The Struggle of Chaos Chapter Sixty-Nine: Can You Stand Up for Me?

“Could it be that Blade knows I’m here, so…” Lone Wolf speculated. If it was because of him that General Li was targeted for assassination, Lone Wolf truly felt guilty toward Li Qiutong.

Before Ren Xingtian could reply, Bilu immediately dismissed the idea. “Impossible. Not only have you been hiding for so long without Blade making a move against you, but from a standpoint of sheer power, the target of this assassination was definitely a Sacred Martial Artist. In other words, their clear objective was General Li.”

After hearing Bilu’s analysis, Lone Wolf also realized he wasn’t worth sending such ruthless killers after.

In the end, Ren Xingtian could only sigh and say, “Regardless of their intentions, someone is definitely watching us now. You must all be vigilant, and strengthen the night patrols.”

“Yes, sir.”

After giving brief instructions, Ren Xingtian stayed in the cabin to keep Li Qiutong company, while the others returned to their respective barracks.

Eastern Barracks.

“Did you hear? Word is, all that commotion just now was caused by our city lord. He wiped out five master-level assassins in a single move,” a soldier fresh from the scene described to others who hadn’t witnessed it.

“That shockwave must have been terrifying! The earthquakes back home never made such a noise. How does the city lord do it?”

“The city lord’s strength is that of a Sacred Martial Artist. Even martial masters are like ants before him.”

“A Sacred Martial Artist?” Zhu Long, wrapped alone in his blanket, silently listened to their conversation.

That day, the image of the blood serpent soaring through the sky returned to his mind. Bai Qi’s invincible demeanor once again rose in his heart.

Northern Barracks.

Lin Xuan had just returned to camp when he suddenly sensed a familiar gaze quietly observing him.

“Hey, new guy, what’s up?” a soldier beside him asked.

Lin Xuan smiled and waved. “I have something urgent to take care of. You all go ahead.”

“Oh, just don’t be late—who knows what assassins might still be lurking around.”

“Alright.” After parting ways, Lin Xuan walked alone to a quiet grove behind the barracks. Someone was indeed waiting for him there.

“Senior brother, I can’t believe it’s really you.” Before Lin Xuan could speak, a graceful figure threw herself into his arms.

He looked down at the familiar face—it was Zhu Yan’er. She clung to him tightly, tears of excitement shining in her eyes. Had the other soldiers seen their usually cold-blooded instructor like this, they would have been deeply shocked.

“To think we’d meet again in a place like this,” Lin Xuan remarked with feeling.

He recalled the past, before the Martial Valley. He had been twenty then, full of vigor and promise; Zhu Yan’er back then lacked the steadiness and presence she now possessed, resembling a young woman whose husband was about to depart.

“Senior brother, are you really leaving?” she asked.

Lin Xuan gently smoothed her hair over her shoulder, speaking softly. “General Cao needs talent urgently. He was kind to me in the past—I must assist him.”

Still unwilling to part, Zhu Yan’er asked, “Will we meet again?”

“We will. Once I’ve repaid the general’s kindness, I’ll come find you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll wait for you, wait for you to marry me.” Her voice grew quiet as she spoke, and Lin Xuan didn’t catch the last part, taking it as his junior sister’s blessing.

With a smile, Lin Xuan turned and left Martial Valley, leaving the little sister who always clung to him.

Only the wind whistled through the valley, and the crisp sound of tears falling on stone steps.

“It’s been eight years since then, hasn’t it?” Lin Xuan nodded, then said with a trace of helplessness, “Yes, eight years. I never thought you’d still remember your useless senior brother.”

Sensing his mood, Zhu Yan’er paid it no mind and pressed on. “In my heart, you’ll always be the most brilliant genius.”

Lin Xuan replied with a wry smile and said nothing more.

The two sat quietly beneath the tree.

“What happened all these years? Ever since Qin and Han went to war, I’ve been worried about you,” Zhu Yan’er suddenly asked.

Lin Xuan looked up at the stars, unsure for a moment how to answer. The girl who once needed his protection had grown up.

“Well, I’ll tell you then.”

He began to recount his experiences since leaving the mountain: joining the Vanguard Battalion, rising to its highest command, and finally the last battle by the Redwater River.

Lin Xuan spoke without emotion, as if it hadn’t been his own journey. Zhu Yan’er listened in silence, offering no opinions.

When he finished, she fell silent. She never imagined Lin Xuan had endured so much: pressure, pain, gratitude, hatred, and countless responsibilities, all weighing on his heart.

“You’ve truly grown up,” Lin Xuan suddenly smiled.

Zhu Yan’er looked surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“If it were before, wouldn’t you have been shouting about what to do, what to fix?”

Blushing at the memory of her younger self, Zhu Yan’er said, “That was just youth.”

“So, senior brother, what do you want to do next?”

