Chapter 113: Facing the Moon’s Shadow

Little Luo Xu's chest ached, and each swing of his sword was less fierce than the last. Seeing an opportunity, Yafu immediately commanded, "Take his Heavenly Silver Order! As long as I’m here, he still doesn’t count as the legitimate Imperial Lord!"

Luo Xu didn't back down. "The chain and the Silver Order are both in my possession. If I’m not the Imperial Lord, then who is? You? Or perhaps you?"

His sharp gaze swept across the faces of those present, causing many to lower their heads in shame, unable to meet his eyes. The Old Foster Father shouted, "I was entrusted by the late Imperial Lord with the authority to discipline the current Lord. It’s within my right to take the Heavenly Silver Order from him. And if necessary, I have the power to imprison or punish him! What are you all waiting for? Seize it! Anyone who hesitates will meet the same fate as this man!"

With those words, Yafu raised his sword and decapitated a nearby armoured soldier. The rest, seeing this, no longer dared to harbour any sentiments of old loyalties and rushed forward in unison. Luo Xu, alone and outnumbered, no longer sparred with Yafu. However, he refused to show weakness and declared, "The Silver Order hangs around my neck. Today, I want to see who can take it from me!"

The window shone white as moonlight, sharp as a blade, sliced through the shadows, making the figures appear thin and faint. Yafuwas about to take advantage of the chaos to seize the Imperial Lord when he suddenly saw a hand resting on Luo Xu’s silver hair. The hand was both ordinary and extraordinary—five fingers, long and pale, no more and no less—but what made it remarkable was the chain with the "manji" symbol entwined between the fingers. Everyone in the room recognised this chain; it was one of the symbols of the Lord of the Heavenly Sea.

Yafu demanded, "Who dares to snatch the Imperial Lord’s chain‽"

Luo Xu responded, "Old fool, are you blind? That’s not mine!"

Ming Zhuo, slightly pressing Luo Xu’s head down, remarked, "If it’s not yours, should I throw it away?"

Luo Xu, his hair tousled and now looking dishevelled, felt embarrassed and couldn’t even focus on the intense pain in his chest. Irritated, he retorted, "What are you doing? Of course, it's not mine. Mine—mine is right here!"

On the hand holding his sword, a similar chain adorned his wrist. Apart from the size, it was identical to the one in Ming Zhuo's hand. Ming Zhuo, uninterested in examining it closely, replied, "Your things are mine, so it doesn’t matter where they are placed. Old fool, what was it you said? That you have the late Imperial Lord’s mandate to punish the current Lord?"

The candles in the hall had gone out, leaving only the cold moonlight spilling onto the floor. Ming Zhuo, who had been standing in the shadows, now bent slightly over, holding down Luo Xu’s head. He looked like a panther emerging from a frigid night, with eyes as sharp as blades, making everyone’s bones ache.

Yafu gripped the sword at his waist, saying, "Your face is unfamiliar. You’re not from the Heavenly Sea."

Ming Zhuo replied, "You only need to answer me: how do you intend to punish him?"

Seeing Ming Zhuo’s calm demeanour, Yafu, sensing he might have some backing, tightened his grip on his sword and glanced to the side. "The Heavenly Sea has its own rules. Matters among us should not be meddled in by outsiders. You ask how I intend to punish the Imperial Lord? Naturally, I’ll follow the rules of the Heavenly Sea."

Yafu was a cunning old man. Uncertain of Ming Zhuo's origins, he chose his words carefully to stall for time. Ming Zhuo said, "There’s only one rule in Peidu: the Heavenly Sea cannot override Peidu, so there can only be one rule here as well."

Yafu clasped his hands together in a respectful gesture, speaking politely, "So you’re from Peidu? If that’s the case, you should know that the Lord of Peidu ordered me to properly educate the Imperial Lord. My friend, I’ll give you a chance since you might not know the full story. Hand over the chain now, and you can leave here unharmed."

But Luo Xu interrupted, "What rule?"

Ming Zhuo replied, "What do you think?"

Luo Xu glanced up at Ming Zhuo. Due to the way Ming Zhuo was holding him and their difference in height, he could only see Ming Zhuo’s chin. Blood droplets from his forehead dripped onto the bridge of his nose, yet he didn’t blink. "I understand. What you mean is, I am the singular rule over the Heavenly Sea. What I say goes."

