Dawn broke over Brave Sword King Village.
Life in the village began at the crack of dawn. At 5:00 AM, as the first rays of the new day fought their way through the lingering darkness of winter nights, windows and doors slowly swung open, marking the start-of-day rituals for scores of families.
Most villagers awoke at this early hour. Tending to their households, families, work, and cultivation was no easy task; they devoted nearly the entire day to completing as many tasks as possible before nightfall.
Lie Xu could keenly feel this reality as the central streets of the village buzzed with activity just minutes after sunrise. Seated on a wooden bench in the central square, he sensed the moment to make his move had arrived. 'I think it's safe to return now,' he thought while clenching the fabric of the coat Lan Renshu had given him.
The morning was bitterly cold. But it wasn't just the chill—the air carried a palpable tension, a different mood than that of the previous day.
People hustled along the sidewalks, carts were primed to transport supplies, and animals embarked on their daily labors; everyone appeared cautious, watchful, and fearful.
Lie Xu knew exactly why.
"Hey, did you hear about what happened last night?" A middle-aged man's voice murmured softly from Lie Xu's left, yet his words were clear to the long-haired golden youth.
"Yeah, the rumors are spreading fast," replied a companion of the elder, who was making his way toward the village center. "Apparently, one of the Young Masters from the Du Clan was assassinated last night. Sigh! The village will be dangerous for a few days."
"Indeed…" the old man lamented, his voice fading into the distance. "Ordinary people like us must keep our heads down these days. The Du will be aggressive about anything for a while… Better not take any risks."
Lie Xu continued his slow walk, overhearing more villagers murmuring about the two bodies found on the poorer side of the village.
Since midnight, Du Clan men had been active throughout and beyond the village. Searches and investigations were already underway, with a bounty promised for anyone who could help solve the mysterious murders of Yao Feng and Du Ming.
Supposedly, they were robbed of their belongings by the criminal who killed them—a clue that greed might have driven the act.
Naturally, none of the locals would ever be so brazen; thus, the search was quickly concentrated on foreigners, particularly in the vicinity of the Stellar Fall Valley, where it would be easier for a culprit to hide.
Lie Xu knew the true story far better than the dozens of people spreading the rumor that morning. After fleeing the scene of the previous night's murders, he had scarcely managed to discard the belongings of Yao Feng and Du Ming before the dreadful aura of the Du Clan leader sent shivers through the village.
Having been far from old Lan's house when Patriarch Du discovered the death of one of his sons, Lie Xu had felt the terror of that cultivator's presence—a power capable of shaking the entire village and leaving a malignant intent in the air for what felt like an eternity.
That fear kept him from returning to Lan Renshu's house the previous night; he had waited until just minutes ago to come back.
'I hope the Du Clan hasn't discovered Sir Lan's residence. That would spell trouble for me,' he thought.
Lie Xu spent the night moving stealthily through the village center. Fortunately, his speed and quick reflexes allowed him to evade every Du patrol, and he emerged in the new day unseen by anyone.
As long as Lan Renshu remained undisturbed in his home—unaware of last night's malicious attack—Lie Xu believed he could delay the Du Clan's investigation for the time being.
His heart pounded stronger as he neared Lan Renshu's house. The number of guards bearing the Du Clan insignia on the surrounding streets had increased, and even guards from other local forces, including members of the Night Hunt Sect, were nearby.
Du Ming and Yao Feng weren't just members of one of the village's pillar clans—they were also part of the Night Hunt Sect. Furthermore, royal laws strictly prohibited conflict within cities and villages. Murder, in particular, was a crime met with severe punishment from the royal forces!
Yet when he reached the street where Yao Feng and Du Ming's bodies had been abandoned, Lie Xu exhaled a sigh of relief. He saw the residential building that housed old Lan's home, where several curious villagers peered out from their windows at the investigators.
Some Du Clan investigators remained, but from the comments Lie Xu overheard, the high-ranking members of the force had moved on. The remaining Du investigators were merely assisting the Royal Guard and members of the Night Hunt Sect's Law Enforcement Hall.
Cautiously, he avoided those cultivators searching for evidence of the previous night's events, moving slowly and silently until he reached the door of Lan Renshu's house.
There, Lan Renshu and Kong Meng sat on the steps in front of the yellow door—the young boy cradling a bowl of porridge in his hands, while the old man meticulously rolled a herbal cigarette.
"Big Brother, you were already out?! The master and I thought you were still sleeping," the little one chirped, removing a spoon from his mouth.
Lie Xu wasted no time explaining, "I left before dawn. I sensed too many voices and commotion nearby, and my curiosity wouldn't let me stay put." He scratched his head awkwardly. "In the end, I decided to stroll around the village and get to know the area. It's much easier to familiarize yourself with the place when the streets are quiet."
