Firmament Sword

”It’s just a fight to the death. Who’s afraid of whom?”

Xu Luo threw his head back and let out a long roar as an incredibly intense wave of energy erupted from his body. At the same moment, the once-dim Shaking Light Star and Kaiyang Star flickered brightly in the sky, and a stream of formless starlight shot down, landing on Xu Luo.

It was an incredibly brief instant!

But to the man in black, it felt like an eternity.

He knew better than anyone just how manyfold Xu Luo’s power had grown in that single moment!

’What the fuck is this goddamned cultivation technique…’

All he had time for was a startled cry…

BANG!

A tremendous bang echoed between heaven and earth.

The body of the man in black suddenly exploded, bursting into a mist of blood. His sword was embedded in Xu Luo’s shoulder, having pierced clean through.

But it was a sight he would never see.

The oppressive aura that the High-tier Sword Venerable had cast over the area suddenly vanished.

Huangfu Chongzhi was the first to rush over, catching Xu Luo in his arms. Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Little Fatty Liu Feng quickly followed.

”Third Brother, are you okay?”

”Third Brother, how is it?”

”Third Brother, say something!”

All the brothers stared at Xu Luo, their faces etched with worry.

Xu Luo managed to force his eyes open, offering his brothers a pained smile before his eyes slowly drifted shut. He no longer had the strength to speak.

”Don’t panic, he’ll be fine,” Huangfu Chongzhi said to the others. He carefully laid Xu Luo flat on the ground, took out some Golden Sore Medicine, and then gingerly pulled the sword from Xu Luo’s pierced shoulder.

Throughout the process, Xu Luo’s brow was tightly knit and his body trembled faintly, but he never made a sound.

The sight made Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Liu Feng shudder. They formed a tight circle around Xu Luo, giving Huangfu Chongzhi space to apply the medicine. Afterward, Huangfu Chongzhi took out several elixirs and fed them to Xu Luo. By then, his own forehead was beaded with sweat, his face pale.

Huangfu Chongzhi let out a long sigh of relief. ”He’s out of danger now,” he told the others. ”Don’t worry too much. He just needs to rest for a while and he’ll make a full recovery.”

Little Fatty’s face was grim. ”He’s seriously hurt this time. Dammit… Who was that guy Third Brother blew to pieces? How was he so terrifying? His aura alone was so oppressive I could barely breathe, let alone charge in and fight…”

”You think you were the only one? Even the Boss was probably in the same boat as us!” Xu Jie said.

Huangfu Chongzhi nodded and said gravely, ”That man… was likely from a sect. The one backing Fengyue Building is very powerful. But Third Brother… he’s something else entirely!”

The brothers all nodded in agreement. Today had been another real eye-opener. They had personally witnessed Xu Luo, a mere Great Sword Master, fight a powerful Martial Artist at the Sword Venerable Realm to a standstill and kill him, all while only suffering a few injuries himself.

”Ever since Third Brother’s failure at the Star Festival last year, he’s really changed,” said Little Fatty. ”His personality’s the same, but the rate his strength is increasing… it’s just too fast. We couldn’t catch up if we tried.”

”Don’t bring that up again,” Huangfu Chongzhi said sternly. ”The failure at the Star Festival had nothing to do with Third Brother. No matter what anyone else thinks, that rumor cannot come from us. Otherwise, people will truly believe there’s a connection between the two.”

”Don’t worry, Boss. I’m only saying it here among us. I’d never mention it in front of outsiders,” Little Fatty assured him.

Just then, the other members of their party drew closer. Seeing Xu Luo injured, their faces were filled with concern. Unbeknownst to them, Xu Luo had truly become their anchor. As long as he was around, they had nothing to fear. If something were to happen to him, the entire group’s morale would be devastated.

”It’s alright. Go back to what you were doing. The danger has passed, and we shouldn’t face any more threats from here on out,” Xu Jie told them in a low voice.

...

”Oh? Someone attempted an assassination on that group, and an intense battle broke out?” Mo Yun looked at the Reconnoitre she’d dispatched, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. ’Could it be… that there’s really someone of high status among them?’

Zhou Bo, who was standing to the side, asked the Reconnoitre, ”Did you get a clear look? Who attacked them, and what was the outcome?”

The Reconnoitre shook his head. ”Their Divine Sense is too sharp. I didn’t dare get too close and could only watch from afar. Even then, I was nearly discovered a few times. So, I couldn’t see the outcome of the fight clearly. But I imagine the assassin must have failed, because the group is already on the move again.”

”Good. You did well,” Mo Yun said. ”Keep watching them. Remember, from a distance. Don’t get spotted. Stay in contact, and find out where they’re headed. As soon as you know their destination, report back immediately!”

”Yes, General!” After saluting Mo Yun and Zhou Bo, the Reconnoitre departed stealthily.

