Zhong Kuishan held the position of Commander of the Qingzhou Guard, a formidable third-rank official.
He had traded a body full of scars for limitless potential in his career, but that potential had just been abruptly ended by a single slash from that reckless young guard.
To Er Leng, the capital was a place he'd never visited, the Golden Luan Throne Hall unseen. His heart didn't comprehend the height of high office, his eyes didn't recognize the significance of a third-rank leopard-patterned robe…
A breeze swept across the high platform of the Hall of Tranquil Mind, carrying the scent of blood. The officials stared at Zhong Kuishan's corpse, throats dry, eyes glazed.
"You insignificant guard! Do you wish for your entire clan to be exterminated?!" Below the platform, the Prefect's voice was venomous.
"Kill him! Avenge Commander Zhong!"
A banner officer from the Qingzhou Guard waved his sword and shouted.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Urgent footsteps sounded as a dozen nearby soldiers, brandishing spears and swords, charged at Er Leng with murderous intent.
On the steps, Er Leng's breathing was even, his powerful body still as a statue, only his ears twitching slightly. He waited until his attackers were within a single step before he and his blade moved as one.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang...!
Instantly, the steps to the hall became a whirlwind of flashing steel. But there was no sound of blades sliding against each other, only the sharp cracks of swords shattering and armor being punctured.
Under the hall's inscribed plaque, the palace lanterns swayed, casting dancing shadows. Thud! Thud!
Er Leng moved like a phantom, his blade impossibly fast.
Two breaths later, the high platform was a scene of chaos. Over a dozen soldiers lay fallen, their armor shattered, blood pooling across the stones…
Er Leng withdrew, standing alone before the hall entrance, leaning on his sword: "I cannot kill you all. But I can kill the first man to set foot on these steps. Well, my lords? Would you like to test the sharpness of the blade the Prince has honed?"
Below the steps, the officials broke out in a cold sweat, beginning to glance furtively at each other. They knew Er Leng's blade was fast, but not this fast.
Zhong Kuishan was a third-rank official! This lunatic had killed him without a second thought, showing absolutely no restraint.
It wasn't that Hua Xiong was so mighty, but that the lords each had their own calculations. This brat is just the Prince's private soldier, a mere guard. Is he worth risking my life for?
The Qingzhou Guard had lost its leader. All eyes turned to the senior banner officer, but he felt Er Leng's gaze fixed on him. He didn't dare move, fearing that swift blade.
...
Main Hall, Secret Chamber Entrance.
Click!
A young eunuch cautiously picked up the fake Guardian Sword of the Realm. Mechanisms turned, and a section of the wall suddenly split open, revealing a secret passage.
"Projectiles! Crossbows!" Ren Ye, his body radiating a sinister aura, his pupils pale, barked the order.
A dozen young eunuchs and maidservants raised their weapons, aiming them at the passage entrance.
A cold wind blew from the dark, pitch-black corridor, making everyone shiver.
After a brief silence, Lian'er stood on her tiptoes, peering into the chamber. "Y-Your Highness, there's no movement inside. Should I… take some men down to look?"
"No. Don't go in." Ren Ye's thinking was clear. "Pump poison smoke into the passage. Force her—"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from the passage entrance, rapidly spreading through the hall, illuminating it bright as day.
Huh?
Light?! Why is there light?!
A string of questions exploded in Ren Ye's mind. His eyes widened as he saw a man step out from the golden radiance…
The man looked about twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing a white dress shirt and black polyester trousers. But his face and neck were covered in horrifying fresh injuries, as if he'd just been severely beaten.
"Xi... Xiaoyang?!" Ren Ye stretched his neck, tentatively calling the name.
Li Xiaoyang. He had worked with Ren Ye on anti-fraud operations on the border. His cover was blown just before the net closed, and he was brutally murdered by the criminal gang, his body dismembered overseas.
"Ren Ye, save... save me... I really didn't want to die... My wife just got pregnant."
Li Xiaoyang fell to his knees with a thud, clutching his hair in agony. "Please, I'm begging you, save... save me... Let me see my daughter, just one look...!"
"How are you here?!" Ren Ye asked, stepping forward uncontrollably. His thoughts became incredibly singular, his eyes seeing only Li Xiaoyang's face and features.
