Realms In The Firmament

When everybody else was out, Shangguan Zhuifeng became serious all of a sudden. He said, ”Brother Ye, you…”

Ye Xiao blandly said, ”It isn’t a good time to have this conversation yet. Let’s talk when the time comes. You are unable to help after all. You know what I mean.”

Shangguan Zhuifeng looked deplorable as he said, ”Okay!”

Then he said, ”However, I have to seek justice for Brother Li Wuliang! No matter with or without my legs!”

Ye Xiao smiled. ”Your legs are going to be fine. By the way, why do you trust me so much?”

That was true. They had only spoken a few words to each other.

Shangguan Zhuifeng smiled. ”Sometimes, people are still strange to each other after a lifetime. Sometimes people become close friends in seconds. A few words are enough! What you said when you whispered, I thought only Brother Li and I knew that. I guess Xiao Monarch might know it. However, I never expected Brother Ye, you would know it too. Since you know those words, you must know what it means to me. I am sure you are either a friend of Brother Li or a friend of Xiao Monarch.

”Brother Li was the man I can trust with my life. Xiao Monarch is his most trustworthy friend. I have never met Xiao Monarch, but I am sure I can trust him too.

”They both didn’t like to talk. I guess they would never tell those words to others recklessly. Whoever know those words must be a trustworthy friend of either of them.

”Brother Ye, you have the trust of them, so I am sure I can trust you too.

”Besides, you are a Ye!”

Shangguan Zhuifeng spoke gently, ”Let alone Tie-Er’s life, even the entire Black Cavalry Alliance, I am surely willing to hand it to you! I won’t hesitate!”

Ye Xiao in took a deep breath and didn’t know what to say.

What Shangguan Zhuifeng said reminded him of Li Wuliang.

[Li Wuliang, my brother. You died a long time ago, yet this man here still trust you so much!]

[He even trusted me because of you. He actually put his son’s life in my hand!]

[Fierce Blade… You truly are a powerful blade even in heaven…]

”One sword cross the sky; thousands of horses surpass the wind. Laughter of the Monarch; hero of eternity.” Shangguan Zhuifeng murmured, ”You know these words. I guess you also know where they came?”

Ye Xiao looked at him and said, ”As far as I know, you said it. If you would like to hear the story, I can tell more.”

Shangguan Zhuifeng blushed. He seemed embarrassed.

What Ye Xiao said seemed normal, however, it somehow made the chief of Black Cavalry Alliance feel embarrassed.

What Ye Xiao actually meant, [You said you trust me, but you decided to test me. I don’t mind though. If you don’t mind, I can be cooperative.]

However, he understood why the old man would do this.

He was an old cultivator in the martial world. He should be skeptical.

”I am young. I never had the chance to see the black cavalries travel across the realm. Because somebody wanted to become the eighth great sect in the world, he said those words… What an ambitious man…”

Ye Xiao smiled and looked at Shangguan Zhuifeng. ”Do you want to hear more? Brother Shangguan…”

Shangguan Zhuifeng blushed and said, ”Brother Ye, you are teasing me. Well… I guess we are good friends now…”

Ye Xiao laughed.

Shangguan Zhuifeng blushed. He felt embarrassed. He was thinking about the past and said after a while, ”It was too much a dream when I had that idea… Brother Li scolded the sh*t out of me… Ignorant, empty-headed, madcap… He was so mad at me… He was such a quiet person, yet when he wanted to talk… That was…”

Ye Xiao laughed. He didn’t say anything. He knew Shangguan Zhuifeng was still testing him. He said Li Wuliang could talk much because he wanted to know how familiar Ye Xiao was to Li Wuliang. He wanted to know whether this young man was closer to Li Wuliang or to Xiao Monarch.

Friend of Li Wuliang or friend of Xiao Monarch, Shangguan Zhuifeng would trust him, however, in a different extent. Li Wuliang’s friend was one hundred percent his own man. However, Xiao Monarch’s friend was somehow a little more distant.

Ye Xiao understood it. He knew how deep an old man like Shangguan Zhuifeng could be. He wasn’t annoyed. He was Li Wuliang’s best friend after all. He and Shangguan Zhuifeng should be like brothers too. He wouldn’t mind being tested.

The story was real.

What happened was more complicated than what Shangguan Zhuifeng just said.

In the old days, Black Cavalry Alliance was a great organization. It was overwhelming in the world, so close to surpassing some top powerful sects. Shangguan Zhuifeng did want to develop Black Cavalry Alliance into the eighth great sect.

However, Black Calvary Alliance was too weak in cultivation compared to the great sects. Most importantly, they didn’t have some real influential cultivators. They seemed powerful, but everybody knew it took only one real superior cultivator to ruin their valley. Even if Black Calvary Alliance could solve the problem, they would have been utterly weakened. That was a fatal shortage for a great sect. Because of that, Shangguan Zhuifeng went to Li Wuliang and asked him to join the alliance.

He even wanted Xiao Monarch to join them too. He actually wanted Fierce Blade and Xiao Monarch to replace himself, to be the chiefs of Black Calvary Alliance, and let them decide which of them to be the Top Chief.

What Shangguan Zhuifeng wanted was the agreement of Li Wuliang and Ye Xiao. As long as the two of them said yes, Black Calvary Alliance would become the eighth great sect!

Fierce Blade and Xiao Monarch were both top range super cultivators in the Qing-Yun Realm. They were powerful enough to make it happen.

Shangguan Zhuifeng had traveled a long way to talk to Li Wuliang. He thought, as long as Li Wuliang agreed, Ye Xiao would very likely say yes. If Li Wuliang talked to Xiao Monarch, Xiao Monarch would definitely promise to help. Even if he didn’t really join the alliance, it was also good to have his name written in the book of the alliance. Shangguan Zhuifeng was so confident.

Xiao Monarch as a guest member, Li Wuliang as the chief of Black Calvary Alliance, the eighth great sect it was!

Shangguan Zhuifeng had thought of the slogan of the eighth great sect. ’One sword cross the sky; thousands of horses surpass the wind. Laughter of the Monarch; hero of eternity.’

Ye Xiao wasn’t mentioned in the first line, but there were two lines for Ye Xiao, the last two lines. In fact, Li Wuliang and Ye Xiao were both heroes of eternity in Shangguan Zhuifeng’s mind.

However, when Shangguan Zhuifeng got to Li Wuliang and told him the plan, Li Wuliang kicked him off the mountain and scolded him.

The plan was killed. It never happened.

”Chief Shangguan, do you remember what else did he say about you other than ignorant?” Ye Xiao started to laugh.

Shangguan Zhuifeng looked at Ye Xiao for a long time, like looking at a great mountain from a low position.

…