That Year, the Ideals of a Few

When the massive black eagle descended from the sky, it blotted out the sun, kicking up rolling waves of air. In the next moment, amid the surging Source Qi, a flight of translucent stairs formed by the pavilion's array patterns materialized one by one from top to bottom along the black eagle's flank. Standing on the pavilion deck, Xu Yuan chuckled and shook his head at the sight. According to Xu Xinyao, this kind of stairway array pattern had to be purchased as an optional add-on—much like choosing trim packages when buying a car in his previous life. It served no practical purpose, but it certainly looked impressive. Pity no one was below to welcome them. Yuan Hao showed not the slightest intention of coming over to greet them, not even bothering to send a lieutenant. Yet Xu Yuan wasn't angry; on the contrary, he found Yuan Hao rather amusing. Xu Yuan's arrival meant there most likely wouldn't be a fight after all. Stepping down the Source Qi stairs and leaving the black eagle's pavilion behind, Xu Yuan laid eyes on the post-battle East City wall. Because this had been a sudden raid launched from inside the city paired with an airborne assault, virtually no destructive siege engines had been used, leaving the city wall intact. However, surfaces across many sections were coated in a rather repulsive layer of thick green goo. As the two drew nearer, Xu Xinyao noticed the substance as well. She froze for a moment, her voice trembling slightly: "Is this... spirit-blocking slime?" "What?" Xu Yuan glanced at his fourth sister. Catching the strange look in her eyes, he asked casually, "Did you invent this stuff?" Xu Xinyao nodded. "Yes." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Sensing it briefly with his intent-soul, he smiled and remarked: "It didn't damage the structural integrity of the array patterns themselves, but it cut off the transmission of Source Qi. This new weapon seems quite effective." Xu Xinyao pursed her red lips, her fists clenching slightly as she murmured in a low voice: "Back when I developed it, I only wanted to test the independence of array circuits so materials wouldn't be ruined after a single failure. That's why it doesn't harm the array patterns themselves." At this point, Xu Xinyao's eyes dimmed considerably. Staring at the green slime, she whispered: "Yet... yet they actually turned it into a weapon." "......" Beating plowshares into swords. Xu Yuan paused in his steps, giving Xu Xinyao a deep look, and let out a sigh without saying a word. Walking along the way, it was clear that Yuan Hao truly had a knack for military discipline. After a brief period of chaos, Wanxiang's East City wall had already returned to orderly efficiency. Beneath the wall, Black Scale soldiers bustled to and fro: captured equipment was being tallied, casualties counted, and some troops were clearing the streets deeper in the city to maintain order. Fallen comrades were neatly laid out in the shade of the city wall for the time being, waiting for specialized flying demonic beasts to transport them back to their hometowns. The corpses of the Wanxiang defenders enjoyed no such grace; they were carelessly piled upon a large sheet of heavy-duty canvas, forming a small mound. Aside from this, Xu Yuan also saw many Black Scale units whose ranks had already been reorganized, ready to carry out military orders at any moment. Yuan Hao, it seemed, could hardly wait. By the time Xu Yuan reached Yuan Hao's position, the man was huddled with several mid-to-high-ranking armored officers, barking out orders. Seeing this, Xu Yuan did not immediately approach. Instead, he stood quietly off to the side with the silent Xu Xinyao, waiting. He knew that Yuan Hao knew he had arrived. And Yuan Hao indeed knew Xu Yuan was here, and knew the young master was watching from nearby. He simply didn't want to face him. Beside him, his lieutenant had tried to remind him several times that the commander had arrived, only to be glared back into silence each time. He was exceedingly fond of the Third Young Master's phrase: *a general in the field may decline royal commands*. Disobeying orders suited his appetite all too well. Yet now the person was standing right in front of him. Continuing to ignore orders would simply be reckless insolence. The circle of officers stared at one another in silence. Without Commander Yuan giving the word, none dared to leave, forced to listen to him ramble about military discipline. In the end, the lieutenant beside him couldn't hold out any longer, offering a swift, hushed reminder: "Commander Yuan, the commander has arrived. Shouldn't you..." "......" A sudden silence fell. Yuan Hao slowly turned his head to look at him and said: "Huh? The commander? Where is the commander?" "I'm right here." "......" Yuan Hao glanced back over his shoulder. Xu Yuan smiled and waved at him. "Commander Yuan, if you aren't finished, please do go on." "......" Yuan Hao froze. Yuan Hao turned around quite naturally, waved a hand to signal his subordinates to beat it, and then hurried over to Xu Yuan, saying with a smile: "You should have just said something when you arrived." Xu Yuan replied with