Chapter 7 — One Sword Cuts Our Ties

At that moment, your Majesty's words were truly detestable.

He stood frozen for a brief second before bursting into sudden, resonant laughter. The elderly ministers trailing behind him exchanged bewildered glances, clearly astonished that anyone would dare address the sovereign in such a brazen manner. His laughter lingered in the quiet air for a long time before he finally composed himself, his gaze fixing upon me with a deep, unfathomable stillness.

General Zhaowu, Shen Mingtang, I hereby command you to guard the Northern Frontier. You are strictly forbidden from returning to the capital without an imperial decree.

I dropped gracefully to one knee upon the dusty earth, my voice ringing out clear and strong.

This subject obeys the mandate.

He personally stepped forward to lift me to my feet, offering no further words. His eyes merely lingered for a fleeting second on the ancient sword resting at my side.

That blade. Do not entrust it to anyone ever again.

I swung myself gracefully onto my horse, my gloved hands pulling the reins taut. The great army stood arrayed in formation just beyond the city gates, their battle banners snapping fiercely in the wind. Without looking back even once, I spurred my mount forward and rode into the distance. The wild frontiers awaited me ahead. That was the land where I truly belonged, and that desolate horizon was my only true path home.