Chapter 753 Boundless World

Yao Zizhan's mind was buzzing; he didn't even bother wiping away the blood that had just splattered on his face, because when he heard those words, a person immediately surfaced in his mind.

He knew who the second figure appearing in the lotus petal dust was!

Damn it!

The Qian Kingdom's Literary Sage cursed inwardly.

Wasn't the plan to invite the Marquis of Pingxi? How did it turn into a buy-one-get-one-free deal?

Although Master Yao had the reputation of being a clay idol, his right to know information was definitely in the top tier of the entire Qian Kingdom. Therefore, he knew more about Tian Wujing than ordinary people, even more than ordinary Qian Kingdom ministers.

Not just a peak Third-Rank martial artist, Tian Wujing was also skilled in sorcery!

In contrast to the generally disappointing impression of the Qian Kingdom's army, the Qian Kingdom's Silver Armored Guards were definitely the most powerful secret service in the East, completely crushing their counterparts in neighboring countries.

Back when the Yan Kingdom's army marched south to attack Qian, the Qian Kingdom's border armies remained steadfastly unmoving, and the various armies in the rear were sent to their deaths wave after wave.

But the Silver Armored Guards had long informed the rear of the Yan Kingdom's movements. In the corner skirmishes, the Silver Armored Guards even surpassed the Ministry of Intelligence. It was just a pity that the Qian army's decline on the main battlefield didn't match the Silver Armored Guards' brilliance.

The Silver Armored Guards had long figured out the information about the Southern Prince of Yan. His martial arts realm went without saying, but there was also one detail: the Southern Prince's cultivation in sorcery was immeasurable.

Earlier, the word "deep" had been deliberately omitted.

Moreover, the Yan people revered the Southern Prince, but people from other countries truly feared him.

Yao Zizhan was just a scholar; he didn't know martial arts or Qi refining. Suddenly, the Southern Prince of Yan appeared before him, and he was so frightened that his face went stiff.

This was different from back in Shengle City, when Yao Zizhan could sit at the same table as the Jingnan Prince, eating and talking. Right now, he was drinking tea, having just invited the Marquis of Pingxi up the mountain. Everyone knew how much the Southern Prince of Yan valued the Marquis of Pingxi.

It was like you had just kicked a tiger cub,

And then turned around with a smile,

Only to find the tiger king standing behind you, staring at you.

It was a tingling sensation that ran from the soles of his feet, up his spine, and all the way to his head, a fear that surpassed death.

Unlike Master Yao, who was purely frightened by the "name of the tree, the shadow of the person," Li Xundao saw things more clearly in that instant. But precisely because he saw clearly, he understood what this scene meant.

He reached out and wiped the corner of his mouth. Seeing Master Yao's appearance, he said:

"Tian Wujing didn't come."

Hearing this, Master Yao subconsciously swallowed and said:

"Then why are you spitting blood?"

Li Xundao gave a bitter smile and said:

"But whether he came or not doesn't really make a difference."

Everything today started with a casual stroke.

Li Xundao didn't know why the Marquis of Pingxi of Yan had suddenly entered, making himself so conspicuous and undisguised. He couldn't bear to give up this opportunity, so he forcibly "invited" him over.

Logically, he should have continued to be muddleheaded, taking advantage of the situation to create a classic case of "heaven envying talent" that couldn't be explicitly stated in official history.

But unfortunately, the Southern Prince of Yan had left an imprint in the Marquis of Pingxi's heart.

The path of a Qi Refiner, to put it nicely, was to defy heaven's will. To put it bluntly, it was wandering blindly in a miasma. Most of the time, the heavens didn't even bother to look at you, but you could still get yourself lost and trapped somewhere.

By "inviting" the Marquis of Pingxi, the Marquis of Pingxi would have been in such a state, his soul split, and his mind would inevitably be affected.

He was actively helping the "Marquis of Pingxi" to travel in the primordial void, because he was confident that after inviting him here, the Marquis of Pingxi wouldn't remember the way back.

What a pity, what a pity.

Long ago,

Someone seemed to have foreseen this day and had already laid down this stroke.

Li Xundao knew that this wasn't simply an intentional attempt to坑 (keng - trick/trap) him, but rather, a precaution against people like him.

What kind of relationship could make the Southern Prince of Yan care so much about someone, to the point of making such arrangements and preparations in advance?

It was a lamp that allowed the lost to see, providing enlightenment at a critical moment.

