Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
To the north of the Capital City, the rumble of carriages and the whistling of horses filled the air as a procession headed north towards the distant Desert North.
Led by Law Confucian, a group of Confucian School instructors and disciples, all dressed in Confucian robes, exuded a scholarly aura, yet also possessed the resilience of warriors.
The Confucian School, with its thousand-year legacy, was a bastion of integrity. Regardless of their cultivation level, the disciples shared a strikingly similar temperament.
Unyielding!
This was both the success and the downfall of the Confucian Scholar.
The disciples' lofty principles were pushed to the extreme, but as the saying goes, too much of anything is not good.
The truth that rigidity leads to fragility was something the Confucian Scholar had only begun to understand over the past century.
Thus, in this lifetime, he chose Li Ziye.
Ahead of the Confucian disciples, Li Ziye rode alongside Bai Wangyu, occasionally glancing back at the Capital City with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Brother Li, there's no need for such reluctance. Once we've helped the people of the Desert North repel the demon creatures, we'll return," Bai Wangyu consoled.
"Mhm."
Li Ziye nodded in agreement.
It wasn't that he couldn't bear to leave home; he was more concerned about Sister Youwei and even more so about Old Zhang, who was about to head west.
He feared that this departure might mean never seeing the old man again.
"Sword Enthusiast won't encounter any trouble either," Bai Wangyu continued, seeing through Li Ziye's thoughts.
"Let's hope so," Li Ziye sighed to himself.
Old Zhang, you promised to return alive. A gentleman's word is his bond; don't break your promise!
As Li Ziye and the Confucian disciples set off for the Desert North, at the northern city gate, the Fourth Prince Mu Bai and the Eleventh Prince Mu Qing watched the departing disciples with complex emotions in their eyes.
As the disciples of the Confucian School headed north, sacrificing their blood for the people, what was the imperial court doing, and what were they themselves doing?
"The Capital City is too cold-hearted; I'm not going back," Mu Bai said softly, looking ahead.
"Fourth Brother, what do you intend to do?" Mu Qing asked in surprise.
"Yes, I plan to go to the Desert North as well," Mu Bai replied calmly.
"That's not possible."
Mu Qing quickly tried to dissuade him, "Without the Emperor's decree, leaving the Great Shang territory on your own is a serious crime."
"It's fine."
Mu Bai spoke softly, "The Emperor won't sentence me to death over this."
"Fourth Brother, think carefully. The First and Third Brothers are waiting for you to make a mistake. If you leave, they will surely exploit this opportunity," Mu Qing earnestly reminded.
"I don't care," Mu Bai said indifferently, "What they're fighting over, I never cared for in the first place."
"But the people behind you care," Mu Qing said seriously, "The Changsun family and those courtiers who support you are doing everything they can to help you compete for the Crown Prince's position. Even if not for yourself, you should consider them."
"Why should my life be lived for others?" Mu Bai looked at his younger brother, "Eleventh Brother, what about you? Do you have any plans?"
"Me?" Mu Qing gave a self-deprecating smile, "I can't even protect the person I love, how can I talk about living for myself? Besides, my mother's status in the palace is average. One act of willfulness is enough; I can't keep making her worry and be afraid."
With that, Mu Qing looked at his Fourth Brother and said earnestly, "Fourth Brother, to be honest, if you were to become the Crown Prince, I would be wholeheartedly convinced and would not compete. But if Mu Yuan or Mu Yao were to take that position, I would never accept it."
"You…" Mu Bai sighed softly, "Never mind, I'm leaving."
With that, Mu Bai spurred his horse and headed north.
At the city gate, Mu Qing watched his Fourth Brother's departing figure for a long time before turning his horse around and heading back into the city.
He meant what he had said.
Unless his Fourth Brother became the Crown Prince, he would not accept anyone else and would fight to the end.
The Royal Family was ruthless; if he didn't fight, he would end up with nothing but death.
***
Li's Garden.
After Li Ziye and Bai Wangyu left, the entire Li's Garden became desolate.
Hong Zhu sat idly on the stone steps, munching on dried fruit.
Beside her, Zhu Zhu propped her chin with her hands, bored to the point of falling asleep.
"I can't take this; I'm going to find my husband," Zhu Zhu suddenly stood up, exclaiming.
"Calm down, girl. That lad didn't go to the Desert North for fun. He has serious matters to attend to," Slovenly Zhang said as he walked out from the inner courtyard, his posture upright and his face seemingly younger, free from his usual listlessness.
"Sword Enthusiast, what's happened to you?" Zhu Zhu was startled by the change in the man before her.
"I'm ready to leave," Slovenly Zhang said with a sigh, "Girl, I won't be around to drink to your and that lad's wedding. If fate allows, we'll meet again."
"You're leaving now?" Zhu Zhu was shocked, "Why the rush?"
"I was supposed to leave a long time ago. I just didn't want my martial arts to die with me, so I stayed until today. Now that I've taught everything I could and the lad has left, I have no more concerns," Slovenly Zhang said with a smile.
From a nearby room, Li Youwei heard the conversation outside and came out, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the old man who had changed so much.
"Miss Li, I've freeloaded off the Li Family for so long without giving you anything. Before I leave, let me give you a small gift," Slovenly Zhang said warmly to the eldest daughter of the Li Family. He then condensed Qi between his fingers, drawing a red light in the air, sealing a sword with his blood.
In the next moment, the red light flashed and entered Li Youwei's forehead.
"This sword can save your life in a dire moment," Slovenly Zhang said as he withdrew his hand, a trace of fatigue crossing his face, "But remember, it can only be used once, so use it wisely."
Li Youwei touched her warm forehead, her expression somber, "Thank you, senior."
"Alright, I'm off," Slovenly Zhang said, smiling at the three girls in the courtyard. After bidding farewell, he turned and left.
At that moment, Li Youwei's tears could no longer be held back and fell drop by drop.
People are not emotionless like grass and trees; after nearly a year of living together, everyone in the Li Family had come to regard the old man as one of their own.
But this farewell might be the last.
Outside Li's Garden, Slovenly Zhang stepped out, looked back at the house behind him, and smiled.
Goodbye!
Moments later, Slovenly Zhang turned around, took out a hairband from his chest, tied up his messy hair, and left with his sword in hand.
"The wind howls cold over the river, a warrior departs and returns no more! Haha!"
With a proud and arrogant laugh, Slovenly Zhang strode away. The cold wind blew, and all the swords in the Capital City seemed to resonate, as if bidding farewell to a Sword Immortal of the mortal realm.
In the Western Regions, in front of the majestic Heavenly Edict Temple, a scholar in green stood quietly, gazing eastward. His calm eyes flickered with light.
Finally, the time had come!
The mortal realm needed the blood of a Sword Immortal to open a new chapter.