Several years later, he met the woman he loved—Qiu Shishui.
He also met the best brothers he would have in his life, Meng Jingzhou and Zhao Fengchun.
Unable to bear the devastation of the Divine Land and its people, the three saw that Xiao Tianfang was versed in military strategy, mathematics, astronomy, and geography. They immediately wanted to join forces with him and build a formidable army capable of resisting foreign invaders, driving them out, and reclaiming the Central Plains.
Xiao Tianfang had intended to decline, but seeing the suffering people, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.
Of course, that wasn't the most important reason.
The most important reason was that Zhao Fengchun had said that once they reclaimed Youzhou's seventeen cities, they would be allowed to meet the Son of Heaven and receive noble titles.
He could meet the Son of Heaven!
An inexplicable stir rose in his heart. The thought that had lain dormant since his master's death awoke, like embers bursting back into flame.
From then on, Xiao Tianfang devoted two years of effort to carefully forging a brave, disciplined army on the frontier.
This army was not only exceptionally strong in battle; with Xiao Tianfang's mastery of military strategy and his habit of leading from the front, it was also unstoppable, victorious in every battle.
In just a few months, they reclaimed seventeen cities in succession.
The people of the Divine Land widely celebrated this great feat, and Xiao Tianfang's name as the Great Hero of Shenzhou spread far and wide. He was revered and praised by the people.
The court kept its promise and immediately bestowed a title upon him.
Since it was widely rumored in the martial world that Xiao Tianfang had joined the army in a fit of rage over a woman, the court rather suggestively named him the King of Fury.
On the day he met the Son of Heaven, the ruler offered him wine and raised his cup in invitation. They stood no more than twenty paces apart.
He gazed at the Son of Heaven, seated upon the dragon throne and bathed in the glaring sunlight.
At that distance, Xiao Tianfang was undoubtedly close enough to take a life.
At that moment, Xiao Tianfang sneered inwardly. Why?
Why should he, Xiao Tianfang, who was innocent and had done nothing wrong, have to spend his life hiding his name and changing his appearance, scraping out an existence in the darkness?
While this muddleheaded ruler, who occupied his position without earning it, could live beneath the open sky and do as he pleased.
Why!
Was Heaven truly blind?
Or was this man really the Son of Heaven?
But even if he was the Son of Heaven, did that mean he could kill someone else's father?
How unjust! How unfair!
He didn't drink the wine. He would never drink the wine of his enemy.
He suddenly launched himself forward with a burst of lightness skill, about to kill the muddleheaded ruler.
Just then, a woman rushed out and stood in front of the ruler.
He had struck with all his hatred and strength. Even though he tried to pull back at the last moment, four-tenths of his power still hit the woman.
"Shishui!!!"
"Huijing, I'm sorry. I lied to you. He's my father!"
At her words, his whole body shook. How could Qiu Shishui know his real name? He had never revealed that secret to anyone.
Now that his master had passed away, surely no one in this world could know his real name or origins.
Suddenly, he understood. The Son of Heaven, Xiao Tianfang, Qiu Shishui...
"Hahaha..." He threw back his head and laughed, until tears ran down his face.
He held the woman in his arms tightly. For the first time, he felt utterly exhausted. He no longer had the heart to concern himself with the turmoil and entanglements of this world. He only wanted to leave, to escape the world's troubles.
The tragic biography of Xiao Tianfang, the Great Hero of Shenzhou, was one of the rarest in all of Wulin Qixia Zhuan.
Meng Qingshan leaned closer to take a better look and exclaimed in wonder:
"Though the Great Hero of Shenzhou passed away many years ago, his remains have retained their lifelike appearance, as though he were still alive. There isn't the slightest trace of death about him. It's truly astonishing."
At that thought, Meng Qingshan couldn't help thinking of Li Yufeng.
When Li Yufeng first saw Xiao Tianfang's remains, his shock and amazement must have been no less than Meng Qingshan's own.
The remains sat cross-legged, one hand resting lightly on the abdomen, the other planted firmly on the ground.
Following the direction of the corpse's fingertips, Meng Qingshan looked over and was startled to see four lines of graceful writing on the rock before it, as nimble as a swimming dragon:
"To those in future generations who are destined to inherit my Divine Skill: take my Jade Marrow to open the coffin and bury my wife with me. Take care not to touch my body directly. Set my head straight again in the coffin, then dig where I achieved seated death, and you may obtain the true teachings of the spiritual pivot..."
The writing was deeply engraved in the hard rock, elegant and otherworldly. Clearly, it had been carved with nothing but a finger, using profound inner strength.
The powerful strokes revealed the purity of the writer's inner strength and the extraordinary nature of his martial arts.
After reading the inscription, Meng Qingshan immediately removed the red-and-black jade pendant from in front of the remains and went straight to the Jade Coffin behind the stone stele.
The Jade Coffin rested quietly atop a block of ice, tightly bound by twelve iron chains as thick as a wrist, like an ancient seal. Wisps of cold air rose from beneath it, dreamlike and illusory.
Frost also encased the coffin, spreading layer upon layer like a cocoon of ice crystals, protecting the mystery and stillness within.
An indescribable, mysterious aura permeated the air.
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