"Tang Shitou..."
"Gu Kaihua!"
The Embroidered Guards are infamous for their brutality. Even princes, nobles, ministers, and generals avoid them like ghosts. Much of that fear stems from the Northern Garrison Office, whose fearsome reputation in turn comes from its prison, overseen by Tang Ba.
Tang Ba is a truly remarkable man: upright and stern, as fierce as a cold wind. The embroidered spring knife at his side suits him perfectly. Wherever he goes, he cuts down whoever gets in his way, leaving princes, ministers, and generals steering clear of him.
And yet there's someone who clings to him shamelessly, throwing tantrums and refusing to let go, determined to reform this stubborn stone from the latrine. One is like a young monk, fresh from the temple and bent on saving all living things, determined to change the other. The other is like an emotionless Taoist standing alone in the mountains, coldly watching the many faces of the mortal world from the north wind.
"The embroidered spring knife is too cold, the flying-fish uniform too heavy, and the mortal world too cruel. Will you stay with me?"
"I'll carry the embroidered spring knife myself, wear the flying-fish uniform myself, and bear the name of Eagle Claw myself. What does that have to do with you?" he sneered.
The other man curved his bright, peach-blossom eyes. "When you wear it, I feel the pain in my heart."
