Condemning the Heavens

Xue Wei was left behind, puzzled by what had happened. The woman wanted him to die, no doubt about it, but she had not lashed out and had instead hidden her killing intent deep within. She had even tried to make a deal with him.

But what had he done to warrant such hostility other than being human when she was a Primordial Beast? Was it perhaps because his uncle as a Primordial Beast Hunter had killed numerous of her friends? If so, why had she not killed him instantly rather than try to convince him into striking up a deal with her?

Xue Wei was puzzled. She had vanished with a flash as if she had never been there in the first place before he could figure anything out. Although this deeply shocked Xue Wei, he quickly washed and changed his clothes while cleaning the robes he had been wearing before.

Wearing a new set of robes, Xue Wei had spent the entire time contemplating what had happened, but no matter how much he thought about it, it was impossible for him to come to any conclusions.

When he exited the room, he was still thinking about it, and it was not before Tie Haolong and the others came to greet him that he parked it at the back of his mind.

"She might just have visited to mess up my peace of mind," Xue Wei mumbled to himself. "She might have realized I knew what and who she was, so she wanted to warn me. I can't very well tell everyone that she, some miss from the center of the continent, is a Primordial Beast. Especially not with the strength she has. If we attempt to capture her, we will definitely bring misfortune upon ourselves."

"But what happened to Xiaoyun and her family members? They were hunting the Ice Harpy. She is here, looking just fine, but I haven't heard a word about Xiaoyun since then," Xue Wei was starting to feel worried.

Although his time with Wang Xiaoyun was short, and one could consider his emotions for her pure infatuation and superficial, they were not so simple to him. When he met her, he lost his heart at that moment, and his emotions were genuine. He truly had no space for any other woman than her, yet now there was a chance that she might have encountered some mishap.

On the other hand, it was also likely that the Wayfarers had not managed to locate the Ice Harpy. With her cultivation base, it would be impossible to find her unless she wished to be located.

"Brother Wei?" Tie Haolong looked at Xue Wei with curiosity. Xue Wei shook his head as he smiled back, "Don’t worry, I was just thinking about a few things. Do not be surprised."

Xue Wei grinned and waved his hand, "We cannot afford to let His Highness the Crown Prince wait."

"That's true," Tie Haolong agreed, his head nodding, but his eyes were still searching Xue Wei. It was clear that something had happened that had caused him to be surprised or shocked and descend into deep thought, but what could possibly have happened at his Tie mansion?

Xue Wei said nothing to give him an idea, so Tie Haolong did not ask any questions, but their group was rather silent as they moved towards the Crown Prince's abode together.

As they arrived at the residence, they were once more greeted by a group of guards of the Sky Warrior rank, all of which looked dignified as they observed these youngsters with pride.

Although they were from various factions, they were still all to become a part of the army. They would all become important figures for the kingdom, whether they survived or not.

If they survived, they would likely become either Sky Warriors like themselves, maybe even Heavenly Warriors. On the other hand, if they did not survive, they would become heroes of the nation, the ones who had given the ultimate sacrifice for their homeland and their citizens. These people deserved all the respect that they could get.

Because of this, these children were looked at with respect. Although they had no choice but to enter the army, they were still heroes of the nation.

As they entered the building, they could hear the sounds of a zither that played alongside a lute. There were women who mingled in between the tables of the many people, catering drinks and snacks to the many visitors, and there were geniuses from all over the country, but those from the capital were a majority.

As they entered, their names were called out by a herald, "Young Hero Xue Wei, Young Miss Song Yuyan of the Song family, Young Master Tie Haolong of the Tie family, Young Hero Gu Dixing, Young Master Xiao Jie of the Xiao family."

Song Yuyan, Tie Haolong, and Xiao Jie were all of the noble families within the Kingdom of Heping. Hence they were referred to as either Young Master or Young Miss. Gu Dixing and Xue Wei were not nobles, which was why the herald had to refer to them as Young Heroes.

As soon as Xue Wei's name had been introduced, everyone in the room turned silent and looked towards the entrance of the chamber. Everyone had heard rumors about this young man. He had one of the most menacing nicknames in the history of the human army, Crimson Devil, and he was rumored to be inhuman.

The ones present were all geniuses in their own right. They had heard about Xue Wei through connections or had personally witnessed his gruesome display of fighting in the arena.

Xue Wei had already become a living legend in the Recruitment Camp, but now he was even more than a legend.

Many of the young experts that were supposed to enter the Recruitment Camp this year also looked at Xue Wei curiously. They had only heard about him from others, and thus they had a hard time fully understanding whether or not his strength was genuine or if it was just some rumor that had grown.

