Jinting Han people

Below the pavilion, the voices gradually grew louder. Although Liu Xian ordered Huan Yi and his subordinates to do their best to maintain order, the scene still showed signs of spiraling out of control.

The reason for this was that Meng Guan had also entered the Golden Valley Garden and begun to search the treasury of Luoyang's richest man. Although the people of Luoyang had long heard of Shi Chong's wealth, they still couldn't help but feel incredulous when cart after cart of gold, silver, and jewels were pulled out like a flowing river: could such wealth really be possessed by a human being?
To verify the value of the goods, they lit several bonfires on the ground, then piled the confiscated gold and silver in one place, creating a mountain of gold and silver. The firelight illuminated the mountains of gold and silver, making it seem as if the gold and silver themselves were burning. Not to mention the countless precious artifacts such as tortoiseshell, agate, pearls, jade, ivory, and coral, which also shone brilliantly. Here, "wealth comparable to a nation" is not an exaggeration, but a factual statement.

As the amount of confiscated property increased, it was inevitable that some greed would arise in people's hearts. At first, some soldiers couldn't resist touching and stuffing small pieces of gold and silver into their pockets, or secretly slipping some pearls and jade into their sleeves. Even Huan Yi, an official who prided himself on being upright, couldn't help but swallow hard and forcefully suppress his desires.

Before the inventory was even halfway done, valuables worth 50,000 gold coins had already been seized on site. Even the usually stingy Meng Guan was as if in a dream at this moment, and couldn't help but wave his hand and announce: Every soldier present will be rewarded with ten gold coins!
This brought the atmosphere to a climax, and the soldiers present cheered loudly, as if they had been reborn.

However, this commotion had nothing to do with Liu Xian and Jia Mi upstairs; both of them felt that the noise was far removed from their own lives.

Upon meeting, the two couldn't help but scrutinize each other, and after so many years, their appearances had changed considerably.

In his youth, Jia Mi possessed skin as white as snow, eyes as clear as water, and lips as red as flames. Coupled with a thorny smile, he exuded a captivating charm. But now, with age, Jia Mi has lost that allure. His skin has become rough, and his eyes have grown too indifferent. Though still beautiful, he is like a withered flower in autumn, seemingly destined to fade with the autumn wind, attracting little attention.

Liu Xian has changed. In his youth, he was melancholic, occasionally erupting in anger, but mostly silent, which led him to habitually keep his lips tightly closed and his eyes sharp. However, all of that is in the past. Now he is a very gentle person, with warm and bright eyes and a smile on his lips. Although he came up with a sword, his posture was relaxed, as if he were meeting an old friend.

Seeing his appearance, Jia Mi felt a surge of anger. He knew he had already failed. He just never expected to end up in the hands of Liu Xian, a former loser, which made him feel extremely ashamed.

But the tide had turned, what could he do? Jia Mi could only try to preserve his dignity and regain his former smile, mocking Liu Xian, "Isn't this Liu Huaichong who refused to be someone's lackey? How come you've become someone else's lackey today?"

Liu Xian certainly wouldn't get angry over something like this. He laughed and said, "You're still the same. Don't you have any real friends? If someone can't be your lackey, then they're someone else's lackey?"

Jia Mi sneered, "This is just a cruel fact. If a friend isn't even willing to be your lackey, then he's naturally not a true friend."

Liu Xian asked, "What about your lackeys?"

These words stung Jia Mi, causing a look of hatred to flash in his eyes. He said impatiently, "Why waste time talking? You probably want revenge, right? Then come and do it!"

Liu Xian asked again, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Jia Mi said arrogantly, "What's so scary about death? Everyone dies eventually, it's just a matter of sooner or later. What's scary is living a life and accomplishing nothing. Ha, all these years, I've been like an emperor, I can kill whoever I want, humiliate whoever I want, my life is as carefree as a god's. Even if I die, I've already had my fill!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Is it really that fun?"

Jia Mi chuckled sarcastically, "Hypocritical. If it weren't for that, why would you have come to kill me personally?"

Hearing this, Liu Xian no longer hesitated. He drew his sword from his waist, stood in front of Jia Mi, and said, "Well said. In that case, I can't give you a quick death."

"For the sake of the innocent souls under your command, I should skin you alive."

Jia Mi's heart tightened, but he said sarcastically, "I'm afraid you don't have the skill."

“That’s true, then I’ll keep it simple.” Liu Xian brandished his sword, joking, “I’ll chop off your hands and feet first, then give you a final cut to the neck. Are you satisfied with that?”

Jia Mi stopped speaking. He first showed a disdainful expression, then sat down with his back to Liu Xian, indicating that he would let Liu Xian do as he pleased.

