Though Ye Jing and Hu Jie had known each other only a short time, their friendship was no less deep than that of old friends who had known each other for years.
Unable to bear the thought of Hu Jie leaping into a pit of fire, Ye Jing laid out the pros and cons in full, hoping Hu Jie would recognize the danger and turn back.
Yet Hu Jie remained unmoved, confidence shining in his eyes. "Brother Ye, how could I not understand everything you've said?"
"But today I met an extraordinary expert who pointed me in the right direction. I've finally seen the light."
An extraordinary expert! Ye Jing's eyes filled with disbelief. "Brother Hu, you actually believe the words of that so-called expert?"
"There are countless charlatans in the Imperial Capital. Could your so-called expert be nothing more than a fortune-teller?"
"Brother Hu, this concerns your life and livelihood. How can you trust the words of a charlatan?"
Seeing Ye Jing's words grow harsher, Hu Jie hurriedly stopped him. "Brother Ye, watch your words. This expert is an extraordinary figure from the Heavenly Mystery Sect, the likes of whom appear only once in an age."
"If you insult him, he might sense it. Be careful he doesn't take offense."
The Heavenly Mystery Sect! Hearing Hu Jie utter those three words, Ye Jing's expression froze, uncertainty clouding his eyes.
The Heavenly Mystery Sect's origins were mysterious. No one knew how many disciples it had, who its Sect Master was, or where its mountain gate stood.
Yet the Heavenly Mystery Sect had always been skilled in astrology and divination, and every one of its disciples could peer into the Heavenly Secrets.
Whenever the Heaven and Earth Cataclysm struck or the world fell into chaos, the Heavenly Mystery Sect would appear in the Canglan Domain.
Legend had it that a thousand years ago, when the first Emperor Li, Long Zhan, was still a failed scholar, the Heavenly Mystery Sect found him and declared that he was the chosen one, destined to found Dali and bring an end to the chaos.
It was with the Heavenly Mystery Sect's help that Long Zhan rose swiftly, gaining one Heaven-Defying Opportunity after another, until he finally ended the chaos and founded Dali.
After helping Long Zhan establish Dali, the sect quietly departed and vanished without a trace.
The Heavenly Mystery Sect was incredibly secretive, with very few records of it in historical texts. Ordinary people could never even know it existed.
Ye Jing had learned of it by chance while compiling historical records. A few texts had mentioned the Heavenly Mystery Sect, but only in passing.
The so-called expert Hu Jie spoke of claimed to come from the Heavenly Mystery Sect, and didn't seem like any ordinary charlatan.
But the Heavenly Mystery Sect had always sought out dragon-rising lords capable of bringing peace to the realm. Why had it approached Hu Jie? Was there something extraordinary about him?
Ye Jing looked Hu Jie up and down a few times. Aside from his upright character, he couldn't see anything unusual about the man before him.
Even if this so-called expert really did come from the Heavenly Mystery Sect, Ye Jing still couldn't support Hu Jie's decision to answer King Zhennan's call.
Hu Jie seemed to see the worry in Ye Jing's heart. Before Ye Jing could speak, he cut him off. "To be frank, Brother Ye, even if the Heavenly Mystery Sect hadn't appeared, I would still have answered King Zhennan's call."
"Dali is no longer the Dali of a thousand years ago. Brother Ye, can't you see? The people are starving, and lives are being destroyed."
"I'm willing to be a moth flying into the flames, setting an example for the righteous men of the realm."
Hu Jie had always been an ambitious man, unable to turn a blind eye to injustice. After spending so much time together, Ye Jing understood him well.
Indeed, the people were starving, and lives were being destroyed. Ye Jing sighed.
The Imperial Capital was Dali's capital, and should have been its most prosperous place. Yet the sight of those people in rags yesterday had stayed with Ye Jing.
Should he really stop a man of such righteousness?
Perhaps Hu Jie truly could bring peace to this chaotic age, just like Long Zhan, Dali's first emperor, a thousand years ago.
Ye Jing drew three Sword Talismans from his robes and placed them in Hu Jie's hands.
