On a frigid night, the cold wind cut to the bone.
Li Ziye, with the Fish Intestine Sword in hand, stood bloodied in front of everyone, a glaring sight.
On the ground, Ao Qiong was breathing more out than in, his chest carved open by the sharp sword, flesh gaping and bone peeking through, as blood pooled out, staining the earth beneath him red.
The Great Sovereign of Helian and the warriors of the Helian tribe behind him watched this scene with both rage and shock.
They were furious that someone dared to kill one of their own right before their eyes, and shocked that such a young man could be so ruthless.
"Insolence!"
After snapping back to reality, the Great Sovereign of Helian could not contain his anger. "Although Ao Qiong was at fault, his crime does not warrant death. You, young man, are so cruel despite your age. Today, I must discipline you on behalf of the Confucian School. Men, seize him for me!"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing the command, the warriors of the Helian tribe immediately stepped forward.
"Father!"
Seeing this, Helian Lanruo's expression changed, and she urgently cried out, "No, please!"
Beside her, Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru said nothing, but both stepped forward and stood behind Li Ziye, their swords drawn three inches from their sheaths, their aura of sternness clearly stating their stance.
To live not together, to die not apart.
"Great Sovereign, you should think this through."
Li Ziye looked at the tense scene before him, his expression calm, and smiled, "Today, so many have witnessed that Ao Qiong nearly killed us and Princess Lanruo. If not for our risking our lives to protect her, you might never see the princess again. Do you think, Great Sovereign, that the life of Princess Lanruo is less important than that of Ao Qiong? One day, when word of today's events spreads, how will the world view you, Great Sovereign, for sheltering a criminal and repaying kindness with ingratitude?"
Hearing the young man's words, the face of the Great Sovereign of Helian turned extremely ugly.
"Great Sovereign."
Stepping forward, the old kinsman who had tested for poison earlier whispered, "The young man makes a fair point. We cannot treat the saviors of the princess this way. After all, they saved Princess Lanruo's life. If this gets out, the world will laugh at our tribe for not distinguishing right from wrong and repaying kindness with resentment."
Upon hearing this, the Great Sovereign of Helian clenched his fists tightly, gradually regaining his composure, and then, suppressing the anger in his heart, he signaled the Helian warriors to stand down.
Seeing this, Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru also sheathed their swords.
"Great Sovereign, wise decision," Li Ziye said with a smile.
"Let's go!"
Just then, from afar, the sound of galloping horses approached, led by Law and Confucianism, with three instructors and numerous disciples of the Confucian School arriving.
Seeing that Li Ziye and the others had not returned for a long time, Law and Confucianism followed the horse tracks left by the Helian tribe to find them.
In front of everyone, Law and Confucianism dismounted and, without any superfluous words, went straight to the three, asking with concern, "Are you all okay?"
"There's trouble."
Li Ziye looked at Little Red Riding Hood's arm and said, "We were plotted against by despicable villains and encountered a wolf pack. Old Bai got bitten while saving the princess; whether his arm can be saved is still unknown."
Hearing this, Law and Confucianism's expression immediately darkened, and he asked, "Who plotted against you?"
"Him!"
Li Ziye grinned, pointing at the now dead Ao Qiong on the ground, and said, "He confessed to his crimes, so I just helped him on his way."
Law and Confianism looked at Ao Qiong on the ground, his chest brutally torn open, quickly understanding the situation, and without further questions, nodded and said, "Well done. Take Wangyu back to heal first."
"Then we're off, Law and Confucianism. We'll leave this to you."
Li Ziye smiled, turned to help Little Red Riding Hood, and prepared to mount and leave.
"Brother Li, I can manage on my own," Bai Wangyu said softly.
"Sigh, don't be stubborn. Your arm is almost ruined," Li Ziye said seriously.
Beside him, Wen Xiuru also understood, stepped forward to help their senior brother, and added, "Senior brother, you're seriously injured. Don't talk too much. Let's go."
Bai Wangyu nodded and, with their help, mounted the horse.
Li Ziye and Wen Xiuru exchanged glances and also mounted their horses, leaving together.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the three left without anyone daring to stop them.
Seeing the three mount and leave, Law and Confucianism's gaze immediately turned to the Great Sovereign of Helian and he said indifferently, "Great Sovereign, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Behind him, Chen Qiao'er, Li Qingshan, and Yao Guihai's expressions also turned icy, their gazes sharp. Did they really think the Confucian School had no one to stand up for them?
The Great Sovereign of Helian, facing Law and Confucianism's aggressive demeanor, felt anger rising in his heart, but the Helian tribe was indeed at fault in this matter and had no grounds for anger.
