The next morning, under a grey sky and a rising cold wind, the army began its march toward Tian Fa Forest. Armored horses moved in long, steady lines, banners fluttered, and soldiers whispered among themselves with a mixture of pride and unease.
At the front of the force rode Jun Wu Yi, newly appointed commander by Imperial decree. His presence was steady and imposing. And beside him rode Jun Mo Xie, relaxed, careless, and wearing that faint smirk which made others unsure whether they wanted to follow him, or stay as far away as possible.
After traveling for some distance through rugged trails and thick forest lines, Jun Mo Xie suddenly pulled the reins of his horse.
His uncle glanced at him with a frown. "Why are we stopping?"
Jun Mo Xie leaned lazily in his saddle and said with complete calmness, "I'll be going alone from here. I work better without people following me."
The sentence was casual, almost playful, but the silence that followed was sharp like ice.
Jun Wu Yi's face darkened immediately. "You—! This is a military expedition! Not your personal wandering! You cannot simply—"
But then he stopped, because he knew this nephew.
Jun Mo Xie was like smoke, and if forced into a container, he only slipped through the cracks.
After a long moment, Jun Wu Yi exhaled deeply.
"Fine." His voice was stern, unwilling. "But at least take your troops. Two hundred and fifty men. They move with you, or you do not leave."
Jun Mo Xie tapped his horse's neck, unfazed. "Mn. Fair enough."
It wasn't an agreement.
It was indifference.
By the time they reached their designated location, the sun was slowly sinking behind mountains like a dying ember.
At his command, the two hundred-plus guards immediately began setting up camp. Tents rose, horses were tied, fires were lit, and the smell of cooking meat soon drifted through the cold evening air.
But Jun Mo Xie didn't remain there.
Silently, he walked away, far from the guards, far from Guan Qing Han, far from the constantly chattering Dugu Xiao Yi, until he found a small clearing.
The moon hung high above like a cold eye watching the world.
He sat down on a fallen log, pulled out a wine gourd, and took long, heavy gulps.
The world fell quiet around him.
His expression slowly shifted, and his thoughts swirled.
'I have experienced so much since entering this cycle… yet I still cannot find a path. Once, I searched for parental love. But now… I no longer know what I seek.'
'Do I want war? Or peace? Women? Love? Domination? Destruction? What is the meaning behind all that I have done?'
His grip tightened around the gourd. 'Who am I… truly now?'
His sigh drifted into the night wind, and he even failed to notice the soft footsteps behind him.
Two figures appeared near the edge of the clearing—Guan Qing Han and Dugu Xiao Yi. They had grown anxious when they didn't see him in camp and came searching, only to stop in shock.
There, under the pale moonlight, sat Jun Mo Xie.
But he didn't look like the mischievous, lazy young master.
He looked like a sovereign exiled from Heaven. His figure was lonely, cold, and dangerous.
Dugu Xiao Yi's lips trembled. She wanted to call his name, but something in the air around him pressed against her chest, stopping her voice.
Guan Qing Han gently pulled her back and whispered, "Don't disturb him. Not now."
So the two stood silently.
Time passed slowly, and then suddenly, Jun Mo Xie rose to his feet and smashed the wine gourd against the ground.
CRACK!
The sound echoed like thunder.
His head lifted toward the sky, his arms spread wide as if embracing the heavens, and then, he laughed with a wild, unrestrained, earth-shaking laughter.
"Hahahaha… Fuck this world! Fuck everything!"
His voice rolled like thunder over mountains and trees. "I'll be whatever I desire! I'll do whatever I want! I will take whatever I want!"
His eyes burned like two blazing stars cutting through darkness. "Since when did I… the creator of all… waste time on something so trivial?!"
A terrifying pressure exploded outward from him. His aura was majestic, ancient, overwhelming.
The entire earth seemed to tremble, trees bowed, and the air itself seemed to kneel.
Every person in the camp felt it, and their knees weakened. Their hearts pounded hard, and their instincts screamed at them to worship, submit, and obey Third Young Master Jun.
Guan Qing Han and Dugu Xiao Yi stared at him with wide eyes, fear and awe mixing into something indescribable.
This was no young master or a noble son.
This was a being who once stood above fate itself.
A predator who walked across worlds, leaving only corpses behind.
He was the Sovereign of All.
------
On the far side of the forest, where moonlight struggled to break through branches, and the wind carried the scent of danger, three figures moved through the mountains like phantoms.
Their movements were swift and silent, so light that even fallen leaves remained untouched beneath their feet.
But suddenly, all three of them froze in their spots, as if an invisible wall had slammed into them, the overwhelming murderous aura sweeping through the forest made their bodies tense instinctively.
The air felt heavy, and even the wind seemed to stop.
A cold shiver crawled up their spines.
The front man had broad shoulders, sharp eyes beneath a rugged brow. He narrowed his gaze toward the distant clearing.
"This aura…" His voice was low, solemn, and filled with shock. "This is not ordinary killing intent. This is something terrifying. Who in the world is behind this?!"
The two beside him exchanged looks. Their breathing grew uneven from instinctive fear.
The man on the left finally spoke, voice cautious and serious. "Could it be… that Chu Qi Hun has finally revealed himself?"
A heavy silence followed that name; even speaking it felt dangerous.
But the man on the right shook his head slowly.
"No."
His voice was steady, but his eyes were sharp and analytical.
"Chu Qi Hun's murderous aura is indeed mighty cold, sharp, and focused, like a blade meant only to kill. It gathers forward, piercing everything in front of him."
He pointed toward the direction where the overwhelming pressure spread.
"But this aura… it does not cut... It crushes and spreads like a storm, swallowing heaven and earth. It is not directed at anyone but still simply dominates. Everything beneath it feels suppressed, as if the sky itself is kneeling."
His tone grew heavier with every sentence. "These two auras are completely different. I can say with certainty that this person is not Chu Qi Hun."
He took a deep breath and added, voice trembling slightly despite himself. "But his murderous aura… is no weaker. In fact—"
He paused for a moment.
"It might even surpass Chu Qi Hun's."
A trace of disbelief flickered on their faces.
Someone stronger than the legendary assassin?
Someone who could exude such raw killing intent that even the world seemed to bow?
The youngest of the three exhaled sharply. "No matter who it is… we should take a look."
His tone carried both caution and thrill, curiosity born from pride.
"We are not random travelers. The three of us together are enough to shake kingdoms. Even if that person truly is Chu Qi Hun… why should we tremble?"
"Good." The rugged leader straightened his back, his eyes firm as iron. His voice carried heroism and unyielding confidence. "We are the Three Swords of Dong Fang."
His expression hardened as the pressure of Mo Xie's aura pushed faint cracks into the surrounding silence.
"If we fear someone just because their aura is strong…"
A smirk formed beneath his beard. "Then we do not deserve our title."
He tightened his grip on the sword at his waist. "So, let's go."
With that, the three figures moved once again, diving deeper into the forest toward the origin of the violent, world-shaking aura.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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