No one wanted to die. He had risen from being a useless nobody to a high-ranking master of the Sword Master Realm, so of course, he was even less inclined to meet his end. But when Mu Hanyan revealed her true strength and thrust her sword into the heart of that assassin, he knew his fate was sealed. The reason he responded to Mu Hanyan’s question without any concealment was simply to get a clear answer before dying. However, by the looks of it, his final wish seemed unlikely to be fulfilled.
"Who said I’m going to kill you?" Mu Hanyan said with a smile as she looked at Yan Yuchu.
"You’re not killing me?" Yan Yuchu looked at Mu Hanyan in surprise.
Like Mu Hanyan, he was considered worthless from a young age and endured the scorn and ostracism of his peers. Unlike Mu Hanyan, however, he didn’t have a father who was both the Family Head and the City Lord. Although his grandfather was not without status, there were others of his grandson’s generation, so his life was far less carefree and comfortable than Mu Hanyan’s. His character, inevitably, took on some extreme traits.
If their roles had been reversed, Yan Yuchu felt that there was no way he could have spared Mu Hanyan.
"An enemy’s enemy is a friend, haven’t you heard that before?" Mu Hanyan said. This update is available on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
Yan Yuchu’s fate was astonishingly similar to her own in her previous life. Although they had never crossed paths, she guessed that his ultimate fate would be much like hers had been. A sense of pity naturally arose in Mu Hanyan’s heart, and she didn’t wish to make things difficult for him.
"But now, the Mu and Yan families are at each other’s throats. There may come a day when we must fight to the death. If you spare me now, you might regret it later," Yan Yuchu said.
"The affairs of the Capital are not for us to control. The future is also not for us to predict. Why worry about so much? Currently, we have a common enemy, and with my enemies in both light and shadow, who knows when my life might again be at risk. Only by setting aside past grievances and joining forces can we fend off a powerful foe," Mu Hanyan said earnestly.
In her memories, the Mu and Yan families had not completely turned against each other; perhaps there were still some secrets she didn’t know. However, many things had changed since her rebirth. Who knew whether the relationship between the Mu and Yan families would undergo any further changes?
Regardless, this Yan Yuchu shared a similar fate to her own and was also quite skilled. Making a friend out of him was better than making an enemy.
"That makes sense. Let’s worry about the future when it comes. After all, we have a common enemy right now. It’s better to join forces rather than fight each other," Yan Yuchu said with a hint of admiration for Mu Hanyan.
Everyone understands the principle, but it is not so easy to act on it. If he were in her shoes, even if he had spared Mu Hanyan’s life, he surely would have made her suffer to teach her a lesson.
The fact that Mu Hanyan had so easily spared him touched Yan Yuchu; he felt inferior to her magnanimity.
"Alright, then from now on we are friends. At the very least, until the Mu and Yan families officially sever ties in the Capital, we shall support each other like the two horns on a head, join forces and fend off the enemy together," Mu Hanyan extended her palm.
Yan Yuchu also reached out and struck his palm against Mu Hanyan’s.
A crisp slap resounded, and Yan Yuchu felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. Throughout his life, he had seldom had any friends, initially because no one thought highly of him. But when his strength soared, there was no lack of lively faces around him, though they were all sycophants. He still had no real friends.
Mu Hanyan would probably count as his only friend. Reflecting on their similar destinies, he felt a special connection with Mu Hanyan, a sentiment that was difficult to articulate. And Mu Hanyan’s broad-mindedness was something he greatly admired.