Xiao Tianfang

A faint light seeped in from the left. Though not very bright, it was enough for him to see his surroundings.

He swam with all his might towards the shore. After a few splashes, he finally stepped onto solid ground.

After spitting out several mouthfuls of lake water mixed with water weeds, he continued forward.

As his steps progressed, the originally faint light gradually became brighter and clearer, and the light source gradually revealed its true form.

It turned out that the light source was actually three giant luminous pearls embedded in the stone wall.

These three luminous pearls, each the size of a palm, were these gem-like, radiant pearls that emitted a soft and bright glow.

Turning around, he saw a stone bed, stone table, and stone stove, all artificially hewn, placed in the center of the stone chamber.

On the stone table were some daily necessities, such as a bronze mirror, stone cups, and stone basins.

But at this moment, these stone utensils were all covered in thick dust, clearly unused for many years.

The interior of the stone chamber was not as simple as it appeared on the outside. The walls were carved with various strange patterns, including mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars, and there seemed to be some unintelligible text.

Meng Qingshan looked around the chamber and finally discovered, at the deepest part of the stone chamber, a half-open stone door.

The stone door was also covered with complex patterns and symbols. Under the light, these runes shimmered with a mysterious radiance.

His heart stirred, and he gently pushed open the stone door.

Behind the stone door, a stone staircase wound downwards. He descended dozens of steps along the staircase, and a faint light gradually appeared ahead.

As he went deeper, Meng Qingshan finally reached the end of the light source.

His eyes widened, and a more expansive space unfolded before him.

This was no longer a narrow stone chamber, but a vast cave.

On the ceiling of the cave, countless luminous crystals were embedded, emitting a soft and bright light that illuminated the entire cave as brightly as daylight.

In such bright light, Meng Qingshan immediately saw a majestic stone tablet standing in the center of the cave.

This stone tablet was dozens of feet tall, and ten characters were carved on it: "Tomb of Xiao Tianfang, Husband, and Qiu Shishui, Wife."

Meng Qingshan slowly approached, his gaze focusing on the area below the stone tablet.

There, a man sat. His features were as resolute as if chiseled by a knife, and a heroic spirit emanated from his brows. His nose was high, and a pair of deep eyes were intently gazing at a black and red jade pendant in front of him, a hint of regret inadvertently revealing itself in his eyes.

This scene startled Meng Qingshan, and a shocking thought flashed through his mind:

"Could it be that at this point in time, the 'Great Hero of Shenzhou,' Xiao Tianfang, is not yet dead?!"

Although Meng Qingshan had been to this place in the game before, it was after Li Yufeng had obtained his inheritance. He had never seen the true appearance of the legendary Great Hero of Shenzhou.

Meng Qingshan dared not approach rashly, so he stopped and called out, "Senior, esteemed senior..."

Seeing no reaction from the man, Meng Qingshan's courage gradually grew.

He slowly approached and tentatively waved his hand in front of the man's eyes. The man's pupils dilated, and he didn't even blink. His facial muscles didn't even twitch.

Only then did Meng Qingshan confirm that the person before him had long since passed away.

Although he was certain in his heart, Meng Qingshan still reached out to check for breathing before daring to get closer.

"It seems I was a bit too eager for something I only admired from afar!"

Gazing at the person before him, Meng Qingshan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

In fact, when he was playing the game before, he had been very interested in the story of this "Great Hero of Shenzhou."

After all, this was a peerless master who possessed the Ling Shu Atlas, one of the four supreme martial arts techniques of the martial arts world.

Meng Qingshan had even specifically looked up Xiao Tianfang's biography on the official website.

Speaking of which, in the Wulin Qixia Zhuan, Xiao Tianfang's fate was truly tragic.

That year, he was thirteen years old, and his name was not yet Xiao Tianfang.

The current emperor, due to his incompetence and cowardice, in order to seek temporary peace and prolong his life, had thrown dozens of people from the war faction into death row, offering their heads to appease the foreign enemy and seek peace.

His father, also a member of the war faction, was implicated.

From then on, he never saw his father again.

He understood in his heart that his father could no longer return to his side.

He had never imagined that the person who killed his father would be the monarch whom his father had abandoned his mother and family to protect with his life—the current Son of Heaven.

From then on, his master took him to wander the jianghu.

Along the way, he asked his master why.

Why did his father, a man who did not covet fame or fortune, who did not profit from the nation's crisis, but merely adhered to the path of integrity recorded in historical texts, ultimately meet such an end?

His master replied calmly, "For no reason other than that the person who killed your father is the ruler of this land—the Son of Heaven."

"The Son of Heaven?"

He repeated in shock.

His master explained, "The Son of Heaven is the supreme ruler of the entire land of Shenzhou. If the ruler wishes a minister to die, how dare the minister refuse."

"But why should someone who was forced to flee by foreign enemies, whose dynasty was overthrown, who indulged in wine and women all day, and neglected state affairs, be honored as the Son of Heaven?"