The Incident

Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird Huang Zhao stood quietly there, watching the Silver-haired Man from afar.

Entering the ice lake's space had affected him, leaving him unable to maintain his human form. Huang Zhao had experienced this before and was not surprised. Perhaps he would regain a little of his power once the ice broke, but he did not want that. It was a road of no return...

The ice lake was deathly still—or rather, the resting place of the divine dragon was tranquil.

From a distant side view, the scene seemed somewhat empty: a pale cyan sheet of ice, a white, mist-shrouded sky, one man and one eagle standing far apart on either side, motionless as they watched each other.

After a long while, Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird spoke first.

"Years have passed since we parted, yet your devotion to the Heart of the Dragon Remains is as steadfast as ever. The wine still smells the same. If there is another chance, I would gladly drink another jar of fine wine with you."

"Brother Huang, are you trying to stop me?"

Huang Zhao did not answer. Recalling certain things, his eagle eyes grew melancholy.

"Back then, you and I supported each other and struggled to survive in this place fraught with danger. In the end, we lived. I, Huang Zhao, am no kind-hearted soul—I am a savage demon. My father fell in the battle at Shenhua Mountain. Since then, I have seen many things and understood many things. Then I suddenly realized that only you are my friend—or at least, you count as one."

"A friend..."

The Silver-haired Man froze for a moment.

A trace of guilt flashed across his face. When he had become friends with Huang Zhao, he had harbored other intentions. Jianghu was perilous; who dared bare