Zhang Ji, who had spent half his life teaching ancient texts in the old fortress, had plenty of time to design a clear path for his future: high above him, providing power, stood the Unrivaled King and Golden Peng Fortress; charging ahead and forcing open the way were Beiting and the Central Plains; walking beside him was his favorite student, Shangguan Yun. He had never looked back at the teeming masses and failures trailing behind.
Along that road, Huan Nu was no more than passing smoke and drifting clouds, not even as important as Shangguan Hong, whom he had used for a time.
Therefore, when he faced the Dragon King, Zhang Ji could not help feeling a hundred emotions at once. Huan Nu from those days had actually not fallen behind him. Instead, Zhang Ji had to raise his head and look up at him. The humiliation contained in that fact even left him somewhat ill at ease.
But he would not show it. Zhang Ji was Zhang Ji. Even with raging waves surging through his heart, his face remained impassive. Though the road he had designed had been ruined beyond recognition, he had not yet reached the end of the line. He still had a chance to defeat the Dragon King utterly.
"You're my enemy," Zhang Ji said.
Only someone who knew this teacher extremely well could taste the praise hidden in those words. Gu Shenwei was one of them, so he inclined his head in salute. "I'm honored to have attained this position."
"If you want my advice, answer one question first. Honestly. Not the slightest falsehood."
Zhang Ji still could not shake his habits from teaching. In his eyes, the Dragon King was always that student who periodically presented him with fine wine and occasionally sought his