Sun Bin

"In that case, Junior Disciple, rest well!"

Pang Juan had nothing more to say to Sun Boling. After instructing him to rest for now, he left. Sun Boling watched Pang Juan's retreating back, vaguely feeling that his Senior Disciple did not quite match the figure in his memory, but he did not dwell on it.

He simply assumed that after so many years apart, they needed time to rekindle their bond.

As a great general of Wei State, Pang Juan was very busy.

After Sun Boling arrived in Daliang City, even though he lived in Pang Juan's residence, the opportunities to meet him were very few.

However, Pang Juan still made time to come by with a few questions.

They were all major matters of state—military and political affairs. Sun Boling suspected nothing and answered Pang Juan one by one. As time went on, Sun Boling noticed that more and more people were coming and going from Pang Juan's mansion, each face carrying flattery, offering congratulations to Pang Juan in succession.

He had become the King of Wei's great favorite!

Thus many days passed, and his exchanges with Sun Boling grew even fewer.

Then, one day, Pang Juan arrived early in the morning outside Sun Boling's door and knocked. "Junior Disciple? Junior Disciple, are you awake? I have urgent business with you!"

Sun Boling hurried over and opened the door, inviting Pang Juan inside to sit. He poured him a cup of tea and asked, "Senior Disciple, what urgent matter is it?"

Pang Juan rubbed the teacup, his expression deep. After pondering for a moment, he looked at Sun Boling.

"Junior Disciple, there are too many people coming and going at my residence. I fear it will disturb you. How about this—I have another house outside Daliang City. Though it's a bit remote, it has the advantage of being quiet. Why not move there?"

Sun Boling rarely dealt with others and could not read between the lines of Pang Juan's words. After thinking it over for a moment, he nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Senior Disciple, for being so considerate!"

Seeing Sun Boling thank him, Pang Juan smiled as well.

After Sun Boling moved outside Daliang City, Pang Juan's visits grew even rarer! At first, Sun Boling enjoyed the solitude, but then one day, Wei Wuzu burst into his room and searched under his bed, finding letters of correspondence with Qi State!

Letters reporting Wei State's secrets to Qi State, written in his tone!

"No, these aren't mine!"

Sun Boling panicked. When had he ever written such things? He tried to argue with the soldiers, but they paid him no heed. No matter how he defended himself, they acted as if they hadn't heard, dragging him off to prison.

Soon after, the King of Wei sentenced him to Knee Punishment and Ink Punishment!

The one who came to proclaim the King's Command was Pang Juan.

"Senior Disciple!"

Sun Boling saw Pang Juan in the prison and frantically shouted to him, "Senior Disciple, save me! I never betrayed Wei State, I am innocent! Please plead my case to His Majesty, I..."

Mid-sentence, he saw only Pang Juan's indifferent expression.

Far removed from the Senior Disciple in his memory.

"Senior Disciple?"

Sun Boling's voice trembled slightly.

Pang Juan unrolled the silk scroll and declared in a clear voice, "The King's Command! Whereas you, of the Sun Clan, have eaten of Wei's grain yet thought not of repaying the state, but instead communicated with a Qi Spy within Daliang! It is hereby ordered that you suffer Knee Punishment and Ink Punishment!"

Sun Boling felt as if struck by lightning, all strength draining from him.

Only then did he understand his Master's words.

Don't go to Daliang. Don't meet Pang Juan.

So—had his Master already known he would face this calamity today?

Pang Juan watched as the prison guards carried out the punishment on Sun Boling. To Sun Boling, now with his legs broken, he said, "Sun Boling, without lord or father. The King's Command: remove your name, and use 'Bin' as your title. Call him Sun Bin. Men, throw him out!"

Sun Boling was abandoned on the streets of Daliang, surviving day by day as a beggar.

In time, he even went mad!

Yet Pang Juan still did not believe it. He sent men to watch him day and night. Anyone who tried to approach or speak with him would be warned, even punished.

