The Oriole Behind (Continued)

"Have you forgotten? I am not Legalist School, but Calligraphy School. I use the knife only to maintain the dignity of my position as the commander of the Imperial Army."

Su Yingbo's Brush Moves Like Dragons and Snakes, his powerful energy condensing and lingering, forming seal script. Each horizontal and vertical stroke was written with profound effort, transforming the Dao into his own practice, shining brilliantly. His words and phrases were like pearls, exuding purple qi, containing the power to ward off evil spirits, and their momentum continued endlessly.

"The Big Dipper Evil-Warding Righteous Qi Calligraphy?"

Yan Jinghong was no stranger to writing; he immediately recognized the style of Su Yingbo's calligraphy. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "Ask yourself honestly, have your actions truly lived up to the word 'righteousness'? If you want to ward off evil, who exactly is the wicked one who has strayed from the right path?"

Su Yingbo retorted angrily, "At least I can protect the people I love, but what about you? You can't even protect the people you love most, so what right do you have to criticize me!"

Yan Jinghong, revealing an opening. Su Yingbo slashed his arm, leaving a long, bloody gash.

"You used to be loyal and righteous, but now you're willing to sacrifice even your family and friends without hesitation. Is this ruthless Fanan the right path? There's no fundamental difference between us; we've just made different choices regarding public and private matters. You're willing to sacrifice everything for the greater good, while I'll sacrifice everything to protect my loved one. Neither of us is more noble than the other!"

All the seal characters hovering in the air converged on the Judging Official, amplifying its unpredictable power. Su Yingbo's pen moved with lightning speed, striking out directly at the opponent. At the same time, his left hand was behind his back, secretly forming a hand seal to control the flying sword and launch a sneak attack.

"You're wrong. The righteous path I spoke of isn't about the distinction between public and private interests. Even with the choice I made ten years ago, I wouldn't dare say it was the right thing to do. Every time the night is quiet, I ask myself, would things have been different if I hadn't chosen to sacrifice Yinglan back then? Besides sacrifice, is there a third, mutually beneficial choice? If Yinglan hadn't sacrificed herself, perhaps she could have persuaded my eldest brother not to risk cultivating forbidden techniques, and my fourth sister wouldn't have had to waste her youth in the snowy mountains, but—"

Yan Jinghong unleashed his Sword Qi, which covered his entire body like armor, but it was still no match for the fully charged sword. The power of the Big Dipper was unstoppable and collided violently. The heavy pressure caused internal injuries, aggravating his internal organ injuries.

"The past is the past. Choices made cannot be reversed, paths walked cannot be retraced, and regret is useless. Even if I can't help but look back, I still have to carry the sins of the past and move forward, because as long as a person does things, they will inevitably make mistakes. No matter which option I chose back then, it would have been wrong!"

The image of Xia Guanxue's face, filled with resentment, flashed through my mind. Is choosing to save the majority at the expense of the minority always the right thing to do?

Yan Jinghong couldn't give a definite answer. Perhaps only those who do nothing don't make mistakes; avoiding choices is the wise way to protect oneself.

However, a hero is someone who has the courage to make a choice.

Only those who have the resolve to move forward without hesitation, even when misunderstood, criticized, or resented, can truly deserve the title of hero.

"Because I know the pain of losing a loved one, I don't want others to experience the same pain as me. But what about you? You've clearly experienced that heart-wrenching pain, yet you want to inflict the same pain on others—that's the biggest difference between us!"

The bright red blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth added a touch of heroic spirit. Yan Jinghong's bright eyes revealed a firm and unwavering determination. Ignoring her injuries, she forcefully raised her internal energy, and a surge of surging Sword Qi rose from her body, piercing the earth and soaring into the sky. She calmly and confidently blocked the remaining force.

At the same time, he reversed the hilt of his sword and threw it upwards, striking the incoming blade squarely—how could such a tactic fool a seasoned veteran like him?

"Since I'm only thinking of my own interests, why should I care about other people's feelings?"

If you don't consider other people's feelings, they naturally won't consider yours either.

The Judging Official moved swiftly like a raging torrent, while Yan Jinghong used her fingers as Sword Qi to defend against it. The situation was now the exact opposite of before, except that Yan Jinghong's attacks always struck the weakest point on the Judging Official, using solid force to break through the void. Even without a weapon, she was not at a disadvantage.

"Does my consideration for others' feelings guarantee that they will consider mine? Haven't you ever experienced giving without receiving anything in return?"

"There's no guarantee of reward for effort, but no reward is certain. To be afraid to put in effort for fear of not getting a reward is the mindset of a coward!"

