Chapter 21

Chang'an untied the ropes on Little Brother and helped him sit up. Little Brother said bitterly, "That woman is insane, a female devil through and through!"

"I'll kill her with my own hands," Chang'an said flatly. No matter what he said he would do, Chang'an never spoke with viciousness. He had always believed that speaking viciously was far less real, far less satisfying, than acting viciously.

Little Brother said, "There's an enormous web of power behind her. It's terrifying. You must be careful."

"I'll investigate it bit by bit," Chang'an said. "I never expected Erhu to fall into her hands too. Her goal is definitely not as simple as killing me for revenge."

Little Brother looked at the corpses sprawled haphazardly all over the boat. A bewildered sorrow surfaced in his eyes, and he sighed. "These people were truly pitiful. They toiled and suffered just to make a living, yet died without knowing why. I simply can't watch them die for nothing like this, just as my father and mother did back then, dying without knowing why."

Chang'an sighed. "I bear some guilt in this as well."

Ferryman had already boarded the boat. He slowly sat down and circulated his energy to purge the poison, saying nothing.

Chang'an opened a jade bottle and sniffed it. At once, he caught a foul, fishy stench. He tried drinking a small mouthful. The viscous liquid slid down his throat, like a centipede slowly crawling into his stomach. In an instant, a layer of black qi surfaced on Chang'an's face, and black blood flowed from his nostrils.

This was a bottle of poison.

Chang'an felt as though he could barely breathe, as if a massive boulder weighing a thousand jun were pressing on his chest. His breaths became short and rapid. In the blink of an eye, all four of his limbs went numb, and the scene before him became shadowy and impossible to make out.

"This is a bottle of poison," Chang'an said bitterly. With difficulty, he opened the other jade bottle. It carried the same unpleasant stench. Chang'an drank a little of it as well, but nothing unusual happened. He sighed inwardly in relief and handed the jade bottle to Little Brother. It seemed Guo Qingshui had not lied to him. She truly had given him an antidote.

Little Brother watched Chang'an nervously. After taking the antidote, Chang'an's complexion improved slightly.

Chang'an immediately sat cross-legged and silently activated the Three Purities Nine Nether Wondrous Dharma Lotus Heart Sutra to treat the poison.

Ferryman had already purged the poison from his body and began moving the corpses on the boat together.

He could no longer remain at Qingfeng Ferry Crossing. There was no way they could clear themselves of these deaths. The true culprit had already fled far away, and the authorities would never believe their side of the story. Besides, with Chang'an here, it would be even harder to defend themselves.

At daybreak, the first light of dawn appeared in the east. A streak of golden radiance spilled across the broad surface of the Mohe River, where the waves glittered and shimmered.

Chang'an barely managed to suppress the poison within his body, and more than half of his discomfort had faded.

Looking over the vast river, Ferryman said, "Let's go. We can't stay here."

Chang'an gave the old man a deep bow. "Thank you, Senior, for saving me. May I ask your honored name? So that this junior may remember who my benefactor is and repay you generously one day!"

"Zhang Wanshan," Ferryman said. "There is no need to repay me."

Chang'an froze, then exclaimed, "Dual Mastery of Internal and External Zhang Wanshan?!"

The name "Zhang Wanshan" was as thunderous as it was familiar. He had long been a renowned figure in the martial world, a legend in his own right. Zhang Wanshan was even a legendary figure among grandmasters. More than ten years ago, he had retired from the martial world and vanished from public knowledge. Who would have thought he had become an old ferryman at Qingfeng Ferry Crossing in Mohe City?

Zhang Wanshan's external cultivation had been tempered to the point where his muscles were like steel and his bones like iron, an unparalleled feat. His Internal Energy Cultivation was vast and enduring; when he stirred his inner strength, it bore the form of dragons and tigers, another unparalleled feat. Thus, he was known as Dual Mastery of Internal and External. Born among the common folk, he had climbed step by step to earn the name of a great hero, revered by countless people throughout the martial world.