It was also like a scolding, awakening your numbness and chaos, a thunderclap that shook you to your core.

"Someone pointing the way isn't necessarily useful. As the saying goes, good words are hard to persuade a ghost on its way to death," Li Xundao said.

"I don't believe it." Yao Master finally remembered to wipe the blood from his face, and at the same time, he said, "I guess you don't believe it either."

"Heh."

Li Xundao nodded, acknowledging the statement.

The two of them, one a Literary Sage, and the other who had just quelled the southwest and was about to enter the Privy Council, were both top-tier intelligent people in the world.

Therefore, they knew and understood even more that, not to mention the ancient times, among the people who had made a name for themselves in this era, who was truly stupid?

Who would believe that the Marquis of Pingxi was a clumsy fool?

Sure enough,

In the center of the pond,

When Zheng Fan recalled the scene of descending Tianhu Mountain that day, when Tian Wujing's figure appeared, the Marquis's confusion seemed to immediately settle down.

He began to be fearless and unafraid. He began to see the light and colors in front of him clearly, to see everything in front of him clearly. Naturally, when you turned around, you could also see the way you came.

Zheng Fan didn't understand the rules of Qi Refiners, but even a pig, placed on a high platform, could display a certain pattern.

Moreover, the Marquis was much stronger than a pig.

"Hehehe..."

The Marquis looked at Master Yao in front of him and laughed.

"Hehehe." Master Yao also laughed somewhat awkwardly.

…

"What are you laughing at?"

On the surface of the Wangjiang River, the Sword Saint looked at Zheng Fan, who had suddenly started laughing foolishly in front of him. Having roamed the martial world for half his life, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

Could it be,

Had he gone crazy?

With great difficulty, a sudden assassination had been resolved, but as a result, the Marquis of Pingxi hadn't been killed, but had gone insane?

Turning his head to look at Kong Shanyang, who was kneeling on the ground and also acting crazy, the Sword Saint's palms were covered in sweat.

But soon,

The Sword Saint noticed that the earlier confusion in Zheng Fan's eyes had begun to fade, replaced by the depth and... majesty that he usually displayed when doing serious business.

"Master Yao, isn't this a coincidence?"

Zheng Fan said.

"Master Yao?" The Sword Saint frowned slightly, then seemed to understand. "Yao Zizhan? The Qian Kingdom's... Back Mountain!"

…

"Greetings, Marquis of Pingxi."

Yao Zizhan got up and saluted Zheng Fan.

Standing in the center of the pond, Zheng Fan focused his gaze on the white-veiled man opposite Yao Zizhan.

"Did you bring me here?"

Zheng Fan knew Yao Master's character, but he also knew Yao Master's abilities.

Why could Yao Zizhan travel through various countries without much danger? Because he was renowned for his literary talent, but in reality, he wasn't feared by the rulers of other countries.

It roughly meant that killing him would tarnish one's reputation and dirty one's hands. Killing him wouldn't have much value either, so he could continue to live.

Yao Zizhan said, "Xundao and I were drinking tea, discussing the heroes of the world. It just so happened that we were talking about you, Marquis Zheng, and we thought of inviting you over to enjoy tea together."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan nodded, stepped forward, gradually walked to the edge of the pond, and finally, walked out of the pond and came to the tea table.

He was a shadow, without substance, similar to the state of the magic pill separating from the stone, no, even thinner and simpler.

Zheng Fan lowered his head and made eye contact with Li Xundao, who was sitting there.

"I am Li Xundao, greetings to the Marquis of Pingxi of Yan."

Li Xundao saluted Zheng Fan.

People of their caliber would never be lacking in etiquette.

Even if they knew they had lost, and lost badly, not only wasting their cultivation, but also making the white lotus left by their master wither without value.

But this demeanor and composure still had to be maintained.

"Li Xundao? Oh, I know you. Last time I heard about you, it seemed like you went to the southwest to quell the rebellion?"

"Marquis, you jest. The rebellion in my Qian Kingdom's southwest has been quelled again. The various native chieftains in the southwest have once again submitted to my Qian Dynasty and will continue to be used by us."

"Oh? Quelled?"

"Yes."

"Just quelled?"

"Yes."

"Calculating the days, it's been almost a year, right?"

"Yes."

"It's just a bunch of natives, a bunch of native soldiers, and even a disorganized mob. It actually took a year to quell them. Alas, as expected of the Qian Kingdom."

