Firmament Sword

”What? Fengyue Building... is your sect’s business in the mortal world?” Xu Luo stared at Cao Tianyi, stunned.

”Haha, what’s so strange about that? Hidden Sects might call themselves ’hidden,’ but they still need all sorts of resources. They need to eat, clothe themselves, and live. How do you think they get those things? Don’t they have to buy them with money?”

Finding Xu Luo’s reaction a bit odd, Cao Tianyi said with a smile, ”That’s why the vast majority of sects have their own businesses in the mortal world.”

”Then, what sect is your master’s sect?” Xu Luo suppressed the shock in his heart and asked with feigned casualness.

”Merak,” Cao Tianyi let out a breath. ”For me, that’s a distant memory now!”

”Then... General, could you tell me the sect’s specific location?” Xu Luo asked softly.

”Hm? What are you planning, little one? Do you want to become a disciple?” Cao Tianyi raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xu Luo, and then said with a smile, ”Merak is very strict when it comes to choosing disciples. But if you’re truly set on it... I could give you a recommendation after this war is over.”

”Then I must thank you in advance, General Cao!” Xu Luo let out a huge sigh of relief. He recalled his promise to Phoenix; he still had a few months. He had been wondering how he was ever going to find her sect, but now the answer had fallen right into his lap.

”But once you enter this sect, even if you leave and return to the mortal world one day, you’ll still bear the mark of the sect,” Cao Tianyi warned. ”So I suggest you discuss this matter thoroughly with your father first.”

Xu Luo nodded, thinking to himself, ’I’m going to Merak, but not to become a disciple and learn their arts. I’m going to find a way to save Phoenix!’

Xu Luo had already guessed that the woman Cao Tianyi mentioned, Wenxi, must be Phoenix’s master—the Sect Leader of Merak who had suffered a cultivation deviation!

’Now that I know, I absolutely must make the trip after this war!’

...

Yuwen Shentong put down the letter and the black token in his hands. He looked up, frowning slightly in thought as he observed the group of travel-worn youths before him.

Xu Jie nervously watched the man before him. Following in the footsteps of the Empire’s Twin Pillars, this was the Cangqiong Kingdom’s newly risen military titan. His heart pounded, and he felt a deep sense of unease.

Yuwen Shentong’s aura was simply too powerful, and he made no effort to conceal his bloodthirsty killing intent.

This was a young general whose methods were extremely ruthless and who deployed his troops with godlike genius.

At only thirty-eight years old, Yuwen Shentong had already become a renowned general in the military. His reputation within the army was second only to the Grand General of National Guardian, Xu Ji, and the Champion Marquis, Xu Zhongtian.

”So, you’re saying Xu Luo is still with Cao Tianyi’s army?” Yuwen Shentong finally asked after a long moment.

Xu Jie nodded. ”That’s right. Xu Luo is still with Cao Tianyi. I witnessed the entire affair from beginning to end, and I believe...”

Before Xu Jie could finish, Yuwen Shentong waved his hand, a rare smile appearing on his stern face. ”I trust you.”

It was just three words, but it allowed the perpetually tense members of the Martial Soul Squad to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

”The Eldest Prince, the sons of Xu Ji and Xu Zhongtian, and the son of General Sui... yes... I can trust all of you,” Yuwen Shentong said. ”But this matter is no small affair. Not a single whisper of it can be allowed to get out. Are you certain no one followed you on your way here?”

Little Fatty Liu Feng stepped forward. ”Reporting to General Yuwen, we were absolutely not followed by anyone on our journey!”

”You’re that certain, kid?” Yuwen Shentong’s expression hardened, and he frowned. ”Nothing is absolute! Young people shouldn’t be so overconfident!”

At that moment, the Eldest Prince, Huangfu Chongzhi, stepped forward and said gently, ”General Yuwen, Liu Feng possesses a special ability. His sense of smell is extremely keen. He can even track enemies based on the scent they leave behind...”

”I’m not bragging, General Yuwen, but my nose is much better than a dog’s!” Seeing that Yuwen Shentong seemed skeptical, Little Fatty didn’t hesitate to compare himself to a dog—something that would have been unthinkable for him in the past.

”Haha.” Yuwen Shentong couldn’t help but laugh a few times before his expression turned serious again. ”You’ve done well in this matter. Since you handled it from beginning to end, I will entrust the task of liaising with the Cao Army to you once more!”

With that, Yuwen Shentong penned a letter and handed it to Huangfu Chongzhi. ”I’ll have to trouble you again!”

”It’s no trouble. We’ll take our leave, then!” Worried about Xu Luo, Huangfu Chongzhi and the others naturally wanted to return as soon as possible.

”Good. When this war is over, I will personally request commendations for you!” Yuwen Shentong said.

As he watched the youths leave the tent, Yuwen Shentong suddenly chuckled and said, ”What do you think? Convinced now? Teacher’s judgment is indeed much better than yours or mine!”

A figure stepped out from behind a screen in the tent. If Huangfu Chongzhi and the others had seen him, they would have been utterly astonished.

Because this person was none other than Devil Instructor Zhou!

Instructor Zhou’s face wore a rare smile as he said, ”These little rascals really know how to stir up trouble. If I hadn’t happened to rush back, even I would have been kept in the dark.”

”Heroes emerge from the young. They are the future of the Empire!” Yuwen Shentong said with some emotion.

