Honor Among Thieves

Something came up and I got back late, but I'll finish the third update before three in the morning.

Though the morning after the snowstorm remained bitterly cold, the sunrise that had been absent for days still filled people's hearts with a gentle warmth.

Yet within the Left Temple offices of the Dali Temple, that fine weather was shredded apart by a piercing whistle through the air.

The source of that howling wind was Frostmourne, five feet four inches long and weighing one hundred and two jin and four liang.

Come to think of it, Sun Shaozong had not done morning exercises in quite some time—bedroom activities did not count.

When he had first led troops south to suppress the rebellion, he had kept up the habit of rising at dawn to train every day.

But after he had swept away the Wuxi Barbarians in one decisive push, he had spent every day either buried in case files or out inspecting the people's conditions. Naturally, his weapons had been stored away and his horse turned loose on the southern slopes.

Yet his failed all-or-nothing throw last night had put Sun Shaozong on alert again.

Though his enormous strength was a cheat-like blessing and had not diminished in the slightest from his idleness, once his martial skills grew rusty, he might not be able to control such inhuman power.

From now on, he had to train at least once a day!

No sooner had he made up his mind than Hong Jiu and Huang Bin entered the courtyard side by side.

Tsk~

Looks like training at night would be more reliable.

Uh~

Or perhaps noon would be more suitable?

As his resolve habitually wavered, Sun Shaozong naturally ended his sequence, rested Frostmourne on his shoulder, and assumed a relaxed stance.

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