Chapter 79: Scars Must Be Uncovered

Now that you have come to me, you are worried that my cooperation with you will arouse the suspicion of the Crown Prince of Biantian, and you want to stay out of it? Yet you say I shouldn’t have come to you?” Chu Yang sighed. “You’re quite old, so why are you speaking so incoherently?”

“Hahahaha…” Upon hearing Chu Yang’s words, the guards of Tielong City glared angrily; but Tielong City himself burst into hearty laughter and strode out.

Walking to the door, he turned back and looked at Chu Yang. “I like these swords of yours, but 100,000 taels of gold is too expensive. I have quite a few treasures, but I need to keep them to save the lives of my soldiers, so I can’t trade them. But I really like your swords, what should I do?…”

Chu Yang was speechless, having never met someone with such thick skin. Clearly, he was trying to get Chu Yang to give him one for free.

Chu Yang said irritably, “But I also can’t bear to part with these swords, so I can’t give them to anyone, especially not you!”

“Hahahaha…” Tielong City laughed heartily, wiping away tears of laughter. “Kid, you will give them to me; I guarantee it! When the time comes, I’ll pretend not to want them, and I’ll make you offer them several times before reluctantly accepting. Just wait and see.”

After saying this, he burst into another round of hearty laughter, leaving behind this nonsensical statement, and turned to leave, walking away.

“If you want me to beg, then you can wait!” Chu Yang snorted. “It’s not even dark yet, and you’re already dreaming!”

Outside, the sound of swift, orderly movements could be heard. In just a few breaths, the entire street was cleared of soldiers, without a single sound.

In the distance, faint noises of commotion could be heard. The street began to come back to life.

Chu Yang turned around, about to say something, but suddenly opened his mouth wide in surprise.

In front of him, only Gu Duxing remained. The strange girl had disappeared without a trace. She had only asked about the price and done nothing else. She had simply vanished…

“Why did she leave?” Chu Yang scratched his head.

“Who cares if she left or not. I only ask you…” Gu Duxing looked at him deeply. “Are you planning to get involved in the war between Ti Yun and the Great Zhao Empire?”

Chu Yang nodded slightly. “Yes.”

“This is a very unwise decision! We are just warriors. You know what being a warrior means. The status of warriors in the Lower Three Days and the attitude of the various courts towards warriors, you know all too well. Moreover, both the court and the battlefield are far more dangerous than the江湖 (jianghu). I don’t think this is a good decision.”

“I know this isn’t the path of a warrior, and I know the dangers involved. I also know that once I get involved, I could die at any moment without a proper burial. But I have a reason that forces me to get involved.” Chu Yang looked at Gu Duxing and said deeply, “Just as you would die ten thousand times to save Gu Miaoling, I have a similar reason.”

Gu Duxing looked into Chu Yang’s eyes and saw a deep, hidden pain and longing. That profound emotion was even deeper than his own feelings for Gu Miaoling!

Gu Duxing slowly nodded. At this moment, he suddenly understood why Chu Yang was helping him save Gu Miaoling, even though Chu Yang hadn’t explicitly said so. Gu Duxing already knew his intentions.

Because Chu Yang also had such a beauty! So, he couldn’t allow such a beautiful woman to perish, nor could he allow such sincere and beautiful emotions to be erased by the wind.

At this moment, a sense of warmth rose in Gu Duxing’s heart.

“If you feel the danger, you can still back out now.” Chu Yang said calmly. “I will still fulfill my promise to you.”

“I want to back out… but I also know that the fastest way to improve my cultivation is on the battlefield.” Gu Duxing suddenly smiled, and his smile was as bright as the sun. “Moreover, I have already promised you to sell myself to you for ten years. Even though I want to back out, I value my word more.”

He blinked. “You know I keep my promises, but you wouldn’t want me, Gu Duxing, to be a man of no word, would you?”

Chu Yang stared at him for a long time, then finally smiled. “Indeed, I thought you might break your word, but I didn’t expect you wouldn’t.”

Gu Duxing laughed loudly and punched him on the shoulder. The two looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter. At this moment, a sense of brotherhood, of facing life and death together, quietly took root in their hearts.

You can work hard for my sake, and I can give my life for yours. It’s that simple!

At this moment, the two young men truly recognized each other, but neither said it out loud. Instead, they used the pretext of their promises to hide their true feelings.

But they both knew that the other knew.

At this moment, their smiles were warm.

Amidst the departing army, Tielong City and the girl were speaking in low voices.

Tielong City: “This person is useful. Very useful.”

Girl: “Oh? Is that so?”

“Don’t give me that sarcastic tone. Why did you come here, and why alone?”

“…”

“This person is targeting the Fifth Qingrou. Although I don’t know the reason, from the opening of the Heavenly Soldier Pavilion, the name ‘Heavenly Soldier’ made me understand his intentions.” Tielong City smiled. “There’s no doubt about it. No one would be foolish enough to open a Heavenly Soldier Pavilion in Ti Yun. Because these two words are a taboo in Ti Yun. But he did, so I think he might not know about the past.”

The girl hummed and suddenly turned her head. “Uncle, is that why…?”

“Yes, because of this, I came. Because he met you at the city gate, and your interest in him was a bit too obvious. Desiring talent is a good thing, but you are still young. Although Uncle is old, I can still help you assess people.” Tielong City smiled. “I didn’t expect you to come so quickly.”

“So, everything Uncle said to him was meaningful,” the girl smiled thoughtfully, “every word was a hint. Uncle is truly wise.”

“Ha, he is targeting the Fifth Qingrou, and you appeared here, so of course, I had to let him know how much we have paid to deal with the Fifth Qingrou. This is a prerequisite. However, some of the secrets he mentioned, I indeed don’t know.”

“But this has reopened Uncle’s old wounds…” The girl took a deep breath and said solemnly, “I know that in the entire Ti Yun, the person who least wants to talk about the past is you, Uncle. But today, you brought it up on your own. Uncle did this all for me.”

“It’s also for Ti Yun.” Tielong City walked silently, his expression stern. “Not wanting to talk about it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Since you plan to use this person, the more he knows, the better. One day, when Uncle can no longer go to the battlefield, I don’t want you to make the wrong judgment because the old history has covered up the truth.”

“So, it must be said! The scars must be uncovered!”