The Greatest Master

Seeing Zichuan Ning's deathly pale face, the visitor gave a hearty laugh and said lightly, "Just a joke—but you really have no sense of humor!"

Before Zichuan Ning's heart rate and color could return to normal, the visitor had already set down her teacup, sat upright, and spoke with solemnity. "You are Miss Zichuan Ning, correct? Forgive me for disturbing you so late at night. I am Lin Bing, Deputy Commander of the Far East Army. I have an urgent matter to discuss with Lord Xiuchuan and ask that you inform him."

Zichuan Ning let out a long breath and relaxed. But Lin Bing's next sentence sent her straight back into hell. "This visit is strictly official business. As for child support and compensation for my lost youth, we can discuss those another day."

Zichuan Ning rose and instructed a servant to wake Zichuan Xiu, muttering to herself, "Now I understand why the Far East rebelled..."

The moment Zichuan Xiu saw Lin Bing, he reflexively sprang to his feet and saluted. During his time in the Far East, he had always held this forthright, cheerful female superior in deep respect.

Lin Bing returned the salute. "You flatter me, Lord Xiuchuan. We are of equal rank, both Deputy Commanders. There is no need for such courtesy." Though their ranks were the same, Deputy Commanders could be worlds apart. A Deputy Commander like Lin Bing, who held real power over a vast army group, commanded hundreds of thousands of troops and governed tens of millions of people—she was practically a feudal lord in her own right. A Deputy Commander like Zichuan Xiu, on the other hand, did not even know whether he would receive next month's salary.

Zichuan Xiu said sincerely, "No matter when, you will always be my superior."

Lin Bing clapped her hands. "Good. You haven't forgotten your roots!"

She went straight to the point. "I need your help to save Luo Bo. He's in trouble!"

During the Far East rebellion, Luo Bo and Lin Bing had held Valen Fortress with the remnants of their defeated forces against a million rebel troops. They had waited bitterly for reinforcements, driven to such utter desperation that they had nearly cut their own throats. At last, Sterling's Central Army arrived—along with the Inspectorate's military law investigation team, which came to investigate responsibility for the defeat at Chishuitan. To avoid implicating everyone else, Luo Bo, Chief of Staff of the Far East Army, shouldered all the blame alone. Though the Far East Army's officers repeatedly defended him, and soldiers protested loudly, cries of injustice rising to the heavens, the military judges seized the badly wounded Luo Bo straight from his sickbed without another word and escorted him to the imperial capital to stand trial before the Military Court.

Lin Bing had followed the military law team to the imperial capital at once, hoping to rescue Luo Bo.

But with Commander Ge Yingxing dead in battle, the Far East Army had lost its most influential and respected spokesperson within the Family's decision-making center. Lin Bing said indignantly, "The Far East Army is like a child raised by a stepmother now—no one cares for us, no one loves us, and anyone can come kick us around!" Especially after learning that President Commander Luobo Minghai was manipulating the case behind the scenes, no one dared interfere to help.

After finding no one to turn to despite seeking help everywhere, Lin Bing suddenly remembered: Luo Bo had a subordinate named Zichuan Xiu, who was always sneaking drinks, and he was also serving as a Deputy Commander in the imperial capital. Though she had heard he was not doing particularly well himself, this was a case of blindly seeking a doctor in a desperate illness—there was no harm in trying...

Zichuan Xiu's expression grew grave. Luo Bo had been his direct superior in the Far East. Back when Yang Minghua had wanted to harm him, it was Luo Bo, Ge Yingxing, and the other Far East Army commanders who had protected him in his youth. That he had risen from a convicted exile to a senior Flagbearer-level officer in barely six years was due not only to his own talent, but also in large part to Luo Bo's careful cultivation. It could be said that, aside from the late Commander Ge Yingxing, no one had shown him greater kindness than Luo Bo.

He said firmly, "Lord Luo's kindness toward me is as deep as mountains. I will certainly give this my all!"

Lin Bing stared steadily at Zichuan Xiu's resolute expression, and warmth surged through her heart. Over the past few days, she had seen too much of the warmth and coldness of human feelings, too much of the world's fickleness. Every time she had asked for help, the answer had always been:

"Ah, ah, this matter... You should go back first. Let me study it carefully."

"You must trust that the Family's Commanders' Office and the Chief Commander are wise. They would never wrong a good man! Go back and wait slowly for news."

