Firmament Sword

Huangfu Chongzhi spoke with a grave expression.

”That’s right, I’ve figured it out too! Damn it, sympathizing with the enemy is just torturing yourself! Sui Xiaoshi, your performance this time has made me incredibly jealous. I wish to God I was the one who knew Mechanical Skill!”

”You, with your clumsy self, want to learn Mechanical Skill? Tsk. Do you even know how to nail a wooden fence?” Liu Feng taunted Liang Ziyi with a sneer.

”Flower Fool, you asking for a beating?”

”Stupid Bear, you got the guts to go one-on-one?”

”A duel it is! You think I’d be afraid of you?”

WHAM! BANG! Before another word was said, the two started fighting.

They were soon wrestling on the ground. THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! Every punch landed solidly. Neither used their True Essence, but neither held back.

Before long, two fresh, swollen faces had been created.

Xu Luo walked over, pulled the two of them up from the ground, and then went to Sui Yan. He patted his shoulder. ”Fifth Brother, you’re a good man. I’m counting on this skill of yours in the future to trap and kill even more enemy soldiers. Best if... we wipe them all out in one go!”

”Really? You think so too, Third Brother?” Sui Yan asked, finding it hard to believe.

”When have I ever lied to you? Heh, I was a bit down just now, but not because I pitied the enemy. I just feel that war is cruel and hope it ends sooner.”

Xu Luo said with a broad smile, ”And how do we end the war sooner? By brutally beating back these son-of-a-bitch invaders! We have to make them hurt! We have to make them feel fear! And what you did today, Fifth Brother, is something that will strike terror into their hearts! Haha, they’ll probably even chalk it up to punishment from the heavens! See? Even they think so. What do you have to feel guilty about?”

Just then, Ling Luoxi walked over. She grinned and said, ”We’re not students of True Martial Academy anymore. We’re soldiers! Especially our leader—he’s a General! The Martial Soul Squad might be small, but I believe everyone here has a great future ahead of them. Years from now, we’ll probably look back on what happened today and just smile faintly. We’re just killing the enemy. A kill’s a kill, no matter how you do it, right?”

”That’s right, Sui Yan. You’re a true hero. Your contribution to this battle was the greatest,” said Li Hong.

”Alright, brothers, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. I doubt those Yan Gou will be thinking of using this supply route again anytime soon! Tonight, we drink until we drop!” Xu Luo said, then grabbed Sui Yan and led the way.

Li Hong and Huangfu Chongzhi glanced at each other with smiles on their faces and followed.

Xu Jie, Xiahou Xian, and the others followed close behind.

In the end, only the two with swollen faces were left, staring at each other in bewilderment.

”Holy shit, we sacrificed ourselves, putting on an act to cheer up Sui Xiaoshi... and they just left?” Liu Feng’s lip twitched as he cursed, ”I, Master Fatty, was on fire today, said so many brilliant things, and I don’t get a single word of encouragement?”

”What did I do to deserve this?! Hey, hey, wait for me!” Liang Ziyi broke into a run, chasing after the group.

In the end, only Little Fatty was left standing there, looking like he wanted to cry but couldn’t squeeze out a tear. ”Is there no justice in this world? What did I, Master Fatty, do to deserve this!”

At the campsite, their safe harbor, the group of youths gathered around a bonfire, eating roasted meat and drinking fine wine until every last one of them was dead drunk.

This group of bright, clever, kind, and somewhat proud youths were growing up fast, without even realizing it.

No one is born a butcher, nor is anyone a born cold-blooded killer. One’s environment forges one’s destiny.

Had these youths remained at True Martial Academy, they would have all gone their separate ways after graduation. While the camaraderie of classmates would have existed, how could it ever compare to the life-and-death bond they now shared?

Before passing out, Xu Luo didn’t forget to ask Uncle Meow Meow to keep an eye on things.

The day’s events must have shocked Uncle Meow Meow too. For once, the normally talkative, nonsense-spewing Tier Nine Spirit Beast didn’t roar in Xu Luo’s ear.

Miaomiao perched on a branch, watching the young, sleeping faces glowing red in the firelight. This juvenile Tier Nine Spirit Beast, who had never known the meaning of sorrow, suddenly felt a pang of homesickness.

It looked with a touch of envy at the youths sprawled across the ground. The fatty, who had just been in a vicious brawl, was now using Liang Ziyi’s thigh as a pillow, his drool nearly soaking the other boy’s pants.

Liang Ziyi, meanwhile, was leaning against a large tree, snoring soundly. The drink that had finally knocked him out was the one he’d shared with the fatty to make up.

Heaven knew how many times the two had made up that night—over twenty times…

Early the next morning, the group woke up. Remembering their absurd drunken night, they all rubbed their heads with wry smiles.

”You damn fatty! You used my leg as a pillow all night! My leg’s completely numb, to say nothing of the giant puddle of drool you left... It’s disgusting!” Liang Ziyi roared at Liu Feng, spittle flying from his mouth.

Liu Feng, however, looked aghast. Like a damsel cornered by a ruffian, he jumped to his feet and shrieked, ”What? I, Master Fatty... I slept on your leg all night? Heavens... Lan Xin, I have failed you! I... I slept all night on a man’s leg! I was dreaming about you, I think I even caressed you a few times... Don’t tell me I was caressing this stupid bear’s leg? Aaargh... That’s too disgusting! I don’t want to live!”