Day by day, in Daliang City, everyone who saw Sun Bin avoided him as if he were a plague.

By the time Verdant Green Maiden learned of this news, a year had already passed.

"Verdant Green Maiden, do we... really have to go?"

Hong Luan watched Verdant Green Maiden pack her bags, tilting her head and asking in confusion, "Aren't you usually averse to getting too entangled with Worldly People?"

"After all these years of teaching, he's still a child I watched grow up. How could I not go? This Pang Juan—has he no regard for sentiment at all, to be so vicious? Back then, even when I met Yao Jiang, who wanted to skin me for my Snake Skin, I only made him kowtow and apologize!"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered to herself.

She finished packing her bags and set out on the road to Daliang.

The Wei capital was bustling. By the time Verdant Green Maiden arrived, the streets were lined with houses like scales on a fish, and many pedestrians came and went.

Verdant Green Maiden was wondering how to find Sun Boling when she saw a commotion break out in the market ahead. Pedestrians panicked and fled to both sides, and soon the uproar reached her.

She looked closely and saw a disheveled, mad Beggar Boy crawling on the ground.

"Eek!! What is this—?"

Hong Luan was startled, leaning her head back from Verdant Green Maiden's shoulder.

The Beggar Boy crawled forward and soon reached beneath Verdant Green Maiden's Skirt Hem. Seeing the verdant green hem, he paused for a moment.

Verdant Green Maiden looked down, her crimson lips parting slightly. "Sun Boling?"

The Beggar Boy's body stiffened.

But soon, he was frantically shaking his head, his body writhing, and he cried out in alarm: "No! What Sun Boling? I don't know him, I'm Sun Bin, I'm a beggar boy! I—I, I'm nobody, I'm hungry! I'm hungry! Waaah—"

He twisted his body and scrambled rapidly toward the other side.

"Verdant Green Maiden, is he Sun Boling?" Hong Luan's voice trembled slightly, not daring to recognize the person before her.

This man, who picked up dirt-caked scraps from the ground to eat, was the military genius Sun Boling, who had once bested Verdant Green Maiden in Temple Calculation? The descendant of Sun Wu?

Verdant Green Maiden was silent. She strode quickly to Sun Boling's side, crouched down, and grabbed his hand, which was still rubbing at the cold leftovers others had discarded. Sun Boling let out a sharp scream and frantically tried to push her away, shouting, "Don't touch me! I'm scary! Don't!"

The men sent by Pang Juan to watch Sun Boling were already approaching Verdant Green Maiden.

"How dare you! Touching a prisoner!"

"She must be a Qi State spy! Grab her first!"

The men said this and moved to seize Verdant Green Maiden.

But Snake Girl had run rampant for two thousand years—would she fear these small fry whose ages didn't even amount to a fraction of hers? Hadn't they bothered to ask who she was?

She'd even beaten up King Zhou!

Hong Luan flapped her wings and took flight. Verdant Green Maiden turned, kicked one man flying, snatched up a wooden stick nearby, and swung it at another, shouting as she struck, "So what if I dare! Qi State spy my ass! Full bellies making you idle, nothing better to do all day, huh!"

"I'll beat you senseless!"

"Don't run!"

The men were driven off by Verdant Green Maiden's wild beating.

She was still kind-hearted, not killing them, knowing they were just following orders. But Verdant Green Maiden had certainly put some strength into it; these men would be stuck in bed for at least ten days or half a month after returning.

Once the men had fled, Verdant Green Maiden tossed the stick aside, dusted off her hands, and looked back at Sun Boling.

She gently lifted her foot, shifted it, and asked, "Come on, let's go eat?"

"N-no... I..."

Sun Boling kept muttering under his breath.

But Verdant Green Maiden grabbed him and pulled him up, ignoring the filth on his body. "What 'I'! The sky is big, the earth is big, but eating is the biggest! When I was in Ghost Valley, did I ever let you go hungry?"

Search Book Name can't find it, try searching the author instead—maybe it just changed its name!