"So that's it…" Lan Renshu didn't suspect a thing. He, too, had been awakened by the chaos surrounding the investigation into Yao Feng and Du Ming's murders, yet he had chosen to remain in his home.
He wasn't nearly as strong as Lie Xu!
Lan Renshu had lain in wait, pretending nothing was amiss. He hadn't even risen to check on Lie Xu—and even when the whole building trembled, he had not stirred.
As day broke and the windows and doors of the residential complex sprang open, old Lan prepared the morning porridge he always shared with Kong Meng. Then he ventured outside to assess the situation, though he hadn't yet gone to his room, unwilling to disturb his guest's slumber.
"If you're hungry, the porridge is warm. I have your portion ready, young Lie," he said slowly, putting aside his cigarette preparation.
Lie Xu rubbed his stomach and replied gratefully, "Hmm, I'm starving, Sir Lan. I'm afraid I'll trouble you again."
The old man chuckled and vanished back inside, only to reappear moments later with Lie Xu's bowl.
Seated on the steps with Lan Renshu and Kong Meng, Lie Xu surveyed the scene across the street, silently sighing in relief. 'Thankfully everything appears normal for now. But I must remain cautious—from now on, I'm in the dark regarding the methods of these cultivators. The Du Clan might eventually discover what happened… And there are other forces I need to worry about.'
Though Lie Xu maintained a calm facade while eating breakfast, countless thoughts whirled through his mind.
'I need to hurry and relearn cultivation. Thankfully, those two fools underestimated me, and I showed them the extent of my physical strength,' he mused as he finished his bowl of oatmeal quickly, then called for old Lan.
"When can we get my local registration done? Isn't it a bit early for that?"
Lan Renshu met Lie Xu's gaze and shook his head. "We can go now. The King's Office in our village begins its activities very early." He pointed toward the guards actively patrolling the street for signs of disturbance. "See? Some of the guards are already on duty. This means we can proceed without delay."
"Then give me just one minute—I need to use the bathroom," Lie Xu said as he slipped into the residence, checking Lan Renshu's room one more time as a precaution.
Noticing that only the crack in the wall where Du Ming had collided the previous night remained, he felt a surge of relief. The remnants of the barrier Du Ming had used had completely vanished now.
Returning to the front of the house, a smile spread across his face, "Let's move on. I'm eager to visit the academy and the sect."
"Hehe, you'll be disappointed by how dull the academy is, Big Brother," Kong Meng teased brightly. "The library and the history classes are interesting, but the rest is pure drudgery… Sigh! And I'll be forced to attend the academy for another five years!"
Lie Xu was about to reply to the boy on his left when Lan Renshu interjected, changing the subject. "Young Lie, how are your injuries? Are you feeling any better?"
They left the street teeming with local investigators, soon turning a corner.
"I'm still in pain here and there, but I'm better. I believe I'll wake up almost fully refreshed tomorrow," Lie Xu replied.
"That's good," Lan Renshu said, stroking his chin with satisfaction. "The entry process for the sect normally takes about a week for young ones who have just reached their awakening age. Your case is slightly different, but it should take a couple of days to finalize your entrance. I mention this so you're prepared. Even if your entrance evaluation doesn't pose physical challenges, upon joining the sect you're likely to face internal tests. It's crucial that you're in good shape when that happens."
"I see…" Lie Xu grasped old Lan's meaning. "But I believe I'll be ready, Sir Lan. We can head to the sect for more information today."
He was eager—not even willing to wait—even if it meant undergoing preliminary internal trials with lingering injuries!
"Very well. Let's first secure your registration and then head to the academy. Provided you're under 20, you can begin your studies today."
They arrived at the King's Office building just as Lan Renshu finished speaking.
The place resembled a small barracks—a rectangular building with few windows and doors, surrounded by high fences, and a vast open space at the back likely used for training and resource storage.
The public section was a modest hall featuring several service counters, framed notices with letters and pertinent information, and even recent news from other regions of the kingdom.
The building was unusually quiet at the moment—a rarity, according to Lan Renshu's explanation to Lie Xu.
The old man surmised that the disruption caused by last night's incident might have led to a slowdown, as this place was typically bustling with merchants and local cultivators handling their business.
Thus, after only 15 minutes, Lan Renshu paid the fee for Lie Xu's documentation as a foreigner wishing to reside locally. The Sun Kingdom was very accommodating when it came to migration, with merchants and their goods freely entering and leaving. By paying the requisite fees, anyone could move about relatively easily and even secure special permits.