"Law and Confucianism, today's incident was indeed an oversight by my Helian tribe. However, Ao Qiong has already paid with his life for his crime. Shall we consider the matter settled?" the old kinsman who had tested for poison earlier said from behind the Great Sovereign of Helian.
Law and Confucianism sneered and said, "Ao Qiong's death was his just deserts, but my disciples of the Confucian School risked their lives to protect Princess Lanruo and suffered injuries. Whether they can fully recover is still unknown. How can we just let this go?"
As Law and Confucianism and the Helian tribe were about to argue again, far away on the wilderness, Li Ziye and the others had ridden five miles away. Bai Wangyu could no longer hold back and asked, "Brother Li, my injury is not serious, just some superficial wounds. Why did you make it sound so grave, worrying Law and Confucianism and the instructors?"
"You don't understand."
Li Ziye smiled, continuing the journey while explaining, "Law and Confucianism and the instructors know your strength better than I do. They can certainly guess the severity of your injuries. But today's incident is no longer just a grudge between us and Ao Qiong; it's a contest between the Confucian School and the Helian tribe. Of course, I had to exaggerate your injuries to give Law and Confucianism a chance to make a point."
"Brother Li is clever indeed."
Wen Xiuru timely offered a compliment with a laugh.
"Keep it down. Law and Confucianism is actually not bad. Just now, I thought he was going to scold me, haha."
Li Ziye laughed, "When he walked towards me, I was actually quite nervous."
"Law and Confucianism always protects his own," Wen Xiuru laughed, "Besides, we are in the right in this matter. How could he blame Brother Li?"
"True. Do you think they'll end up fighting?"
Li Ziye, never one to shy away from stirring the pot, asked.
"Probably not."
Wen Xiuru shook his head, "Everyone is smart. There's a need for cooperation now, so they won't let things escalate to an irreparable point. Of course, senior brother's injury should not be in vain. Since Law and Confucianism has stepped in, the Helian tribe will have to offer some compensation."
"It's good to have support."
Li Ziye looked enviously at Little Red Riding Hood and said, "Old Bai, I'm jealous of you."
Bai Wangyu helplessly replied, "Brother Li, Plum Blossom Sword Immortal wouldn't be too pleased to hear that."
"Heh."
Li Ziye immediately shut his mouth, remembering that he too had a powerful backer.
Speaking of which, after being away for so long, he was starting to miss his Fairy master.
"I don't like Desert North."
Li Ziye looked at the desolate grasslands and voiced a sentiment he had long held in his heart.
"Then let's complete the mission and return together," Bai Wangyu said softly.
"That's fine. We can't stay with the Helian tribe any longer anyway."
Li Ziye nodded, "Just in case, I'll suggest to Law and Confucianism tomorrow that we set off as soon as possible and continue heading north."
"Mhm."
Bai Wangyu softly agreed.
As they talked, they drew closer to the Helian tribe.
In front of the Helian tribe, the waiting disciples of the Confucian School saw the figures of the three from afar and hurried forward to greet them.
"Senior brother, you're back. Law and Confucianism and the three instructors went to find you. Did you run into them?" Chang Yu stepped forward and asked.
"We did," Bai Wangyu nodded, "Law and Confucianism told us to go ahead. They should be back soon."
"Senior brother, are you injured?"
One of the sharp-eyed disciples of the Confucian School noticed the injury on Bai Wangyu's arm and asked anxiously.
Hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Bai Wangyu, their faces filled with concern.
Seeing this, Li Ziye looked at Wen Xiuru beside him with dissatisfaction and said, "Xiuru, do I look transparent? Can't these guys see that I'm covered in blood, looking much worse than their senior brother?"
Wen Xiuru chuckled, "Maybe."
"Don't worry, everyone. I'm fine. It's just a minor injury," Bai Wangyu reassured his concerned junior brothers.
"That's good to hear, senior brother."
The disciples of the Confucian School relaxed a bit.
"Li Instructor, what happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?" Chang Yu finally noticed Li Ziye's condition and asked curiously.
"Heh, just chopping someone," Li Ziye replied nonchalantly.
Chang Yu and the others were taken aback. Chopping who?
Li Ziye ignored the group of fools and walked towards his tent, clearly annoyed.
These disciples of the Confucian School were not endearing at all!
Behind him, Wen Xiuru immediately followed, a smile on his face. It was never boring around Brother Li.
"I'm going to change clothes. When Law and Confucianism and the instructors return, you all should rest early too."
Bai Wangyu instructed before quickly following after.
In the tent, the three of them changed out of their blood-stained clothes and lay side by side on the beds, staring at the tent ceiling, finally resting after a long day.
"Brother Li, thank you," Bai Wangyu spoke after a while, softly.
"For what?"
Li Ziye casually replied, "We're brothers who've shared a bed."
