"‘Measuring Heaven Ruler’ Meng Zhu-tao..."

At dawn, torches illuminated the pier, the reek of fish and refuse mingling in the air. Amidst the jetties, soldiers, some in plain sight, others lurking in the shadows, stood guard, while skilled swimmers patrolled the dark, cold waters.

"Fairness King" He Wen prepared to leave Jiangning.

In the past few days, since his stance had become clear, a multitude of people had come to visit him daily, bearing various messages and attitudes, all converging upon He Wen.

Many of these attitudes he had anticipated.

Others’ choices came as a surprise.

As he was about to board the ship, a messenger arrived with information that caught him off guard. Due to the gravity of the message, he had the young envoy, named Ling Xiao, brought aboard the large ship. He then opened the letter Ling Xiao had delivered.

Meng Zhu-tao, leader of the "Grudges and Resentments Society" under "Wheel King" Xu Zhao-nan, had sent a wealth of secret information about Xu Zhao-nan's camp. Alongside exposing the weaknesses of several mid-to-high-level officials, he also provided tokens that could be used for blackmail or recruitment, and named individuals with leanings towards the Reading Society.

In the past ten-odd days, although the "Grudges and Resentments Society" had launched a large-scale search for Reading Society members under Xu Zhao-nan's orders, Meng Zhu-tao had found ways to conceal these suspects in key positions.

The final piece of information was that Meng Zhu-tao was preparing to launch an assassination attempt against Xu Zhao-nan in the name of the Reading Society. According to him and the envoy Ling Xiao, his subordinates included someone skilled in the use of heavy cannons, giving them a seventy percent chance of success in a surprise attack.

He Wen, clad in loose robes and emanating a medicinal scent, watched as the fleet slowly set sail. In the distant night, large-scale disturbances erupted in the southern part of the city.

"Meng Zhu-tao... is this your brother's usual way of doing things? Seizing any opportunity, no matter how risky..."

He Wen gazed at the scene outside the cabin, his expression deep and solemn.

The layout of Jiangning and the break with the other four kings was extremely risky, but He Wen had his own backup plans and arrangements, both overt and covert. Nevertheless, Meng Zhu-tao's response and defection could serve as a crucial chess piece – if he had contacted him earlier, he would never have allowed this man to attempt an assassination.

But of course, the Righteous Party's grand uprising had attracted countless reckless individuals and ambitious figures, many of whom were willing to gamble even on the slimmest chance. If Meng Zhu-tao was simply of that nature, there was little more he could say.

However, Ling Xiao hesitated slightly before shaking his head, "Big Brother Meng... he usually acts with caution and prudence."

"Then why risk throwing himself into this?"

Ling Xiao lowered his head, unsure how to answer. After a moment, he said softly, "Big Brother Meng said that since you have raised the banner of the Reading Society and immediately faced an assassination, the Reading Society cannot be without revenge. If Xu Zhao-nan is killed, those who agree with the Reading Society will inevitably rise up in response. The great cause of Jiangnan can be achieved."

"But what if he fails to kill him?" He Wen sighed, "Among these four, Xu Zhao-nan has the most skilled subordinates. The world's number one, Lin Zongwu, is on his side. One person might not be able to withstand thousands of troops, but even with cannons, it's unlikely they can assassinate Xu Zhao-nan under guard."

"We have investigated this matter." Ling Xiao said, "According to news from the New Tiger Palace, and Big Brother Meng's last conversation with Chief Lin, we discovered that after the Chinese Army became involved, Chief Lin had become reluctant about the Jiangning matter. He seems to have privately advised Xu Zhao-nan to think twice, even suggesting he talk to you to see if there was still a compromise. Left Protector Wang Nanda also informed Xu Zhao-nan that if he lost the righteousness and fairness, Chief Lin would leave, and Xu Zhao-nan shouldn't be angry. Xu Zhao-nan didn't dare offend them and agreed at the time."

"..."

He Wen frowned.

"That's why Big Brother Meng said there should be a seventy percent chance of success."

