Chapter 8

Inside the imperial study, a bamboo slip bearing a confidential message was hurled violently to the ground, landing at Bu Nian’s feet.

He stepped slightly to the side, lowered his gaze, and said nothing.

“Those wandering swordsmen want to hold a martial gathering at Mount Xiao. They’re calling for people of integrity to discuss matters of righteousness. What nonsense. Are they planning to rebel?”

Only three people were present in the hall. The emperor, Bu Nian, and the prime minister, Lu Binglian.

Prime Minister Lu remained calm and composed. Clearly, he was used to the emperor’s outbursts. He spoke in a soothing tone.

“Your Majesty, please do not let anger harm your health. In this minister’s humble opinion, people from the martial world are ruled by their own grudges. They live by violence, beyond the reach of law. If this continues unchecked, ritual and order will collapse, and our laws will become meaningless. The state will fall into disorder. Recently, there have been increasing conflicts between martial artists and court officials. Their arrogance is growing by the day.”

He stroked his beard, then shifted his tone.

“However, most of them are still commoners. Many among them value honor and justice. If we arrest them all without discretion, public resentment will follow. If we act, it could backfire. If we don’t, it’s equally troubling. The situation is delicate.”

He bowed deeply, his voice solemn.

“This is this minister’s failure. I have not been able to relieve Your Majesty of this burden. I am willing to forfeit my salary as penance.”

The emperor waved him off, clearly irritated.

“Enough. That’s all useless talk. You might as well have said nothing.”

His voice cut like a blade, his gaze just as ruthless.

“These martial artists gathering together can mean nothing good. If they refuse to obey the court, then we should just kill them all.”

Prime Minister Lu twitched, about to speak again, but the silent Bu Nian spoke up first.

“Your Majesty, the martial world has no gates. Anyone can enter. No matter how many we kill, there will always be more.”

The emperor, trying to restrain his impatience, asked him.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“This servant is willing to go to Mount Xiao. If they truly intend to commit treason, I will eliminate them on Your Majesty’s behalf. If they are simply exchanging techniques and discussing matters of the martial world, then I will make sure they understand the might of the imperial court.”

The emperor stared at the man in armor before him. For a brief moment, he saw the shadow of Old General Bu in him. He blinked quickly, and Bu Nian was just Bu Nian again.

“Very well. We’ll draft an imperial decree granting you permission to go.”
In the end, the emperor still decided to let him try and reluctantly gave his approval.

Bu Nian and Prime Minister Lu exited the imperial study together. They walked for a short while until the path split. At the fork, Prime Minister Lu glanced at the decree in Bu Nian’s hand and smiled.

“Why would the General take on such a hot mess?”

The current emperor was indulgent and cruel, unpopular with the people. Over time, resentment began to grow among the common folk. Those from the martial world were especially hostile toward court officials, seeing them as enablers, dogs of the emperor. If Bu Nian showed up at a gathering packed with martial artists, it was unlikely he’d be welcomed.

No matter how this task ended, it offered him more risk than reward. Prime Minister Lu truly couldn’t understand why Bu Nian would go out of his way to invite trouble.

Bu Nian glanced at the decree in his hand and replied. “Prime Minister, what would you say defines the well-being of the people?”

Prime Minister Lu looked at him. He hadn’t expected a question like that from a military man, much less directed at a civil official like himself. Still, he gave an answer.

“A stable nation. Peaceful households. Children and grandchildren gathered at the knees. A little extra coin in their pockets.”

Bu Nian turned his gaze toward the wide world beyond the capital walls, eyes fixed on the setting sun.

“To secure the borders, we must first settle the unrest within. When the Kingdom is at peace, those beyond will submit on their own.”

Prime Minister Lu’s smile faded, his expression growing solemn.

“And if the unrest cannot be settled?”

The dying sunlight washed over Bu Nian’s face, red as blood.

“Then there will be no end to rebellion, and outsiders will come knocking. Great Qi will know no peace.”

—

Those who sit in high halls worry for the people. Those who wander far from the court worry for the emperor.

The martial gathering was indeed for exchanging techniques and building camaraderie, but matters of the state would also be discussed. That part was for the older generation to handle. The younger crowd had only to drink, feast, and enjoy themselves.