Bai Wangyu, "……"
Wen Xiuru, "……"
What was a good atmosphere was ruined by Li Ziye's words.
"Today, Brother Li, you truly played a pivotal role. Otherwise, senior brother would have suffered a loss in silence, watching Ao Qiong go unpunished," Wen Xiuru spoke truthfully.
"It's nothing."
Li Ziye responded, "I've been annoyed with that guy for a while. If the Great Sovereign of Helian hadn't been there, I would have kept my word and skinned him alive."
"That's enough."
Wen Xiuru laughed, "By the way, Brother Li, that short sword you used, that was the Fish Intestine Sword, right?"
"This one?"
Li Ziye swiftly drew the Fish Intestine Sword, brandishing it a couple of times, and said.
On either side, Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru, seeing the short sword that seemed to appear out of nowhere, gleaming menacingly, felt a chill down their spines.
Did this guy actually sleep with the Fish Intestine Sword on him?
The sharpness of the Fish Intestine Sword was renowned throughout the world. Wasn't he afraid of accidentally stabbing himself and creating a hole in his body?
"Brother Li, put it away. This place is small; don't hurt yourself."
Wen Xiuru said with a cold sweat, not trusting this unreliable fellow. If he hurt himself, that was one thing, but if he hurt him and their senior brother, where would they go to reason?
"What's there to be afraid of? I sleep with it every night."
Li Ziye brandished it again before putting it away and said, "I originally used the Fish Intestine Sword to bribe Old Qin to become my master. Later, when Old Qin went to the Confucian School to seek medicine, she left the Fish Intestine Sword at the Li Residence. I just took it with me to the Capital City. Since Fairy master didn't ask for it back, I kept it for self-defense. If I see someone I dislike, I just give them a stab. And really, this thing is incredibly sharp. When I stabbed Ao Qiong today, it felt amazing."
Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru, listening to his words, couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
They were truly glad to be friends with this guy. Otherwise, getting stabbed by the Fish Intestine Sword, if not fatal, would at least leave a gaping hole.
While the three were chatting and joking, outside, Law and Confucianism, the Great Sovereign of Helian, and others had also returned. The atmosphere seemed average, neither pleasant nor tense.
In short, it was passable.
"Where's your senior brother?"
Law and Confucianism asked the disciples of the Confucian School waiting outside.
"He's already resting in his tent," Chang Yu replied.
"Hm, that's good. You all should rest early too. Prepare to set off tomorrow and continue northward," Law and Confucianism instructed before heading back to his own tent.
The next day, as dawn broke, the disciples of the Confucian School gathered, ready to leave.
"Law and Confucianism, are you in such a hurry to leave? Why not stay a few more days?" the Great Sovereign of Helian approached quickly, feigning concern.
"The situation in the north is urgent; we can't delay any longer. Thank you for your hospitality these past few days," Law and Confucianism replied calmly.
The two old fellows exchanged pleasantries. Not far away, Helian Lanruo, with tears in her eyes, looked at the young man in white and said, "Young Master Bai, can't you stay a few more days?"
Bai Wangyu shook his head gently, "Please forgive me, princess. We have a mission and must leave."
"But your arm hasn't healed yet!" Helian Lanruo said anxiously.
"I'll have to heal while on the road. Besides, Law and Confucianism mentioned that the Dantai tribe has a miraculous medicine for treating external injuries, and we'll be passing by there," Bai Wangyu replied.
"The Dantai tribe?"
Hearing the name Dantai, Helian Lanruo's expression turned sour.
Her Helian tribe had always been at odds with the neighboring Dantai tribe to the north.
Especially since that woman took charge of the Dantai tribe, their foreign policies had become increasingly aggressive, leading to more friction between the two tribes.
"Should the people from the Confucian School be arriving soon?"
To the north, in the Dantai tribe, a woman dressed in a blue fur robe, with extraordinarily beautiful eyes, stood quietly in front of her tent, looking southward, and murmured softly.
"I've heard they've set off."
A young general behind her nodded.
"Prepare to welcome our guests. We can't let visitors from afar say that the Dantai tribe lacks manners."
Dantai Jingyue spoke calmly.
"Yes!"
The young general took the order and left.
"Confucian School."
In front of the tent, Dantai Jingyue murmured softly, a slight smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
That Confucian Scholar was indeed formidable, sending the disciples of the Confucian School northward in advance to help the eight tribes of Desert North fend off demon creatures, giving hope to Desert North while also dissuading them from moving southward.
However, the southward movement of the eight tribes of Desert North was inevitable, even the Confucian Scholar couldn't stop it.
But before that, she didn't mind interacting with the people from the Confucian School.
Only by knowing the enemy and knowing oneself can one fight without disaster!
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas