The screams of agony, the crisp sounds of clashing blades, and the wet, muffled sound of tearing flesh wove together in the silent valley, composing a symphony of death.
There was no expression on Tuoba Hong's face. The blade in his hand was precise and efficient, reaping one fresh life after another. These people were "witnesses" who had to be erased. A moment later, the valley returned to its deathly silence.
Tuoba Hong stood with his blade in hand. Around him, a dozen or more corpses lay sprawled in pools of blood. He slowly raised the heavy saber in his hand, watching the warm blood slide down the blade's groove. He flicked the last drop of blood from the blade's tip, then carefully wiped the blade clean with a piece of cloth torn from a dead man's clothing before sheathing his sword.
After all this, he didn't spare the corpses another glance. He turned and melted into the darkness like a ghost, disappearing into the other end of the valley.
After half a night of stealthy travel, Tuoba Hong arrived at the base of a remote, seldom-visited cliff. A waterfall, like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens, cascaded from the towering precipice, letting out a deafening roar.
With agile movements, he climbed the slippery rock face. He pushed aside the thick curtain of water behind the waterfall, and a deep, hidden cave suddenly appeared before his eyes.
The cave was cool and damp, filled with the fresh scent of earth and moisture. He walked deep into the cave, found a dry ledge to sit on, and only then did he carefully take the divine sword, wrapped in a specially prepared animal hide, from his back.
His breathing grew somewhat ragged of its own accord.
With trembling hands, he slowly undid the bindings of the hide, revealing the custom scabbard within, which was made from the leather of an unknown, ferocious beast. The moment his fingers touched the scabbard, a faint, yet sharp, intent pierced through it, causing a slight stinging pain in his fingertips.
Tuoba Hong took a deep breath, his eyes filled with fanaticism and anticipation. He gripped the simple, ancient hilt and slowly, inch by inch, drew the [Immortal Sword Cangxu] from its sheath!
Shing!
The instant the blade was fully unsheathed, an indescribably clear and resonant sword cry suddenly echoed through the cave. The sword seemed to contain a vast, boundless starry sky, with countless tiny specks of starlight swirling, being born and dying within it. It radiated terrifying sharpness and vastness that made one's soul tremble. A torrent of immense sword intent surged frantically into Tuoba Hong's body through the hilt, assaulting his eight meridians.
Pu! Tuoba Hong let out a muffled grunt, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "S-so powerful! This… this is the power of a divine artifact!" He endured the excruciating pain of his meridians being torn apart, his hands gripping the hilt tightly as he frantically activated his tribe's secret technique, trying to refine this overwhelmingly domineering sword intent.
Gazing at the sword in his hand radiating boundless divine might, he whispered to himself, "Watch me, Mother. The tribe… the southern continent… it will all be mine…"
The roar of the waterfall perfectly concealed everything within the cave.
***
Emperor Wei Wuyuan had personally led the main forces of the Tianxing Immortal Palace south. With his departure, the affairs of the vast palace fell temporarily upon the shoulders of the Young Lord, Wei Yufeng. This red-haired Young Lord displayed a composure and capability beyond his years. Each day, he sat upright in the palace's council hall, his striking red hair tied up with a white jade hairpin, dressed in a dark-gold brocade robe that symbolized his status. Though a hint of youthfulness still lingered between his brows, his focus and authority already carried much of his father's bearing.
Whether it was dispatching palace guards to fill gaps in the defenses, reviewing the complex intelligence arriving from all over, or preparing supplies to be sent to the front lines, Wei Yufeng handled everything in perfect order. His commands were clear, and rewards and punishments were justly meted out. Those stewards and disciples who had thought they could slack off in the Divine Emperor's absence were, under his supervision, all forced to focus and work diligently, not daring to make the slightest mistake.
One afternoon, Wei Yufeng had just finished reviewing the last secret report on the front-line situation and was rubbing his sore brow when a light, quick footsteps sounded from outside the hall.
