"Pingjun..." Liu Bingyi opened his eyes weakly, his voice as faint as a breeze.
"I'm here! Bingyi, I'm here." Xu Pingjun hurriedly leaned closer, tears spilling freely once again. 'The imperial physician said your internal organs are injured – you mustn't speak much. Rest now. The authorities have sealed the Huo family's gates, so they can't get in.'
Liu Bingyi forced a faint smile — a divine mimicry of profound devotion, fearing only to betray it.
'My life is stubborn; the Lord of Death won't take me.' Slowly, he retrieved a long, cloth-wrapped object from beneath his pillow and placed it in Xu Pingjun's hands. "I've kept this hidden. I meant to give it to you once we moved into the grand mansion. But now, I suppose it's best to give it to you for protection.'
Xu Pingjun trembled as she unwrapped the coarse cloth to reveal an extremely ordinary short sword.
The scabbard was pitch black and flaking, and the rope wrapped around the hilt had turned a dull yellow — it looked like the cheap scrap metal you'd find at a flea market for pennies a pound.
Yet, as he slowly drew the blade, a faint dragon's roar echoed through the room.
[System Divine Weapon: Cold Cicada Short Sword]
Attributes: Cuts through iron like mud. It possesses the innate 'Cold Radiance' attribute and is capable of sensing killing intent within 100 metres. Hidden Trait: Deep Bond of the Old Sword — Binds the wearer to the host through a contract. If the wielder is in danger, the host receives a teleportation prompt.
"What is this?" Although Xu Pingjun knew little about blades, she could feel the chill radiating from the tip. This was no ordinary weapon!
'Pingjun, you see only the sword's age, not what lies behind it.' Liu Bingyi gazed at her, his eyes as deep as the sea. 'This sword was once my great-grandfather's (Emperor Wu of Han)'s personal weapon. Later, during the 'Witchcraft Scandal', my grandfather, the Crown Prince, used it to take his own life."
He told a colossal lie, yet this lie perfectly linked the system of rewards to his imperial bloodline.
'It survived our Liu family's darkest hour. Now it is yours. To see this sword is to see me. Should I ever leave, take it with you. No one shall dare stand in your way.'
This was no mere token of affection. It was the first pawn that Liu Bingyi had placed on the eternal chessboard in preparation for the 'Deep Affection for the Old Sword' plot.
[Ding! Successfully gifted a token of affection! Completed hidden side quest [Sword Heart, Lute Soul]! Reputation +2000! Xu Pingjun's loyalty increased to 100 ('Through life and death, never betrayed'!). The unique title 'Wife-Protecting Maniac' has been unlocked (when Xu Pingjun is present, the host gains a 50% boost to all attributes)!
Xu Pingjun clutched the dagger tightly to her chest. For the first time, a light called 'resolve' shone in her once-fragile eyes.
"I care not for this sword's origins. I only care that you remain safe.' She leaned down and gently kissed Liu Bingyi on the forehead. 'Since you will not leave, I shall not forsake you.'
Night fell. Xu Pingjun slept soundly in the side chamber.
Liu Bingyi rose abruptly from his bed. His wounds instantly healed thanks to the system skill 'Disguise Recall'. He slipped into a form-fitting black robe, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
'Lei Zhen, Han Zeng.'
Two shadowy figures materialised like ghosts.
'Boss, you really gave that sword to her?' Han Zeng felt a pang of regret. He knew that blade could cleave through the finest ring-handled daggers.
'Some things only unleash their full power when given to the right person,' Liu Bingyi sneered coldly. "That's the confidence of a master manipulator. The Huo clan thought that killing me would put an end to their obsession, but tonight I shall meet that 'young uncle' – the young Emperor Liu Fuling – and show him that there are still survivors of the Han Dynasty."
He secured the mask around his waist once more. His figure shot forward like a bolt of black lightning, vanishing directly into the abyss indicated on the Changle Palace Secret Passage Map.
"Pingjun, do you think I'm nothing but a worthless cockfighting dog?" Liu Bingyi suddenly lowered his voice. His tone was no longer teasing, but stern with a metallic edge.
Xu Pingjun froze, staring at the man beside her. At that moment, Liu Bingyi's gaze was as deep as an ancient well in the depths of the Weiyang Palace, radiating an unfamiliar yet captivating authority.
"You are my husband. No matter who you are, I will stand by you,' she replied softly.
'No,' countered Liu Bingyi, clasping her hand and pointing to the short sword. "What you stand by is the last bloodline of the Han dynasty. This sword's scabbard is black because it must hide in the shadows, but its heart is bright because it is destined to see the light of day. Pingjun, I want you to become powerful — so powerful that even in Chang'an, Huo Guang would bow in respect when he saw you."
[Divine Mimicry: The Resilient Sovereign with Ambitions for the Realm] [System Feedback: Subconscious Guidance Successful. Xu Pingjun's 'Empress Persona' has been preliminarily awakened.
The instant Xu Pingjun grasped the sword hilt, a prompt appeared in the system interface, visible only to Liu Bingyi.
[Support Function Activated: Sword Intent Synchronisation
Host may transmit 10% of 'Imperial Guard Combat Techniques' insights to the wearer via the medium (short sword).
Xu Pingjun's combat prowess: 5 → 25 (possesses basic self-defence capabilities and reaction speed).
Xu Pingjun felt a warm, soothing current surge through her palm and up her arm, spreading throughout her body. Miraculously, her previously trembling limbs were filled with strength, and her blurred vision sharpened considerably.
'Bingyi, I feel... this sword seems to be speaking to me.' She stared at the dagger in astonishment.
'That's our ancestors protecting you,' Liu Bingyi lied, without batting an eyelid.
