Firmament Sword

”Hmm? Junior Sister, what’s wrong? Could the rumors be true?” The handsome young man looked at Lin Luoxue with some surprise, his brow furrowing slightly. He spoke with a hint of reproach, ”How could a disciple from the secular world possibly stir ripples in your heart? Junior Sister, you have a great future ahead of you. Remember, just pretend this never happened. There are no outsiders here, so no one will say a word. But in the future... you must never mention that you know Xu Luo in front of others!”

The handsome young man was quite clever. Based solely on Lin Luoxue’s subconscious reaction, he immediately recalled some rumors and formed a judgment. He gave his admonition without even waiting for her to explain.

”I... I didn’t. I... do know him, but it’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of!” Lin Luoxue explained, her tone a little unsteady. Then, she looked at the handsome young man and said seriously, ”Was destroying the Xu Family and the Cangqiong Royal Family the Sect Leader’s idea?”

The handsome young man took in Lin Luoxue’s reaction, shaking his head helplessly. ”Destroying the Xu Family was the Elder Council’s decision,” he said. ”As for the Cangqiong Royal Family... we won’t destroy them. We’re just... replacing their ruler with an enlightened one for the sake of the poor Cangqiong People.”

”An enlightened ruler? Huangfu Haoyue?” A sarcastic smile touched Lin Luoxue’s lips. She then said faintly, ”Xu Luo is the fastest-growing person I’ve ever seen. I hope this decision by the Elder Council doesn’t bring disaster upon Dubhe.”

”Heh, Junior Sister, you’re thinking too highly of that young man, Xu Luo. True, from the rumors I’ve heard, he is indeed quite powerful and his luck is good enough. But to think he could fight Dubhe all by himself... you really overestimate him.” The disdainful smile on the handsome young man’s face was unconcealed.

”Is that so? I hope you’re right.” Lin Luoxue seemed unwilling to say more. A sense of helplessness washed over her. ’Xu Luo, I hope you don’t blame me for this. I really can’t help you with something like this. I just hope you can escape their pursuit...’

But even she wasn’t very confident in that thought. She knew better than anyone the strength of the Dubhe Elders who had entered the Cangqiong Imperial Capital. At the same time, Lin Luoxue also understood their stance. It was impossible to expect them to spare the Xu Family.

Lin Luoxue was gloomy and sullen. Although the handsome young man was proud and looked down on secular people, he doted on his junior sister. You could say he had watched Lin Luoxue grow up; he was like a real older brother to her.

So, not wanting to see her unhappy, he coaxed her in a gentle tone, ”Alright, even if we wanted to intervene in these matters, there’s nothing we can do. Don’t think about it too much. If that young man Xu Luo is truly as strong as they say, maybe there’s a chance for things to turn around. As for those people who went to the Cangqiong Imperial Capital... Hmph...”

The handsome young man didn’t say much more, but the expression on his face said it all.

This... was a common problem in large sects. They were all divided into many factions. Clearly, the group that entered the Imperial Capital was not on the same side as Lin Luoxue and her companions.

”I believe in him,” Lin Luoxue mumbled under her breath. Then she raised her head and looked at the handsome young man. ”Let’s go to the vein. If possible, I’d like to give these ordinary people a chance to live.”

The handsome young man nodded, called to the others, and they left the town together.

...

Hong Fugui was a middle-aged man in his forties, with one eye and a limp. He was a battle-hardened veteran who had once been on the battlefield. At his peak, his strength had reached the level of a Great Sword Master, just one step away from entering the True Martial Realm and becoming a Sword Venerable.

Unfortunately, during a fierce battle, his squad was ambushed. The entire unit fought to the very end, with only six or seven surviving. Their enemies, who had outnumbered them several times over, not only failed to annihilate them but were instead wiped out themselves.

Hong Fugui became a war hero, but due to the severity of his injuries, he had to leave the army. He returned to his hometown where he grew up—Daxing Town—and became a blacksmith.

When that group of people entered Daxing Town earlier, Hong Fugui, who was far more worldly than the average person, immediately sensed that something was wrong. He felt an incredibly powerful aura from them.

An aura was something you couldn’t see or touch, but it was undeniably real. For a battle-hardened man like Hong Fugui, he could clearly feel how powerful that group of people was.

Although he was a little worried, he recalled some of the legends and didn’t pay it too much mind. The Sect Realm and the secular world were two completely different worlds, each with its own rules. Sects wouldn’t easily interfere in worldly affairs. Unfortunately, this time, he was wrong...

Swinging the mining tool in his hand, a bitter smile appeared on Hong Fugui’s lips. Only after coming here did he understand why the two groups of experts from the sects had fought so fiercely, leaving no room for retreat, with each side aiming to slaughter every last one of the other.

A Spirit Stone Vein!

A massive Spirit Stone Vein!

It was hidden on this barren mountain just dozens of li from Daxing Town, stretching all the way to the sea, with a yield so abundant it was hard to believe!

