But Aren't You Still Here?

Han Qi froze, then scratched his head sheepishly.

"I wouldn't say I know much. Just a little."

"Do you know about the Xifeng Army of the Feng Prince Mansion?"

"The Xifeng Army? Of course." Han Qi nodded. "They were once famous throughout the land. But these days, the Feng Family has fallen into decline and can't afford to keep so many troops. They've cut their numbers by quite a bit, and their fighting strength is nowhere near what it used to be."

"Back then, General Feng was utterly selfless. He taught his own Wind King Leg technique to the troops, making many of the soldiers exceptionally powerful. And since they were a field army, they were especially suited to the secret art of Wind King Leg. That was how the Xifeng Army became the king among armies."

"These days, those Xifeng soldiers haven't learned Wind King Leg at all. Their discipline isn't particularly strict, either. The Feng Family never carried on General Feng's methods for training troops. Instead, they've been caught up in power struggles at court and among the nobility..."

As Han Qi talked, spit flew everywhere. The disdain on his face was practically overflowing. "They're useless! Give me five hundred infantrymen, and I could rout that Xifeng Army and send them fleeing without their helmets or armor!"

"..." Mu Ye.

"You're that good?" Mu Ye asked with a smile. "Then why don't you enlist and become a general?"

"I wanted to." Han Qi sighed. "Before I sat the civil service exams, I wanted to join the army. But guess what happened? I served for three years and got paid for only half of them. The rest of the time, I was stuck cooking over a fire."

"Hahaha..." Mu Ye found it amusing. "Where did you serve?"

"Under that so-called virtuous Prince Qi." Han Qi spat. "Virtuous my ass..."

"After joining the army didn't work out, I thought, if soldiers couldn't save this rotten world, I'd just sit the exams, get an official post, and try being a government official..."

"And how did that go?" Han Qi laughed at his own story.

"Joining the army didn't work. Being an official didn't work. So all I could do was learn martial arts..."

"And then I got..." He trailed off. "If it weren't for you, benefactor, I might already have been reborn by now."

Han Qi laughed, shaking his head as he did. "This world is beyond saving."

Mu Ye patted him on the shoulder.

It really was rough.

Han Qi was one of the few people in this world with faith and dreams.

"If you think the Xifeng Army is so weak, why not go offer your services to the Feng Family and show them what you can do?" Mu Ye asked.

"Heh..." Han Qi shook his head. "The Xifeng Army hires through connections. If you're not related to the Feng Family, it's hard to get in. They don't trust outsiders. Besides, the Xifeng Army seems rotten to the core, and the Feng Family isn't any better."

"They've got an army at their disposal and want to build a reputation in Taiping City, yet they haven't dealt with a single one of the demons outside the city."

"When demons caused trouble in Chishui Village a while back, how many men did the Feng Family send?"

Of course they weren't going to send anyone to their deaths.

After all, Mu Ye thought, there was a good chance the Feng Family itself was behind the demons in Chishui Village.

"I think the Feng Family's Xifeng Army isn't meant to fight demons." Han Qi sighed. "It's probably meant to fight their own people."

Mu Ye's eyes lit up. This fellow had a sharp eye.

He knew nothing about the situation, yet he'd still figured that out.

"If I get the chance..." Mu Ye mulled it over. "Maybe I can give you a chance to fulfill your ambitions."

Han Qi froze, then laughed a few times before lowering his voice.

"Benefactor, if you truly mean that... if the chance ever comes, even if you're planning to turn the whole world upside down, I'll follow you."

Several days later, at the Shen Mansion.

The bright moon hung high in the sky.

"Qingchan, in a few days, you should return to the Yunhai Sword Sect."

Madam Shen sat on a stone stool, dressed in a pale green gown.

Though a soft cushion had been placed on the stool, the hard stone still pressed the hem of her dress into a curve around her waist and hips.

"No." Shen Qingchan shook her head. "Aunt Yun, Father is gone now. You're the only family I have. Even though we're not related by blood, you were the one who raised me when I was little. You've treated me even better than Father did... I can't just leave you here on your own."

"Taiping City isn't safe..." Madam Shen furrowed her brows. "The Yunhai Sword Sect is tucked away at the foot of Tiannan Mountain. It's not exactly cut off from the world, but at least it's far from the royal court. It may be remote, but it's peaceful."

"Besides, I have that gentleman's help now. If something really happens to me, you won't be able to save me anyway."

"I don't believe that." Shen Qingchan gripped the sword in her hand. "I've been taking Blood Lingzhi lately, and my power has increased greatly. I'm not far from the Fourth Grade. I may not be any weaker than that Demon Sealer..."

Madam Shen thought, This girl is so stubborn.