He had refined these Sword Talismans with Innate Sword Qi that morning, after reaching Innate Perfection. Each talisman contained a strand of Ye Jing's innate origin Sword Qi, enough to withstand a Grandmaster Realm expert's full-force attack.
He had originally planned to give the three talismans to Qiuyue as protective charms. But since Hu Jie intended to contend for Dali, he would need them even more.
"Brother Ye, this is...!"
"Brother Hu, my late father once did a favor for an expert from the Sword Sect. These three Sword Talismans were given to me by that expert. Each one can withstand a Grandmaster Realm expert's full-force attack."
There was no helping it. This was all the strength he had for now; he could only withstand a Grandmaster Realm strike. But these were Ye Jing's innate origin Sword Qi, and they had room to grow.
As Ye Jing's cultivation continued to improve, these three strands of innate origin Sword Qi would grow stronger as well.
"Brother Ye, such a generous gift—I'm not worthy of it."
"Brother Hu, I spend most of my time at the Hanlin Academy, and I have no enemies to speak of. These three Sword Talismans would be of little use to me."
"Your undertaking will surely bring countless dangers and untold hardship. These three Sword Talismans will be in good hands with you."
"Please don't refuse, Brother Hu. Perhaps these three talismans of mine will help you restore order to the realm!"
After hearing Ye Jing put it that way, Hu Jie stopped refusing. He wanted to reminisce a little longer, but when he saw a Night Watch Envoy approaching the shack, he hurriedly left.
After bidding Hu Jie farewell, Ye Jing didn't linger either. He soon returned home.
Back home, after dinner, Ye Jing looked at Qiuyue, who was clearing away the dishes, and said, "Qiuyue, I recently learned a sword technique. Come, I'll teach it to you."
A few days ago, seeing how tyrannical the Night Watch Division was, Ye Jing had realized he'd been careless about Qiuyue's safety.
Qiuyue was a peerless beauty. Even in plain clothes, her celestial grace and jade-like features were impossible to hide.
If some unscrupulous Night Watch Envoy saw her beauty one day and let his lust get the better of him, Qiuyue was only a frail woman and had no way to defend herself.
Those three Sword Talismans had originally been meant to protect Qiuyue, but he had just given them to Hu Jie.
The three talismans contained Ye Jing's innate origin Sword Qi. With his current cultivation, he could only refine three of them; otherwise, he risked damaging his own origin.
For now, the only way to improve Qiuyue's ability to protect herself was to have her practice martial arts and raise her strength.
"A sword technique?"
A hint of surprise appeared in Qiuyue's eyes. "Young Master, why do you want to teach me swordsmanship?"
"With your strength, Young Master, you can protect me just fine."
Qiuyue sure had a lot of confidence in the original owner. Protect her, indeed!
With the original owner's measly strength, he wouldn't even count as cannon fodder in the Imperial Capital.
"Qiuyue, the Imperial Capital is sure to descend into chaos within the next three months. I might not be able to look after you the whole time."
"This sword technique is one of the finest Sword Dao arts in all of Dali. If you master it, there may be few people in the entire realm who can match you."
First, he'd paint her a rosy picture. The Thirteen Swords of Heavenly Annihilation truly was an extraordinary Sword Dao art from the Sword Sect. Though it had only thirteen forms, each one held countless variations.
Even a prodigy would need years to understand the first, simplest form. How long it would take Qiuyue to master all thirteen swords was anyone's guess!
But grasping even a hint of its mysteries would greatly improve her strength.
Breaking off a branch, Ye Jing demonstrated the first sword of the Thirteen Swords of Heavenly Annihilation to Qiuyue. He had meant to guide her afterward, explaining some of its subtleties to deepen her understanding.
But before he could even speak, Qiuyue scolded him. "Hmph, Young Master, such a simple sword move, and you call it one of the finest Sword Dao arts in all of Dali?"
"Young Master, you're bragging again."
Simple! It was the first time he'd ever seen Qiuyue so brazen. Ye Jing was taken aback, frozen in place.
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