Firmament Sword

"He just woke up. How could you bring this up now?" Qi Yue frowned, looking at Sun Xiaohong with a hint of displeasure.

She and Sun Xiaohong knew each other well and had always gotten along, but with Xu Luo's well-being on the line, Qi Yue's concern clouded her judgment. She couldn't stop herself from scolding Sun Xiaohong.

Sun Xiaohong choked back a sob, wiped her tears, and stood up with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry, Young Master... Xiaohong shouldn't have said anything. Please, just focus on your recovery. Everything else can wait."

"Han Shuang... His family was so proud when he joined Celestial Brilliance. They rose to prominence because he became one of the Outer Disciples. Back in his small hometown, everyone would give a thumbs-up at the mere mention of his name. And his family... because of him, they became the most powerful family in the city!"

"Every time... Han Shuang mentioned it, his face would fill with pride. He was always dreaming about the future, wondering how thrilled his family would be... if he could one day become an Inner Sect Disciple!"

"And what a transformation it would bring to his family!"

"He was sure it would be for the better... that they would gradually become a powerful family for thousands of miles around!"

"But he's dead."

Xu Luo lay on the bed, his face expressionless and his voice hollow, but his words were heartbreaking.

"A young man who should have become an Inner Disciple of Heavenly Brilliance, a young man with such a bright future... dead, just like that."

"He died for nothing, in such a wretched way."

"From the day they started following me, they haven't had a single day of peace. And now, they've paid with their lives... heh heh."

A desolate laugh escaped Xu Luo's lips.

Sun Xiaohong dropped to her knees with a THUD, sobbing. "Young Master, it's all my fault! Xiaohong shouldn't have brought this up! Your health is what matters most. Being by your side is the greatest fortune of our lives! Han Shuang wouldn't blame you, Young Master! He really wouldn't! Young Master... please don't be like this. My heart... it hurts so much to see you this way!"

Qi Yue's eyes were also rimmed with red, a mist gathering in them as she gazed at the haggard young man on the bed, his eyes lifeless. Her heart ached. 'So Senior Brother has moments of weakness like this, too... He gets tired, he feels sorrow. He's... not made of iron!'

Xu Luo paid Sun Xiaohong no mind. He stared at the ceiling, where his gaze had burned two holes straight through. Sunlight streamed down from the openings, revealing countless dust motes dancing in the twin beams.

"Wei Dong... He was already getting on in years. I once asked if he was fifty, but he would just smile and say he was still young. He'd insist that ever since becoming an Outer Disciple, his heart felt like a twenty-year-old's!"

"He was fiercely loyal, always guarding my honor. His greatest wish, after becoming an Outer Disciple, was to take a long leave of absence to visit his hometown."

"For one, he wanted to return in glory, to make all those who once looked down on him see that he, Wei Dong... had finally made something of himself!"

"For another, he'd had a wife and daughter before he left home... He told me his wife was beautiful and gentle—the best woman in the world!"

"I laughed and told him that in any lover's eyes, their woman is always the best in the world..."

"He just laughed and argued back, insisting it was true! He said his daughter... was beautiful too. He even said that if she had talent, he wanted to ask me to take her as my disciple... That way, he could move his family to the city here at Celestial Brilliance headquarters."

"He had this goofy grin on his face as he said it. He said that was the blissful life he'd always dreamed of, the kind of dream you'd wake up from with a smile on your face."

Two streams of tears finally traced paths from the corners of Xu Luo's eyes, though he seemed utterly unaware of them.

He continued, "Then there was Ah Dui. All he ever did was read, a total bookworm. Every time he saw me, he'd be so timid and cautious. But I knew he had his own ambitions. He carried a portrait with him, a picture of his dream girl. He never told me about her, but I understood. He was waiting until he'd made a name for himself to go back home and find her."

"I remember laughing to myself, thinking, 'By the time you make something of yourself and go back for her, she'll probably be married with kids...' But now... he won't even get the chance to face that disappointment."

"It's all because of me..."

Xu Luo muttered to himself, tears streaming down his face, his gaze empty.

Beside him, Qi Yue's face was already streaked with tears. She knelt by the bed, clutching Xu Luo's cold hand. "Senior Brother, this isn't your fault," she cried. "Don't blame yourself. We know you're suffering, but you have to pull yourself together! There's still so much that needs to be done!"

Sun Xiaohong was also kneeling before the bed, weeping uncontrollably. "Young Master, it's all my fault," she choked out. "I shouldn't have reminded you of such painful things. You have to be strong! Han Shuang's family needs to be looked after! Wei Dong's daughter is still waiting to become your disciple! And Ah Dui's and Xiaochou's families... they all need help! Young Master... you can't let your grief consume you!"

