Going Out

"Master, I am fully prepared."

Jingya, who had finished preparing to go out, smiled radiantly.

Though she had only put on the single set of outdoor clothes she had worn when coming to Wang Pavilion and paid a bit more attention to her makeup than usual.

Even so, since she was fundamentally so exceptional, even that slight change was dazzling.

"Is that your best?"

But Yuan Zhaoxian seemed unsatisfied.

"...Does it not meet your approval?"

Honestly, even this much grooming was practically taboo in the reception hall where guests were received.

"It's far from sufficient for a maid accompanying the First Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Clan."

...said the person himself who was wearing nothing but plain white cotton clothes.

"Gatekeeper!"

At Yuan Zhaoxian's call, the middle-aged man who was the 'Wang Pavilion gate guard captain,' 'Wang Pavilion messenger,' and 'expert of unknown origin' approached while grumbling.

"Even if you are the First Young Master, what's with 'gatekeeper,' what's with that. My name is..."

"Shut up, gatekeeper. Stop the nonsense and go to any steward in the Inner Court to get women's outdoor clothes. The highest quality."

The Inner Court was the department responsible for serving the direct bloodline centered around the Clan Leader.

"...What did you just say?"

The sound of grinding teeth could be heard from the gatekeeper's mouth.

Yuan Zhaoxian smiled mockingly.

"If you don't rush off right now, you'll become not the gatekeeper, but Wang Pavilion's manure carrier."

The gatekeeper immediately felt his vision turn red.

He had dedicated his entire life to the Luoyang Sword Clan.

Though now semi-retired, he was still carrying out his assigned duties here at the Luoyang Sword Clan's main family.

In the past, he had fought countless real battles outside the reach of the Luoyang Sword Clan's power, and the death lines he had crossed matched that.

How many enemies of the Sword Clan had he cut down until now?

Yet this so-called First Young Master, the Sword Clan's shame and object of contempt, was now mocking him.

'Using your father's orders as an excuse while still living in seclusion and wasting time...'

"Still not gone?"

As Yuan Zhaoxian glanced back slightly, he ground his teeth and used his lightness skill to head outside Wang Pavilion.

"Ah...!"

His movement technique was so transcendent that Jingya unconsciously exclaimed in admiration as his form disappeared in an instant.

It was such an exceptional movement technique that even her 'Eyes' momentarily lost track of his position.

In this vast Central Plains, how many people could demonstrate such movement technique?

'Damn it...'

That movement technique was the gatekeeper's show of force.

But even after that, he didn't feel any relief at all.

Rather, he felt extremely unpleasant about the cold sweat flowing on his forehead.

'What was with that look...'

Actually, his display of movement technique was little more than an impromptu response.

The moment he saw the First Young Master's gaze as he turned around, he reflexively jumped from that spot.

He who had gone through numerous death lines had instinctively sensed a threat to his life and reacted.

Though he somehow managed to use his movement technique to leave immediately after, it still felt like that gaze was following him.

'That was a madman's gaze. A properly mad one at that. How could someone who just reads books all day...'

The forest path was ending.

Wang Pavilion's main gate came into view.

'Right, just endure a little longer. I've formally requested a reassignment, just endure a little longer.'

But what he had to endure didn't end there.

==

Shortly after, at Wang Pavilion.

"...They won't give them."

"What?"

"They say they won't give them. They won't cooperate."

The Inner Court, responsible for serving the direct bloodline, had refused the First Young Master's order.

Though the First Young Master's incredulous expression was somewhat amusing, he was the one who had been refused to his face.

"Why?"

The gatekeeper shrugged his shoulders.

"The reason, First Young Master, you probably know better yourself."

They gave several excuses, but it was all nonsense, and in the end, it meant they didn't want to cooperate with Wang Pavilion where the Swordless One was.

"...Unbelievable."

Yuan Zhaoxian clutched his forehead and looked at the empty air, while Jingya just bowed her head in bewilderment.

"What will you do?"

Though it was a strangely provocative question from the gatekeeper, Yuan Zhaoxian was surprisingly calm despite being dumbfounded.

"Nothing can be done."

Watching the atmosphere, Jingya tried to interject at what seemed like the right moment.

"Since time is being delayed, perhaps we should depart now..."

But her voice gradually diminished then stopped when she saw what Yuan Zhaoxian pulled from his sleeve.

"I'd forgotten about this since it's been so long."

At first the gatekeeper stared blankly at what Yuan Zhaoxian held, not sure what it was, then his jaw dropped.

"Th-that...?!"

Yuan Zhaoxian approached a nearby pavilion and picked up a brush.

Then in one stroke he wrote a letter.

'Bring clothes.'

It was an incredibly crude letter with no formality, courtesy, or anything.

But the calligraphy was so magnificent that Jingya and the gatekeeper who were watching blankly unconsciously let out small exclamations of admiration.

BANG!

Before the ink could even dry, Yuan Zhaoxian stamped what he held onto the letter.

Then a majestic seal reading "Heaven's First Sword" appeared on the letter.

"Here. Take it."

Yuan Zhaoxian roughly folded the letter and handed it to the gatekeeper.

"...!"

The gatekeeper rushed forward to Yuan Zhaoxian in alarm.

Then he knelt on both knees and received the letter with both hands.

"Y-your command!"

His hands trembled as he received the letter.

"What are you doing? Rush off."

"Your command!"

His form disappeared before Yuan Zhaoxian finished speaking.

"M-master. That was indeed..."

Yuan Zhaoxian sat on the railing and held up what was in his hand.

"This?"

"Yes. That thing."

Yuan Zhaoxian grinned.

"Yeah. That's right. The Clan Leader's Seal."

Jingya's complexion, which rarely showed emotion externally, turned pale.

"The Sword Clan's Golden Seal!"

It was both a seal and a precious artifact that symbolized the single absolute authority with absolute command rights in the Luoyang Sword Clan.

Just seeing the actual object of such a seal was amazing, yet it was being used for an order to bring mere maid's clothes.

"W-why does master have that...?"

Yuan Zhaoxian looked at Jingya with an expression that said what do you mean.

"With Father in 'that state,' who else but the main family's First Young Master would have it?"

It was true, that was true.

"B-but to use such a precious thing to order my clothes...?!"

"Don't worry."

Yuan Zhaoxian smiled then put the Sword Clan's Golden Seal back in his pocket and tucked it into his sleeve.

"I've often used it for useless things since long ago."

Actually, it can only be used for useless things, he added.

"If I don't use this, no one cooperates properly."

He laughed.

"Well, I use it when buying books, when buying paper and brushes, it's just that kind of thing."

Jingya wanted to faint right there.

==

After that, everything went smoothly.

The Luoyang Sword Clan's leader artifact 'Sword Clan's Golden Seal' was a precious item that the Emperor himself had bestowed upon the Sword Clan's leader in the past.

There was no one foolish enough in the Luoyang Sword Clan to literally interpret 'Bring clothes' written on a document stamped with such a Clan Leader's Seal.

The first to appear was the female steward of the Inner Court.

And dozens of Inner Court maids followed behind her imposing figure with disciplined bearing.

Behind them lined up strong servants carrying large chests.

The chests were arranged in rows in the courtyard, and when their lids opened, dozens of women's outdoor clothes, shoes, and accessories were revealed.

Without exception, they were all of the highest quality.

And Jingya, who was dragged away by the Inner Court maids, was transformed into someone like Chang'e of the Moon Palace in an instant.

"Hmm. This should be sufficient."

When Yuan Zhaoxian nodded, the Inner Court's female steward shouted briefly, "Withdraw!"

"If they had cooperated willingly from the start, it would have been easier for everyone..."

What are they doing every time, Yuan Zhaoxian clicked his tongue at her.

But she didn't even pretend to hear Yuan Zhaoxian's words, paid her respects, then moved away.

Where the people had withdrawn like the tide, the chests they had brought and their contents remained as they were.

"What are you doing?"

At Yuan Zhaoxian's words, the gatekeeper's face, which had been avoiding his gaze, crumpled.

"...What do you mean?"

Yuan Zhaoxian silently rummaged in his sleeve at that answer.

"Ah, alright, stop!"

He shuddered and moved toward the chests.

Grumbling like "How could they treat such precious items so carelessly" could be heard, but Yuan Zhaoxian paid no attention.

"Are you satisfied?"

Jingya was looking at herself in the full-length mirror placed in the courtyard.

Though she seemed to maintain her composure, she couldn't hide her slightly flushed cheeks.

"...It seems unsuited to my station."

Yuan Zhaoxian shrugged his shoulders.

"You came to Wang Pavilion, and I have begun to move."

Though his tone was light, the meaning contained in it was absolutely not light.

"From now on, you'll have many more occasions to wear such clothes."

Jingya's ebony-like hair swayed in the breeze.

Then she sensed it.

This breeze may flow leisurely westward now, but it will eventually return as a violent typhoon.

"...Yes, master."

Determination settled in Jingya's eyes.

==

"...Are you sure you don't need escorts?"

Yuan Zhaoxian smiled at the sight of the Luoyang Sword Clan's guard unit members blocking his way.

"It's fine since this friend is here."

In the direction Yuan Zhaoxian pointed was the 'gatekeeper' with an expression like he had eaten excrement.

His already fierce features twisted into a scowl, making him look no different from a fierce demon.

From messenger to errand boy, and now guard.

He couldn't possibly be in a good mood.

"Though we must follow the First Young Master's orders for now, without the Guard Captain's permission..."

Yuan Zhaoxian cut off the guard's words.

"Yes, yes. Report it as you see fit."

"But we..."

Finally, only after Yuan Zhaoxian took out the Sword Clan's Golden Seal and made another simple order document did they withdraw.

"Who did they say that person in the guard uniform is?"

"Don't know. Looks like an expert, he's going to have a tough day instead of us."

Those who had escaped from 'escorting the Swordless One through the marketplace' didn't even hide their joy.

Though Jingya tried to step forward at their behavior, Yuan Zhaoxian raised his hand to stop her.

"Enough, we have far to go."

But they were inevitably stopped again at one of the Luoyang Sword Clan's back gates.

The guards blocked them because the 'First Young Master' hadn't received permission from 'above' to go out during the day.

And naturally, Jingya, whose anger exploded, berated them with blazing force.

Only the guards caught between the First Young Master and the Guard Captain were pitiable.

"Haha, there's no shortage of interesting things even before we depart."

Naturally, only Yuan Zhaoxian was enjoying himself.

And the gatekeeper was watching such a Yuan Zhaoxian with disgusted eyes.

'What kind of person is this First Young Master really?'

What was that appearance of the First Young Master who had mercilessly driven him yesterday, and what was that appearance of the First Young Master who occasionally showed eyes full of madness?

And what was this appearance today that seemed to have no pride - the very image of the Swordless One?

But even amid all that, there was one thing he could be certain of.

'I must get transferred as soon as possible!'

Thus finally,

One maid who looked like Chang'e of the Moon Palace but had the lowest status among the party.

One expert who looked like just a Luoyang Sword Clan guard but whose identity was unknown.

And one Luoyang Sword Clan First Young Master who looked like a handsome scholar attending a young lady but harbored an ancient demon artifact.

That strange party stepped into Luoyang city.