a touch of banter: "Wouldn't that risk interrupting Commander Yuan's emphasis on military discipline?" Yuan Hao's tone grew solemn: "As it should be. The city we took will be our own, and any damage caused would be our own loss." With that, Yuan Hao's expression suddenly relaxed. Rubbing his hands together, he asked with a low laugh: "Um... may I ask how the negotiations went, Young Master? Following the orders you dispatched earlier, the Black Scale Army is basically reorganized. We're just waiting for the Seventh Battalion to enter the city and regroup before we can—" "All right, there's no result yet," Xu Yuan cut him off helplessly. "......" Yuan Hao's eyes widened for an instant. He seemed about to laugh, but held it back, furrowing his brows in solemn concern: "Could it be that the Wanxiang Sect failed to appreciate your kindness?" Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I said there's no result yet." Yuan Hao tested the waters: "Then our plan..." "Continues." "Then this subordinate shall take his—" Yuan Hao clenched his fists, cupped his hands, and eagerly prepared to depart. *A general in the field...* "Don't rush off. Stay with me." Xu Yuan promptly crushed the notion. "I have questions for you." "Young Master, military matters..." "I said, I have questions for you." "......" Yuan Hao fell silent. Xu Yuan pointed to the cleared road ahead and said softly: "We talk as we walk." Yuan Hao and Xu Xinyao silently fell in behind him. The bodies had all been cleared away, but fresh trails of blood still stained the ground. Looking at the crimson marks, Xu Yuan asked softly: "Is Bai Zhao dead?" "Huh?" Yuan Hao was taken aback for a moment. With military affairs so pressing, keeping him close was just for this? Thinking this over, Yuan Hao looked at the back ahead of him and sighed inwardly. It seemed the Third Young Master knew full well how fond he was of that phrase about a general declining orders in the field. Most likely, there wouldn't be a fight. He answered truthfully in a low voice: "He attempted suicide, but I saved him. He's currently quartered two blocks away." "Have someone bring him over," Xu Yuan said. Yuan Hao quietly stepped away to dispatch men, though he remained within Xu Yuan's line of sight. Witnessing this, Xu Xinyao asked in a low voice: "Third Brother, are you planning to silence him?" Xu Yuan shook his head without answering her. Instead, he called out softly: "Sister?" "What is it?" A voice laced with playful reproach rang out beside Xu Yuan, and Lou Ji, bundled in an overcoat, appeared at his side. Xu Yuan smiled faintly at the sight. He had seen this method of concealing one's presence before on Si Ziyu. "Do you still have a human-skin mask on you?" Lou Ji frowned at his words. "You want to give it to that man named Bai Zhao?" Xu Yuan nodded. "Yes." "*Sigh*~" Lou Ji let out a delicate sigh, appearing somewhat reluctant, but agreed nonetheless. "Changtian, you really are a spendthrift. But who told you to call me Sister?~" As she spoke, Lou Ji produced an iron box from her Sumeru ring. Xu Yuan took it. Just then, Lou Ji reminded him with an air of nonchalance: "Changtian, the world is vast. There's no need to leave a liability alive." Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "I know, but I can't bring myself to be that cold-blooded just yet. He isn't like Zhou Xiaohe—he performed a service for us." Following quietly behind Xu Yuan, Xu Xinyao bit her lip, gazing at his back with conflicted eyes. Before long, Bai Zhao was brought over by several soldiers. Yuan Hao tactfully stood at a distance, gazing pensively out over the bustling city of Wanxiang. The moment this middle-aged man with graying temples saw Xu Yuan, he instinctively moved to kneel, but stopped himself and said in a hushed tone: "Did you send for me?" He did not kneel, nor did he address him directly as the Third Young Master, remaining as discreet and measured as ever. Without a word, Xu Yuan casually handed him the box. Seeing this, Lou Ji twitched her lips in heartache, muttering under her breath: "One who doesn't run the household never knows the cost of daily bread..." "......" Xu Yuan cast a deadpan glance at the older woman, who gave a soft huff and turned her head away. Investing such an expensive item in a minor figure was a losing deal, and she was thoroughly displeased. Pulling his gaze back, Xu Yuan stared at the somewhat flustered Bai Zhao and said quietly: "You should recognize what's inside this box." Bai Zhao had seen the box before and had overheard the exquisite, alluring woman beside the Third Young Master. His voice trembled slightly: "A... a mask." Xu Yuan smiled faintly and asked: "So, what is your choice?" Bai Zhao dropped to his knees after all, his body trembling before Xu Yuan: "What virtue or ability does Bai possess to warrant... warrant such grace from you..." Xu Yuan looked down at him, his tone calm: "Bai Zhao, you are a clever man. Putting on this mask, you should know what it entails." "I do..." "Then your choice?" "......" Bai Zhao said nothing. Lowering his head, he bowed deeply and solemnly to Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan smiled faintly: "Bai Zhao