Uncle Fang didn't chat with Huai Shi for too long. After briefly updating the young man on the situation, he assured him there was no need to worry about the house; the Young Master could participate in the competition with peace of mind.
Then, the old man hurriedly left through that door to prepare for this year's floor waxing, leaving Huai Shi marveling at the door.
This thing is freaking amazing.
Being able to summon someone to provide live BGM support anytime, anywhere—it's a total Divine Artifact! If I could pry it off and install it at my place...
Huai Shi began to let his imagination run wild, then reluctantly gave up the idea under the subtle pressure from the Paradise.
This was probably also part of the mechanism of Paradise, relying on Hell to exist. Even moving the entire Little Cat Paradise to the Current Circumstances would likely be futile.
After Uncle Fang left, Huai Shi sat in the musician's seat, scrutinizing the only legacy left to him by the Prince: that broken Longsword.
Having left its former master, it had lost its captivating brilliance, and the dark gold emblems and decorations on the sword's spine had gradually faded. Holding it, he found it to be a broken blade far heavier than he had imagined.
The edge was still sharp.
It felt ice-cold to the touch, and his whole being seemed to calm down.
Forever composed and unruffled.
But no matter how much Source Substance was infused, it could not recapture the divine might and radiance the sword had possessed in the Prince's hands. This puzzled him greatly.
Not until Huai Shi finally remembered the Raven's Identification Encyclopedia.
He summoned the Book of Fate and placed it next to the broken blade. After a minute exchange of Source Substance, the pages of the Book of Fate began to turn on their own, without any wind, flipping rapidly.
As a former catalog of the Heavenly Kingdom, a record of countless prototype miracles, it naturally possessed the experience to compare and identify them. In an instant, the result was displayed on the page.
Huai Shi was stunned.
[Border Artifact·Sword of Virtue]
—The straight blade displays the courage and virtue of its wielder, also conveying a warning from a nameless Prince to his successors: My heart is like my sword; I'd rather break than bend.
Remembering the Prince's last words before his death, Huai Shi stroked the sword's spine and sighed deeply.
"'Do not go gentle into that good night,' right?"
Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light... Rage, rage against the dying of the light...
Recalling the verses he had once vaguely read, Huai Shi realized that this might be the final warning the Prince left for him, a cautionary tale for those who are lost.
Even if fate is harsh and the world indifferent, do not yield to the call of the Abyss and fall into darkness, even when death is inescapable.
Even if it seems there is a place to belong here...
A bit too serious, isn't it...
Huai Shi lowered his eyes and murmured softly, How afraid you must have been that I would walk the same old path as you all.
This was the Prince's gift to his successor.
In his final moments, he had poured all his strength into forging the Sword of Virtue for Huai Shi.
Although it appeared incomplete, it was exceedingly sturdy.
Even when Huai Shi used the Alchemy Fire to continuously convert Source Substance in an attempt to repair it, the foreign material could not meld with the stubborn and proud sword body. As soon as Huai Shi's hand moved away, the patched-on steel peeled off.
Beyond its inherent sharpness and firmness, a miracle akin to a Stigma had naturally formed within it, revealed as a Skill under the appraisal of the Book of Fate.
Engraving·Pact of the White Horse: The contract between the Prince and the White Horse; the righteous shall ride the White Horse, and not even the night can hide the lofty color of morality.
Sword of Dawn: The Light of Dawn shines over the earth, and the eternal night breaks at this dawn. It can be used only after absorbing sufficient positive Source Substance.
The Treasure Sword, the White Horse, and the terrifying, seemingly invincible sword techniques from memory—the Prince had preserved all his most treasured belongings, bequeathing them to his successor.
"Why were you so kind, my friend?" Huai Shi sighed. "It puts a lot of pressure on a person."
He twisted a latch to attach the Sword Blade to the belt at his waist, cherishing it greatly.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but look back once more.
On the dilapidated stage, it seemed as if a Prince with a dazzling smile was still gazing at him, watching him depart.
Be a good person, right?
Huai Shi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "I'll try my best."
He turned and left.
The door closed with a boom, burying everything in darkness.
Much later, a sneaky-looking Raven's head emerged from the darkness, looked around, and sighed in resignation. "Fool, are you that excited over a Great Treasure Sword?"
"Isn't that a bit too naive?"
In the darkness, the Raven's outline seemed to melt into the pitch black. Its vague form transformed, slowly rising.
Ultimately, a seductive silhouette emerged from the depths of darkness. Her skirt, adorned with complex crimson patterns, dragged through the ruins and debris, yet remained unsullied by dust.
It's not like I completely forgot the most precious thing...
She stood on the stage, surveying the scene. Her gaze finally settled on the relics left by the Princes. She slowly shook her head. "Young people are just so unreliable," she muttered, then raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
In an instant, a faint light descended from the sky, converging in her hand and transforming into a projection of the Book of Fate. As her fingers flicked, a drop of phantom blood flew out, and the silver feather pen—the Event Branch—dipped in the blood and began to write rapidly across the pages.
Although its essence is tainted by Hell and it's no longer in its original form, these are still prime fragments of the Source. And they perfectly match a branch from the Heavenly Kingdom. It just needs a bit of sorting...