Wandering Swordsman |

This sudden news made the air in the council chamber feel like solidified grease, heavy and oppressive. The tense atmosphere that had been building up to confrontation fell into a deathly silence upon the arrival of the "envoy from the Tsarist Empire".

In the suffocating silence, three figures appeared like silhouettes at the massive arched entrance of the council hall. The last rays of the setting sun slanted in from behind them, casting three long, sharp shadows on the polished marble floor.

The leader strode in like a lion entering a flock of sheep. He was tall and imposing, clad in the distinctive black and gold-trimmed armor of the Tsarist Empire, with a heavy knight's longsword at his waist. His face, as if sculpted by the cold wind and sand, possessed a resolute and hardened line, especially his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, which, as they swept across the room, carried an iron-blooded pressure of someone who had seen it all before.

"I am Thorne," his voice deep and resonant, like two rough rocks rubbing together, each word carrying undeniable weight, "a Knight Commander under Duke Odin of the Tsarist Empire." He looked directly at Count Cassio, nodded slightly, and spoke with a hint of nostalgia, "I had the honor of meeting you, Count, when I escorted your daughter back to Marseille. I wonder if, with the passage of time, you still remember me?"

Count Cassio's grip on the armrest loosened slightly, a flicker of surprise and uncertainty crossing his cloudy old eyes. Thorne! Odin's right-hand man! Why was he here? Friend or foe? Countless thoughts raced through the Count's mind, but he maintained his noble composure: "Sir Thorne… I certainly remember him. But what is the purpose of your visit, Sir?"

Thorne's lips, usually as hard as a rock, curved into a barely perceptible smile—a rare occurrence at this moment. He didn't answer, but silently stepped aside, making room for him behind him, his movement carrying an almost reverent respect.

At that moment, it was as if the spotlight on the stage had suddenly turned on.

A tall, slender figure slowly emerged from behind Thorne. He wore a long, silver-white robe, the hem of which swayed gently in the breeze that swept through the hall, like flowing water formed from condensed moonlight.

That face was so handsome it was almost otherworldly, yet it also possessed a captivatingly aloof quality.

The moment Count Casio's gaze fell upon that face, his pupils contracted sharply, and his breath caught in his throat.

so similar.

It was as if time had reversed, forcibly pulling the son-in-law, whom he had only met once, out of the abyss of his memory.

The curve of his brow bone, the straightness of his nose, even the aloofness outlined in his lips, were exactly the same as Hua Shenyong back then! It was as if they were cast from the same mold in the furnace of time, only the young man in front of them had less vicissitudes and more of a frost-like coldness.

"Grandpa," Hua Tianyou's voice was clear and cold, like jade striking each other, breaking the deathly silence.

He didn't exchange any pleasantries. His eyes, so like his father's, burned with an almost obsessive longing. "Excuse me, Mother, where is Henila now?"

That cry of "Grandpa" was like a thunderclap, exploding in Count Cassio's heart.

In an instant, all doubts and considerations were cast aside.

Count Casio's wrinkled face instantly lit up with the ecstatic joy of something lost and found.

"Quick! Go! Bring Henella here!" Count Cassio turned around abruptly and almost shouted these words to the servants behind him, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't even glance at the Marquis Henry standing to the side, leaving this powerful member of the imperial family like an eyesore in the cold air.

The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop to freezing point at that moment.

The Marquis Henry's expression was a fascinating mix, from bewilderment at being ignored to annoyance at being overshadowed, and finally to a sinister sneer.

He suddenly raised his hand and clapped his hands slowly and deliberately. The crisp applause echoed in the empty hall, carrying a kind of mockery that made people extremely uncomfortable.

"Congratulations, truly congratulations!" Marquis Henry strode out, his gaze sweeping over Hua Tianyou, a hint of contempt and calculation flashing in his eyes. In his view, although the young man was handsome, his eyes were too innocent, clearly a naive and uneducated youth. Since gentle persuasion hadn't worked, he'd try reverse psychology, to see what kind of trouble this kid could stir up!

A fake smile played on his lips as he walked up to Hua Tianyou and said in a tone as if he were inspecting his own property, "You're Hainila's son? Not bad, you're quite presentable. If I marry your mother in the future, you'll be my stepson. How about that? This status is much better than your mysterious, dead father, isn't it?"

The words "dead father" were like four red-hot steel needles, piercing Hua Tianyou's eardrums.

Hua Tianyou, who had been standing still like a pine tree, suddenly became blurry!

Without warning, without a sound, and without anyone even seeing how he moved.

A silvery-white afterimage flashed across the hall, so fast it seemed like a mere illusion lingering on the retina.

Marquis Henry felt a blur before his eyes, and then a chill ran down his neck.

A long sword was already firmly pressed against his left shoulder, its tip even piercing through the luxurious fabric and touching his skin, bringing a chilling sense of impending death.

Hua Tianyou's incomparably handsome face was now close at hand, yet it was colder than ten-thousand-year-old ice.

His eyes churned with a storm powerful enough to freeze the soul, and his voice was so deep it seemed to come from the depths of hell: "You... say it again."

At the same time, "Hiss—!"

Dozens of gasps erupted in the council chamber.

The guards brought by the Marquis of Henry seemed to wake from a dream, and they all drew their swords, emitting a series of piercing sword cries.

They were horrified to discover that their skills, which they were so proud of, were like those of a toddler learning to walk in front of this young man.

Before they could even react, their master had already become a lamb to the slaughter!

Marquis Henry's body stiffened like a piece of wood, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner shirt.

He could clearly feel the killing intent contained in the tip of the sword. It wasn't a threat, but a pure killing intent that wanted to tear him to pieces!

Looking into Hua Tianyou's bloodshot eyes, he felt an overwhelming fear surge within him for the first time. This wasn't a young man; this was clearly an ancient, ferocious beast whose wrath had been provoked!

"Madman! This kid is a complete madman! He really dares to kill me!" Marquis Henry's mind screamed wildly, all his calculations and arrogance were crushed in this moment.

He had no doubt that if he dared to utter another word, the sword would not hesitate to sever his head.

"Put...put it away! All of you, get out of here!" The Marquis Henry's voice trembled uncontrollably as he roared hysterically at his guards, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Misunderstanding...it's a misunderstanding! I...I was just joking! Young man, it was just a joke, why take it so seriously?"

However, Hua Tianyou seemed not to hear his pleas for mercy at all. His gaze had already passed over Marquis Henry's stiff shoulders and landed on the figure that had suddenly appeared at the entrance of the council hall.

Time stood still at this moment.

Casio Henella stood in the doorway, sunlight streaming in from behind her, gilding her with a soft golden hue.

Time has left faint marks on her, but it cannot conceal the deep-seated gentleness and sorrow within her.

In Hua Tianyou's eyes, there was no longer any sword, no longer any enemy, no longer any worldly thing.

With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed his longsword, which emitted a clear, melodious sound. Then, like a gust of wind sweeping across the plains, he instantly passed by Marquis Henry, so fast that he didn't even stir the hem of his clothes.

"Mother!"