At first, she hadn't agreed to let Shen Qingchan go to Chishui Village to avenge her father. Shen Qingchan had insisted, so they'd made a private agreement: if she returned safely, she would immediately go back to the Yunhai Sword Sect.

She had indeed come back safely, but she'd gone back on her word.

Now she didn't want to leave.

"Have you developed feelings for Mu Huangtu?" Madam Shen suddenly asked. "Is that why you don't want to leave just yet?"

"..."

"No. Absolutely not." Shen Qingchan tightened her grip on the hilt, her expression perfectly composed.

Madam Shen looked at the girl's five tightly clenched fingers. They were gripping the hilt so hard that her fingertips had turned faintly white.

She looked calm, but she still couldn't hide it.

Madam Shen had seen right through her at a glance.

It made sense. The two of them had weathered a crisis together, practically lived and died side by side. It was only natural for feelings to grow. It would have been strange if they hadn't.

From the way Shen Qingchan described him, Mu Huangtu was a young hero who kept his word and had an excellent character.

He would make a fine match.

"Since you don't have feelings for him, then that's all the better." Madam Shen leisurely lifted her teacup with impeccable poise and spoke casually. "That young man comes from a humble background. He isn't a suitable match for you. Your families aren't of equal standing, so you'd best not get too close to him."

Shen Qingchan froze, then protested urgently.

"Aunt Yun, how can you say that? How does he come from a humble background? Didn't you say before that he was extraordinarily talented and had a brilliant future ahead of him? Besides, he's so young, and already Third Grade after only a few months of martial arts training... The Yunhai Sword Sect doesn't have a genius like that... He's so much stronger than I am..."

As she spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter.

"..." Madam Shen looked at her with a knowing smile, her eyes full of a mature woman's wisdom.

Silly girl.

Shen Qingchan stood up, annoyed. "Aunt Yun, you're teasing me... I'm going to bed!"

With that, she turned and left.

Madam Shen didn't expose the fact that the girl was only trying to escape because she was embarrassed and flustered.

Some things were better left unsaid. If she said too much, the girl would really lose her temper.

"Did you two have a falling-out?"

A low voice came from the rafters behind her.

Madam Shen turned. A flash of delight crossed her eyes and vanished. She gave a small shake of her head.

"No."

"No?" Mu Ye thought. Hadn't they just said she was angry?

Women were hard to understand.

He had only just arrived.

"In a few days, the grand banquet will be held," Mu Ye said. "Is there anything else you need to take care of?"

Madam Shen replied:

"I'm ready. I carefully went through the guest list for the banquet. There should be about five Third Grade experts, all from prominent families in Taiping City. Some of them may already be in league with the Feng Family."

"So when Feng Wuque demonstrates his power in the martial competition, those five may deliberately lose to him."

"Feng Wuque won't spare the Shen Mansion..."

"I know a little about Feng Wuque. He's calculating and scheming. He was one of the disciples of that former Imperial Tutor. If he intends to make trouble, he'll surely invite the Shen Mansion's experts to fight."

Madam Shen spoke calmly. "If no one accepts, he'll use the unrest of the times as an excuse, claiming that the Feng Family is willing to protect the Shen Mansion. Then he can seize the Shen Family's assets openly and legally. The Feng Family cares about its reputation."

"If someone accepts and loses, it'll be the same. And if they win..."

"What then?" Mu Ye asked.

"Even if they win, it'll be hard for them to leave the Feng Mansion." Madam Shen narrowed her eyes. "The Feng Family is determined to get what it wants. If it loses, it won't confront us directly. It'll resort to underhanded tricks. The Feng Family will surely have experts there, and perhaps... even demons..."

Mu Ye was slightly surprised. Madam Shen had clearly thought it all through.

"If you understand the situation so well, why go?" Mu Ye asked. "The Feng Family won't spare the Shen Mansion no matter what. You know this is a certain death trap, so why walk into it? Is the Shen Family's legacy really that important? Why not leave Taiping City at once?"

After a long silence, Madam Shen bit her lip slightly. A smile appeared on her face, so beautiful and inscrutable that Mu Ye couldn't quite make sense of it.

"But... aren't you still here?"

Moonlight spilled across Madam Shen's snow-white cheeks, casting them in a faint glow.

Mu Ye suddenly thought she seemed a little bewitching, with a hint of inexplicable allure.

Seven days later, to celebrate their eldest son Feng Wuque's breakthrough to the Third Grade, the Feng Family of Taiping City held a grand banquet. They invited the city's many prominent guests to gather at the Feng Mansion, where a banquet and martial competition would be held to proclaim the name of Taiping City's Young Heroes and uphold the city's prestige...