Firmament Sword

”Sis, I’m leaving now. You have to take good care of yourself at home. If anyone dares to bully you, don’t hold back. Beat them hard for me. They’ll deserve it if they die!”

Dressed in his military uniform, Xu Luo looked spirited and sharp.

The seventeen-year-old’s face still held a trace of youthfulness, yet he was about to rush to the front lines and become a true soldier!

Moisture gathered in Lianyi’s eyes, but upon hearing Xu Luo’s words, she couldn’t help but chuckle. She nodded forcefully and said softly, ”Who would dare bully me? Don’t forget, I’m the Princess of Vulture!”

In the end, the Emperor never pursued the matter of Lianyi mobilizing the Hidden Dragon Army to act on Xu Luo’s behalf. Perhaps His Majesty had his own considerations: by not investigating, he, the sovereign of the nation, would take the blame. Prime Minister Wei, though dissatisfied, would not dare to investigate further. If he were to investigate, however, the very existence of the Hidden Dragon Army might be exposed.

The relationship between the Wei Family and the Xu Family would also have grown tense, becoming irreconcilable.

This was not a situation the Emperor wished to see. As a monarch, he desired balance—not one faction becoming too powerful, and certainly not a struggle rife with internal conflict!

The New Year had passed, and a few days ago, the Seventh Princess had been taken away by people from her sect. She hadn’t notified Xu Luo of her departure, instead asking the Eldest Prince to deliver a letter.

On the tear-stained paper, she poured out her sorrow over their parting. Xu Luo could almost picture Qiqi’s reluctant expression just before her departure.

”Qiqi is very strong. I’ll be sure to protect myself and become a powerful master. When that time comes, Brother Xu Luo, don’t you let Qiqi beat you, okay...?”

Xu Luo carefully tucked the letter away, placing it in his Storage Ring to carry with him. This was his first love, something to be cherished dearly.

”Right, Sis, you need to practice the Heart Method and the footwork diligently. I’ve only taught it to you and Qiqi. Work hard, okay? Don’t let Qiqi surpass you...” Xu Luo said, smiling at Lianyi.

”Don’t you worry. So what if the Seventh Princess joined a sect? Your sister is a prodigy too, you know! I won’t lose to her!” It was rare for Lianyi to speak to Xu Luo with a tone that hinted at vying for his affection, and her face flushed scarlet.

”Alright, I have to get going. Can’t you see Little Fatty looks like he’s about to charge over here?” Xu Luo said with a smile, pointing toward Liu Feng in the distance.

”Okay. Take care!” Lianyi stepped forward to straighten Xu Luo’s clothes. She then gently hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment before lifting it again. Pressing her lips together tightly, she said, ”I’m heading back!”

As she turned, the tears she’d been holding back finally streamed down her cheeks, but Lianyi did not look back.

A young man must, sooner or later, embark on his own path of growth.

Though parting is sorrowful, no one can walk it for him!

’My dear Young Master... the Seventh Princess said she will always be yours, but... am I any different? You and the Seventh Princess are childhood sweethearts, but aren’t we?’

As tears streamed down her face, Lianyi subconsciously activated the Shaking Light Step. Her figure swayed, ethereally graceful, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished into the crowd.

The Farewell Pavilion, stretching for miles, was crowded with retinues from all the great families of the Imperial Capital, seeing off their loved ones.

Hands clasped, tear-filled eyes met, and words were lost to choked sobs.

Such scenes were everywhere.

There were parents seeing off their sons, grandfathers seeing off their grandsons, and young women seeing off their beloveds...

Few people paid any mind to the scene unfolding around Xu Luo, because nearly identical farewells were playing out all along the pavilions outside the Imperial Capital City!

The Eldest Prince, Huangfu Chongzhi, stood a short distance away, looking somewhat lonely. He watched his sworn brothers say goodbye to their families, a gentle smile on his face, but a faint trace of sadness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Despite being a Prince, his position was an awkward one. He didn’t even know what his own mother looked like, having only heard people say that she had been very beautiful.

