Wandering Swordsman |

Count Casio's hand holding the wine glass suddenly froze, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"Take his head..."

If anyone else had said this, the Earl would have scoffed and thought it was the ravings of a madman.

But these words came from Hua Tianyou's mouth, and coupled with his terrifyingly swift movements in the council hall, the count couldn't muster the slightest doubt!

In that instant, Count Cassio felt both icy cold and his blood boiling.

Looking at his grandson's composed profile, only one thought crossed his mind: 'Yes...how could I forget? My grandson is not some lamb to the slaughter, but a tiger capable of tearing a lion apart.'

For the rest of the time, Casio did not discuss power struggles or worry about the future; instead, there were only whispers of clinking glasses and occasional bursts of laughter.

The laughter was initially a bit awkward, like rusty gears starting to turn again, but gradually, it was like a spring breeze, melting away years of frost.

......

Time flies like sand slipping through your fingers; three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

These three days were the most "human" days Henella had lived since returning to Marseille.

She used to be like a walking corpse.

Every day, she would dress in mourning clothes and sit quietly before the tomb of Hua Shenyong outside the city, sometimes for an entire day. Her world was gray, filled only with endless sorrow and regret.

But now, she has forgotten about that tombstone.

In the early morning, sunlight streams into the courtyard, and Hanila, holding Hua Tianyou's hand, strolls through the markets of Marseille like a little girl. She points to the colorful fabrics and sweet pastries, her eyes sparkling with a long-lost light.

"Tianyou, look at this little gadget, it was your favorite toy when you were a kid."

"Tianyou, do you like this silver fox fur coat? I'll have a tailor make one for you. It's cold up north, so don't get cold."

"Tianyou, slow down, wait for your mother..."

She was no longer the taciturn countess, but an ordinary mother who talked incessantly, always worried that she wasn't giving her son enough.

Her smile grew wider and wider, and the wrinkles around her eyes were brimming with happiness.

She would personally cook and bake plate after plate of desserts, filling Hua Tianyou's temporary room, as if she wanted to turn the debt of the past twenty years into icing sugar and sweeten her son's heart.

Hua Tianyou was also immersed in this long-lost warmth. He let his mother do as she pleased, eating the sickeningly sweet pastries and listening to her nagging, the softest part of his heart being repeatedly touched.

Count Casio watched with delight. He often stood in the shadows of the veranda, watching the mother and daughter stroll in the garden, and tears streamed down his face as he looked at his daughter's face, now radiant with renewed life.

Count Casio even began to fantasize that perhaps things would be fine this way. As long as his family could stay together peacefully, he would be content even without titles or lands, even as commoners.

However, fate never allows happiness to linger.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the sun was shining brightly. Heinila was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, sewing a small garment while watching Hua Tianyou practice his sword in the yard.

Sword light flashed like a ribbon, silver rainbow pierced the sun, Hua Tianyou's figure moved swiftly under the flowering trees, every movement was fluid and breathtakingly beautiful.

Just then, a series of rapid and heavy hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the Earl's mansion.

The sound was neither the lightheartedness of merchants nor the chaotic noise of commoners, but a uniform, menacing sound with a metallic boom.

Like the chariot of death, it was crushing through the quiet streets, heading straight for the Earl's mansion.

Hua Tianyou sheathed his sword and stood there, his brows slightly furrowed. He recognized the voices as those of heavily armored cavalry, and quite a few of them.

Henila also stopped her needlework, a hint of unease appearing on her face.

Not long after, a servant of Count Casio's household arrived in the courtyard, pale-faced with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, as if a vicious dog was chasing him.

"Young Master Tianyou! The Vatican... the Vatican has arrived! The Earl wants me to summon you to the main hall!" The servant, breathless, immediately informed Hua Tianyou of the important news.

Hua Tianyou frowned slightly upon hearing this, his silvery-white eyes appearing particularly cold in the sunlight: "The Vatican? Which members of the Vatican are here?"

"It's...it's the English branch of the Papacy! Cardinal Silas...and his deacon Augustine! They brought dozens of inquisitors and stormed into the Earl's mansion!" The servant's voice trembled, his eyes filled with fear.

The gentle smile on Hua Tianyou's face froze instantly.

His fingers unconsciously tightened. He recalled the sinister look in the Marquis Henry's eyes when he left a few days ago, and he immediately understood—the cardinal's arrival must be related to the Marquis Henry.

"Is Grandpa in danger?" Hua Tianyou's voice was eerily calm, as if he were asking about the weather today.

"The Earl is meeting with them..." Before the servant could finish speaking, Hua Tianyou had already stepped forward.

His steps were steady, each one seemingly in time with his heartbeat. His dark robe fluttered in the wind, and his face, so much like Hua Shenyong's, now held no trace of the tenderness of a traveler returning home, only the cold sternness of someone who had been through countless battles.

The atmosphere inside the council chamber was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.

Count Casio stood in the hall, his back ramrod straight despite his advanced age.

Before him, Cardinal Silas sat in the main seat, his withered face expressionless, his hand holding a string of rosary beads made of human bone, which made a soft "click, click" sound, each sound like a tapping on the Count's heart.

"Your Excellency," Count Cassio forced a stiff smile, suppressing his anger, "what brings you here? If my city of Marseille has failed in its hospitality..."

"Shut up!" Silas suddenly opened his eyes, a sinister glint flashing in his turbid pupils, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

He didn't give Casio a chance to explain, interrupting him directly: "Casio, I received intelligence that heretics are hiding in your city of Marseille! As a count, you not only failed to eradicate them, but also shielded and condoned them. Do you know what crime this is?"

The air in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point.

Count Casio's smile froze completely. He could see clearly that Silas was determined to cause trouble today. The so-called "intelligence" and "heresy" were nothing but a fig leaf to cover up their fabricated accusations.

"Your Excellency," Count Cassio took a deep breath, his voice suddenly turning cold, "my Cassio family has been devout followers of the Papacy for generations, and our annual offerings have never been lacking. If you accuse me of harboring heresy, please provide evidence! Otherwise, I have the right to appeal to His Holiness the Pope; you are slandering me!"

"Evidence?" Silas sneered, his smile filled with contempt and arrogance. He looked at Casio as if he were watching an ant making a futile struggle.

"Augustine, show him the evidence." Silas leaned back lazily in his chair, as if he could already see Casio kneeling and begging for mercy.