”Flower Fool! You’re dead!”

”Stupid Bear, care for a duel?!”

”...” The others stared blankly at the two clowns who, just last night, had been holding hands, pouring their hearts out, and making up over twenty times.

Then, they all turned away, not sparing the duo another glance.

”It’s a nice day today,” said Xiahou Xian. ”Good for training.”

”Mhm, I’m off to train,” Liu San nodded.

”I’ll go too,” said Xiaotian.

”Count me in,” Sui Yan added, falling in beside them.

”Let’s go together!” Huangfu Chongzhi and Li Hong said as they followed.

”I’d like to go too,” Xu Lingtian said shyly, trailing behind them.

Ling Luoxi and Xu Luo exchanged a look and left without a word.

”Hey... Wait up...” Liang Ziyi’s lip twitched. ”Don’t leave me behind again!”

”I, Master Fatty, was about to perform the ’One-Handed Bear Slaying’ for all of you, and you’re not even going to watch?” Liu Feng whined, his expression full of woe.

...

CRACK!

With a sharp clap of thunder, raindrops as large as beans began to fall, drumming against the ground.

The dense forest was silent save for the sound of the rain.

The group gathered in a tent, listening to the constant drumming of rain on the leaves above and the occasional drops that made it through to tap against the tent fabric.

”Those men are completely finished!” Li Hong let out a long breath and looked at the others. ”Brothers... we! finally! succeeded!”

Everyone turned to look at Sui Yan, making him a little bashful. He put on a stern face and said, ”What are you all looking at me for?”

”Heh, brother, this time you really kicked ass!” Liu Feng praised.

”Fifth Brother deserves the most credit for this,” said Xu Luo.

”When we get back, the Emperor should make Little Stone a General!”

”Hahaha!” The whole group burst into laughter.

Having navigated that emotional trial, the members of the Martial Soul Squad had finally taken another firm step toward maturity.

They were soldiers of Cangqiong!

They would defend Cangqiong!

An enemy is an enemy!

The principle was simple, but one that could only be truly understood through experience.

The heavy rain fell for a day and a night. Eventually, pools of water began to form even within the dense forest. The members of the Martial Soul Squad remained huddled in their tents, each focusing on their training.

No one went to look at One-Line Heaven Gorge. They all knew the scene would be gruesome.

There might be a few survivors, but the heavy rain would have completely severed the Yan Army’s supply line regardless.

The Yan Army soldiers still fighting on the front lines were now facing a most severe ordeal!

As people of the Cangqiong Kingdom, no one would feel any sympathy for them.

「The next day」

The rain had stopped and the sky was clear. The group silently packed their belongings, preparing to return to their own front lines.

Their business here was concluded.

While passing a village in the Cao Kingdom, the Martial Soul Squad saw a troop of several hundred men enter it up ahead.

Xu Luo’s vision was exceptional. Even from a dozen *li* away, he could tell at a glance that the troops were wearing the uniforms of Yan Kingdom soldiers. They looked utterly wretched and defeated.

A possibility flashed through Xu Luo’s mind. His voice grew heavy. ”This is bad. Those men... they’re probably the ones who escaped from One-Line Heaven. That village is going to suffer!”

The expressions of Huangfu Chongzhi and Li Hong immediately turned grave. ”Are you sure? Is it really the Yan Army?”

”I’m sure of it,” Xu Luo nodded.

”But aren’t the Yan Kingdom and the Cao Kingdom allies? They wouldn’t harm the people of Cao, would they?” Xu Lingtian said, a bit naively.

”Bullshit! Let’s go, or that village is done for!” Xu Jie shouted, immediately channeling his True Essence and sprinting toward the village.

Xu Luo wasted no more words. Executing the Shaking Light Step, his form flickered a few times, overtaking Xu Jie and vanishing into the distance.

”Damn, Third Brother’s gotten faster again!” Xu Jie grumbled, pushing himself to run even harder.

The entire Martial Soul Squad ran at full tilt, all of them moving with incredible speed. But of course, the fastest was still Xu Luo.

From a great distance, Xu Luo could already hear shrill, tragic wails coming from the village.

”Let go of my daughter! Let go—ARGH!” A man’s furious roar ended in a bloodcurdling scream that was abruptly cut short.

”Sir, please, no! I beg you, don’t kill my husband...” a woman’s voice wailed, filled with terror and supplication.

”Don’t kill my grandpa... *sob*... Please, don’t kill him...”

”You bastards, I’ll kill you!”

”Yan Gou, may you all die a horrible death!”

In an instant, the entire village was thrown into chaos.

And this was less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn since the Yan Army had stormed the village!

It was clear they had charged in without a single shred of goodwill.

Hatred, fury, and rage exploded in Xu Luo’s heart.

To think he had felt guilt and sorrow for ambushing and killing so many of them. Xu Luo wanted to slap himself across the face.

”Scum! You all deserve to die!” A roar ripped from Xu Luo’s throat as his body, like a bolt of lightning, shot into the village.

He arrived just in time to see a Yan soldier with a savage grin on his face, raising a sharp battle blade to strike at an old man’s head.

The old man, in turn, was desperately shielding a little girl of five or six in his arms.