’If it were possible, how he wished he’d been born into an ordinary family. He wouldn’t need wealth and status, or a life of luxury. A pair of loving parents would have been more than enough!’

’But alas, there are no ’what ifs’ in this world, and he could never be an ordinary person.’

The Eldest Prince hadn’t been required to participate this time. But when he heard that his second brother Xu Jie, third brother Xu Luo, fourth brother Liu Feng, and fifth brother Sui Yan were all entering the military, he petitioned the Emperor to allow him to serve as well.

The Emperor had never been particularly fond of Huangfu Chongzhi, his eldest son in name only, nor did he particularly detest him. More often than not, he treated him as if he were invisible.

However, Huangfu Chongzhi’s performance on the day of the Seventh Princess’s coming-of-age ceremony had forced the Emperor to see this son he had always ignored in a new light.

Thus, when Huangfu Chongzhi requested to enter the military and serve the nation, the Emperor not only agreed without hesitation but even offered him some warm words of encouragement.

This allowed Huangfu Chongzhi, who had never known the taste of familial affection, to feel a sliver of warmth. Of course, the Emperor would not personally come to see him off on this campaign.

The Crown Prince and the other Princes were all busy with their own affairs.

The political winds were shifting in the Imperial Capital, and all the Princes were making their own plays. Who would spare a thought for their elder brother?

”Heh, it’s actually a good thing to escape this circle of intrigue,” Huangfu Chongzhi muttered with a self-deprecating laugh. His expression shifted to a genuine smile as he saw Xu Luo approach.

Xu Jie, Liu Feng, and Sui Yan had also finished saying goodbye to their reluctant families and were walking over.

”Ha! The five of us brothers are finally together again!” Little Fatty Liu Feng forced a loud laugh, trying to hide his red-rimmed eyes.

For a boy who had never left home, the sorrow of suddenly parting with his loved ones was inevitably overwhelming.

Sui Yan’s face betrayed little emotion. To him, leaving home meant more freedom. He could study his beloved Mechanical Skills as much as he wanted, and no one would be there to criticize him for it.

Xu Jie, too, looked nonchalant. If his mother hadn’t stopped him, this scion of a Military Family who loved nothing more than blacksmithing would have joined the army long ago.

”You damn fatty! Get your ass out here! You think you can bully me and then just walk away scot-free?”

Just as the five brothers gathered, about to start chatting, an earth-shattering roar of fury ripped through the air, shocking the sorrowful scene into a sudden silence.

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound. The corners of many mouths twitched as people tried to stifle their laughter.

”Haha, it’s the young princess of the Lan Meng Clan. That girl’s got some nerve, she’ll say anything...”

”That Little Fatty from the Liu Family is in for it now. That girl is one of the most difficult people to cross in the entire Imperial Capital!”

”Mhm, I’d only heard stories but never seen her for myself. Seeing her today, she’s really every bit a man’s equal!”

The sorrowful atmosphere was more or less shattered by the young princess of the Lan Meng Clan’s shout. Many now watched the stunningly beautiful, yet fierce, young woman with great interest.

After letting out that shout, Lan Xin herself realized it was inappropriate. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed pink as she thought, ’It’s all this damn fatty’s fault! If not for him, would I have made such a huge fool of myself?’

As she thought this, she shot Liu Feng a vicious glare and began storming toward them.

”So... AHEM, Fourth Brother, I just remembered I have something to do over there. I’ll catch up with you later!” Xu Luo reacted the fastest, tossing the line to the Little Fatty as he turned to beat a hasty retreat.

”Oh, right! I just remembered I forgot something too, didn’t I? I’m going to go think hard about what it was!” Xu Jie followed close behind.

Sui Yan was even more direct. He gave Liu Feng a look that clearly said, ’You’re on your own, pal,’ and walked off after Xu Luo and Xu Jie.

Only the Eldest Prince remained. The Little Fatty looked up at Huangfu Chongzhi pitifully, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face. ”Eldest Brother is the best...”