Just as the two of them shared a tender gaze, the 'Eye of Insight' suddenly flashed with a purple glow.
[Detected high-ranking unit: Huo Chengjun (observing covertly)]
[Target emotions: extreme jealousy, confusion, shock]
[Real-time inner voice: 'When he faced that peasant girl, his eyes held a light I've never seen before... That sword is no ordinary weapon. Who exactly is he?'
A flicker of mockery crossed Liu Bingyi's eyes. Huo Chengjun couldn't contain her curiosity after all — she'd climbed the wall herself.
He pulled Xu Pingjun closer and kissed her forehead tenderly. His voice was soft yet loud enough for Huo Chengjun, who was standing outside the window, to hear. 'Pingjun, in this lifetime, even if I betray the whole world, I will never betray you.'
[Ding! Due to his overly convincing acting, supporting character Huo Chengjun suffers an 'intelligence-lowering blow', causing her affection and desire to conquer him to surge once more.
Only after Huo Chengjun's breath had completely vanished from the wall did Liu Bingyi slowly release his hold, his gaze returning to absolute coldness.
'Lei Zhen,' he murmured to the shadows.
'Boss, the eldest Miss Huo escaped. Should we intercept her?' Lei Zhen emerged from the darkness. He had been holding a crossbow arrow the entire time — a single wrong move from the woman and he could have ensured that she would not see the sun rise the following day.
'Let her go,' Liu Bingyi sneered coldly. 'She is the perfect "mole" I've given to the Huo family. The more she envies Pingjun, the more she'll scheme to get close to me. The moment she approaches me will mark the beginning of the Huo family's downfall."
Liu Bingyi rose to his feet, shedding his feigned sickly appearance.
[Ding! Reputation +500 (from Huo Chengjun's shock).]
[Side Quest Activated: Lonely Shadow in the Palace. Exploit Huo Chengjun's confusion to secure formal access to the Changle Palace.
He donned the dark cloak symbolising the 'Black-Masked Ranger', and made a throat-slitting gesture at his reflection in the bronze mirror — a gesture that only modern people would understand.
"The sword is loyal, but I, Liu Bingyi, desire more than just loyalty. I crave the moment this blade pierces the heart of the Huo clan."
He turned back and cast one final glance at Xu Pingjun, who was sleeping while clutching her dagger. Then, like a wisp of black smoke, he vanished into the stormy night.
"Boss, Huo Chengjun's back at the mansion." Han Zeng appeared from behind the courtyard wall like a ghost, whispering, 'When she left, she lifted the curtain of her carriage three times. Each time, she stared straight at our shack. Her look was intense, as if she wanted to devour us yet also as if she was about to cry."
A confident smile curved the corners of Liu Bingyi's mouth.
[God-Tier Mimicry: The Ruthless Puppet Master]
'She can't devour people — she only devours jealousy,' Liu Bingyi sneered coldly. 'A spoiled young miss who's seen countless nobles kneel at her feet, yet never encountered a man mired in filth yet possessed of unyielding pride, utterly devoted to another woman. That is her weakness: self-conquest."
[Ding! Emotional cognitive dissonance detected in core female supporting character, Huo Chengjun. Host's control power enhanced!
Triggered system analysis: Huo Chengjun's conquest progress: 25% (current state: paranoid possessiveness).
Side quest reward: Simplified internal defence map of the Huo residence (leaked to the system from Huo Chengjun's subconscious).
Liu Bingyi stared at the detailed schematic in his mind's eye — so precise that it even marked the shift change times for hidden sentries — and felt his resolve solidify. This was the true terror of a master actor: he needn't steal anything himself. A single performance could crack his opponent's defences wide open.
Liu Bingyi sat back at his desk, picked up a brush and wrote four characters on a piece of rough yellow paper: 'Deep Affection for an Old Sword.'
This was a promise not only to Xu Pingjun, but also the sharpest moral weapon he would use against Huo Guang and the entire court in the years to come.
[Liu Bingyi's Plot Outline]
Step One: Use this sword to establish his persona as 'enduringly loyal, ungrateful and deeply principled', winning the hearts of scholars across the land.
Step Two: Resonate with Empress Dowager Shangguan, Huo Guang's granddaughter who is at odds with the Huo clan.
Step Three: When the Huo family's power becomes overwhelming and they attempt to force a political marriage, the 'old sword' will be the final nail in the Huo clan's political coffin.
'Lei Zhen, how is the task I assigned you progressing?'
'Rest assured, brother.' Lei Zhen nods reassuringly and speaks in a deep, resonant voice. 'I've marked the backs of those twelve loyal warriors with the shadowed "Huo" character, just as you instructed. Though the technique is subtle, any competent constable would instantly recognise it as the Huo clan's way of 'cleansing their own house'."
Liu Bingyi nodded. His intention was to tarnish the Huo clan's name so badly that they would be unable to cleanse it even in the Yellow River. Not only would they lose all public standing, but trust would also crumble within his own death squad.
Dawn was breaking. Liu Bingyi cast one final glance at Xu Pingjun, knowing that, from this moment on, his ordinary life would be over forever.
'Han Zeng, notify the "Hive" to initiate Level Two Mobilisation. Within three days, I want every teahouse in Chang'an recounting the tale of 'The Fallen Imperial Grandson Assassination: A Peasant Girl's Unwavering Devotion." This story must reach the Palace of Non-Ending and the young emperor's ears."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Liu Bingyi draped himself in a black cloak and leapt through the window.
[Ding! Chapter 15 task completed. Total reputation points: 8,500. Chapter 16: 'The Secret Alliance in Weiyang Palace' is about to begin.