”You’re so young yourself, General. Why are you saying such things?” Instructor Zhou seemed very familiar with Yuwen Shentong, speaking quite casually.

”I used to think I was still very young, but seeing them, I realize that I, too, have been growing old without noticing.” As Yuwen Shentong spoke, he picked up the token before him, a trace of reminiscence in his eyes.

”Back then, I gave this to Teacher and swore an oath to him. I said that one day, I would make a name for myself, that I would become like fierce generals such as Xu Ji, Xu Zhongtian, and Sui Wanli, capable of holding my own. When that day came, I told him to have someone bring this token to find me, and I would obey any command without question!”

”You didn’t expect it to happen so soon, did you? Hahaha!” Instructor Zhou teased with a laugh.

”That’s right. I never expected to reach this position so quickly, and I certainly didn’t expect Teacher to give this token away so soon. And to give it... to a little brat I’d never paid any mind to,” Yuwen Shentong said softly. ”But the facts have proven it—Teacher’s judgment is truly remarkable!”

”Just like when he discovered you back then?” Instructor Zhou asked.

Yuwen Shentong nodded. ”Back then, many people mocked me, saying I would never achieve anything no matter how hard I trained. If it weren’t for Teacher, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Therefore, I place my unconditional trust in anyone who comes bearing Teacher’s token! And as it happens... I was just thinking about how to swallow up Great Yan’s fifty thousand elites!”

A glint of fighting spirit flashed in Instructor Zhou’s eyes. ”I’m going too!”

”No, I can’t let you go into this battle,” Yuwen Shentong said sternly. ”You are to go to General Xu Zhongtian’s side right now. Since you’ve taken over those several thousand students, you can’t let them be easily lost on the battlefield. Once they’re trained, they will all be true elites in the army!”

Then, Yuwen Shentong looked at Instructor Zhou and said faintly, ”Most importantly, they... are your soldiers!”

Instructor Zhou was slightly taken aback, then shook his head with a wry smile. ”That line of reasoning sounds just like my father. I really don’t like it.”

”You don’t have to like it, but you have to do it.” Yuwen Shentong sighed, a weary look on his face. ”For now, I’ll send a secret report to His Majesty. This matter is too big. Devouring Great Yan’s fifty thousand elite troops is one thing, but what comes next... will be up to His Majesty to decide.”

Instructor Zhou nodded, then said, ”I wonder what kind of surprise Wei Ziting and his group will have in store for me?”

...

”Excellent!”

「Cangqiong Imperial Capital, within the Imperial City.」

The Sixth Prince held a secret letter, his face beaming with a joy that was impossible to hide.

The sender was his most trusted confidant, Wei Ziting!

In the letter, Wei Ziting first reported in detail how many sons of decorated nobles and wealthy families he had won over during their journey. These individuals could all become assets for the Sixth Prince’s future rise to power.

It was inconvenient for the Sixth Prince to personally court the descendants of powerful officials and nobles, but it was convenient for Wei Ziting!

Moreover, his reasons were legitimate, and no one could interfere.

Because those people were all students of True Martial Academy! Was it not permissible to be on good terms with one’s classmates?

Later in the letter, Wei Ziting reported on the current mission, then mentioned that he had unintentionally seen Xu Luo mingling with Cao Tianyi’s army!

Appended to the letter were testimonies from the students in Wei Ziting’s group, all confirming they had seen Xu Luo with the Cao Army!

”Oh, Xu Luo, Xu Luo, you’ve finally fallen into my hands. Hehe, to think you’d dare to mix with the enemy army... you really are... courting death!” the Sixth Prince muttered, then turned to the gray-robed old man beside him and asked, ”What do you make of this?”

The old man frowned slightly. ”Logically, Wei Ziting and his group would never have the courage to deceive you, my Lord. However, there’s something strange about this matter. Xu Luo... as the son of the Grand General of National Guardian, would he have any reason to collude with an enemy general? If the other party were Great Yan... that might be understandable, but it’s the weak Cao Kingdom...”

”Benefits!” The Sixth Prince’s eyes glinted with a cold light as he sneered, ”I can think of no other reason besides personal gain!”

The gray-robed old man said, ”I still advise you, my Lord, to hold off on this matter for now and not report it so quickly. What if... what if Xu Luo isn’t colluding with the enemy, but has instead infiltrated their ranks?”

”No, I can’t wait!” A furious light flickered in the Sixth Prince’s eyes, and he said in a low voice, ”The Xu Family is currently showered with glory and favor. This is just Father setting them up for a fall, which proves he’s already grown displeased with them! Xu Ji might be formidable, but more and more outstanding generals are rising through the ranks. It’s no great loss to be without him!”

He continued, ”Dealing with the Xu Family now is better than letting them become too powerful to control later! I’m just paving the way for my own future. The Xu Family... will never be on my side!”

The gray-robed old man frowned and sighed softly, but said no more.

The Sixth Prince was a clever man, and clever men were often stubborn and rarely listened to the opinions of others.

At the same time, the gray-robed old man also felt that Xu Luo appearing among the Cao Army—and reportedly being at Cao Tianyi’s side and treated with great courtesy... it was truly hard to believe there wasn’t some connection between the Xu Family and that Prince from the Cao Kingdom.

Even if this was just mudslinging, it would definitely be effective!

At the very least, it would make the Emperor even more disgusted with the Xu Family!