Firmament Sword

”Senior, he’s clearly being sarcastic...” Ark blurted out anxiously, unable to stop himself.

The old man shot Ark a glance, snorted coldly, and said flatly, ”I’m not senile yet. I don’t need a little brat like you telling me how to do my job!”

Those words were rather harsh. Fang Jing’s face went pale. He raised his hand and slapped his son hard across the face, roaring, ”Didn’t you hear me tell you to shut up?”

Even Fang Jing’s younger brother, the man in black, couldn’t help but frown slightly. He glanced at Ark and cursed inwardly, ’Utterly useless.’

The old man turned back around, his expression still a half-smile, and looked at Xu Luo. ”Alright, little brat, it’s quiet now. Why don’t you tell me how I’m so self-important, and how I’m being used?”

There wasn’t a hint of anger in the old man’s words, nor any threat, but Xu Luo knew very well this was just a ploy. The old man was merely trying to show he wasn’t *that* kind of person!

He might have scolded Ark, but the fact that the man in black could invite him here proved their relationship was anything but ordinary.

It would be foolishly naive to judge by his superficial attitude and assume this old man was a fair, just, and reasonable person.

This was the Sect Assembly; he just didn’t want to bring shame to his own sect. That was all!

Xu Luo was under no illusions. He raised his head, looked at the old man, and spoke with a calm and measured tone, ”Phoenix and I met in the secular world. We fell in love and have long since pledged our lives to one another. However, Grand Elder Leng Yu Lian maliciously tried to tear us apart. Lacking the authority to do so, she tried to marry Phoenix to Young Master Tianquan, Ark. After my master recovered, he put a stop to this...”

Xu Luo spoke at a steady pace. ”Normally, something like this is a trivial matter. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, it should be over. But as I was leaving Merak, Ark sent one of his personal guards to assassinate me. I barely escaped with my life.”

”You’re lying! I never did that!” Ark stared at Xu Luo with a look of pure injustice, an expression so convincing it was a shame he wasn’t an actor.

Xu Luo glanced coolly at Ark. ”Whether I’m lying or not, the senior from Jade Balance can judge for himself.”

The old man’s mouth twitched slightly. He looked at Xu Luo. ”Continue.”

”I had been prepared to let the matter go. Although I was resentful, I had no intention of pursuing Ark for it. After all... I can somewhat understand how he felt. But I never imagined that this time, on the way to the Sect Assembly, my companions and I would once again be oppressed by the Tianquan Sect!”

As he spoke, Xu Luo suddenly raised his head and looked at the man in black. ”You were in that group at the time. Am I wrong?”

With a hint of agitation, Xu Luo’s voice was a little loud, but no one would think too much of such a common line of questioning.

After all, anyone would get agitated when faced with injustice; there are very few exceptions.

Inside the room, all eyes fell on the face of the man in black.

The man in black felt a slight daze deep in his mind, but the feeling vanished in an instant, so much so that even he didn’t think anything of it.

Faced with Xu Luo’s question, he certainly couldn’t admit it. Just as he was about to deny it and shift the blame back onto Xu Luo, a sentence somehow slipped out.

”That’s right. It was indeed my brother who provoked you first, trying to force a marriage with Phoenix...”

As soon as the words were out, everyone was stunned.

The father and son, Fang Jing and Ark, stared at the man in black in disbelief. The old man frowned slightly, lost in thought.

The girl with the short, cropped hair behind the old man, however, just looked curious.

Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan struggled to maintain their composure, trying their best not to look at Xu Luo’s expression.

They knew very well that the man in black would never have said such a thing! It wasn’t what he meant to express at all!

Therefore... this must have something to do with Xu Luo!

Xu Luo’s own expression, however, was perfectly calm, showing no signs of anything unusual. He didn’t give anyone much time to think, turning to the old man and saying, ”Senior, you heard him, didn’t you? The facts are plain. I don’t understand how Sect Leader Fang, the dignified leader of a sect, could do such a thing. Perhaps, just as this junior said earlier, some people are used to giving orders and think their commands are law, that others must obey whatever they say...”

As he said this, Xu Luo wore a sincere expression. ”So, Senior, my earlier words were absolutely not directed at you!”

What a silver tongue!

What does it mean to be able to argue black is white with nothing but a glib tongue? This was it!

Fang Jing and Ark were so furious they felt smoke was about to pour from their ears, and they had the urge to vomit blood. Even though what Xu Luo said was actually true, this outcome was completely different from what they had anticipated!

How could a dignified Elder of Jade Balance possibly have the patience to listen to some disciple from a minor sect spout nonsense?

And yet, this Elder from Jade Balance had listened!

Whether he believed it or not was unknown, but he had listened very intently, which made the father and son, Fang Jing and Ark, extremely uneasy.

