Chapter 137: The Meeting

Prince Changwu gazed at the surrounding trees, now barren and stripped of their leaves, and frowned as he offered a final piece of advice.

"Should you ever find that Pingwu has become too deeply entangled to extricate himself, I hope that you will have no lingering concerns."

Chen Sinian’s words struck like a bolt of lightning. Yang Guang felt a jolt of alarm and hurriedly looked up at Chen Sinian, only to find him expressionless, his eyes filled with cold resolve.

"I will obey, my lord."

Yang Guang lowered his head slowly, his expression complex as he gave his word. The scene at Yanwu County seemed to play out before his eyes once more, though he prayed it would never come to that again.

After they spoke for a few moments, the Prince’s entourage resumed their journey, their pace noticeably quickened. Yang Guang stepped away from the group, watching them recede into the distance, a trace of loss flickering across his otherwise impassive face.

"Interesting."

A voice suddenly came from behind him. Yang Guang’s ears twitched, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he instantly drew his blade and swung backward.

The fact that someone could stand behind him without him noticing was enough to reach a swift conclusion in his mind. The stranger’s skills were at least on par with his own, and they had likely overheard his conversation with the Prince. Whether friend or foe no longer mattered—Yang Guang was ready to kill.

*Clang!*

Yang Guang’s blade struck, but the spot where the voice had originated was empty; the force of the strike only carved a deep trench into the earth.

"Young man, why so irritable?"

The voice returned. Yang Guang did not respond; he scanned his surroundings with heightened vigilance. The more dangerous the situation, the calmer he became, showing not a hint of impatience. He did not rush to strike again; since the person had dodged his first attack, they would surely be on their guard.

He surveyed the area quietly. The landscape was filled only with withered trees, offering no cover for a human figure. It was clear the stranger possessed exceptional movement techniques and was no ordinary person. Yang Guang searched his memory, but among those he had encountered, he could recall no one with such high-level martial arts.

"Composed mind, lethal strike—you truly have a gift."

The voice shifted direction again, lazily critiquing Yang Guang from the shadows. Yang Guang frowned and could not help but ask, "Someone with your skills cannot be a nobody. Why not show yourself?"

Yang Guang sheathed his blade and stood tall, deciding it was pointless to hunt for his shadow. Given the stranger’s speed, if they had wanted to kill him, they would have done so already. Assuming there was no malice, he stood his ground and waited for the person to appear.

"At least you are sensible. It would take me but a breath to kill you."

The man laughed. Yang Guang watched as a leaf drifted down, and a figure materialized before him.

"You!"

Yang Guang stared in astonishment at the man before him—slender in build, with two short blades tucked into his waistband, his eyes shimmering with a strange, mocking amusement.

"Wolf-Head! You’re not dead!"

Wolf-Head looked at Yang Guang and offered a sinister grin, blowing a strand of hair away from his face with a careless puff of air. After partially recovering from his wounds, he had set out with Feng Yewu’s party, but upon noticing Yang Guang’s departure, he had trailed him. However, near the Beichang Prince’s residence, a sense of overwhelming pressure had made him feel endangered, so he had remained hidden, keeping his distance even during Yang Guang’s conversation with Prince Changwu for fear of exposure. Only after the Prince had departed did he reveal himself.

"Why are you here?" Yang Guang asked coldly, his hand drifting back toward his sword hilt.

Wolf-Head caught the movement and offered a disdainful glance. "I suggest you refrain from attacking me. After all, we aren't exactly enemies, are we?"

Yang Guang snorted at the remark. "If you aren't here to kill me, then I'm leaving."

Seeing Yang Guang turn to go, Wolf-Head hurriedly added, "Wait. Don't you want to know why your personality keeps shifting?"

Yang Guang, who had just turned away, froze at the mention of his shifting temperament. He spun around, killing intent surging in his eyes. "You know about it?"

Yang Guang did not want others to discover his secret. Since Wolf-Head brought it up, he clearly understood the changes. A thought struck him, and he probed, "You were there outside Langya City that night, weren't you?"

He had not shifted often; apart from the incident at Yanwu County, which only Chen Pingwu and Wang Jia knew about, the only other time his secret could have been leaked was during his duel with Lu Jue outside Langya City.

Wolf-Head saw the murder in Yang Guang’s eyes and nodded indifferently. He was about to speak when Yang Guang drew his blade and charged.

Wolf-Head’s eyebrows arched. Yang Guang’s killing intent was heavy and his blade work lethal, leaving no room for carelessness. As a grandmaster himself, Wolf-Head dared not be negligent when facing Yang Guang’s full-force assault.

He flashed to the side and drew his twin short blades. In an instant, the two were locked in combat. Yang Guang’s blade was fast and furious, every strike aimed at Wolf-Head’s vital points. Wolf-Head managed to parry at first, but having suffered severe injuries and only just recovered, he knew that if this continued, he would likely die at Yang Guang’s hands.

"Stop! Don't you want to know your origins?"

Wolf-Head parried a blow, locking his short blades against Yang Guang’s weapon, and shouted in a low, urgent voice. Yang Guang paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.

Wolf-Head seized the opportunity. "You are a twin-souled vessel. Did Prince Changwu not tell you?"

Yang Guang had never heard the term "twin-souled vessel" before. Confused, he shook his head slightly.

"Stop for now! I mean you no harm!"

The strain of the fight had aggravated Wolf-Head’s injuries, and his face turned pale. He urged Yang Guang to hold back, fearing he might collapse on the spot if the assault continued. Yang Guang retracted his long blade and looked coldly at the blood seeping through the bandages on Wolf-Head’s chest. His heart settled somewhat; he could at least confirm that Wolf-Head’s previous injuries were real and that he had simply been lucky to survive.

Wolf-Head gasped for air, sheathed his short blades, and leaned against a withered tree to catch his breath.

"What is this 'twin-souled vessel' you speak of?" Yang Guang asked coldly.

Once Wolf-Head had steadied himself, he opened his eyes and asked with a complex look, "Did Prince Changwu really not tell you?"

"He did not."

Yang Guang watched the weakened man, weighing his options. He knew he had an eighty percent chance of killing him right now. Wolf-Head sensed the killing intent and gave a helpless smile, looking up at the sky as he thought to himself: If he didn't reveal something now, he would surely die here today.

"Do you even know who your parents are?"