his heart ached more than anyone else’s.

“Is it truly impossible for a human to fight against a god…..?” Cao Zirui murmured to himself.

Fang Yang wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know where to start, because it seemed that this was indeed the case. Even with his Nascent Soul stage might, Ji Chengyue was unable to defeat Xue Ren, who had borrowed the power of the God of War. There was likely no one in the world who was capable of defeating him now.

Wait a minute. Fang Yang realized that there might be nobody in the mortal realm who could do it, but that was not the case in the heavenly realm.

Humans were unable to fight against gods, but…..another god might be able to!

Fang Yang immediately rummaged through his storage bag and pulled out the God-Summoning Token he kept at the bottom as a lucky charm.

Cao Zirui watched Fang Yang do this, and recognized the token. He had lent Fang Yang the money to buy it, only to find out that it was a scam and that the token was basically worthless.

He couldn’t help but ask: “Why did you take that out?”

Fang Yang gazed at the token and explained: “Although this God-Summonging Token doesn’t have a name on it, that doesn’t mean there’s zero chance of summoning a god. There’s no harm in trying. What if…..what if it works?”

This “what if” caused Cao Zirui’s heart to skip a beat.

The two boys exchanged a glance and a nod, in tacit understanding.

Fang Yang began the invocation with a bow, clasping his hands together with the token between them: “Please, this has to work. Ideally, this will summon a god even more powerful than Yinglong!”

An uninscribed God-Summoning Token already had a very slim chance of actually summoning a god, and the probability of summoning one more powerful than Yinglong was comparable to that of the world blinking out of existence in the next moment.

But the two held onto a sliver of hope that this desperate situation could still turn around.

“Primal cosmic energy, a universal cry to the gods…..” Fang Yang recited the first incantation.

Feng Ye, who had just completed the hand seal to connect to the bamboo slip around Fang Yang’s neck, came to an abrupt stop. Fang Yang was surprisingly quick-witted this time, and had saved him the effort of instructing him to do what he was already doing.

He remained silent, quietly waiting for Fang Yang to finish his incantation.

Unlike the rest, who were looking up at the sky, Feng Ye had kept his head lowered in order to make preparations.

He covertly drew a magic array inside his sleeve. His hand constantly shifted between movements, although he kept the motions subtle so as not to draw the attention of those around him. But Hao Chen, who was closest to him, still noticed.

He didn’t realize what Feng Ye was actually doing, but noticed that he seemed to be trembling slightly.

Although Feng Ye was mainly moving his fingers, the movement still spread up his arm and to his shoulder, which shifted slightly as he worked.

But Hao Chen attributed this movement to something else entirely.

Feng Ye had his head down, so Hao Chen was unable to see his expression. But recalling Feng Ye’s terrified reaction just now, Hao Chen’s heart squeezed.

Was he…..crying?

The word “crying” seemed to have no connection with someone like Feng Ye.

But considering the current situation, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Feng Ye was not the sort of person who would sit idly by as a person’s fate was decided, but Xue Ren was backed by Yinglong, whom Feng Ye was powerless to stop. Thus, hating his own weakness, he let the tears stream down his face.

It made perfect sense!

If he wasn’t crying, why would he be trembling with his head hanging down?

The more Hao Chen considered this, the more confident he was in his assumption. He raised his hand, wanting to pat Feng Ye’s shoulder or open his arms to comfort the man against his broad chest.

But just as his hand was about to touch Feng Ye’s shoulder, he suddenly withdrew it.

What good were words of comfort? No matter how pleasant they were to the ear, they wouldn’t change the current situation.

But….Hao Chen actually did have the ability to change it…..

Hao Chen’s hand suddenly tightened around his fan. He tapped the handle with his fingers, muttering, “Forget it, forget it.” Although he didn’t care about Lingxiao Sword Sect, he did care about the happiness of his love interest.

He experienced a sudden flash of inspiration. Yinglong had not appeared in person, but had instead used Xue Ren to seize Jianmu.

Then he could do such a thing too!

As long as he didn’t take action as himself, but instead used another identity, Yinglong would have no evidence to settle the score with him.

Although he was now just an ordinary disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, he couldn’t use this identity to make his move.

The issue lay in the fact that he had used his original face when crafting this identity. If he took action while looking like this, the evidence would be irrefutable.

He needed to find an excuse to leave momentarily and change his identity…..

Hao Chen’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly slapped himself hard on the back. Just as blood was about to spurt out of his mouth, the presumably crying Feng Ye suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He clutched his chest, feigning weakness and difficulty breathing.

And there wasn’t a single tear on his face.

Hao Chen: “…..”

He silently swallowed the blood in his throat and asked Feng Ye: “Why did Fellow Daoist Feng Ye just vomit blood despite being unharmed?”

Feng Ye was silent for a moment, then gave a couple of weak coughs: “Cough cough….it’s probably a relapse of the internal injuries I suffered before.”

Hao Chen: “……” No way would he believe that. And the excuse this fellow gave was exactly the one Hao Chen had been about to use. What in the heavens?

Despite his inward grumbling, Hao Chen regarded Feng Ye with a blank expression.

Feng Ye silently met his gaze. It came as no surprise that Hao Chen was unmoved by his fabricated excuse, because it truly was ridiculous. But the situation was urgent, and there was no time to care about the credibility of his excuse.

Before Hao Chen could question him further, Feng Ye spat out another mouthful of blood and declared in a firm and uncompromising manner: “I’m going to pass out.”

Having said this, his head tilted to the side and he began to fall.

Hao Chen: “…..”

He instinctively reached out and caught the falling Feng Ye. Even though the man had practically thrown himself at him, Hao Chen was unable to celebrate.

He stared at Feng Ye, who had collapsed into his arms with his eyes closed, and three symbols flooded his mind: ? ? ?

The commotion between them didn’t attract much attention, as most people were still focused on the mid-air battle.

Xue Ren was finally able to regulate his breathing. He raised his chin, adopting a victorious air as he advised Ji Chengyue: “Shifu, stop being so stubborn. Do you really think you can keep something a god wants?”

Ji Chengyue glanced at the shattered Mountain Breaker in his hand and remained silent.

Xue Ren waited, growing slightly impatient. His gaze swept downward, and he soon located Cao Zirui where he had moved to a corner.

At once, he pointed his sword in that direction and threatened Ji Chengyue: “Shifu, hand over the Jianmu fragment…or you will never see your beloved little disciple again.”

Xue Ren spoke with a smile, but his last few words were particularly mocking.

Ji Chengyue followed the direction his sword was pointing and saw Cao Zirui, along with his little friend.

He closed his eyes slightly. The situation was hopeless. He was powerless to stop Xue Ren.

He was willing to die, but he didn’t want others to suffer because of his mistakes.

It was his failure to raise him right that led Xue Ren to becoming what he was today.

Ji Chengyue sighed deeply, and with this sigh, he seemed to age considerably.

He took out the spirit tablet he had been carrying with him ever since hearing a strange noise in his bedroom three days ago, and before the eyes of everyone present, broke it in two.

“What does that spirit tablet say….?!” someone with good eyesight exclaimed from below.

Elder Zhou’s pupils contracted, and he murmured: “So it’s true…..”

As expected, Ji Chengyue had never forgotten his shixiong.

The man gave a low whistle and said to Ling Yun: “Your shidi is quite clever. He hid the Jianmu fragment in the most obvious place, but we didn’t discover anything unusual about the tablet when we went to investigate the first time.”

Ling Yun looked at the memorial tablet with his name on it, and said nothing.

Among the many gazes looking upward, there were a few exceptions.

Fang Yang also wanted to see what was going on when he heard the exclamations around him, but just as he raised his head, his long-absent Mysterious Big Brother suddenly said: “Keep chanting.”

Fang Yang was overjoyed to hear his voice. In fact, he hadn’t had much hope that the God-Summoning Token would actually work, and was very anxious. But the moment he heard that voice, his heart settled.

Diverting his attention from the outside world, he focused intently on the obscure incantation on the token and proceeded to recite it slowly and with difficulty: “Absolute authority, divine communication…..”

“Hey!” On the other side, Hao Chen shook Feng Ye, attempting to wake this person whose soul had wandered off to who knew where.

Of course, nothing worked.

Ji Chengyue caressed the spirit tablet inscribed with Ling Yun’s name, then crushed it between his hands.

The strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator was far beyond that of an ordinary person, and the nanmu wood in his hands became as fragile as a sheet of paper.

Among the pieces of wood that had been reduced to rubble, one piece remained intact despite Ji Chengyue’s overwhelming power.

This was no ordinary piece of wood. It could only be…..

“Jianmu!” The man stared at the piece of wood in Ji Chengyue’s hand with a joyful expression.

After one hundred years, that towering tree once again saw the light of day.

“Take it.” Ji Chengyue had made his decision, and no longer hesitated as he tossed the piece of wood to Xue Ren.

Xue Ren reached out and caught it. After so many twists and turns, the Jianmu fragment was finally in his hands. He should have been able to breathe a sigh of relief, but after obtaining Jianmu, the first emotion that rose in his heart was not elation, but ridicule.

He said to Ji Chengyue mockingly: “Shifu truly dotes on my shidi. No matter how I tried to persuade you to hand over the Jianmu fragment, you wouldn’t listen, but the second I threatened my shidi, you were so quick to hand it over.”

Ji Chengyue gave Xue Ren a look of regret, then shook his head and said: “You believe I am biased toward your shidi, but if you were to switch places today and Zirui used you to threaten me, I would still take out the Jianmu fragment.”

Xue Ren was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered. He asked in a fierce tone despite his quailing heart: “What are you saying? You’ve given him every good thing, so how can you claim to care about me?”

Ji Chengyue offered no further explanation. Xue Ren was trapped by his narrow-minded jealousy, and refused to see anything aside from what he wanted to see.

But when Ji Chengyue didn’t refute him again, Xue Ren did not calm down. A small corner of what he thoroughly believed had unknowingly crumbled.

Like an avalanche, the panic and self-doubt in his heart continued to intensify. Could it be that….what he had seen as favoritism was not what it appeared to be?

No! Xue Ren decisively refused to believe it.

He had done nothing wrong!

And even if he was wrong, it was because of Cao Zirui!

If he had never appeared, Xue Ren wouldn’t be in this situation today!

At this thought, he could no longer suppress the murderous intent within him. Under Ji Chengyue’s shocked gaze, he swung his sword again with more power than any of the previous strikes.

The black mist condensed into a large blade several meters long, which then shot toward Cao Zirui.

Fang Yang once again heard the gasps of the crowd, and he seemed to hear Cao Zirui beside him shout: “Run!”

But none of this was as shocking as the sight before his eyes.

He had just recited the last few lines. Having read the inscription on the God-Summoning Token before, although he didn’t have it memorized, he had a general impression of it.

The token itself was still the same, but out of nowhere, a few words had appeared at the end of the inscription.

Fang Yang stared at those words, unable to read any further.

“Continue,” that pleasant voice echoed in his mind once more.

“But….” Fang Yang wanted to inform him of the changes.

But the man paid him no heed, and his tone left no room for argument: “Read it!”

Startled, Fang Yang subconsciously recited: “Heed this call, respond to the summons…..”

Finally, he reached the last sentence, and opened his mouth to utter two words: “Humbly inviting…..”

Then his voice caught in his throat.

No matter how sternly the man spoke to him, Fang Yang was unable to speak the name. Because this name was…..was…..

As he was hesitating, Fang Yang suddenly froze. He sensed a gust of wind approaching with such ferocity that his heart constricted.

His instincts raised a warning, and this sudden sense of crisis brought him back to his escape in the Floating Island Secret Realm. This was how it felt to be on the verge of death.

Fang Yang raised his head, and his eyes widened slightly, reflecting the image of a black blade. He finally understood what those gasps were about, and why Cao Zirui had told him to run.

He saw the crowd staring at them in dismay, and also saw that Ji Chengyue seemed to be rushing to their aid, but he would be far too late. Death was imminent. Fang Yang’s mind went blank.

But within the blankness, there was a deafening roar.

“Call upon my divine name!” 

Fang Yang abruptly raised the God-Summoning Token, closed his eyes, and shouted the name with all his might.

When he finished speaking, the incantation on the token emitted a faint golden light.

But this glimmer of light was far smaller than the encroaching black mist, and went unnoticed by everyone.

The black blade swept toward him, and the sound of it cutting through the air swallowed Fang Yang’s shout.

Ji Chengyue watched on helplessly as the enormous black blade enveloped his youngest disciple and the boy named Fang Yang.

The instant it collided with them, the black mist expanded.

Like an explosion, it instantly swelled several times in size and completely obscured the figures of the two boys.

But even with the scene obscured, it was not difficult to imagine the way they must have been torn apart.

Even Ji Chengyue might not have been able to withstand the attack, let alone two teenagers who were only at Foundation Establishment stage.

They had absolutely no chance of survival.

Everyone was in agreement.

Watching this scene, Xue Ren finally smiled.

However, that smile froze as soon as it appeared.

Hao Chen abruptly turned his head to look in the direction of that expanding black mist, and a chill ran down his spine.

He hadn’t felt this level of trepidation even when Xue Ren first drew Fleeting Shadow. But at this moment, staring at the black mist Xue Ren had unleashed, he was actually afraid.

No, that wasn’t the black mist Xue Ren unleashed!

Hao Chen’s pupils contracted when he came to this realization.

The others noticed this as well.

Because the black mist was slowly dissipating – or rather, it was condensing.

The black blade hovered mid-air as if caught by something within the black mist.

The two types of mist were very similar, yet clearly distinct from each other.

Gradually, the huge mass began to condense and shrink.

Everyone finally caught sight of what had stopped the blade.

It was a hand.

A hand belonging to a man.

With long, slender fingers and a broad palm, it couldn’t possibly belong to a youth like Fang Yang and Cao Zirui.

“Impossible,” Xue Ren murmured, staring at that hand. Even a Heaven-grade magic weapon like Mountain Breaker had shattered under Fleeting Shadow. How could someone have caught the sword glare released by the blade with his bare hand?

In his terror, he repeatedly called out toward the black mist: “Who are you?! Who are you?!”

“My name is…..” A deep, clear male voice emitted from the black mist as it continued to shrink. Following that hand with long, slender fingers, more of the man’s body became visible to the onlookers.

His arms, his shoulders…..and finally, his face.

A face that was so beautiful that it defied description, yet only inspired fear.

“The God of War…..” As he spoke, the man tightened his grip and the black blade shattered in his hand. Amidst the dark, swirling fragments, he slowly uttered his name: “…..Yinglong!”

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Chapter 87 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 89

Ch 22 – Is He Always This Brave?

“The meaning of life lies in life itself,” Tau told Yu Xi with a smile. “It lies in every minute and every second we spend here, and in every uncertainty therein.”

Yu Xi, slumped in Kersz’s arms: “So which of your personas is this one? A teacher?”

“Correct. A teacher.” Tau dropped his smile and nodded expressionlessly.

Yu Xi praised: “You’re really impressive.”

“It’s just a necessary skill,” Tau explained.

Kersz really wanted to free up his hands and give Tau a good beating. Did he not realize that he was successfully keeping Yu Xi’s mind off other things?

“You don’t necessarily need to have a positive, uplifting outlook,” Kersz chimed in. “I’m certainly not ‘positive and uplifting,’ but if I have a choice in the matter, I don’t want to die.”

“Because of your anger.” Yu Xi understood.

“Right, my anger.” Kersz reached out and rubbed Yu Xi’s head. “You can learn to be angry too, and lash out at the things you hate.”

Yu Xi showed no sign of perking up at these words: “Then what do I hate?”

Kersz had no idea.

“I dislike the ancient humans for abandoning me, but I can’t take revenge on them. I’ll never see them again.”

Yu Xi also felt that his method of vengeance wouldn’t be particularly over-the-top. He would simply confront those humans and ask them: why?

Thinking of this, Yu Xi was even more disappointed with himself. He couldn’t even manage to be an angry villain.

“If I were a bad-tempered robot set on taking revenge on all of humanity…..” Yu Xi hypothesized.

“Please, whatever you do, don’t think that way.” Tau grabbed hold of Yu Xi’s hand. “You must be a good person.”

“I’m becoming increasingly worried that I’m going to go down in history as an eternal sinner. Fortunately, we’ll all go down together when you enact your revenge, and there won’t be anyone left to condemn me behind my back,” Kersz said.

“I can condemn you right now,” Tau said to him.

“The condemnation of an Illegitimate holds no power over me.” Kersz was entirely unconcerned. After all, Tau didn’t even consider himself to be a human being.

“The top priority right now is to reawaken his will to live, not to throw snide remarks at me.” Tau lowered his head.

Kersz let out a sigh: “To be honest, I’ve already decided to give up.” He adjusted his position again, turning Yu Xi against his chest so that it was easier to hold him.

Yu Xi: “Wow…..”

Kersz: “What?”

Tau also didn’t know what Yu Xi was exclaiming over: “What is it?”

“Humans have such a high body temperature.” Yu Xi felt warmth humming through his entire body. But a human’s body temperature wasn’t that high, so what was the source of the warmth he was currently basking in?

Kersz lowered his head and made a sound of surprise.

Although he didn’t understand what had caused it, Tau sensed that Yu Xi was now in a better mood.

“Hold him a little tighter,” Tau said to Kersz.

Kersz pulled Yu Xi even closer. Yu Xi was visibly flustered, shifting his hands and feet slightly as if he didn’t know what to do with them.

However, he eventually found a place to rest his limbs. Tucking his legs in, he made an effort to wrap his arms around Kersz in return.

Kersz felt that their posture was a bit odd: “Do you still feel like everything is meaningless?”

“I still haven’t figured it out,” Yu Xi said truthfully.

Kersz was somewhat disheartened by this answer, because he really didn’t have it in him to figure out a marvelous angle that would allow him to convince Yu Xi that life held meaning.

“But I seem to have calmed down a little now,” Yu Xi added. “Because you’re holding me.”

Kersz, who was also being held: ……

“Then do you still want to die?” Tau asked him.

“I don’t know…..it feels like…..like I can’t escape from that dream.” Yu Xi recalled that agitated big white dog. “Maybe Kersz was right, and it would have been better not to remember, but I have a feeling that the seal on that memory of mine was opened.”

He likely hadn’t deleted that dream completely, and unlocking it had simply required a certain catalyst – for instance, learning that the central figure of that dream was still alive.

And Yu Xi had been overwhelmed by it, rendered helpless by the intense emotions that swamped him in its wake.

All energy had drained from him, and he only felt that this universe was vast and empty. His past, too, seemed like a succession of days passing by, each just as empty as the last.

But in Kersz’s embrace, he seemed to have grasped a handhold against the current.

This wasn’t able to resolve the vast emptiness within him, but at least for the moment, it did give him something.

Yu Xi couldn’t quite put his finger on what Kersz had given him. It wasn’t heavy, nor was it sacred, and seemed to be nothing more than a few small things.

Yu Xi really liked these small things.

Kersz stiffened slightly within Yu Xi’s embrace, and a thought suddenly occurred to him: “Let’s go wander around somewhere with a lot of humans.”

“A third-class planet?” Yu Xi asked.