Yet the registration fee for Lie Xu was not cheap—it had cost Lan Renshu months of resource gathering from the Stellar Fall Valley!
Even though Lie Xu had promised to repay many times over, Lan Renshu remained unfazed. He was as eager as his guest and led the way toward the academy, located in the most affluent area of the village.
Upon reaching the street where the academy was situated, Lie Xu could see from a distance the grand building that Kong Meng had mentioned since the start of their journey.
It was the tallest tower in the village, encircled by magnificent, stately residences that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the village.
Even the pedestrians on the immaculate sidewalks of this area were different—their attire, hairstyles, and mannerisms were far more refined, elegant, and luxurious compared to the common folk.
Lie Xu noticed a group of sullen young men pass by and glanced back, as if he had seen a ghost.
"These people…"
Lan Renshu immediately explained, "They are the other Young Masters of the Du Clan, young Lie. Naturally, they are irate—don't mind their stares. Their youngest brother was one of the two young men murdered on our street last night."
"Oh?" Lie Xu suppressed his surprise at seeing someone so reminiscent of his first encounter with death in the village. "So he was the youngest son of Patriarch Du?"
"Exactly. At present, the main family of the Du Clan has four Young Masters. The youngest was Young Master Du Ming, who was slain last night. Those two that passed by with their associates are the third and second sons of Patriarch Du."
Lan Renshu cast a quick glance behind him, noticing a group of five cultivators leaving the area around the academy and the homes of the village's leading families.
"Anyway, here we are, young Lie—Eternal Sword Academy." The old man stopped about 50 meters in front of the academy's entrance.
At the entrance stood a massive metallic sword, over 4 meters tall, embedded in the ground near two large statues.
It appeared to commemorate a legendary battle that occurred in the village millennia ago during the Xuanyuan Rebellion—a battle that culminated in the rise of a new sovereign family in the Sun Kingdom.
Passing by this historic monument, the trio approached the service counter, where a graceful young woman dressed in the academy staff's uniform—a stylish blend of blue and white dress and coat—greeted them with a smile.
"Miss Wei, today I require your assistance with my friend here, Lie Xu." Old Lan gestured toward the tall young man standing to his right for the attendant, Wei Meilin. He already knew her from having registered Kong Meng at the academy years earlier with her aid. "Due to certain special circumstances, Lie Xu needs to resume his studies. So, please, administer the bone marrow test on him."
Wei Meilin narrowed her eyes, surprised that such a handsome, tall youth would need to come to the academy. Aside from children, adult academy students could be counted on one hand—and normally only fools needed to attend the academy after reaching adulthood.
Yet whether Lie Xu was foolish or anything else did not concern her. The academy's rules were crystal clear, and Wei Meilin preferred to follow them to the letter to avoid any grounds for inappropriate requests.
"Sir Lan, I require his identification and a gold coin to proceed with the test," she informed them as she retrieved a large book and began leafing through it in their presence. "But let me remind you: the fee is nonrefundable. And even if he's under 20, his allotted time for study will be determined by his age. It matters not if he does not have sufficient time to learn everything he should—the enrollment will end once he turns 20."
"That works for us. Hehe, don't worry. We understand," old Lan replied with a smile, eager for the test. 'Lie Xu is a third-realm cultivator. If he's under 20, then a few weeks will be enough for him to learn everything the academy can teach!'
Both Lan Renshu and Kong Meng felt a chill in their stomachs as they watched Wei Meilin record Lie Xu's bone marrow test in the large book. Only two spaces remained blank on the sheet for this test—awaiting her later decision: passed or failed.
"Please, follow me to the examination room," she directed, leading the group down a long corridor to the test chamber.
"What is this test like?" Lie Xu inquired of old Lan.
Not knowing the details, Lan Renshu deferred to Wei Meilin, who explained without much enthusiasm, "The bone marrow test is simple. I will extract a sample of your spinal blood and apply it to the Heavenly Longevity Formation. The result will then appear, indicating your effective age in rounded years of life."
"Oh? It sounds simple enough."
Along with his two companions, Lie Xu entered the examination room. At its center stood a large, capsule-shaped machine, with a sword embedded within—tall enough for an adult to stand inside.
"Please, Sir Lie, step into the Heavenly Longevity Formation. The test is quick, though you may feel a slight sting at the base of your spine."
Unperturbed, Lie Xu complied, his curiosity about his true age—and his entry into Eternal Sword Academy—greater than any discomfort.
Both Lan Renshu and Kong Meng fell silent while Wei Meilin calibrated the device.
A minute later, the result began to appear above Lie Xu's head, where there were 21 opaque vertical bars, starting at 1 and going up to +20. The first of them began to glow in different colors, revealing Lie Xu's age in years!