Suddenly, Yan Jinghong spread his left hand and grabbed at the Judging Official, letting the sharp tip pierce his palm. He clenched his fist tightly to restrain his movement, then used his right hand to unleash scorching heat energy. With a move called "Scorched Earth for a Thousand Li," he struck Su Yingbo squarely in the chest, sending him flying.

"Puff!"

Su Yingbo crashed into a large pillar engraved with dragon patterns, stopping his retreat. He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, which boiled and vaporized before it even hit the ground.

Ignoring his injuries, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed maniacally, "Hahaha, so that's how it is! I should have known—my good brother Yan Jinghong is dead! He died ten years ago. The one standing before me is just a hero named Yan Jinghong!"

Yan Jinghong pulled the Judging Official from her palm, tossed it aside, and then revealed a sorrowful expression, lowering her gaze, and said, "I would rather you be dead than see you like this! I wish my brother Su Yingbo would always be that kind-hearted man with a smile on his face, who couldn't even bear to hurt a small animal, instead of a ruthless executioner who treats human life like dirt!"

Swords clashed in the sky, their energy radiating outwards, cutting a cross-shaped crack in the roof of the Hall of Enlightened Law before the weapons fell to their respective owners.

Su Yingbo drew his knife and said coldly, "You have indeed changed, but I haven't. I've always been this kind of person. I can do anything for the people I love, including killing the innocent. This is my Zhenmian. Before, there was just no need to do so. I hate killing, but when necessary, I'm willing to pick up a weapon and kill."

"I don't want to know your Zhenmian, not at all! What I want to see is the Su brother who would stand up for his family when they are in danger, lend a helping hand to strangers in need, and be kind and gentle to everyone. I hope Su Yingbo will always be that kind of person." Yan Jinghong gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

"I also wish I could be that kind of person for the rest of my life, but unfortunately... to say that everything was forced upon me would be laughable, but in the end, it's just fate playing tricks on me."

Su Yingbo pointed one finger to the sky, and the sudden burst of sword energy, mixed with a thick killing intent, rose up like smoke and broke through the roof.

"A lone sun shines on the broken bridge, its green hues shrouded in mist!"

With nowhere to retreat and nowhere to avoid, Yan Jinghong channeled his abundant inner True Qi, causing his robes to billow and making him appear otherworldly. As his sword flashed, it swept across the sky like a rainbow, and the surging wind was like lightning, revealing his ambition to compete with the heroes of the world.

"Ominous Star Hangs High, Divine Blade Emerges!"

At this point in the battle, there was no turning back. Despite their reluctance, the swords, now fully charged, had no choice but to strike at each other, whom they considered brothers. Their consciousness blurred in an instant.

With a deafening explosion, the entire Hall of Enlightened Law was destroyed. The roof was blown off, the magnificent walls were reduced to rubble, and only the bases of the tall stone pillars remained.

Amidst the dust-filled ruins, two people stood: one with a sharp weapon piercing his chest, the other having avoided a fatal blow.

Yan Jinghong's lips trembled as she asked, "Why did you move the knife away in the end?"

Su Yingbo smiled bitterly, "You can be ruthless enough to betray your own family for the greater good, while I ultimately can't bring myself to harm those around me. That's the difference between us..."

Before the words were finished, the figure with the sword stuck in his throat fell backward into the ruins, kicking up a cloud of dust. Blood flowed continuously from the wound, soaking the ground below and slowly spreading outwards.

Yan Jinghong's hands trembled as he was about to help the person when a sudden, emerald green energy cloud silently attacked him. Having just unleashed his ultimate move, he was powerless to dodge and could only manage to reach out to protect his vitals before being blasted away with a thud, blood splattering everywhere.

"Hehehe, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."

The emerald green mass remained stationary, wriggling like clay, until finally revealing the aged body of the Nether Master.

He glanced at Su Yingbo's corpse, then looked away indifferently, as if it were just an insignificant consumable. He then revealed a smug expression and walked step by step towards Yan Jinghong.

"I never imagined that the great hero of Su State, the symbol of the Mohist Knight Guard, the valiant Tian Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens, would die at my hands. Heh, if this news gets out, it will be enough to cause an earthquake throughout the Sea Continent, and it will also make Remote Heaven Society a holy land for all Evil Dao."

"Who are you..."

Yan Jinghong struggled to his feet and tried to fight back, but he was so badly injured that he could barely lift his sword. Although he hadn't been hit by Su Yingbo's ultimate move, fighting for so long with his heavy injuries had left him almost completely exhausted. His legs trembled, and he almost collapsed to the ground again.

"Hehe, my name is not important. To avoid any unforeseen complications, I won't waste time chatting with you. I would never make the ridiculous mistake of wasting time chatting with someone I'm about to kill, only to be rescued."