Firmament Sword

”How did it come to this?”

”What do you think?”

”I didn’t expect this originally.”

”No, you did expect it. You just didn’t want to believe it.”

”Yes, I did think of it, but the reality must be somewhat different from what I imagined.”

”So you saw it that clearly too.”

”It seems like... I’ve always been the one who sees things most clearly, haven’t I?”

”Haha, alright, you’re the eldest brother!”

Xu Luo and Huangfu Chongzhi sat by the riverbank. The night breeze was cool, and the river flowed quietly before them.

Beside them were two jugs of wine, but no food.

Huangfu Chongzhi sighed. ”I still find it hard to believe he was one of my father’s men. My father... how should I put it? Ever since I was a child, I’ve been afraid of him. I never dared to get too close. He never liked me, either. Heh, perhaps he thought having an Eldest Prince like me... was a disgrace.”

”I was too young back then to understand why. I didn’t get the difference between myself and my other brothers. Why were they all cradled in the palms of others, doted on and cared for, while I... could only grow up in misery, tormented daily by the eunuchs and old maids?”

”Later, I started working hard. I studied diligently and practiced my martial arts assiduously. I thought that if I were a good child, perhaps... perhaps my father would like me. So I tried my best, always kept a smile on my face, always held my head high, and tried to be a useful person.”

”Later still, when I was fourteen or fifteen, I understood more. I understood my status. So I became very low-key. I started pouring my heart into my love for animals and plants, studying medicine, and practicing Alchemy...”

Huangfu Chongzhi’s voice was low, tinged with self-mockery. ”It wasn’t until the few of us made some achievements on the Southern battlefield—and that’s thanks to you—that our reputations grew a little. My father’s attitude toward me also began to change. He has been the Emperor for so many years; he’s a true Emperor. Even we, his sons, can’t fathom his thoughts. But today’s events... I just can’t understand why it was necessary for him to do this.”

”You can’t figure it out because you’re caught in the middle of it. There’s no longer any need to doubt that he was your father’s man. The main question is, who was he representing when he came!” Xu Luo grabbed a wine jug and took a swig.

Huangfu Chongzhi gave Xu Luo a puzzled look, then his eyes narrowed slightly. He asked seriously, ”Are you saying...”

”Yes. I think someone intentionally misled us about this man’s identity. I only just realized it,” Xu Luo said, picking up a stone from the ground beside him and tossing it into the river.

The stone went PLOP, sending up a splash before sinking into the river and vanishing without a trace.

”It’s like this stone. It truly exists, but now I’ve thrown it into the river. Apart from the moment it hit the water, making its own sound and a small splash, now... where would you go to find it?”

”Then why did you still want me to kill him?” Huangfu Chongzhi asked.

”It would have been more trouble if he’d lived. Who would we hold responsible? The Emperor? The Crown Prince? The Sixth Prince?” Xu Luo said.

A bitter smile touched Huangfu Chongzhi’s lips. ”That’s true. If he hadn’t said those last words, we might have been able to spare him. But after he realized we wanted to kill him, shouting that sentence... sealed his fate.”

”I suddenly feel that this incident was most likely aimed at me,” Huangfu Chongzhi said. ”It’s just a guess, but I feel... my guess is very close to the truth.”

”It was definitely aimed at the two of us. It was a clever move. If they succeeded, they’d eliminate two major threats. If they failed... it wouldn’t matter. Either way, the man appeared to be your father’s,” Xu Luo said.

”I’ve already distanced myself from that circle, from all their conflicts. Why... do they still have to drag me into it? What more could they possibly be worried about?” For a rare moment, a flash of anger appeared on Huangfu Chongzhi’s face.

”Don’t dwell on it. As long as you’re alive, as long as you become more outstanding with each passing day, they will never feel at ease,” Xu Luo said.

”If I could really just escape the world, I’d truly want to distance myself completely from all this trouble,” Huangfu Chongzhi said softly, gazing at the quietly flowing river before him. ”Is it really so hard to live a life free of worries?”

”Is it so hard?” a crisp, slightly cold voice drifted over from nearby.

A hint of surprise showed on Huangfu Chongzhi’s face. He asked, ”Miss, what are you doing here?”

Xu Luo, on the other hand, showed no surprise at all. He didn’t know when the woman in white had arrived. Her power was so great that he couldn’t sense her aura at all.

But Xu Luo possessed a pair of eyes that could see through obstacles...

Just a moment ago, he had inadvertently spotted the white-robed woman hiding nearby. Though he didn’t know why she had followed them here, he hadn’t sensed any malice from her.

Especially since she had intervened earlier today and saved Huangfu Chongzhi’s life. So, Xu Luo had remained silent, allowing her to listen in.

’Deep down, I’ve always felt that this woman in white carries an incredibly transcendent aura.’

Besides, even if he wanted to make a move, he was probably no match for her.

