“Third Martial Uncle, that man is upstairs, he’s the one who injured Senior Brother Ming. We suspect he might be a remnant of the former dynasty.”
Footsteps and voices sounded together at the stairway.
“Don’t make assumptions without proof,” came a calm, magnetic voice.
Soon after, a group of people stepped onto the second floor.
In addition to several familiar young men, there was now an elder among them.
The elder wore a blue robe embroidered with the emblem of two crossed swords on his chest.
His beard hung down to his chest, and a long blue sword was fastened to his waist.
“Seems like trouble’s come knocking,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.
Xie Changliu lifted his gaze, slowly stood up, and looked at the newcomers.
“I am Liu Changlin of the Sword Palace. May I know who you are?” the old man asked evenly, neither arrogant nor humble, introducing himself first.
Xu Zimo only smiled without speaking.
“Xie Changliu,” Xie replied calmly.
“Why did you injure our disciples? I would like a reasonable explanation,” Liu Changlin said.
“They insulted and mocked my master, does that count?” Xie countered.
“I was planning to visit your Sword Palace myself, but since you’re here, perhaps you can give me a reasonable explanation instead.”
“The matter of Li Zi is different. You can’t compare the two,” Liu Changlin answered.
“For now, I’ll have to trouble you to come with me.”
“Perfect. I wanted to meet your Palace Master anyway,” Xie said.
Xu Zimo stood up, rolling his neck slightly.
The group followed Liu Changlin’s lead, leaving the inn and heading toward the Sword Palace.
Because Li Zi’s legs were still weak, Xie Changliu helped support him as they walked.
“If things get dangerous later, don’t worry about me, just leave,” Li Zi warned softly.
“They won’t dare harm me as long as I don’t hand over the Sword Canon.”
“Master, don’t worry,” Xie said reassuringly.
“I only seek justice, a fair duel. I’m not here to declare war on Great Zhou.”
Li Zi nodded slightly.
As they walked through the bustling streets, Everpeace revealed itself as divided into two parts. The outer city and the inner city.
The outer city housed commoners and most travelers stayed there.
The inner city, however, was home to the Sword Palace, as well as generals, ministers, and people of renown throughout Great Zhou.
Only those of high standing could live there.
The inner city was less crowded, but the buildings on both sides were grand and elegant.
Deep estates stood tall and dignified, with rows of trees planted along the streets.
The ground beneath their feet was paved with neat, patterned granite.
“Li Zi,” Liu Changlin said with a smile as he led the way.
“Are you still unwilling to hand over the Sword Canon?”
“I don’t have the Sword Canon,” Li Zi replied coolly.
“I can make you an offer, hand over the Sword Canon, and I guarantee your group will leave here unharmed,” Liu Changlin said.
“So that’s why you insisted on bringing us to the Sword Palace, to use it as leverage,” Li Zi said heavily.
“Why be so stubborn?” Liu Changlin sighed.
“Handing it over would benefit not only the Sword Palace, but all of Great Zhou.”
“What does Great Zhou have to do with me?” Li Zi said indifferently.
As they spoke, they arrived before the Sword Palace.
Being so close, they couldn’t see the full grandeur of the place.
But even from here, the northern wall stretched nearly a kilometer long, a sizable compound.
At the main gate, disciples in identical robes came and went, while two massive statues of sword lions stood guard on either side.
All around the Palace, weapon shops lined the streets, selling swords of every kind.
“Please, this way,” Liu Changlin said.
Upon entering the Palace, the view widened.
Nothing about it particularly surprised Xu Zimo, it looked like any other martial academy.
Tall towers reached into the clouds on both sides. Apart from a few trees, most of the area was open ground.
“Today happens to be the day our senior disciples spar in the Sword Valley,” Liu Changlin said.
“Before you see the Palace Master, you’d best think things through carefully.
And you, Li Zi, once, you feared nothing, not even death. But now that you have a disciple, don’t you care anymore?”
The three followed Liu Changlin deeper into the Palace.
After passing through several tree-lined avenues, the sound of a crowd reached them.
The so-called Sword Valley was a small canyon surrounded by countless broken swords.
Some of the blades were new and gleaming; others were rusted and shattered.
At the very center stood a colossal sword embedded upright in the earth.
Beneath the giant sword were several dueling platforms.
The place was packed with disciples shouting and cheering as they watched the matches.
Xie Changliu looked up slightly. He didn’t draw his sword, instead, with a wave of his right hand, a surge of sword intent burst forth.
With a thunderous boom, the sword intent slashed into one side of the valley.
The cliff crumbled as if it were made of tofu, collapsing with a deafening crash as rocks tumbled down.
“Everyone, get back!” someone shouted as panic spread through the crowd.
“I am Xie Changliu,” Xie’s voice rang out, calm but commanding. “Where are the Palace Masters of the Sword Palace?”
“You’re insane, you’ve disrupted the Palace’s grand sparring event!” Liu Changlin shouted in disbelief.
Even as he spoke, several figures appeared in the sky, stepping through the air as they approached.
Each one emanated a sharp sword aura, especially the two leading figures, a man and a woman.
Their sword intents intertwined, harmonizing perfectly like two halves of a whole.
“Li Zi,” the man said with a frown. “Whose sword intent was that just now?”
“I heard you two represent the strongest swordsmanship in all of Great Zhou,” Xie said. “I’ve come to challenge you.”
“And who are you?” the man asked, brows furrowing.
“A nameless wanderer. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know me,” Xie replied.
Liu Changlin stepped forward and whispered something to the man and woman.
The two exchanged a glance, they seemed to be Dao partners.
“Duels are dull,” the man said with a faint smile. “How about we make it interesting, place a wager?”
“What kind of wager?” Xie asked.
“The Sword Canon,” the man said bluntly.
“And what will you wager?” Xie countered.
“If I lose, I’ll hand over the position of Palace Master to your teacher. How about that?” the man said.
“No one cares about some Palace Master title,” Xie said, shaking his head.
“Young man, you don’t understand,” someone nearby interjected indignantly.
“In Great Zhou, the Palace Master of the Sword Palace holds power second only to the Emperor himself, one man beneath heaven, above all others.”
“What’s Great Zhou worth anyway?” Xie said, unbothered.
“Even when Time Emperor ruled, his might was unmatched. But without his protection, Great Zhou may well fall, just like the fallen Bright Empire before it.”