...

The night wind gently swept through the streets, and the smoke of gunfire scattered across the road.

Meng Zhu-tao held a steel whip, his tall frame marked with splatters of blood. He breathed deeply, calming his body to peak condition as he faced the figure before him.

Injured men moaned and cried by the roadside. Those few able to stay by Xu Zhao-nan’s side were usually powerful figures, but against Meng Zhu-tao's steel whip, parts of their bodies crumbled upon contact. Some had their hands and feet shattered, others had their stomachs ripped open, and some were simply killed with their heads exploding, lying on the ground as corpses.

However, soldiers and green forest men on the sides of the road had reacted and begun to guard their surroundings, closing in towards the center of the road. The disheveled Xu Zhao-nan crawled up from the ground and began issuing orders nearby.

In the night sky, different fireworks rose.

Unlike the "Wheel King's" signal flares, these rising flames were more flamboyant and brilliant, symbolizing the arrival of the Holy Master of the "Great Brightness Sect." As Lin Zongwu arrived, Wang Nanda led numerous protectors and confidants to appear and begin arresting members of the "Grudges and Resentments Society" in the surrounding area.

Meng Zhu-tao's gaze swept across the great monk in front of him, towards the sides of the road, and far towards the place where the cannons had once fired. In the darkness, there was no longer any movement there, and one could imagine what it had become.

"Amitabha." Lin Zongwu clasped his hands and sighed, "After the first cannon fire, I arrived there. Your brothers resisted heroically and did not suffer when they died."

Meng Zhu-tao nodded, "The last conversation was very enlightening. I thought that Master had profound wisdom and had thought through the affairs of the world clearly, able to distinguish right from wrong, but I didn't expect... that ultimately, you would make such a decision..."

"...I also didn't expect that Benefactor Meng would ultimately choose this path." Lin Zongwu looked at him, "Among the heroes who have joined hands in Jiangnan, your martial arts are the highest and your aptitude is the best. This time you have broken through your mental barriers and taken a step further. One day you may even become a grand master, comparable to myself and Zhou Tong. It's a pity, but you cannot turn back?"

Xu Zhao-nan on the side of the road was slightly stunned, and then shouted, "Meng Zhu-tao, among the Eight Enforcers, I treated you the best and valued you the most. Who bewitched you to do such a stupid thing... Today, with the Holy Master here, if you turn back, I will give face to the Holy Master and forgive your past mistakes!"

"Haha."

Meng Zhu-tao laughed, short and sarcastic. He looked at Lin Zongwu, "Master, with your wisdom, can't you see that these people in the Righteous Party cannot succeed?"

"Benefactor Meng, the world is chaotic, and success or failure cannot be summarized by a few words. I know you have been bewitched by the Reading Society's fallacies. Regardless of whether these small books were issued by He Wen with omissions and distortions, even if it was Ning Yi in the Southwest, if he was sure he could succeed, why would he spread these things throughout the world? It's just that he is uncertain in his heart and is seeking a way out."

Lin Zongwu clasped his hands and sighed.

"As for the source of success, it comes down to people. If one can broadly accept the heroes of the world and humbly learn, even if they come from humble origins, why can't they succeed? This Jiangning Conference was not smooth, and some problems were difficult to solve, which made you frustrated and guilty. But Duke Xu told me that the disagreement between him and He Wen was not because he was unwilling to adopt He Wen's views, but purely because He Wen was manipulating power and unwilling to work together with the people of the world. After this return, Duke Xu's subordinates will also carry out reforms, strictly investigate corruption, and crack down on favoritism. In this case, Benefactor Meng, what do you think about going to He Wen's side, or staying with Duke Xu and continuing to contribute?"

Meng Zhu-tao looked at him with pity in his eyes. In the smoke of gunfire, this huge monk was imposing, like a mountain. For a long time, as long as he was there, almost all Jianghu people could not muster the will to fight him. But Meng Zhu-tao shook his steel whip and laughed, "Do you believe these words yourself?"