”You were being ambushed and hunted everywhere. I was a little worried, so I followed you to take a look,” the woman in white said matter-of-factly as she stepped out from her hiding place.

”You and I are strangers, Miss. You saved my life today, and I haven’t even thanked you yet,” Huangfu Chongzhi said, standing up to bow to the woman in white.

”No need. Saving you today counts as repaying your favor,” the woman’s voice was cold, but it felt genuine.

”Haha, the favor I did for ten taels of silver... certainly carries a lot of weight.” Huangfu Chongzhi hadn’t expected her to be so straightforward. He smiled. ”For someone who has reached your level, miss, it’s naturally not difficult to live without worries. But for those of us living in the secular world, our minds are filled with distracting thoughts. How could we possibly be carefree?”

By now, Huangfu Chongzhi could also sense how different she was. It was nearly impossible for a worldly woman to possess her level of skill, let alone her otherworldly, transcendent temperament!

”Who says you’re free of worries once you reach my level? Isn’t it just as embarrassing to have no money when it’s time to eat?” the woman in white said, her voice crisp. She glanced at Huangfu Chongzhi. ”I don’t think you need to be so world-weary...”

”World-weary?” Huangfu Chongzhi paused, then said, ”Perhaps...”

Xu Luo’s mouth twitched. He stood to the side and said, ”I get the feeling I’m... a third wheel here?”

The woman in white glanced at him and nodded. ”A little.”

”Alright then, I’m out. You two carry on...” With that, Xu Luo turned and left without hesitation.

Huangfu Chongzhi was caught off guard. Watching Xu Luo’s retreating back, he said, ”Is this really a good idea?”

”I think it’s great.” Xu Luo even activated his Shaking Light Step, his figure blurring as he vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

The woman in white watched Xu Luo’s back, saying thoughtfully, ”Your brother is very strong.”

”Yes, he is!” Huangfu Chongzhi said.

”No, we’re not talking about ’strong’ in the same sense,” the woman in white said seriously. ”He has a very special aura about him. It’s an aura that’s rare even among sect disciples.”

”Is that so? I didn’t know that.” Huangfu Chongzhi smiled and asked, ”I still don’t know your name, miss...”

...

Early the next morning, Xu Luo saw Huangfu Chongzhi and gave him a mischievous grin. ”Had a good chat?”

”You...” Huangfu Chongzhi chuckled, a little embarrassed.

Little Fatty shuffled over, his face full of curiosity. ”What good chat?”

”None of your business.” Xu Luo pulled Little Fatty away. ”Come help me plan the city construction. We happen to have a lot of manpower we can use!”

”Third Brother, you can’t do this! You and Eldest Brother are hiding something from me!” Little Fatty protested.

Sui Yan, who was looking at blueprints nearby, rolled his eyes. ”Idiot!”

”Damn it, Sui Xiaoshi! I’m your fourth brother! You dare mock me and I’ll get serious!”

”Bring it on. I was just itching to see what kind of pressure a Tier Six Sword Master can put on a Tier Five Sword Master...”

”Third Brother, let me go! I’m going to teach this lawless punk a lesson!”

”Enough nonsense. The task of managing those prisoners and making them work properly is a difficult one!” Xu Luo said with a straight face.

”...” Little Fatty looked up at the sky. ”What kind of brothers do I have!”

The prisoners were very obedient. After witnessing the power of Xu Luo and his group, they had completely lost the will to resist. Besides, their commander was dead. For those who remained, disobedience was no different from seeking death.

Half a month passed in a flash, and the prototype of a castle began to take shape.

Sui Yan frowned every day as he directed the prisoners, giving full play to his talents in Mechanical Engineering. He set up so many mechanisms that even Xu Luo was dumbfounded and had to remind him, ”This is our fief’s castle, not a war fortress!”

The building materials were all transported from faraway places, a task managed by Tang Yong, Li Yu, and the Yuan Brothers.

Everything seemed to be peaceful.

No one came to cause trouble anymore.

However, the woman in white would disappear during the day and reappear every evening to sit by the river and chat with Huangfu Chongzhi.

Gradually, Little Fatty and the others learned about this. Little Fatty even teased, ”The boss’s spring has arrived...” He was caught by Huangfu Chongzhi and taught a harsh lesson, which in turn motivated Little Fatty to start cultivating diligently.

Huangfu Chongzhi did indeed have some unusual feelings for this woman in white who appeared every night. Other than knowing her name was Li Yueru, he knew nothing of her identity, nor did he ever try to pry.

Li Yueru had a cold yet straightforward personality. She was curt with Xu Luo and the others, but seemed to treat Huangfu Chongzhi differently. She would occasionally eat with the group, but hardly ever spoke to anyone else.

Another half a month went by, and the castle on their fief was fully roofed.

Only the interior decoration remained, which was not something that could be completed in a short time.

The prisoners who had completed their tasks grew uneasy. The work was done, but they didn’t know what fate awaited them.