Looking across the entire Great Gan Dynasty, there were countless wandering heroes and righteous warriors in the greenwood martial world, yet only a scant few bore the title of great hero. Qiyuan Divine Temple, the sacred land of the martial world, held an exalted position above all under heaven, transcendent as an immortal abode. Even it treated such great heroes as equals and received them with exceptional courtesy.

When Ferryman spoke the three words "Zhang Wanshan," his voice had been soft, yet to Chang'an and Little Brother, it was as though thunder had exploded beside their ears, shaking their hearts and minds violently.

Zhang Wanshan said, "It is only an empty name. There is no need for surprise. I have hidden myself away for many years and no longer involve myself in the affairs of the martial world. Such titles burden oneself and harm others. A plain and solitary life is true good fortune. Young man, look upon grudges and hatred lightly, but look upon righteousness and affection deeply. No matter what others do to you, what they say of you, or what burdens you carry, you need not care. What you yourself wish to do, what you yourself insist upon, and which path you choose among a thousand roads—those are what matter most. When you look back upon everything after many years, stripping away fame, status, and position, if you can still say to yourself, 'My conscience is clear; I have neither resentment nor regret,' then perhaps you will have reached a realm like that of an immortal. Enough. That is all for my long-winded words. Let us part."

After hearing him, Chang'an felt something stir within him. Great Hero Zhang Wanshan had reached another level entirely. His heart held philosophy, and he saw through human affairs. Life and death, survival and ruin, honor and disgrace, fame and profit—all were crystal clear to him, as pure and placid as water.

When martial practice and cultivation of the heart reached their ultimate realm, they could bring resonance between heaven and man, harmony and flourishing together.

Chang'an vaguely felt that Zhang Wanshan had come infinitely close to that mysterious realm. He possessed the spiritual bearing of an Earthly Immortal.

For such a person to offer guidance was a stroke of fate that countless people in the martial world could only dream of receiving.

At that moment, the dust was washed from Chang'an's heart, which had long been clouded by hatred, by Zhang Wanshan's wise words. It returned to clarity and purity. He immediately felt refreshed, as though enlightenment had been poured over his head.

Chang'an clasped his hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior, for your golden words and jade counsel, for awakening this junior."

"The martial world does not need a second Ten Thousand Slayer," Zhang Wanshan said. "I hope these few words of mine can serve as a warning to you. Young man, slaughter is a sin!"

Chang'an was stunned, then nodded solemnly. Ten Thousand Slayer was Su Wantu. With but a glance, Zhang Wanshan had completely seen through Chang'an's background, yet showed no surprise. His expression remained calm, carrying a faint trace of hope. Chang'an's heart tightened, then relaxed again.

How could the title of great hero be lightly bestowed?!

Zhang Wanshan had warned Chang'an and intended to guide him. It seemed he must have some connection to Su Wantu and some understanding of the Three Purities Nine Nether Wondrous Dharma Lotus Heart Sutra.

Little Brother suddenly staggered before Zhang Wanshan and dropped to his knees with a thud.

Zhang Wanshan was taken aback and sighed. "Young man, what do you mean by this?"

How could he not know what Little Brother meant?!

"This junior is Fang Xiao," Little Brother said. "I beg Senior to accept me as your disciple!"

Zhang Wanshan chuckled and began walking away. As he walked, he said, "You wish to inherit my mantle?"

Little Brother rose from the ground and staggered after him. He nodded earnestly. "I do!"

"What do you want to inherit my mantle for?" Zhang Wanshan asked.

"So that when others call me Little Brother, they'll respect me too!"

"Did people look down on you before?"

"No one ever thought highly of Little Brother."

