The Gentleman's Sword

"Liu Bo, you actually believed that?" Yue Junyang almost threw a chicken bone at him.

"Sounds stupid, doesn't it? To hurt the city I live in for a promise with such low credibility." A trace of self-mockery flashed across Liu Bo's face.

"You aren't me, and the ones missing aren't your closest relatives. This threat wasn't clever, and the chances of my dad returning are indeed slim, but when you are the one in that situation, you would very likely make the same choice.

Even if it was just wishful thinking, I kept convincing myself—maybe my father is insignificant to them, and maybe they really would let him go?"

Chen Miemie remained silent. Do not urge others to be forgiving if you haven't suffered their pain. Besides, to put it bluntly, this whole thing started because of him.

At the core seal point, Commander Sun received the conversation of Chen Miemie and the other two almost synchronously.

He looked at the think tank beside him.

"[Hundred Eyes]."

"Here."

"Immediately mobilize all forces to find out where this Liu Bo's father is. I want to see him alive, or see his corpse if he's dead. Little Jia, go with her."

Fengling and Little Jia took action immediately.

As soon as they stepped out of the temporarily erected meeting tent...

Fengling spoke coldly, "Little Jia, no, Director Jia, don't play any petty tricks this time. Liu Bo is my student, and the one we are looking for is his father."

The usually amiable Little Jia toughened up this time:

"[Hundred Eyes], get a clear grasp of the situation. You are no longer the team leader. This operation concerns the survival of the entire city. Just do your job and find the person's location. As for what comes after, I will handle it. You don't need to carry any psychological burden."

Fengling's face was as cold as iron.

She knew the nature of politicians all too well.

In the eyes of politicians, as long as Liu Bo got definitive news about his father to shatter his illusions, that was enough. Whether his father was dead or alive didn't matter.

If the rescue was difficult and time-consuming, they might even...

However, since the whole city was at stake right now, Fengling could only do her best to search.

"I hope I can find him as soon as possible and bring him back in one piece," she muttered in her heart.

North District seal point.

Chen Miemie spoke softly, "Liu Bo, actually, you were right earlier. I really didn't have any evidence; I was bluffing to some extent."

"I know. When has a fool like you ever been smarter than me? You're still years away from being able to play mind games with your daddy."

Yue Junyang was stunned: "Then why did you...?"

Liu Bo simply wiped his greasy hands on his clothes:

"I had already figured it out when I was teleported here. Under the watchful eyes of the public, even if I tricked Chen Miemie, destroyed the seal, and my father returned, it would still be very difficult for us to escape the city. We would be torn to pieces by the entire city.

It just so happened that Chen Miemie saw through me, so I just admitted it.

Besides, I should have died a long time ago, during the graduation exam."

"Hmm? There's more? Tell us, this might be our last time chatting."

"At this point, I'm not afraid of being scolded.

During the graduation exam, I encountered a very chill zombie. It didn't like to move much and buried itself in the ground of a cave to lie flat.

It gave me a multiple-choice question, just like Chen Miemie now, choose one of two.

Between me and a companion, only one could live, and the other would die there to keep it company forever.

The zombie let me choose first.

Did I even need to think about it? I'm no saint, so of course I chose to live. What is a schoolmate compared to my own life? There was nothing to hesitate about.

As a result, the second person to enter the cave was another of my best friends.

His name was Aotian, my neighbor. We played together in split-pants since we were crawling on the ground.

I thought I encountered an easy anomaly, but little did I know that fate never gives free gifts."

"You chose to let him stay there?"

Liu Bo looked at Chen Miemie, then at Yue Junyang.

"If only that were the case. At least I could be thoroughly bad.

At the time, I cherished my life but didn't want to choose to kill Aotian, so I was struggling.

I didn't expect that the right to choose could be snatched.

Aotian hardly hesitated; he answered first.

He said, let me leave."

"Heh, I didn't even dare to look at him when I left. Thinking back now, the old Liu Bo had already died from that day."

