A New Generation Replaces the Old

The Black Bureau operated independently of the Six Ministries, handling everything from investigations and arrests to interrogations and executions in-house. Its prison for dangerous offenders stood behind the offices-or, more precisely, directly beneath the Jade Resonance Tower.

Ye Jingtang followed Shang Jianli for quite some time, gradually approaching the Jade Resonance Tower. He discovered a sprawling residence behind it, with towers and pavilions rising beyond high walls amid shady greenery, displaying the lavish grandeur of the imperial family to the fullest.

"Is this the back entrance to Prince Jing's Manor?"

"The Black Bureau is Prince Jing's private guard. Strictly speaking, this is the manor's outer residence, and the Black Bureau's main gate is the manor's back entrance."

Shang Jianli entered a stairway leading underground from the corridor. Anyone who warranted the Black Bureau's involvement was no ordinary person, and most were killed on the spot rather than allowed to live another moment. Few people were held in the dungeon.

The moment Ye Jingtang went underground, a sinister chill washed over him. The passage ahead stretched into unfathomable darkness, its oil lamps looking like ghostly flames.

After advancing a hundred-odd paces, they descended two levels before finally reaching an underground chamber.

Two jailers stood outside. Inside, the windowless chamber was lit by oil lamps, with a shaft in its center.

A grate of refined iron covered the shaft, secured to its rim with an iron lock. Each bar was as thick as a man's wrist. Its weight alone would prevent an ordinary person from lifting it, let alone breaking the lock.

Ye Jingtang approached the shaft and leaned over to look inside.

Below was a stone cell containing a few everyday furnishings. A prisoner sat against the wall, his clothes reasonably clean but his hair hanging loose. Iron chains as thick as an arm bound his hands and feet. He had a large frame, but his body was terribly thin.

As Ye Jingtang's head appeared above the opening, the long-haired prisoner looked up. His face had a few wrinkles, and he appeared to be around fifty, but his eyes were bright and keen, without a trace of despondency. He looked as though he were sitting at home, watching a guest arrive at his door.

Upon discovering that the face was unfamiliar, however, the prisoner resumed his cross-legged posture and closed his eyes.

Ye Jingtang asked, "Is this Hero Qiu? Why is he chained up so tightly?"

"These things are only precautions against unforeseen accidents. They don't do much. What truly keeps him bound is Soft-Bone Incense."

After that brief explanation, Shang Jianli looked into the cell.

"Qiu Tianhe, this is Young Master Ye Jingtang. He's a saber wielder too. You might find him interesting."

Inside the cell, Qiu Tianhe opened his eyes again.

"Come down."

Shang Jianli opened the grate and gestured.

"Please."

"..."

Ye Jingtang did not believe someone bound so securely could still pose a threat to him. Without flinching, he vaulted straight into the shaft.

Tap-

A soft sound echoed through the enclosed stone cell.

Qiu Tianhe's gaze had been indifferent, but in that fleeting glimpse, he spotted the Chi Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber on Ye Jingtang's back.

The saber's design was actually very common in the martial world. Mad Fangzi, a saber grandmaster of the previous dynasty, had once stood at the pinnacle of saber wielders. Naturally, later generations had scrambled to imitate his weapon, and countless examples were now in circulation.

Junshan Terrace's saber technique was called the Dragon-Slaying Order. The dragon it had originally been created to slay was this very Chi Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber.

But while imitations abounded, there was only one original.

Those unfamiliar with it might struggle to tell the difference, but a top saber wielder who had seen this weapon before could recognize the saber more reliably than a face!

Neither Qiu Tianhe's gaze nor his expression changed. He merely studied Ye Jingtang's face.

"What a handsome lad. What brings you to see this old man?"

Rather than stand over him, Ye Jingtang sat on the floor a little over ten feet in front of Qiu Tianhe and cupped his hands.

"I've long admired your reputation, Hero Qiu. I simply came to pay you a visit."

"Fine saber. Show me a stroke. Let this old man see how deep your waters run."

Ye Jingtang wasted no words. He shifted the saber behind his waist and took the hilt in a reverse grip.

Shing-

Cold light flashed through the stone cell, stirring a faint breeze that lifted Qiu Tianhe's disheveled hair.

Whoosh...

Ye Jingtang sheathed the saber, released its hilt, and asked,

"What do you think, Hero Qiu?"

The blue dye had surpassed the indigo it came from...

Qiu Tianhe's expression betrayed nothing. He merely nodded faintly.

"A remarkable talent. Were I not trapped here, I would certainly ask to exchange a few strokes with you, Young Hero Ye."

"You flatter me, Hero Qiu. I've only just entered the martial world and know little about its saber wielders. I've heard of only a few, such as Xuanyuan Chao, yourself, and Zheng Feng. Could you tell me something of their stories?"

Qiu Tianhe had already discerned Ye Jingtang's identity. Though his saber style was entirely different, his opening move was exactly the same.

In his youth, Qiu Tianhe had been both Zheng Feng's rival and his close friend. They had fought no fewer than a hundred times, and he knew that the "right path" Zheng Feng had searched so desperately for was precisely the flawless stroke this young man had just delivered.

Zheng Feng had not come, yet his saber had appeared in this young man's hands. That could only mean Zheng Feng had gone on ahead to the Bridge of No Return.

