The smile on Daziel's face froze.
Yunli's plea for help was filled with the crushing, helpless despair of a little girl.
"Something unacceptable?" he repeated under his breath, his knuckles rubbing restlessly against his phone's casing, making a faint sound.
What could have happened?
March 7th's eyes immediately caught the instantaneous shift in Daziel's expression.
"Daziel, what's wrong? Whose message made you so tense?" Her head tilted as she leaned in, her eyes full of curiosity.
Daziel quickly composed himself, slipping the phone away, though the sharp glint in his eyes had not faded.
"A… friend. A silly little girl who's gotten into some trouble."
He stood up, deliberately slowing his speech, trying to downplay the matter.
"Little March, you sit here for a bit, or go wander around. I have something urgent to attend to. I'll be right back."
Hearing this, March 7th's eyes darted around, looking Daziel up and down with suspicion. Her pink lips pursed in a pout of dissatisfaction.
"Urgent business? You're just off to find another new sister, aren't you!" March placed her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out in a cute expression that said she had him all figured out. "You left me all alone during that huge mess back on Penacony, and I'll let that slide! But you want to ditch me again? Hmph, not a chance!"
March 7th's tone was filled with an unyielding resolve, her small chin tilted up defiantly.
Daziel helplessly rubbed the bridge of his nose. As carefree as March usually was, the little girl's intuition was sometimes frighteningly sharp. It was as absurd as the time she had first met the Phantylia-disguised Tingyun and subconsciously declared that "the first person we meet is the mastermind." He had originally wanted to handle this alone to avoid complications.
"It's not what you think. The situation is a bit complex," Daziel attempted to explain.
"Hmph!" March 7th snorted, not buying his explanation at all. "Don't give me that! I don't care if it's complex or not, you're not shaking me off today!" She took a step forward and tightly gripped the corner of Daziel's shirt, terrified he would slip away. Her big, watery eyes were filled with the threat of "if you don't take me, I'll cry."
Seeing her like this, Daziel felt a mix of exasperation and amusement, but mostly helplessness.
"Alright, alright, you win. We'll go together." He sighed, finally relenting.
Only then did March 7th's expression break into a brilliant smile.
The location Yunli had sent pointed to a secluded courtyard on the edge of the Xianzhou Yaoqing. The courtyard walls were mottled and covered in green moss, exuding an air of desolate neglect.
Daziel pushed open the unlatched wooden gate. A wave of damp, cool air rushed out to meet them, mixed with the faint, musty scent of decaying plants.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, the stone path winding towards a small pavilion.
The pavilion window was ajar, revealing the faint flicker of candlelight within.
March 7th followed closely behind Daziel, curiously looking around.
"This place is so remote. That Yunli person you mentioned… why would she meet us in a place like this? It's not for something shady, is it?" she whispered, her voice laced with a hint of vigilance.
Daziel didn't answer, walking straight towards the pavilion.
Just as he stepped onto the creaking wooden stairs, a small figure rushed out from inside. The figure was as fast as a frightened rabbit, carrying a heart-wrenching air of panic.
"Daziel! Bro!" Yunli's voice was thick with tears and a nasal tone, heard long before she was seen.
She was barefoot, her pale feet treading on the cold stone steps. The cyan dress she wore was disheveled and stained with dirt. A head of azure hair was loose and messy, with a few strands clinging to her pale little face. Her once-bright eyes were now swollen and red, brimming with tears.
She threw herself into Daziel's arms without a second thought.
Yunli's small body trembled violently in his embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Hot tears streamed down her face, soaking the front of his shirt.
March 7th stood to the side, utterly dumbfounded by the sudden scene. Her mouth fell slightly open, a flash of astonishment and complex emotions crossing her eyes. Then, her wide eyes narrowed dangerously, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the tightly embracing Yunli and Daziel.
March 7th's tone was full of hostility, each word seeming to be squeezed from between her teeth, overflowing with a jealousy that was about to erupt into a full-blown tirade.
Just then, Yunli lifted her head slightly from Daziel's chest. Her tear-streaked face looked towards the furious March 7th.
While sobbing, she tried to speak clearly, her voice still hoarse from crying.
"Wh-what's wrong? Bro… this… is this pretty big sister… your official girlfriend?"
With a hint of curiosity, she carefully sized up March 7th, her small, delicate nose twitching slightly as if sniffing something.
Yunli seemed completely oblivious to the rage that was practically radiating from March 7th.
March, who had been simmering with a bellyful of anger and had a whole speech of accusations ready to interrogate Daziel with, was completely stunned by Yunli's sudden compliment. The words were stuck in her throat, making her extremely uncomfortable.
"Huh? Me… me?" March 7th couldn't believe her ears, subconsciously pointing a finger at herself.