"Maybe you don't need to be so pessimistic. You won't die today, and there's still a long road ahead."

"I won't die? Perhaps. Chen Miemie, your heart is still too big. It's very dangerous to voluntarily get this close to me."

"How is it dangerous?"

"After graduation, my [Mystery] changed from [Identity Perception] to [Identity Replacement]. That means as long as I activate my ability, I can replace your identity as the [Male Protagonist], and from then on, you'll be a supporting character."

Chen Miemie wasn't afraid of danger at all at night, nor could he be replaced, but he wouldn't casually tell others about this.

"Then why didn't you make a move on me before? Don't you want to be the protagonist?"

"Heh, the reason a protagonist is a protagonist isn't just because of background and luck. Their temperament, capacity, and thinking logic are all different, and they cause trouble wherever they go.

Despite having the Great Witch as your background, haven't you been all alone and suffered hardships since childhood?

The so-called protagonist experiences massive ups and downs, eats the bitterest bitterness, and enjoys the greatest blessings. The gap between them is not something an ordinary person can bear.

Although the highlights of my life are far inferior to yours, I at least had a happy childhood and a perfect family."

Chen Miemie nudged Yue Junyang's foot with his own: "Alright, I've chatted with Liu Bo for a while. Big Class Monitor, are you mentally prepared?"

Yue Junyang's calves were trembling, but his mouth remained stubborn:

"I, of course I'm prepared."

"Think it through. This is your life, not a dinner party. The price for acting tough this time is bigger than everything in your past dozen years."

"There's nothing to think about. I... Yue Junyang, stand tall... and upright. My actions... are righteous... and straight."

"Hey, your voice is trembling."

"No it's not. The ground is just a bit chilly, I'm just a little cold."

"Then I'll choose you."

"Choose... choose me. It... has to be me. I... am someone meant for great things."

"[Trial], I choose Yue Junyang to repair the seal," Chen Miemie shouted loudly.

The red blood pillar on Yue Junyang's body became brighter and thicker.

"Yue Junyang, you have been selected by the trialist Chen Miemie. Are you willing to be chosen?"

Not only Chen Miemie and Liu Bo, but the surrounding Mystics also widened their eyes.

There was actually a confirmation step for the chosen person!

It didn't just end with whoever Chen Miemie chose; the chosen person also had to accept it voluntarily.

Yue Junyang slowly stood up from the ground.

Because he was trembling all over and feeling weak at the moment, he didn't stand firm the first time and only succeeded on the second attempt.

"What happens if I don't accept?"

The voice of the [Trial] came: "If you do not accept, a new group of two will be selected, and Chen Miemie will choose again."

Who didn't want to save the city? But who wanted to die?

Yue Junyang glanced around.

They were all Mystics and high-level technical personnel, many of whom were great masters he rarely got to see on normal days.

Everyone was looking at him.

Once upon a time, being the center of attention like this was the scene he had always dreamed of.

He took a few deep breaths.

He pulled the sword from his waist.

He pointed the blade toward the sky.

"I accept."

The pillar of blood-red light around his body grew thicker and brighter.

But this time, no one paid attention to the changes in the crimson pillar.

Because a dazzling golden light erupted from the precious sword in Yue Junyang's hand.

The golden pillar completely overpowered the bloody one, shining thicker, brighter, and with an incomparable brilliance.

"This sword is named the Gentleman's Sword. Back in the very First Era, it was the personal weapon of the human paragon, Great Sage Mianyue. Now that it has fallen into my hands, it is only right that its brilliance flashes once more, lest it be left to gather dust."

Chen Miemie and Liu Bo were dumbfounded.

"Wait, isn't that the fake sword you bought at the night market?"

Holding the divine sword, Yue Junyang calmed his trembling.

He regained his usual smug and cocky demeanor.

"Hmph, ignorant fools. People can disguise themselves, and swords can do the same.

That night, the moment I walked into the night market, I knew this was my destined artifact."