Firmament Sword

Xu Jie made no attempt to hide the notebook as he read, so Little Fatty, Xu Luo, and the others saw it all.

Little Fatty glanced at Xu Jie, who was standing there in a daze. He gently pulled Xu Luo aside and mumbled, ”Third Brother… Zhou Bo and his men are still in the fief. Should we…”

Xu Luo raised an eyebrow.

Little Fatty added, ”Eldest Brother is still there!”

Xu Luo thought for a moment, then said, ”Send someone at once. Rush a letter to Eldest Brother and tell him that if those men hear the news and try to mutiny… he shouldn’t hesitate. Take action immediately! But if… if they want to leave… just let them go.”

”But…” Little Fatty hesitated.

”They’re a group of loyal, honorable men. I don’t want to kill people who stood by their commander under those circumstances,” Xu Luo said softly, looking at Little Fatty. ”Perhaps this decision is wrong, but I don’t want to have any regrets later on.”

”You’re saying there’s still a chance for Second Brother and her…?” Little Fatty looked at Xu Luo. ”I think it’s impossible. The hatred in her heart runs too deep. How could that ever be erased?”

”Who can say for sure when it comes to matters between a man and a woman?” Xu Luo sighed. ”Just do as I said. Also, send this book to Eldest Brother. Remember, this book is extremely important, so you must find someone completely trustworthy to deliver it.”

Xu Luo thought for a moment, then took out three Blood Pills. He placed them in a small jade bottle and handed it to Little Fatty along with the book. ”Go and do this at once.”

”What’s all this?” Little Fatty asked, confused.

”Good stuff,” Xu Luo said. He then took out another three Blood Pills, placed them in a small jade bottle, and gave it to Little Fatty. ”These are for you.”

”Suiyan, this is for you.” Xu Luo handed the book, *Mechanical Skill*, over to Suiyan.

Suiyan took it and could feel that there was something different about the book in his hands, but he had no time to examine it now. He could only quietly put it away.

After he finished handing everything out, Xu Luo saw Xu Jie quietly put the notebook away. Xu Jie glanced over at them and said, ”I’ll go get ready. We can leave after that.”

With that, Xu Jie turned and went back to his room.

Little Fatty started to follow him, but Xu Luo stopped him. ”Let him cool down for a bit.”

Little Fatty nodded silently. He glanced at Xu Luo and whispered, ”His room… it wouldn’t have a secret passage or something like that, would it?”

At this moment, Sui Yan spoke up from the side. ”Seven years ago, he designed a blueprint for Second Brother. But I don’t know if it was ever built.”

”Shit, why didn’t you say so earlier!” Little Fatty leaped to his feet and threw open Xu Jie’s door. The room was completely empty!

”Damn it… this is just great,” Little Fatty muttered, his eyes glazed over as he stared into the room.

Xu Luo and Sui Yan, along with Su Qianqian and Lan Xin who followed them inside, and even the steward of the Champion Marquis’s Mansion, were all left dumbfounded.

But a faint flicker of relief flashed through Xu Luo’s eyes.

…

The southern part of the Imperial Capital City was a renowned district for the wealthy. While few of the absolute top-tier families resided here, those who could afford to live here were all either rich or of high status.

The Liu Family was likewise an ancient clan. Throughout Cangqiong’s fourteen-hundred-year history, the Liu Family had produced numerous scholars and Military Officers. Although none had reached the highest echelons of power, they were far from an ordinary family.

The most recent celebrity from the Liu Family was the great master of calligraphy, Liu Bai, from over thirty years ago.

At that time, the current Emperor had not yet ascended the throne; the reigning monarch was the grandfather of the current Emperor, Huangfu Haoran.

Liu Bai’s life was the stuff of legend. As a youth, he was remarkably clever and displayed an extraordinary talent for calligraphy.

He was a great favorite of the old Emperor, who had always wanted to appoint him as an official.

But Liu Bai was wild and unrestrained by nature. Arrogant in his talent, he paid the Emperor no mind. Besides, the Liu Family was an ancient clan, so he never had to worry about his livelihood.

By his thirties, Liu Bai was already a renowned master. His calligraphy reached its absolute zenith in his later years, when he was in his fifties.

Each character he wrote seemed to embody some supreme, universal truth.

At that time, a piece of Liu Bai’s calligraphy was priceless. Then, just three years after his art reached its peak, Liu Bai mysteriously vanished.

No one knew where he had gone, and no one could find him.

From that day on, Liu Bai’s calligraphy was virtually never seen on the market again.

The current Prime Minister, Wei Feng, was said to have reached the Grandmaster realm in calligraphy, and his ability to imitate the works of past masters was formidable. Yet, the best he could replicate was the wild cursive script Liu Bai had written in his thirties.

No one could imitate the script of Liu Bai after he turned fifty!

Not even a passing resemblance could be achieved!

A family like the Liu was naturally famous throughout the land. Even if they seemed to be in decline now… not just anyone would dare to treat them with disrespect.

”This is utter nonsense! You… all of you… you’ve… you’ve gone too far! This is an absolute outrage!”

Liu Xuan, Liu Bai’s fifth-generation descendant and the current Patriarch of the Liu Family, was a man with a scholarly and refined air. Though he was in his fifties, his handsome features made him look like a man of about forty.

But at this moment, Liu Xuan was scowling, seething with uncontrollable rage. He glared at the embarrassed Xu Zhongtian and his wife, who sat opposite him. Panting with anger, he raged, ”When your wife first came to propose a marriage, I refused! It wasn’t because I, Liu Xuan, am arrogant or aloof. It’s because your son is simply not a worthy match for my daughter!”

