"Jiang Wuya planted the divine tree in the capital of Qing Jiang Country after the Zhen Guo Jian was forged, correct?" Yan Shouyi asked in a low voice.
Wei Wuxin nodded silently.
Yan Shouyi finally understood the root of all hatred.
Jiang Wuya might have once deeply loved Qing Jiang Country. To forge the Zhen Guo Jian for the Qing Jiang General, he spared no effort to travel far and wide, collecting materials to craft the sword, expanding the territory.
Yet, the country he deeply loved betrayed him. The foolish king seized Jiang Wuya's wife and daughter. With no other choice, he had to comply, using his daughter to forge the sword.
From then on, although Jiang Wuya held the position of Grand Tutor, second only to the sovereign, a part of him was forever missing.
Therefore, he no longer cared about Qing Jiang Country, centering everything on himself.
He planted the divine tree to seize the national fortune, guided the king to neglect state affairs in favor of cultivation, and harbored deep hatred for the Qing Jiang General, the wielder of the Zhen Guo Jian, thus leading to the subsequent grievances and enmities.
"Every year on this day, no matter what he is doing, my master would set it aside to pay respects to his wife and daughter at the General's mansion's Zhen Guo Shrine," Wei Wuxin said. "Even after a thousand years, I doubt master would change this habit."
Long Feicheng listened silently, his curiosity piqued.
While Jiang Wuya was at the Zhen Guo Shrine, was it regret or hatred that filled him more?
In Jiang Wuya's heart, which held more weight: the lives of his wife and daughter, or the power he held in his hand?
"I understand."
Yan Shouyi waved his hand, intending to recall Wei Wuxin.
Wei Wuxin asked nervously, "You're not planning to go find him, are you?"
"That's none of your concern."
Yan Shouyi forcibly recalled Wei Wuxin. Since he had already arrived in Daqing Mountain, he was determined to meet Jiang Wuya.
Moreover, with Jiang Wuya currently at the General's mansion and without the divine tree's aid, his strength was limited, making him most vulnerable.
Seeking him out at this time might even present an opportunity to kill him!
After recalling Wei Wuxin, Yan Shouyi oriented himself and, relying on the faint memories left by the Qing Jiang General, set off towards the General's mansion.
The Zhan Po Blade floated beside Yan Shouyi, and Long Feicheng said,
"Brother Yan, it sounds like Jiang Wuya was also a pitiful man."
"Every grievance has its origin, and every debt has its owner. Though Jiang Wuya was pitiful, he should have sought revenge against the King of Qing Jiang Country, not offered the people of Qing Jiang to the divine tree, nor harbored ambitions of unifying the world a thousand years later."
Yan Shouyi did not sympathize with villains. He said coldly,
"Little Long, if you were the Jiang Wuya of a thousand years ago, and the King of Qing Jiang Country demanded you offer your wife and daughter, what would you do?"
Long Feicheng immediately shouted, "I would surely cleave that idiotic king with one blow!"
"That's right," Yan Shouyi said. "The Jiang Wuya of that time could have also chosen to flee with his wife and daughter. But in the end, he chose to hand over his daughter. Ultimately, it was his own greed for power, unwilling to exchange his daughter's life."
"Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel that Jiang Wuya is not pitiful at all, but utterly hateful." Long Feicheng gnashed his teeth in anger again.
"Everything has two sides, but I always try to speculate about Jiang Wuya with the greatest malice."
Yan Shouyi sighed. Of course, he wished everyone in the world possessed truth, goodness, and beauty, but reality was often cruel.
Whenever he felt like sympathizing with Jiang Wuya, the faces of his companions who had died at Jiang Wuya's hands would flash through his mind.
Jiang Wuya was not worthy of sympathy; hell was his only destination.
As they walked through the ruins of Qing Jiang Country, they occasionally saw shattered statues. Some depicted the Qing Jiang General riding Xue Batian, illustrating how beloved the Qing Jiang General was by the people of Qing Jiang Country.
But time had passed, and the people and events here were long buried.
Arriving alone outside the General's mansion, Yan Shouyi noticed it had not been submerged by water. It was likely that the General's mansion was situated on high ground, undoubtedly a blessed spot.
The originally luxurious wooden gate had long since decayed into dust, leaving behind traces where a plaque once hung. The plaque itself was gone. Looking inside from the outside, the place was in ruins, yet it still allowed one to imagine the former glory of the General's mansion.
"It's a pity that the Qing Jiang General's soul has scattered, otherwise, he would have many reflections revisiting his old home."
Yan Shouyi sighed standing outside the gate, then cast these extraneous thoughts aside.
Passing through this gate, he could encounter Jiang Wuya at any moment, initiating a fated final battle.
Entering the General's mansion, following the path from memory, Yan Shouyi easily reached the Zhen Guo Shrine.
The area outside the Zhen Guo Shrine was paved with bluestone. Even after a thousand years, it remained remarkably flat, but weeds grew in the cracks, nearly reaching Yan Shouyi's waist.
As a gentle breeze blew, the weeds all fell to the side, and Yan Shouyi finally saw Jiang Wuya kneeling inside the Zhen Guo Shrine.
San Yuan landed on the wall, vigilantly staring at Jiang Wuya. Long Feicheng quietly settled into Yan Shouyi's hand, ready to strike Jiang Wuya at any moment.
Jiang Wuya had already sensed Yan Shouyi's arrival. He slowly turned around, staring coldly at Yan Shouyi.
"Do you know where this is?" Jiang Wuya asked.
Yan Shouyi nodded: "The General's mansion, the Zhen Guo Shrine. Also, I know about the Zhen Guo Jian."
Jiang Wuya nodded, not dwelling on how Yan Shouyi came to know these things.
He looked up at the Zhen Guo Shrine. Inside was a broken statue. Its head and half its body had been smashed by someone, leaving only the lower half and one arm. That arm held a long sword, its tip pointing downwards, resting on the platform.
The statue was of the Qing Jiang General, and that sword was the Zhen Guo Jian.
Yan Shouyi felt surprised. Not to mention a thousand years passing, but during the fall of Qing Jiang Country, didn't anyone remember to take the Zhen Guo Jian?
Jiang Wuya said in a deep voice, "Only you can wield the Zhen Guo Jian."
Yan Shouyi nodded slightly. It seemed that the Zhen Guo Jian, like the Zu Long Jian, did not recognize just anyone.
Those who failed to gain its recognition and tried to forcefully wield it would only be injured by the sword spirit.
"I have thought of taking the Zhen Guo Jian away countless times, but they were unwilling," Jiang Wuya added.
Yan Shouyi took a step forward and asked, "Since you come here every year to repent, have you considered how to atone?"
Jiang Wuya grinned: "To control the world, to be above all, to rule all."
"You certainly understand atonement," Long Feicheng quipped. "If I were you, I would have jumped into a river and committed suicide, and then spent my next life as a cow or horse for my wife and daughter. That would be atonement."
Jiang Wuya dismissed Long Feicheng's remark with disdain and spoke on his own:
"Unifying the world, becoming invincible, then there will be no need to worry about those I care about being harmed. This is what I desire."
"Well, you are close to achieving your goal now, but do you still care about anyone?" Yan Shouyi mocked. "Yu Lumin was your own son, yet he still became your stepping stone! So, stop using others' misery to cover up your heartlessness, Jiang Wuya. You have brought your current predicament upon yourself, entirely by your own doing!!"