Among all the women around Daziel she had met, every single one of them was proud and conceited. To meet someone like Yunli, who so directly and sincerely complimented her looks upon first meeting, was a first in history!
Two adorable blushes crept onto March 7th's pale cheeks, and the tense, confrontational atmosphere instantly dissipated. She awkwardly scratched the back of her head, but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning up in a shy little smile.
Daziel watched this dramatic, theatrical turn of events, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
He gently patted Yunli's still-trembling back and spoke in a steady, calming tone.
"Alright, Yunli, stop crying. Calm down and tell us what happened. What scared you so much?"
His voice was deep and magnetic, carrying a strange, reassuring power that could seemingly smooth over any panic.
"You said in your message that you encountered something unacceptable. Specifically… what was it?"
Yunli sniffled hard, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but her uncooperative tears still fell like broken strings of pearls. Her small hands still gripped Daziel's sleeve tightly, her knuckles white from the force.
"It's… it's about this Martial Exhibition…" her voice was incredibly hoarse. "I… I only just found out today… the final… the final prize for the exhibition… is… it's a Demon Sword!"
When she said the words "Demon Sword," Yunli's small body began to tremble violently again. Her tear-filled eyes showed extreme resistance and disgust.
Hearing this, the little bit of smugness on March 7th's face vanished, replaced by intense curiosity.
"That sounds so cool and powerful! What kind of sword gets to be called a Demon Sword?"
Yunli took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
"A sword forged by infusing it with Heliobus essence, allowing one to master superb sword skills without training—that is a Demon Sword. This kind of sword carries a demonic nature."
"And… and the one who forges these Demon Swords… is a craftsman named Hanguang… He… he is my father."
As these words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.
March 7th's jaw dropped even wider, her mind a chaotic mess.
"Your… your dad is the one who makes Demon Swords?" March 7th's voice stammered.
Yunli nodded heavily, her eyes filled with an irresolvable sorrow.
"Hanguang… my father… obsessed with the vanity of being a master swordsmith, he frantically tested the boundaries of absolute taboos at any cost."
"He… he personally forged hundreds… no, more… so many more Demon Swords that should never have existed in this world."
"And those who sought the swords, their hearts filled with twisted desires and a thirst for great power, swarmed to him from all directions like ants to honey."
Every word she spoke seemed to take all her strength, her voice hoarse and strained, filled with endless pain.
"Until… until that day…"
Yunli's voice suddenly became low and hollow, her eyes losing focus as if she were instantly plunged into a terrifying, bloody nightmare.
All surrounding sounds seemed to vanish, replaced by a dead silence, leaving only her rapid, trembling breaths, which were frighteningly clear in the quiet air.
"I remember… all the noisy sounds… were filtered out as if by a thick curtain… Only… only the crack of bones being shattered…"
"And the squelch of blood gushing from bodies… was infinitely amplified… amplified… and amplified again—"
Her eyes were vacant, her pupils constricting in extreme fear, as if she were once again back in that living hell of scattered corpses and rivers of blood.
"I… at that time… I couldn't take a single step… My feet felt like they were nailed to the ground…"
"It was Mother… Mother pushed me with all her might out of the way of a Demon Sword that was chopping down… Only then… only then could I stumble and… run…"
Fresh tears streamed down her colorless cheeks like broken pearls once more. The tears were ice-cold, yet they carried a heart-searing heat.
"I only remember… I only remember the sound of my heart, pounding so hard it was about to leap out of my chest… and… and my breathing, so rapid I was about to suffocate…"
"I heard… I heard the craftsmen uncles from the Flamewheel Forge Palace… they were screaming their lungs out, over and over, 'Yunli! Yunli, run! Don't look back! Run!'"
"And… and countless… countless screams… those heart-wrenching, utterly desperate screams… one after another… endlessly…"
Her small hand clutched Daziel's sleeve so tightly her knuckles turned a terrifying shade of white, as if she would tear the fabric apart.
"My tears… I couldn't wipe my tears away… they wouldn't stop… I couldn't see anything… everything was a blur of crimson…"
"My breathing got faster… I ran slower and slower… and then… then I fell hard… into a… a pool of cold, sticky blood…"
That pool of blood was the deepest, most indelible nightmare of her childhood, cold and viscous, haunting her day and night.
March 7th listened quietly to Yunli's blood-soaked testimony, her pink fists clenched tight without her realizing it. This small, delicate girl before her carried such a deep-seated grudge, such a suffocating past on her slender shoulders.
"Hanguang… he reaped what he sowed, a fitting end for his crimes! But the catastrophic trouble he created, those blood-soaked Demon Swords, they cannot be allowed to continue to plague the world!" Yunli's voice, after the extreme grief, revealed a startlingly cold resolve.
That resolve was like tempered steel, carrying an unyielding determination.