With a whoosh, Liu Xian blew out the only lamp in the room. Darkness instantly enveloped the attic, and the only thing that seemed to remain in the room was the faint glint of a sword's edge.

Although Jia Mi spoke confidently, he was actually extremely nervous. In this situation, he felt his heart racing, his whole body sweating, and his hands and feet trembling slightly. The cold light behind him drew closer, pressing against his neck, sending chills down his spine. He dared not turn his head and quickly closed his eyes. But this waiting and torment only intensified his fear, and even his neck seemed to begin to tremble.

The sword's edge left his neck. Jia Mi thought, the next moment would probably be the moment Liu Xian swung his sword. He wondered if Liu Xian intended to cut off his hand first, or his foot?
"Forget it, let's end it sooner rather than later. As long as there's no fear in your heart, death is just a blink of an eye." Jia Mi comforted himself with this thought, but contrary to his wishes, the more he thought about these things, the harder it was for him to find peace. It seemed that every breath he took was extremely agonizing.

Just as he was in this agonizing moment, a sword whistled behind him. The sound of the sword was so fast that it produced a whistling sound as it cut through the air, as if it would pierce him completely in the next second.

it's all over!
When this thought crossed Jia Mi's mind, his whole body stiffened, and he even thought he was dead, filled with regret for the past.

Only at this moment did Jia Mi realize with a start that he still longed to live. Just like his grandfather before his death, he still harbored resentment, regret, fear, and many unfulfilled wishes:
As the true crown prince, he still has so many enemies to defeat and kill. If he were to end it all like this, wouldn't he be making himself a joke?

He also wanted to hold countless literary gatherings, so that all the famous scholars in the world would surround him, worship him with unprecedented admiration, and sing his praises.

Moreover, he had married a woman of unparalleled beauty, yet they had not yet borne him a child. His loving parents were still alive, and he wanted to spend more time with his family; how could he possibly die like this…

As the sword pressed against his neck, Jia Mi felt breathless. A torrent of thoughts seemed to overwhelm his mind, bringing his thoughts to a near-explosion and a standstill. He almost thought he was dead; the numbness and blankness in his body lasted for several breaths. Only when he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air like a drowning person, did Jia Mi realize that his head was still hanging from his neck.

Jia Mi tried to sit up again, but he couldn't. He could only turn his head to look back. To his horror, he found that Liu Xian had already sheathed his sword and was looking at him with pity.

That look filled Jia Mi with shame and anger. With heavy breathing, he finally managed to clear his throat and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why? What are you doing?"

Liu Xian did not answer the question. He said calmly, "Jia Changyuan, it seems that you are not as fearless as you say."

Jia Mi retorted angrily, "So what?"

"Not really." Liu Xian closed his eyes slightly, recalling countless past experiences with Jia Mi, and sighed, "I've just always been curious, how much pleasure do you get from killing so indiscriminately?"

"Heh, you don't like killing?" Jia Mi retorted sarcastically. "I know that dozens of people have already died by your sword." Faced with the accusation, Liu Xian replied, "I don't like killing. What I truly enjoy is the process of fighting with the enemy."

"Then you are indeed not fortunate enough to enjoy it."

Jia Mi finally forced himself to sit up, his face pale, and mocked:
"Only those who can enjoy this happiness can become the masters of human destiny."

Liu Xian opened his eyes again, his pity even stronger. He sighed, "Is that so? So that's what you think."

He paused for a moment, then said, "It seems that compared to Sun Xiu, you've only reached this level."

Liu Xian's words came from the bottom of his heart. For this peer who had had a huge impact on his life, no matter what contempt, resentment, or pain he had in his heart in the past, he was an insurmountable mountain.

But at this moment, Liu Xian has encountered even higher peaks, and what once seemed like insurmountable obstacles in his life have become insignificant ravines. He has crossed them and can calmly say: It's nothing more than that.

But the pity in that sentence was even more obvious, which made Jia Mi inexplicably angry. He was a proud man. Since he became aware of things, he had always been the one to despise and look down on others, just like an eagle playing with its prey, life and death were just a matter of his mind.

But at this moment, he felt the same way from Liu Xian, no, even more so. Liu Xian pitied him, like a giant pitying an ant blown away by the river.

But before he could react, Liu Xian suddenly took a large step forward, startling Jia Mi. Fear and resistance mingled within him, causing him to instinctively step back a few paces, creating distance between himself and Liu Xian once more. He then tried to shout, albeit weakly, "What are you doing?!"

Liu Xian had no interest in continuing the conversation and replied, "Don't worry, I've already killed you, so I won't kill you. I'll pass this problem on to Sun Xiu."