Lin Zongwu looked at him. After a while, he sighed, "...There is one thing that surprised me."

"..."

"The world is full of different states, each with its own way. It is regrettable but not strange that you were bewitched by the people of the Reading Society. It's just that you, Meng Zhu-tao, are in charge of one side and will eventually be a person in the temple, no longer an ordinary Jianghu hero. If you are dissatisfied with Duke Xu's administration, stay here and slowly plot, wait for a better opportunity, and then agree with He Wen to lead the Grudges and Resentments Society in a large-scale defection, wouldn't it be better? Why ruin the great cause like today?"

Lin Zongwu's question may also be the question of many people present. After he finished speaking, Meng Zhu-tao's face was complex in the dim smoke, and his eyes changed several times. There was nostalgia, regret, helplessness, and confusion in his expression, but in the end, it turned into a frank and heroic smile.

His words were low, as if only speaking to Lin Zongwu on the opposite side.

"If there were no such things, how would others know that people who believe in the principles of the Reading Society are visible and tangible..."

The people around the road could not hear these words clearly, and the next moment, a storm roared up. Lin Zongwu shook his cassock, and the collision of the two figures exploded in a loud noise on the street.

Meng Zhu-tao roused all his strength and killed towards Xu Zhao-nan.

...

On the Jiang River north of the city, He Wen's fleet slowly sailed away from the shore.

"Even with a seventy percent chance of success, if we fail, all our efforts will be in vain. Mr. Meng... should have discussed it with me..."

The chaos in the south of Jiangning has already occurred, and it is too late to contact him again. While expecting Meng Zhu-tao to succeed, He Wen's sigh was also full of regret. In Jiangning City, he had contacted many people from all sides, and had also made appointments with Meng Zhu-tao, but due to some accidents, they had not had a private conversation, so he did not know that this capable general under Xu Zhao-nan was a comrade who could be won over.

At the same time, his understanding of Meng Zhu-tao was limited to some information that everyone knew.

"...I heard before that Mr. Meng once... personally killed his master. This time in Jiangning, Master Tanji seems to also be... Is there any inside information in this?"

The other party's decision could not be reversed, and He Wen thought about how to respond next, and casually asked about this information about Meng Zhu-tao. It was natural that the experience of personally killing his master and killing heroes was not glorious, and halfway through the question, he had already noticed that the young man in front of him looked a little indignant. After saying this, He Wen prepared to skip this question. However, the young man named Ling Xiao frowned a few times, gritted his teeth slightly, and then spoke.

"Big Brother Meng..." he said: "Big Brother Meng... since he arrived at Yu Family Village, he has been stable and reliable, and his joy and anger are not expressed in his emotions. After fighting with Fourth Uncle, he rarely confided in others. Only once a few months ago, he went out for a social event and got drunk. When he came back, he sat with me in the wilderness for a while. That day was dark and there was no light. He told me that the most painful thing in the world is that no matter what, you can't see the way."

"Big Brother Meng said... more than ten years ago, he went south with the war and fought with the Jurchens, but in that world, no matter how high your martial arts were, you were just like pigs and dogs, driven by the Jurchens. After the Northerners went south, the Wu Dynasty said it would cheer up, making the Southern Dynasty look like a flourishing landscape, but these were just a beautiful picture created by sucking the blood of the Northerners, and corrupt officials were still rampant. The Southerners enjoyed prosperity, but only wanted to be safe... The Wu Dynasty had no way."

"Fourth Uncle... he is upright and unyielding. The South says that Southerners belong to the South and Northerners belong to the North. He doesn't want to be disliked, so he stays north of the Yangtze River and refuses to go south. He has high martial arts skills, is upright all his life, and never harms others. Big Brother Meng said that he also wants to live like this, but the world has changed, and this cannot live... Fourth Uncle also has no way."

"Later, the Wu Dynasty was defeated. Big Brother Meng led the people in the village to fight in the chaotic world. When he heard the name of the Righteous Party, he felt for the first time that he had found a way. He felt that the world was too bitter, and after hearing the Great Brightness Sect say that there were thirty-three difficulties, he joined the 'Wheel King's' command... But soon after, he understood that the Righteous Party also had no way."

