Tears welled up in Xu Mu’s eyes. “My two brothers and I have followed Zongqi for over three years. We’ve received his kindness in the past, but now we have no chance to serve him again. It’s truly regrettable. Ning Yue, I wonder if you could make an exception for us, to let us fulfill this wish?”
Chen Ye grabbed Ning Yue’s arm, his eyes also red, and said in a deep voice, “Ah Yue, don’t worry. We’ll just say our goodbyes and leave. We definitely won’t mess up your assignment, and no one else will ever know about this.”
A late evening breeze swept through, rattling the empty wine jars on the bluestone slab, making a clattering sound. It seemed exceptionally cold, sending a shiver through Ning Yue.
He asked with a smile again, “Brother Hai, what about you? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. When Xue Zongqi recovers from his injuries, there will always be a chance to meet again.”
Feng Hai’s flushed dark face had, at some point, lost its color, now only dark without any redness. He said in a muffled voice, “Although we will both serve in the military in the future, we will each serve our own master. I also want to properly bid Zongqi farewell.”
Ning Yue fell silent. After a moment, he met their three pairs of eager, hopeful eyes and shook his head, saying, “It’s not that I’m unwilling, but I truly cannot.”
Xu Mu leaned on the stone table, his face grim in the darkness. Seeing that their long-played act of brotherhood couldn’t sway him in the slightest.
He asked again in a deep voice, “So, there’s no room for discussion?”
“No room for discussion!”
“Clang!” Xu Mu suddenly drew his saber, pointing it angrily at Ning Yue. “I considered you a close brother, we are fellow comrades, yet you are so heartless?!”
“If you don’t agree, I’ll cut you down right now and personally go to Zongqi to atone!”
“Brother Mu, don’t be impulsive. We are fellow comrades, how can we draw swords against each other?” Chen Ye pulled down his elder brother’s saber-wielding right hand, then turned and earnestly advised, “Ning Yue, after we leave, we probably won’t see each other again until we die. Can’t you even fulfill our last wish?”
Before Ning Yue could speak, Feng Hai also drew his long saber and said coldly, “Alright, stop talking. If he doesn’t get a lesson, I’m afraid he won’t compromise. Let’s fight outside, so we don’t disturb Zongqi.”
Xu Mu finally dropped his benevolent mask and said fiercely to Ning Yue, “Just because you’re temporarily acting as Zongqi, you probably think you’ve truly become Zongqi? Bah, if you’re afraid to die, then get lost!”
With that, he pulled Chen Ye and walked towards the outer courtyard.
......
As night fell, people in the guard post lit rows of lanterns. The lights were bright, but there were still dark corners they couldn’t reach.
A figure in a dark blue short robe stood on the eaves of an inconspicuous side house. His chiseled features were stained by the night, and he seemed to merge with the darkness.
Beside him, a man in a silver Flying Fish Robe had a dignified appearance, but his eyes held a hint of ruthlessness that sent shivers down one’s spine.
He looked at the figures in the distance and said with a smile, “Truly unyielding, neither soft nor hard approaches work. After all that talk, doesn’t it still come down to a real fight?!”
If Ning Yue could hear this voice, he would surely find it familiar.
On the night of Han Yu’s banquet, it was the owner of this voice—Xiao Wenjie—who had conversed with Xue Ren for a long time and later arrived to save the day.
He had originally thought that once Ning Yue drank the wine, he would have an opportunity to catch him in the act, accuse him of dereliction of duty, and naturally have him transferred and eliminated.
Who knew that the persuasion of his three colleagues would be utterly useless.
The blue-robed Baihu also sighed, “It’s naturally best if we don’t have to resort to force. However, I originally thought this Ning Yue was addicted to wealth and a shrewd, adaptable person. I don’t know when he became such a stubborn, unyielding stone.”
Xiao Wenjie chuckled, “Baihu doesn’t know, but the Xue Family, a lineage passed down through generations, is adept at discerning and employing people.”
The blue-robed Baihu said, “Indeed, who wouldn’t like such a person? If he could serve under me… what a pity. Tonight, I’m afraid he’s destined to die here.”
Xiao Wenjie said, “If we can’t have him, we can only destroy him. This person already shows signs of rising, and if given time to grow, he will eventually cause trouble. Even without the He Family’s urging, he absolutely cannot be left to the Xue Family.”
“Two martial artists at the Great Accomplishment of Lian Rou Realm, plus one Feng Hai, even if that Ning Yue truly has the strength to contend with the Yi Jin Realm, this battle should be foolproof!”
The two exchanged glances, their eyes smiling, but they said nothing more, intending to quietly await the predetermined outcome.
Who knew, a scornful laugh suddenly echoed from the small courtyard.
The piercing laughter cut through the night, making the faces of the two in the shadows turn somewhat ugly. It also made the three men, who had been facing away from Ning Yue, frown and turn around.
Ning Yue had his hand on his saber, the sharkskin scabbard humming. “Why go to all this trouble? Since my brothers are all so eager to leave, I’ll use this saber to send you off.”
“My lord, they mean no good; you must not be careless.” Wei Xian drew his saber, now blocking the doorway, truly embodying the spirit of ‘one man guarding the pass, ten thousand cannot open it’.
Everyone behind him also drew their sabers.
In the small courtyard, tension instantly flared.
The three men exchanged surprised glances.
No one expected that at such a time, with Xue Ren almost gone and Ning Yue struggling to protect himself, these small fry would still dare to rush forward to their deaths?
Truly… adorably foolish!
Xu Mu stroked his long beard, not a trace of drunkenness left on his face. He smiled helplessly, “Ning Yue, ah Ning Yue, you probably think that after defeating one Lin Shanhe, you’re invincible, don’t you?”
“At this point, I won’t hide it from you. Three months ago, during drills in the training ground, Lin Shanhe couldn’t last ten moves under my saber. If it weren’t for considering the Mo Family’s reputation that day, he would probably have to use a crutch to attend the Qianhu banquet. Hahahaha…”
Hearing this, Chen Ye laughed without restraint.
“Ning Yue, as fellow colleagues, I’ll make sure you die understanding. Don’t just say you killed an injured Yi Jin Realm practitioner. Even a true master of the early Yi Jin Realm, Brother Feng has slain more than one!”
Feng Hai smiled, but his dark complexion in the darkness made him even harder to discern. “Alright, stop the nonsense. Let’s finish this quickly.”
With a “Clang,” the three men simultaneously drew their sabers. The wine, the drunkenness, the brotherly affection, and even years of camaraderie were all severed by that sound of drawing sabers.