"Xiao Ye, only you can save me... only you..." Li Xiaoyang knelt weeping, his expression broken and helpless. "You remember, we started the job together, worked cases together... we were best friends! Save me... in this world, you can save me!"
"I remember, I remember it all... I'm sorry, Xiaoyang, I should have been the one who died that day, I'm so sorry... I...!"
Tears streamed blankly down Ren Ye's face. Like a sleepwalker, eyes empty, he moved towards Li Xiaoyang, towards the passage entrance.
Whoosh!
Just three steps away from reaching Li Xiaoyang, a sudden chill spread across Ren Ye's chest, and his thoughts became jumbled.
Why is he here?
How can I see him?!
Wrong!
This is wrong, my mind is being affected...
Ren Ye stood frozen. The Talisman of Clarity hanging on his chest flickered incessantly.
Bright, dark, the light flashing faster and faster...
Crack! The talisman gifted by the Princess Consort shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.
A cooling sensation washed through him. Ren Ye snapped back to reality, whipping his head around. He saw the passage entrance was pitch black again. A painted scroll floated in the air, emitting beams of light that enveloped Lian'er and the young eunuchs…
Four eunuchs had dropped their crossbows and were hugging the hall's pillars, thrusting their hips vigorously against them; three maidservants lay sprawled on the ground, faces flushed, eyes dazed and misty, seemingly waiting for something.
An illusion?!
That woman actually has an artifact that creates幻境 (huànjìng) – illusions, fantasy realms!
Ren Ye's mind roared. He glanced fiercely behind him, then without a second thought, gripping the real Guardian Sword of the Realm, he sprinted out in pursuit.
...
Hall of Tranquil Mind, Dark Corridors.
Liu Ling'er was running at full speed.
Her entry token was a scroll painting called the Spring Breeze Illusion Painting, possessing the mystical ability to create "perfect dream realms." While it didn't have overwhelming offensive power, once a target entered the illusion, they could easily become completely lost, descending into madness…
The moment the secret door opened, she had activated the painting, drawing everyone into the (huànjìng) – illusion.
Once it was done, Liu Ling'er's first choice was to flee and hide, not to kill Ren Ye.
Her reasons were simple: while she had a life-saving tool, it could only be used once. She was also poor at close combat; even if she killed Ren Ye, she wouldn't escape.
Furthermore, she was convinced the Prince was a player who undoubtedly had cards left to play…
So, hiding and waiting for backup was the best strategy.
Moving lightly through two corridors, Liu Ling'er glanced around, then randomly pushed open a side chamber door and slipped inside.
Pulling the Dispatch Token from her waist, she sent another message to the Imperial faction players: "I'm out of the chamber. Come into the hall to extract me."
"If you're out, why not come out yourself?" a voice, impossible to distinguish as male or female, drifted eerily from the token.
Liu Ling'er wiped sweat from her brow, cursing internally (Idiots!). "He dared to trap me; that means all the exits are definitely sealed! You get in here. We can split the mission intel."
Outside, in the corridor,
Ren Ye, gripping the Guardian Sword, was bent over, running his fingers along the cracks of various side chamber doors.
That's right. He was feeling for the strands of hair he had tied there earlier.
Lian'er's sudden hair loss wasn't without reason. From the incident at the Spring Fragrance Garden yesterday until now, over a day had passed. Both sides had been preparing in secret…
This was a clash between a courtesan and a former anti-fraud agent.
The Hall of Tranquil Mind had many rooms, but their layout was regular, traceable. Ren Ye moved quickly, soon reaching the area Liu Ling'er had just passed through.
...
Outside the Hall of Tranquil Mind, High Platform.
After a brief standoff between Er Leng, blocking the door alone, and the mass of enemies, Wu A Si, Commander of the Raptor Guards, made his move.
They had already exchanged two blows.
Thump!
A dull impact sounded. Wu A Si, who had just begun to dodge sideways, was forced to fly backwards by a fierce blade aura.
The steel sword he held crosswise in his hands trembled slightly.
Swish!
A blur shot past. The famous saber, Inviter of the Moon, swept directly towards Wu A Si's neck.
In an instant, life and death would be decided.
"A blade this fierce is rare in this world. A fine seedling, truly. A pity... flawed, incomplete!"