”Ah, Fourth Brother, my—your elder brother’s—stomach suddenly feels a bit... off. I can’t stay and keep you company...” Huangfu Chongzhi gave Liu Feng a look of profound pity and made a swift getaway.

”You... You guys... I... What kind of brothers did I make!” the Little Fatty stood there, so exasperated he wanted to cry but couldn’t.

”Hmph!” Lan Xin came to a stop in front of Liu Feng and snorted, her face a stern mask. ”Am I that terrifying? You want to run the second you see me? I just got a new perfume and was looking forward to asking for your opinion!”

She might have said she wanted his ”opinion,” but from the way she was grinding her teeth, it looked more like she was out for revenge.

”You made me lose face in front of a crowd twice, and you think you can just walk away? Hmph, no way in hell!” Though Lan Xin’s face was beet red, her personality was more than fiery enough to compensate.

”Er... okay, okay! The truth is, what I meant to say was, Miss Lan, you don’t need any perfume! Your natural scent is the best perfume in the world!” the Little Fatty said. Before Lan Xin could erupt, he made a decisive escape, chasing after the backs of Xu Luo and his friends.

As he rushed past Lan Xin, the Little Fatty’s hand moved like lightning, slipping something into her pocket.

Lan Xin didn’t feel a thing. Her face, which was already red, flushed an even deeper shade. She didn’t fly into a rage as Liu Feng had imagined; instead, she became a little bashful.

She looked up and saw that the Little Fatty was running away again. Her delicate brows shot up in anger, and she opened her mouth to shout, but feeling the strange looks from the surrounding crowd, Lan Xin swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

Standing there watching the Little Fatty’s rapidly fleeing back, Lan Xin stomped her foot in frustration and muttered, ”Am I really that terrifying? You brothers act like you’ve seen a ghost whenever you see me, and you’re the worst of them all! Would it kill you to spend another moment with me? Next time, I absolutely won’t let you get away!”

As she spoke, a hint of sadness touched her lovely face, and she whispered, ”You damn fatty, you have to come back alive. This young lady still has a score to settle with you... Huh? What’s this?”

The young woman finally noticed the new object. She pulled it out for a look and couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp, her face blushing the color of cherry blossoms.

Her bright eyes misted over. Gazing at the fat back already far in the distance, the young woman pursed her lips in a smile and turned to leave.

HOOOOOOO... HOOOOOOO!

A deep, mournful horn blast suddenly rang out, shattering the sorrowful mood of farewell.

Form up!

March out!

A group of youths, untested by hardship and untempered by trials, set off on their campaign to the sound of the horn!

Marching in the column, he glanced back at the receding Imperial Capital. The magnificent ancient city stood tall and imposing, a majestic sight. A sense of calm settled over Xu Luo’s heart.

’Goodbye, Imperial Capital!’

’Goodbye, my loved ones!’

From within the ranks came the low sound of stifled sobs. At last, one of the boys couldn’t hold it in any longer and began to cry aloud in his grief.

Soon, the atmosphere of parting infected many others, and a good number of them began to shed tears.

Little Fatty Liu Feng’s eyes were red, too, but he grumbled, ”What the hell are you crying for! Bunch of country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world!”

”I’m telling you, Fourth Brother, that girl from the Lan Meng Family is clearly into you. How can you give her the cold shoulder like that? Aren’t you afraid of breaking her heart?” Xu Jie might have looked coarse, but he was actually quite perceptive.

How else could he forge weapons of such high quality?

The Little Fatty pursed his lips. ”Who would dare want a shrew like that? You like her, Second Brother? Then you can go ahead and court her!”

From the side, Sui Yan coolly interjected, ”You don’t mean that. If you don’t like her, then why did you secretly slip a piece of jade with your name carved on it into her pocket?”

The Little Fatty was struck dumb. His mouth twitched, and he was so stunned he couldn’t get a word out. Meanwhile, Xu Luo and the others couldn’t help but roar with laughter.