Lifting the Nation-Guarding Sword Again

Outside the Conscientious Hall, the blazing midday sun baked the earth, making the heat unbearably stifling.

Ren Ye hurried out of the hall, glanced around, and was about to dash after the princess consort's carriage.

But Lian'er, the maid waiting below the steps, spoke first. "Your Highness, the princess consort left a message. She asks that you bathe and change before visiting her bedchamber tonight at the hour of the dog."

Ren Ye paused, then looked up at Xu Qingzhao's departing carriage, lost in thought.

He had intended to catch up to Xu Qingzhao and have a proper conversation with this "wife" whose true depths he had yet to fathom.

Her behavior in the hall had been far too unusual, nothing like the image of a "religious recluse" in his memories.

But to Ren Ye, whether she had been trying to use him or kill someone through his hands, it was undoubtedly a positive sign.

After all, he didn't have a single teammate right now. If someone could use him, that at least meant he still had value. Whatever happened, things couldn't turn out too badly...

Besides, there had to be a reason for such abnormal behavior. Ren Ye had briefly suspected that Xu Qingzhao might be a player, and that her sudden decision to "help" him might have something to do with her own mission.

If that were true, it would be all the more reason to believe she didn't want him too powerless at this stage. Making contact wouldn't hurt either of them.

Most importantly, she had just "helped" him, so approaching her for a chat wouldn't seem too abrupt.

Who would have thought she wanted to meet him too? Heh, that works just fine. At least I'll have a little more initiative. Tonight, I can play dumb and let her make the first move.

After a moment's thought, Ren Ye turned back to Lian'er. "Did she say anything else?"

"The princess consort gave no other instructions." Lian'er blinked, then suddenly added, "But Miss Xue’er specifically reminded me that you must bathe and change before going tonight."

At that, the eunuchs and maids waiting nearby all looked eager for gossip.

Huh? Why is she so insistent that I bathe and change? Does she want to improve our marital relationship too?

Fine by me. I haven't gotten my cock excited in over three years, but the foundations are still there, and I keep my techniques up to date...

A sudden burst of heavy footsteps interrupted Ren Ye's thoughts.

"Your Highness!!! Commander Wang died unjustly! Give the order, and I'll go chop off Chief Administrator Li Yan's damned head!" A burly young man in a white python robe and black ceremonial cap rushed over, threw himself to his knees before Ren Ye, and burst into tears without warning.

Ren Ye recognized him at once. His name was Hong Jiadi, nicknamed Er Leng, and he was a company commander serving under Wang Jingzhong in the personal guard battalion.

In all of Prince Huai's Residence, apart from Wang Jingzhong and the eunuchs and maids attending him personally, Er Leng was the only person left whom he could trust and put to use.

Er Leng came from the Southern Border and was a martial prodigy. The late prince had brought him home at the age of six. He excelled with a single saber, and his blade was exceptionally fast. Brave beyond most men, he had grown up alongside Zhu Zigui, and their bond as master and servant was rock-solid-perhaps even a little too close.

In short, in Zhu Zigui's memories, this man was the sort who would never betray him: a die-hard lackey.

When he was young, Er Leng had constantly repeated two lines.

"Your Highness, who are we chopping up?"

"Your Highness, where are we going to bully men and harass women today?"

After the late prince's death, Zhu Zigui had transferred Er Leng to the personal guard battalion, intending for him to quietly win over the soldiers and build up their strength.

"Wang Jingzhong died unjustly, but offering frank counsel is Lord Li's duty. Don't talk nonsense." Ren Ye looked at this blunt little darling. "Stand up and speak."

"It was that bastard Li Yan's doing! If it's inconvenient for you to kill him, I can abduct his principal wife and sell her to the Southern Border barbarians' army camp to service their warhorses. Or I can abduct his eldest son and make him a brothel pimp!" Er Leng gritted his teeth and proposed viciously, "I'll handle it myself. Not a word will leak."

"...!"

Ren Ye was speechless for a long moment, on the verge of a mental breakdown. Zhu Zigui, oh, Zhu Zigui, just look at the people you kept around you! If they aren't eunuchs and maids, they're crude, reckless idiots.

"Prepare my carriage for the Tranquil Heart Hall." Ren Ye strode away.

The Tranquil Heart Hall stood among the residential halls at the rear of the residence. It had been the late prince's everyday workplace, serving much the same purpose as the emperor's imperial study.

As the carriage moved along, Ren Ye considered how to escape his powerless position, while Er Leng sobbed and sniffled the entire way.

That made it clear that, blunt as he was, he was also a man of deep feeling who had been close to Wang Jingzhong.

Upon arriving at the elegantly antiquated Tranquil Heart Hall, Ren Ye passed through a dim corridor and stopped at the entrance to the main hall. "Lian'er, stay here with the others and keep watch. Er Leng, come inside with me."

"Yes," Lian'er replied.

Ren Ye turned to Er Leng and saw that he was still sniveling. His composure cracked a little. "Stop fucking bawling and get inside."

Looking thoroughly aggrieved, Er Leng pushed open the doors to the Tranquil Heart Hall and entered with Ren Ye.

Once the doors closed, Ren Ye casually surveyed their surroundings. Though the place was clean and tidy, an inexplicable chill hung in the air.

According to his memories, after the late prince died, Zhu Zigui had given up entirely. He hadn't dared interfere in any affairs of the residence, so he had hardly ever visited the Tranquil Heart Hall.

Ren Ye looked around and instructed Er Leng, "Help me search."

Er Leng wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "For what?"

"A secret decree from the late emperor." Ren Ye frowned at him. "Search anywhere you can."