Some spoke with icy sarcasm. "Three hundred thousand men are dead, and Luo Bo is innocent? Then does that mean you're guilty? Worry about yourself first!"

There had even been one lowlife who grinned lewdly. "What exactly is your relationship with Luo Bo, that you're working so hard for that rotten old man..." Then he had eyed Lin Bing's full, shapely figure with an exceedingly suggestive gaze and sidled closer. "Deputy Commander Lin, I feel we're fated to meet. As long as you agree to my terms, Luo Bo's matter..." Before he could finish, the nail of Lin Bing's two-inch high heel had smashed into his face.

This was the first time in days that she had heard such a firm declaration of support. Though it came only from a tiny Deputy Commander with neither power nor influence, it gave her tremendous spiritual encouragement.

Zichuan Xiu and Zichuan Ning watched in surprise as Lin Bing's eyes gradually shimmered with tears.

Not understanding why, Zichuan Xiu said, "My lady, you..." He was somewhat at a loss.

Though Zichuan Ning did not understand the reason, as a woman she understood Lin Bing's state of mind well. She stopped her older brother from pressing for answers and silently offered Lin Bing a handkerchief.

Lin Bing accepted it, wiped her eyes, and quickly regained control of herself. "Sorry. The wind blew sand into my eyes."

Zichuan Xiu and Zichuan Ning nodded together, indicating that they accepted this very clumsy excuse.

Lin Bing changed the subject. "Axu, Luo Bo did not misjudge you, and neither did Commander Ge Yingxing. He held great expectations for you." When she spoke of the late Far East Commander, Lin Bing's expression held immense reverence and remembrance, along with an indescribable melancholy. Naturally, Zichuan Xiu immediately began speculating in his filthy little brain that perhaps the relationship between Lin Bing and Ge Yingxing had been more than merely that of superior and subordinate...

"When Commander Ge was dying, I remained by his side the whole time." Zichuan Xiu thought, Wasn't that obvious?! "At that time, he mentioned you. He said that in the future, the only one who could stabilize the Zichuan Family for a hundred years was you."

Zichuan Xiu was secretly delighted, though he still said modestly, "Commander Ge thought too highly of me. How could that possibly be?"

Yet his face shone with smug pride as he signaled to Zichuan Ning, his expression clearly saying: See what people say about me!

Lin Bing nodded. "I also thought it was impossible. Commander Ge's mind was no longer very clear by then."

Zichuan Ning could not help laughing.

"Commander Ge also said that after his death, Yang Minghua would likely become impossible to restrain, and he feared you would not be able to defeat him. He said, 'If that day truly comes, give the box to Zichuan Xiu. Have him find the box's owner and kill Yang Minghua!' Those were Commander Ge's exact words. I do not understand what they mean, but he said you would."

Lin Bing handed over a small black box, its surface engraved with a golden gentian flower. One glance revealed it to be an ancient artifact steeped in history. The Lin Dynasty of the Empire of Light, which had flourished two hundred years ago, had used the golden gentian as its emblem.

Zichuan Xiu received it solemnly with both hands. He was deeply shaken.

At the final moment of his life, Ge Yingxing had still been thinking of the Family's greater interests, still thinking of how to preserve the Zichuan clan's legacy. How could such crimson-hearted loyalty ever be measured? Yet the strange turns of the world often surpassed all expectation. Even one as wise as Ge Yingxing could never have foreseen Zichuan Canxing's victory in the imperial capital upheaval, nor Yang Minghua's swift downfall.

After Lin Bing left, Zichuan Ning could no longer suppress her curiosity. She grabbed Zichuan Xiu and bombarded him with questions. "Who did Commander Ge tell you to find? At the time, Yang Minghua held the court in his palm—who could simply say they would kill him and then kill him? This box is an antique, isn't it? Who is its owner?"

Zichuan Xiu carefully put away the box. Unable to fend off Zichuan Ning's pestering, he said only four words: "Zuo Jia Ming Wang."

Zichuan Ning sucked in a sharp breath and immediately fell silent.

From generation to generation, heroes rise, each commanding the age for decades!

Throughout the war-torn history of Xichuan Continent, every generation had produced countless martial masters, with heroes emerging in endless succession. The martial-minded Zichuan Family had its "Greatest Master" in every generation, just as Lei Xun had been not long ago. In that sense, Zichuan Xiu, Sterling, and Di Lin, who had joined hands to kill Lei Xun, could each be considered one-third of the "Greatest Master."