Many of the geniuses that were present saw themselves as peerless talents, so they had a hard time putting others in their eyes. Especially the people that came from outside of the capital.

Xue Wei was special. He had a special status because of his uncle, but he was also said to be inhumane while fighting, a bloodthirsty, murderous personage who could only be described as the ‘crimson devil’.

Such a description, for those who had not seen the fight, seemed as if it was exaggerated. As if it was a rumor that had been blown out of proportion.

"Young Hero Xue Wei!" The Crown Prince was the first to step forward. "It is our honor that you attend our banquet today," he said smilingly, and just as he stepped forward, Xue Wei's pupils contracted into small dots. Right by the side of the prince was the black-clad young woman with silver hair and ice-blue eyes.

When she saw Xue Wei, she smiled and lifted her cup in a silent greeting, her actions causing the Crown Prince to be stumped for words.

"My lady, you know our Young Hero Xue Wei?" he asked hesitatingly. Xue Wei, who knew of her real nature, was curious as to how she was going to answer.

"I know of him," she laughed with a pearl-like laughter. "We have encountered each other three times now, once in Tiankong City when I was roaming through the countryside, once here in the capital, and now the third time. One has to admit that there seem to be some sort of fate tying us together."

Having said this, the woman winked at Xue Wei, who forced a smile in return. He now understood why she had visited him earlier. It was to warn him.

She had displayed her capabilities and made him understand that no one in Tiankong City were her match. If he called wolf and everyone got ready to fight her, it was likely that not even the capital would remain standing. That the streets would turn into rivers of blood and that every single citizen would be slain.

"My lady, it is my honor to meet you again," Xue Wei said sarcastically before he turned his attention to the Crown Prince once more.

"Your Highness, this one feels fortunate to be invited to your esteemed banquet."

"You are all geniuses of the nation, dragons amongst men, phoenixes soaring the skies. For this kingdom to have such promising talents, we are very fortunate." the Crown Prince smiled, and it was clear that he was serious about what he said.

"Now, do not stand on ceremony. All of us are friends here. Do enter and mingle with the other geniuses. I am sure that a few of them recognize you from previous encounters."

Saying this, Xue Wei looked around, and truthfully so he encountered experts from the Recruitment Camp, but he also noticed a face that he had not thought he would see.

This was the young master he had met the first time he arrived in the capital, and he was rather pale when his eyes landed on Xue Wei.

Luo Zhirou and Shen Mu were both next to the Crown Prince. It was clear that they were his loyal subjects, loyal followers, and were regarded rather highly by the Crown Prince.

What made Xue Wei sigh a breath of relief was knowing that if the Crown Prince had only valued them because of their connection to Xue Wei, they would never have managed to reach the position they had now. To reach that position, they had to display their own ability, and the Crown Prince had deemed them worthy of his time and trust.

"Young Hero Xue Wei, how could you ignore me like this?" Chu Huiyin came towards Xue Wei, her hand still elegantly holding a cup of rice wine, her face blossoming into a great smile of an innocent girl, and her demeanor that of a young girl in love.

"Why would he have the honor of getting the attention of this woman?" someone muttered, just loud enough for others to hear.

"I hear he is into men, that prophet from the center of the continent took a fancy to him," another joined in, and for once Chu Huiyin’s eyes displayed utter surprise, after which they turned dangerously dark.

"You!" she said as she pointed at the man who had previously spoken, "what did you just say?"

The man trembled slightly when he saw the enraged expression on the woman's face, but he cleared his throat and said with a loud voice, "You should not fancy this young man. He is already taken! In the training camp, he was very close with Prophet Lan from the center of the continent."

Chu Huiyin was filled with disbelief, her entire face contorting with shock as she slowly turned and looked at Xue Wei.

She then moved faster than anyone could see. Within a moment, she was standing next to Xue Wei and her nail had cut his arm, from which blood dripped down.

Completely ignoring the others, Chu Huiyin slid her finger down the cut and afterwards lifted the finger to her lips and tasted it. Only then did her expression relax.

"You!" she turned around and looked at the man who had spoken before. "Don't speak nonsense; his yang energy is still pure, so it is impossible for him to have been together with anyone!"

Xue Wei was shocked by her actions. She was definitely not moving for the sake of saving his reputation – she was genuinely scared of him having been with the prophet.

The young man who had said that Xue Wei was gay was stumped for words. He had been present back when Xue Wei and Lan shared one tent, and seen how they had behaved.

He had even heard how Lan had called Xue Wei his darling and asked for him to come to the center of the continent. Was all this just for show?