"Third Prince, I am deeply grateful for your favor. But I am a man of the martial world, and I do martial-world things. I do not wish to be bound, much less become involved in the struggle for the throne at court.
"However, if you are willing to give the Blood Flower Spirit Mushroom to me, I can voluntarily do three things for you. Even if you ask ten or twenty years from now, I will not go back on my word. Would you be willing?"
What was a martial artist? A martial artist was a bird, with a pair of clean, powerful wings, able to soar freely beneath the vault of heaven.
The imperial court of Great Zhou and the vast Nineteen Provinces were that sky. Xiang Yang serving within it was nothing much, but if he accepted Li Hong's recruitment, it would be like a bird being locked inside a narrow cage, unable to escape. That was something he could not endure.
Therefore, he could not and would not become Third Prince Li Hong's lackey. Even if he became the foremost retainer in the truest sense, it would not change the fact that he was living under another's roof. Thus, Xiang Yang refused.
Yet at the same time, Xiang Yang deeply desired the Blood Flower Spirit Mushroom in the sandalwood box. He hoped to obtain this divine treasure so that, once he gained something from the Heart-Illuminating Mirror, he could build up his strength and burst through the barrier in one stroke.
Thus, he tentatively offered to do three things for Li Hong. For those three matters, he would brave boiling water and tread through fire, kill men and slaughter ghosts; even killing the Emperor of Great Zhou would not make him hesitate. That was his promise.
Naturally,