Firmament Sword

"At its core, what happened today was your fault! Do you think you're the only one who's allowed to be high and mighty and act all superior, and no one else can? When someone's power... surpasses yours, they will act this way! They can act this way! They *should* act this way!"

"So... if you want to make things right, then go apologize to Luo Tian. Go beg him. Tell him you were wrong."

"The Vajra Gourd... is the Huyan Family's clan-defining treasure. That Luo Tian seems like a smart man. He won't be foolish like you!"

The old man spoke calmly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Huyan Qingshan, who was kneeling in the hall below.

Huyan Qingshan froze, completely stunned. He stared at his great-grandfather, the Patriarch, seated above him, his mouth slightly agape. He murmured, "Beg him? Apologize? Admit I was wrong?"

"What, you're unwilling?" the old man asked, his eyes narrowed as he watched Huyan Qingshan.

Huyan Qingshan's body trembled slightly as he snapped back to his senses. 'Am I willing? Of course not. But do I dare defy him?'

'At least, not to the Patriarch's face.'

He immediately said respectfully, "I am willing..."

"Then go," the old man said, sitting there with his eyes half-closed, his thoughts unreadable.

Huyan Qingshan got to his feet. He had been kneeling for so long that his circulation was cut off and his legs were numb. However, he didn't dare circulate his energy to restore blood flow in front of the old man, so he could only limp out of the hall.

After he left, two figures materialized in the air. If Huyan Qingshan had still been there, he would have surely recognized them as the two who followed the Patriarch all day long, never leaving his side.

"Patriarch, is this... wise?" one of them asked the old man.

"Indeed, Patriarch. The Young Master is still young, after all. If you pressure him like this... I fear he will grow resentful, which could lead to more trouble," the other person said.

The old man gave a faint smile and said, "It's fine. It's good for a young man to suffer some setbacks. It will prevent him from suffering a great loss when he eventually leaves Celestial Brilliance to walk the world!"

"What the Patriarch says makes sense, but the Young Master is proud and arrogant. I'm afraid he won't be so willing to apologize and admit his mistake."

"That is precisely why we must temper his character. That Luo Tian... he should know where to draw the line," the old man said calmly.

"And... the Vajra Gourd?"

"That was a replica. Consider it Luo Tian's payment for tempering Qingshan's character." The old man smiled slightly, then sighed softly. "I have long been dissatisfied with how those people have been ruining Qingshan with excessive praise, but some things... are better left unsaid. A young man can only truly mature after experiencing some setbacks. If he cannot even withstand a setback like this, then..."

The old man didn't continue, merely letting out a soft sigh.

The two men's expressions turned solemn, and they closed their mouths.

...

...

'Make me go apologize and admit I was wrong to him? In his dreams! I, Huyan Qingshan... am a chosen son of Heaven! In terms of status, what does Jin Ming even count for?'

'He's just some bastard who got lucky, and now he wants to walk all over me? He relied on a powerful treasure to beat me despite having a much lower realm. As if I'd ever submit to someone like you!'

After leaving, a sinister light flickered in Huyan Qingshan's eyes as he cursed inwardly, filled with utter resentment.

'That guy... has a terrifying magic treasure; it would be very difficult for me to fight him. Besides... if I go straight to his door like this and my great-grandfather finds out, I'll probably get another earful. It might even be worse than just a scolding.'

Thinking of his great-grandfather the Patriarch's usual stern authority, Huyan Qingshan shivered slightly. He felt he had to come up with a foolproof plan.

His eyes darted around a few times before an idea suddenly struck him. A cold smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth as he muttered, 'Luo Tian... you didn't just offend me. You offended the entire Heritage Clan! You may have a magic treasure to rely on, but I have plenty of people who will stand up for me!'

With that thought, Huyan Qingshan turned and headed in another direction.

...

...

"This Vajra Gourd... it must be a replica," Yuwen Ji murmured, toying with the bright yellow gourd in his hand that was emitting powerful fluctuations.

"A replica? A replica is already this powerful?" Xu Luo was somewhat astonished.

"That's right. Although this Vajra Gourd is powerful, it feels like... it's missing something. If Lu Yuan from the Artifact Refining Pavilion were here, he'd be able to tell with a single glance." Yuwen Ji then looked at Xu Luo. "How did you end up in a conflict with someone from a Heritage Clan?"

Xu Luo gave a wry smile and explained the whole incident to Yuwen Ji, then shrugged helplessly. "That's what happened. I couldn't just stand by and watch a girl get bullied, could I?"

Yuwen Ji, however, gave Xu Luo a strange look and suddenly asked, "Is Qi Yue not good enough for you?"

"..." Xu Luo felt a headache coming on. 'What does one thing have to do with the other?' he thought.

"You kid... you've got a handsome face and a kind heart, which means you attract too much romantic attention. You'll have plenty of headaches because of it in the future." Yuwen Ji said, putting down the gourd. "Since it's a replica, just keep it. That old man from the Huyan Family is a very upright person. He won't cause you trouble over this."