According to Zuo Lingyu, every sect and school would be represented at this martial assembly. Even the great pillars of Shaolin and Wudang had sent disciples. The aunt who resembled Lian Ai closely happened to be the matriarch of the Helian family in Zhongzhou.

Mount Xiao was located in that region. As the hosts, the Helian family naturally had to offer their hospitality.

So Zuo Lingyu took Lian Ai along as he traveled to Mount Xiao. While helping him reunite with his family, he figured he might as well join the festivities.

Along the way, Lian Ai explained over and over that he wasn’t supposed to leave the mansion. He needed to go back or else the General would be furious. But Zuo Lingyu ignored every word.

He seemed to think Lian Ai’s fear of Bu Nian was completely irrational. In his eyes, it made him seem like less of a man.

Lian Ai was at his limit. He couldn’t say what he needed to say, and even the gentlest temperament would’ve frayed by now. But he still couldn’t tell Zuo Lingyu the truth, that Bu Nian had poisoned him. The more he said, the more likely he was to slip up, and if Zuo Lingyu discovered the general’s secret, things would only get worse.

He had been taken here against his will. Maybe he could still beg for mercy later. But if he revealed the general’s secret, it wouldn’t stop with him. Zuo Lingyu would be next. And he wouldn’t even live long enough to see it happen. The poison would kill him first.

He had tried to escape several times when Zuo Lingyu wasn’t paying attention, but he didn’t know martial arts. His movements were clumsy. Every time he made it a few steps, he got caught again.

Now they were almost at Mount Xiao. The path was crowded with martial artists coming and going. With only two days left until the poison flared up, Lian Ai thought of the pain to come and decided to give one last desperate attempt.

“Young Master Zuo, please just let me go. My… my deed of sale is still with the General.”

He tried to pry Zuo Lingyu’s hand off his wrist.

“Deed of sale? What nonsense.”
Zuo Lingyu looked at him like he couldn’t make sense of it anymore. He stopped walking and glared.

“You’re such a strange person. I’m saving you from a living hell, and you actually want to go back? So what if you’re sold? Once you reunite with your family, do you think the Helian family won’t be able to buy you back?”

As if the general would ever release him. As if he would still be alive by then.

Lian Ai tried again.
“My health isn’t good. I need medicine every month. Only the General’s estate has it.”

The boy didn’t budge.
“There are plenty of sects up there known for their healing arts. I’ll take you to ask around.”

He pulled Lian Ai forward again.

“Can they cure poison?” Lian Ai asked.

“Poison? What poison?”

“For example… Mianmian?”

The moment he said it, Zuo Lingyu’s brows furrowed. He stopped again.
“Mianmian? You were poisoned with Mianmian?”

Lian Ai’s heart was in his throat. He was just about to deny it when the martial artists around them suddenly began to move, launching themselves up the mountain with qinggong. Some held swords with grim faces, as if bracing for a fight.

“Those bastards actually dared to show up! I’ll smash that imperial dog into a pulp!”
A burly man carrying two massive hammers passed by, shouting and cursing.

Zuo Lingyu glanced up the mountain and gave a sharp command. “Come on!” Then lifted Lian Ai with him as he took to the air.

Lian Ai turned pale in an instant. He had no choice but to cling tightly to his hand.

When they landed at the summit, the mountaintop was already packed. Martial artists filled the clearing, each one dressed in their own style, but now all of them shared the same guarded posture. They were all staring in the same direction. Most had already drawn their weapons.

Zuo Lingyu forced his way to the very front with Lian Ai in tow. Just then, a voice rose from the center of the circle, deep and familiar enough to make Lian Ai’s blood run cold.

“If this is just a friendly exchange of techniques, why can’t I stay and observe? Or are you afraid I’ll steal your secrets?”

“You’re with the court. Who knows what you’re planning?”

“That’s right. Imperial dogs aren’t welcome here!”

“Get out!” came the chorus.

Bu Nian wore a dark black robe, flanked by four blade-carrying guards in armor. Hands clasped behind his back, he stood at the center like a crane among chickens. His presence was completely different from the rest of the martial crowd, carrying an unmistakable air of dominance.