As he said this, Zheng Fan's face was filled with obvious contempt.

He had dug a hole earlier. You thought he was saying it was really fast, but in reality, he wanted to express, how could it be so slow?

Moreover, there was no way to refute it.

You quelled the native chieftains in the southwest, while he quelled the various tribes in the snowfield.

Which was more difficult to deal with, the snowfield or the semi-civilized natives? Li Xundao wasn't the kind of person who would deliberately distort the truth for the sake of face.

"Master Yao."

"Hmm?"

"You Qian people are really interesting." Zheng Fan straightened his body and shook his head. "Can't you do something serious? Why do you like to play these tricks in the dark?"

This was clear contempt.

Yao Zizhan said, "What if it really succeeds?"

"Look, that's the biggest problem with you Qian people. Even the Grand Secretary of Qian has this kind of thinking, which is enough to show how decadent this country's vitality has become."

"Marquis, you're exaggerating." Li Xundao said, "A scholar who has been away for three days should be looked at with new eyes. Today's Qian Kingdom is no longer the Qian Kingdom of the past. The Qian Kingdom of the future will no longer be the Qian Kingdom of today."

"It's useless, it's useless. If you people don't die, no matter how many skins Qian Kingdom changes, it will still be that Qian Kingdom."

Was Marquis Zheng angry?

Marquis Zheng was definitely angry.

Everything was fine. He had just encountered an assassination in Wangjiang, and the turmoil there had just subsided, when suddenly he saw the scenery of "Back Mountain."

What was this?

Did they really think Zheng Fan was an easy target, that anyone could come up and squeeze him?

Marquis Zheng, who had always cherished his life, had encountered life-and-death crises twice in one day. How could he not be angry?

When angry, you can't hold it in, you have to let it out.

That was Marquis Zheng's creed.

There was nothing more embarrassing for them, and more satisfying for him, than to denounce the country they were fighting for in front of their faces.

"Qian Kingdom is still that Qian Kingdom, and Yan Kingdom is still that Yan Kingdom. The late Emperor is gone, and you think you can take a breather?

This isn't considered leaking secrets, because soon, you'll know it yourselves. The new ruler is actually another late Emperor, a younger Yan Emperor.

Wait slowly,

Wait patiently."

Zheng Fan turned around.

He had finished speaking.

He had to leave.

In the center of the pond, there was still a shadow left, Old Tian's.

Old Tian didn't come, because Old Tian had left.

Old Tian came, because he had always been there.

Turning his back, he walked towards the center of the pond.

Li Xundao didn't stop him, because he couldn't stop him at all.

He had paid a great price to "invite" Zheng Fan, but if Zheng Fan wanted to leave, he could leave after clarifying the way "down the mountain."

Traveling in the primordial void was like a dream. The splitting of the soul was just a saying. How could you stop someone from waking up from a dream from thousands of miles away?

That was clearly unrealistic.

The payout didn't seem proportional.

But it was like a pile of building blocks. You spent half a year carefully building a work, but someone could knock it down in an instant with one finger.

The scene inside the gate was like this.

Marquis Zheng, who was walking towards the center of the pond, reached out his hand,

Waved it,

And said:

"I was fortunate enough to have seen the prosperity of the Imperial City back then, and I was also impressed and amazed by the demeanor of the Qian Kingdom's officials.

Tell your officials,

One day,

I, Zheng Fan, will definitely visit again to catch up!"

Li Xundao said, "My Qian Kingdom is waiting."

"Hahaha, your Qian Kingdom is already very fat, there's really no need to slap yourself in the face again.

Also,

Today, I, Zheng Fan, came up the mountain,

And I hereby vow,

That in this lifetime, I will definitely flatten this Back Mountain to vent my feelings for being invited to visit today!"

After speaking,

Marquis Zheng walked to the center of the pond,

And his figure

Completely disappeared.

…

"Zheng Fan, Zheng Fan?"

"Huff..."

Zheng Fan's vision began to refocus, and he saw the Sword Saint standing in front of him.

At this moment,

Marquis Zheng no longer had the arrogant demeanor he had displayed when mocking Yao Zizhan and Li Xundao in "Back Mountain." Instead, he stretched out his hands and directly hugged Yu Huaping.

"Damn it, damn it, damn his ancestors, damn it!"

At this moment,

Only a string of swear words could vent his emotions.

The Sword Saint was hugged tightly,

But didn't break free.

He could feel the genuine fear in the heart of the Marquis of Yan in front of him.