"He... read the small books of the Reading Society for a long time. That night, he told me that he felt... this time, there may really be a way. He felt that Mr. Ning in the Southwest had really explained the problems of the Righteous Party clearly."

"Big Brother Meng said that if there is no way in this world, people can only live in the dark, live on their knees, live by eating people, and even kill their master and then live. Those are all things that can't be helped... Big Brother Meng said it was living, but we know that all along the way, what he has been seeking is a way for most of the people in the village to survive..."

"Mr. He."

The young man named Ling Xiao looked at He Wen. He was Meng Zhu-tao's deputy in charge of official affairs, and had probably killed countless people by Meng Zhu-tao's side for a long time. At this moment, his expression was not weak, but his eyes were as cold as a knife.

"We still don't know whether the Reading Society is run by you, but Big Brother Meng said that since you are willing to pick up this banner, he is willing to charge forward and shout for you, and risk his life. Because the most painful thing in this world is that there is no way, but since there is a way, people can risk everything for it."

The young man's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and there was also a faint bloodthirsty warning. He said this, lowered his head slightly, and put his hand into his arms. The guards next to the Fairness King in the room immediately moved towards this side, and He Wen gestured for them not to be nervous. He saw that the other party took out a well-read booklet from his arms.

"Big Brother Meng gave me a book, which was written about what happened to Qian Xiwen in Hangzhou. Big Brother Meng said that being able to see hope is a kind of happiness."

He looked at He Wen and warned him.

"...You have to pave the way."

...

In the south of Jiangning City, the fighting near Boxin Gate swept through the entire street like a storm.

Meng Zhu-tao rushed towards Xu Zhao-nan, and the offensive of the steel whip in his hand was higher than the other, but blocking him was the world's number one person, like a Buddha.

The scope of the fighting swept from the street into the courtyard next to him. The walls collapsed, and the blue bricks were smashed open by the bursting force of the steel whip. The battle rushed to the top of the attic and then fought down again. Perhaps because he was enjoying the fight, Lin Zongwu's long howl shook the night sky and was soul-stirring.

None of the onlookers dared to rush forward to join in the fun. This was already a battle belonging to the top martial arts masters in the world. After failing several times in his efforts to rush towards Xu Zhao-nan, Meng Zhu-tao, who had gathered his mind, fought with Lin Zongwu with all his strength. The destructive power of the steel whip even reached the point where Lin Zongwu did not dare to touch it head-on.

As a group of people close to the first class, a large number of martial artists watched this battle around.

Meng Zhu-tao's companions who had come with him had all been killed in the encirclement of these people.

Meng Zhu-tao fell several times and stood up again. The last punch he received was the eighty-sixth move he exchanged with Lin Zongwu on the second floor of the courtyard next to the road. As the world's number one person who was gradually recognized after Zhou Tong's death, no one had fought Lin Zongwu for so long in a public fight for a long time - the last time a public fight of this level occurred was in Ze Prefecture in those years, in the battle with the Eight-Armed Dragon King Shi Jin.

In the firelight lining the roadside outside the courtyard, the crowd gradually felt the end of the fighting.

On the second floor of the wooden building that was almost torn down, Meng Zhu-tao fell to the ground. He tried several times to stand up, felt weak, and blood gushed out of his mouth. Lin Zongwu looked at him in front, and the firelight outside shone from behind the huge figure.

"What a great life." Lin Zongwu sighed, "Why seek death?"

Meng Zhu-tao struggled and groped on the ground. After a while, he leaned against the wooden pillar next to him that had not yet collapsed and stood up with difficulty.

"Monk, standing on Xu Zhao-nan's side, do you really think you can succeed?"

"Amitabha." Lin Zongwu clasped his hands, "The Great Brightness Sect always needs a place to settle down. I have lived my life to this point, and there are always some things that I have to hold on to, and there is no choice... What's more, who wins and who loses, I'm afraid it's not sure now, or maybe Duke Xu will leave this time and really be able to make a career."

