Pine Crane Tower.

Cao Lie turned and looked at the sky. The sun had already shifted westward. By his reckoning, there was still roughly a little more than one two-hour period before sunset.

From the time Cen Xiaoxiao had gone out with his people to now, about one such period had passed.

“That subordinate of yours who just went out — what’s his name? He struck me as rather interesting.”

Li Chi looked at Cao Lie with a smile.

Cao Lie said, “His name is Cen Xiaoxiao. We grew up together from childhood. Everything I studied, he studied too — and some things he studied that I never did. His father and grandfather before him were always part of my household, every one of them a person of real ability.”

Li Chi said, “Truly impressive… So what is his greatest skill? I feel this person could be put to far better use.”

Cao Lie looked at Li Chi. After a moment he said flatly, “Don’t even think about it.”

Li Chi couldn’t help but sigh. Trying to get anything done these days was truly becoming more and more difficult.

These people had all grown crafty.

The two of them got to talking about Cen Xiaoxiao, and Cao Lie told Li Chi that the Cen family had been subordinates of the Cao family for well over a hundred years.

Back in those days, the Cao family had produced a general who followed the great commander Xu Qulu on campaign. He was later gravely wounded and returned home to recover.

The Cen family’s forebearer had been this general’s personal company commander, and he had come back to the Cao household with him. From that point on, they had put down roots in Yuzhou.

The Cen family’s ancestors had been master craftsmen of great renown. That original company commander had in fact been a well-regarded forge master in Yuzhou City.

The craft had not been lost. Cen Xiaoxiao had a sister two years his senior, and between the two of them — one had inherited the Cen family’s martial arts, the other had inherited the Cen family’s art of metalworking.

His sister was named Cen Jiangjia. Cen Xiaoxiao’s given name was Cen Bailu.

From the age of four or five, he had studied alongside Cao Lie. Because he smiled so readily and constantly, Cao Lie had called him Cen Xiaoxiao — Laughing Cen — from childhood onward, and after so many years of being called it, that nickname had simply become his name.

Cao Lie had always felt somewhat guilty on Cen Xiaoxiao’s behalf. A person naturally so full of smiles had been trained and shaped into a cold-blooded, impassive shadow.

If the Mountain-River Seal had not gone wrong, if the Cao family had not fallen into trouble — Cen Xiaoxiao might still have had to go on being that cold-blooded shadow indefinitely.

As for Cen Jiangjia’s art of weapon-crafting — it was genuinely extraordinary. The saber Cao Lie wore at his hip now was the product of years spent by Cao Lie’s father sending people to track down the materials, then of Cen Xiaoxiao’s father and Cen Jiangjia working together to forge it.

The name of the blade had also been given by Cen Jiangjia — it was called Startling Banishment.

As Li Chi listened, his eyes began to light up again.

Cao Lie saw the look on his face. Before Li Chi could say a word, he shut him down outright.

“That one — don’t even begin to think about it.”

Li Chi sighed. “How petty.”

Cao Lie asked him, “You’ve been lazing around here at the Pine Crane Tower for nearly a full day now. How much longer do you intend to keep it up?”

Li Chi said, “I just told you — a king who doesn’t know how to be idle is an unqualified…”

Cao Lie sighed: “Please have some respect for me. I don’t believe a word you say. Not a single one.”

Li Chi stopped smiling.

He walked to the window and looked out in silence.

Cao Lie asked, “Is it that… something happened to someone?”

Li Chi said, “One of the Tingwei Army’s senior officers. His name was Dou Hongtu. He was already there when I was running the carriage house in Jizhou City. Before we moved south, he told me he wanted to stay behind in Jizhou, but at the same time felt he would be letting down the Tingwei uniform by doing so. He was anxious about it, and asked me — if he resigned and went back to work at the carriage house, would I be angry. I told him… no, but you’re dreaming if you think I’d actually let you stay. I was being selfish — the old brothers who had been with me from the beginning, I always wanted to give them a little more. That’s why I brought them all down to Yuzhou with me… If regretting it now could bring him back, I would have let him stay in Jizhou.”