The muscles on the man in black’s face also twitched violently. Before, he hadn’t paid Xu Luo much mind, nor had he felt any killing intent toward him. But now, he truly wanted him dead. He wished he could just butcher Xu Luo right here and now!

That sentence just now was clearly not what he wanted to say, yet it had slipped out. He wouldn’t believe for a second that there wasn’t something strange going on, but the words had come from his own mouth, leaving him unable to argue his case.

The old man looked at Xu Luo and suddenly broke into a laugh. ”You’re quite an interesting kid...”

The moment the old man spoke, the expressions on Fang Jing and Ark’s faces changed. Even Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan’s eyes revealed a glimmer of hope as they thought to themselves, ’A major sect truly has the bearing of a major sect...’

Only the man in black remained expressionless, sitting there as calm and steady as a mountain. Since he was the one who had invited this Elder Xiao, he was confident in the outcome!

He knew that no matter what, Elder Xiao would give him this face!

”However...” The old man’s smile vanished. He looked at Xu Luo. ”Since I have already said that I will fulfill the marriage between Young Master Ark of Tianquan and Phoenix of Merak, I will not change my decision!”

Hearing this, the father and son, Fang Jing and Ark, whose hearts had been like dead ashes, suddenly felt their eyes light up. The stiff expressions on their faces melted away like ice and snow, replaced by triumphant smiles.

Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan, on the other hand, stared at the old man with faces full of anger and shock. Phoenix lowered her head, a flash of intense fury in her eyes.

This feeling of being unable to control even her own freedom was truly awful! Phoenix swore an oath in her heart: if she ever got the chance, she would become an unparalleled expert. Then she’d see who would dare try to control her destiny!

Xu Luo sighed inwardly. ’What is tyranny? This is it! He gave you a chance to speak and appeared perfectly fair and just, but in the end... the result is still whatever he wants it to be!’

’The dignity of a Grandmaster, the bearing of a major sect... It’s all bullshit!’ Xu Luo thought.

After speaking, the old man looked at Xu Luo and said, ”However, I am rather interested in you, boy. My decision is not fair to you, but you must understand that there aren’t many fair things in this world. And fairness... is something you must fight for with your own strength!”

”Are you willing to come to Jade Balance? You can... become my direct disciple! In my Jade Balance Sect, there are countless beautiful, gentle, intelligent, and sensible girls. If you become my disciple, I can guarantee that if you want a harem of wives and concubines, it won’t be a problem at all!”

Elder Xiao’s words immediately made Fang Jing and Ark freeze on the spot, the triumphant smiles that had just appeared on their faces stiffening once more.

Even the man in black couldn’t help but show a look of surprise. He never expected that Elder Xiao would actually take a liking to the young Xu Luo!

To others, these words might not have meant much—just an elder from a major sect showing a bit of appreciation for a young man.

But to the man in black, who knew Elder Xiao well, things were far from that simple. If Xu Luo really agreed to switch sects and become Elder Xiao’s disciple, his future would be limitless!

Even now, with almost no powerful backing, Xu Luo was already so assertive. Once he possessed a background that allowed him to contend with anyone... who would be able to control this young man?

Intense anger and indignation showed in the eyes of Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan. Not only was the other party interfering in their sect’s internal affairs, but now they were going so far as to try and poach their disciple right in front of them!

At this moment, Phoenix raised her head, her limpid eyes fixed on Xu Luo. She wanted to know what he would choose.

Xu Luo hadn’t expected the old man to turn his attention to him either. He stood there, stunned for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile. ”I am honored by Elder Xiao’s favor, and this humble one is rather overwhelmed. I wonder, among those beautiful, gentle, intelligent, and sensible girls Elder Xiao mentioned, does that include the young lady behind him?”

Xu Qing had been watching the drama unfold without a care in the world. She had no personal stake in any of this; she had just come along today because she was bored, acting as a mere spectator.

When Elder Xiao had offered to take Xu Luo as a disciple, she hadn’t thought much of it either. It had nothing to do with her, after all.

So she never, ever imagined that this boy would be so audacious as to drag her into it.

Her willow-like brows immediately shot up. She glared at Xu Luo, her face freezing over. The fury in her eyes looked ready to erupt. Though she said nothing, anyone could tell that the beautiful woman with the short, cropped hair was angry!

Elder Xiao’s mouth also twitched violently. His gaze toward Xu Luo turned hostile. In the entire Jade Balance Sect, he could help Xu Luo get whoever he wanted, even decide the matter directly. But this one behind him... not only could he not make decisions for her, he couldn’t even afford to offend her!

”Ahem... She is not an option!” Elder Xiao’s words were concise, shutting down any possibility and rejecting the idea on the spot.

”Heh, well then, you see... how can a young lady’s marriage be something others can interfere with at will?” Xu Luo looked at the old man with a beaming smile. ”Wouldn’t you agree, Senior... that’s how it is?”