Zhou Bo asked Mo Yun, ”General, why are you so focused on these people? Surely they don’t have anything worthy of our attention?”

”I suspect they’re scions of the Cangqiong Empire’s military. I have a rough idea of their identities,” Mo Yun said, her voice low. ”The greatest defeat I’ve ever suffered was in the recent Southern war. I have to find out who was behind it all, who orchestrated everything. To be honest, I truly admire that person!”

”Admire him? I hate his guts! If I ever find out who it is, I’ll cut him into a thousand pieces!” Zhou Bo growled, his tone frigid.

”Heh.” Mo Yun just gave a faint smile and said no more, dismissing Zhou Bo to get some rest.

Mo Yun was left alone in the tent. She stood up and began to pace, muttering to herself, ’The Martial Soul Squad… the Southern campaign… a dozen or so people who performed a great service… Their contribution was severing the Yan Army Grain Dao… The Martial Soul Squad…’

More than ten days later, Xu Luo’s party finally arrived at the largest city in his fiefdom—Snow City!

Snow City was famous throughout the northern regions. Though its population was only a few hundred thousand, it was an exceptionally wealthy city. Snow City’s Lord, Wang Chao, was in his late thirties and considered a young and promising official.

Wang Chao was tall and dignified. He was known for being a man of the people, often venturing out alone among the common folk to understand their hardships and seek justice on their behalf.

As the chief official of the region, Wang Chao commanded great prestige in Snow City.

Before even arriving in his fief, Xu Luo had already used various channels to learn about the City Lord of its largest city. His impression of Wang Chao was quite favorable.

The Empire had many such young officials. They weren’t bogged down by bureaucracy or possessed by aristocratic greed. All in all, for the common people, having an official like that was a true blessing.

When the convoy was still several miles from the city gates, a group of people could be seen waiting in the distance. At their center, surrounded by an entourage, was none other than the City Lord of Snow City, Wang Chao.

Upon seeing the convoy, a smiling Wang Chao led his men forward to greet them. His hearty laughter carried from afar. ”Is that the convoy of the Seven-Colored Marquis ahead?”

From within the carriage, Xu Luo’s voice emerged. ”City Lord Wang, you are too kind. I am no longer a Marquis. I am currently indisposed and cannot receive guests, so I ask for City Lord Wang’s understanding.”

Wang Chao paused, startled. ”What’s happened to the Second Young Master?”

”Heh, it’s nothing serious,” Xu Luo laughed from within the carriage, his voice surprisingly robust. ”We just ran into an assassination attempt on the road. I suffered a minor injury, but it’ll heal in a few days.”

”Oh, as long as you’re alright. That’s good, that’s good.” Wang Chao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He then greeted Huangfu Chongzhi, Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Liu Feng one by one, his posture impeccably respectful. Finally, he took the lead, guiding their convoy into Snow City.

Riding alongside Wang Chao, Huangfu Chongzhi asked with a smile, ”City Lord Wang, how many years have you served as the lord of Snow City?”

”To answer the Eldest Prince, I have been in Snow City for three years now,” Wang Chao replied with a humble expression.

”There’s no need for such formalities,” Huangfu Chongzhi said with a gentle smile. ”It seems you’ve governed this place well. The people seem quite content with their lives.”

”That is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace,” Wang Chao said with a smile. ”As for myself, I have merely done a few insignificant things.”

”City Lord Wang, have you heard any news about bandit troupes lately?” Little Fatty asked suddenly, his tone casual.

Without a second thought, Wang Chao shook his head. ”Although we’re considered a border region, we’re still several hundred miles from the actual frontier. There used to be a few bandit gangs, but General Xu Su cleaned them all up long ago. These days, even small bands of outlaws are extremely rare. In the past two years, I believe there’s only been news of one small gang of thieves.”

A man beside Wang Chao who looked like a Master added, ”You could hardly call them a gang of thieves. They’re just a group of thugs who committed murder and fled the city. They had no choice but to turn to banditry, but they wouldn’t dare come anywhere near here on a normal day.”

”Indeed. That group is quite cunning and never stays in one place for long, which makes them difficult to apprehend,” Wang Chao said.

Little Fatty just said, ”Oh,” and glanced at Wang Chao, saying nothing more.

The convoy then entered the City Lord’s Mansion. Only then did Xu Luo emerge from his carriage. His entire right shoulder was wrapped in thick layers of gauze, dotted with specks of blood. The heavy scent of medicine wafted from him.

”City Lord Wang, my apologies,” Xu Luo said with a nod and a smile. ”I didn’t come out to greet you earlier because I was afraid of being spotted by prying eyes.”

Wang Chao’s gaze flickered for a moment. ”Second Young Master, have you offended someone?” he asked in surprise. ”First an assassination attempt, and now you’re being watched? If there is anything I can do, Second Young Master, you need only say the word!”