Firmament Sword

Xu Luo stood before the group, his face calm, and spoke. ”Leaving is no longer an option.”

At his words, the faces of nearly every captive turned pale. Many clenched their fists, preparing to fight for their lives. But Xu Luo’s next words made them all breathe a sigh of relief, and quite a few secretly wiped the cold sweat from their brows.

”But I won’t kill you.” Xu Luo looked at the group. ”You attacked me under orders. The one who gave those orders is already dead, so I have no intention of holding you responsible. However, letting you go right now is definitely not an option.”

”Then, Young Master, what do you plan to do with us?” Someone in the crowd gathered their courage and asked.

”Most of you are military elites,” Xu Luo said lightly. ”But I’m sure that even if you went back to the army now, you wouldn’t be accepted. The moment you left your legion, you would have been branded as deserters!”

”What? That’s impossible!”

”How could this be? I don’t believe it!”

”Absolutely impossible!”

A sudden uproar erupted from the crowd. The faces of many showed their disbelief.

Xu Luo chuckled. ”Should I show you the announcement from the Military Department?”

The restless crowd gradually fell silent. Though they were low-ranking soldiers, they could think for themselves. They weren’t idiots.

Xu Luo’s identity alone was enough to make them realize the magnitude of the trouble they were in. When they had set out, they’d known nothing; many had even assumed it was just a training exercise or a mission to eliminate bandits.

After the past month, even the slowest among them had had enough time to figure out the true nature of their previous mission.

Besides, Xu Luo—the man who held their lives in his hands, the second son of the Grand General of National Guardian—had absolutely no reason to lie to them.

”So, as for what awaits you if you return to the military... I don’t have to spell it out. You already know. And if you go back to your hometowns, the outcome likely won’t be any better.” Xu Luo looked at the silent crowd. ”That’s why your best option is to stay here.”

”Then, Young Master, can you protect us? If our status is... really as you say?” someone in the crowd asked.

Xu Luo smiled without a word. Instead, one of the other captives spoke up. ”Are you an idiot? Do you have any idea who the Young Master’s father is? Who his brother is? What his own status is? Our only chance of survival is to stay here!”

”That’s right! We have nowhere else to go. From this day forward, we pledge our loyalty to the Young Master!” One of the cleverer captives took the initiative, kneeling on the ground to show his submission to Xu Luo.

When the others saw this, they all followed suit, kneeling to pledge their loyalty to Xu Luo.

In the end, only a few who were still reluctant remained. They didn’t want to stay, but as they looked at the comrades surrounding them, they knew with chilling certainty that if they refused, they wouldn’t even need an order from Xu Luo. Their own companions would tear them to pieces.

In the end, the entire group submitted to Xu Luo.

Xu Luo had known from the start that this would be the outcome, so he felt neither surprise nor shock. He looked at the men and said, ”There’s no need to feel aggrieved or regretful. Do your work well, and in the future, you may have the opportunity to clear your names and return home. You might even be able to charge into battle once more, earn military honors, and secure a bright future for yourselves.”

”Really?” someone asked.

”What a bunch of morons. You think the Young Master has time to waste lying to you?” Tang Yong sneered from the side. ”The Young Master is benevolent and doesn’t lower himself to your level, but you all listen to me, and listen good. Betraying your old commander was justified. A bastard who leads his own men to their deaths deserves to be betrayed. But if any of you dare to betray the Young Master... heh... Don’t forget, I’ve got the files on all your families. If that day comes, don’t blame me for being vicious!”

Li Yu added with a sinister tone, ”That’s right. The Young Master won’t concern himself with you, but we, his underlings, won’t stand by and let him be taken for a fool.”

The brothers Yuan Ren and Yuan Yi said nothing, but their piercing glares were enough to send a chill down many a man’s spine.

A month ago, they had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the veterans standing before them now. Each one was ruthless, a master of both archery and horsemanship. Even on the battlefield, they had rarely seen soldiers this powerful. Along with their fear, they also felt a sense of envy. ’As expected of the son of the Grand General of National Guardian,’ they thought. ’To have so many incredible veterans at his side.’

What they didn’t know, however, was that these elite veterans had nothing to do with the Grand General of National Guardian at all.

But no one was about to explain any of this to them. Let them think what they wanted.

”From now on, these men will be your commanders!” Xu Luo pointed at Tang Yong and the others, then said, ”Starting tomorrow, you will resume your military training! Here with me, you are still warriors, not slaves!”

Hearing these last words, the men’s spirits finally lifted.

Though the current dynasty had outlawed slavery, what major noble house didn’t have dozens, or even hundreds, of them? The most extreme cases had thousands, even tens of thousands!

The origins of these slaves were complex. Some were destitute people who couldn’t afford food, some were prisoners of war, but most... came from the hands of slave traders who operated in the shadows.