“Me? Nothing. My life already has no meaning. What needed doing, I’ve done; debts owed, I’ve repaid. I thought I could simply die, but Heaven played a trick on me.” Lin Xuan looked up at the night sky with a helpless smile.

“Maybe Heaven isn’t joking.”

“What did you say?”

Zhu Yan’er suddenly took Lin Xuan’s hand. “I mean, Heaven brought you here to give you a new responsibility.”

Lin Xuan was baffled. “What responsibility?”

“To protect me, help me, make up for what you owe me.”

“Me?”

“Did you know? Waiting for you, I turned down everyone, just to wait for your return. Do you realize a girl wasted the most precious years of her life for you? Must you hurt me so?” Tears finally overflowed, years of longing released in a single moment.

Even Lin Xuan, the genius, was stunned. He had always known his junior sister, who followed him since childhood and kept him company through sleepless nights, liked him. But back then, other responsibilities weighed heavier on his heart—so he chose to escape. Besides, he was only sixteen or seventeen; what did he know of lifelong love? So he left, thinking that after ten years, when they met again, perhaps only friendship would remain and all past affections would have faded.

“I… I’m sorry, junior sister. But now I’m just a broken man, unworthy of your hopes.” Lin Xuan’s voice was filled with helplessness, pain, regret, and self-reproach.

Zhu Yan’er made no comment, simply turned her gaze to the sky, perhaps to hide her tears.

“Do you remember, senior brother? When we first arrived at Martial Valley, I was a girl—a girl who cried easily. Many classmates and even teachers believed a girl had no right to study military arts. They thought I was a joke at the academy. From the early sneers to later neglect, my heart grew cold. I began to give up, thinking I shouldn’t even be there. But then, a boy—the best student, my idol—came to me, helped me sweep the floors, sat with me under the peach tree. He told me: ‘You know, everyone falls down. Some stay there, enjoying meaningless, worthless days. Others, even with a thousand pounds pressing on them, will crawl up, straighten their backs, and keep moving forward as long as they have a bit of hope. Never deny yourself—if you do, you’ll never stand up again.’”

After finishing, Zhu Yan’er stood. “I’ll go now, senior brother. If you ever need anything, come find me in the Southern Barracks.” She had returned to her cold, stern officer’s demeanor.

Without giving Lin Xuan a chance to speak, she disappeared.

“Stand up? Is she still the same junior sister?” Lin Xuan shook his head in resignation, lowered it, and placed his hand on his chest, feeling the heart still beating within. After a while, he stood, dusted off his clothes.

“It’s late. Time to study that martial arts manual properly.”

Inside the cabin, Ren Xingtian sat at the bedside, tending to Li Qiutong. Deng Zhanxuan, who worried for his elder brother, wanted to stay, but Ren Xingtian sent them all away, leaving only himself to watch over Li Qiutong.

“What happened to me? Damn, it hurts.” As his consciousness cleared, Li Qiutong felt nothing but pain, his arms still tingling numb.

Seeing that Li Qiutong was not seriously injured, Ren Xingtian finally relaxed.

Ren Xingtian then told Li Qiutong everything that had happened, including the assassins’ identities and their speculations.

“You mean Blade has set his sights on us.”

Ren Xingtian nodded, his expression grave. “The most important thing is that we don’t know their purpose. We treat Blade as an adversary, but that’s for the future. We simply don’t have the strength to contend with them now. Yet they’ve already made a move. I can only think of two reasons. One, we—or you—have offended someone, and they hired assassins to kill you. Two, there is a traitor among us.” That suspicion was why Ren Xingtian had sent everyone away.

“A traitor seems unlikely. We’re all friends,” Li Qiutong doubted anyone would betray him.

“Qiutong, in today’s world, you can never be too careful. You nearly died this time.”

“No, it’s not so serious. Wait, I know the reason.”

“What reason?”

“When we were in Chang’an, General Qin told me there were people at court who tried to harm my grandfather. After I was exposed, those people might have set their sights on me. And today, Grandpa Long mentioned that someone leaked my grandfather’s whereabouts, leading to Blade ambushing him. So, the person behind the attempt on me is likely the same one who harmed my grandfather years ago.”

Hearing this, Ren Xingtian understood the situation.

“Looks like we’ll never untangle ourselves from Blade,” Ren Xingtian muttered, tapping his forehead. Li Qiutong’s strength was about that of a two-star Sacred Martial Artist, while the rest were hardly top-tier fighters. If they wanted to go toe-to-toe with Blade, their side was still lacking. “Should we ask Master for reinforcements? He values Qiutong highly anyway.” Ren Xingtian pondered their options, but Li Qiutong made a decision on the spot.

“Xingtian, once I recover, let’s take down Blade ourselves.”

Ren Xingtian was stunned. “You want to use the Lin family’s power?”

Li Qiutong nodded with pride.

“That’s not a bad idea. The Merchant Alliance must have plenty of information on Blade. We can consult with them.”

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, I’ll write to Xiao Ai.”