"Brother! Brother! Still busy?"
His cousin, Wei Yuming, slipped in through the hall door like a nimble monkey. He scurried up to the desk, peeked at the mountain of scrolls, and stuck out his tongue. "Good heavens, Brother, you're turning into a bookworm. Ever since Father and Uncle left, this Immortal Palace has been dreadfully boring. It's nothing but training all day or listening to those old elders drone on and on. My bones are about to rust!"
Seeing his woeful expression, the tense seriousness on Wei Yufeng's face finally eased, revealing a helpless smile. "You little monkey, looking to slack off again? Father specifically instructed us to cultivate diligently and not be lax before he left."
"Ugh, I get it, I get it," Wei Yuming said, leaning in close to Wei Yufeng and lowering his voice. "But a string stretched too tight is bound to snap. I see you've been working yourself to the bone these past few days. How about… we go find Sister Shu'er to play with? She always has some new and interesting things in her Star-Adorned Pavilion. Besides, we can check if she's recovered from her fright the other day."
At the mention of his sister, Wei Yufeng's expression softened.
Indeed, ever since returning from the mountains that day, Miaoshu had been melancholy, keeping herself cooped up in her room, lost in her own thoughts. As her elder brother, he should go check on her.
"Alright." Wei Yufeng put down his vermilion brush, stood up, and stretched. "After dealing with these tedious affairs for half a day, I am a bit tired. Let's go, see what that little rascal is up to now."
Hearing this, Wei Yuming was overjoyed and quickly followed. Side by side, the two brothers walked out of the solemn and imposing council hall.
Within the Immortal Palace, clouds and mist swirled around the pavilions and terraces, making them visible sometimes or hidden the next, like a true fairyland. The two walked through a corridor paved with white marble, bypassed a few rock gardens and flower beds. Along the way, all the serving maids and disciples they met bowed in greeting, calling them "Young Lords."
Soon, they arrived at the "Star-Adorned Pavilion" where Wei Miaoshu lived. This pavilion was small and exquisite, its courtyard filled with rare and exotic flowers and herbs. Yet now, it seemed unusually quiet. Even the colorful butterflies that usually danced around the pavilion were nowhere to be seen.
"Sister Shu'er! Your big brother is here to see you!" Wei Yuming's boisterous voice arrived before he did.
However, the courtyard was silent. No one answered.
Wei Yufeng's brow furrowed slightly, a strange feeling rising in his heart. He strode forward and pushed open the slightly open gate. The courtyard was empty save for a lone swing swaying gently in the wind, letting out a soft creaking sound.
"Miaoshu?" Wei Yufeng called out.
The door to the pavilion opened, and two maids responsible for cleaning rushed out in a panic. Seeing the two Young Lords, they immediately knelt to pay their respects, their faces filled with terror and unease.
"Where is the young mistress?" Wei Yufeng's voice turned cold. One of the maids timidly raised her head, her voice trembling as she replied, "R-reporting to the Young Lord, the Young Mistress… she… she has been missing since last night…"
"What?" Wei Yufeng and Wei Yuming's faces changed at the same time.
"Explain yourselves! What exactly happened?!" Wei Yufeng grabbed the maid by the collar and demanded harshly.
The maid was scared out of her wits and spoke incoherently, "The Young Mistress said yesterday afternoon that… that she was feeling down and wanted to go for a walk alone, and forbade us from following… We servants didn't dare to disobey, so… so we waited in the pavilion. But… but even late into the night, the Young Mistress hadn't returned… We… we didn't dare to make a fuss, afraid… afraid of disturbing you, Young Lord…"
Wei Yufeng's heart sank. He shoved the maid aside and exchanged a look with Wei Yuming. Both saw the deep worry in the other's eyes. Their little sister had a playful nature and had snuck out several times before. They didn't know if she had taken advantage of their father's absence to go out and play again, or if something had gone wrong. They rushed into the pavilion.