’Sigh... to think we’ve been sitting on a Spirit Stone Vein more valuable than a mountain of gold for over fourteen hundred years, and no one ever discovered it. If it had been found sooner, I could have earned more money, and the families of my fallen comrades could have lived better lives!’ Hong Fugui sighed to himself.

It was almost always like this for those who had been to war and faced death. They didn’t survive because of their own great skill, but because of their companions’ life-sacrificing protection!

On the battlefield, those comrades were brothers-in-arms who would entrust their backs to one another with their lives!

Whoever survived, the parents of the fallen would become their own parents. This... was also an unwritten rule.

Unfortunately, although Hong Fugui had managed to get by over the years, his life was far from the ”great wealth” his name implied. He was a long way from fulfilling the wish his old man had when naming him.

As Hong Fugui thought about this, a bitter smile touched his lips. With his one good eye, he swung the pickaxe in his hands again and again. Though he only had one eye left and his leg was lame, his hands were still strong.

His strength had slipped from the peak of a Great Sword Master to that of a Tier Six Great Sword Master, but that was still more than enough to be a miner.

”Limp Hong, get over here!” a somewhat cold voice called from outside the cave.

Hong Fugui frowned slightly and answered, ”Coming!”

He slowly put down his pickaxe and limped out of the dark cave. The blinding light outside took a moment for his single eye to adjust.

The one who had called him out was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He was tall and slender, with sharp brows and bright eyes—a very handsome man. He was just far too arrogant, practically looking down his nose at everyone.

Hong Fugui thought to himself: ’A person like that might act high and mighty in front of ordinary people from the secular world, but in a sect, acting like that for too long probably won’t end well for him.’

”Limp Hong, your chance has come.” The young man looked with some disdain at the simple-looking, one-eyed middle-aged man before him and said coolly, ”I am now appointing you as the foreman of these miners. You... from now on, you don’t have to work. You just need to supervise them. See how many Spirit Stones each person hands in every day. For those who fail, one lash for every missing stone. For those who don’t work... kill them! If they exceed the quota, you will receive a handsome reward!”

When he heard the word ”kill,” Hong Fugui, who had his head slightly lowered, went stiff. After hearing everything, he looked up and asked softly, ”Isn’t... isn’t that a bit... too harsh?”

”Harsh? What a joke! Do you have any idea what these Spirit Stones mean to us?” The young man sneered. ”We give them good food and drink every day, and they still won’t work? What are they planning? What, Limp Hong, do you... have a problem with it?”

”I wouldn’t dare,” Hong Fugui replied, his tone neither soft nor hard. He then said, ”These people weren’t brought here willingly. Not only is the daily workload immense, but the food... is hardly enough to maintain one’s strength. Never mind that there’s no pay, but if they can’t complete the task, they’re whipped at best and face death at worst. Sir... this humble one dares not accept this foreman position. You should just let me go back to mining. Just tell me how many I need to turn in each day, and I guarantee I’ll complete it.”

”Oh? Limp Hong... tsk tsk, I didn’t realize... you have some nerve, don’t you?” A flash of anger crossed the young man’s eyes. With a smile that didn’t reach them, he said, ”Making you the foreman is my way of showing you respect. Why don’t you take a piss and look at your own reflection? One eye, a limp... Does a piece of trash like you have the right to bargain with me?”

”This humble one doesn’t dare to bargain, I am simply not up to the task...” Hong Fugui was a man of spirit. The year he returned alive from the battlefield, the iron-willed man had been wracked with tears, wishing he could have died in place of his brothers.

Collecting the bodies of his brothers-in-arms, one by one... the feeling was... unbearable.

But now, Hong Fugui had a warm little family, a virtuous wife, and a sensible, clever daughter. He didn’t want to endure this, but he had to. He had to bow his head.

”Heh, don’t think I came to you for no reason. I’ve investigated you.” The young man sneered. ”Your name is Hong Fugui. You’ve been to the battlefield before, and you were once a Martial Artist who almost became a Sword Venerable. Even now, you’re considered the strongest person in your town. Your wife is quite good-looking, and most importantly... your daughter is very pretty! And this year, she seems to be... sixteen, isn’t she?”

”You...” Hong Fugui’s head snapped up, his eyes locked onto the young man. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his hands clenched into tight fists. After a long moment, he finally let out a breath and said, ”We may be ordinary people, like ants to great figures like you, but... what you’re doing is going too far, isn’t it?”

BAM!

The young man suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Hong Fugui in the stomach, sending the middle-aged man flying more than ten meters, nearly sending him tumbling back into the mine shaft. He then said coldly, ”Who the hell do you think you are? Daring to bargain with me? I’ll give you two paths. Either be an obedient dog, or be my cheap father-in-law! Oh, right, your wife might be almost forty, but she’s... aged pretty well! Mother and daughter together... heh, I haven’t tried that yet!”