“Nah, let’s hang out on a first-class planet instead,” said Kersz. “The people there aren’t quite as volatile.”

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up.

Kersz: “But you can’t go around touching people indiscriminately.”

The light in Yu Xi’s eyes dimmed.

“What are you planning?!” Tau asked warily. “Who are you going to make a move against?”

“Your father,” Kersz said with a sneer.

Before Tau could respond, Kersz said: “My life isn’t all fighting and killing. I actually have my own distinct insights when it comes to entertainment.”

“So shall we go to a first-class planet?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi nodded. He liked places where there were a lot of humans…..but this time, the sense of urgency to see those humans seemed to have diminished.

Yu Xi felt a bit strange.

Could it be because he already had two humans by his side? Somehow, he didn’t feel quite so desperate anymore.

In particular, Kersz still had his arms around him.

An hour later, they landed at the spaceport on a planet called Daybreak.

This place was indeed different from a third-class planet, where the buildings resembled blocks of steel piled together haphazardly, a rotting skin wrapped around the planet’s surface.

But the architecture here was very beautiful, arranged in a well-ordered and aesthetically pleasing array. It was just that it was a bit too white – blindingly so.

“Do the people here really enjoy using white for everything?” Yu Xi had a panoramic view of the city from the spaceport where they had landed.

“It’s because the owner of this planet has some issues,” Tau explained.

Tau didn’t understand why they had brought him along. In his own estimation, he was a prisoner. They should have kept him locked inside the starship…..and he still had unfinished crafts to complete.

But then Yu Xi brought up the topic of his father again, and Tau had no choice but to capitulate, changing his clothes before obediently following along.

“The owner of this planet is a very interesting old man,” said Kersz. “He was one of the few men of action within the Interstellar Alliance, a real anomaly, and it didn’t take long before he was ousted from his position. Afterward, he became obsessed with carrying out construction work on various planets. He has seven of them, each with their own representative color.”

Yu Xi was astonished: “I thought you didn’t like those lords?”

“I’m not that narrow-minded. I wouldn’t kill someone just because they’re a lord.” Kersz smiled and led Yu Xi toward the exit, who in turn pulled Tau away from where he was rooted to the spot.

As the three of them left the spaceport, Yu Xi noticed that in place of humans, there were mostly robots walking around on the streets.

“Where are we going?” Yu Xi disliked such emptiness, and the uniform white of the buildings made him feel as if the place lacked even a shred of vitality.

“A retro bar. It’ll be packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.” Kersz winked at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi gasped: “So does that mean I can sneak around and touch people without them noticing?”

“Please don’t do that.” Kersz slightly tightened his grip around Yu Xi’s wrist.

Yu Xi gave an “oh.”

But he figured that if he touched people very quickly and furtively, he was certain to get away with it.

Kersz saw through Yu Xi’s thoughts, and so did Tau.

Because whenever Yu Xi was feeling guilty, his eyes would dart around aimlessly without settling on anyone’s face.

Kersz heaved a helpless sigh and pretended not to notice. He would just apologize after Yu Xi inevitably stirred up trouble later.

When Kersz led Yu Xi and Tau to the retro bar, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

Or rather, an acquaintance of Tau’s.

Not long after they had settled into their booth, Yu Xi dashed off toward the dance floor. Kersz and Tau, however, had no interest in mingling, and had a drink at their table. But before long, they noticed a commotion as someone kicked up a ruckus.

A man sporting a head of curly platinum-blond hair was brawling with another man……no, it would be more accurate to say that he was unilaterally thrashing him.

None of the bystanders dared to step forward.

“Ah~” Kersz rested his chin in his hand and suddenly let out an amused chuckle. He glanced at Tau: “Isn’t that the Supreme Governor’s youngest son?”

Tau fell silent.

“He’s a biological child, unlike you. His parents are fully documented, not unregistered.”

Kersz laughed delightedly: “They say the Supreme Governor’s youngest son is violent by nature. Did he ever beat you up? Does he even see you as a human being?”

Tau’s expression suddenly shifted.

Kersz hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from him. Could it be that he had actually struck a nerve?

Tau’s lips trembled as he pointed in the direction of the commotion: “Is, is that Yu Xi?”

“Who?!” Kersz immediately jumped to his feet and looked in that direction.

The scene he encountered just about made him collapse.

The area around the blond man had essentially become a vacuum, occupied only by him and the man he had beaten up.

Along with one other person.

Standing between the two of them, Yu Xi leaned down to observe the groaning man before turning back to look at the blonde.

Yu Xi stood with his hands behind his back, his weight settled on one leg while the other was relaxed, looking as thoroughly at ease as a tourist at a museum. 

The blonde and the beaten man both stared blankly.

Yu Xi’s gaze darted back and forth between them.

The blonde raised an eyebrow at him.

Yu Xi finally responded by shifting his weight, settling into the same casual posture with his other leg at rest this time.

---

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Chapter 21 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 23

Ch. 87 – Fleeting Shadow

The solemn and dignified sound of the bell at the mountain peak repeated a total of one hundred times.

It must be said that while starting at the ring of a bell was cliché, its advantages were obvious. The noisy crowd was immediately silenced, and everyone covered their ears while hoping that the cacophony would end quickly.

Feng Ye looked around at the people around him, who were covering their ears just like him, and hoped for the same.

When the ringing finally ended, the elders of the sect, headed by Ji Chengyue, finally made their appearance. Today, Ji Chengyue was dressed in exceptionally formal attire. His black robes, although very similar to the Lingxiao Sword Sect uniform, were made with incomparable materials and workmanship.

Of course, no matter how expensive the materials were, it couldn’t compare to the robes Feng Ye was wearing.

Ji Chengyue and company stood before a ritual altar in the open area outside Zhenwu Hall. The three sacrificial animals were naturally indispensable. Killing living creatures as sacrifices was a long-standing human tradition, and while humans served as sacrifices in the past, cattle and sheep had now taken their place.

Ji Chengyue lit three incense sticks and solemnly bowed to the heavens: “Disciple Ji Chengyue, second disciple of Xuanxu-zhenren and thirteenth sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect, hereby respectfully informs his predecessors and teachers…..”

He used spiritual power as he spoke, so everyone atop the mountain and below was able to hear him as clearly as if he were speaking directly into their ear.

Any ceremony of even moderate importance inevitably involved complicated rituals and procedures, and this one was no exception. Ji Chengyue’s ritual tribute had only begun, and judging from his tone, there was much more to be said.

Feng Ye’s attention abruptly shifted away from the mountaintop, and he swiftly turned his head.

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but it felt like he was being watched.

Yet when he looked over, he found only empty space. Nobody was there.

Was it all in his head?

Normally, Feng Ye wouldn’t dwell on it too much. However, undercurrents were surging beneath this seemingly calm trial ceremony, and an unknown enemy may be lurking nearby. It was best to be cautious.

“I’m going to go relieve myself,” Feng Ye said at once.

Hao Chen’s eyes shifted, and he said: “I’ll go too.”

Fang Yang gave them a strange look. Why did they have to go together? But rather than ask any questions, he gave them a word of advice: “Come back soon, ah, it’ll be really exciting once it starts!”

Feng Ye nodded, then walked away.

Hao Chen paced along at his side, and asked once they were some distance away from Fang Yang: “Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye planning to relieve himself?”

Feng Ye glanced at the mischievously grinning Hao Chen, who was clearly asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Thus, he didn’t answer. Now was not the time for bickering; the most important thing was finding that person behind the scenes.

He walked very quickly, each stride of his long legs covering more than half the distance of his normal stride. If Fang Yang were following behind him, he would have to jog to catch up.

Fortunately, Hao Chen’s legs were long enough that he could keep up with some difficulty. He and Feng Ye were about the same height and had similar builds, so it was especially convenient to give him clothes. He could just have them made according to his own measurements.

As Feng Ye walked, his gaze swept across the crowd. There didn’t seem to be anything out of place about these ordinary-looking faces.

Hao Chen said nothing more after Feng Ye ignored him, and realized that he was probably searching for something.

What was he looking for?

Naturally, it must be a person.

Hao Chen cast his own gaze across the crowd in search of this person, and wondered if Yinglong was really here.

Xue Ren had likely made some kind of deal with Yinglong, but that didn’t mean that the god himself would make an appearance. Hao Chen attempted to comfort himself with this speculation.

As long as it wasn’t Yinglong himself who took action, he should be able to control the situation.

That didn’t mean that he would ensure the safety of Lingxiao Sword Sect, but rather that he would act to protect his future wife, who was unaware of Yinglong’s true strength.

The owner of that clothing store had referred to Feng Ye in such a way, operating under the belief that they had such a relationship. Hao Chen found it very pleasant to the ear, so in the end, he had simply let the crabs smash up the shop and refrained from taking his anger out on the shop owner himself.

However, he only dared to refer to him like that in his heart, as he might earn himself another beating if he spoke it aloud. He was not the type of fish to forget a lesson learned.

Hao Chen followed Feng Ye around the outer edge of the square. But even with both of them observing, nothing caught their eye.

There was nothing to be done. The crowd was simply too dense, everyone packed together and blocking each other’s way. Since it was impossible to get a clear view of everyone’s actions and expressions, it was equally impossible to spot an abnormality.

Suddenly, a commotion arose within the crowd. Feng Ye looked up and found that Ji Chengyue had finished his long and tedious ritual tribute.

“Disciple Cao Zirui is willing to accept the challenge!” Cao Zirui went down on one knee and bowed to his master, then turned away.

He trotted along the flat ground toward the edge of the cliff. Then, without looking, he jumped.

A gasp of shock rose from the crowd, then swiftly transformed into cheers.

The moment Cao Zirui jumped, he drew the spiritual sword on his back from its sheath and directed it to hover steadily under his feet.

Riding atop his sword, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Although he had yet to begin the challenge, the audience was already applauding for him. Fang Yang’s clapping was especially enthusiastic. Not everyone possessed the courage to jump like that on a whim.

Swordflying was not difficult, and the only reason Fang Yang flew so haphazardly was because he was only a beginner at Foundation Establishment stage. Similarly, catching oneself using a sword was not a demanding feat.

But people inevitably made mistakes, and most didn’t have the guts to gamble their lives on whether or not they would be the one to miscalculate. Cao Zirui’s daring showed that he was extremely confident in his swordsmanship. It seemed that he was determined to conquer these one hundred checkpoints.

Everyone had the same thought in mind – except for Xue Ren.

He stood at the peak of the mountain, watching with a cold smile on his lips as Cao Zirui strode toward the first checkpoint.

When he was unable to find what he was looking for, Feng Ye temporarily gave up the search and turned his attention toward Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui climbed the first step, and the disciple standing there attacked. Their swords clashed three times before the first disciple guarding the pass was defeated.

Only three moves.

Although Cao Zirui’s victory was swift, few people were surprised. The difficulty of these one hundred checkpoints increased from low to high, with the guardians getting stronger as one progressed. The first fifty checkpoints were barely worth watching.

One hundred years ago, the former sect leader hadn’t even drawn his sword before passing the first fifty.

Due to the ease of the first few checkpoints, Cao Zirui didn’t actually need to draw his sword either. However, he was quite different from Ling Yun. Ling Yun possessed an arrogance that emanated from within, and looked down on these weak disciples.

But Cao Zirui felt that drawing his sword was a sign of respect for his opponent, and that he should take them all seriously regardless of their strength.

Very soon, Cao Zirui had broken through ten checkpoints in a row, with nobody lasting more than ten moves against him. His speed was comparable to that of Ling Yun one hundred years ago.

However, there was still a world of difference between his strength and Ling Yun’s. Leaving aside the fact that he was only at Foundation Establishment stage, even just taking swordsmanship into consideration, he was far from a master of the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique.

He was able to maintain the same speed of progression as Ling Yun simply because, due to the decline of Lingxiao Sword Sect over the past century, the strength of these one hundred disciples guarding the pass was far inferior to those who had guarded it one hundred years ago.

However, compared to the ordinary disciples watching below, Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship was already far beyond their reach. These disciples couldn’t help but discuss it amongst themselves, almost all of them full of praise for Cao Zirui’s excellent swordsmanship.

However, others had the opposite opinion.

“He still needs more refinement.” Hao Chen shook his head, offering a seemingly professional critique.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ye regarded Hao Chen with some surprise. It wasn’t that he disagreed, since Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship did indeed have a lot of room for improvement. He was just taken aback that Hao Chen was able to judge the quality of his swordsmanship.

“You practice swordsmanship?” Feng Ye asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked exceedingly interested, as if he was a moment away from dragging Hao Chen out for a friendly match.

“I don’t.” Hao Chen immediately shook his head. Without using spiritual power, he would lose no matter which weapon he wielded in human form.

Before Feng Ye could ask, he explained with a smile: “It’s just that I’ve seen Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s swordsmanship, and the difference in skill between the two of you is glaringly obvious.”

He gestured with both hands as he spoke. The hand representing Feng Ye was raised above his head, while the hand representing Cao Zirui barely reached his waist.

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen speechlessly. He had hoped to discuss swordsmanship with Hao Chen, but it turned out that this fish was just flattering him.

He had flattered this fish before, and it was extremely easy to do. Just one compliment, and this fish would leap into the sky. But it wasn’t as easy to flatter Feng Ye, because he wasn’t nearly so superficial.

At such an age, he’s living entirely off the thickness of his skin.

Feng Ye had this thought for what seemed like the thousandth time. Then, he shook his head and continued to watch Cao Zirui face his challenge.

While they were speaking, Cao Zirui had passed over a dozen more checkpoints. Finally, at the forty-seventh level, he was no longer as relaxed as before. This time, he fought a disciple for more than twenty rounds before the winner was decided.

“It seems your descendent is not very capable, ah. He clearly learned your swordsmanship, but it took him so long to pass the forty-seventh checkpoint,” the man said to Ling Yun with a hint of sarcasm. 

Ling Yun watched Cao Zirui make his way upward and replied indifferently: “He’s only learned the basics.”

“Hehe, that’s true. Even you, the creator of this sword technique, haven’t given him any pointers, so how could he possibly learn the essence of it? How about you go and give him some advice later?” The man seemed to have suddenly thought of an idea.

But before Ling Yun could respond, he immediately shot down his own idea: “Ah, I almost forgot. He won’t have the opportunity.”

“Xue Ren will definitely kill him.” The man’s voice contained a beaming smile.

Even when speaking of something as dark as murder, he maintained a genial smile, as if he was simply talking about the weather. 

“It’s just uncertain whether Xue Ren will make a move against your shidi.” The man’s tone was somewhat anticipatory. “If Xue Ren really acts against Ji Chengyue, will you intervene?”

“No.” Ling Yun spoke this single word without any hesitation or fluctuations.

“Aren’t the two of you very close?” the man asked with regret.

Ling Yun looked up toward Ji Chengyue at the mountaintop. Standing in a secluded, unlit corner, he remained unnoticed by Feng Ye, much less the sect leader.

He replied in a flat tone: “That’s in the past.”

The man was a little disappointed by this answer, and shook his head: “You don’t seem to care about anything anymore.”

“Not true,” Ling Yun refuted again. “Don’t you know what I care about better than anyone else?”

“Hehe.” The man chuckled softly in response to Ling Yun’s question. He nodded, assuring him: “I will help you. After all…..that is my wish as well.”

“Now…..” the man’s tone suddenly became somewhat indolent. He stretched, then chuckled as he watched Cao Zirui reach the one hundredth checkpoint. “…..the show is about to begin.”

“Shixiong.” On the one thousandth step, Cao Zirui bowed to Xue Ren before making any move to strike.

“Shidi.” Xue Ren greeted him with a smile.

Ji Chengyue felt a little sentimental as he observed this scene, recalling how he and Ling Yun had been in the same situation one hundred years ago.

After they exchanged greetings, the challenge officially began.

Xue Ren held his sword in a defensive stance, adopting such a posture to invite Cao Zirui to make the first move. 

Cao Zirui didn’t refuse, and charged forward with his sword.

His strike was swift and fierce. It seemed as if his sword was going to pierce his opponent’s chest, but just as it approached Xue Ren, Cao Zirui twisted his wrist, turning the blade.

The tip of the sword, which had been thrust straight forward, angled upward toward Xue Ren’s jaw.

Although Cao Zirui had abruptly altered his move, Xue Ren’s reaction was just as swift. He leaned back slightly to avoid the attack, while simultaneously thrusting his sword forward.

Having missed his first strike, Cao Zirui quickly withdrew his sword and defended against the attack. When the blades connected, the two equally precious spirit swords shook slightly.

As personal disciples of the sect leader, both of them possessed excellent magical tools. Their spirit swords were also top-rank Earth-grade weapons, equally sharp and durable.

And in terms of swordsmanship, Xue Ren had learned the traditional techniques of Lingxiao Sword Sect, while Cao Zirui had learned the Lingxiao Swordsmanship created by Ling Yun, which was a superior technique.

However, Xue Ren was more than twenty years older than Cao Zirui, and he possessed far richer experience.

Thus, for a time, there was no clear indication as to who would emerge victorious. Each took turns attacking and defending, but neither was able to breach the other’s defenses.

After a brief clash, Xue Ren launched another attack. Perhaps due to fatigue after this series of skirmishes, Cao Zirui’s reaction time slowed and the opponent’s sword grazed his sleeve.

When the two parted, Cao Zirui’s sleeve sported a long gash.

Fang Yang couldn’t help being worried for his friend. In order to better view the scene, and to fulfill his promise to cheer Cao Zirui on, he managed to fly up somewhat unsteadily on his sword. Having flown halfway up the mountain, he had a clearer view than most of the disciples and was able to witness this dangerous moment.

Had Cao Zirui reacted any slower, he would have lost his arm.

Ji Chengyue frowned as he watched this scene. Cao Zirui had been slow to react, and even when Xue Ren’s sword was about to cut into his shidi, he showed no signs of calling off the attack.

This was just a spar, but Xue Ren seemed to be going all-out.

Could it be…..? A bad feeling came over Ji Chengyue. But he was reluctant to believe it, and convinced himself that perhaps Xue Ren was unable to stop in time, but had not done it deliberately.

Ji Chengyue continued to watch the spar……but his hand clenched slightly where it was hidden in his sleeve. He was ready to step in at any moment.

Sometimes, a bystander was able to get a clearer picture than the person involved. Cao Zirui was completely unaware that Xue Ren was trying to kill him. He just assumed that mistakes could be made in the heat of battle, and that Xue Ren would have pulled his swing if Cao Zirui was unable to react in time.

Although Xue Ren didn’t usually pay much attention to him, he had specially gifted him that warning bell before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, which showed that his shixiong was a good person.

He didn’t really want to fight Xue Ren, but this was a friendly spar, and also the final checkpoint out of one hundred. He had no choice but to win.

And it needed to be a quick victory, because he was growing tired. Ling Yun had passed these one hundred checkpoints as if strolling through a garden, casual and relaxed. Although this was not a truly grueling battle, the first ninety-nine checkpoints had certainly taken a toll on Cao Zirui’s stamina.

Cao Zirui abruptly changed his swordsmanship style. He had started off aggressively, then switched back and forth between offense and defense, but now….he abandoned defense entirely.