"According to the secret records of the Flamewheel Forge Palace, there are a total of one thousand three hundred and eighty-two named and traceable Heliobus Demon Swords forged by Hanguang in his lifetime!"
"Among them, one hundred and eighty-two are particularly bizarre in form and exceptionally domineering in their malevolent power!"
Every number that left her lips was like a red-hot carving knife, cruelly etching new bloody marks onto her bleeding heart, a pain that pierced her soul.
"From the day I entered the Flamewheel Forge Palace, received the teachings of my masters, and learned the art of sword-forging, I made a blood oath before the ancestral tablets—"
"In this life, I will hunt down every single Heliobus Demon Sword made by Hanguang, leaving none behind!"
"To this day, I have personally tracked, seized, and successfully sealed three hundred and twelve Demon Swords."
"And the one currently hanging as the final prize of the Martial Exhibition is the three hundred and thirteenth one I have been tracking!"
She suddenly lifted her teary eyes, filled with a desperate plea, and stared fixedly at the calm-faced Daziel.
March 7th gasped, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Three hundred and twelve!
Behind that simple number, how much unknown hardship, how many life-and-death struggles were hidden!
She looked at Yunli's still-slender shoulders in disbelief, unable to imagine how this seemingly delicate body had shouldered such a mountain of bloody vengeance and endless pursuit all alone.
If I still feel jealous over Daziel now, am I even human?
The bit of unhappiness and jealousy she had felt towards Daziel was instantly washed away by this cruel truth, vanishing without a trace.
In its place came a deep, tidal wave of shock, and a kind of…
A kind of almost reverent admiration.
"You… you…" March 7th's voice trembled uncontrollably, even taking on a nasal tone, a physiological reaction to the strong emotional impact.
She uncontrollably took a step forward, reached out, and gently, carefully took Yunli's ice-cold, lifeless hand.
"You… you are just… too incredible!"
March 7th's eyes instantly turned red, tears welling up as her voice filled with unprecedented sincerity.
"All alone… to face so many terrifying Demon Swords that sound horrifying just hearing about them, and to track them down year after year…?"
For a moment, she found that her limited vocabulary had no words to accurately describe Yunli's actions.
"You are really… really amazing! So much braver than many people I've met on my journey!" March 7th nodded vigorously, as if trying to convey all her affirmation and praise through the action. "To have experienced such a tragic past, yet still hold so firmly to your beliefs, Yunli, you are super awesome!"
She quickly covered Yunli's hand with her other one, holding it tightly.
"Don't be afraid, Yunli. From now on, you have us by your side."
"No matter how cool or powerful that Demon Sword is, we will find a way to help you!"
Yunli felt the unfamiliar yet incredibly sincere warmth from the back of her hand. Through her tear-blurred vision, she slowly looked up and met March 7th's clear eyes, which were full of concern and encouragement.
A wave of warmth spread through her heart, quickly reaching every limb. The uncontrollable sobs also gradually subsided.
"Thank you… thank you… pretty big sister. Although I might be older than you, since I got on Daziel's bed after you, I'll call you big sister…"
Daziel stood by, watching the two girls, momentarily at a loss for words.
He clearly remembered that just moments ago, Little March had been on high alert, her attitude towards Yunli filled with hostility.
The minds of girls are truly as deep and unfathomable as a needle at the bottom of the sea.
Yunli sniffled hard. Her emotions, soaked in tears and sorrow, had finally calmed down a little with March 7th's comfort.
"I… I lost control at the Sword Gifting Ceremony today and caused a huge scene… and then… then they kicked me out of the venue."
"From the looks of it, they definitely won't let me participate in the upcoming Martial Exhibition."
Her little face fell, filled with dejection, helplessness, and deep grievance.
She had thought she could rely on her own strength to righteously win the exhibition and legitimately claim the Demon Sword. Then she would destroy it completely to comfort the souls of her deceased relatives and the innocent victims.
Who would have thought that a moment of impulse would lead to such an intractable situation?
Hearing this, Daziel's deep-set brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
This version of Yunli, her style of doing things is truly…
Unexpectedly single-minded, even a bit naively stubborn.
To actually attempt to obtain the heavily guarded Demon Sword through an official Xianzhou event like the Martial Exhibition…
Could it be that my unexpected appearance disrupted her original destiny, causing her to become… a little… inflexible?
Daziel gently rubbed his temples, which were starting to ache, then turned to look at Yunli's crestfallen face and spoke in a level tone.
"So what if they don't let you participate in the Martial Exhibition?"
Daziel's voice wasn't loud, nor did it betray any emotion.
Yunli and March 7th heard him and snapped their heads up at almost the same time, two pairs of eyes with different emotions locking onto him.
"You can just find a way to steal the sword from the Artisanship Commission."