"Then why did you come to see me?" Jia Mi's face was filled with disbelief.

"I'm just here to take something that should belong to me. I know it's with you."

"what?"

"The Serpent-Slaying Sword." Liu Xian held out his hand and said, "This belongs to my family. Please return it to me."

After this earth-shattering statement, the room fell silent again. The noise downstairs grew louder and louder, and the heat outside the window gradually intensified, almost obscuring the moonlight.

Jia Mi chuckled twice, then his expression returned to calm as he asked, "How did you guess?"

"It's a very simple principle. The fire in the armory couldn't have destroyed the Serpent Slayer Sword. Zhang Hua wouldn't have kept the Serpent Slayer Sword for himself, but it just happened to disappear in that fire. There's only one possibility: you wanted to possess it, and it was right there with you."

"Hahaha...you're right." Jia Mi stopped laughing, then said coldly, "Why should I give it to you?"

"Because you cannot refuse, you fear death."

Under Jia Mi's gaze, Liu Xian placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, and Jia Mi's breath caught in his throat. Although unwilling, Jia Mi had to admit that after breaking free of his self-restraint, he truly dared not face death again. He wanted to live even one more night, which left him with no choice but to compromise.

Jia Mi said no more. He got up, staggered to the corner of the wall, and opened the cupboard. He fumbled inside the cupboard to find a hidden compartment, then pulled out an object wrapped in a long strip of yellow cloth, and finally presented it silently to Liu Xian.

Liu Xian hesitated for a moment, then gripped the scabbard with his left hand and the hilt with his right, and pulled it out with force.

With a resounding clang, like a dragon soaring through the air, the sword flew from its sheath, leaping and roaring joyfully in its master's hand as if reunited after a long separation. He held the sword before him; after countless hours of polishing and maintenance, the sword gleamed with a dazzling cold light, faintly tinged with a crimson hue, captivating even in the darkness. The metallic clang of metal echoed in his ears, lingering for a long time.

The Serpent-Slaying Sword, also known as the Crimson Sky Sword, is a legendary sword of imperial power. It is said that when Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, launched his uprising, he used this sword to slay a white serpent and receive divine revelation. Later generations, to commemorate the unparalleled achievements of Emperor Gaozu, decorated the hilt with seven-colored beads and nine-colored jade, and used five-colored glass for the sword case.

The sword case is now lost, but everything else is as rumored. Liu Xian gently stroked the two large seal characters "Chixiao" on the sword, thinking to himself: This is the founding sword of the Han Dynasty, which lasted for four hundred years.

Initially, it was just an ordinary sword, but after experiencing the legendary life of Emperor Gaozu, it also became dazzling and magnificent. People regarded it as a symbol of the Mandate of Heaven, placing it on par with the Imperial Seal of the State.

Now, it has returned to Liu Xian's hands.

Liu Xian sheathed his sword, hung it at his waist, and without looking at Jia Mi again, turned and went downstairs without hesitation. Although the person upstairs was not dead yet, death was actually the best outcome for him; the consequences of surviving would probably be worse than death.

Liu Xian heard about Jia Mi's true fate later when he returned to Luoyang. It was said that the Jia Mi publicly beheaded was not the real Jia Mi. In the dungeon of Sun Xiu's prime minister's residence, there was a handsome man with his tongue cut out. He was mentally unstable and sometimes could write with his fingers. After Sun Xiu was killed, he was released and begged on the streets. People suspected he was Duke Lu, Jia Mi, but dared not believe it, and no one recognized him. Later, when Luoyang fell, he disappeared without a trace…

Liu Xian opened the door, and the commotion outside had turned into a frenzy. Most of the armored soldiers were gathered around the confiscated wealth, dividing the gold and silver jewels while drinking the fine wine of the Golden Valley Garden, fantasizing about a future of extravagant wealth. Some maids and servants who hadn't yet left were already being teased and defiled. Even worse, some had set fire to the Golden Valley Garden, burning the wooden platforms they couldn't take with them but coveted to ashes.

Seeing this scene, Liu Xian frowned, but fortunately no one seemed to notice him.

Liu Xian removed his armor, walked through the bustling crowd, mounted his feathered horse, and hurried to the entrance of Jingu Garden. The guards there were still Liu Xian's own men. Liu Xian said to them, "Jia Mi has been captured. Keep a close watch on him. I'm going to Luoyang to meet the Emperor and report your achievements to him."

The guards, naturally without suspicion, waved and let Liu Xian leave.

After leaving Jingu Garden without changing his expression, Liu Xian did not linger. He quickly spurred his horse and turned north on the official road, heading straight for Beiman Mountain.

Until they reach the ferry crossing, it's not over yet. (End of Chapter)