Meng Zhu-tao smiled miserably on his face. He felt the blood gushing out of his mouth and reached out to try to grab Lin Zongwu, "The Chinese Army has arrived, they will wake you up."

Lin Zongwu's face showed anger, but then he took a step forward and reached out to grab Meng Zhu-tao, who seemed about to collapse.

"Benefactor Meng, Ning Yi has not arrived. Since I have decided to take action, today's Jiangnan, there are not many people who can help He Wen make waves."

Meng Zhu-tao also grabbed Lin Zongwu, perhaps realizing that he had moved with unnecessary anger, and Lin Zongwu then sighed again.

"That's all, Benefactor Meng, you have practiced martial arts to this level in your life, you can be respected by me... But what else can't you let go of? This wonderful world..."

Lin Zongwu was sighing, and Meng Zhu-tao grabbed his cassock, but laughed as if he had heard a joke.

"Wonderful world... haha... absurd..." His expression gradually恍惚,喃喃道, "Monk... don't you feel tired in this kind of world?"

Lin Zongwu understood something. He didn't answer, just grabbed Meng Zhu-tao and didn't let him fall. The silence in the darkness lasted for a long time, and Meng Zhu-tao was as if he had already died.

After a while, he uttered the last sound he would make in this world.

"I have understood the Great Dao. The sins of this life are difficult to atone for, but I can finally ignite myself and light the way for others... Monk, this world..."

Lin Zongwu waited for a while.

...

Released him...

...

Before dawn, the largest and most successful assassination attempt against the Four Kings in Jiangning City failed.

******

In the darkness, this roaring, manic night decided and changed the fate of some people. Meng Zhu-tao made his decision, Lin Zongwu also made his decision, and many, many people were making their own decisions. But for some other people, the躁动 at night was more of an incomprehensible farce.

At the moment before dawn, when the night was darkest, a figure staggered and slowly walked into the icy water.

Someone suddenly grabbed him from behind and dragged him towards the shore.

"Let me go... let me go..." The figure struggling to die weakly.

The boy who went by the alias Long Aotian ignored him and dragged him back to the shore, throwing him back beside his wife's body.

Xue Jin was covered in the腥臭 brought by the water. Curled up into a ball, he trembled slowly.

The boy standing in front of him also smelled of腥臭. He didn't know how to comfort the other party, but after a while, he said, "Shouldn't you at least bury her before you die?"

Xue Jin shook his head slowly: "In this... world. Burial... where is there safety... I don't want to live anymore, I don't want to live for a moment... Benefactor..."

The boy opened his mouth: "...Do you know why I saved you?"

"..." Xue Jin was stunned.

"Didn't you once hit Ning Yi's head?"

"..." Xue Jin looked at him.

"I came from the Southwest and have seen Mr. Ning. Aren't you curious, how is he today?"

The autumn river brought a penetrating coldness. Xue Jin huddled there, shivering. Then, the first glimmer of dawn gradually lit up the horizon. He looked at the contours of the boy's face, which were condescending. At first, he was confused, then puzzled. After a while, he trembled and stretched out his fingers.

"You... you..."

Vague memories surged from the deepest part of his mind.

That was many years ago, the outline of a vague figure who often followed Ning Yi, gradually overlapping with the boy in front of him.

"You are..."

The little monk next to him also stared wide-eyed, looking at this side.

In the dim晨光, the boy stood there.

"My name is Long Aotian, and I come from the Southwest."

...

"...I'm here to see what Jiangning has turned into... what kind of鬼样子."

...

Time碾过 people's bodies, as if to tear those who are about to die from the inside of the body. The unspeakable pain became more real under the衬托 of memories. It enveloped Xue Jin. He curled up there, opened his mouth, and let the pain pour out of his mouth, his eyes, and every part of his body.

On the streets that had only calmed down slightly in the early morning, people suddenly heard a heart-wrenching roar...