His tone was light and easy, as if he were talking about something as simple as buying a stick of candied fruit from a street vendor.
Yunli's watery almond eyes went wide, filled with disbelief and shock. Her tongue felt tied, her voice trembling from the extreme astonishment.
That was the heavily guarded Artisanship Commission of the Xianzhou!
"I… I'm afraid that's not possible… That sword… it's being watched very closely by the people of the Artisanship Commission, with special personnel guarding it in shifts day and night." Her voice got lower and softer, filled with a deep, heartfelt sense of powerlessness and despair.
A very faint arc lifted the corners of Daziel's lips, his expression still unperturbed.
Daziel thought to himself that although "stealing a sword" sounded dishonorable and a bit unseemly, it was…
precisely the correct course of action that best fit the original plot.
Only in this way could Yunli be the first to come into contact with the Heliobus Demon Sword without anyone noticing, giving her the chance to listen to and understand the loneliness and sorrow the sword had endured over the long years.
Only by letting her truly understand the sword's forcibly twisted "mental journey" could she completely let go of her so-called "Demon Sword prejudice."
At that time, he would have ample reason to state to General Huaiyan's face that the sword had long grown weary of endless slaughter and bloodshed.
All it longed for was a long-overdue peace.
It would be best to choose another prize for the Martial Exhibition.
March 7th listened, completely bewildered, her large eyes blinking repeatedly in confusion.
"Whoa! Daziel, you're not joking, are you? Are you serious? That's an official Xianzhou institution! Are we… are we really going to openly oppose them?"
"Rest assured, since I've said it, I naturally have a comprehensive plan. Even if something goes wrong, I will bear all the consequences alone."
Yunli looked at Daziel hopefully. In her eyes, which were not yet completely dry of tears, a tiny, bright spark was rekindled.
Although the light was faint at first, it carried a moving persistence and resilience, stubbornly refusing to be extinguished.
She nodded vigorously, her voice still hoarse from crying but filled with unprecedented determination.
"Okay!"
In the depths of the Xianzhou Yaoqing's Alchemy Commission, within a quiet and elegant medicine room filled with a rich and strange medicinal aroma.
The curling steam from the concoctions swirled like light gauze, emitting a unique fragrance that could soothe the mind and make one unconsciously relax.
Lingsha's well-maintained fingertips, as pale and slender as green scallions, were gently placed on Feixiao's wrist, carefully sensing the flow of qi and blood within her body.
A moment later, a look of unconcealable astonishment flashed through Lingsha's bright eyes.
She slowly withdrew her hand, letting out an almost inaudible sigh, her tone filled with curiosity and amusement.
"Previously, that fellow Jiaoqiu was worried about you and didn't think you could obtain that Heliobus heart."
"He certainly didn't expect you to be able to completely cure this Moon Madness that has plagued you for years."
With an openly appraising gaze, Lingsha meticulously looked Feixiao over from head to toe, focusing on her complexion.
"But I never thought his confident prediction would only end up being half right."
"You have indeed returned without being tainted by the power of the Blood Moon, and yet… this Moon Madness that has troubled you for so long is truly… gone?"
Feixiao quietly felt the peaceful and tranquil energy slowly circulating through her limbs, her expression still holding a hint of lingering shock and unreality.
"To be honest, even I didn't expect… things to go so smoothly…" Her voice was low and hoarse, carrying the weakness of someone recovering from a major illness, as well as the sincere relief of having survived a disaster.
Lingsha's curiosity for the unknown had been thoroughly piqued, now burning brighter than ever.
"General Feixiao, I wonder… if you could tell me the specific details of your encounter?"
"As a physician, I am… about the unique methods Mr. Daziel used to treat the Moon Madness…" She paused deliberately, drawing out her words, her eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts sparkling with intense curiosity and a hint of imperceptible excitement.
"…exceptionally interested."
Hearing this, Feixiao's phoenix eyes narrowed subconsciously, a look of obvious hesitation and difficulty appearing on her face.
Daziel's methods yesterday were too bizarre, too shocking…
"This… this matter… can it be spoken of casually?" Feixiao's tone carried a clear apprehension and uncertainty.
The moment the words left her mouth, Feixiao realized with a start that she had almost let it slip.
Lingsha, being as sharp and perceptive as she was, naturally caught her momentary slip of the tongue, as well as the unconcealable hesitation and struggle in her words.
"If General Feixiao truly has some unspeakable secret or inconvenience, then it's fine not to say." Her tone was soft and gentle, yet it carried a hidden edge. "I'm the type of person who has always preferred to seek out answers for myself. When the time comes… I can just go ask him myself."
A sharp glint, like a hunter spotting its long-awaited prey, suddenly flashed in her eyes.
In the air, the originally soothing medicinal fragrance seemed to grow stronger in that instant.
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