Bonds of Darkness: Swordmen's Redemption

Chapter Two: Unveiling Y/N's Curse

A/N: All rights to the original content are reserved by the respective copyright owner.

Chapter Image Source: Pixiv Artist "Kirbo" / Pixiv Art Code: 111875324

EDIT: Revised the chapter.

---

Within the sprawling expanse of the Xianzhou Alliance, a constellation of civilizations and ships stitched together by the fragile silk of politics and power, factions surged and receded with the inevitability of celestial tides, while allegiances morphed as readily as the shapes of clouds in a high wind. It was here, amid this elaborate dance of dominion and deceit, that Jingliu, the esteemed leader of the High-Cloud Quintet, sought truths that would dwarf even their fabled adventures.

The central assembly of the Alliance thrummed with a vitality that mirrored the complex political heartbeats of Xianzhou Luofu. Jingliu, her eyes dark as the space that held the constellations mirrored on her vessel's canopy, wove through a tapestry of hushed schemes and murmured secrets. A clandestine society, the Aeon Envoys, whispered their unyielding devotion to the cryptic Aeon Yaoshi and, if rumors held true, they possessed the elusive key to unraveling the Mara curse now claiming their ally, Y/N.

With each step mired in caution and intrigue, Jingliu's pursuit took her deeper into the Luofu's political labyrinth, a realm where adversaries vied for dominance and truth was a coveted jewel shrouded by opulence and subterfuge.

As the political terra shifted perilously at the Alliance's epicenter, the council of faction leaders convened to decree a destiny-altering proclamation—one that would send ripples through their universe's very fabric.

A tense prelude to the council's declaration sent a palpable quiver of expectancy and disquiet through the assembly. The divulgence of their champion's plight loomed, a storm cloud promising turbulence in its wake.

In the quietude preceding the announcement, a surreptitious exchange unfolded between two councilors:

"Do the Aeon Envoys haunt your thoughts as well?" Councilor Xian murmured, the lines of his experience marred by concern.

Councilor Wei, his equal in sagacity, inclined her head subtly. "Indeed, rumors abound. If their knowledge could unveil the cure for the Mara curse, it might well alter the fabric of our existence."

Xian's voice dwindled to a mere wisp of sound. "And Y/N... To witness his decline is to watch a star fade from our sky."

Wei's visage echoed his somberness. "We must proceed with care. The council's choice will cast long shadows. Hope, fragile as it is, must guide us."

Amidst the muted tension, Jingliu confided to Dan Heng, her tone laced with a bitter mirth, "These political theatrics—they do have a penchant for spectacle, do they not?"

Dan Heng's reply gleamed with tacit recognition. "True, yet beneath their florid orations lie buried truths we must unearth."

As the room braced for revelation, Jingliu's thoughts were a whirlwind of interlacing conundrums—the Aeon Envoys, the curse's enigma, and Y/N's destiny—a nexus of secrecy and authority waiting to unfurl its dark tapestry.

—POV Change—

While Jingliu navigated the murky waters of politics, Baiheng and Jing Yuan, once lauded as heroes, found themselves ensnared in a different kind of conflict—one where power, influence, and monumental choices echoed through eternity.

Jing Yuan, now embroiled in the world of political chess, reminisced about days spent with Y/N, their once mentor and brother-at-arms. The memory of a lesson in arms brought a faint smile to his face, a smile born of nostalgia and the slight absurdity of a child attempting to master a greatsword under Y/N's earnest tutelage.