Wei Miaoshu's bedroom was still neat and elegant, the faint, sweet scent of a young girl still lingering in the air. The bedding on her bed was folded neatly, but her favorite thin blanket, made from South Sea silk, was tossed casually to one side.
Wei Yufeng's sharp eyes quickly scanned every corner of the room. His gaze finally settled on the dressing table. In front of the mirror, which was polished to a perfect sheen, her favorite hairpin made of pearls from the Eastern Sea lay abandoned. Next to it were a few snapped red threads.
And below the half-open window lattice, a corner of a pink sash fluttered gently in the breeze. It was an accessory from the dress she had been wearing yesterday.
Wei Yufeng's face instantly turned grim. He strode to the window and looked out. Below the window was a quiet bamboo grove, where a few messy footprints could be vaguely seen on the ground, leading toward the palace wall.
"B-brother…" Wei Yuming pointed at the disheveled dressing table and the traces by the window, his voice trembling. "Sister… she couldn't have… could she have had an accident?!"
Wei Yufeng's chest heaved violently. His most beloved sister had vanished right under his nose!
He slammed his fist hard against the window frame. The sturdy pear wood cracked on impact! "Damn it!"
His eyes red, he commanded in a loud voice, "Seal all paths down the mountain immediately! Pass the order that a major criminal has escaped from the palace. No one is to leave without authorization!"
"But… Brother, shouldn't we report this to Uncle?" Wei Yuming asked anxiously. "No!" Wei Yufeng cut him off decisively. "This matter is suspicious. Before we understand the situation, we must not make a big deal of it. Otherwise, it will only cause panic in the palace and might even alert the culprit!"
He took a deep breath, his mind racing for a solution. His father was thousands of miles away. Although there were many elders in the palace, this matter was too great, and it involved his sister's safety. He couldn't trust anyone. Wei Yufeng grabbed Wei Yuming's arm and said in a low voice, "We must inform Mother of this immediately! We're going to the Cloud-Secluded Courtyard!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, he pulled the terrified Wei Yuming, transforming into a streak of red light, and shot out of the Star-Adorned Pavilion, speeding toward the serene depths of the Immortal Palace, a place perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds.
***
In the Cloud-Secluded Courtyard, exotic flowers and rare herbs silently released their fragrance, intertwining with the cool yet slightly sweet scent belonging to the Holy Empress, Ning Xuefei, forming an invisible barrier that shut out all the noise and worldly affairs from the outside.
"Mother! Mother! I have an urgent report!" Wei Yufeng, dragging Wei Yuming, arrived at the villa's gate, carved from a thousand-year-old warm jade. Forgetting all etiquette, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
From inside the gate, two maids in light-green palace robes and delicate features came out. They were Ning Xuefei's most trusted attendants. Seeing the two Young Lords, they quickly bowed, but a look of difficulty appeared on their faces, and they did not open the gate immediately.
"Greetings to the two Young Lords," the lead maid said softly. "May we ask what urgent matter brings the Young Lords visiting so late at night?"
"Cut the nonsense! Open the gate!" Wei Yufeng was burning with anxiety and said harshly, "I have a matter of utmost urgency that I must report to Mother immediately! It concerns Miaoshu's safety!"
Hearing the words "concerns Miaoshu's safety," a flash of panic also crossed the two maids' faces. But after exchanging a look, they still didn't open the gate, merely shaking their heads with difficulty.
"Reporting to the Young Lord, the Holy Empress… she has entered secluded cultivation," the maid said, bracing herself. "The Holy Empress ordered that no matter what happens, no one is to enter and disturb her…"
"Secluded Cultivation?!" Wei Yufeng could hardly believe his ears. "I never heard Mother was planning to go into seclusion! She hasn't done so in all these years! Are you two hiding something from me?!"
"Brother, what do we do?" Wei Yuming's voice trembled on the verge of tears. He tugged on Wei Yufeng's sleeve, completely at a loss.
*****
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