Chapter 5 — One Sword Cuts Our Ties

From the day you handed this sword to me until today, it has been precisely six years.

Xiao Jingxing placed the sheathed blade across his knees, raising his eyes to look at me.

This sword has remained by my side for six years.

Shen Mingtang, I have also waited for you for six years.

A trace of cold detachment hung upon his features.

Back then, I told you never to place the weapon from your own hands into the custody of another, yet you stubbornly refused to listen.

I remained silent for a brief moment before finally parting my lips.

Now, your servant wishes to take it back.

Xiao Jingxing watched me, then suddenly asked:

Shen Mingtang, let me ask you this.

Do you truly desire to depart the Marquis estate, or is this merely a fleeting fit of anger?

If it is merely spite, I have other ways to help you vent your frustration. But if you genuinely wish to leave...

I shall issue an imperial decree this very moment.

09

By the time I returned to the estate, the night had already deepened. As I stepped through the courtyard gates, Pei Ze was standing beneath the veranda. It seemed as though he had been waiting for me all along. Upon catching sight of me, his gaze first lingered upon my face, then dropped to the sword resting within my grasp. Lin Wan'yin stood by his side, a delicate smile gracing her lips.

Elder sister has finally returned. Brother Ze has been waiting for you for two full hours, having neglected even his evening meal.

Pei Ze paid her no heed, his voice tight with suppressed tension.

Mingtang, His Majesty summoned you into the palace—what did he say to you?

I stared fixedly at him, offering no reply. Lin Wan'yin chimed in once more, her tone turning all the more gentle.

Elder sister is truly something. Because of you, Brother Ze did not even attend the court assembly today.

Do you have any idea how well Brother Ze treats you? Those trinkets he bestowed upon me a few days ago were merely meant to provoke a touch of jealousy from you.

If elder sister is harboring resentment toward Brother Ze because of such matters, then the fault lies entirely with this humble concubine.

As she spoke, she stepped forward, reaching out as if to tug at my sleeve.

Elder sister, you must not...

Pei Ze cast a freezing glare in her direction.

Shut your mouth.

Lin Wan'yin froze, turning her head to stare at him in disbelief.

Detain her.

Pei Ze commanded in a chilling tone. Several matrons strode forward, seizing Lin Wan'yin firmly by the arms. She struggled desperately.

Brother Ze, what are you doing...

Her subsequent words were muffled as a servant covered her mouth, leaving her capable of uttering only indistinct, choked sounds. Watching this scene unfold, a faint sense of surreal confusion washed over me. Pei Ze stepped before me, his voice rasping heavily.

Mingtang, Lin Wan'yin was sent here by the clan elders. Since they insisted on bringing her into the Marquis estate, I had no choice of my own.

Taking her as a concubine was merely a show for the clan elders to witness. I have never once touched her. The news of her pregnancy was likewise a fabrication; she bribed a physician in a desperate bid to force me into granting her official status before the family elders.

He paused for a fraction of a second, then raised his gaze to meet mine. His eyes were bloodshot to a terrifying degree.

I know these words should have been spoken to you long ago. Everything I did before was the act of a damned scoundrel.

Yet not an ounce of my sincerity was ever given to her. The reason I played along was out of fear that the clan elders might use her as an excuse to bring hardships upon you.

From beginning to end, the only person I have ever loved is you alone.

Pei Ze spoke with frantic urgency, every single word tumbling out as though he feared time would run out. But none of it reached my ears. The nocturnal wind swept through the courtyard, chilling my mind into absolute clarity. It dragged my memories back through all the suffering I had endured, every single torment piercing straight to my heart. Lin Wan'yin knelt, restrained not far away. Lowering my gaze to the sword in my hand, I walked slowly toward her. The blade flashed. The expression of lingering terror on Lin Wan'yin's face had not yet dissolved when her eyes widened in shock, her body growing completely limp as she slumped to the ground. Pei Ze snapped his head around, his pupils contracting violently. I did not stop. Twisting the tip of the blade upward, I thrust it straight toward his chest, though it grazed past by two inches at the very last moment. He let out a muffled groan, staggering half a step backward as he clamped a hand over his wound. Blood seeped between his fingers, yet he paid it no mind. He merely lifted his head, staring at me with stunned disbelief.

Shen Mingtang...

His voice was hoarse, his eyes brimming with a profound, desolate anguish.

You... yet again, you wish to take my life?

I gripped the hilt of the sword, the fresh blood staining its edge striking my vision vividly. It called back the words Xiao Jingxing had spoken to me earlier that afternoon.

10

Shen Mingtang, if back then I had not stepped aside to avoid that arrow...

Xiao Jingxing had gazed at me with a heavy, impenetrable expression.

Would everything have turned out differently?

I did not answer him immediately. The grand hall remained utterly silent as I looked into his eyes, finding them clouded with unyielding regret. The event he spoke of took place when the three of us were stationed at the northern frontier. Back then, Pei Ze was merely a young heir, tossed into the military camp by his father to undergo rigorous tempering. He encountered me at a time when I was being relentlessly pestered by Xiao Jingxing.

Are you truly Shen Mingtang? I have heard tales of you.

His voice back then still carried the characteristic arrogance and pride of a capital city young nobleman. I asked with genuine curiosity:

What sort of tales have you heard about me?

He pondered for a moment before offering me a faint smile.

I heard your swordsmanship is formidable.

I wish to spar with you.

I froze in astonishment. Xiao Jingxing, standing nearby, let out a cold, derisive scoff.

Even someone with mere superficial flash like you couldn't defeat me. What makes you think you are qualified to cross swords with Ah Tang?

In the end, the two of them engaged in a fierce martial contest, resulting in a dead heat with neither claiming victory.