Zhang Wanshan smiled, his smile kind and gentle. He appeared to walk very slowly, yet he was in fact incredibly fast. At first, Little Brother could barely keep up, but it grew increasingly difficult. Still, he was exceptionally resolute. His dark face was set with determination as he gritted his teeth and followed with all his strength. Whenever Little Brother wanted to do something, he would give everything to accomplish it. Just as when he wanted to lend Chang'an a hand, he would charge headlong into even the greatest danger.

Today, he had encountered a master of the martial world and wished to become his disciple. Even if he had to follow him to the ends of the earth, he would never give up.

Little Brother did not wish to do many things, but whenever he chose one, he would absolutely see it through.

Chang'an watched the two receding figures, watching Zhang Wanshan continuously carry Little Brother's iron staff. An inscrutable smile appeared on his face. He swung himself onto his horse and rode toward Spring Breeze Tower in Mohe City.

At that moment, he was utterly exhausted and weak.

Yet at the thought that Little Brother had finally found what he sought, his heart was filled with satisfaction.

He had never met Little Brother before, nor did he know why Little Brother trusted him so deeply that he had been willing to risk his life to save him. But he had firmly engraved the name Fang Xiao in his heart. Drawing one's blade to aid another when encountering injustice—this was a true hero rarely seen in the martial world.

Whenever he thought of how he had not even spoken a word of thanks, and of Little Brother's steadfast gaze, Chang'an felt that Little Brother was a remarkable fellow, an endearing remarkable fellow.

Beneath the morning glow, Chang'an rode back toward Mohe City.

Something was strange about Spring Breeze Tower. It felt oppressive and grim.

There was none of the usual laughter of drinkers inside, nor the clinking of cups and the sounds of guests raising and trading drinks.

To Chang'an's surprise, two rows of iron-armored warriors stood before Spring Breeze Tower, sabers hanging at their waists. The moment Chang'an drew near, they shouted sharply and stopped him. Looking closely, Chang'an realized he had never seen armored warriors like these before. Their jet-black battle armor gleamed with a cold, chilling light, every piece forged from repeatedly tempered Cloud Pattern Steel. Faint cloud patterns marked every armor plate, making them unmistakable. Those plates had not been forged from steel; they had been cut directly from massive blocks of steel, preserving the cloud patterns intact. They seemed to have been mass-produced, yet their specifications were astonishingly high. The forging method for Cloud Pattern Steel had always been a military secret of the Great Zhou Dynasty, never passed beyond its borders. Moreover, its output was extremely low. It was something money could not buy, worth a thousand gold yet impossible to obtain. To forge such a force of armored warriors could no longer be described as mere wealth and extravagance. This was simply not something wealth could acquire.

For one of the martial world to possess a weapon forged from Cloud Pattern Steel was like a tiger gaining wings. Ordinary weapons could not withstand its edge at all.

With a single glance, Chang'an saw that there were exactly twenty such armored warriors. Every one wore heavy armor forged from Cloud Pattern Steel, vigorous as dragons and tigers. Their eyes flashed with cold, savage light as they stared straight at him.

Chasing Lightning seemed unwilling to be outdone. It let out a long neigh and reared onto its hind legs.

Only then did Chang'an notice that Spring Breeze Tower was completely empty. At this hour, it should normally have been packed to the rafters.

Chang'an immediately sensed something suspicious.

At that moment, a tall, valiant man in white strode out of Spring Breeze Tower. He walked with great strides as hearty laughter rang from his lips.

The man was strikingly handsome, carrying an air of noble valor, lofty and majestic. His face was like polished jade, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, brimming with masculine vigor. Whether man or woman, anyone who saw such a person could not help looking twice.

Chang'an was no exception. Seated on Chasing Lightning, he focused his gaze on the man.

The foremost armored warrior suddenly stepped forward. One hand pressed against his saber hilt, his eyes widened as he barked, "Insolence! Before the Young Master, why have you not dismounted and knelt?!"

"Kneel?" Chang'an said. "Then give me one reason why I must kneel."