Realms In The Firmament

There were very few things in the world that could make Ning Bi-Luo feel shocked to this extent.

Yet what happened at that moment had really astonished him to an unprecedented degree.

“What are you talking about… This is my room. What else can it be if not my home?” Ye Xiao showed his back to him while carefully removing the disguise on his face.

There was no need for him to wear a disguise now, so he decided to show some sincerity.

“I see. It turns out you are Ye Nan-Tian! The great general! No wonder there has been no one who knows about your background. It turns out you are from the higher realm and you are here to escape your troubles! You are so weak now. Is it because you are suffering some illness?”

Ning Bi-Luo looked at Ye Xiao’s back. He was enlightened and said, “Hmm… Aren’t you supposed to stay in the north? Why are you here…”

“Now I know why you saved me. You knew me for a long time…”

Ye Xiao felt funny and he turned around showing Ning Bi-Luo a big smile, “I am not the General Ye.”

At the moment, he was wearing his true face.

His handsome face which was a bit boyish was revealed to Ning Bi-Luo.

Ning Bi-Luo was astonished when he saw his boyish look!

[Damn it! I made a wrong guess again?]

“You… You, you, you…” Ning Bi-Luo opened his mouth and looked at the face which belonged to a boy who was younger than 18. At that moment, he felt his brain exploding.

That was a feeling of ‘the whole world went wrong’ in his brain.

Ning Bi-Luo thought that the Purple Lotus Master was the great General Ye Nan-Tian. That conclusion could perfectly explain every question in his mind. However, when Ye Xiao’s true face was revealed to him, those questions in his mind returned once again!

His brain was blank for a long while.

Ye Xiao gave him a big smile, “What? Is it really that surprising?”

Now he had clearly seen the No.1 assassin’s face.

He was slim; he was neither tall nor short, only in average height, a little bit shorter than Ye Xiao himself. He was not handsome, but not ugly either.

His eyes looked like there was an ocean in them; they were sharp like swords.

He would be absolutely inconspicuous amongst a crowd. He truly had the first quality to be an assassin - inconspicuousness. However, when such a man burst out, he would be shining like a star. He would shock the whole world within a few seconds!

Yet it seemed that he was not very up to standards at the moment…

Because right now… he was looking at Ye Xiao’s face with his mouth trembling. After a long while, he had finally pulled himself together and sat on the chair dispiritedly. He spoke weakly, “Please tell me the truth. Is the man who have saved me twice really you? Isn’t he someone else?”

Ye Xiao laughed, “What? You have a problem with it? Do you think I need to lie to you about it?”

“It turns out… Twice, you have only shown me your disguised face… There was only one truth. You are weak.” Ning Bi-Luo’s appearance was quite funny at the moment. His expression was changing continuously.

Ye Xiao was bland. He didn’t reply, but only collected the thoughts in his mind, [Screw you. I have saved you twice. You have some words to say. That’s fine. But the last sentence was truly unnecessary!

What do you mean… ‘weak’!]

Ning Bi-Luo was lost in his thoughts. He finally sighed and then spoke again, “I understand… I understand why you want to recruit me… You are so weak at the moment, so you definitely need a man like me. It is indeed rather difficult to protect yourself in the capital during such a miserable time, since you are weak.”

Ye Xiao spoke blandly, “What a pity. You won’t serve anybody.”

He was a bit upset, [This guy… is truly not good at talking. He keeps mentioning something he shouldn’t. I am weak indeed, but that’s not his business. Does he really need to mention it again and again?]

Ning Bi-Luo lowered his head and thought. After a while, he said, “I am sorry. Even though you have saved me twice and that made me owe you two lives… When I think about bowing in front of others and waiting for orders… I feel terrible and frustrated. So…”

Ye Xiao understood him. He nodded. He had already thought about it.

The reason why Ning Bi-Luo could become the No.1 assassin in the world is his pride. So Ye Xiao said, “In fact, you don’t need to feel vexatious. I never want to force you into anything.”

Ning Bi-Luo understood what it meant. If he hadn’t followed Ye Xiao, he wouldn’t need to be vexatious like this.

He was suffering from his own actions, wasn’t he?

“But, how can I pay you back?” Ning Bi-Luo asked embarrassedly.

“Heh heh. Have I ever mentioned anything… about paying me back?” Ye Xiao smiled blandly, “You have your faith to insist. You have your path to walk on. And I have mine. We are the same kind. I understand you.”

“So, whatever you think you should do, just do it.” Ye Xiao said peacefully, “Don’t care about anything between you and me. They are nothing but turns in life.”

