Mount Wuwang.
A nameless thatched hut.
A middle-aged man, **bare-chested, sat there sharpening a blade. It was an exceptionally long sword, yet also remarkably heavy—its weight likely more than double that of an ordinary longsword. Yet when the man finished sharpening it and casually swung it, the blade seemed as light as the thinnest of rapiers.
"Master," a young boy dressed in rough cloth entered the courtyard and bowed respectfully.
"Didn’t I say not to disturb me unless necessary?" the middle-aged man said sternly.
"This time, your disciple has come for three matters," the boy replied solemnly.
"Three matters, all at once?" The man frowned in confusion.
"Just now, Xie Bu Xie returned," the boy hesitated before speaking.
"Oh? He’s back? Did he complete his mission? Why hasn’t he come to see me?" The man set down the longsword and looked at the boy.
The boy shook his head. "He didn’t mention the mission. He only left this behind." He pulled a stone from his sleeve.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly. "Throw it here."
The boy nodded and flicked his wrist, sending the stone flying toward the man. The man tilted his head back, catching sight of the blade mark etched into the stone. In an instant, he rose to his feet, snatched up the longsword beside him, and swung it skyward—splitting the stone cleanly in two.
"He fought Su Muyu? And this is the Eighth Blade he sought?" the man asked gravely.
The boy shook his head again. "Xie Bu Xie said this isn’t the true Eighth Blade yet. He asked for a few years to wander the world. Once he finds the answer, he’ll return."
The man’s brow furrowed. "A man of Dark River, wandering the martial world? Has he lost his mind? If he doesn’t return within ten days, the Soul Extraction Hall won’t hesitate to issue a kill order."
"That brings us to the second matter." The boy retrieved a letter from his sleeve and stepped forward to hand it to the man. "A message from the family head."
"What does it say? I don’t care for their empty words—just tell me directly." At the mention of the Xie Family’s patriarch, the man’s tone grew impatient.
"The family head says Xie Bu Xie has abandoned his mission and left Dark River without permission—a capital offense. However, if Master is willing to leave seclusion and lend the Xie Family your strength in Nine Heavens City, they will request a pardon from the Soul Extraction Hall to spare Xie Bu Xie’s life," the boy explained slowly.
"Hmph. Xie Ba—always scheming. First, he loses the young one, and now he wants to drag the old one into it." The man sneered.
The boy hesitated. "Then… Master won’t go?"
The man waved his hand dismissively. "Wasn’t there a third matter? Speak."
"The third matter is that someone delivered an object." The boy pulled out an envelope from his sleeve, its center slightly bulging. "The person left immediately after delivering it."
At the sight of the envelope, the man’s eyes suddenly gleamed. With a flick of his wrist, the envelope flew into his grasp. Another light toss, and the paper disintegrated into fragments carried away by the wind—leaving only the object inside, now resting in the man’s palm.
Curious, the boy stepped closer to see what it was.
A ring, set with a blue gemstone.
Under the sunlight, the gem shimmered with an eerie, dazzling brilliance.Within the Dark River, wealth was abundant. A sapphire ring like this might be considered a valuable trinket in the mortal world, but in the eyes of someone like Xie Qidao, such a ring held little allure.
Yet Xie Qidao's expression turned grave. He carefully picked up the ring and held it up to the sunlight, revealing two characters engraved within the gem.
"The Other Shore," the middle-aged man murmured slowly.
Nine Heavens City, Su Family Manor.
Su Changhe lay sprawled on the rooftop, a stalk of horsetail grass dangling from his lips as he basked leisurely in the sun.
"Ah, if I'd known earlier, I would've gotten injured sooner. No fighting, no killing—just sunbathing and napping feels wonderful," Su Changhe said with a grin.
"You get to relax, but you've burdened me," Su Muqiu remarked, appearing suddenly behind Su Changhe.
"Uncle Muqiu, you're steady by nature, born of the main family, with first-rate martial skills and high prestige—you're far more suited to lead than I am! I leave the next steps to you." Su Changhe yawned. "Once I recover, I'll fight tooth and nail for you, Uncle Qiu."
Su Muqiu flicked open a folding fan and waved it slowly. "Don't worry, you'll have time to heal. Because my current strategy is simply—to wait."
"That was my strategy too, so why did the old man come threatening me with his entourage?" Su Changhe grumbled.
"Because back then, the Xie and Mu Families had already begun to act, while you just stood by and watched. But now it's different. The Xie and Mu Families have suffered heavy losses, and both harbor deep hostility toward our Su Family. If we act recklessly, we might face their combined retaliation," Su Muqiu said quietly.
Su Changhe raised an eyebrow slightly. "No need to worry. The old man said it himself—from now on, the entire Dark River will bear the Su name."
"In this battle to besiege The Head and the Spider Shadow, the Mu Family lost a young master, the Xie Family lost Xie Fanhua, and Xie Bu Xie departed. On the surface, our Su Family emerged unscathed, seemingly the biggest winner. But if you think carefully, our current position is the most precarious." Su Muqiu gazed up at the clouds. "It's as if an invisible hand is manipulating everything, and its goal is to ensure no one emerges victorious from this chaos in the Dark River!"
"Oh?" A flash of killing intent flickered in Su Changhe's eyes. "Who has such capability? Snow Moon City? Peerless City? Or that peerless prince from Heaven Revelation City?"
"Is the Dark River truly so important that it warrants that prince's intervention? You overestimate us," Su Muqiu chuckled.
"Other than them, who else could do this?" Su Changhe countered. "I’m on decent terms with the leaders of Snow Moon City. Should I go ask them?"
"Talking with you is always interesting. Ninety-nine of your words are lies, but the one truth among them could change everything." Su Muqiu stepped forward. "If anyone can pierce through this fog, I hope it's you."
"Me? Just a Nameless One? Uncle Qiu, you think so highly of me?" Su Changhe half-closed his eyes, his smile ambiguous.Su Muqiu smiled faintly. "The prosperity of noble families declines by the third generation and is severed by the fifth. The Dark River has endured to this day—without you Nameless Ones, it would have perished long ago. I am not one of those short-sighted men. Rest well. When you draw your sword, let me see your Sword Light."
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