Ming Zhuo, hinting at something, said, "So domineering even as a child. Who knows what you'll be like when you grow up."

Yafu, undeterred by the lack of response, continued, "That chain is the Imperial Lord’s possession and holds great significance for the Heavenly Sea. It cannot be decided by the Imperial Lord alone. If you refuse to return it, I’ll have to act."

Ming Zhuo replied, "Repeat what you just said to me."

Luo Xu caught on and commanded, "I didn’t permit you to enter. Get out!"

Ming Zhuo laughed heartily as if finding it all amusing. "You’ve lost your grandeur since shrinking. You tell them to leave, but none of them are listening. Imperial Lord, Imperial Lord—"

He savoured the title as if mocking the absent one. Luo Xu said, "You’re making fun of me."

Ming Zhuo asked, "You want to set rules, but no one is listening to you. What will you do?"

Luo Xu replied, "Nothing I can do."

Ming Zhuo lifted his chin slightly, gesturing, "How is there nothing you can do? There’s a simple path: you walk forward, and whoever doesn’t listen, you kill them. If one doesn’t obey, kill one. If two don’t obey, kill both."

He smiled as he spoke, but his words made Yafu’s expression change slightly. Yafu exclaimed, "What nonsense! Which of the wise and virtuous rulers would be so bloodthirsty..."

Luo Xu took a step forward, continuing to walk. His sword remained unsheathed, forcing those in front of him to step back. Just as he was about to reach the door, Yafu steeled himself and ordered, "What are you waiting for? Seize him!"

Suddenly, a bright light filled the hall, revealing a forbidden formation. The Old Foster Father, unsure of Ming Zhuo’s background, had been signalling his trusted aides earlier with a glance. He declared, "I invited the Imperial Lord out, but since he refused, then none of us will be leaving this hall!"

Luo Xu was about to speak when he suddenly felt warmth on his back—it was Ming Zhuo pushing against his spine. He remained composed and said to Yafu, "Step aside!"

Yafu replied, "The Imperial Lord won’t listen to me, yet he’ll follow this man? I think—"

But before he could finish, a sword slashed across his throat, and blood spurted out. Yafu didn’t expect to die so swiftly, his eyes filled with disbelief. He gasped for breath, his thoughts still unprocessed before he collapsed with a heavy pūtōng.

The hall fell silent. Yafu had been a respected elder of the Heavenly Sea and the late Imperial Lord’s right-hand man. With his sudden death, the armoured soldiers lost their leader and were gripped by fear. Without further resistance, they all stepped aside, allowing Luo Xu to walk out.

Outside, the snow fell heavily, blanketing everything in white. As Luo Xu descended the steps, he suddenly collapsed onto the ground with a pūtōng. The wind tousled his hair, and despite the cold of the Heavenly Sea, he was sweating profusely.

Ming Zhuo asked, "Are you about to die?"

Luo Xu clutched his chest, seemingly in great pain. "...Carry me."

Ming Zhuo was taken aback. "What did you say?"

Luo Xu gritted his teeth, "You said I am the rule of law!"

Ming Zhuo crouched down, poking Luo Xu’s face with a finger, "What, if I don’t listen to you, are you going to bite me? You’re quite the handful, both grown and as a child."

Luo Xu replied, "What grown, what child... If you won’t carry me, then leave me here to freeze to death..."

Ming Zhuo said, "Then go ahead and freeze to death."

Luo Xu’s chest pain intensified, "You're from Peidu, right? Have you ever seen that Crown Prince?"

Ming Zhuo answered, "I have. Do you have something to say to him?"

Luo Xu, with snow seeping into his collar and his face still smeared with blood, replied with a hint of resentment, "Tell him to hide well, don’t let me catch him..."

His pain worsened, and soon he fell into a delirious state, his consciousness fading. In his hazy state, it seemed he was being lifted.

Ming Zhuo dragged Luo Xu along, pulling the cloak over his head with a motion that could hardly be called gentle. He wanted to move but was unsure of where to go. As he pondered, a thought struck him: if everything that had just happened was something Luo Xu had experienced before, how did Luo Xu escape back then without his help?

After a moment of contemplation, Ming Zhuo turned back and took a closer look at the bedchamber behind him. The door stood ominously dark, with blood flowing out from inside, spreading across the steps like a web. A trail of footprints led directly to where he stood—footprints that Luo Xu had just made.

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