He would use offense as his defense!

His blade struck the middle of Xue Ren’s sword, and the sudden increase in force vibrated through the metal, bringing a tingling sensation to Xue Ren’s hand.

Xue Ren had just blocked the attack, and before he had a chance to retaliate, he barely managed to block a second incoming strike.

The second strike was even stronger than the first, and the tingling sensation in Xue Ren’s hand intensified.

“This is…..” Fang Yang murmured as he watched this familiar scene from the sidelines. This looked similar to the sword technique Useless Shixiong had used to defeat Lu Chengye.

When Cao Zirui swung again and Xue Ren was forced to take a step back, Fang Yang was certain – this technique was not similar. It was exactly the same.

Four, Cao Zirui counted to himself while once again increasing the power of his next swing.

Ever since he witnessed Feng Ye use this technique, it had never left his mind. He had attempted it before during the Foundation Establishment tournament, but without success.

But he didn’t give up after this failure. Instead, he practiced it on his own time. Although he had learned Lingxiao Swordsmanship, there was no absolute distinction between different sword techniques, as martial arts were inherently versatile.

Ling Yun had studied the strengths of many schools of swordsmanship before designing his technique.

Cao Zirui had been practicing this particular technique for almost half a month. At first, he could only use the first four or five moves at most, but now he could use the entire set of seven.

Five.

With the fifth swing, Cao Zirui reached the limit of his strength.

The vibrations from the sword were no longer limited to Xue Ren’s hand. This time, his entire arm went numb.

What sort of technique was this?! Xue Ren was filled with surprise and bewilderment.

Due to his early departure, he hadn’t witnessed the battle between Feng Ye and Lu Chengye, and therefore never learned about the Seven Strike Takedown technique.

But although he was unaware that there were seven strikes in total, Xue Ren could sense by the increasing strength of the attacks that he might not be able to keep his grip on his sword after two more moves.

Losing to Cao Zirui?

What a joke!

This trial ceremony explicitly forbade the use of spiritual power, so he was unable to simply overwhelm Cao Zirui using his Golden Core stage might. However, a different sort of power was not expressly prohibited…..

Xue Ren’s lips suddenly curved upward.

Cao Zirui spun in place, using the acceleration of the rotation to unleash a sixth sword strike that exceeded his physical limits.

The clash of their swords emitted a reverberating hum.

Just then, amidst the vibrations, the sword in Xue Ren’s hand suddenly darkened very slightly in hue.

The originally bright silver sword suddenly turned faintly greyish, like a pearl covered in dust. 

This subtle change was not very noticeable, and even Ji Chengyue, who was closest to their battle location, failed to spot it.

But Feng Ye noticed. He was particularly sensitive to the thing that caused the sword to change.

At once, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.

At some point, bright sunlight had been obscured by dark clouds. Although it wasn’t quite to the point of blotting out the entire sky, the light was much fainter than before.

And those dark clouds seemed to be growing in density.

Seven. Cao Zirui uttered the last number to himself, simultaneously thrusting his sword forward. The first six strikes had forced Xue Ren to retreat repeatedly, leaving him on the defensive and completely unable to counterattack.

The final strike would knock the sword out of his hand, resulting in Cao Zirui’s victory.

However, just as the two swords were about to collide, Cao Zirui suddenly noticed that Xue Ren’s sword had turned black.

Pitch black.

Despite being made of metal, the blade lacked the reflective properties metal should have.

Even the patterns engraved on the spirit sword had been swallowed up by the blackness.

There was nothing on the sword apart from that monotonous darkness.

Although Cao Zirui was baffled, he had no time to withdraw his sword. The blades collided.

A sword flew away as a result, but it was not Xue Ren’s.

Cao Zirui stumbled back several steps and went down on one knee, leaning on the remaining half of his sword.

“Cough, cough…..” Cao Zirui spat out a mouthful of blood, which stained his collar and dripped to the ground.

The entire place fell silent.

No one had expected this. Cao Zirui was clearly the one with the upper hand, beating Xue Ren back repeatedly, so how had he ended up losing?

And how had Xue Ren managed to sever the spirit sword in Cao Zirui’s hand?

Feng Ye had spent a considerable amount of time building up to severing Lu Chengye’s sword. He struck the same spot repeatedly, and the accumulation of these strikes had caused it to shatter in the end.

But the material of the sword itself had also played a role. Ultimately, no matter how exquisite it may be, the sturdiness of ordinary steel was limited.

But Cao Zirui’s spiritual sword was a genuine Earth-grade magic weapon. How could Xue Ren so easily sever it in two?

Ji Chengyue stared at the jet black sword in Xue Ren’s hand, his expression one of bewilderment.

Xue Ren met Ji Chengyue’s gaze with a smile. At the same time, he sheathed his sword and bowed slightly, saying: “Shifu, victory is mine.”

The silent crowd finally stirred, and the disciples at the foot of the mountain began to whisper amongst themselves:

“This was Cao Zirui’s succession ceremony, but Xue Ren won in the end. So who should be the successor?”

The same question was raised throughout the square, reflecting everyone’s common concern.

But this did not include Ji Chengyue and those next to him. There was something wrong with the sword in Xue Ren’s hand. Those far away were unable to see it clearly, but those watching from the mountaintop were able to see perfectly well.

Without even using spiritual power, he was able to cleave a spiritual sword in two. There was no way that a low-grade magic weapon was capable of such a feat. Even Ji Chengyue’s Heaven-grade spiritual weapon Mountain Breaker, which was reserved for the use of successive sect leaders, was incapable of doing this.

He had never heard of a sword with this degree of sharpness.

No…..

He came to a sudden realization. He had heard of such a sword before, and had even seen it with his own eyes.

He had witnessed firsthand the divine sword that had severed Jianmu in one strike…..

Ji Chengyue recalled their late night conversation three days prior, during which Xue Ren had suddenly mentioned Jianmu, and a premonition arose in his heart. Unbeknownst to him, a conspiracy had been brewing.

“Shifu, the position of sect leader has always been held by whoever is most capable. Since shidi failed his trial, how about giving it to me?” Xue Ren suggested with a smile.

Ji Chengyue’s gaze shifted from the sword in Xue Ren’s hand to his smiling face, which seemed to belong to a stranger.

He had already made one mistake, and to his surprise, the decision he made three days ago had been another one.

Xue Ren had never considered repentance. Instead, he had become even more excessive than before.

Ji Chengyue sternly rebuked him: “Enough! Winning through external power is not fair play! My Lingxiao Sword Sect would never accept such a person as its leader!”

Xue Ren’s face immediately iced over. His fake smile vanished as he finally did away with all pretense, revealing an expression of fierce resentment.

He confronted his master: “What do you mean by ‘fair play?’ That’s just an excuse. Shifu, you never even considered passing the position of sect leader over to me.”

He abruptly turned to look at Cao Zirui, his eyes brimming with malice: “In your heart, I am inferior to him in everything. Everything I do is wrong.”

His voice grew louder and louder: “Nothing good was ever given to me. You gave him the Linxiao Swordsmanship technique, and you even want to give him the position of sect leader!”

When he uttered the last word, he was screaming almost uncontrollably.

At the same time, he swung his sword. An invisible sword glare swept toward Cao Zirui, who was kneeling on the ground, staring in shock.

This jet-black sword had easily severed an Earth-grade magic weapon, and there was no need to mention what it would do to fragile human bones.

If this attack connected, Cao Zirui would be cleaved in two.

Fang Yang, who had been stunned by the scene unfolding before him, saw this and immediately came to his senses. He directed his sword downward, intending to rush to Cao Zirui’s aid.

But he was too far away. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn’t get there in time.

And Cao Zirui himself was suffering from severe internal injuries due to the severing of his spirit sword, to which he was bound heart and soul. Forget dodging this strike. He was only managing to remain upright through sheer power of will.

At the sight of Cao Zirui moments away from death by sword glare, Ji Chengyue finally moved. He flashed in front of Cao Zirui, simultaneously gathering his spiritual power to form a protective barrier. Normally, his Nascent Soul stage strength would have been more than enough to handle an attack from a Golden Core stage cultivator.

But at this moment, not only did the sword cleave straight through his barrier, but he was even knocked back a step.

Fortunately, Ji Chengyue was quick to react. He immediately took a protective magic weapon from his sleeve and held it in front of him, ultimately managing to block the attack.

Such terrifying power…..his suspicions were only further confirmed.

“Xue Ren, have you gone mad?! How can you attack your own shidi?!” The perpetually good-tempered Elder Zhou finally reacted to the scene before him, in complete disbelief.

Xue Ren showed no sign of backing down, and raised his sword with a sneer.

The disciples at the checkpoints reacted accordingly. Although the reason for Xue Ren’s sudden madness was unknown, he had violated the sect rule against harming fellow disciples, and should be apprehended.

Amidst the sound of countless swords being drawn, Xue Ren was surrounded.

Xue Ren swept his gaze over the swords pointed toward him. Each one was razor-sharp, gleaming with a cold and deadly light under the overcast sky.

Even so, he showed no signs of panic. He had regained his composure after his earlier outburst, and his smile returned as he looked back toward Ji Chengyue: “Since Shifu won’t give it to me, I have no choice but to take it for myself.”

Although Ji Chengyue already had a vague guess in mind about the origin of that sword, Elder Zhou didn’t recognize it, and had not yet realized that this was not the first time Xue Ren had attempted to kill Cao Zirui.

He advised Xue Ren: “Apologize to your master at once! Do you really think you can win against so many people alone?”

As he spoke, he even went to snatch the sword from Xue Ren’s hand. He truly didn’t wish to witness the tragedy of master and disciple coming to blows, nor disciples fighting one another.

However, just as he took a step, Ji Chengyue raised an arm to stop him.

At this moment in time, Ji Chengyue no longer dared to say that he understood Xue Ren. His repeated actions had completely shattered his previous understanding of his disciple.

But the one thing he was certain of was that Xue Ren was not an impulsive person. To have taken this action, he must be absolutely certain of his success.

Xue Ren reacted to Elder Zhou’s words with a scoff, asking him: “Apologize? What have I done wrong? I’m only taking back what is rightfully mine! Also…..who said I’m alone?”

What did he mean by that? Did he have accomplices? 

Just as the disciples surrounding him were filled with uncertainty, Xue Ren held the jet-black sword in front of him horizontally and flicked the blade with his finger.

He listened to the crisp sound with near rapture, then infused his voice with spiritual power and raised his voice to say to everyone: “This is the divine sword – Fleeting Shadow!”

Fleeting Shadow?! Wasn’t that…..

Everyone with knowledge of that past event recited the name in their hearts, staring at Xue Ren in abject shock.

Feng Ye, who had been weaving through the crowd in search of the person behind the scenes, also raised his head.

His eyes widened slightly as he listened to Xue Ren utter that name…..a name he had never expected to hear.

“And the name of my master is…..” Xue Ren paused, then said with a grin, “Yinglong, the God of War!”

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Chapter 86 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 88

With the knowledge that the letter was from Qin Xiao, Bai Lihong became restless.

He pushed off the chair with his calves and slid down, then ran on his short legs to stand in front of Chu Jiubian.

“Xiansheng, I want to read it too,” the young boy said. Standing on tiptoe, he used his hands to support himself on Chu Jiubian’s knees and tried to climb into his lap.

Chu Jiubian lifted him up and settled him on his lap.

Bai Lihong looked at the envelope with bright eyes: “Xiansheng, what did Jiujiu say?”

“Let’s have a look.” Chu Jiubian unfolded the letter.

The first thing to catch his eye was the familiar handwriting. Flowing and vigorous, the powerful strokes seemed to perforate the paper, possessing a unique and distinctive style.

Having left the capital a month ago, we have now arrived in the Northwest…..

In a businesslike tone, he briefly recounted everything that had transpired along the way.

In addition, on the day they arrived in the Northwest, Moba Zanpu changed his mind and prepared to massacre the city that very day, but was stopped by Dingbei-wang.

The people of Shanxi and Gansu were now spreading stories of Dingbei-wang’s heroic deeds, and his previous reputation as “incompetent” after being captured had been completely overshadowed.

Although the tone was entirely professional, Chu Jiubian still detected a hint of mockery in Qin Xiao’s words, particularly in the phrase, “Dingbei-wang is in the enemy camp, yet his name is still associated with Great Ning.”

It seemed that this matter was not as the rumors suggested.

It was a foregone conclusion that Dingbei-wang and Moba Zanpu had conspired together. All this talk of “shielding the common people from harm” and showing fearless courage in the face of death was likely just a show that the vassal king had staged for himself.

He himself had constructed the stage, then drew both Great Ning’s Imperial Court and the Western Regions onto it. He had included Qin Xiao and Moba Zanpu, and even the common people of Shanxi and Gansu into his calculations.

Not only did he successfully lure Qin Xiao over, but he even made a name for himself in the process.

He was truly a clever tactician.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly. He had never truly paid attention to this Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu before.

He was the youngest prince from the reign of Emperor Chengzong, and at twenty-five years old, he was the same age as Qin Xiao.

During the succession struggle under Emperor Yingzong’s reign, this Dingbei-wang was still young, and his maternal family’s influence was not particularly strong. Therefore, a fiefdom was hastily arranged for him and he was sent away, which let him avoid competing in the political power struggle.

During the eight years of Emperor Yingzong’s reign that followed, he behaved himself and kept a low profile, making himself stand out even less than Nanjiang-wang, who was far away in the south.

But now, it seemed that this was no simple person.

On the contrary, he was strategic, daring, and willing to take risks. This was a very difficult person to deal with.

These vassal kings were very adept at keeping their heads down, but now that the political situation was unstable, they were all beginning to stir.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze and continued to read the contents of the letter.

Envoys were sent tonight for negotiations. The army will rest for three days before the battle begins. Wish me luck.

Qin Xiao had never intended to negotiate, and had only sent the envoys as a formality. Sooner or later, war was inevitable.

But when Qin Xiao wrote it out like that, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but smile.

However, the smile on his face quickly faded, and a furrow appeared on his brow.

It had taken four days for the letter to reach him, which meant that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Qin Xiao would have already engaged the Sai Kingdom Army in battle yesterday.

He had no idea what the situation was like, or if Qin Xiao had been injured.

He probably hadn’t.

Had Qin Xiao been injured on the very first day, it would be very difficult for him to “decisively defeat the Sai Kingdom” as he had in the novel, so he must still be safe for now.

Chu Jiubian composed himself and continued reading.

He had reached the last two sentences of the letter.

Please inform His Majesty that I am doing well, and that I will strive to return to the capital before the end of the year.

Before Chu Jiubian could relay the message, the child had already read the sentence and immediately hugged Chu Jiubian’s arm, saying: “Xiansheng, Jiujiu said he’ll be back before the New Year!”

“En,” Chu Jiubian replied with a smile.

Bai Lihong squirmed and wriggled in Chu Jiubian’s arms, saying with a grin: “Xiansheng, this emperor needs to continue his calculations.”

He needed to work hard so that when his Jiujiu returned, he would see a much-improved version of himself!

“Go ahead,” said Chu Jiubian.

The child returned to his seat, where he continued to sit upright and solve the math problems Chu Jiubian had given him. He displayed no impatience at all – only a strong sense of determination.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his gaze and read the last line of text on the letter.

I miss the jasmine in the courtyard. I wonder if it is still doing well?

He stared at it fixedly for some time before putting the letter away. Then he turned to Qin Chaoyang and said: “Fighting has likely already broken out in the Northeast. Keep a close eye on the news.”

Qin Chaoyang gave a respectful affirmative reply.

“Preparations should also be started on the residences of the vassal kings. Please monitor the arrangements for the banquet and the New Year’s festivities, along with Eunuch Hong,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Chaoyang bowed and said: “This subordinate accepts the order.”

The New Year Festival was approaching.

In the first year of the new emperor’s reign, all of the vassal kings were required to come to the capital to pay their respects, and it was expected that they would bring their families and retinues with them.

With there being so many people, it was naturally impossible to accommodate all of them in the Imperial Palace.

Fortunately, the Imperial Court had already bestowed residences upon these princes when they were granted their titles. Now, all that was needed was to send people to prepare those residences; there was no need to build new ones.

In addition, these manors all had servants who were left there to “look after the house,” which meant that they were not abandoned properties. This would save a lot of time when it came to cleaning them up.

There were many details to oversee regarding the New Year’s palace banquet, and it was fortunate that officials from the Ministry of Rites were responsible for coordinating it. Otherwise, Chu Jiubian’s staff would have been even more overwhelmed.

And the Ministry of Personnel was experiencing an uptick in memorials lately.

During this period of annual performance reviews for officials, and with many of them seeking transfers to new positions, there was a flurry of activity. Memorials piled up in stacks, and Chu Jiubian worked late into the night each day to review them.

Whenever he found himself unable to straighten his back at night, he thought of Qin Xiao.

If he were here, they could split the workload and make things much easier.

But Qin Xiao wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon.

Chu Jiubian spread out a new sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began writing a reply to Qin Xiao.

His letter was even simpler.

He began with recounting the recent news and events in court.

Firstly, the household registration records of the people in Hexi Prefecture had all been properly organized, and Prefect Han Yuandao had exercised his authority to suppress local forces, preventing the local nobles and other various factions from seizing the common people’s land again.

However, the Imperial Court’s four great families seemed to have guessed their intention to reform the land taxation system, and had secretly begun to take countermeasures.

Secondly, Xiao Yao, the head of the Xiao family, had recently begun to appear in public again.

Although he was slightly thinner than before, he was in a healthy mental state. Chu Jiubian had observed that the other party seemed to have already managed to suppress his addiction to mandala.

On the contrary, although Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan seemed to be in good spirits, he had also started to lose weight. His already aged face had become even more gaunt, with his cheeks now visibly sunken.

Chu Jiubian subtly informed Qin Xiao that the old bastard was likely not going to live much longer.

The Xiao family had previously possessed a large quantity of mandala, and after the Imperial Court banned them, Xiao Yao had ordered everyone in his household to stay away from this substance. 

However, just one glance at Xiao Huaiguan’s condition was enough for Chu Jiubian to grasp what was going on.

That old bastard Xiao Huaiguan must be partaking in the Xiao family’s remaining mandala.

Chu Jiubian even understood why he was taking it. He must be thinking that he was already old and frail, with limited time left to live, so he might as well live more freely even if it meant resorting to drugs.

Thirdly, there was the Wang family.

Chu Jiubian felt that since he had sent Wang Pengyi to deliver the military supplies, Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan had changed somewhat.

He no longer participated in court affairs, only occasionally speaking up. And even then, he sided with Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong.

Chu Jiubian informed Qin Xiao in his letter: Surnamed Wang may be considering retiring while he’s ahead, depending on the success of the military campaign in the Northwest.

If there was anyone in the Imperial Court who understood the situation the best, it was Minister Wang.

Wang family members had held official positions and served as ministers during the previous dynasty, but once Great Ning overthrew the previous regime, the high-ranking and powerful figures in the court were all weakened – with the exception of the Wang family. Because of a secret deal they made with Great Ning’s founding emperor, they were able to preserve their wealth and power.

