Chapter 299: Brother Liang, Everyone Was Once Young
The bamboo forest was quiet, shrouded in a faint mist.
Brother Liang maintained his vigilance, silently following behind Jiang He, his gaze swiftly scanning among the bamboo stalks.
A dense bamboo forest usually gives a sense of relaxation and ease, especially in midsummer. There was no excessive Yang Ling Qi in the forest, making it quite comfortable.
But perhaps it was due to his profession.
Brother Liang did not like bamboo, especially bamboo grown on spirit-rich land. Because it grew fast and dense, it naturally possessed wood spiritual energy, which could obstruct spiritual sense detection. Thus, bamboo forests were an excellent ambush spot for cultivators.
You never knew when some hidden schemer might be lurking within.
This was the first reason he disliked bamboo.
However, there was a second reason.
Bamboo had a way of stirring up memories he’d rather not recall.
… …
————
Thunderclap—
Under the rainy night, a bolt of lightning illuminated the dark expanse, simultaneously revealing the tired and tense face of a man in the bamboo forest below.
The man looked about twenty or twenty-one years old, his face still bearing the youthful spirit of a teenager.
His right hand was clenched tightly around a broken sword with countless nicks on its blade, and he limped deeper into the bamboo forest. In the crook of his left arm, a swaddling cloth held a crying infant.
“Waaah! Waaah—!!”
“Good boy~ good boy~~ Once we get out of this bamboo forest, I’ll find you some milk… Don’t cry, don’t cry… Hush—”
It was at this moment that a figure flashed out from behind a bamboo stalk, and the sky rumbled with another thunderclap.
Roaring—
The man reacted swiftly. He immediately clutched the infant tighter with his left arm, reversed his grip on the broken sword in his right hand, and held it defensively before his neck.
Clang—!
A gust of sword wind blew away the scattered bamboo leaves on the ground as the two swords clashed.
The attacker, staring intently into the man’s eyes, shouted,
“Liang Zhu!!! Do you know what you are doing?”
“Yue Longxing… Can you let me go? It doesn’t have to come to this between us.”
“The one in your arms is the Second Princess!!” Yue Longxing’s eyes widened as he forcefully pushed Liang Zhu back. “The Central Domain’s spiritual energy has been in chaos for years, and we are now at our wits’ end.”
“So, you have to let a baby girl in swaddling clothes die?”
Clang—!
The two swords clashed again.
“To trade one life for the peace of a region, what is wrong with that?”
“…I cannot bear to see it. Besides, saving the Second Princess was not my doing alone.”
“I naturally know that. How could you, a mere bodyguard, possibly get the Second Princess out of the sacrificial altar at Zongshan?” Yue Longxing gritted his teeth. “Liang Zhu, it’s not too late to turn back. Hand the Second Princess over to me, and you can go wherever you want afterwards; no one will hold you accountable.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Then don’t blame your Brother Yue for showing no mercy…”
Swish—
Clang—!
The sound of swords ringing out once more.
… …
Above the bamboo forest, lightning and thunder flashed.
Not long after, the clang of swords in the forest finally ceased.
Liang Zhu used the broken sword as a crutch, kneeling in the mud. His body, already covered in scars, bore several new gashes. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to lift his head and look at Yue Longxing, who lay beside him, lifeless. He couldn’t help but clench the hilt of his sword until it creaked.
At this moment, it felt as if heaven and earth had stopped for him, and a high-pitched ringing filled his ears.
Thunderclap—
Lightning illuminated the bamboo forest, and once again, it illuminated his face.
The next second, a cry pulled him back from the blankness to reality.
“Waaah! Waaah—!”
“…Little Princess, what…”
Liang Zhu, struggling against his fading consciousness, suddenly realized that as he and his Brother Yue dueled, the infant in his arms had stopped crying.
After a moment of hesitation, he pursed his bloodied lips and clicked his teeth to make a sound:
“Ting—”
The wailing infant in his arms instantly closed their mouth, opening their big eyes to look at Liang Zhu. When Liang Zhu fell silent, after a while, the baby started crying again.
“Waaah! Waaah—!”
“Ting—!”
“Mm…”
“You’re quite the strange little one…” Liang Zhu gave a wry smile, pushed himself up, and sat down, using his body to shield the little one in his arms. “From now on, you’re not the Second Princess. I’ll give you a name, how about A’Ting? And you’ll take my surname, Liang…”
“Waaah~”
“Are you agreeing or disagreeing? I’ll take that as a yes.” Liang Zhu sighed slightly and glanced at Yue Longxing again. “Let’s go to the Western Regions. Hmm… if we can survive tonight…”
His voice grew fainter, and his heavy eyelids could no longer bear the pressure, slowly closing…
… …
————
If there was a chance to redo things in this world, Liang Zhu swore he would never do it again.
It was too stupid.
He had almost lost his life trying to save a complete stranger’s infant.
Following behind Jiang He, Liang Zhu gritted his teeth, wishing he could travel back in time and beat his past self until he was bruised and swollen.
If not for that infant, he would likely be a high-ranking official in the Imperial Sect’s Xing Tian Division by now, and his cultivation wouldn’t be stuck at Late Foundation Establishment.
His once infinitely bright future had been utterly ruined by a rash decision, leaving him as an unknown rogue cultivator who did dirty work every day.
“Hoo—”
Liang Zhu let out a soft sigh, casting aside the grumbling thoughts in his mind, and continued to vigilantly scan the surrounding bamboo forest.
After walking for what felt like a long time, Jiang He, who was walking ahead, suddenly asked,
“Liang Zhu, I heard you were a disciple of the Hundred Lotus Sect before coming to the Xing Tian Division?”
“Yes.”
“Then what do you think of the Hundred Lotus Sect?”
Liang Zhu slightly furrowed his brow. Ye Anping had given him several advice notes, detailing the answers he should give when asked these questions. So, he replied as Ye Anping had instructed:
“If I’m being honest, staying there was a waste of my talents. It’s just a poor and dilapidated minor sect.”
“Heh… That’s quite arrogant. The Hundred Lotus Sect is your former sect, and yet you speak ill of it?”
“The pursuit of immortality is paramount on the immortal path; loyalty to one’s sect comes second.” Liang Zhu cupped his hands in a respectful manner. “I’ve come to the Imperial Sect this time to seek a better place for cultivation.”
“Then that remains to be seen…”
His words trailed off, then stopped abruptly.
Jiang He, walking in front, suddenly halted and frowned.
Not far ahead, beside a green bamboo stalk, stood two fine horses, one black and one white, their heads bowed as they ate bamboo leaves from the ground. Saddles were placed on their backs, but their owners were nowhere to be seen.
“Why are there horses here?”
“Horses?”
Liang Zhu frowned slightly, turned to look ahead, and upon seeing the two horses, a sense of dread washed over him. He quickly took out protective magical artifacts from his Storage Bag and kept them ready in his sleeves.
“Is someone hidden in the forest?”
Jiang He smiled slightly, took a step forward, and amplified his voice with spiritual energy,
“Two fellow cultivators, why must you hide? I am Jiang He, a Pacification Commissioner of the Xing Tian Division. I wish to speak with you.”
… …