An aged voice rang out. A grey figure dropped from the sky, abruptly placing itself between Wu A Si and the blade. That person pinched the edge of Inviter of the Moon between two fingers and pressed down lightly. It was like a mountain falling, causing Er Leng's body to plummet downward. Crack!
His feet hit the ground, stone slabs fracturing. Er Leng stumbled back two steps before steadying himself.
Looking up, he saw an old Taoist priest raising his horsetail whisk, striking out with a palm.
Er Leng immediately raised his saber to block. Thump! With a dull sound, his body was sent flying. However, the moment his feet left the ground, the silver Inviter of the Moon also flew from his grasp, shooting straight for Xu Laodao's neck.
Swish!
The silver blade was impossibly fast, impossibly precise.
Clang! Screeech-clang-clang~~
In the blink of an eye, the grating sound of metal on metal filled the air. Inviter of the Moon shot around Xu Laodao's neck in an arc and returned.
Thud!
By then, Er Leng had slammed heavily into a red pillar before the main hall entrance, sliding down (lángbèi) , in a disheveled heap.
Thump!
He landed on his knees, feeling a searing pain in his chest. As he opened his mouth and vomited blood, he reached up and caught the returning Inviter of the Moon.
Several paces away, Xu Laodao landed gracefully. There wasn't even a red mark on his neck. "Your blade is fast. But you're still a step away from true mastery. It cannot break my 'Iron Body' technique."
"Heavenly Master Xu, he's a rebel! Please, execute him immediately!"
"Heavenly Master Xu, there are intruders inside the hall! We must not waste time!"
"...!"
The officials, seeing it was Xu Laodao, cried out in relieved joy.
Wu A Si sheathed his sword, saying lightly, "If the Heavenly Master had not arrived, I would have slain him within three exchanges…!"
As he spoke, he put his right arm behind his back, where it shook uncontrollably.
"You, follow me inside."
The hurriedly arrived Xu Laodao's gaze was somewhat vacant, his body inexplicably emanating an aura of death.
He issued the quiet command and stepped onto the stairs first.
Pah!
Er Leng vomited another mouthful of blood, stubbornly wiped his mouth, and slowly rose.
That single exchange had been enough to tell him he could not win against Xu Laodao. The old man's body was bizarre—completely devoid of any aura or sign of mystical arts, yet impossibly strong and impervious to blades…
On either side, the twelve young eunuchs who had been guarding the hall with Er Leng hung their heads, bodies tense and motionless, anxiously trying to dissuade him.
"Enough, Guard Hong, we can't stop them…!"
"There's no need to throw your life away for nothing!"
"...!"
Whispers of (quànzǔ) , dissuasion, came from all around like mosquitoes.
Er Leng, holding Inviter of the Moon, his legs shaking, stood up. His expression was utterly calm. "I... I finally remember what I meant to say to you all that day... when I was handing out the rewards."
Xu Laodao stepped forward, his eyes lifeless, his tone stiff. "Boy, I spare you because I sense you may yet have the fate to 'Enter the Gate' one day. I am reluctant to kill you and stain myself with the karma. Step aside."
Blindfolded with grey cloth, Er Leng slowly raised his single saber. Step by step, he walked back to stand before the hall entrance…
He stopped, once again straightening his posture, a solitary figure blocking the door.
"I was born in a small village in the Southern Frontier. Fewer than fifty households. When I was a child... I found a stray dog at the village entrance. Every day I gave it food, and it guarded my home. When I left, it guarded my parents' home. Until it died of old age last year, and was buried under the apricot tree in our courtyard."
Five paces away, Xu Laodao's eyes revealed a murderous glint upon hearing this.
"I cannot defeat you. I will die..." Er Leng slowly raised his arm, pointing the tip of his blade towards the old man. "But I remembered what I meant to say that day... He who eats the ruler's grain, serves the ruler's cause! A stray dog knew this principle. How can a man not?"
"A nameless bladesman from the Southern Frontier, skilled with a single saber, seeks instruction from Heavenly Master Xu today!"
His fearless cry echoed through Prince Huai's estate, lingering in the air.
His posture was ramrod straight. The famous saber Inviter of the Moon held horizontal before the hall, its cold, (yōu guāng) –, eerie/absolute light, was both (jízhì) –, ultimate, and (chúncuì) , pure.