This ability to assess the situation and react accordingly had clearly been passed down to Wang Zhiyuan. 

However, there was another very important factor that Chu Jiubian would not tell Qin Xiao.

He had obtained some inside information from Wang Qichen that the Wang family was currently experiencing serious internal conflict, and that Wang Qichen was already laying the groundwork for the release of “Yaotai Green Paper,” which would likely be available soon.

At that time, the Wang family’s monopoly on papermaking would be shattered, and if the family head couldn’t figure out a way to reverse their decline, he would very soon be overshadowed by Wang Qichen’s rising popularity.

And under these circumstances, Wang Zhiyuan, an elder in the family who held an even higher position than family head Wang Huanzhi, remained completely silent and didn’t even restrict his own grandson Wang Pengyi’s interactions with Wang Qichen. This already revealed a clear bias.

If Wang Qichen were truly to inherit the position of family head, then the Wang family would become a force that was under Chu Jiubian’s control.

The four great families’ strong alliance and mutual animosity against him would thus be dismantled from within.

Lastly, regarding the Imperial Examinations, the first round of preliminary examinations had been completed.

Chu Jiubian had established the examination system with procedures similar to those in later time periods. First came the preliminary exams, followed by the prefectural and regional exams, and finally the palace exam, for a total of four rounds.

The preliminary exam was taken by students in their respective locales. This stage tested basic knowledge, and anyone with a solid foundation would be able to pass.

For the prefectural exam, students would travel to a prefectural city depending on their place of residence. This round was more difficult, and would weed out most of those who were trying to muddle through or lacked adaptability. 

Since this was the first time the Imperial Examinations were being held, Chu Jiubian had not set a limit on the number of candidates.

So long as students achieved a passing score at each stage, with their total score exceeding 85 points, they would be able to advance to the next round.

The third round of exams was the regional exam, which also took place in a prefectural city. 

The scope of the questions was broader and more difficult, and Chu Jiubian had even added some debate-style topics.

Besides the candidates for classical subjects, other subjects such as math and embroidery were included as well. Exceptional writing skills were not required when the answers were graded. As long as the candidates possessed sound moral values, or were only slightly old-fashioned but had the potential for correction, Chu Jiubian would consider them to have passed.

And those students who passed their exams would have secured their spots in the Imperial Academy.

These students would then come to the capital to participate in the final round of Imperial Examinations.

Bai Lihong would serve as the chief examiner in this exam, while other civil and military offiials would act as his assistants.

The final exam paper was not divided into different specialties – everyone would receive the same set of questions, which numbered ten in total. 

These ten questions would not take into account professional skills, but instead would ask about the students’ reasons for entering public service, methods for improving the lives of the common people and how best to ensure their well-being, and how they would carry out their duties in their respective positions. 

Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian had created all of these questions between the two of them, and two of the questions were matters that the child himself wanted to know the answer to.

The purpose of including these questions in the Imperial Examinations was not only to select the most outstanding students among the candidates and find the most suitable talents who aligned with Chu Jiubian’s governing philosophy, but to help these students gain recognition.

When presented in front of all those civil and military officials, the students’ answers, whether good or bad, would have a certain level of impact.

After the examinations, Chu Jiubian would have his people record these questions, as well as the students’ answers, and disseminate them.

This content would then be presented in colloquial language by professional storytellers or in crowded places such as inns and restaurants, and then spread further to various marketplaces.

This would let the common people know that the ones in charge now were Bai Lihong, Chu Jiubian, and Qin Xiao, and that those who would govern them in the future and ensure the betterment of their livelihoods were students from ordinary families who were selected by the Imperial Academy.

Unlike those from powerful and influential families, the students of the Imperial Academy would naturally be less distant from the common people.

Once their reputations spread, the common people would place their trust in the Imperial Academy, which would make a more convincing case for sending students into the Imperial Court.

He who wins the hearts of the common people wins the world.

Chu Jiubian was well-aware of this principle, and so were the officials in the Imperial Court.

These powerful and influential figures, who were accustomed to holding themselves above the masses, did not genuinely take the common people’s demands into account. They simply used their “good reputations” to use the common people like tools.

When the time came for them to charge into battle, just like what had happened with the drought in the southern regions, a minor incitement from officials could turn them into a sharp weapon pointed toward Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong.

But to them, the common people were like ants, a disorganized and powerless mass.

Even a mere county official was able to command troops to throw them into a raging river.

For another example, the recent Sai Kingdom invasion.

The common people of Gansu had become bargaining chips to be traded, and Dingbei-wang had put them in a dangerous situation without their knowledge. 

Yet he also needed the support of these common people. He intended to gain renown through this matter and gain more acceptance from them.

For this reason, he dragged many others into his scheme, using his reputation as a fearless hero who single-handedly faced off against danger to manipulate the admiration and resentment of the common people.

To him, and to those in power, the common people were merely tools to be used.

Therefore, it wouldn’t even enter their minds to “enlighten the common people.” On the contrary, they would oppress the common people to such an extreme degree that just having enough food to eat and clothing to wear would be considered good fortune.

Once the common people became a little wealthier, they would begin to pursue other endeavors and would have the time and inclination to contemplate deeper principles.

They would become less prone to manipulation, and would no longer be tools to be used.

This was not good news for those in power.

Even in newer generations, the common people naturally remained trapped in information bubbles, seeing and hearing only what certain people wanted them to see and hear.

However, there would always be people who thought more deeply, as well as those who would search for ways to transcend their social class.

Progress was inevitable in a society, and this was a good thing.

Chu Jiubian had never naively imagined that every single common person would become a talent. He simply wanted them all to have better lives, and wished to give them the opportunity to think for themselves, to grow, and to understand their ultimate purpose.

After rambling on and on, Chu Jiubian raised his head in surprise to find that he had unknowingly written an entire page.

The confidential letter would be kept safe, and if anything unexpected happened, the messenger would immediately destroy it. So there was no issue with Chu Jiubian writing such things, and no need to worry about outsiders reading it.

He was just a little bewildered.

When Qin Xiao was with him before, he never noticed how much they communicated. But now that he was writing things down, he realized that he and Qin Xiao actually talked quite a lot.

Keeping in mind that Qin Xiao’s letter only amounted to one page, Chu Jiubian didn’t say anything further, and simply wrote at the end: His Majesty is perfectly well. Court affairs are so numerous and demanding that this god even dreams of reviewing memorials. I hope you will return soon to share some of my burdens.

After a moment’s thought, he added one last sentence: The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

It was already nearly mid-October, and the jasmine was beginning to show signs of wilting.

Qin Xiao received the reply on the evening of October 15th.

The setting sun painted the sky red, and rain mixed with a few snowflakes melted into water the instant it met the ground, blending with the dirt to become mud.

Tall boots tramped through it, stirring up filth.

There was still a trace of ferocity to Qin Xiao’s expression. Blood was splattered across his chin, and his dark armor gleamed with a cold, hard light.

He strode to the entrance of the tent, tossed his spear to a guard, and opened the tent flap before entering.

Just as he reached the washbasin and was about to wash his hands, a secret guard landed silently a few steps away. Holding up a confidential letter, he said: “My Lord, a reply has arrived from the capital.”

Qin Xiao abruptly turned his head and took a couple of steps toward him. But then he stopped, turning to thoroughly wash his hands before going back to take the letter.

The secret guard disappeared in a flash.

Qin Xiao took a seat on the only stone stool in the tent, and without even taking the time to pour himself a cup of water, he opened the letter.

The young man’s handwriting was strong and vigorous, with powerful, elegant strokes.

The fierceness slowly faded from Qin Xiao’s face as his gaze moved unhurriedly across the letter.

The language in the letter was sometimes concise and formal, and at other times quite colloquial, which was very much Chu Jiubian’s style.

Upon reading “that old bastard Xiao Huaiguan doesn’t have much longer to live,” Qin Xiao let out a low chuckle.

He was relieved to read “His Majesty is perfectly well,” but he still felt a sense that something was missing.

For a long while, his gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on the last sentence:

The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

By this time, the jasmine in the courtyard was probably withering.

But it wasn’t the jasmine flowers that were on Qin Xiao’s mind, and Chu Jiubian’s response was not referring to the state of their blooms.

After a while, Qin Xiao placed the letter on the table and gently tore it in half.

The first half of the letter, which detailed various matters in the capital, Qin Xiao burned completely. 

The second half contained only the last two sentences of the letter.

Qin Xiao stood and placed the thin piece of paper into a small box, then hid it beneath his pillow.

Without bothering to tidy himself up after getting to his feet, he proceeded to walk straight out of the tent.

Someone in the capital was waiting for him to return and help review memorials, so he needed to speed things up.

*

*

Inside the Sai Kingdom commander’s tent, a subordinate rushed in and reported: “Sovereign, Ning-wang is attacking again!”

“He only just left a short while ago, why is he back again?!” Such was Moba Zanpu’s fury that he smashed down the wine cup in his hand.

Fortunately, it was made of bronze and didn’t shatter.

He glared at Bai Liyu, who was sitting at the far end of the table, and said in a temper: “This sovereign has already lost five of his top commanders. You never mentioned that Ning-wang is this formidable!”

Bai Liyu’s eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice: “The sovereign should understand that nothing comes for free in this world.”

Driven by his desire to seize the territory of Gansu, he had initially been eager to collaborate with Bai Liyu – but now that Ning-wang was on the offensive, he had become anxious.

How could Moba Zanpu not know by now that he had been utterly manipulated by Dingbei-wang and these Central Plains people?

He was being used by Dingbei-wang as a sharp weapon to oppose Qin Xiao.

But at this moment in time, Moba Zanpu was truly in a dilemma.

If he were to retreat now, not only would he not retain control of Gansu, but the morale of his troops would collapse, which would have a significant impact on his rule within their country.

But if he didn’t retreat, he would have no choice but to fight Qin Xiao.

With his 130,000 soldiers facing off against Great Ning’s 110,000-strong army, it was truly uncertain which side would prevail.

But they were within Great Ning’s territory, and Qin Xiao possessed a supply train extending from the capital that ensured ample provisions. Furthermore, the terrain of the Central Plains was more suitable for the Great Ning Army’s tactics. 

At present, the only advantage Moba Zanpu seemed to possess was a position that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, he directed his murderous gaze toward Bai Liyu: “Since we must confront Ning-wang directly in order to take full control of Gansu, the deal between you and I is useless.”

“And you—” He sneered, “You are useless too.”

Since he was no longer useful, it was better to kill him.

What did it matter how clever this person was? Wasn’t he still in Moba Zanpu’s hands?

“What’s the rush?” Bai Liyu spoke unhurriedly, sipping his tea. “In warfare, provisions are paramount.”

He looked up at the sovereign sitting upon his throne: “My men have located Great Ning’s provisions, which are being stockpiled at the Ganying Post Station fifty li away. Asking the Sovereign to hold out for two more days. Once the weather clears up, we can set fire to Ning-wang’s supplies, and won’t the initiative then be in our hands?”

In fact, his people had already known where the provisions were stockpiled. He had also thought that Wang Pengyi, who was escorting the provisions, would share his objective and at least delay the delivery of the supplies for a while.

Unexpectedly, the other party proved to be diligent and conscientious, purchasing grain along the way and traveling at a very rapid pace. He had now joined Qin Xiao’s army, providing support from the rear to ensure the supply of basic food and supplies.

Bai Liyu had a vague sense that the Wang family seemed to be considering pledging their allegiance to the Emperor, but now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

Since Wang Pengyi had escaped his control, he would simply order his people to burn down the supply camp.

However, it had been raining and snowing for the past two days, and starting a big fire in this weather would be too difficult and disruptive. He feared that the fire wouldn’t even have a chance to get going before they were discovered.

For this reason, he had yet to take action.

But just in case, he had prepared a contingency plan. The strategist Qian Ziming was currently in Great Ning’s military camp, and Bai Liyu still had 6,000 private troops of his own.

When Moba Zanpu heard about the military supply camp, his expression shifted slightly.

The people of the Sai Kingdom valued strength, and he had secured his position as Sovereign through forcefully subduing other military leaders.

But he wasn’t just a mindless brute; on the contrary, he possessed considerable talent in military matters.

An idea formed in his mind at that very moment, and he immediately summoned a trusted commander and whispered a few words into his ear.

Afterward, the commander accepted the order and departed. Moba Zanpu also stood and walked outside, grabbing his longsword as he went.

Bai Liyu knew upon seeing this that he planned to confront Qin Xiao in person.

This ruler possessed considerable military prowess, and even the formidable Qin Xiao was unlikely to be a match for a true general. This battle was going to be a harrowing one.

It was a shame that he was currently being “held captive,” and was unable to show his face. Otherwise, he would definitely want to go and watch.

*

*

On the battlefield, Qin Xiao sat on a tall horse at the forefront of his troops, gazing out at the vast, imposing army of the enemy kingdom in the distance.

A burly general on horseback was shouting something toward them in front of the Sai Kingdom troops.

Qin Xiao was unable to understand the language, so his advisor, Qian Ziming, translated for him: “The other party is asking, why is there only one general left in your Great Ning Army? Have all the others perished?”

Qian Ziming was Bai Liyu’s strategist. He possessed a lean, upright build, and had a somewhat subtle sense of presence, making him seem less like a strategist and more like a secret guard like Qin Chaoyang.

Having resided in Gansu for many years and traveled frequently throughout the Western Regions, he naturally understood the local languages.

Exchanging insults before battle seemed to be a customary practice, but Qin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to engage in such a thing. Upon hearing the challenge, he instructed a young deputy beside him: “You go.”

“Yes.” The deputy rushed out without another word.

Seeing this, the fierce general ceased shouting and charged forward as well.

After a dozen rounds of fighting, the deputy’s robes were torn by the enemy’s longsword, but the general was wounded in the shoulder and fled back to his troops in disarray.

Instead of returning, Qin Xiao’s deputy stood before the enemy army and taunted them, asking if they had no one left who was capable of fighting.

Another well-muscled general then emerged from the other side and confronted Qin Xiao’s deputy.

Qian Ziming’s eyes flickered, and as his gaze swept across the people around him, his heart skipped a beat.

He seemed to have overlooked one very important thing.

Since the previous night, he hadn’t seen the brave, skilled warrior Chung Shuo!

The man in question was Qin Xiao’s most trusted lieutenant. And yesterday, he single-handedly killed four enemy commanders, proving himself to be even more formidable than Qin Xiao!

With such a terrifying lieutenant at his disposal, Qin Xiao certainly wouldn’t have sent him away without good reason. There must be some important arrangements to be made.

Just then, Qian Ziming saw a middle-aged man with a long saber emerge from the enemy ranks. Who else could it be but the Sai Kingdom Sovereign?

Qian Ziming came to a sudden understanding, and his heart sank as far as it could go.

It’s over, he thought.

The prince’s plan was surely ruined.

---

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Chapter 63 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 65

Upon entering the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian immediately called out to the System: “I’ll draw a card.”

He still had several duplicate cards in his hands, and he could use any one of them to draw Qin Xiao.

[Insufficient points detected to draw a new card. Would Host like to draw a Believer with an existing card instead?]

“Yes.”

[Okay. You currently have one ‘wealth’ card, one ‘armed forces’ card, and two ‘charisma’ cards. Please choose one.]

Chu Jiubian chose the ‘charisma’ card. After using this one, he would have one each of the remaining three cards.

The charisma card flipped over, revealing four character cards.

They were all old acquaintances.

Besides Wang Qichen, there was also Eunuch Hong and An Wuji.

And finally, there was Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian reached out decisively and grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

In the next moment, the entire Divine Realm began to shake violently. Intermittent red lights flashed, and an alarm wailed shrilly.

The System’s mechanical voice also cut in and out: [Alert—]

[Not recommended!!]

[N-not recommended—]

There was a sharp, intense pain in Chu Jiubian’s chest, as if countless needles were frantically piercing his internal organs.

Boom—

One after another, the towering dragon-shaped pillars collapsed.

The chair and steps under Chu Jiubian also plummeted into the pure white space. As he fell weightlessly, solid ground never materialized beneath him. 

Just like when he had fallen from the cliff, it felt as if this fall would never end.

It mirrored him as a person – constantly on the road to death, yet always held back by a yearning for life, neither truly dead nor able to live in peace.

Then he coughed up a mouthful of blood. It stained the young man’s pure white robes and disheveled silver hair, and tainted the swirling mist of the Divine Realm.

The clouds instantly turned blood-red, and after a brief moment of stillness, they suddenly transformed into two gigantic arms and caught Chu Jiubian securely, preventing him from falling any further.

An unknown amount of time passed before Chu Jiubian abruptly opened his eyes and found himself back in his bedroom, laying in his bed.

At the same time, a sickly-sweet, metallic taste welled up in his throat and caused him to cough violently.

He clutched his chest and leaned over the edge of the bed, retching several times before he was finally able to suppress the bloody taste in his throat.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Hair stuck to his face, and he looked entirely disheveled.

He lowered his eyes, which contained a hint of madness.

Then he called upon the System again and entered the Divine Realm.

Everything there had returned to its original state, and he had even returned to his seat on the elevated throne.

Just like he was in the real world, he was now deathly pale, with bloodstains on his lips and cheeks. A complete mess.

“Summon Qin Xiao,” he said in a hoarse voice, his tone remarkably calm.

[Host, this System does not recommend that you select this Believer, nor does it recommend that you continue trying.]

“I didn’t manage to pull out the card just now, so it doesn’t count as me having used one, right?” Chu Jiubian asked.

[It doesn’t count.]

“Okay,” Chu Jiubian said, “Draw the ‘armed forces’ card.”

The System remained silent for a long moment before displaying the ‘armed forces’ card.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiubian once again grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

The Divine Realm collapsed again, and in the midst of the shrill alarms, Chu Jiubian felt as if his internal organs were being pierced through.

The clouds once again transformed into large hands, which caught him even more skillfully than before.

When he opened his eyes again, Chu Jiubian was back in his bedroom. A large mouthful of bright red blood gushed from his mouth, and his vision was slightly blurry.

“System,” he called out again in his mind.

The System’s usually calm, mechanical voice sounded somewhat anxious as it said: [Host, please stop trying! This setting was put in place by the System’s creator; no one can defy it!]

Chu Jiubian’s eyes instantly regained their clarity. “The System’s creator? Who is he, and what setting did he put in place? Why can’t I summon Qin Xiao?”

The System didn’t answer any of his many questions, and only said: [For Host’s personal safety, this System has temporarily disabled the Divine Realm function and will reactivate it tomorrow at noon.]

[During this period, if any Believers request an audience, this System will inform Host, allowing you to rest assured and recuperate in order to better carry out your mission. (Injuries to Host’s body are a side effect of this System, and will heal after six hours. No medical attention is needed.)]

Having said all of this, the System went completely silent and refused to respond no matter what Chu Jiubian said.

Chu Jiubian lay on the side of the bed for a long time before he ultimately managed to get up. He dragged his almost crippled body to the table and poured some water to rinse his mouth.

He now sincerely felt that it would be a good thing to have someone stationed outside his room. That way, he wouldn’t have to get out of bed himself at times like this.

But it was just a fleeting thought. The weather was getting increasingly cold, and the palace servants were even feeling cold in their own rooms, much less sleeping on the floor outside his door.

Chu Jiubian considered creating a ‘metal stove’ at some point. Or perhaps he would create an underfloor heating system, which would be warmer than simply using a charcoal brazier.

That being said, all of the affairs of the Imperial Court had fallen upon Chu Jiubian’s shoulders recently, and he had delegated many tasks to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and Qin Chaoyang.

Therefore, Hong Fu had also been very busy lately. Even Xiao Xiangzi hadn’t been able to stay at Chu Jiubian’s side to attend to him, and instead spent his days running errands with his master.

Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were also frequently seconded to help out. Chu Jiubian didn’t mind, and even hoped that these children could grow and develop, so the two of them were kept incredibly busy.

All of the miscellaneous tasks around Yaotai Residence then fell to Shui Qing and Shui Yun.

The two young palace maids were maturing at a rapid pace, and were already being addressed as “jiejie” by younger maids when they went out.

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts came to a halt.

It seemed he really was injured. What was he even thinking about?

He dragged himself to the side of the bed, sat down, and slowly levered himself down flat.

But even with how careful he was, his chest and abdomen still felt as if they were being ripped open.

The pain showed no sign of abating once he was lying down, but it also didn’t worsen. The System had even said that he would make a full recovery in six hours.

Chu Jiubian felt that this might be the System’s “punishment” mechanism.

It would hurt you, but not kill you – this was purely for the purpose of teaching a lesson.

How cruel. He didn’t know who had created this System, but they must have been a complete deviant.

He became lost in thought, attempting to distract himself and take his mind off his injuries.

This caused his thoughts to turn to Qin Xiao.

It turned out that the “not recommended” alert that kept appearing on the cards was a genuine warning, and that if he insisted on going against said advice, this was the sort of consequence that awaited him.

But since he wasn’t recommended, why even include him as an option in the first place?

Was this “entrapment” on the part of the System?

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but recall the cards he had drawn previously. All of the character cards he had seen flashed before his eyes one by one, and in that moment, his thoughts became exceptionally clear.

Therefore, he noticed something strange.

From the initial Jiang Shuoye and Situ Zhaoling, to the later Wang Qichen and Qin Chuan, and finally to Lu Yao – each time, the System gave him several options, but in the end, he always seemed to choose the card that the System marked as “recommended.”

It was as if the System was guiding him to choose these people, and it could even be said that these Believers were his only options.

Causal System.

Chu Jiubian pondered these two words, his eyes narrowing.

Was choosing these people the “cause” or the “effect?”

He had transmigrated to Great Ning and met Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong. What kind of cause and effect was this?

Chu Jiubian’s mind was alternately clear and muddled, and he didn’t fall asleep until dawn.

When Xiao Xiangzi brought a basin of hot water for him to wash up that morning, he spied the dried bloodstains on Chu Jiubian’s face. His scream not only brought everyone else in the courtyard running, but also woke Chu Jiubian up.

Chu Jiubian abruptly opened his eyes and instinctively raised his hand to touch his chest.

There was no pain at all. Just as the System had said, he was completely healed after six hours.

Chu Jiubian: “……”

He sat up and saw the panicked people around him, and quickly stopped Xiao Yinzi before he could go and fetch a doctor: “I’m fine, I just had a nosebleed.”

He didn’t dare say he had “vomited blood,” or these people would be scared to death.

As expected, everyone breathed sighs of relief at his words.

Excessive internal heat could cause nosebleeds, so this was normal for a healthy young man like Chu Jiubian.

Xiao Xiangzi quickly helped him up, saying with concern: “Young Master, perhaps a servant should stand vigil from now on. We servants were unaware of what transpired last night, or we certainly wouldn’t have let you sleep through the night like that.”

Chu Jiubian hadn’t intentionally avoided washing his face; he had simply had no energy left last night.

“No need,” he declined. “This was just an accident. I’ll call for you if something similar happens again.”

“Okay,” Xiao Xiangzi replied with reluctance.

“There is no need to inform His Majesty about this,” Chu Jiubian instructed.

Xiao Xiangzi would previously report every single detail of his affairs to Qin Xiao, but at some point, Qin Xiao had stopped asking so many questions, and Xiao Xiangzi also stopped telling him so much.

At present, Chu Jiubian had instructed him not to say anything in order to avoid worrying the child.

Xiao Xiangzi understood his good intentions, and instructed everyone else to keep quiet.

Chu Jiubian felt refreshed after washing up, and went to Yangxin Hall for breakfast as he usually did.

Since it was a day off, he went for a stroll with Bai Lihong after their meal in the name of aiding digestion. Xiao Xiangzi and the rest had all gone to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, leaving only Xiao Yuzi to attend to the two of them.

One after another, the three of them walked down the palace paths.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and looked beside him to where the small child was trudging along on his short legs.

The weather was getting cooler, and the child had changed into his autumn clothes.

The moderately thick clothing made him look short and stocky, and caused him to walk even slower than before.

Sensing his gaze, Bai Lihong glanced up at him.

The child immediately smiled upon meeting his Xiansheng’s gaze, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. His eyes were also bright and clear, no longer as listless as they had been in the first few days after Qin Xiao’s departure.

Chu Jiubian dearly wanted to pat his little face, but since they were outside, he refrained from reaching out and just smiled faintly.

Bai Lihong blinked his large eyes and said: “Xiansheng, how much longer until Jiujiu comes back?”

This was the nth time the child had asked this question.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t try to deceive him, nor did he display any impatience. Instead, he thought carefully before saying: “The main army should have already reached Gansu. I estimate that they should be back in about three months.”

Whenever Bai Lihong had asked this before, Chu Jiubian wasn’t entirely sure of the timeframe and his answers were vague as a result.

This was the first time he had given a relatively precise timeframe. Bai Lihong was initially delighted, but then his face fell as he said: “Three months, ah. Does that mean Jiujiu won’t make it back for the New Year celebrations?”

It was already autumn, and New Year’s Day was on the last day of the twelfth month, so there were barely three months left.

“If he doesn’t return with the army, he might make it in time,” said Chu Jiubian.

At a quick, light pace, it would only take about half a month to return to the capital from Gansu, so it was actually possible for Qin Xiao to make it back in time.

“That’s great!” The child’s eyes lit up, and he counted on his fingers over and over.

Jiujiu would be back soon, and then he could spend the New Year with him!

Seeing his excited expression, Chu Jiubian smiled. The child would likely be counting down the days for the next three months.

He didn’t say anything to discourage him, but deep down, he didn’t have much hope.

There was no doubt that Qin Xiao would be able to conquer Gansu. It just remained to be seen if, after securing a victory, he would continue his pursuit and drive the Sai Kingdom Army even farther away.

That would cause an even longer delay.

And as for Qin Xiao himself, it was already a miracle for him to make it back alive with a severe injury, so how could he possibly return to the capital ahead of everyone else?

At this thought, Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly.

Since the System wouldn’t allow him to summon Qin Xiao, he could only rely on the man’s letters and Qin Chuan’s communication channels.

But regardless of which method he used, there would be a delay.

The information he received was actually about events that happened three or four days in the past, and he currently had no idea what the situation was like on Qin Xiao’s side.

There was no telling if he had already been injured…..

Frowning, Chu Jiubian put it out of his mind.

Qin Xiao would surely return alive. He wouldn’t die from his injury. There was nothing to worry about.

The three people made their way to the Imperial Gardens.

The child was tired from their walk, so he pulled Chu Jiubian over to a bench to sit down and rest for a while.

Not long after, they saw two embroiderers from the Imperial Clothing Bureau approaching from a distance. It was clear that they were looking for them.

Now that the weather was getting cooler, the eunuchs and palace maids had all changed into thicker clothing. The palace servants, however, were in no hurry to obtain new clothes; they were able to make do with last year’s outfits for a few days.

But the masters and mistresses all needed new clothes. Even though the only high-ranking figures in the palace at the moment were the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, there were actually still some Imperial consorts and concubines remaining from Emperor Yingzong’s reign, as well as Bai Lihong’s two young Imperial brothers, who were both under ten years old.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian also lived in the previous dynasty’s palace quarters, so preparations needed to be made for them as well.

And there were only three months left until the New Year.

This was the first year of Bai Lihong’s reign, so the celebrations must be exceptionally grand.

Thus, the embroiderers had been constantly checking and modifying the dragon robes that Bai Lihong would wear during the New Year festivities. There were also Chu Jiubian’s first-rank official robes, as well as princely robes for Qin Xiao and the seven vassal kings.

All of this clothing needed to be prepared by the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

And because it was the start of a new year, even the official clothing for officials of the first and second ranks needed to be bestowed upon them by the Imperial Court.

Each person would be given six sets of clothes, three for summer and three for winter, which would last them throughout the year.

Therefore, the Imperial Clothing Bureau had been working non-stop ever since Bai Lihong ascended the throne.

The two embroiders who had just arrived were named Lin Ju and Shuang Chun.

They frequently came to speak with Hong Fu or Xiao Xiangzi, and had even taken Chu Jiubian’s measurements, so he had a rather strong impression of them.

However, it was unclear why they had come at this particular moment.

Both embroiderers were high-ranking matrons at the bureau, but despite the title of “matron,” they were both only in their twenties, in the prime of their youth.

The two approached the pavilion and bowed to Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian, inquiring about their well-being.

Since his masters were hesitant to speak, Xiao Yuzi asked with a smile: “Do the two aunties have something to report?”

“Indeed,” Shuang Chun answered softly. She then looked at Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian, saying: “We servants just went to Yangxin Hall to pay our respects, but learned that the masters had come here, so we came to find them. We humbly beg His Majesty and His Lordship to forgive us.”

Spying on the Emperor’s whereabouts was a grave offense, so she immediately clarified that they hadn’t been following them. Instead, they had gone to Yangxin Hall, obtained the information through official channels, and only then made their way here.

Bai Lihong asked: “What do you need from this emperor?”

Having spent a lot of time with Chu Jiubian, his speaking habits were sometimes not as refined as others’, making him sound very down-to-earth.

Shuang Chun replied: “Thanking Your Majesty for being lenient. We servants have come to ask Your Majesty and Your Lordship a question: we would like to know if palace maids like us are permitted to participate in the Imperial Examinations.”

Bai Lihong glanced at Chu Jiubian.

He knew a little about the Imperial Examination System, but only the basics, such as its purpose and benefits. 

The specific procedures and requirements were too complicated, and the child was unable to comprehend them.

Chu Jiubian regarded the two of them and asked: “Why do you want to enter the Imperial Examinations?”

These two women were already senior maids in the palace, and although there was no such thing as a female official in the Great Ning Dynasty, they had already acquired some quantity of power and wealth.

They would be able to leave the palace when they turned twenty-five, and although they would no longer have any power at that time, they would have their wealth to support them. They would be able to live prosperous lives after leaving the palace thanks to their former positions in the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

Lin Ju was a year younger than Shuang Chun, but was also twenty-three this year.

Her expression was even colder and more resolute than Shuang Chun’s, and she said firmly: “To be honest with you, My Lord, we servants will all reach the age to leave the palace in the next year or two, but we don’t want to leave just to become ordinary seamstresses, with lives that offer no prospects for the future.”

Shuang Chun seemed to want to say something more pleasant to the ear, but she wavered, and ultimately didn’t resort to falsehoods.

Chu Jiubian’s expression was indifferent, his tone cold and distant, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

However, the palace servants secretly whispered amongst themselves that Grand Tutor Chu was not as cold and aloof as he appeared; he was actually a very gentle and benevolent master.

So when he deliberately maintained his silence, the two embroiderers were only a little nervous rather than overly flustered.

Of course, they were not taking advantage of Chu Jiubian’s kind nature and being overly presumptuous. They were being genuine. Compared to flattering their superiors with empty words, they felt much better about themselves for telling the truth.

They were remarkably calm.

And Chu Jiubian was very satisfied.

If these two embroiderers lacked skill, they wouldn’t have been able to reach their current positions of authority.

Conveniently, the embroidery workshop in the capital was already under construction, and once the embroiderers passed the Imperial Examinations, they would be able to go there to study.

The two embroiderers Qin Xiao had previously hired were in charge of teaching, but they were not adept at management.

However, Shuang Chun and Lin Ju clearly had management experience, and were ambitious and bold. If they could be a little more flexible in their thinking, then having them oversee the operations of the embroidery workshop seemed like a good option.

“You can,” Chu Jiubian replied, “but the deadline for the first round of Imperial Examinations has already passed.”

The two embroiderers’ expressions remained unchanged, but their clasped hands tightened.

Seeing them react like this, Chu Jiubian was even more pleased.

He then shifted direction, saying: “Within three days, each of you must prepare a piece of embroidery and bring it here. I will personally test you. If you pass the exam, you can directly join the embroidery workshop as officials.”

Given the exceptional circumstances, many scholars had been specially recruited into official positions for matters related to the waterway transportation system. Adding two more to the embroidery workshop wouldn’t hurt anything.

In the future, if anyone else tried to take such a shortcut, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t give them a chance. Opportunities were only given to the quickest and most well-prepared.

Both Shuang Chun and Lin Ju’s eyes lit up, and they bowed their heads over and over in gratitude.

Their goal was to take the Imperial Examinations and enter the embroidery workshop, as this was their area of expertise. 

The embroidery workshop was also located outside the palace, meaning that even after they left, they could continue to hold onto positions of authority.

They would be called “female officials!”

They could hold official positions too!

The two were extremely grateful, and immediately set off to prepare their embroidery work.

Chu Jiubian called out to them, saying: “Tell the other embroiderers that after they leave the palace at age twenty-five, they can directly apply for jobs at the embroidery workshop. If they perform well, they will be able to continue serving His Majesty and the Imperial Court.”

Thus, the Imperial Clothing Bureau would become a stepping stone to the embroidery workshop, resulting in a multitude of people endeavoring to enter the palace. This would also prevent all of the embroiderers from going to the embroidery workshop and leaving no one to work in the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

The two embroiderers were naturally delighted, and after agreeing, they prepared to withdraw.

“Wait a moment,” Chu Jiubian called out to them again.

The two embroiderers stopped again, waiting for him to speak.

But unexpectedly, Chu Jiubian remained silent for a long stretch of time.

Bai Lihong tilted his head and regarded him with bright, innocent eyes, asking: “Why isn’t Xiansheng saying anything?”

Chu Jiubian’s expression didn’t change as he lightly tapped his fingers against his knee.

Only when both embroiderers had begun to feel uneasy did he ask: “Did Ning-wang ever task you with embroidering jasmine flowers?”

Shuang Chun nodded: “He did. This servant embroidered them herself, on a handkerchief.”

Ning-wang had not told her to keep it a secret, and since the two masters before her were the closest people to Qin Xiao, she thought there might be some hidden meaning to the handkerchief and didn’t dare conceal anything.

“Was it on the twelfth day of the seventh month?” asked Chu Jiubian.

“That’s right,” said Shuang Chun. “That day happened to be this servant’s birthday, which is why I remember it so clearly.”

She only answered what needed to be answered, offering no extra information.

Chu Jiubian’s fingertips curved slightly. “Alright,” he said, “You may leave now.”

Once the two embroiderers walked away, Bai Lihong looked up at Chu Jiubian and said: “Xiansheng, wasn’t the twelfth day of the seventh month the day the heavy rain started? Why did Jiujiu have someone embroider jasmine flowers on a handkerchief?”

Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed.

He couldn’t possibly say that on that rainy day, he and Qin Xiao had been drenched in the scent of jasmine under the cover of Yangxin Hall’s outside corridors.

And that when he happened to wipe his hands on Qin Xiao’s handkerchief, the other party had even taken it back…..

He was now certain that the jasmine-embroidered handkerchief Qin Xiao carried was indeed the one he had used before.

But he couldn’t very well explain that to the child.

“Xiansheng?” Bai Lihong asked in surprise, “Why are your ears so red?”

Xiao Yuzi was standing behind them, and upon hearing this, he glanced at Chu Jiubian before quickly averting his gaze, suppressing the smile at the corners of his lips.

Although His Majesty was young and intelligent, he was unable to comprehend matters of love and romance.

However, he knew that it was a very unusual thing for Lord Ning-wang to suddenly order that courtyard to be filled with jasmine flowers.

For Grand Tutor Chu to ask about jasmine and that handkerchief today, the two items must carry some special significance for them both.

“I saw Qin Xiao with a very beautiful handkerchief before,” Chu Jiubian replied half-truthfully. “I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“Wow, if even Xiansheng says it’s beautiful, then it must be very beautiful.” Bai Lihong propped up his little face and said: “When Jiujiu comes back, I’ll definitely take a look.”

Chu Jiubian looked up, gazing in the direction of the Northwest. There was a tightness in his chest, and he felt a sense of unease.

After leaving the Imperial Gardens and returning to Yangxin Hall, Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong each proceeded with their respective tasks.

The child had just learned Arabic numerals from Chu Jiubian the day before, and found them very interesting, so he spent the entire day studying them.

Chu Jiubian made quick work of reviewing memorials.

After an unknown period of time, Qin Chaoyang suddenly came in and handed Chu Jiubian a confidential letter, saying: “Young Master, this is a letter from the Northwest.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately took the envelope and read the boldly-written characters on it: 

For the Young Master’s eyes only.

---

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Chapter 62 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 64

Ch. 86 – Prelude

As the sky brightened, the originally cool early morning sunlight grew rather scorching.

Feng Ye stood in the unshaded main square, shielding his eyes with his hand as he glanced up at the sky. The trial ceremony would be held at exactly sishi. Judging by the intensity of the sun, there should be about an incense stick of time left.

It had been absolutely necessary for Fang Yang to wake him up so early, because even though they had gotten up at the crack of dawn, they were not among the first to arrive.

When the three of them arrived at the main square, some disciples were already waiting there, having claimed the prime spots.

Fortunately, although they were not the first to arrive, they hadn’t arrived too late either, and the spot they found was relatively close to the front. The square was currently packed with people. Almost all of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s disciples had come out in force, some having even exited seclusion to attend, and others having rushed back from training outside. In short, everyone capable of attending had made it their mission to do so.

Those who came in later naturally lined up in the back, where the view wasn’t so clear. Anyone who was a little shorter wouldn’t be able to see anything except for the back of the head of the person in front of them.

Aside from the main square where one could watch the ceremony, there were also mountain paths on either side of the stone staircase and an area at the mountaintop.

The stone staircase was built into the mountainside, and in fact, the unpaved mountain paths bordering the staircase offered a better view than the main square at the bottom. However, these paths were incredibly steep, with some layers of rock that were almost perpendicular to the ground. Forget watching the show – rashly standing upon it could send one plummeting to their doom. Getting a good view wasn’t worth a few broken bones.

The final part of the ceremony would be held at the mountain peak. Today, apart from the sect’s stewards, elders, and participating disciples, nobody was allowed to ascend the mountain. Thus, the main square became the only available – and extremely crowded – viewing spot.

However, this only applied to the Qi Refining stage disciples. One was capable of flying on a sword after reaching Foundation Establishment, which opened up a plethora of viewpoints from which to watch.

However, Fang Yang’s swordflight was not very stable yet, so he made a couple of preparations for himself and first secured a good position.

At present, Fang Yang had squeezed himself toward the front of the crowd, craning his neck to watch for movement along the mountain paths. The one hundred disciples who would guard the steps had not yet descended, and the paths were empty.

Yet he still watched with intent focus, fearful of missing something.

Feng Ye was similarly focused, but in contrast to Fang Yang, his attention was fixed on the mountaintop.

He then glanced around, his gaze wandering aimlessly amongst the crowd.

“What is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye looking at?” Hao Chen asked.

Feng Ye’s gaze briefly shifted to Hao Chen. Then he looked away again and casually replied: “You.”

When he heard this, Hao Chen’s eyes widened at the apparent flattery. He opened his fan and waved it slightly, and although he tried his best to suppress his smugness, the lilting tone of his voice still betrayed him: “Then do I look good?”

Feng Ye: “…..”

Only then did he realize the implications of his words.

Feng Ye withdrew his wandering gaze and focused on Hao Chen’s face with a complicated expression. Going by human aesthetics, this fish could indeed be described as a charming young master. Fanning himself like that with a slight smile…..some girls who only paid attention to looks would be taken in by that deceptive appearance. 

However…..Feng Ye was not so superficial. He had already seen through the true nature of this fish. As the saying went: Fair skin hides flaws, but fatness intensifies them.

The fish in question was a behemoth, which further compounded his flaws. Although the attractiveness of fish could not be judged by human standards, Feng Ye still held this prejudiced view.

He couldn’t help but pour cold water on Hao Chen’s enthusiasm: “Yeah, super good.”

Anyone with common sense would identify this as sarcasm, but Hao Chen happily took it as a compliment. He even said modestly: “I don’t look my best today.”

This meant that he looked even better normally.

Feng Ye was dumbfounded by the shamelessness of a certain fish. Although he had been stunned in such a way many times, Hao Chen always managed to find a way to refresh his amazement.

Faced with such a thing, all Feng Ye could do was massage his forehead. Words seemed pale and powerless in the face of Hao Chen’s thick skin.

After a moment of silence, Feng Ye continued to look around.

He wasn’t sure whether or not Xue Ren would resort to desperate measures today, but if he did intend to make a move, the person in the shadows might be nearby.

And the crowded main square was an excellent hiding place. Thus, ever since Feng Ye arrived, he had been on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.

As more and more people gathered, he found himself hemmed in, his vision obscured.

His position near the front was an optimal spot from which to observe the ceremony, but not to observe the crowd.

It would be easier to observe from one of the outermost edges. With this in mind, Feng Ye began to search for a way to extract himself from the dense crowd.

He swept his gaze around, and abruptly froze when he encountered something unexpected.

On the outermost edge of the square, in a secluded area under an ancient tree, a head peeked out.

Cao Zirui, the star of the show, was hiding behind the tree while watching Fang Yang at the forefront of the crowd. He seemed to want to call out to Fang Yang, but dared not make a sound for fear of drawing everyone else over as well.

Just as he was in a dilemma, he inadvertently made eye contact with Feng Ye.

Although they were far apart and couldn’t discern one another’s expressions, after a moment’s thought, Feng Ye understood why Cao Zirui had appeared here.

Perfect. This also gave Feng Ye an excuse to give up his perfect spot and leave the crowd.

Thus, Feng Ye stepped forward and pulled the puzzled Fang Yang out of the crowd, pointing toward the tree where Cao Zirui was looking back at them.

With no need for an explanation, Fang Yang immediately slipped out of the crowd upon seeing his friend.

Feng Ye successfully took advantage of this opportunity to follow Fang Yang out, with Hao Chen trailing close behind.

The three of them gave up their ideal spots that they had woken up early to reserve, moving to the outermost edge.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the ceremony?” Fang Yang immediately asked upon approaching.

“Shifu told me to go out for a walk, and to come back before the ceremony begins,” Cao Zirui explained.

Out for a walk? Was that what he called sneaking down the mountain and hiding behind a tree?

Fang Yang pondered for a moment, and then something occurred to him: “Are you nervous?”

“No! I-I’m not!” Cao Zirui immediately retorted.

However, the fact that he used more than one word in response clearly revealed how nervous he was.

Fang Yang considerately refrained from pointing this out. He placed an arm around Cao Zirui’s shoulders and comforted him: “So what if there are a hundred checkpoints? With your skills, you definitely won’t encounter any problems.”

Cao Zirui hesitated to speak. That wasn’t what he was nervous about. Although it would be difficult to pass the one hundred checkpoints, he had confidence in his swordsmanship. What worried him was…..

“Are you worried about whether you’ll be a good successor to the Sect Leader?” Feng Ye suddenly cut in.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui both stared at Feng Ye, who continued with a smile: “If the sect leader job was offered to me, I wouldn’t take it.”

“Why?” Fang Yang asked at once.

“Being the sect leader clearly has a lot of benefits. You have complete control over the sect, free use of the sect’s treasury of magical tools and spirit stones, and a high status that draws the admiration of others….is that what you’re thinking?” Feng Ye turned the question back on Fang Yang.

Fang Yang nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking.

Feng Ye shook his head and began to list out the shortcomings on his fingers: “Having complete control over the sect seems like a lot of power at first glance, but in reality, there is no end to the trivial matters you have to involve yourself in.”

Hao Chen, who had been observing from the sidelines, nodded heavily in agreement. Before he established the five great Sea Masters and Prime Minister Turtle, he had been constantly bothered by all sorts of trivial matters.

“And although the position of sect leader sounds prestigious, it comes with countless eyes watching you. Even a small mistake will very likely become public knowledge. Right, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen?” Feng Ye suddenly directed this question at Hao Chen, who had already demonstrated this point through his own actions.

Hao Chen: “…..” What else could he do but nod?

“There is also the sect leader’s responsibility to revitalize the sect, and to prioritize its interests in everything. It is like being bound in heavy chains, with absolutely no freedom.” Feng Ye summarized: “In short, while being the sect leader has its advantages, they pale in comparison to the carefree life of an ordinary cultivator. It is glorious to be free and unrestrained, living only for oneself, bearing no heavy responsibilities and lacking the fear of the blame that might fall upon you to fail in revitalizing the sect.”

“That makes sense…..” Fang Yang was successfully swayed by Feng Ye’s line of thought, but he still felt that there was something amiss.

Cao Zirui remained silent. In fact, he had already considered everything Feng Ye just said.

Three days ago, when he was abruptly informed that he was to be the next sect leader, a sense of unease came over him, as well as…..unwillingness……

Just as Feng Ye had said, the benefits of being the sect leader were obvious at first glance, but the responsibilities associated with the position were equally significant. This responsibility was like a boulder at the end of a chain, hanging around his neck.

Once today’s ceremony was over, this responsibility would inevitably fall upon his shoulders. Would he be able to carry it?

Just now, he had been wandering around in a state of hesitance, lacking answers.

But Feng Ye’s words directly and unhesitatingly exposed his cowardice.

Looking at himself from an outsider’s perspective, Cao Zirui was shocked to realize how cowardly and selfish he was acting.

“No!” He retorted loudly. His voice was no longer tense, only resolute. “Living freely and only for oneself is nothing more than an excuse to shirk responsibility.”

He had been taught the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique, and his food, clothing, and shelter were all provided by the sect. He had no way to repay the sect’s kindness in raising him, so he should contribute to its revitalization.

This had nothing to do with whether or not he would be the next sect leader. Rather, the moment he became a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect, he had tied himself to it irrevocably.

After coming to this realization, he was suddenly no longer afraid of shouldering such responsibility. Instead, he began to look forward to the day when he would become a truly qualified sect leader and lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to restore its former glory.

He realized that the tone of his rebuttal may have been a bit harsh, and glanced at Feng Ye with some worry.

There wasn’t even a trace of anger on Feng Ye’s face. Instead, he was smiling with a hint of relief.

Hao Chen saw that smile and immediately understood: Feng Ye was using reverse psychology. He knew that Feng Ye wasn’t one to shirk responsibility, or else he wouldn’t have taken action to save these people in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

After a moment of surprise, Cao Zirui came to this realization as well. He immediately bowed to Feng Ye and offered his thanks.

Fang Yang was the only one who was completely bewildered. What just happened? Why was Cao Zirui suddenly thanking Feng Ye?

He eyed his Useless Shixiong, but when Feng Ye showed no signs of explaining, he could only look toward his friend Cao Zirui.

Just as Cao Zirui was about to explain, the sound of a loud bell rang out across Lingxiao Sword Sect, startling everyone present.

Everyone realized what this bell meant – the ceremony was about to begin.

Cao Zirui quickly bid the three of them farewell. As the star of the show, he couldn’t be late.

“You can do it, ah!” Fang Yang shouted after Cao Zirui’s retreating figure.

Although Cao Zirui didn’t turn around, the firmness of his steps indicated his attitude.

When Cao Zirui’s figure faded into the distance, Feng Ye shifted his gaze upward toward the four giant characters “Lingxiao Sword Sect” that covered the entire mountainside, as well as the stone steps beside it that led to the summit.

He caught sight of a neatly arranged line of disciples descending the staircase, one stopping every ten steps with a sword in hand. 

These were the one hundred disciples guarding the pass.

The trial ceremony to appoint the next sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect was about to begin.

Everyone in the main square craned their necks, looking in the same direction.

Only one person stood out.

A handsome young man stood at one end of the square, gazing toward Feng Ye on the other side. He stared intently, all of the previous mockery and contempt absent from his face. Instead, his gaze held the tenderness of beholding a long-lost friend.

But as for what lay beneath that gentle exterior, nobody knew.

---

The Author Has Something To Say:

Regarding the amount of screen time…..the first volume is almost finished, and as you can see, there are essentially two parallel storylines: one about a master-disciple relationship, and one about the pursuit of Jianmu.

Xue Ren is the point where the two storylines converge.

Therefore, the main character’s screen time in the first volume might be less than in typical stories. I tried my best to control it, but some things really couldn’t be described from the protagonist’s perspective. 

As for the lack of focus and overshadowing of the main plot, I’ve done a lot of reflection. Fang Yang indeed had too big of a role in the Floating Island Secret Realm, and I sometimes veered off-topic when writing. Ultimately, this is because my writing skills aren’t up to par. Thank you all for understanding. ❤️

---

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Chapter 85 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 87

Ch 21 – The Three of Us

“Yu Xi, what do you think everyone lives for?” The big white dog was sitting in the grass, gazing up at the starry sky.

“Living every minute and second to the fullest!” The round robot vacuum cleaner exclaimed cheerfully.

The big white dog sighed, seeming deeply troubled: “I just feel like it’s all so absurd.”

Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“I don’t understand why anyone would enjoy squeezing into a bar to dance or falling in love. I used to think that the former represented a sort of rebellious joy, and that the latter was something far more sacred.” The big white dog continued, “But nothing seems to be as I once thought.”

Yu Xi asked him: “Then what are you thinking now?”

“I’m thinking: and then what?” The big white dog said, “You had your revelry, and then what? You fell in love, and then what?”

“There’s no point to any of it. Do you know about fortune-telling?”

“Fortune-telling is a sham, but what if? What if such a thing existed, and it told you that tomorrow wouldn’t be any better? Would people still go on living?” The big white dog stared intently at Yu Xi.

“But we ourselves are capable of changing quite a lot of things.” Yu Xi rolled a few paces back.

The big white dog seemed to realize that he was scaring him. With a somewhat sheepish look, he pressed his two paws together: “Not enough…..”

*

*

“You’re asking me?” Kersz looked on as Tau worked on his handicrafts.

Tau was learning how to make crafts by following along with an old-school educational show that Yu Xi played for him, and had asked Yu Xi for some paper and white glue.

Tau completely ignored Kersz.

As Kersz continued to watch, Yu Xi had suddenly told him about a dream he’d had, and asked him if humans ever felt that they didn’t know what they were living for.

Kersz gave it some serious thought: “Yeah, definitely.”

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up slightly.

“How should I put it…..it just seems like everyone is putting on an act,” Kersz said.

Yu Xi felt a twinge of trepidation upon hearing these words. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but he didn’t interrupt.

“Sometimes I envy those people who can find happiness in alcohol and sex, because I can’t. I can’t even comprehend it.” Kersz continued, “Oh~ maybe I did get it at one point, because I used to watch those racy videos behind my parents backs, and I even experimented with alcohol.”

“But those things did nothing for my anger, and didn’t give me an answer either,” Kersz said with a hint of helplessness.

Yu Xi reached out and clutched the front of his clothes: “An answer to what?”

“To whether I was just a living corpse in the past, animated by the notion that everything would eventually get better.” Kersz shrugged.

Yu Xi lowered his eyes.

“And what about Mr. Yu Xi?” Kersz asked.

“I….I don’t know.” Yu Xi sat on the sofa, staring blankly.

He thought for a moment, then looked up at Kersz and said: “But I really like you.”

“Thanks.” Kersz sat down next to him.

At some point, Tau had stopped what he was doing and turned to look at them.

“My energy will eventually run out, and I’ll die too.” Yu Xi touched his chest. “I won’t start up again.”

“Then do you feel like waiting for it is painful?” Kersz asked.

“I don’t know.” Yu Xi shook his head. “I’m just doing what I always do.”

He had started out as nothing more than a robot vacuum cleaner, and once his program was set, he would just sweep the floor every day.

The ancient humans hadn’t taken him with them, so he just continued to live day by day.

Yu Xi had not gone in search of meaning. He just tried to do something new every day, until the new things became old and the things he liked ceased holding any novelty.

Day after day, day after day…..was it painful?

If he were to extract his own power source and destroy it, perhaps it would all come to an end.

He could actively bring an end to it all.

Yu Xi went slightly tense.

“Mr. Yu?” Kersz noticed that Yu Xi’s pupils were dilating and constricting over and over, until they nearly engulfed his irises. “Mr. Yu! Are you okay?!”

Tau set down the craft he was holding.

Yu Xi had always lived his own life on his planet, and could fill it with noise using the sound emitters strewn across it.

Why exactly had he done anything? Even he couldn’t say.

Perhaps he was waiting for something?

But he didn’t like the answers that big white dog gave him in his dream, and he didn’t particularly like Kersz’s either.

“Mr. Yu Xi?” Kersz gave him a shake.

He was a first-generation artificial unintelligence.

[People of the past loved to imbue all sorts of things with meaning.] The glowing ancient human said to Yu Xi. [All manner of celebrations, all manner of relationships. They even went so far as to invent the word ‘destiny.’ How fascinating.]

“But even my birth was a form of destiny.” Yu Xi pointed at himself.

[No, your birth was a coincidence. It had nothing to do with destiny, just a series of irrational human coincidences.] The human touched Yu Xi’s head with a glowing tentacle.

“But I like the word ‘destiny,’” said Yu Xi.

[Very good. You have the right to like it.] The human continued to stroke Yu Xi’s head.

“But it’s not real?” 

[Correct. It is just like a myth.]

Yu Xi snapped out of his memories and turned his head somewhat stiffly to look at Kersz: “Where are we going next?”

“I have an old comrade on a third-class planet situated on the frontier. Of course, he isn’t some Illegitimate. Our relationship is actually pretty decent,” Kersz said. “He might have some connections that’ll allow us to search for the central hub of the Facai system.”

“Then do you still intend to kill the Supreme Governor?” Yu Xi asked.

“I do, but I’m not in any rush. I’ll get my chance eventually,” Kersz said.

Tau sent Kersz a wary look.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi: “We’re not going.”

Kersz: “Ah?”

Tau was also briefly taken aback.

“Perhaps you’re right, and everything is meaningless.” Yu Xi suddenly slumped over. “If everything is such a void…..then the three of us should just wait here for the final end.”

Kersz: “…..What end?”

Yu Xi: “Death.”

Kersz fell silent.

Then he sucked in a sharp breath: “Now wait just a minute. It’s true that I’m angry all the time, but I have no plans to die.”

“Your anger won’t change anything.” Ever since having that dream, Yu Xi had felt trapped, like he was stuck inside a tiny box, utterly powerless.

“I can accept death.” Tau was indifferent. Dying here would be the perfect way to protect his father.

Kersz glanced at him, then asked Yu Xi: “Then what about that planet hanging around your neck? Are you going to put it back?”

“I don’t want to put it back. It’s too painful to look at.” Yu Xi couldn’t understand how his emotions had become so intense. This was actually rather abnormal, but he couldn’t control it.

And after hearing Kersz’s answer, he felt even more out of sorts.

“Oh,” said Kersz. “So will it explode after we die?”

Yu Xi: “Probably.”

Kersz: “Will our human civilization be wiped out with it?”

Yu Xi thought for a moment, then said again in a resigned tone: “Probably.”

Tau: “Pull yourself together. You can’t die.”

“But what else can I do?” Yu Xi’s pupils began to dilate and constrict again. He was anxious. It was the first time he had ever felt such anxiety, or perhaps simply the first time he had ever confronted it.

If nothing meant anything, then why had he lived alone for so long?

Clearly, he could have ended it long ago.

Yu Xi slowly closed his eyes, deciding to wait for death right where he was.

“This is bad, this is bad…..” Kersz scratched his head in agitation. He came to the conclusion that all of this might have been caused by that single remark he made. Had he known that the answer was so important to Yu Xi, he would have just made something up.

After fretting for a moment, Kersz crouched down in front of him: “Actually, living in this world is really interesting.”

Yu Xi opened his eyes to look at him, then closed them again.

It was clear that Kersz’s situation carried absolutely no persuasive power for Yu Xi.

“Live. You have to live.” Tau grabbed Yu Xi by the collar, but Kersz immediately knocked his hand away.

“Don’t jostle him. Now, wrack your brains and come up with something to convince him.” Kersz pulled Yu Xi into his arms.

“Convince him of what?” Tau had played all manner of characters, and when he applied himself, he was actually impressively eloquent. He just worried that since Yu Xi had lived for so long, his eloquence would have no effect on him.

Tau continued to press: “What do you want me to convince him of?” He had to at least try.

Kersz: “I want you to convince him to cherish life again.”

Tau, who had been produced as a disposable weapon: …..

He seemed to serve as nothing more than a cautionary tale.

“Can’t you do it?” Tau asked Kersz.

“He just asked me a question, and I gave him the wrong answer.” Kersz was about ready to crumble. How could he convince him? He was a lone space pirate who went around stirring up trouble with complete disregard for his life. Who the hell would be convinced if the words “cherish life” came out of his mouth?

Tau and Kersz exchanged a look.

Tau: “Is it just the two of us here?”

Kersz: “Have you seen any other humans?”

Tau fell silent.

Kersz: “If all else fails, couldn’t you use your communicator to ask someone on your father’s side?”

Tau: “So you do know I’ve been sending messages.”

Kersz: “Who cares. Find a therapist…..or just ask your father directly. Isn’t he a pampered old bastard? He’s certain to find life especially rewarding.”

Tau didn’t share this opinion: “Power and money are fleeting, and his insatiability might come across as greed. I don’t think he’s the right person to answer such questions.”

Kersz stared at Tau, and even Yu Xi opened his eyes.

“He opened his eyes!” Tau exclaimed, pointing at Yu Xi.

“So you actually know your father is a piece of trash, ah?” Kersz pulled Yu Xi a little closer as he spoke.

“I don’t know anyone else. I have no friends.” Tau didn’t answer the question.

Kersz didn’t have any friends either.

Yu Xi…..Yu Xi had met two humans, and he had spent a very, very long time all alone.

Could the three of them band together to tackle the issue of nihilism and become more positive?

What a joke.

Kersz and Tau both stared blankly, while Yu Xi felt his disordered state subside ever so slightly.

Just for now, he felt warm.

Warm from the heat of a human body.

---

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22

These two Believers had arrived at a convenient time; Chu Jiubian had actually been planning to summon them both.

“Send them into the Divine Realm first,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll be there once I finish bathing.”

[Okay.] The System was often very well-behaved and cooperative, which pleased Chu Jiubian.

He was bored just soaking in the water, so Chu Jiubian said: “Can you show me what they’re doing? Is there a screen I can watch?”

[There is, Host. Voice transcription does not have a point requirement, but projecting images into the real world costs three points each time. Are you sure you want to project the image?]

Chu Jiubian: “……”

“From now on, just assume we’ve haggled and give me the resulting price.”

The System now seemed to have “mastered” the rules of haggling, and would always choose the middle value.

Since it had said three points, this indicated that Chu Jiubian could haggle it down to one point and the System would settle with him at two points.

Chu Jiubian was initially quite happy with this haggling process and thought he was getting a good deal. 

But ever since he had learned that all of these miscellaneous features were arbitrarily priced by the System itself, he felt that he was losing out no matter what, and couldn’t be bothered to complain about it.

The System paused for a moment before responding: [Okay, Host. Two points have been deducted. Image projecting now.]

Chu Jiubian placed his arms on the edge of the tub and rested his chin on his wrist.

The screen before him displayed the scene in the Divine Realm.

Situ Zhaoling was clad in a light purple dress that further enhanced her already beautiful features, making her appear even more charming.

The phoenix in the Divine Realm seemed to hold a particular fondness for her, and caught her before she could even fall, circling around the Divine Realm with a joyful cry.

Situ Zhaoling had not come empty-handed today.

She was holding a flower pot in her left hand, in which a cotton flower had already bloomed.

Under her other arm she carried various pieces of silk in a multitude of colors, which, as the phoenix carried her soaring through the air, seemed to cast a colorful halo around them.

Wang Qichen had only brought a few pieces of paper, so had entered the Divine Realm before her.

At that moment, he was standing beside the table, and was momentarily dazed as he stared up at the scene before him.

Had he not known that only the High Priest and his Believers could enter the Divine Realm, he would have thought he was beholding a goddess.

Even with her hands full, Situ Zhaoling didn’t forget to pay attention to the golden phoenix.

She leaned down and gently rubbed her cheek against the phoenix’s fluffy feathers, saying with a smile: “Good phoenix, please let me down now.”

The golden phoenix slowly descended to the ground before dissipating into a wisp of mist.

As Situ Zhaoling landed safely, the mist reformed mid-air into a golden phoenix again, which then soared into the clouds and vanished from sight.

Only its occasional cries, mixed with the roars of a dragon, let one know that it still existed in this world.

Situ Zhaoling noticed someone standing nearby after landing, but she still bowed to the High Priest with her items in hand.

Knowing that the High Priest sometimes arrived a bit late, she rose of her own volition after receiving no response to her customary greeting. She piled everything in her arms onto the table, then let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at the extra person who had appeared.

She had known previously that the High Priest had other followers, but this was the first time she had actually seen one, and she couldn’t help but observe Wang Qichen curiously.

The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became.

“This young master is incredibly handsome,” she said, being very generous with her compliments.

Compared to the reserved young ladies in the capital, she was much more outgoing and expressive.

Wang Qichen had rarely encountered a woman who expressed her admiration so directly, but his surprise lasted a mere moment before he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: “Thanking the young lady for her kind words. If not for the fact that only the High Priest and his followers can enter the Divine Realm, I would have thought I had seen a fairy.”

His words were genuine. He was accustomed to speaking to others in such a manner, so even if his words were somewhat glib or pandering, they sounded sincere when coming from him.

Situ Zhaoling smiled at once, saying: “The young master is truly eloquent.”

She took a couple of steps toward him and performed the greeting customary to the Nanjiang people: “I am Situ Zhaoling of the Nanjiang Stronghold. May I know the young master’s name?”

Wang Qichen was astounded.

It turned out that she was the princess of Nanjiang. Even someone of her status was a follower of the High Priest.

He found it hard to believe, but at the same time, it seemed perfectly logical.
Despite his surprise, he maintained a smile and gave a respectful bow, saying: “This one is Wang Qichen, the young master of the Langya Wang clan. The princess can simply call me by my name.”

“So you are the renowned Young Master Jiyue. No wonder you possess such an extraordinary and refined demeanor.” Situ Zhaoling’s eyes gleamed.

Although she was far away in Nanjiang, she had heard of a flamboyant and dissolute young man in the capital named Wang Jiyue, who was mostly known for “rescuing people from prostitution.”

Regardless of whether they were male or female prostitutes, as long as they possessed a decent character and sought his help, he would aid them.

Therefore, countless men and women of the jianghu regarded him with mixed feelings, both loving and hating him.

He was praised for his sense of justice, and criticized for his philandering.

These feelings of love and hate stemmed directly from his face and his dissolute, spoiled nature.

Situ Zhaoling had long wished to see what kind of person he was, and today, she finally got her chance. He was even more handsome than she had imagined!

“Young Master Wang looks a bit older than me, so how about I call you Wang-dage from now on?” she said.

Wang Qichen had noticed how informal and easygoing this girl was, so he didn’t stand on ceremony: “Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Xiao Ling.”

“Okay, ah,” Situ Zhaoling said, smiling so broadly that her eyes were barely visible. “I have a little twin brother at home who’s always wanted a big brother. Today, his wish can finally be fulfilled.”

These two extremely outgoing people hit it off immediately, and practically became sworn siblings after exchanging just a few sentences.

After recognizing one another as brother and sister, Wang Qichen brought up the topic of her fabrics. He was particularly fond of the light pink one, and touched it again and again, unable to put it down. He even held it up to his face and asked Situ Zhaoling if it would look good on him.

Situ Zhaoling’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously in agreement: “My big brother looks good in everything.”

Chu Jiubian was so amused that he couldn’t stop smiling.

The two of them chatted about everything from what colors and styles of clothes to make, to how to open a shop and use these fabrics to compete with the silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, while Chu Jiubian leisurely finished bathing and then entered the Divine Realm.

The two immediately noticed his arrival and cut off their conversation, rising to bow.

Chu Jiubian then called out to them, and they proceeded to report on their recent achievements.

Silk could be produced in large quantities, a method for cultivating cotton had been developed, and Wang Qichen’s new paper was also ready to be sold.

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with their efficiency.

Since the two had just been discussing how to open a shop, Chu Jiubian didn’t beat around the bush, and directly stated his plans.

He instructed Situ Zhaoling to take a portion of the silk to the Divine Realm and give it to Wang Qichen, who would be responsible for opening a shop in the capital to help her sell the fabrics.

Having just discussed this subject, the two now had even more ideas and were eager to put them into action.

Regarding the matter of the new paper, Wang Qichen intended to use it to strike a blow against the main branch of the Wang family.

He had his own plan, so Chu Jiubian didn’t interfere much. He just said that they could keep a portion of the profits from the silk and papermaking businesses, and the rest could be brought to the Divine Realm.

The two didn’t want any benefits, but they were unable to refuse.

After leaving the Divine Realm, they all became busy with their own affairs, and only then did Wang Qichen belatedly remember that he had planned to ask the High Priest about his relationship with Chu Jiubian. Oh well, he would ask him next time.

While these two events were in full swing, the troops heading to the Northwest had already been on their journey for half a month.

The army was encamped on a plain, and campfires stretched out in lines as far as the eye could see, resembling a sea of flames.

Inside the commander’s tent, the space was empty but for a single makeshift bed.

Qin Xiao lay on the blanket fully clothed. The constant traveling over the past few days had tanned his skin, making him look even stronger and more vigorous.

Resting his left hand behind his head, he held his right hand in front of his eyes as he ran slender, calloused fingers gently across a silk handkerchief.

The corners of the silk handkerchief were embroidered with pure white jasmine flowers.

“Who gave you that?” A male voice suddenly rang out inside the tent.

Qin Xiao stood up. He slowly folded the silk handkerchief and placed it into his pocket before finally raising his eyes to look toward the source of the voice.

The young man was dressed in black, and possessed a tall, striking figure. Carrying a bundle on his back, he wore a half-mask which revealed a pair of deep, bright eyes.

Not at all surprised by his arrival, Qin Xiao sat down on the edge of the bed, saying: “I didn’t think you would show up here.”

“I didn’t come to the Northwest just for you.” Qin Chuan walked over and sat down beside him.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him: “Then you have business here?”

“En, I was asked to deliver this.” Qin Chuan didn’t waste any words. He took the package on his back and handed it to him. “I got this for you. Open it and take a look.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and opened the package.

Inside was the small repeating crossbow that the High Priest had bestowed upon Qin Chuan.

Qin Xiao took it out with some surprise, and after examining it briefly, he quickly realized what it was.

“What is its range?”

“It shoots farther than a bow and is more accurate…..” Qin Chuan grew excited when he was talking about weapons, and rattled off a multitude of information in one breath before finally adding, “Most importantly, it can fire repeatedly!”

He gestured to the quiver inside the package and said: “There are at least fifty bolts. It’s more than enough to catch someone by surprise.”

This repeating crossbow was exactly to Qin Xiao’s liking, and he couldn’t help but take a bolt and shoot it at the ground inside the tent.

With a thud, the crossbow bolt embedded itself deeply into the ground.

“It really is good.” Qin Xiao paced over to retrieve the bolt. “Where did you get it? Give me some more at some point.”

“There is only one of these for now. Remember to return it to me once you’re done using it; I need to have a craftsman take a look at it,” Qin Chuan said.

Qin Xiao nodded: “Alright.”

“And then there’s this.” Qin Chuan walked over and took a bottle of penicillin out of his pocket, handing it to him. “This medicine can prevent wounds from festering, but it needs to be tested first. Take one pill, and I’ll leave tonight if you’re fine.”

The porcelain bottle was opaque, so he couldn’t see what was inside. But when Qin Xiao opened the lid and poured out a pill, his heart skipped a beat.

“Who gave this to you?” His tone had become somewhat urgent.

Qin Chuan raised his eyebrows. He knew exactly why the other party had reacted that way, and said: “It wasn’t Grand Tutor Chu.”

Qin Xiao frowned slightly: “Then who was it?”

Qin Chuan had already attempted to mention the High Priest to others, but the words simply wouldn’t leave his mouth.

He tried again now, but was still unable to utter the title “The High Priest.”

He could only say: “You don’t need to worry about it. With Grand Tutor Chu around, that person is highly unlikely to hurt you.”

After receiving the medicine from the High Priest, he had asked Qin Chaoyang to sound out Chu Jiubian’s attitude, and the response he received was that the medicine could be used without worry.

There was no need to doubt the relationship between Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. Since Chu Jiubian had said that the High Priest could be trusted and that the medicine could be given to Qin Xiao, Qin Chuan could rest at ease.

Who was it?

Who?

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t ask further questions.

Unless it was something that truly could not be revealed, Qin Chuan had no reason to hide anything from him.

Since that was the case, there was no need to press the other party.

The only one who could produce the same type of pills as Chu Jiubian, and who could also be connected to him, would seem to be a similar “god.”

Was it the High Priest who had appeared in the Northern Desert?

He was indeed connected to Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao had previously speculated that these two deities were the same person, but now, it seemed they were not.

But if they weren’t the same person, what was their relationship?

Qin Chuan watched him swallow the pill, and his manner of speech became less casual: “Do you know why this was given to you?”

Qin Xiao looked up at him and said: “I will suffer an injury.”

“Yes.”

“Then it won’t kill me,” said Qin Xiao.

Qin Chuan frowned. He wanted to say something, but ultimately refrained.

Although they were biological brothers, they had been separated at a young age and only reconnected in their teenage years.

Before he met Qin Chuan, Qin Xiao hadn’t even known he had a younger brother.

Having been separated for so long, and lacking a strong emotional foundation, the relationship between the brothers remained awkward and strained.

Neither of them was particularly adept at expressing their emotions, and they were accustomed to hiding their true feelings. As a result, even after knowing each other for so many years, they still couldn’t communicate openly and honestly with each other.

Qin Xiao stowed away the repeating crossbow and sat back down on the bed.

Qin Chuan sat down as well, saying: “You get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“En.” Qin Xiao gave a nod, then added: “What you’re here to do – is it safe?”

“Very safe.”

Qin Xiao had nothing more to say.

The two brothers remained silent for a long moment before Qin Xiao finally lay down.

But he couldn’t fall asleep. A multitude of thoughts flooded his mind.

At one moment, he was thinking about how he would take more guards with him when he reached the next county, then he was wondering how things were going in the Northwest, and then he dwelled on how Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong were doing back in the capital.

Finally, he couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between Chu Jiubian and the High Priest.

Qin Chuan sat there for some time. Then he turned his head and noticed that although Qin Xiao had his eyes closed, he wasn’t asleep.

After a pause, he ultimately asked: “Are there any adverse reactions?”

“None,” Qin Xiao said without opening his eyes.

A while later, Qin Chuan asked again: “Who gave you that handkerchief?”

“It’s mine,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chuan: “Then who else has touched it?”

Qin Xiao opened his eyes and gave him a look: “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh.” Qin Chuan fell silent.

Qin Xiao closed his eyes, and actually fell asleep after a while.

Qin Chuan sat at his bedside through the night, and when he noticed nothing unusual, he slipped out of the tent at the approach of dawn.

Without lingering long, he followed the address given to him by the High Priest and traveled all the way to Shandong to find Lu Yao.

Qin Xiao departed from Northern Zhili, leading an army of 50,000 men.

Although he hadn’t brought Qin Chaoyang with him, he did bring Cheng Shuo, the deputy commander of the Capital Garrison.

Over two meters tall, Cheng Shuo was thirty-eight years old and sported a robust physique. He wielded a spear with exceptional skill and had previously accompanied Grand Commandant Qin into battle, achieving victory in every engagement.

When Grand Commandant Qin led his army back to the capital to support Emperor Yingzong’s ascension to the throne, it was his presence that prevented various factions from making any rash moves.

The fact that Qin Xiao had brought him along as his second-in-command on this campaign clearly indicated that his purpose was not to negotiate peace.

Naturally, others knew that the “peace negotiations” were simply a pretext. Neither Moba Zanpu of the Western Regions nor the various factions within the territory of Great Ning intended to allow Qin Xiao to leave Gansu alive.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Qin Xiao had prepared for the worst.

He traveled from Northern Zhili to Shanxi, passing through numerous cities and prefectures along the way. Using his military authority, he recruited half of each local garrison into his westward-bound army, so that by the time they reached Shanxi, the 50,000 soldiers he had brought from the capital had swelled to 110,000!

However, due to the long procession of people, the rate of the army’s movement slowed.

By the time they arrived in northwestern Shanxi, it was already the last day of the given period of one month.

Moba Zanpu’s army of 130,000 had set up camp near the Hexi corridor a month ago. In his letter, he had requested that Qin Xiao arrive at that location for “peace talks” before the end of the month.

At present, Qin Xiao had reached the border between Shanxi and Gansu, only a day’s journey from where the rival army was located.

Rather than ordering a halt for rest, he continued onward, planning to rest only after reaching the designated location.

And that night, he did indeed arrive at the designated location before midnight. He sent messengers on horseback to the Sai Kingdom encampment several dozen kilometers away, informing Moba Zanpu of his arrival and asking him to decide when the peace talks should begin the following day.

When the message arrived slightly before midnight, Moba Zanpu, who was personally leading the army on this campaign, was holding a grand banquet in the main tent.

Sitting in the main seat, he wore a tall, round-topped hat and dark, short-sleeved garments. His eyes were deep-set, and his face bore a fierce expression.

Even when calmly looking at someone, he seemed to be glaring fiercely.

Sitting in the seat next to him was a young man dressed in dark red robes embroidered with golden dragons, his black hair neatly tied up with a golden hair ornament.

His stature was like that of a cypress tree, and his bearing was extraordinary.

Further down on either side of the aisle, four seats were arranged facing each other.

Those seated were clearly divided into two groups. On one side were the military leaders and officials from the Western Regions, and on the other side were the strategists and commanders under Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu.

The two groups mingled freely, clinking cups and chatting merrily. With graceful dancers and enchanting music, it truly seemed as if they were “one big happy family.”

It was as if no one had noticed the subordinate who had rushed in to deliver a report, nor the letter in Moba Zanpu’s hand.

“Your Highness Dingbei-wang.” Moba Zanpu tossed the letter to the ground and glanced sideways at the young man next to him. “You previously said that even at a forced march, it would be impossible to reach this place from the capital in less than a month, yet the Imperial Army has already arrived.”

Bai Liyu toyed with his wine cup between his fingertips, saying in a languid tone: “Truly? Perhaps Ning-wang walked faster.”

Moba Zanpu stared at him intently with slightly narrowed eyes: “Does Dingbei-wang perhaps think that only people from the Central Plains possess brains?”

“What do you mean by that?” Bai Liyu seemed somewhat surprised.

Moba Zanpu smiled coldly: “You calculated precisely that Ning-wang would arrive on the last day, didn’t you? This was a trick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Stop pretending!” Moba Zanpu suddenly slammed his hand down on the table. Those below, who had been laughing and chatting boisterously as if drunk, went quiet all at once. Their eyes instantly became clearer and more alert.

The music players and dancers stopped simultaneously, as if struck dumb.

Bai Liyu, however, calmly poured himself a cup of wine. Only then did he look up at Moba Zanpu in the main seat and give a light chuckle.

He had absolutely done it on purpose.

The details of the deal with Moba Zanpu were very simple.

The other party would help him lure Qin Xiao into a trap, and once he was eliminated, Bai Liyu would cede Gansu to the Sai Kingdom.

Moba Zanpu would also “generously” give Qin Xiao a deadline, and if he failed to arrive by that time, the Sai Army would have reason to massacre the city’s inhabitants.

But when the time came, Moba Zanpu would “benevolently” refrain from massacring the people, and instead spread rumors about the incompetence of Great Ning’s Imperial Court. Subsequently, he would gain the support of the people of Gansu.

This was an excellent deal for Moba Zanpu, and it also allowed Bai Liyu to get rid of Qin Xiao.

However, the consequence of this plan would be that the perpetually low-profile Dingbei-wang would be branded as “incompetent” or even a “traitor,” which would severely damage his future plans.

Therefore, Bai Liyu had intentionally set Qin Xiao’s time limit to one month. The hundred thousand-strong army would be able to reach their destination from the capital within that time at a forced march.

According to his understanding of the man, Qin Xiao was someone who always strove to maximize his own interests.

He would make full use of this month, recruiting troops along the way, and work to arrive right at the last moment in order to not waste a single day.