He wasn’t the least bit pissed by how the others reacted to him. His gaze stayed fixed on the few people here who actually had a say. As for the rest of the noise, it might as well not exist.

Standing before him were Zuo Luan from the Twin Blade Zuo family, Daoist Qiankunzi of Wudang, Master Huiji of Shaolin, and a few other long-established figures from the martial world.

Unlike the others, they didn’t kick up a fuss. Their expressions stayed mostly calm, though no one could say they were being friendly.

“General Bu is no man of the martial world. It’s best he doesn’t stick around to spectate,” Qiankunzi said bluntly, flicking his horsetail whisk in a clear get-the-hell-out gesture.

Lian Ai saw it really was Bu Nian and immediately shrank back behind Zuo Lingyu, doing everything he could to keep from being seen.

Along the way, he had already learned much about the grievances between Bu Nian and the young lady of the Zuo family, but he still could not understand why Bu Nian would appear here today. According to Zuo Lingyu, people of the martial world deeply despised high-ranking officials like Bu Nian. The higher their position, the more they were scorned, to the point they would rather fight them on sight.

“Then why is your sister marrying a prince?”

Lian Ai had once asked Zuo Lingyu this question. The boy had waved it off casually and said, “That man is just an idle prince without real authority. What power does he have? Besides, no one chooses their birth. If he had a choice, he would never have wanted to be born into the royal family.”

At first, Lian Ai found that reasoning perfectly sound, but the more he thought about it, the more something felt strange.

Was it because the general held real power and had chosen to become an official, that the young lady of the Zuo family refused to be with him?

He could not understand the reasoning behind it.

“Absurd.”

Suddenly, a thunderous voice roared by his ear like a tiger’s growl.

Lian Ai’s head throbbed with pain, and a heavy pressure settled over his chest.

“All under heaven belongs to the sovereign. All within the land are his subjects. I may not be of the martial world, but you are still subjects of Great Qi. Since you are people of this kingdom, why must you draw such a line?”

Those present were all shaken to varying degrees by his roar, which rang out like a dragon’s cry. They had nearly forgotten that although Bu Nian served as an imperial official, his martial skills were not weak. Otherwise, he would never have earned the favor of Zuo Lingxue in the past.

Those with solid skills could still endure it, but the ones with meager techniques were immediately overwhelmed, their stomachs churning until one after another could not hold back and began vomiting on the spot. As for Lian Ai, who had no martial training at all, he was nearly jolted into coughing up blood.

“Lian Ai!” Zuo Lingyu quickly rushed over to pat his back when he saw him vomiting so badly. Guilt was written all over his face.
“This is my fault. I forgot you don’t know martial arts and have no inner strength.”

Lian Ai waved a hand to signal he was fine. Just as he straightened up, Bu Nian’s eyes shifted over, alerted by Zuo Lingyu’s shout. Their eyes met.

Bu Nian narrowed his gaze dangerously. Lian Ai flinched and instinctively tried to shrink back into the crowd, but it was already too late. He had been seen. Hiding now was useless. And with Zuo Lingyu still holding onto him, he couldn’t move even if he wanted to.

Bu Nian had received word from the mansion on the second day after leaving the capital. The message reported that Lian Ai had gone missing. Nothing in the room was disturbed, but the window sill showed signs of someone climbing out.

Even though Lian Ai was just a minor pawn, what Bu Nian planned to do would shake the world. There could be no mistakes in any part of it. If Lian Ai had fallen into enemy hands, he would become a sharp blade aimed at Bu Nian’s throat.

That was when Bu Nian realized just how foolish he had been. He had left a danger alive.

He immediately gave the order, not to search for Lian Ai, but to have him killed.

Mercy had no place in his plans.

Bu Nian looked away, his rhythm unbroken by Lian Ai’s appearance.

“Only when peace is secured both within and beyond can the nation truly flourish. The foreign tribes are watching us closely. The borders may be quiet for now, but instead of joining forces against them, you continue to push against the court. What logic is that?”

Lian Ai stood frozen, hands hovering at his sides, unsure where to put them. Part of him wanted to flee. Part of him wanted to go explain everything and beg for mercy.