The second current mission issued by the Startrace Gate was to find a way to restore the imperial brush's supernatural powers. The clue for that mission was a secret decree, so Ren Ye's first thought had been the Tranquil Heart Hall, where the late prince had spent so much of his time.

"Yes." Er Leng nodded.

They divided the work clearly. Ren Ye searched the desk and bookshelves, while Er Leng searched the area where the late prince had rested and drunk tea, still sobbing all the while.

At first, Ren Ye hadn't wanted to bother with him. But considering this was the only highly capable fighter under his command, he ought to cultivate him. While rummaging through a bookshelf, he asked softly, "Are you very upset about Wang Jingzhong's death?"

"Of course. Apart from the late prince and Your Highness, Uncle Wang was the only one who treated me like his own son...!" Er Leng's eyes were swollen from crying.

"Then do you know how I feel right now?" Ren Ye's head buzzed as he looked through the assorted old memorials.

Er Leng gave it careful thought, but ultimately shook his head.

"Besides our personal bond, he was my right-hand man." Ren Ye's tone was level. "Can your grief and heartache compare to mine?"

Er Leng fell silent.

"Today's humiliation can be repaid tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then in three years, or five." Ren Ye frowned. "But before we can repay it, we have to survive. If you really force Chief Administrator Li's principal wife to service warhorses, do you think you'll live? Remember this: cruelty you merely talk about isn't true cruelty. The cruelty you keep in your heart is the real thing."

Er Leng stared blankly for a long time, then suddenly said, "Y-Your Highness, you... you never used to say things like this."

"Just think of... the old me as dead." Having found nothing on the bookshelves, Ren Ye knelt and began searching beneath the desk. "Let me ask you something. You've been in the personal guard battalion for quite a while now. If something drastic happened in the residence today, how many men do you think would obey your orders?"

Er Leng considered this very seriously. "The situation in the personal guard battalion is rather complicated. When Uncle Wang was around, I had some confidence..."

Ren Ye rolled his eyes. "Skip the preamble. Just tell me."

"I do have close ties with some of the company commanders in the battalion..." Er Leng began choosing his words carefully.

"Stop babbling this bullshit! Just tell me how many men will listen to you after more than two years undercover!"

"Uh, I can only guarantee that one man will obey me completely." Er Leng bowed.

"Just one? Someone important?" Ren Ye frowned. "Who? The deputy commander?"

"Only I will obey my own orders completely," Er Leng answered honestly.

"Fuck your mother." Ren Ye couldn't stop himself from swearing.

"Why are you insulting my mother, Your Highness?"

"Shut up. Don't talk to me anymore." Ren Ye's composure shattered. He felt he should never have expected anything from this brute. "Hurry up and find the secret decree. If you can't, I'll have you service the warhorses! A whole battalion's worth!"

With the conversation having reached that point, both tacitly chose to shut up and get to work. They searched nearly every inch of the main hall.

Afternoon was approaching, but they still had nothing. The main hall contained only ordinary administrative memorials, books, antiques, paintings, and calligraphy.

Exhausted, Ren Ye slumped into his "father's" chair and stared at the ceiling. He felt his reasoning should have been sound. If a secret decree really was hidden in the residence, it should have been in the late prince's office.

How could it not be here?

Nearby, Er Leng was still rummaging through chests and cabinets. He had little interest in the secret decree; he mainly wanted to avoid mating with warhorses.

Ren Ye shot him an irritated glance, slowly leaned forward to stand, and happened to notice the Nation-Guarding Sword behind the throne again.

It was a heavy sword, golden from end to end, with gemstones inlaid on both sides of its extravagantly luxurious scabbard. A lifelike dragon's head was carved into its hilt.

Ren Ye had noticed the sword when he entered the hall. But in Zhu Zigui's memories, he had tried to pick it up before and failed.

The man had been too useless for the Nation-Guarding Sword to acknowledge him. With Ren Ye also in a hurry to find the secret decree, he hadn't paid the sword much attention.

"Er Leng, let's visit Father's bedchamber next." Ren Ye stepped forward, wanting to see if he could take the Nation-Guarding Sword. After all, it too had been mentioned in his missions.

"Don't rush, Your Highness. Let me look a little longer...!" Imagining himself servicing warhorses, Er Leng was so frightened that his legs went weak. "Give me another quarter of an hour. Just a quarter of an hour!"

Ren Ye walked around the throne, grabbed the body of the Nation-Guarding Sword, and lifted it.

Rumble!

The instant the sword left its stand, a bolt of heavenly lightning seemed to strike through Ren Ye's mind, cleaving apart his muddled thoughts. His very soul trembled.

Slash!

A thin ray of sword light flashed into existence and lightly cut Ren Ye's right palm. Hot blood welled out and fell onto the Nation-Guarding Sword, restoring brilliant splendor to its previously dull surface.

Boom!

An aura of sharpness that no army could withstand erupted from the sword and surged toward the heavens.

Pop!

The air shook, and the main hall began to tremble. But intricate formation patterns and radiant walls of light quickly appeared around them, suppressing and blocking the phenomena caused by the Nation-Guarding Sword before they attracted any attention outside.

[Ding-congratulations to His Highness Prince Huai on lifting the Nation-Guarding Sword once more. May your martial fortunes flourish, and may you stand unrivaled beneath heaven.]

As the cold voice sounded in his ears, Ren Ye sensed a subtle connection forming between himself and the Nation-Guarding Sword.

Meanwhile, Er Leng, kneeling on the floor with a dumbfounded expression, saw the wall behind the throne split open, slowly revealing a hidden passage...

Prince Huai's Residence.

The other ten players simultaneously heard a notification from the Startrace Gate.

[Congratulations. A player has triggered a major inheritance storyline. Your main quest will now begin.]