As expected, Qin Xiao had arrived on the very last day.

Meanwhile, those whom Bai Liyu had stationed in Shanxi and Gansu Prefectures and the surrounding counties also began to take action this morning.

These people were to do nothing else but ensure that one message was spread far and wide.

The contents of the message were as follows: Ning-wang Qin Xiao arrived on the agreed date, but Moba Zanpu went back on his word and threatened to massacre the city’s inhabitants. Dingbei-wang purposely allowed himself to be stabbed by Moba Zanpu, thus preventing the massacre and giving Ning-wang the extra day he needed to reach the city.

Like this, Bai Liyu’s reputation would no longer be that of an “incompetent captive,” nor would he be considered a traitor.

He was willing to take a stab from the enemy to protect the common people. 

Bai Liyu would be considered a benevolent ruler in the hearts of the common people of Shanxi and Gansu, and indeed, throughout the entire territory of Great Ning.

Even having been captured when the city first fell, he could gradually change the common people’s perception in the aftermath and become a prince without blemish, one who enjoyed the love and respect of the common people.

His actions would completely disrupt Moba Zanpu’s plan, and even deal him a counterblow.

In the eyes of the people of Gansu, he was already a cruel foreign ruler.

Even if this transaction went as planned, with Qin Xiao dead and Gansu handed over to the Sai Kingdom, Moba Zanpu would still be unable to win the hearts of the common people.

And so, when Bai Liyu and the Imperial Court set out to reclaim Gansu later on, it would be in accordance with the will of the common people.

Moba Zanpu was no fool – he knew exactly what was going on when these rumors began to spread.

Tonight’s banquet could be considered a hongmen banquet, a feast of ill omen.

“Without my permission, you dared to spread rumors in order to enhance your own reputation.” A murderous gleam flashed through Moba Zanpu’s eyes. “Dingbei-wang certainly has some clever tricks up his sleeve.”

Bai Liyu gave a light chuckle: “When Zanpu ordered people to bring mandala into the territory of our Great Ning, he didn’t ask this lord’s permission either.”

Mandala had spread from the other man’s territory, and if not for Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s decisive methods, this would have truly resulted in a great disaster.

Even if the matter turned out to be unrelated to Bai Liyu, the Imperial Court would still hold him accountable, and the common people would harbor considerable resentment toward him.

At present, he was only retaliating. What was so wrong with that?

Seeing how dark Moba Zanpu’s expression had become, Bai Liyu smiled again and said in a gentler tone: “We’re even now. But the deal still stands; as long as Lord Ning-wang is out of the picture, Gansu is yours.”

Moba Zanpu sneered: “How easy do you think it will be to get rid of Ning-wang when he has a 110,000-strong army?”

If he’d only had the original 50,000 troops he’d brought from the capital, Moba Zanpu might have been able to hold his own against him in battle, and perhaps even conquer Shanxi Prefecture.

But with 110,000 troops in the enemy’s hands and 130,000 in his own, there was really no need for a direct confrontation.

In any case, Dingbei-wang would have to find another method to kill Qin Xiao, and there were also other forces within Great Ning who wanted him eliminated. Therefore, this “outsider” could simply sit back and watch both sides fight it out.

Since he had already entered Gansu, even if Ning-wang didn’t die, Dingbei-wang wouldn’t be able to reclaim the city.

“This lord has his own plans. Zanpu only needs to go through the motions,” said Bai Liyu.

Moba Zanpu looked at him intently.

After a while, he directed his gaze toward the dancers, then tilted his head back and drained his cup of wine.

The music recommenced, and as the tense atmosphere dissipated, everyone resumed drinking and toasting.

*

*

The Capital City.

Inside Yaotai Residence.

The night was dark and deep. After nearly a month of clear skies, a light rain began today.

Raindrops pattered down continuously, and the weather grew cold.

Chu Jiubian had several hot water bottles in his bed, making it warm and cozy.

But he wasn’t sleepy at all.

Qin Xiao had been gone for a month now, and should have arrived at his destination. He wondered if everything was going smoothly.

However, the man was too far away. Even if a message was sent by the fastest possible means, it would have lost its relevance by the time it arrived. 

But if Qin Xiao were his Believer, Chu Jiubian would be able to observe his condition at any time.

He wasn’t worried that misfortune would befall the other man; he simply desired firsthand information so that he could be prepared in case of any unexpected situations in the Northeast.

With this in mind, Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

---

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Chapter 61 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 63

Ch. 85 – With Pleasure

“Shixiong, hurry up, ah!” Fang Yang paced back and forth, like an arrow ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

Feng Ye hurriedly put on his boots, saying somewhat helplessly: “It’s barely dawn. There’s still some time before the ceremony begins.”

“I know, I’m just….just….looking forward to it.” Fang Yang scratched his head and grinned with a mouthful of white teeth, his face awash with undisguised anticipation.

The protagonist of today’s trial ceremony was Cao Zirui, but Fang Yang was so excited that he leaped out of bed before dawn, then ran over and impatiently urged his shixiong to accompany him to the main square.

But Fang Yang couldn’t be blamed for this. After all, this was the ceremony to select the next sect leader, which was a highly significant once-in-a-century event.

Setting aside the former sect leader, whose term had lasted only a short time, Lingxiao Sword Sect generally changed its sect leader once every three or four hundred years.

Cultivators were longer-lived than ordinary people, and the higher their cultivation level, the longer their lifespan grew.

It was a given that one must reach Nascent Soul stage to be a sect leader, so compared to mortal emperors who were replaced every few decades, it was much rarer for a sect to choose a new sect leader.

Although Cao Zirui would not immediately take up his duties, this ceremony was similar to the investiture ceremony of a crown prince. It was merely a preliminary appointment, but still of great significance.

Such a once-in-a-lifetime event was someone that no one would want to miss, and onlookers were not prohibited at the ceremony. Therefore, regardless of their duties or cultivation levels, everyone planned to come out and watch the excitement today, as well as witness the strength of their next sect leader.

The trial ceremony was to be held in the main square, on the thousand-step stone staircase leading to the mountaintop. There was a checkpoint every ten steps, for a total of one hundred checkpoints and one hundred disciples to defend them.

The list of these one hundred disciples have been finalized two days ago. All of them were at least at Foundation Establishment stage, with some of them having even reached Golden Core.

This was actually quite a difficult challenge for Cao Zirui, because he had only been a disciple for a year. Although he was a genius, his time here was too short, and his current cultivation level was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Although Cao Zirui had won first place in the Foundation Establishment tournament to determine who would enter the Floating Island Secret Realm, it had consisted of one-on-one duels with rest periods between each match. But this time, he would be facing consecutive rounds of competition, which substantially increased the difficulty level.

And among those guarding the staircase were Golden Core stage cultivators who were an entire realm higher than Cao Zirui. It was generally considered impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to defeat someone at Golden Core stage.

Of course, this was a ceremony to pre-establish the next sect leader. It was ultimately just for ritual purposes, and wouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge.

This trial did not allow for the use of spiritual power, and was solely a contest of sword skill. The way of the sword depended more on one’s own comprehension, and had relatively less to do with the amount of time spent cultivating.

Although Feng Ye had never personally witnessed Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship, having not watched his previous duel, he surmised that Ji Chengyue’s willingness to let him participate in the challenge meant that he had confidence in his disciple’s swordsmanship.

“Shixiong, are you ready yet? So many people are going to watch today, and we won’t get a good spot if we’re late!” Shortly after his first prompt, Fang Yang urged him again.

“I’m ready, I’m ready.” Feng Ye stood up and straightened his robes, then followed Fang Yang outside.

The instant he stepped out of the dorm, he was unsurprised to find Hao Chen waiting outside.

Hao Chen gave Feng Ye a smile, then offered the snacks he had prepared, saying solicitously: “This ceremony will probably take a long time, and it might go through lunch. I worried that Fellow Daoist Feng Ye would be hungry, so I brought him some snacks to try.”

Feng Ye glanced at the snacks in Hao Chen’s hand, but didn’t accept them immediately.

Ever since this fish realized that he had angered Feng Ye three days prior, he had attempted every means to serve and attend to him, wanting to use this thoughtful care to defuse Feng Ye’s temper.

Feng Ye wasn’t actually angry at all. These three days of giving Hao Chen the cold shoulder was actually….an act.

Why not give him the cold shoulder if it resulted in him waiting on Feng Ye hand and foot?

But there was a limit to everything. Pretending for too long could easily lead to slip-ups and the discovery that he had been faking it all along, so Feng Ye estimated that three days was just about right. He then reached out and selected a snack from Hao Chen’s hands, and said after tasting it: “Not bad.”

For the first time in three days, Feng Ye was signaling a willingness to reconcile with him. Hao Chen immediately pounced on this opportunity. Grasping a pastry between two fingers, he held it to Feng Ye’s lips with a smile: “Another one?”

Although having a pastry fed to him was an odd feeling, it was already at his lips. Reaching out to grab it seemed redundant, so Feng Ye simply accepted the pastry from Hao Chen’s hand.

As he chewed, he took another pastry from Hao Chen and handed it to Fang Yang.

Fang Yang thanked his shixiong and the pastry vendor at his side before digging in.

But as he ate, he felt that something was off about this whole situation. Would male friends normally feed each other snacks by hand?

However…..Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage had an unusually good relationship, and slept together as soon as they met. Compared to that, feeding each other snacks seemed like nothing.

Setting aside the strange feeling, Fang Yang swallowed the pastry and ran ahead to lead the way. Feng Ye and Hao Chen followed at a leisurely pace as the three of them made their way to the main square. Along the way, they met many other disciples who were on their way to watch the show.

As soon as dawn broke, the foot of the mountain was bustling prior to the once-in-a-century trial ceremony.

Meanwhile, at the summit of the mountain in Zhenwu Hall.

This was the primary meeting hall, where three days ago, Ji Chengyue made an announcement that shocked a great many people.

The fact that he chose Cao Zirui as his successor came as no surprise, because in every respect, Cao Zirui was indeed more promising than Xue Ren.

The timing was the surprising part. How old was Cao Zirui? He was just a youngster who had yet to reach adulthood. Choosing now to name him as the next sect leader seemed a bit hasty.

The stewards, as well as Elder Zhou, immediately raised objections to Ji Chengyue’s decision. But with his heart set on Cao Zirui, Ji Chengyue defied their protestations and scheduled the ceremony for today.

If it weren’t for the time needed to prepare for the ceremony, judging by his urgency, he likely wouldn’t have bothered to wait three days, and would have simply done it the next morning.

But why was Ji Chengyue in such a hurry? Nobody knew. Even Elder Zhou, whom Ji Chengyue respected the most out of anybody, received no response when he asked the man.

He was the sect leader, after all. So although many people doubted his decision, they went along with it anyway.

Zhenwu Hall was empty today, what with everyone preparing for the ceremony. They needed to rush in order to finish the preparations in only three days.

But the empty hall was not entirely deserted. Two people sat there facing each other.

“Shifu,” Cao Zirui called out to Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, resting with his eyes closed. At Cao Zirui’s call, he opened them and glanced in his direction.

He noticed that the boy’s brow was furrowed slightly. For the perpetually icy-faced Cao Zirui, even this slight frown was a significant change in expression.

The unusual change in expression, along with the rustle of Cao Zirui adjusting his posture as the two of them meditated, collectively revealed Cao Zirui’s inner tension and unease.

“No need to be nervous,” Ji Chengyue reassured him.

Cao Zirui was not comforted. He had barely left the sect more than a few times to gain experience, so it was impossible for him to avoid being nervous about his selection as the next sect leader.

“Shifu, isn’t this….too early?” Although many had already posed this question to Ji Chengyue, Cao Zirui couldn’t help giving voice to it himself at this moment.

He felt that he was not yet ready. He wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of managing an entire sect.

“It’s not too early.” In contrast to Cao Zirui’s hesitation, Ji Chengyue’s tone was very firm.

This was the decision he had come to after careful consideration that night.

The conflict between Cao Zirui and Xue Ren was actually very similar to the succession struggle between princes in the mortal realm. In order to avoid fratricide, a crown prince was established early on so that the other brothers would give up on their ambitions.

Therefore, Ji Chengyue planned to follow this example and utilize the trial ceremony to make Xue Ren give up completely.

He had chosen Cao Zirui as the next sect leader not because he favored him the most. In terms of emotional bonds, he was far closer to Xue Ren, who had been at his side for over twenty years. 

It was only that…..the selection of the sect leader could not be based on his personal likes or dislikes. He couldn’t just choose the person he liked best to fill the position.

The sect leader had a responsibility – to lift Lingxiao Sword Sect toward the sky.

And this responsibility was not one that Xue Ren could bear.

Although Xue Ren’s opinion on this differed, Ji Chengyue was firm in his belief.

Some things could not be done through intent alone. While hard work was vital, fate was even more so.

Ji Chengyue had also harbored a burning passion to surpass his shixiong, who possessed an exceptional single spiritual root. He cultivated day and night, but as a result, he fell farther and farther behind.

What did it matter if he was unwilling? This was fate.

He had been born with dual spiritual roots, while his shixiong was born with only one. Their starting points were different, so their potential was naturally different as well.

No matter how hard Xue Ren tried, he would only ever be the next Ji Chengyue. Therefore, after encountering Cao Zirui with his single spiritual root, Ji Chengyue quickly made up his mind.

And the journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm only further solidified his decision. Lingxiao Sword Sect had lingered at the bottom for a century, but with Cao Zirui participating this time, they had moved up one place in the rankings. Although Cao Zirui’s personal performance had not been ideal, this also illustrated a certain kind of luck.

He saw hope for the elevation of Lingxiao Sword Sect in Cao Zirui, and thus, he remained steadfast in his decision.

“If you’re really that nervous, go take a walk first. Just don’t be late for the start of the ceremony.” While remaining resolute, Ji Chengyue softened his voice.

Had Xue Ren not attempted to murder Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t have forced Cao Zirui to undergo the trial ceremony so early. After all, he was still so young…..

He knew he was placing a heavy responsibility on the young boy, but he had no other choice. This was the only way he could think of to protect both of his disciples.

“Understood, Shifu.” Cao Zirui’s eyes immediately brightened when he heard these words. He eagerly stood up from the meditation mat, then pushed open the door and left.

In his haste, he even forgot to close the door.

Ji Chengyue gazed after Cao Zirui’s hurried figure and shook his head helplessly. He had no doubt that the boy was going to find his little friend.

That was good. Sometimes, encouragement from a friend was more effective than advice from a teacher. Finding Fang Yang would help ease Cao Zirui’s mind.

Ji Chengyue’s fingertips twitched as he prepared to use spiritual power to close the door, but the sound of footsteps outside made him pause.

He could vaguely sense the identity of the person outside, and his feelings grew complicated.

Xue Ren walked in through the open door. He approached Ji Chengyue and bowed, calling out: “Shifu.”

Ji Chengyue gave a slight nod, and Xue Ren sat down cross-legged in front of him on the same meditation mat Cao Zirui had just used.

Then, neither of them spoke.

The room was silent as master and disciple faced each other, both unsure of what to say.

After a while, Ji Chengyue prompted: “Are you all packed up?”

Xue Ren said with a smile: “I am. Once today’s ceremony is over, I’ll set off.”

He spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if he had willingly accepted Ji Chengyue’s order to go to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm. 

But only three days ago, according to the disciple who delivered the message, Xue Ren’s face had been a terrifying rictus of fury.

Ji Chengyue had expected this understandable reaction.

He was prepared to face Xue Ren’s emotional outburst and questions, but Xue Ren had never sought him out.

And when he couldn’t help but go to Xue Ren himself, his disciple used various excuses to avoid seeing him.

Today was his first time seeing Xue Ren since announcing his decision, and his expression seemed very at ease.

It was as if in these three days, he had sorted himself out. As if, no longer dwelling on his narrow-minded jealousy, he was prepared to temper himself in the Cold Mountain Secret Realm.

If this was the case, it was the best possible outcome – and the outcome Ji Chengyue most desired to see.

Now that Xue Ren was ready to leave, Ji Chengyue couldn’t help but give him some instructions: “The Cold Mountain Secret Realm is bitterly cold. You should keep some warm wine in your storage bag, and take a sip to warm yourself if you reach the end of your endurance.”

Xue Ren acquiesced.

Ji Chengyue added: “What about the frostbite ointment? Remember to bring that too.”

“Even though you are already practicing inedia, you should still bring some easily-preserved dried fruit to satisfy your cravings during cultivation breaks.”

“And as for the cold-suppression medication…..”

Ji Chengyue unconsciously began to ramble. He had been the same way before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, and now it was Xue Ren’s turn to receive such treatment.

The concern hidden behind his usually stern expression was no less than what he had shown Cao Zirui. It was just subtle and difficult to detect.

But at this moment, Xue Ren no longer cared.

“Oh, right, and bring some warm wine…..” Ji Chengyue had said so much that he’d forgotten his words from before.

“Shifu, you already said that,” Xue Ren reminded him.

“I already…..” Ji Chengyue thought back, and realized that he really had. He wracked his brains, but it seemed that there was no further advice to give his disciple.

Silence fell once again.

“Shifu.” This time it was Xue Ren who broke the silence.

Ji Chengyue looked at Xue Ren.

Xue Ren tamped down the smile that seemed to be painted on his face, looking into Ji Chengyue’s eyes as he said seriously: “Shifu must have made the decision a long time ago, right? To choose my shidi as the next sect leader?”

“Therefore, you passed the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique down to my shidi, and never thought of teaching it to me.” Xue Ren posed this as a question, but his tone made it more like a statement of fact.

Ji Chengyue remained silent.

He had indeed made this decision some time ago. However, he hadn’t refrained from teaching Lingxiao Swordsmanship to Xue Ren because it could only be taught to the next sect leader, but because Xue Ren’s talent was insufficient to cultivate it.

But there was no point in explaining this now. The result was the same. He had never planned to pass Lingxiao Swordsmanship on to Xue Ren, so he kept his silence.

Xue Ren took this as a tacit agreement. Smiling, he abruptly stood up: “Then this disciple will take his leave. I still need to observe my shidi’s trial ceremony later.”

“A-Ren.”

As Xue Ren reached the door, Ji Chengyue suddenly called out an endearment he hadn’t used in a very long time.

Xue Ren came to a stop. Ji Chengyue wavered for a long moment, but was ultimately unable to keep from voicing his inner hope: “Are you willing to guard the one hundredth checkpoint?”

One hundred years ago, when Ling Yun challenged the thousand steps, the one guarding the final platform was Ji Chengyue. This was not just a challenge, but rather a sort of inheritance and recognition between fellow disciples.

Although Xue Ren and Cao Zirui were at odds, Ji Chengyue still hoped that the two of them could reconcile.

“It’s fine if you are unwilling. Just pretend I didn’t say anything…..” Although Ji Chengyue clung to hope, he had no intention of forcing Xue Ren.

After a long pause, Xue Ren finally answered.

“With pleasure.”

His tone was relaxed and gratified, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

A sense of relief came over Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue could only gaze after Xue Ren’s back as he left Zhenwu Hall, and therefore missed how the smile on his face distorted.

---

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Chapter 84 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 86