Sword Canon

At nine o'clock, Chen Ming arrived at the Huo Manor gates in a carriage that swayed and creaked along the way.

The carriage had been bought for him by his eldest brother, Chen Rui—the most basic kind of transport. Together with the nag of a horse, it had cost about a hundred taels of silver.

Truth be told, he didn't actually need a carriage. But his eldest brother had insisted, saying that now that Chen Ming was a man of status, going out without one would make him look shabby.

Chen Ming hadn't refused. He'd given his brother the money and didn't meddle in how it was spent.

As he stepped down from the carriage, he saw the Huo Manor's main gates wide open, with the old steward and the gatekeeper both waiting at the entrance. He immediately knew an important guest was expected today.

Normally, he entered through the side gate.

The main gate opening meant a distinguished visitor was about to arrive.

So he climbed back into the carriage and said to the driver, "Old Zhang, let's go to the back gate."

"Right you are."

Old Zhang the driver turned the horse's head and headed toward the rear entrance.

Before they'd even left the alley, Chen Ming heard the sound of hooves—several horses, by the sound of it.

He lifted the carriage curtain and poked his head out to look behind him. He saw five riders approaching slowly from the other end of the street—two women and three men, all with long swords at their waists, looking travel-worn and dusty.

At the lead was an old woman with graying hair, a face weathered by the elements, and eyes that flashed like lightning. One look told you she was a master.

These must be the important guests, Chen Ming thought.

Sure enough, he saw the five stop at the Huo Manor gates. The old woman said to the steward who came out to greet them, "Take me to Huo Chengkun."

Her tone was blunt from the start, addressing him by his full name.

Doesn't seem like she's here on friendly terms.

As he was thinking this, the carriage suddenly turned a corner into a narrow alley, and he could no longer see what was happening at the gate.

Who are those five, exactly?

He was a little curious.

Chen Ming had planned to ask Hong Mingquan, but when he reached the training ground, neither Hong Mingquan nor Zhang Mingyu was there. Only a group of disciples were waiting to receive him.

At the Huo Manor, in Huo Qianqian's courtyard.

She had been up practicing martial arts since before dawn. Just now she stopped and took a towel from her maid Chunmei, wiping the sweat from her face.

"Miss, the Seventh Young Master is here again," Chunmei reported in a low voice.

"Oh."

Huo Qianqian didn't seem bothered.

Chunmei gathered her courage. "Miss, are you still angry with him?"

"Chunmei."

Huo Qianqian placed the towel back in her hands and said, "You're sixteen this year. I'll let you go home and get married."

"I don't want to get married. I only want to stay with you, Miss."

"Really? You don't want to?"

Chunmei's face went pale with fright. She dropped to her knees with a thud and begged, "Miss, I won't dare do it again. Please don't send me away..."

Huo Qianqian's heart softened after all. She said, "From now on, don't say things like that in front of me."

Just then, she saw her grandfather push open the door and walk in. He said to Chunmei, "Leave us."

Chunmei, as if granted a pardon, bowed her head and hurried out.

Huo Chengkun frowned. "Qianqian, you need to rein in your temper from now on..."

Huo Qianqian cut him off irritably. "Grandfather, did you come all the way here first thing in the morning just to scold me?"

He sighed inwardly and got to the point. "Have you thought about what I told you last night?"

"What?"

"About sending you to the Xiao River Sect..."

"Oh, that. I'm not going. I'm perfectly fine here. Why should I go to some Xiao River Sect and become someone else's disciple?"

Huo Chengkun said, "Your grandfather's martial arts aren't suited for you. The Xiao River Sect is all women—there, you can learn techniques that fit you. Besides, the Xiao River Sect is a prestigious school. Your grandmother was a disciple there. With that connection, they'll look after you."

"I said I'm not going."

"You don't have a choice this time!"

Huo Chengkun suddenly slammed his hand on the table. With a crack, the solid wood table split open. He barked, "You're going whether you want to or not!"

Huo Qianqian froze. Her face went pale, and tears welled up in her eyes. "You're yelling at me—"

Huo Chengkun steeled his heart, his face hard and rigid. "This time, your Second Senior Sister will escort you there. You're leaving now. Juan'er, come in."

A woman of about thirty walked in from outside. She was dressed in white, with a white flower pinned in her hair—a sign that she had recently lost her husband. She was his second disciple, Du Juan.

"Pack your things now. You're leaving immediately. Juan'er, keep an eye on her."

Du Juan answered, "Yes, Master."

Then Huo Chengkun left.

Du Juan looked at Huo Qianqian with a blank expression. "Little Junior Sister, please don't make things difficult for me."

A sense of foreboding rose in Huo Qianqian's heart. She asked anxiously, "Second Senior Sister, has something happened?"

"It's nothing."

"Impossible. Something must have happened, or else Grandfather wouldn't treat me like this."

Du Juan was silent for a moment, then said, "Master's Aunt has arrived."

Master's Aunt?

Huo Qianqian was stunned.

From her memory, many years ago, when she was about seven or eight, her grandfather's junior sister had come once—a fierce old woman.

After that, for a long time, her grandfather had seemed a bit unhappy.

But she had been too young then to understand what had happened between them.

"What did she come for?"

"I don't know." Du Juan said seriously, "Little Junior Sister, I promised Master I would deliver you to the Xiao River Sect. He said if it came to it, I could knock you unconscious."

"Master."

As soon as Huo Chengkun stepped out of the small courtyard, the Old Servant hurried over to report, "She has arrived."

His face was grim. She came fast.

He had only received word yesterday, and by this morning she was already at the house.

He hadn't even had time to send Qianqian away.

Huo Chengkun said, "Take me to her."

The Old Servant led him to the main hall, where he saw the Old Woman seated in the center, along with a Blue-Robed Girl standing beside her.

Huo Chengkun smiled. "Eight years have passed, and Junior Sister's presence remains as vibrant as ever. Is this your new disciple? I can vaguely see traces of your younger self in her—she far outshines my own unworthy disciples."

The Old Woman sat motionless, a cup of tea untouched before her. She stared coldly at him, saying nothing.

Huo Chengkun waved his hand, dismissing the Old Servant.

The Blue-Robed Girl beside the Old Woman also withdrew.

Only the two of them, senior and junior brother and sister, remained in the hall.

The Old Woman finally spoke. "Eight years. Among the disciples you've taken, has any one of them managed to cultivate the Iron Horse Stance to the Fifth Layer of perfection?"

Huo Chengkun sighed. "Junior Sister, you're already seventy-five. Why cling to this obsession?"

The Old Woman's voice turned harsh. "Huo, you can forget the annihilation of our sect and crawl through life like a turtle hiding in its shell. But I won't forget! I live in this world for one purpose—revenge!"

"If I don't slaughter those dogs and avenge my father, brothers, husband, and children, I am no longer human."

Her voice was shrill, every word drenched in blood and hatred.

Huo Chengkun's face twitched.

Did he not hate as well?

Almost all of his loved ones had also died in that catastrophe.

But the enemy was too powerful—so powerful it was despairing. He couldn't even defeat one of their underlings, and the injuries he had sustained back then had never fully healed.

How could he take revenge?

"Junior Sister..."

The Old Woman cut him off before he could finish. "I know you still have a precious granddaughter. I won't force you. But you must hand over the Sword Canon."

"I've told you before, the Sword Canon isn't with me..."

"Hmph!"

The Old Woman let out a cold snort, her voice icy. "Today, you will hand it over whether you want to or not. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our sect's old ties."