“How strange. Why is Bu Nian here?”
Zuo Lingyu muttered beside him, completely oblivious to Lian Ai’s distress. His curiosity lasted only a moment before he grew excited and nudged Lian Ai, pointing to a lean-faced middle-aged man standing across from Bu Nian. “Look, that’s my father. Isn’t he dashing and heroic?”

Lian Ai clutched the front of his robe tightly. Whether it was from vomiting or sheer terror, his face had gone completely pale.

He had no time to look at Zuo Lingyu’s supposedly dashing father. His eyes were locked on Bu Nian, desperate enough to fall to his knees and beg on the spot.

While he stood there dazed, the situation in the center shifted again.

Just as Bu Nian finished speaking, a tall man suddenly darted out from behind Zuo Luan. Twin blades gleamed in his hands. He didn’t say a word before striking directly at Bu Nian.

“If you want to watch, then fight me first.”

“Senior brother…”
Zuo Lingyu called out in a low voice.

Bu Nian raised his right hand. One of the guards behind him threw his sword. The long sword flew into his grasp and slid from its sheath in a flash, perfectly timed to block the man’s thunderous strike.

Their movements were far too fast for Lian Ai to follow. To him, it looked like two blurred shadows dancing through the air.

He had no idea who held the upper hand. But judging from the tension on Zuo Lingyu’s face, it seemed the general was dominating the fight.

The duel lasted for about the time it took an incense stick to burn. Then Bu Nian struck forward with a kick to the man’s chest, sending him stumbling back. The man spat blood and dropped to one knee, barely able to hold himself up with his twin blades.

Bu Nian wasn’t the kind of opponent who offered courtesy or restraint. He believed in pressing the advantage. His sword never paused, and just as it was about to come crashing down for the final blow, another figure leapt between them.

It was Zuo Lingxue, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.

Had she appeared under different circumstances, her presence would have stolen the color from the world itself. But even now, with twin blades in hand and a cold, resolute stance, she looked every bit like a wrathful goddess descending from the heavens.

Bu Nian’s expression shifted. It was too late to change the move, so he pulled back as much force as he could.

When his blade clashed with Zuo Lingxue’s, the internal energy she struck with sent him reeling. He staggered back several steps before finally catching himself, pressing a hand to his chest as blood poured from his lips. Compared to the man still kneeling on the ground, Bu Nian looked even more battered.

Zuo Lingxue hadn’t expected him to hold back. Her eyes flashed with a hint of hesitation when she saw him cough up blood. She stepped forward.
“Bu Nian…”

Bu Nian shot her a cold glare, stopping her in place.

He swallowed the blood in his mouth and swept his gaze across the crowd. “I did not come here today to provoke anyone. Since I am not welcome, I will take my leave. However, this place is quite close to Hangu Pass. If by sundown you all still refuse to disperse, I would not mind using the tiger tally to summon the stationed troops and have them escort everyone down the mountain.”

“You…”
Fury erupted in the crowd as dozens of eyes turned on him with rage.

Bu Nian didn’t care in the slightest. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, tossed his sword back into the arms of his guard, and turned to walk away from the crowd.

Halfway through, something seemed to cross his mind. His expression darkened as he looked toward Lian Ai.

“Are you not coming? Do you want to die?”

His tone was harsh and gave no room for doubt.

Lian Ai knew he wasn’t bluffing. Bu Nian had both the power and the will to kill him. His mind was still blank from everything that had just happened, but his body moved on its own. He ran.

Zuo Lingyu had already left his side, rushing over to check on his injured senior brother.

Earlier on the road, Lian Ai had asked Zuo Lingyu to return the peace-lock. He was afraid of losing it, or worse, that Zuo Lingyu might sneak it away again in the middle of the night. With no other choice, he had started wearing it against his skin.

Now, as he ran, the peace-lock slipped out from beneath his collar. The tassel struck the metal with a soft jingle. He passed by Zuo Lingxue in the blink of an eye. But that brief moment was enough.

She caught a clear glimpse of the item that had once hung around her neck for years, something she had worn close to her heart.

She stared at Lian Ai in disbelief, then looked at Bu Nian.

He didn’t even glance her way. Not even the corner of his eye acknowledged her presence.