Given their circumstances, it would have been all too easy for Xu Luo to keep them here forever as slaves.

Thankfully, this Young Master Xu hadn’t truly treated them as such. And so, amid their sorrow, a sliver of gratitude toward Xu Luo began to grow in their hearts.

Over the past month, Xu Luo had kept a close watch on the movements of Mo Yun’s remnant forces. From Snow City, City Lord Wang Chao also frequently had men secretly deliver all sorts of intelligence. The Master at Wang Chao’s side remained completely unaware of his lord’s defection. In fact, misled by Wang Chao, he had sent a great deal of false information to the Imperial Capital.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. The relationship between Huangfu Chongzhi and Li Yueru also seemed to be advancing by leaps and bounds.

For the last ten or so days, Li Yueru had often been appearing at Huangfu Chongzhi’s side even during the day.

Of course, when they were together, they spent most of their time discussing the refinement of various elixirs. Li Yueru, the mysterious woman in white, seemed to have profound knowledge of alchemy and often provided Huangfu Chongzhi with immense inspiration.

In the eyes of Xu Luo and the others, the two were already a couple.

However, things rarely go as one hopes.

Just seven days after the prisoners submitted to Xu Luo, Huangfu Chongzhi emerged from his room early in the morning, his brow deeply furrowed. The usual gentle smile was gone, replaced by a look of sorrow.

”What’s wrong?” Xu Luo had just finished an early morning session, completing one Grand Circulation of his Shadow Shaking Heart Method. He slowly ceased his cultivation and looked at Huangfu Chongzhi with concern.

”Last night... she didn’t leave,” Huangfu Chongzhi said.

”Ah? So fast...” Xu Luo’s eyes widened, then he smiled. ”This is a good thing! It seems we’re going to have an extraordinary sister-in-law!”

”But this morning... she left,” Huangfu Chongzhi said sadly. ”And she left this.” With that, he handed a letter to Xu Luo.

”Should I be reading this?” It was a private matter, after all. Xu Luo looked up at Huangfu Chongzhi.

”It’s fine. Read it. My mind is a mess,” Huangfu Chongzhi said.

”Alright then.” Xu Luo opened the letter. The handwriting was beautiful, but not in the delicate way typical of a young woman. It was bold, grand, and exuded an icy air. One could picture the writer just from the script.

”This has been the happiest time of my life. It was my good fortune to meet you and know you, but perhaps... it was your misfortune. Forget me. Just pretend... I never appeared in your world. I’m sorry. Please forgive my selfishness. We’re not from the same world.”

It was less a letter than a cold, heartless note. Xu Luo read it in a few seconds, then looked up at Huangfu Chongzhi’s vacant expression. ”Last night, you two...?” he asked tentatively.

Huangfu Chongzhi nodded.

”AHEM...” The corner of Xu Luo’s mouth twitched. ’I never thought Eldest Brother had such a wild side.’ But this was clearly not the time for jokes. He thought for a moment, then said, ”Maybe... she has reasons she can’t explain. We’ve all seen how you two have been this past month. She likes you. She can’t be as heartless as this letter makes her sound. The only reason she’d tell you to forget her is because she doesn’t want to bring you harm.”

Huangfu Chongzhi nodded forcefully, then looked at Xu Luo with a determined expression. ”Third Brother, I need to get stronger. I’m going to find her!”

Xu Luo nodded silently. He could see that Eldest Brother was serious this time, that he had truly fallen in love. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Just what is Li Yueru’s background? Her aura is even stronger than Phoenix’s. Could she also come from some powerful sect?’

’But no matter what, she’s Eldest Brother’s woman now, which makes her my sister-in-law. I have a duty to help him find her.’

’I don’t care if you’re from a great sect or a reclusive powerhouse, you can only be Eldest Brother’s woman!’ Xu Luo thought to himself. Then he said aloud, ”Don’t worry. I’m sure things will work out.”

...

If Li Yueru’s departure was unexpected, then what happened next was even more so. It made Xu Luo sigh at the unpredictability of life. Sometimes, things happen that are simply beyond comprehension, no matter how wild one’s imagination.

Zhou Bo was covered in blood. The horse he was riding collapsed before it even reached Xu Luo’s estate. Zhou Bo reacted quickly, leaping from the saddle. But his own injuries were clearly severe; he tumbled a dozen times across the ground before scrambling back to his feet and stumbling toward the estate’s main gate.

He was immediately intercepted by the estate’s guards.

”Quick, take me to Young Master Xu! It’s a matter of life and death! Hurry!” The terribly weakened Zhou Bo managed to roar before he collapsed into unconsciousness.

The estate guards were startled. They didn’t recognize the man at all, but when he uttered the three words ”Young Master Xu,” they assumed he must be an acquaintance of Xu Luo’s. They quickly had him carried inside for a physician to treat him. Otherwise, the man would likely be dead before he ever got to see the Young Master.