Just then, Yuwen Ji arrived with a group of Elders from the Medicine Garden. When they saw the scene inside, he immediately clamped his mouth shut, turned, and led the others back outside.

Eighth Elder Lu Xue cast a worried glance at Xu Luo on the bed before gently closing the door. Outside, she said to Yuwen Ji, "Do you think he'll be overcome by grief?"

Yuwen Ji sighed. "He's a man of deep loyalties. When he first joined the Medicine Garden, no one paid him any mind. Many even shunned him. Only that group stuck by him, loyal and unwavering, from the very beginning. One might have suspected them of being opportunistic at first, but this past year, they have been nothing but devoted, without a hint of disloyalty..."

"To feel so strongly for his followers... it proves he has a sincere heart," Second Elder Thunderstorm sighed. "We'll have to find a way to counsel him later. We must ensure the families of the fallen disciples are well compensated. We can't let those families lose their pillar of support."

Lu Xue nodded. "Leave it to me. I'll make sure it's handled to Luo Tian's satisfaction."

"This is a critical time for Luo Tian," Gu Ning said, glancing at Sixth Elder Cui Shu. "The annual competition was supposed to be today, but it was postponed for him. With his injuries... I'm afraid he won't be fit to fight anytime soon."

Cui Shu understood the unspoken message. "Shao Zheng... I'll go have a word with him."

None of these Elders were petty or narrow-minded. They were all willing to make certain sacrifices for the bigger picture.

Shao Zheng was Cui Shu's Direct Disciple. If his master gave an order, he wouldn't dare to disobey, no matter how reluctant he might be.

"Don't!" Yuwen Ji quickly stopped the departing Cui Shu with a wry smile. "We can't do that. Never mind how the outside world would view our Medicine Garden if word got out. We wouldn't even be able to face Luo Tian. He would never allow such a thing to happen."

"Exactly," Elder Lu chimed in. "He's a man of such principle, even with his followers; he'd never resort to trickery against a fellow disciple. I heard that young Shao Zheng already went to test Luo Tian in secret. Luo Tian just sent him packing, telling him that if he won, his Senior Brother would give him a reward, but if he lost, he should go ask Elder Cui to punish him."

"What a good kid. But in that case..." The elders all felt a headache coming on.

Luo Tian was their best hope, the one who could represent the Medicine Garden and reach for greater heights. Now that he was down, who could possibly take his place?

Qi Yue had been lucky enough to advance directly into the top thirty-two. However, the Elders all predicted that the top thirty-two was as far as she would go.

Securing a spot in the top sixteen... was simply too difficult!

At this stage of the competition, every remaining contestant was a peerless prodigy, famous throughout Celestial Brilliance!

Qi Yue wasn't lacking, but compared to them, there was still... a significant gap.

"Let's not overthink this," Yuwen Ji said. "A man's ambition is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant; it's never satisfied. Our Medicine Garden has been at the bottom for years, but this year we've made a complete comeback! We have so many disciples in the top thousand, the top five hundred... even the top two hundred fifty, one hundred twenty-five, and now the top thirty-two!"

"This is already a tremendous achievement! If you look at all the divisions in Celestial Brilliance's history, has there ever been one that has staged such a complete and total comeback as our Medicine Garden?"

"So..." Yuwen Ji glanced at the other Elders. "Let's not put so much pressure on ourselves, or on the disciples. Let's leave for now."

The Elders had a sudden realization. They nodded one by one, a hint of shame on their faces. It was true; they had gotten sidetracked, placing far too much importance... on the results of the annual competition.

They had neglected to consider what the young disciples themselves were feeling.

They had almost made a huge mistake. If they had gone to Shao Zheng and asked him to throw the match... not only would it breed resentment in Shao Zheng's heart, but it would be impossible to keep it a secret. The outside world's perception of the Medicine Garden would be damaged.

Luo Tian's hard-won reputation might have been completely destroyed because of it!

At this thought, the Elders exchanged glances, a cold sweat beading on their brows.

Inside the room, Xu Luo had finally calmed down.

He leaned against the headboard while Sun Xiaohong carefully fed him a bowl of medicinal soup, one spoonful at a time.

Qi Yue said from the side, "The Elders were all here a moment ago, but they've left now."

Xu Luo nodded faintly. "I heard them. Qi Yue, I need you to do something for me."

"Name it." Qi Yue's eyes lit up. This was the first time her Senior Brother had ever asked her for a favor.

"I heard what Elder Lu said, and I trust she'll do a good job. But Wei Dong's wife and daughter... I want you to handle that matter for me. You can do it after the annual competition."

Xu Luo closed his eyes, looking exhausted. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Bring them here. Settle them in the city. I can't trust anyone else to do it."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it perfectly!" Qi Yue gave Xu Luo a long, meaningful look. "You get some rest. I'll go right now!"

With that, Qi Yue rose and left.

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