Likewise, the Liufeng Family, which had contended with the Zichuan Family for centuries, had its own "Greatest Master."

Zichuan Xiu had once joked, "After a few hundred years of accumulation, all the 'Greatest Masters' put together could form a division."

But among so many masters, there was only one acknowledged by every power and every person across the entire continent: the Lin Family's Greatest Master, Zuo Jia Ming Wang.

A Greatest Master who had lived for more than three hundred years.

Zuo Jia Ming Wang had risen to prominence in the final years of the Empire of Light. A peerless genius, he was appointed Imperial Preceptor by special decree at the age of merely twenty-one by Lin Jianyì, the emperor of the time—and the Empire's last emperor. Lin Jianyì valued him greatly and even granted him the title of king, calling him Zuo Jia Ming Wang. Zuo Jia Ming Wang, in turn, was grateful for the Empire's recognition and swore loyalty to it.

Yet a rift soon appeared between Zuo Jia Ming Wang and the Dynasty of Light, and its true cause had now been lost forever. Some believed that Lu Danyan, the Empire's Marshal at the time, had grown jealous of Zuo Jia Ming Wang's favor and deliberately framed him. Others firmly believed that something had occurred between Zuo Jia Ming Wang and one of Lin Jianyì's breathtakingly beautiful consorts. This was the most legendary and popular version, after all—everyone liked tales of heroes and beauties, illicit lovers and mistresses. Others said there had never been any such thing and everyone had always gotten along harmoniously. But one historical fact was beyond question: while the Battle of Blue River, which would determine the fate of the entire Empire of Light, raged at white heat, Zuo Jia Ming Wang, the Empire's greatest master, was fishing on the Jiaxi Coast, ten thousand miles from the battlefield.

The Empire's last emperor, Lin Jianyì; Imperial Marshal Lu Danyan; and the Empire's five hundred thousand main forces all perished on the Blue River battlefield.

A week after the great battle, a young man in flowing white robes stood before the gates of the victorious Devil Race army camp.

He loudly called out the Devil Race commander's name and demanded a duel. This drew uproarious laughter from the Devil Race legion; no one took him seriously. The Devil Race had just wiped out humanity's last—and strongest—legion. They were on the verge of ruling the entire human world, and there was actually such an "idiot" demanding single combat!

When his subordinates reported the matter with smiles on their faces, Yun Long, commander-in-chief of the Devil Race, was reviewing documents. Without even raising his head, he said, "Kill him."

In an instant, three thousand Devil Race soldiers lay strewn across the ground as corpses.

When Zuo Jia Ming Wang strode into the commander-in-chief's tent, Yun Long still managed to remain composed. "With such skill, may I ask your honored name, warrior? Humanity is weak, its fate exhausted. Why not join our God Race and create the future together? Glory, wealth, whatever your heart desires..." (He was speaking in the Devil Race language.)

Zuo Jia Ming Wang frowned and frankly admitted, "I don't understand."

He drew his sword, thrust, wiped it clean, sheathed it, then turned and strode away.

The hundred thousand Devil Race soldiers watching stood silent as cicadas in winter. Not one dared stop him.

A Devil Race officer who understood the human tongue recorded the entire event and included it in the Devil Race historical annals, the "Divine Canon."

After the Empire of Light fell, Zuo Jia Ming Wang became a talent every power across the continent vied to recruit. Yet he politely declined, one by one, the invitations and offers of Zichuan Yun, Liu Fengheng, Ming Lin, and the other regional overlords, saying, "I have no interest in an official career."

But when Lin Fengxi, Lin Jianyì's seven-year-old daughter, came to him after enduring countless hardships while being hunted down, and said, "Uncle Zuo Jia, we've reached the end of the road. Please help us."

Zuo Jia Ming Wang gazed deeply at the childish little girl for a while before saying, "All right."

This left everyone's spectacles shattered. Ming Lin, whose request had been rejected, cursed indignantly, "I don't get it! The Lin Family has neither money nor power! That Zuo Jia Ming must be some perverted child-lover!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Jia Ming merely gave a cold snort. A week later, Ming Lin died for no apparent reason inside his heavily guarded castle. Not a single wound could be found on his body, nor could any illness be detected. Zichuan Yun, who had been eyeing the situation like a tiger stalking prey, immediately seized the chance to wipe out the Ming Lin Family and take over all its territory.

