Chapter 461 - 460: Lu Xingtong
"Auntie Wan, did you buy another new soul guide toy for your child?"
On the street, a woman carrying a basket of vegetables greeted her neighbor with a smile.
The woman addressed as Auntie Wan gave a simple smile, then lifted a small metal ball in her hand, making it roll and glow on its own.
"Yes, there's an event at the department store today. This flash ball… Back when I was in the Heavenly Soul Empire, I never even imagined things like this. But now, for just ten coins, I can make my little monkey happy all day long. I have to say, life is fun now."
"Isn't that true?"
Another passerby sighed as they approached.
"Back when the Heavenly Soul royal family was in charge, the taxes kept getting heavier every year. We could barely fill our stomachs. But now, with the Sun Moon Empire here, not only did they waive our agricultural tax for three years, they also gave cityfolk jobs and even subsidies for children to go to school. In this Heavenly Soul… for us common folk, maybe death wasn't such a bad thing after all."
"Shh, keep your voice down."
The woman in front quickly made a silent gesture, glancing around warily.
"The dead ones are the Heavenly Soul emperors. Now, it's the Sun Moon Empire in charge. Whoever the ruler is, as long as they feed and clothe us, they're a good emperor."
Such conversations took place daily in every corner of the former Heavenly Soul Empire.
The Sun Moon Empire quickly grasped the hearts of the lower classes, the ones most directly affected by their policies.
No one cared who the ruler was—only whether life was getting better.
When the new rulers brought them an unprecedented standard of living, the word "homeland" quickly faded from their memories.
But to the once-noble clans and sects of soul masters, the Sun Moon Empire's methods were much more direct—co-optation or exclusion.
In one soul master sect that had belonged to the Heavenly Soul royal family, the sect master handed out imperial appointment letters with the Sun Moon royal crest, a faint smile on his lips.
"Everyone, the Empire has issued an official appointment. From today, our 'Swiftwind Sect' will formally become the 'Heaven Dou Province Sun Moon Empire First Soul Master Division's Affiliated Battle Sect.' Not only will we receive a massive allocation of rare metals and soul guide resources each year, but all core disciples will get guaranteed admission to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."
The sect master's voice brimmed with excitement.
"Sect master."
A hot-tempered elder suddenly stood up, his face full of humiliation and reluctance.
"Have you forgotten the kindness of the Heavenly Soul royal family? Forgotten how our disciples died in battle? And now you want to become the enemy's dogs?"
The sect master's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold indifference.
"Third Elder, mind your words," he said icily.
"The Heavenly Soul Empire is finished. That's a fact. Should we cling to some foolish loyalty and wait for the Sun Moon Empire to destroy us, exterminating our families? Or should we seize this opportunity to lift our Swiftwind Sect to new heights in this new era?"
He swept his gaze around the room, his voice burning with intensity.
"Those who understand the times are the wise. The Sun Moon Empire is the future of soul guidance, the future of the continent. We are refugees now. We are elders, we are heroes. If we wait until they are fully established, we'll be forced to flee again—like pitiful dogs, wagging our tails for mercy. Choose for yourselves."
His words plunged the hall into silence.
The third elder's face turned red, and in the end, he sat down in frustration.
He knew the sect master was right. Not everyone has the resolve or courage to die without mercy.
For these sects struggling to survive, the most important thing was to live—and to live well.
In the end, many old powers succumbed to coercion and temptation, choosing to fully submit to the Sun Moon Empire.
But those with true insight, driven by deep hatred and unwilling to yield, hid like candles in the night—waiting in the darkness for a time that might never come.
The mainland had settled into an uneasy equilibrium.
The Sun Moon Empire was focused on integration. The Dou Ling Empire trembled on its borders, constantly sending envoys to the Star Luo Empire, hoping to form an alliance against their powerful enemy.
Meanwhile, the Star Luo Empire quietly prepared for war, maintaining an ambiguous stance.
In this calm silence, time slipped quietly by.
…
One year later, Star Luo City.
As the only great empire on the continent able to rival the Sun Moon Empire, Star Luo City had not suffered direct effects of war.
But with the influx of wealthy merchants and soul masters fleeing from the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling nations, it was more prosperous and bustling than ever before.
But deep within the palace, in a secluded, heavily guarded court, the atmosphere was utterly different from the bustling city outside.
A young girl dressed in gorgeous palace attire stood before the garden gate. Her youthful innocence had long since faded, replaced by a mature charm. She waited for a special guest.
Before long, a plain carriage without a signboard, led by guards, slowly came to a halt at her door.
The curtain was lifted by a slender, bare hand, and a figure stepped out.
A woman in white, beautiful in appearance, but the radiant smile she once wore like the sun was completely gone.
Her face was almost frozen in calm, and her once-clear eyes now seemed to sink to the bottom of a well, filled with indelible sorrow and hatred.
It was the former princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, Weina.
A year had passed since she was last seen, and it was as if she had aged ten years in an instant.
The tragedy of her kingdom's fall and her family's destruction had transformed her completely.
"Weina…"
Seeing her old friend, pain welled up in Xu Jiujiu's chest for a long time.
She hurried forward and tried to gently take Weina's hand, just as she had before.
But when she reached out, Weina instinctively—and very subtly—took half a step back.
The action was small, but after so long, it was obvious.
Her heart suddenly sank.
She knew that some things could never go back to the way they were.
Weina also realized her slip, staring somewhat awkwardly at her hand, suspended in midair. After a long moment, ripples filled her eyes and a sad expression crossed her face.
"It's been a while… I'm sorry."
Her voice was hoarse.
"Tell me, what are you apologizing for?"
After a pause, Xu Jiujiu withdrew her hand and forced a gentle smile. She stepped forward and gave Weina a careful, gentle hug.