After a long while,

Marquis Zheng finally let go, and he didn't seem embarrassed at all.

In front of Yu Huaping, he was never afraid of showing his timidity, and he never hid his occasional weakness.

"What exactly happened to you just now?"

Taking a few deep breaths,

Zheng Fan gritted his teeth,

And said:

"It was like my soul was hooked to Back Mountain, and I almost couldn't come back."

"I don't understand." The Sword Saint said, "But I can tell that you almost became like him."

The Sword Saint pointed to Kong Shanyang, who was still acting crazy over there.

Marquis Zheng nodded,

And said:

"Old Yu, this time was really too dangerous."

"It won't be like this next time."

"What about the time after next?"

"It won't be like that the time after next either."

"What about the time after the time after next?"

The Sword Saint looked at Zheng Fan and didn't speak.

Zheng Fan laughed "hehehe" and wanted to get up, but found that his body was a little stiff.

The Sword Saint bent down and carried Zheng Fan on his back.

Then,

The Sword Saint pointed to the woman on the ground.

Zheng Fan said:

"Kill her."

"Okay."

Long Yuan drew his sword and stabbed it into the woman's neck. The woman died.

After experiencing the events of "Back Mountain," Marquis Zheng was too lazy to bother with anything else. He would let his three sons live or die on their own, but of course, he would inform the Blind Man and the Ministry of Intelligence and let them be responsible for the pursuit.

Whether they could escape "cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots" would depend on their luck.

As for whether it would nurture a "protagonist revenge template," Marquis Zheng was too lazy to care about it at this moment.

The Sword Saint pointed to Kong Shanyang again and said:

"He's really crazy."

"Hmm."

If he was really crazy, leaving him alive would be the same as making him suffer. As soon as he fell asleep, he would be bombarded by the resentment of hundreds of thousands of people. This taste was definitely not something ordinary people could bear.

"Earlier, many auras came from the direction of Yingdu." The Sword Saint said.

"After we go back, send an official letter to Xu Wenzu and ask him to investigate. He will give me an explanation."

Then, everything would be fine.

The two's warhorses had long fallen into the ice hole.

At this time,

The Sword Saint held his sword in his left hand and supported Zheng Fan with his right hand, carrying Zheng Fan on his back and walking towards the opposite bank of the river along the ice surface that hadn't been destroyed.

"Old Yu, after we cross the river, find a scout and call some people to protect our way down."

"Are you scared?"

"Yes." Zheng Fan admitted.

"I know."

"Hmm."

"This time, you've suffered."

"I've already said there will be a time after the time after the time after next, it's fine."

The Sword Saint was too lazy to bother with how many "afters" there were, because it didn't need to be bothered with in the first place. It seemed that if he wanted to, he could always get him to come out with him.

The Sword Saint carried the Marquis of Pingxi on his back.

Just after crossing the river,

Large snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

"It's really fitting." Marquis Zheng, who was lying on the Sword Saint's back, sighed.

The Sword Saint didn't speak. He wasn't good at expressing his feelings through scenery.

Zheng Fan continued,

"Old Yu, I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep for a while."

"Sleep."

The Sword Saint continued to carry the Marquis of Pingxi forward, and the Marquis of Pingxi fell asleep on his back.

Zheng Fan had a dream.

In the dream,

He went up the mountain again and down the mountain again;

After going down the mountain, he turned back and went up the mountain again.

Just so that he could let him take him for another journey.

"Brother."

The Sword Saint heard the murmuring of the person on his back in his dream.

Looking at the increasingly heavy snow around him,

He couldn't help but remember back then,

Also in a winter,

He carried his feverish younger brother to find a doctor.

His younger brother was also like this, leaning on his back in a daze, calling out "Brother."

At this time,

The wind from Jin Territory, wrapped in snow, began to blow over.

Long Yuan was unsheathed from his hand,

Releasing a weak sword energy, just enough to help the person on his back block the wind and snow.

The Sword Saint supported his back, making him sleep more comfortably, and continued to move forward without stopping.

The Sword Saint shook his head,

And sighed in his heart:

My younger brother is gone;

Your older brother is also gone.

At this moment,

In this boundless world,

It seems that only the two of us brothers are left.

---

Yesterday I was too excited while writing, and watching the comments made me feel like I was drunk.

This caused me to be listless today. There's one more chapter, but it will be late. Everyone can read it when you wake up in the morning.