Cao Lie too fell silent. After a long while he asked, “Everyone has their joy and sorrow, their anger and grief — why is it that what you show the people around you is always the joy and the happiness, never the grief or the anger? A person who suppresses his feelings for too long will break.”

Li Chi, his back still to Cao Lie, replied: “Grief and anger are not for the people on my side to see.”

Cao Lie asked, “That includes me?”

Li Chi still didn’t turn around. He didn’t answer.

But Cao Lie knew: yes, it included him.

So Cao Lie rose and walked toward the door. As he went, he said three words.

“Understood.”

—

Within Yuzhou City, at the Zhou Establishment Silk and Satin House.

The proprietor was named Meng Sen. By bloodline, his name did appear in the Sacred Blade Sect’s genealogical records — though as a collateral branch, which meant he could only be put to work in trade.

Most of the time he harbored a persistent grievance about this. He had never felt that his gifts or his abilities were inferior to those of the main lineage descendants. The only thing that separated them was his position in the genealogical records.

But he could not fight these rules. He had no choice but to comply with the Sacred Blade Sect’s arrangements and serve as proprietor of the Zhou Establishment in Yuzhou City.

Over time he had adjusted, and come to think it suited him well enough. At the very least, he was free from oversight, spared the condescension of those main lineage heirs. Within Yuzhou City, as the head proprietor he could do as he pleased — everyone here answered to him, no one questioned his orders. He had no shortage of money. Life was comfortable.

But then Jieyi arrived — arriving, at that, with serious wounds.

From the moment Jieyi moved in, Meng Sen had known nothing good would follow.

When word reached him that the martial world factions across the city — open and hidden both — had begun to stir, he understood: disaster was likely on its way.

He went to find Jieyi, but Jieyi would not receive him.

The woman called Yanzhi blocked him at the door and would not allow him to set foot inside. He told Yanzhi they had to leave Yuzhou City as quickly as possible — if they didn’t, everyone would be in trouble.

But the woman assumed he was thinking only of himself, that Meng Sen was worried about being implicated and had deliberately made the situation sound dire to that end.

The greatest flaw of the Sacred Blade Sect was that those so-called main lineage heirs of the purest blood held the collateral branches in utter contempt.

In their view, collateral branch members were born to serve the main lineage as attendants and menials — deserving of no particular consideration.

These collateral branch members posted to the outer world were called on and dismissed as the main lineage saw fit, but never truly trusted.

This was exactly why Meng Sen despised the main lineage so intensely.

Yanzhi had concluded that Meng Sen simply feared getting caught in the fire, worried it would disturb his comfortable life in Yuzhou City.

Now today, Meng Sen had received another message: the martial world factions in Yuzhou City had begun pressing the major trading houses.

He made his decision on the spot. Whether Jieyi and Yanzhi ran or not — he was going to run.

But just as he was gathering his things to make his escape, the people Cao Lie had sent arrived, notifying the Zhou Establishment’s staff that no one was to leave the premises.

Now, in the rear courtyard.

Meng Sen looked at Jieyi and said, “I was going to come and report last night — none of the martial world factions in the city were behaving normally. But…”

He glanced at Yanzhi.

“Miss Yanzhi said I could not disturb your rest.”

Jieyi immediately looked at the young woman. She had been blessed from birth with a face of extraordinary allure — even when she spoke in an ordinary tone, she carried with her an effortless, captivating charm.

That day on the main road, she had been caught by Fourth Under Heaven’s strange appearance and couldn’t hold back a quiet laugh.

That single light laugh had drawn Fourth Under Heaven’s attention. When she laughed, her eyes curved into crescents, utterly arresting.

Now, feeling Jieyi’s gaze on her, Yanzhi understood that he was about to question why she had not informed him — even if she had refused to let Meng Sen enter, she could have at least told Jieyi herself.

