Chapter 598 - 337: I Am Invincible

Deep within the forest.

Song Jinjian wore a Profound Robe with a Long Sword hanging at his waist, a smile playing on his lips.

His appearance was quite transcendent—fair-skinned and beardless, with slender phoenix eyes beneath sword-like brows. He possessed a truly striking demeanor.

However, when Feng Erbao looked at him, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the Long Sword at Song Jinjian’s waist.

The Long Sword, named "Non-Struggle," held a resounding reputation in the Jianghu.

Legend had it that it once belonged to a Sword Immortal from the previous dynasty, before an ancestor of the Cui Family chanced upon it.

After Song Jinjian became a Tributor of the Cui Family, the Patriarch gifted Non-Struggle to him, uttering a phrase that later spread far and wide: "A peerless weapon meeting a worthy master brings out the best in both."

Whether the weapon was peerless was undisputed, but whether the master was worthy, Feng Erbao reserved his judgment and couldn’t be bothered to comment.

No matter how high Song Jinjian’s attainment in the Sword Dao was, he was still nothing more than a dog of the Cui Family.

Song Jinjian assessed Feng Erbao before bowing in greeting. "Please forgive me, Eunuch Feng. My Lord specifically ordered me to present you with a great gift."

Feng Erbao reflexively flicked his Duster and asked with a soft, effeminate smile, "What kind of great gift?"

Song Jinjian stepped slightly to the side. "Eunuch Feng, please Step this way."

Feng Erbao narrowed his eyes. His pitch-black irises, filling his eye sockets, appeared even more profound in the overcast, dense forest.

About three breaths later, without moving his feet, he said, "Lead the way."

Song Jinjian smiled and nodded. He turned and ventured into the dense forest first, walking away at a brisk pace.

Only after Song Jinjian had gone about a hundred zhang ahead did Feng Erbao cautiously shadow his Steps.

Song Jinjian hadn’t carved out a name for himself in the Jianghu without extraordinary skill; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so highly regarded by the old monsters of the martial world. They claimed that, given time, he would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Monarch Xue Jian, Lone Immortal Ye.

However, as the Chief Eunuch serving the Holy Emperor, Feng Erbao had read countless classified reports and secrets. Among them, naturally, was information on Song Jinjian.

His Sword Dao prioritized "speed"—vastly different from Monarch Xue Jian, but rather similar to Sword Master Li Wudang. To be precise, the speed of Song Jinjian’s sword bore a God-like resemblance to Li Wudang’s signature Swordsmanship, "Qing Feng."

It boasted the reputation of "invincible within a hundred zhang."

Feng Erbao’s reluctance to follow too closely stemmed from this exact apprehension.

Fortunately, his worries turned out to be unfounded.

After traveling for three miles, Song Jinjian stopped on a tree branch, pointing diagonally downward with a smile. "Eunuch Feng, look. This is the ’great gift’ I have brought for you."

Feng Erbao stopped a hundred zhang away. Through the gaps in the foliage, he could faintly make out a figure leaning against a tree at the spot Song Jinjian was pointing at.

The person’s brocade robes were already soaked by the rain. Water trickled down, pooling on the ground and inexplicably blooming into a puddle of dark red.

Feng Erbao studied the scene for a moment before his brow sharply furrowed. "Song Jinjian, is your Lord insulting me?"

He could clearly see that the clothes between the person’s legs were stained with blood, looking just like a little eunuch who had freshly emerged from the palace’s castration room.

How could he not feel humiliated and enraged?

Song Jinjian unhurriedly shook his head, his expression earnest. "You misunderstand, Eunuch Feng.

"My Lord ordered me to entrust this person to you, hoping he can serve by your side."

"Oh? Who is he?"

"Liu Taoyao."

A subtle expression crossed Feng Erbao’s effeminate face. He clearly hadn’t expected it to be this person.

He certainly knew that Liu Taoyao was Liu Hong’s eldest son, but he simply couldn’t fathom why Song... why Lord Cui would do such a thing.

Noticing his confusion, Song Jinjian smiled and explained before Feng Erbao could ask. "You should be aware of the Holy Emperor’s decree, Eunuch Feng. With the exception of Consort Liu, everyone else in the Jing State Liu Family must die.

"However, my Lord is one who remembers old ties, and so am I. Since we promised Liu Hong to save his eldest son, we must keep our word."

Hearing this, Feng Erbao couldn’t help but cover his mouth and laugh.

His shrill laughter echoed through the dense forest, accompanied by the RUSTLE of rain-battered dead leaves falling to the ground.

"Song Jinjian, you and your Lord are truly amusing.

"Even a dog that has bowed and scraped for you all these years deserves a good end, but what about Liu Hong?

"You actually caused his... caused the Jing State Liu Family’s bloodline to be severed."

Song Jinjian gave a noncommittal nod. "A bad life is better than a good death. He has lost a ’leg’, but perhaps he can still make something of himself."

He then looked at Feng Erbao with a serious expression. "Just like you, Eunuch Feng... hmm... though perhaps he won’t reach your heights, it’s still an acceptable outcome."

Feng Erbao’s face stiffened. He stared at the swordsman for a moment before speaking in a soft, dark tone, "Since it is a request from Lord Cui, I accept."

After saying that, he took a step forward but abruptly pulled back. Flicking his Duster, he said, "If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."

Song Jinjian smiled and vanished into the depths of the forest in a blur.

Only when the swordsman’s presence had completely faded did Feng Erbao approach Liu Taoyao, scrutinizing the young man with a dark expression.

"Cui Mao..."

The Qinghe Cui Family had passed down its legacy for a thousand years, producing countless brilliant and stunningly talented individuals.

There were Swordsmen and Rangers who roamed the Jianghu unhindered; one had even slaughtered a ten-thousand-strong northern cavalry single-handedly with nothing but a sword.

There was Mr. Da of the academy, whose disciples were spread all across the world.

Even more entered the court as officials. Three of them had reached the position of Chancellor, standing second only to the Emperor and above the masses.

Not to mention the distant past, just looking at the tail end of the previous dynasty’s golden age. An ancestor of the Cui Family had firmly held the position of Chancellor for two decades. Through his own power, he implemented bold and decisive reforms, single-handedly laying down a hundred years of foundation for the previous dynasty’s reign.

Now, in the Great Wei Dynasty, the Cui Family remained active.

It was just that due to their ties with the previous dynasty, successive generations of Emperor Wei harbored aversion toward them. Although they didn’t go so far as to slaughter the Cui Family, they also refused to allow its descendants to enter the core of power.

That was, until today, two hundred years later, when Cui Mao made a meteoric rise.

Passing the exam to become a Scholar at twelve, passing the provincial exam at fifteen, and taking first place in the palace exam at eighteen, he became the youngest Imperial Top Scholar in the history of the Great Wei Dynasty.

His prominence was unmatched.

Many prominent figures in the Capital Prefecture originally thought that, having achieved success at such a young age, Cui Mao would inevitably stray and face setbacks.