died today. Think of a name for yourself and withdraw. Someone will arrange new work for you in time." With that, Xu Yuan waved a hand and walked straight ahead, accompanied by Yuan Hao and Xu Xinyao. Lou Ji did not leave. Instead, she stood beside the kneeling middle-aged man and said in a soft, gentle voice: "Your name is Bai Zhao, right?" "Bai Zhao is already dead, My Lady." Bai Zhao kept his forehead pressed to the ground, not daring to look up. He had likely guessed the identity of the woman accompanying the Third Young Master. "It seems you've figured out who I am?" Lou Ji asked with intrigue. "Lady Lou Ji," Bai Zhao said softly. Crossing her arms over her chest, Lou Ji spoke deliberately: "Quite clever. Since you know who I am, I won't say much more. Do your job well, and whatever you do, don't disappoint Changtian." With that, her voice vanished. After a long time, Bai Zhao slowly rose to his feet and looked toward the figure in the center of the crowd. His fists clenched tightly. Only when the youth had receded into the distance did he bow deeply once more with all his might... After walking some distance, Xu Yuan glanced sideways at Lou Ji beside him and said with a smile: "Sister, don't look at me like that. Taking over these businesses requires a local snake to guide the way, doesn't it?" Lou Ji let out an airy sigh. "What does a gang leader know about running industries?" Xu Yuan looked somewhat surprised. "Haven't you read the intelligence on Bai Zhao?" Lou Ji shrugged, her ample chest swaying. "Big Sister is very busy, you know. Subordinates handle these trivial matters." Xu Yuan chuckled at her response and said: "He really is just a gang leader, but for a gang to conceal more than three thousand men without making a sound, he must have greased palms across several key commanderies nearby. He knows the local lay of the land inside out. Furthermore, fifteen years ago, Bai Zhao ran a merchant guild of no small scale. Unfortunately, because he overstepped his bounds, he was swallowed whole by others, which forced him to settle down honestly in the underground gangs." Without cultivation or background, the more wealth one sat upon, the plumper the leek one appeared to sects and noble clans. Hearing this, Lou Ji asked with a chuckle: "Are you planning to put him in charge of the merchant guilds we seize?" Xu Yuan shook his head: "Of course not. At most, I'll give him a deputy post to test the waters first. How could I hand over so much authority right off the bat? With a local snake like him around, things should go much smoother for the people sent over by Old Master Hua." Lou Ji said with a beaming smile: "You handle things just like your father did back then." Xu Yuan smiled wryly. "Thank you for the compliment, though it leaves a slightly sour taste." "Oh?" Lou Ji laughed all the more cheerfully, linking her arm through his. "It seems our Changtian harbors no small ambitions~" Xu Yuan shrugged, then asked: "Sister, I'm quite curious. With a personality like yours, why have you always served under my father?" In several story paths of *Cangyuan*, Lou Ji had taken her own life following Xu Yinhe's death. Naturally, she wasn't the only one to do so. Hua Hong. Zong Qingsheng. Bai Dai. All of these high-ranking figures in *Cangyuan* had chosen death with a sense of relief upon learning of Xu Yinhe's demise. In his memories, that father of his was, for the most part, merely a silent, smiling figure seen from behind. Lou Ji gave it serious thought. Lowering her eyes, she whispered in a soft voice: "Many reasons, I suppose. Respect for your father's character, admiration for his methods, awe for his brilliance... and, of course, more importantly, he carried our ideal." Xu Yuan fell quiet for a moment. "An ideal... of a world of peace and prosperity?" "Mm." Lou Ji released Xu Yuan, stretched languidly before him, and looked up at the sky. "In the beginning, yes. But now, perhaps we just want to see how far he can lead us. After all, people change." Hearing this, Xu Yuan suddenly lost his voice. Lou Ji tilted her head, leaning in with a playful smile: "Feeling the pressure?" Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and joked: "There's bound to be pressure. If I could, I'd really rather not take over this mess. It's too exhausting." "......" Hearing these joking words, Lou Ji fell silent instead. Seeing her expression, Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He suddenly realized that Lou Ji, as the top figure of the Black Scale Guards, had likely already guessed that something was wrong with Xu Yinhe's health—and his joke just now seemed to have confirmed that suspicion. They met each other's gaze in silence. Neither gave voice to the truth. Lou Ji tapped him on the head with a squinting smile, remarking as if nothing had happened: "You did well this time. Big Sister, as your examiner, is very satisfied~" With that, she glanced up in the direction of the Wanxiang Sect gate, her eyes turning gentle as she looked back at Xu Yuan: "Changtian, you succeeded." As her words fell, an aged voice drifted leisurely from within the city: "Young Master, this old man has arrived to keep our appointment."