”I was already in my thirties when I had this daughter, and I’ve treasured her as the apple of my eye since she was a child. I don’t even want her to marry yet, but even if she were to marry, it would have to be to a scholar! How could she possibly marry a boorish man who spends his days hammering iron and forging swords?” Liu Xuan said furiously. Seeing the pained expressions on the faces of Xu Zhongtian and his wife, his tone softened slightly.

”But Madam Xu was so sincere, and our ancestors in the Liu and Xu Families had a friendship of sorts. I also looked into your son, Xu Jie, and found him to be a young man of good character. And most importantly…”

Liu Xuan glanced at the beautiful young woman sitting to the side. Her expression was calm and composed. He let out a long sigh. ”Most importantly, I don’t know what got into my daughter, but she actually had a very good impression of Xu Jie!”

”So, fine. Since that was the case, I, as her father, decided not to stand in her way. After all, you can’t keep a daughter at home forever; she has to marry eventually. It’s rare for her to find a man she approves of, so I thought, let her marry him!”

As Liu Xuan spoke, his anger flared up again. ”But just after we agreed, your boy turned around and brought another woman home! I don’t need to mention her identity; everyone knows who she is. Fine! He can marry whomever he pleases, it’s none of my business! I told my daughter to give up on the idea, that I would simply find her a suitable match another day!”

”But I never imagined that after things went wrong on your end, you would come thinking of my daughter again! What do you take my daughter for? Huh? What do you take the Liu Family for? That’s right! The Liu Family may not be as powerful as the Xu Family, but we are not some lowly clan that will smile while being trampled underfoot!”

By the end, Liu Xuan was overcome with rage, roaring without any regard for the status of the two people before him.

”Yes, yes, Brother Liu. I know all of this. I know my son isn’t worthy of your daughter, especially not now… It’s… sigh, never mind. Brother Liu, just pretend my wife and I were never here. As for the gifts we brought… please accept them as our apology.”

Xu Zhongtian was a Marquis, after all. Being scolded so thoroughly to his face was utterly humiliating; he felt as if he’d been stripped of all dignity.

But he could only endure it, unable to lash out. The crucial point was that their family’s actions had indeed been deeply disrespectful. This was the scholarly Liu Family; if anyone else had treated him, Xu Zhongtian, this way, he would have drawn his blade and taken their head long ago.

The Champion Marquis’s wife knew she had overstepped. With an embarrassed expression, she looked at the equally awkward Madam Liu and said softly, ”I am truly sorry. We were too presumptuous. Sigh, it is all our fault. I suppose my son is just not fated to marry a gentle and virtuous woman like Miss Liu… Madam Liu, we will take our leave. I will personally visit another day to offer a formal apology.”

”Sigh…” Madam Liu sighed as well. ’How did such a good thing turn into such a mess?’ she thought.

Glancing at her daughter, who stood beside her silent and with a placid expression, Madam Liu lamented inwardly. A perfectly good match, ruined just like that.

In truth, the Liu Family had worried themselves sick over this daughter. From a young age, Liu Ruyu had an aloof and indifferent disposition, much like her ancestor Liu Bai. Her talent in calligraphy was also remarkably similar to his.

Had she been a boy, the Liu Family would have been overjoyed. But Liu Ruyu was a woman… and for a woman of such immense talent and beauty, finding a suitable husband was incredibly difficult.

After all, how many men in the world were worthy of being noticed by a woman as gifted as Liu Ruyu?

They had originally thought she might grow old as a spinster in her chambers, so they were thrilled when she unexpectedly agreed to the marriage with Xu Jie. Madam Liu had been especially happy.

Who could have predicted that events would take such a sharp turn for the worse? Even now, she still felt a sense of bewilderment.

After venting all his anger, Liu Xuan also felt he had been a bit unreasonable. He looked at Xu Zhongtian and his wife and said in a heavy tone, ”It’s not that I wish to be unkind, but… we simply cannot agree to your request.”

”Yes, if I were in your shoes, I would do the same…” Xu Zhongtian said, his face a mask of embarrassment. This great man, who commanded the tides of war on the battlefield, was at this moment nothing more than a pitiable father.

”I’ll agree to it.” Liu Ruyu, who had been silent with a calm and indifferent expression, suddenly spoke. A complex light flickered in her beautiful eyes as she looked at her father. ”I agree!”

”You… what did you say?” Liu Xuan swayed and had to grab the nearby table for support. He stared at his daughter in disbelief. ”What did you just say? Say it again!”

Xu Zhongtian and his wife also stood frozen, looking at Liu Ruyu in utter disbelief.

Madam Liu looked at her daughter and sighed inwardly. ’If there’s anyone in this world who understands Ruyu’s character,’ she thought, ’it’s me, her mother.’

Just a moment ago, she had been wondering if her daughter might suddenly make this very decision. And now, it seemed her premonition had come true.

”I said, I agree… to become the Xu Family’s… daughter-in-law.” She was, after all, an unmarried maiden, and it took courage to say such words herself. After speaking, Liu Ruyu didn’t dare to look at her father’s disappointed face, and a slight blush colored her cheeks. But if anyone could have seen her eyes at that moment, they would have found them as calm as the water in a deep, ancient well.

Without a single ripple.

”You agree?” Liu Xuan felt his vision swim. He fought back the wave of faintness and stared at his daughter in disbelief. ”Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

”I do. But this… is also my choice,” Liu Ruyu said calmly, raising her head to look at her father.