"Welcome to Star Luo City. Come in first, it's windy outside."
For a long time, she could only use the simplest words to hide her inner sigh and complicated emotions.
She led Weina into a warm, prepared room.
Weina had been escorted by Fei Xiao, while Jingyuan had been taken to Heaven Dou City.
But those two had not always stayed by her side.
Fei Xiao had done enough. Weina's fate with him ended with the Heavenly Soul Empire's collapse. After all, they were not of this world, and could never bear the eternal hatred of Weina's people.
After wandering the land for a year, witnessing the coldness and warmth of the world, and seeing the contentment of her countrymen under the new regime, Weina's heart—her desire to restore her nation—had died completely.
She finally understood that the era of the Heavenly Soul Empire had ended for good.
In the room, calming incense burned, warm and comfortable.
Yet Weina did not seem to notice. From the moment she entered, her gaze was fixed on the delicate little cot draped with a soft quilt.
On the bed, an infant just a few months old slept soundly, his tiny, jade-like features and long eyelashes fluttering gently with each breath.
Most striking of all was the baby's distinctive, soft, snowy-white hair.
That white hair made Weina's heart jump.
A handsome, unfathomable figure flashed uncontrollably through her mind—Lu Jingming.
Sensing Weina's gaze, Xu Jiujiu's formal demeanor melted away.
She walked to the side of the cot and gazed at her sleeping son, eyes full of maternal tenderness.
"Isn't he adorable?"
She laughed for a long time, her voice filled with the pride and happiness of a mother.
"This is my child. His name is Lu Xingtong."
Lu Xingtong.
Hearing that name, the last trace of doubt in Weina's heart vanished.
She gazed at the baby's small face, which resembled Lu Jingming, her heart rippling with complex waves—envy, blessing, and a tinge of sorrow, all intertwined.
Forcing a heartfelt smile, she said to Xu Jiujiu,
"As I thought, he is his child. Congratulations, Xu Jiujiu. I'm… truly happy for you."
"Yes, I'm very happy."
After a long pause, Xu Jiujiu couldn't hide her joy. She gently tucked the little quilt around her son, then turned back to Weina, her expression once again becoming serious.
The two sat at the coffee table. A maid brought hot tea and quietly withdrew.
"Weina."
After gazing at her for a long while, she got straight to the point.
"What are your plans in Star Luo City?"
As Xu Jiujiu asked, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
When the Heavenly Soul Empire fell, Star Luo sent reinforcements.
But those troops were blocked by Ju Zi… This was a tacit understanding between Star Luo Empire and Ju Zi's camp—they stood by and watched.
Haiyuan City's power could have easily changed the course of the war, but it was never used from beginning to end.
As a friend, she'd long felt some guilt toward Weina.
But as a ruler, she had no regrets.
After a while, she picked up her teacup, her gaze deepening.
Heavenly Soul, Dou Ling, Star Lou…
The old order was about to change. Even without the Sun Moon Empire, the three nations of old Douluo would sooner or later contend for resources and hegemony.
She and Weina could never truly be friends; the interests of their nations would always divide them.
Lu Jingming's goal was to lead a new, unified order.
For that, everything old would have to be reshuffled, even destroyed.
The fall of the Heavenly Soul Empire was inevitable in this process.
If the Sun Moon Empire hadn't acted, Haiyuan City would have done it sooner or later.
Politics was always cruel.
In the flood of national interests, personal relationships were so small as to be negligible.
So, Weina…
She hadn't come to restore her country—Weina knew better than anyone that was an impossible dream.
She had come for revenge.
She wanted to become a knife—a knife to stab Xu Tiannan's heart.
As expected, after a long silence, Weina put down her teacup, looked up, and met her gaze with calm resolve. Her voice was cold and determined.
"Xu Jiujiu, I didn't come to beg for troops. Heavenly Soul is dead. I know that better than anyone."
"So do I… I don't want to restore my country."
At this point, her voice trembled slightly, but she quickly calmed herself.
"A royal family that can't even protect its own people, a surname that only burdens the people in this new era, is not qualified to rule that land again."
She took a deep breath, and the quiet flames of hatred in her eyes finally blazed up.
"I came here for one thing—revenge."
"Xu Tiannan, and all the high officials of the Sun Moon Empire, must pay the price for my father's death, for the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers at Heaven Dou City, and for the fall of my Heavenly Soul royal family."
"My life has belonged to vengeance since a year ago. I want to join the Star Luo Empire, to become a knife, a gun, any weapon in your hand—as long as I can see the end of the Sun Moon Empire."
Seeing the hatred almost overflowing from Weina's eyes—enough to scorch the soul—Xu Jiujiu felt a long, complicated emotion.
She hesitated.
But her hesitation was not about accepting Weina. With her current power, placing someone in the Star Luo Empire would be easy.
The real question was whether she should personally push her friend into the abyss of vengeance.
Accepting Weina would be easy—but then what? Would she turn her into a war machine driven by hatred?
If so, Weina's life would truly be nothing but hate.
Would that bring her peace, or would it be just another cruel cage?
Moreover, Weina's identity was too sensitive.
She was the last lineage of the Heavenly Soul royal family, a symbol of life.
She was a double-edged sword—useful for rallying Heavenly Soul loyalists, but also liable to cause unnecessary trouble and disrupt Lu Jingming's plans.
This issue… she could not decide alone.
As she struggled internally, torn between reason and emotion, a calm, magnetic male voice echoed through the empty room without warning.
"I agree."
The voice was not loud, but it rang in Weina's ears like thunder.
For a long moment, she was stunned. Then surprise and relief appeared on her face as she unconsciously turned toward the source of the voice.