As he spoke, Yuwen Ji stood up to leave. When he reached the door, he seemed to think of something else, turned around, and said to Xu Luo, "That girl from the Xie Family is a decent person, but the Xie Family has always been social climbers. If you really fall for that girl... I'm afraid you'll only get hurt."

With that, Yuwen Ji turned and left without a backward glance.

Xu Luo was left alone, sitting there with a wry smile. 'When did I ever say I wanted anything to happen with the young miss from the Xie Family?' he thought to himself.

But he couldn't blame Yuwen Ji for the misunderstanding. Anyone who heard about this would probably assume there was something going on between him and Xie Yurou.

'Let them misunderstand. I'll just consider it repaying a favor to the Xie Sisters,' Xu Luo murmured to himself. He then glanced at the Vajra Gourd on the table and thought, 'If a mere replica possesses such terrifying power, then the real Vajra Gourd... just how mighty would it be?'

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Sun Xiaohong ran in, her brow furrowed with anger. "Young Master, someone is forcing their way in!"

"Oh?" Just as Xu Luo stood up, a loud BOOM echoed from outside. The gate to the quiet little courtyard was blasted to smithereens.

BAM!

A figure was thrown viciously into Xu Luo's courtyard, landing with a dull thud. For a long moment, they couldn't get back up.

Xu Luo walked out and saw his attendant, Han Shuang, lying in the middle of the courtyard, struggling to get up but failing.

Xu Luo strode quickly to Han Shuang's side, first protecting his meridians, then casually taking a Spirit Medicine from his person and handing it to Sun Xiaohong, who had followed him out. "Take care of him."

With that, Xu Luo rose and walked toward the entrance, coming face-to-face with a group of people who were walking in.

There were more than a dozen people in the group, and among them was the very same Heritage Clan young master whom Xu Luo had just left with a bloody head: Huyan Qingshan.

"Brothers, that's him! He's the one who arrogantly claimed that the Heritage Clans are nothing special and that we're all just a bunch of useless posers!" Huyan Qingshan roared, glaring at Xu Luo.

Xu Luo was startled for a moment, then an icy glint flashed in his eyes.

"You're Luo Tian?" a young master next to Huyan Qingshan asked, looking at Xu Luo coldly. "You look down on our Heritage Clans?"

All the others stared at Xu Luo with equally cold gazes.

Xu Luo's expression was calm. He didn't answer the young master's question, asking instead, "Who was it that just attacked?"

"It was me!" A burly young man who looked to be in his late twenties stepped forward, staring at Xu Luo with contempt. "He's just a servant, yet he dared to block our path. Who the hell does he think he is? Not killing him... was already showing mercy!"

"Which hand did you use?" Xu Luo asked.

"Hahaha, this one! See it? I used this very hand to send that rule-breaking servant flying with a single slap!" The burly young man raised his right hand, a sneer on his face as he looked at Xu Luo. "What are you going to do about it?"

Suddenly, Xu Luo moved!

Like a streak of light, he left an afterimage in his place, making it seem as if he hadn't moved at all.

CRACK!

"AHH!" The burly young man let out a cry of alarm, which turned into a miserable howl. "My wrist..."

Xu Luo appeared to be standing in the same spot, watching him coldly. "I broke your wrist. Hopefully, that will teach you a lesson. This is the Medicine Garden. This is my territory!"

"You..." Cold sweat poured down the burly young man's face from the pain, and his expression turned ashen. He couldn't believe this person was so savage, attacking directly without any warning.

'Logically speaking, aren't we supposed to trade insults for a while first, building up our anger to its peak before we start fighting?'

"Also, I have never said a single bad word about the Heritage Clans." Xu Luo glanced at the group opposite him, his gaze clear and cold. "I fear no one, but I will not allow anyone to sling mud at me!"

With that, he glanced at Huyan Qingshan and said calmly, "Young Master Huyan, it seems you haven't been telling the truth, have you?"

The group that had come with Huyan Qingshan all shot him strange looks.

Huyan Qingshan gave a cold laugh. "Whether you said it or not, you know the truth in your own heart. What's the use of arguing about it here?"

Turning to the group beside him, Huyan Qingshan said, "Brothers, we all grew up together. Have I, Huyan Qingshan, ever lied to you? Besides, there were so many people there at the time. If I were lying, you'd find out the moment you asked!"

As he spoke, Huyan Qingshan sneered inwardly, 'As long as we crush this Luo Tian today, even if you go back and ask, who would dare to speak up for him?'

'Besides, I know these young masters from the Heritage Clans very well. Nine times out of ten... they won't even bother to verify something like this!'

The pride of a young master from a Heritage Clan was something outsiders could hardly comprehend.

Anyone who offended the authority of the Heritage Clans would face their frenzied retaliation!

'Never mind a new disciple like Luo Tian who just joined the Medicine Garden; even if an Elder with real power in Celestial Brilliance were to infringe upon the authority of the Heritage Clans, they would still strike back!'

'The authority of the Heritage Clans is inviolable!'

'So what if he's the New Medicine King? So what if his status is equal to the Sect Leader's?'

'He's just a new disciple who's been in Celestial Brilliance for a year. Who would be afraid of you?'

'Opposing the Heritage Clans will make you regret being born into this world!'

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