Chарtеr 20 (9/14)
Shаngguаn Qiаn fеll silent for а mоmеnt, thеn sighеd and shook hеr hеad: "Is that sо... But I feеl likе I'vе nеvеr trulу seen him сlearly..."
"When peорle аpрrоасh a grеаt trее, thеy аlways prаisе its lush branсhes and abundаnt fruit. Theу only sее its tоwеring fоrm, уеt never раy аttеntiоn to its vаst but silent rооts. The rооts arе buried in cold, dаrk soil, sinking deeр intо thе hard еarth without cоmрlаint or rеgrеt. It is thеsе unsееn roоts thаt supрort аll upward strеngth and thе суclеs оf lifе аnd decaу. In my heart, the Hоuse of Gong is thаt tree еnvied bу аll, and mу brother is the root that never speaks. I raise insects and plants, often digging through soil to search for medicinal herbs. Every time I uncover the roots of a great tree, it feels as if I'm seeing its heart..."
As Gong Yuanzhi spoke of Gong Shangjue, his mind was also filled with images of him. He had once seen Gong Shangjue standing alone in a deserted courtyard late at night, a solitary figure. He had also witnessed Gong Shangjue practicing his blade techniques alone in a courtyard strewn with fallen leaves. And he had seen Gong Shangjue inside a room, curled up on the floor in agony, struggling through the pain of the Half-Month Fly...
From within Shang Manor came the displeased murmurs of Gong Liushang. What tormented him was not only his crippled body but also his mental anguish. He had heard that even the former playboy Gong Ziyu had risen to the position of Blade Master, while his own daughter, once the object of his high hopes, had become a laughingstock.
Gong Zishang timidly approached her father's bedside. The bed curtains were drawn, hiding Gong Liushang from view, but his labored breathing could be heard.
"Father, you asked for me..."
Suddenly, a cup was hurled from behind the curtains. Gong Zishang dared not dodge, and the cup struck her head. Her face was splattered with medicinal broth, wet and dark, making her look neither human nor ghost. If Jin Fan and Xiao Hei were here, they would surely mock her wretched appearance.
"Spending all your time at Yu Manor—where exactly is your home? Everyone says Shang Manor is just a follower of Yu Manor, and you accept that? Instead of wasting your time there, you should be looking after your brother."
Gong Zishang quickly knelt down: "Father, I was wrong."
Gong Liushang sat up and pulled aside the bed curtain. His cheeks were gaunt, but his eyes burned with intensity, made even more terrifying by his anger. He pounded his lower body and let out a hideous laugh that sounded more like a sob: "What a pity... I'm already a useless cripple, incapable of doing anything..."
"Father, you still have me. You can command me to do anything—"
"What can a mere woman do? Shang Manor can only wait for your brother to grow up before it can regain its glory... Once the foremost manor of the House of Gong, now reduced to a laughingstock in everyone's eyes..."
Gong Zishang lowered her head in pain. She wanted to tell her father that she had been working hard and that her weapons research had made significant progress. But she feared her father would question her about the explosion in the dungeon, so she swallowed her words. Only tears welled up in her eyes, falling in large drops and mingling with the medicinal broth on her face.
Seeing his daughter's sorrow, Gong Liushang coughed a few times, catching his breath. His tone noticeably softened as he asked, "You mentioned earlier that Gong Ziyu has already passed the Second Realm."
Gong Zishang kept her head lowered: "Yes, Father."
"Hmph, impressive. What a shame... He won't make it past the final trial.""He passed the first two trials quite smoothly. Moreover, Gong Ziyu is particularly well-liked—Young Master Xue, Xue Zhongzi, and Elder Yue are all very close to him..." Gong Zishang began to ramble again.
Gong Liushang interrupted her, "The first two trials are different from the third. Back in my day, I failed this very trial due to my own weakness... I couldn't even bring myself to use my personal guard as a human sacrifice."
Gong Zishang stared blankly at her father. "Using a guard as a human sacrifice? Father, what does 'human sacrifice' mean..."
Gong Liushang laughed heartily, though it was unclear whether in mockery or approval. "Since ancient times, renowned weapons have been imbued with heroic souls. In the past, Ganjiang and Moye offered their own blood as sacrifices to forge swords. The world's most exceptional blades possess their own spirits, and our ancestors believed that these spirits were the faith and will attached to the blade after a living sacrifice, endowing the weapon with immense power in ways unseen. Since a blade is meant to slay enemies and protect its master, the soul of a personal guard best embodies that intent..."
Gong Zishang was stunned. Could it be that Jin Fan would also sacrifice himself to the blade? Tears welled up in her eyes like a spring, streaking white trails down her face.
In the ancestral hall of Hua Manor, Young Master Hua was elaborating on the contents of the Third Domain trial.
"The trial of the Third Domain is to forge a new blade using thousand-year Dark Iron. Then, I will choose one of these six blades to spar with you. If you can cut it in half with the blade you forged, the trial will be considered a success."
Gong Ziyu looked up at the six blades mounted on the sculpture. "Do I need to cut all six, or just any one of them?"
Young Master Hua clasped his hands behind his back. "All six? The Blade Master underestimates these blades far too much..."
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