The Lin Family, militarily weak but unprecedentedly wealthy, remained standing firm upon the continent. Everyone knew that behind the Lin Family stood the peerless master Zuo Jia Ming Wang.

Of course, over the centuries, there had been those unafraid of evil. Liu Fengrui, the fourth head of the Liufeng Family, saw that the Lin Family had no army, yet occupied the continent's most fertile central lands and possessed such immense wealth. Unable to resist the temptation, he ordered an attack on the Lin Family.

The Flowing Wind Army swept effortlessly into River Hill, the Lin Family's capital, which offered almost no resistance.

Zuo Jia Ming Wang also effortlessly killed Liu Fengrui, who had resisted with all his might.

Liu Fengrui was succeeded by his younger brother, Liu Fengli. His motto was: "Meat that's gone into my belly will never be spat out!" He refused to withdraw his troops from Lin Family territory and transferred the entire elite force of the Liufeng Family—the Crusader Knights—to guard the family palace.

As a result, Liu Fengli died as well. Of the more than seven thousand Crusader Knights, who represented the pinnacle of the Liufeng Family's magic and martial prowess, half died and the other half were wounded or crippled.

A week later, the Liufeng Family welcomed its third head: Liu Fengdi.

His luck in drawing lots had been poor, and his clansmen forced him onto that scorching seat.

He said, "I'd rather die than become this family head!"

The Liufeng Family's elder ministers and nobles spoke with one voice: "Even if you die, you must first become the family head!"

The first words he spoke upon taking office were: "Withdraw from River Hill immediately!"

He feared that if he spoke even one second too late, the terrifying Zuo Jia Ming Wang would come killing his way in again. From then on, no one dared offend the Lin Family. Through this incident, Zuo Jia Ming Wang also established his unshakable position as the "number one master among humanity."

This was a story from more than a century ago, yet it remained one of the continent's most classic and legendary tales. After that, Zuo Jia Ming Wang left River Hill and wandered the world, his whereabouts unknown. No one ever learned where he had gone. But everyone firmly believed that he was still alive, still faithfully keeping his promise, silently serving as the Lin Family's guardian deity. Whenever anyone dared inflict the slightest insult or injury upon the Lin Family, they had to be prepared to face an unparalleled divine sword...

Zichuan Ning cautiously asked, "After all these years, is His Majesty Ming Wang... still alive?"

Zichuan Xiu replied casually, "He should still be alive, right? That old ghost still owes me a mountain of gambling debts. How could he just die like that?"

Zichuan Ning stared at him, dumbfounded.

Zichuan Xiu, however, was troubled. In his excitement back then, he had boasted recklessly. Now, how was he supposed to save Luo Bo?

The most powerful person in the imperial capital was undoubtedly Chief Commander Zichuan Canxing, but...

Zichuan Xiu shook his head. He believed Zichuan Canxing's feelings toward him were every bit as "good" as his own feelings toward Zichuan Canxing.

President Commander Luobo Minghai? Zichuan Xiu stuck out his tongue. He could not even be bothered to think about him.

Looking at Zichuan Ning beside him, Zichuan Xiu shook his head again. Though Zichuan Ning was the family's future head, no one presently took this seventeen-year-old "reserve chief commander" seriously—not even Zichuan Xiu himself.

Central Army Commander Sterling was undoubtedly an excellent choice. He was an old friend, had recently rendered great service, enjoyed the chief commander's trust, and held considerable influence over Zichuan Canxing. The only pity was that he was fighting in the Far East, ten thousand miles away; distant water could not put out a nearby fire.

Among the other members of the Commanders' Office, only Fang Jin had any friendship with him. Unfortunately, Fang Jin was ill and recuperating at home, not in the imperial capital.

After thinking it over and over, Zichuan Xiu could only turn to one person. He was deeply trusted by the chief commander, his power blazing like the noonday sun. He held the authority of inspection in his palm, and matters concerning the Military Court fell precisely within his jurisdiction. More importantly, he was also Zichuan Xiu's "good friend"!

The family's Chief Inspector, Di Lin.

But ever since the upheaval in the imperial capital, Zichuan Xiu had consciously and unconsciously avoided associating with this "good friend" Di Lin. Now that he needed help, would Di Lin agree when he came knocking only because he had business to ask of him?