“Shixiong…”

Yanzhi looked at Jieyi with an aggrieved expression. “Are you going to blame me?”

Jieyi sighed, said nothing to her, and turned to Meng Sen. “Is there any way for the trading house to help us slip out of the city quietly? You’ve been in Yuzhou City for so many years — you can’t have no method at all.”

Meng Sen shook his head. “In the past I had dealings with the officials in the Yuzhou prefectural office. But this is no longer Dachu’s territory. Yuzhou City belongs to the Ning King now. The officials in the prefectural office were replaced long ago.”

Yanzhi said, “People were replaced — does that mean you can’t simply bring the new ones over to our side? I think you’re doing this on purpose. Are you thinking of defecting yourself?”

Meng Sen snapped his head toward her. Yanzhi looked right back at him — and held his gaze with complete self-assurance.

Meng Sen said, “The Ning King’s people are not like the old court officials. I tried to get close on multiple occasions. Every time, I was turned away at the door.”

Yanzhi rolled her eyes. “That’s your problem — what are you raising your voice at me for?”

Jieyi turned sharply. “Yanzhi!”

Yanzhi immediately looked wounded. “Shixiong… I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Jieyi said, “It would be better if you said a little less.”

Yanzhi’s eyes grew faintly red at the rims. “Shixiong, you’re still blaming me…”

Jieyi sighed again and looked at Meng Sen. “Go now and think about how we can be moved out of here. If we can manage it, it preserves all of us — your people as well as ours.”

Meng Sen responded, “I’ll go and try.”

He glanced at Yanzhi. Yanzhi gave a dismissive hum.

Meng Sen cursed her silently a few times and turned to leave.

Jieyi said to Yanzhi, “We are relying on his hospitality right now. It would be better to speak to him with a little more courtesy.”

Yanzhi said, “Shixiong, what are you talking about? How can you say we are relying on him? This is our main lineage’s business, our main lineage’s property. The collateral branch people — at most they’re glorified managers.”

Jieyi said, “Even so, the situation is unusual right now. You must restrain yourself.”

Yanzhi let out a small sound of acknowledgment and lowered her head. “I know I’m foolish — I’m always making Shixiong angry… Teach me more going forward, Shixiong. I’ll do better.”

Jieyi raised his hand and patted her gently on the head. “I’m not blaming you. Isn’t this me teaching you right now?”

Yanzhi looked up. Her eyes were bright and glistening — tears trembling at the edge, on the verge of spilling over.

“Shixiong, I know you treat me well… This time I begged the Sect Master with everything I had to let you bring me along. Does Shixiong really not know what’s in my heart? I have thrown caution to the wind — no matter how our fellow disciples mock us, no matter what the Sect Master thinks, I only want to be at Shixiong’s side…”

Jieyi said, “Of course I know your feelings. As for my own heart toward you…”

He was just about to say more when Meng Sen came hurrying back in from outside, and found the two of them only just having stepped into each other’s arms.

At this moment, Meng Sen wished he could curse both of them into oblivion.

Of all the times to be exchanging tender glances and sweet words.

“This is bad. People have surrounded the entire trading house. No one can leave now.”

Yanzhi had already been flustered at being walked in on. Hearing those words, she immediately snapped in fury, “What do you mean ‘our’ trading house? Are you qualified to be spoken of in the same breath as us? This business was merely placed in your keeping. Do you not understand your own station?!”

Meng Sen said sharply, “Do you have any idea what time it is?!”

Jieyi was quiet for a moment, then said, “Go to the front. Create a commotion — take everyone with you. Draw the people outside toward the front. We break out from the rear.”

Meng Sen’s brow furrowed. “You mean to say — you want us to go to the front and die fighting, to cover your escape from behind?”

Yanzhi said, “What? Do you have a problem with that?”

The corner of Meng Sen’s mouth twitched. He turned and walked out. “Fine. Of course, fine. You are the main lineage. Your lives are precious.”