A flicker of sorrow crossed Qiu Tianhe's eyes, grief for a world unchanged and people gone. Understanding why Ye Jingtang had come, he spoke.

"Xuanyuan Chao is the current Blade Overlord. You can hear stories of his life anywhere; there's no need for me to repeat them. Xuanyuan Tiangang withdrew from the martial world long ago, so it would be inappropriate to discuss him. As for Zheng Feng, he was a lovestruck fool."

"Oh?" Ye Jingtang grew more attentive. "What do you mean?"

Qiu Tianhe looked up at the shaft. "Come down and listen. It's no secret."

Shang Jianli seemed interested in these old tales of the martial world too. He leaped down, landed soundlessly behind Ye Jingtang, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"I began practicing the saber at three. Fifty-two years have passed since then. I've met many friends and many rivals, but aside from Xuanyuan Tiangang, all have turned to dust. Zheng Feng wasn't outstanding among them, but he suited my tastes. I counted him as a close friend."

Qiu Tianhe looked at Ye Jingtang. "Back then, Zheng Feng was just like you-his edge laid bare, brimming with spirit. Unfortunately, he wasn't as handsome, and his talent fell a little short of yours too. We agreed that once our saber arts reached perfection, we would first defeat old Xuanyuan, then fight our decisive battle at Junshan Terrace, settling the title of Blade Overlord in a single clash. Unfortunately, Zheng Feng broke our agreement first."

Ye Jingtang asked, "Why did he break it?"

"That lad Zheng Feng was on good terms with Xuanyuan Tiangang. He visited Junshan Terrace several times, met old Xuanyuan's daughter, Xuanyuan Shuye, and the two fell in love."

Xuanyuan Shuye...

Ye Jingtang inwardly frowned, feeling that this name very likely had something to do with his surname, Ye.

"Zheng Feng's love took deep root, and he went to ask for her hand. But the court was selecting maidens for the palace at the time. Seeking wealth and rank, old Xuanyuan intended to send Xuanyuan Shuye into the palace as a consort. To make his daughter accept his arrangements, he deliberately goaded Zheng Feng when he came to propose, telling him to let his saber do the talking."

Qiu Tianhe sighed softly. "Zheng Feng wasn't even a grandmaster then. How could he possibly have been qualified to challenge old Xuanyuan? But he drew his saber all the same.

"He gave everything he had in that battle, earning himself the name of saber grandmaster in a single fight. Yet he was still far too distant from Xuanyuan Chao.

"Old Xuanyuan had never intended to marry his daughter to him. To extinguish her hopes, he dealt a vicious blow right there. Though he spared Zheng Feng's life, he left him crippled. Even fathering children was probably nothing more than a forlorn dream."

Ye Jingtang knew his adoptive father had never married or had children, and had spent every day drunk as mud. His expression tightened slightly at these words.

"And then?"

"After that day, Zheng Feng vanished completely from the martial world. I never saw him again. By now, I'm afraid he has gone ahead of me."

Ye Jingtang fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then asked,

"What happened to Xuanyuan Shuye in the end?"

Standing behind him, Shang Jianli answered.

"In the Second Year of Cheng'an, the court selected daughters of respectable families to enter the palace. Xuanyuan Shuye was among them. When the convoy reached Yunzhou's border, Qiu Tianhe fought his way into it. He took eight saber wounds and risked his life to carry Xuanyuan Shuye away. From then on, he lived as a fugitive, pursued by the court and Junshan Terrace for nearly thirty years. Only last year did the Black Bureau finally capture him and bring him to justice."

"..."

Ye Jingtang's heart jolted, and he stared at Qiu Tianhe in disbelief.

Qiu Tianhe smiled faintly. "Zheng Feng was my rival, but also my close friend. After he disappeared, Xuanyuan Shuye secretly sent someone to find me and ask me to help locate him. She wanted me to tell him that she would wait for him at the Bridge of No Return.

"How would I have known where Zheng Feng was hiding? I couldn't bear such sorrow in this mortal world, so I charged into the bridal escort alone with my saber and carried Xuanyuan Shuye away. Then I spent ten years searching for Zheng Feng with her. From the wild mountains of Southern Heaven to the desolate grasslands; from the sea cliffs of the east to the great deserts of the northwest. Even now, I don't know where Zheng Feng hid. Disheartened, Xuanyuan Shuye withdrew from the martial world to live among ordinary folk. These days, her life isn't lonely or destitute..."

After a brief silence, Ye Jingtang shook his head with a smile, saying nothing.

Qiu Tianhe chuckled twice. "I'll talk about all this with Zheng Feng when I go below. Off you go. The affairs of us old saber wielders have nothing to do with a fledgling like you. I only hope you don't end up like Zheng Feng and let old Xuanyuan remain Blade Overlord for another thirty years."

"Take care, Hero Qiu. I'll take my leave."

With that, Ye Jingtang rose and bowed, then leaped out of the shaft together with Shang Jianli.

Qiu Tianhe leaned against the wall and watched them go. Only after the iron grate closed and their footsteps faded did he quietly sigh.

"A new generation replaces the old... You finally came through the bitterness into sweetness, you bastard, and raised yourself a fine son. Meanwhile, I got struck by heaven's punishment. Where's the justice in that..."