“But I do care. How can I not?” Ning Bi-Luo smiled bitterly.

Ye Xiao was speechless.

[Now you care. Yet you told me seriously that you won’t serve me. What do you want?

What the hell is wrong with this guy!]

“Is there anything I can do for you at the moment?” Ning Bi-Luo seriously asked, “I can do it for you in any case. I will talk about leaving after that. It can be anything!”

“Unlucky for me. I don’t have anything for you to do right now!” Ye Xiao refused stoutly.

He had his own pride too.

[You don’t want to serve anybody. I won’t force anybody.

You have your insistence. I have mine. We have the same quality!]

“Can’t you just give me a chance to pay you back? Do you want me carry this heart of regret for the rest of my life!” Ning Bi-Luo asked with frustration.

“Heh heh. It won’t take long. There will be a chance.” Ye Xiao spoke ambiguously, “Just be patient. There will be a chance for you to pay me back soon.”

Ning Bi-Luo sighed in mind.

He understood Ye Xiao. He knew that even if there was a day that Ye Xiao would need his help, he was sure that Ye Xiao would never ask for it.

And he didn’t know when Ye Xiao would need his help in the future!

Ning Bi-Luo was a proud man. The guy in front of him was young and a bit laddish, yet he was also an extremely proud guy. He knew that Ye Xiao was even prouder than himself!

“I want to rebuilt my assassination union.” Ning Bi-Luo spoke in a low voice.

“Oh.” Ye Xiao had clean up himself and walked to his bed. He casually took off his shoes and then lied on the bed. He also put both his feet on the bed casually. He was a bit impolite anyway, as there was still a guest in the room.

Yet Ning Bi-Luo understood that Ye Xiao acted this way because he didn’t want to talk further. He knew that Ye Xiao was telling him to leave now.

“I want your advice, please.” Ning Bi-Luo said.

They both understood that Ning Bi-Luo was saying yes to his recruitment. Ning Bi-Luo was still a bit resisting this though.

Yet he had no other choice, since Ye Xiao had saved him twice.

[I will establish an assassination union for you as my return.]

Ye Xiao spoke blandly, “That’s unfortunate. I am not an assassin, so I don’t have any advice. I think I should better keep silent in front of a specialist.”

Ning Bi-Luo stood up and said, “I have nothing to say.”

He walked several steps and spoke again, “I won’t leave the capital for the next several days.”

Ye Xiao spoke blandly, “As you wish. The world is so big and you are a free man.”

He raised his head and spoke seriously, “Ning Bi-Luo, do not take what I do for you as an exchange of interests! We are men of the martial world. It is nothing but only fate… Why take it as a deed to heart?”

Ning Bi-Luo was stunned and then he spoke embarrassedly, “Fine then. I am off now. I won’t tell anybody about you. You have my word.”

Ye Xiao spoke peacefully, “I have never told you anything. Ning Bi-Luo, as a man in the martial world, you are a bit too calculative. You don’t need to!”

Ning Bi-Luo smiled embarrassedly and thought, [Come on man. I owe you my life twice. And you won’t give me any chance to pay you back. How can I not be calculative? If I just ignore it, doesn’t it make me a graceless and ungrateful man!]

He walked by the window and then stopped. He spoke in a low voice, “Lord Ye, let’s all step back a bit. I can serve you three years. In three years, I will follow your orders. After three years I become a free man. How about that?”

Ye Xiao laughed, “No! I don’t want it!”

And then he continued, “It is wet and rainy outside. Be safe… Don’t forget to close my window when you leave, please.”

Ning Bi-Luo was refused again.

Three years was the limit of what he can do. Yet Ye Xiao refused it so stoutly. Ning Bi-Luo understood that Ye Xiao was too proud to accept it as he had refused Ye Xiao once.

Ye Xiao would never accept this repayment.

For Ning Bi-Luo, it was not charity; it was the biggest compromise he could make!

He then sighed with frustration and left. As Ye Xiao wished, he closed the window gently.

Ning Bi-Luo heard Ye Xiao spoke inside, “Now you have done one thing for me, haven’t you? From now on, you don’t owe me anything. Go and feel relaxed. You are an assassin. I am from the General’s House. We are in different sides. We have different paths. There is no need to care too much about each other.”

And then the light was off inside.

Ning Bi-Luo was upset, [What I have done for him was only closing the window for him as he wished.

Can it really be as important as saving my life twice?]

…

4th guaranteed chapter of the week.

Translated by: Rain

Edited by: Alpha, Arch