Liu Yinsheng shifted his gaze from Lu Chenzhou to Chen Zui, who sat silently on the futon.
The candlelight in the study flickered as a draft seeped through the cracks in the window.
Flickering light and shadow played across his handsome face.
“Chen Zui.”
Liu Yinsheng called his name, his tone a few degrees heavier than when he had been speaking to Lu Chenzhou.
“Earlier, I said that Zhizhou Tower sent you to Qingya Academy not just to shield it from the calamity of Cao Zhengchun. There is another reason.”
Chen Zui raised his eyes to meet Liu Yinsheng’s gaze.
He did not speak, simply waiting quietly for the man to continue.
Liu Yinsheng fell silent for a breath, as if weighing his words or confirming whether certain things should be said.
After a moment, he spoke slowly.
“I only learned of this matter myself a short while ago.”
His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as his gaze fell upon the long spear beside Chen Zui.
The shaft still bore the fine scratches left from the exchange with Cao Zhengchun.
“Sword Immortal Shen and Sword God Lü will have a showdown in Jinyang City.”
Chen Zui’s brow twitched sharply.
He hadn’t expected the news he heard in that tavern that day to actually be true.
“Gu Yiyou drew swords for Sword Immortal Shen for over thirty years. He carried half of Sword Immortal Shen’s sword intent within him, and his weight cannot be ignored.
“And you just happened to be the last person he spent time with before he came out of seclusion.
“Regardless of what he told you or what legacy he passed on, it could potentially influence the outcome of the battle between those two Earthly Sword Immortals.
“Even a single word, even a single thought.
“At their level, the slightest discrepancy can determine victory or defeat.”
Liu Yinsheng’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“The implications behind the duel of two Earthly Sword Immortals are far greater than you can imagine.
“Sword Immortal Shen was the number one master of the Way of the Sword in his earlier years. Though he hasn’t drawn his sword in many years, no one has surpassed his level of cultivation to this day.
“Sword God Lü may be of a younger generation than us old men, but he is a true Earthly Sword Immortal.
“The two of them are the ceiling of martial cultivation in these two nations.
“While the martial arts of Grand Shuo are more flourishing than those of Grand Zhao, and they possess more Earthly Immortals than we do...
“They are still suppressed by Grand Zhao at every turn.
“The reason is simple.
“It is because the number one and number two in the world—these two sword immortals—both come from our Grand Zhao.”
“Once the duel is decided, it means one of them will die.
“Regardless of who dies, the martial landscape of the two nations will be completely transformed. The Grand Shuo Royal Court wants to use this battle to vent the resentment they’ve accumulated for decades.”
He paused for a moment, a trace of coldness entering his voice.
“As for the current Emperor, he wants to use this battle to weaken the power of the martial world. For him, the best outcome is for both Earthly Sword Immortals to suffer. Ideally, they would both perish, ensuring there are no longer top-tier martial artists capable of threatening imperial authority.”
Liu Yinsheng looked at Chen Zui, the scrutiny in his eyes gradually turning into something complex.
“Zhizhou Tower has observed you for a long time. Every step you’ve taken since leaving Luoyan City has been under their watch.”
“In Jiangnan, you encountered a group of officials escorting over a dozen young children to be sold as government slaves. You alone, with a single spear, took down the entire squad and delivered those children to the nearest Charity Bureau.
“Because of that, you were delayed for three days and had an arrest warrant issued against you by the local government.”
“At the Bian River ferry crossing, you encountered an old boatman whose granddaughter was being forcibly taken by a local tyrant. You broke into the tyrant's manor at night, brought the girl out unharmed, and burned every single land deed and property title the man had seized over the years to the ground.
“That tyrant was the younger brother of the local Prefectural Magistrate. You were hunted for seven hundred li.”
“Outside Bozhou, during a plague, the local government sealed the city gates and refused to let the refugees enter.
“You scaled the walls to steal medicine from the pharmacies and scaled back out to distribute it to the people.”
“When you passed through Fengyang Prefecture, you met a destitute scholar who had failed the examinations repeatedly and was too poor to even afford the travel expenses home.
“You gave him the last twenty taels of silver you had and ate nothing but dry rations for three days.
“Zhizhou Tower looked into that scholar later. He turned out to be quite interesting; he took your twenty taels back to his village and opened a private school. He now has over forty young pupils.”
Liu Yinsheng looked at Chen Zui.
“Zhizhou Tower has recorded every single one of these deeds.
“They say you are a meddler.
“And that you meddle without any regard for the consequences.”
Chen Zui’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but found he couldn’t refute it.
“Therefore,” Liu Yinsheng continued, a hint of unavoidable helplessness in his tone.
“Zhizhou Tower used this method to force you to Qingya Academy.
“Shielding the Academy was one reason, but more importantly, they wanted you to stay here, behave yourself, and stay alive. What you carry on your shoulders could very well influence the future of these two nations.
“They didn’t want you to go meddling in some other business on the road and throw your life away.”
He paused, then said word by word, “They also asked me to escort you to Jinyang City.
“Of course, if whatever Gu Yiyou left you doesn’t require you to go in person, I, Liu Yinsheng, can make the trip for you.”
The study fell silent.
Chen Zui lowered his head and remained quiet for a long time.
Neither Liu Yinsheng nor Lu Chenzhou rushed him; they simply waited.
The future of two nations?
Chen Zui suddenly gave a small laugh.
It was a very faint smile, almost imperceptible, but Liu Yinsheng saw it.
Chen Zui looked up, his clear and sharp eyes staring directly at Liu Yinsheng, that faint smile still playing on his lips.
“Zhizhou Tower is sticking their nose a bit too far into other people’s business.”
His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and devoid of any hesitation.
Liu Yinsheng was slightly taken aback.
“Senior Liu.
“I appreciate that you and Zhizhou Tower think so highly of me.
“But these skills of mine were trained by myself, and this path is one I walk myself.
“I promised Senior Gu that I would deliver a message to Sword Immortal Shen. Since I now know he is in Jinyang City, I have no reason not to go.
“As for what Zhizhou Tower said about the duel involving two nations or the important things I carry... I don’t care about any of that.
“Whether the world belongs to Grand Zhao or Grand Shuo, who sits on the throne, or whether the martial world has one less sword immortal or one more sword god—what does any of that have to do with me?
“I only know that if you promise someone something, you must do it. That is the principle by which I, Chen Zui, live my life.”
“Chen Zui.”
Liu Yinsheng stood up, his white robes appearing like a solidified patch of moonlight in the dim candlelight.
He sighed, a sound filled with the complex emotions of an elder looking at a stubborn junior.
“Things are not as simple as you imagine.
“What kind of place is Zhizhou Tower? All the information in the world is within their grasp. Not a leaf falls in the imperial court nor a current stirs in the martial world without them knowing.
“And yet, even Zhizhou Tower has said...
“They cannot understand what the current Emperor is actually thinking.”
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