Favor and Obligation

"Master, what are you doing?" Lu Xingshi knocked out the two soldiers guarding the door and pushed it open as if he owned the place.

Murong Xuan looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He never expected Lu Xingshi to appear here. "How did you get here?"

"I was passing by. Can't I?" Lu Xingshi said with utter confidence.

"You passed by from the Central Plains all the way to Saibei? Why don't you keep passing by to the Western Regions?" Murong Xuan fumed, his beard bristling.

"That works too." Lu Xingshi grinned, then sobered. "Tiange Pass can't hold. I took a look on my way here—swarms of barbarians are already climbing the walls."

"This... how is it so fast!" Murong Xuan's expression was one of shock.

"Someone opened the city gate for the barbarians. Looked like a man in sable fur did it. He also cut down a man in full armor. They're probably inside the city by now," Lu Xingshi said.

He had indeed seen that scene before coming.

"That's Sand Tiger Bi Sheng. Why would he make a move?" Murong Xuan immediately recognized the man's identity.

"Oh. Well, let's go. If we dawdle any longer, the barbarians will be here," Lu Xingshi reminded him.

One against ten thousand—he wasn't sure he was that impressive.

His estimated limit was one against a thousand.

He could cheat and win, but there was no need.

His goal was to find his master, not to hold Tiange Pass. There was still the emperor's son behind this. If that man didn't care about his own kingdom, why should Lu Xingshi, a commoner, bother?

"Sigh, Xingshi, you go. I'm not leaving."

"I have no face to go back. From today on, you are the new master of Langya Pavilion." Murong Xuan's expression was filled with shame.

"Huh? Where are you planning to go?" Lu Xingshi had a bad feeling.

"Heavenly Gate Pavilion cannot fall. Once it falls into barbarian hands, with the Great Song Dynasty Court's current state, we'll never retake it."

"That will leave the door wide open. The barbarians can use this as a base to march straight into the Capital!" Murong Xuan said.

"Wait, what does the Great Song have to do with you..." Lu Xingshi complained. How did people get more stubborn as they aged? Weren't they supposed to fear death more? Why was his master an exception?

"Stop messing around, Master. You can't stop the barbarian army. As they say, where there's life, there's hope. Let's run first." Lu Xingshi sized him up, already calculating how much force to use.

Knock him out, feed him some sleeping pills, and make sure Murong Xuan woke up back in Langya Pavilion.

"It does have to do with me. The Late Emperor and I..." Murong Xuan briefly summarized the debt of recognition and life-saving grace, then added, "Without the Late Emperor's help, neither I nor Langya Pavilion's legacy would exist today."

"Tsk, no wonder you've been working for the court for free all these years, Master," Lu Xingshi said.

"So if we hold Tiange Pass this time, does that count as repaying that debt?"

Lu Xingshi asked.

Murong Xuan nodded. "Whether we hold it or not, when I die, the debt dies with me."

"Master, you're really good at changing the subject. I'm asking you—if we hold Tiange Pass, are we square with the Late Emperor and the court?" Lu Xingshi figured that if he cheated, he could probably manage it.

"Yes," Murong Xuan finally answered.

"Alright. You wait here. I'm going to charge in and out seven times." Lu Xingshi thought this was a perfect chance to complete the remaining upgrades for his three Acquired Traits: Meridian Courage, Bone Courage, and Spirit Courage.

Good thing he hadn't modified anything, or he'd have taken a loss.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Murong Xuan grabbed Lu Xingshi. He had intended for Lu Xingshi to leave while he repaid the debt himself.

"The son pays the father's debts. We've only been together for a month or so, but you're still my master. I'll give you a hand." Lu Xingshi owed his current strength to Murong Xuan. Without him, he'd still be hunting for techniques everywhere. His Innate Traits helped, but he needed a platform to use them.

"No. There are ten thousand barbarians. Going there is suicide." Murong Xuan was torn. This was his only disciple—he absolutely couldn't let him die.

Caught in the middle, it pained him.

Lu Xingshi glanced at his two hundred thousand percent Health Points and hundredfold recovery rate. As long as he had enough food, could he really kill ten thousand?

"You know ten thousand is suicide, yet you're still going." Lu Xingshi rolled his eyes. "You have two choices now. Either run with me, or I go repay the debt for you."

To Lu Xingshi, he could just spend Gold Coins to cheat.

"Let's compromise. You go back, and I go." Murong Xuan smiled. He felt that taking Lu Xingshi as his disciple was the best decision of his life.

A disciple who valued loyalty was a blessing for Langya Pavilion.

"Alright, I get it. Actually, there's another way." Murong Xuan's smile faded. "Go find the Prince of Liao. Have him lead his troops into the city to fight the barbarians."

"But one person needs to go to the Prince of Liao's camp to request reinforcements, and another needs to open the city gate to welcome the army."

Murong Xuan offered another solution.

"Fine. You go request reinforcements, and I'll open the city gate," Lu Xingshi said immediately.

"No. You go!" Murong Xuan insisted Lu Xingshi go, because opening the gate was dangerous—the barbarians were already inside the city.

So he would do it, not Lu Xingshi.

"Nonsense. I'm just a nobody. Forget getting the Prince of Liao to believe our plan—I'd be lucky just to see him."

"Besides, with your build, Master, can you even lift the gate bar and pull the doors open?" Lu Xingshi jabbed.

With your measly five or six points of Physical Constitution and your incomplete Longevity Spring Return Art, even if you managed it, it'd cost you half your life.

It had to be Lu Xingshi. With his Innate Traits, his perfected martial arts and techniques, and the Golden Crow Hand Cannon, as long as he held a good position, he could truly hold the pass against ten thousand.

At long range, the Golden Crow Hand Cannon; at close range, berserk slaughter—combined with his ability to modify and extend his own life, he was invincible in a Low Martial world.

"You can use my name. I may..." Murong Xuan continued speaking.

But Lu Xingshi cut him off directly: "Either you go, or you run. Those are our only two choices..."

Murong Xuan fell silent for a moment, then finally said, "Don't be stubborn. When things become impossible, forget the plan and just flee."

In the end, he relented, yet at the very last, he told Lu Xingshi to escape—not for Great Song's sake.

"I understand. You'd better set off now; don't waste time." Lu Xingshi was unconcerned. He didn't intend to follow the plan at all. Instead, he planned to go straight for a Great Slaughter.

If the enemies were all dead, then his teammates would be safe—that was the ultimate essence of a support.

"Oh, right, I need to confirm one more thing. After we guard Tiange Pass for the Imperial Court, we're square with them, right?" Lu Xingshi watched the departing Murong Xuan and asked again.

"Yes!" Murong Xuan paused mid-step, then uttered that single word heavily.