When the characters were carved, the bamboo slips had been green; they had yellowed with the years.
Those who lived long easily remembered certain histories. But only Sima Heng would lay out every truth, without his own subjective stance, without concealing anything for anyone. Only Sima Heng—every word he left behind could be trusted.
Truth held immense power, and... immense cost.
Jiang Wang sat upright and picked up this scroll of bamboo slips that had weathered five hundred years. The mottled traces left by time had already made him feel the story before he read a single recorded word.
Out of simple personal sentiment, he was profoundly unwilling to see that Zen Master Zhie of the Hanging Temple, that Fierce Bodhisattva who had spoken up for him in Tianjing City, was Equality State's Divine Hero.
But he had to verify it.
No matter how trustworthy Master Zi was, when it came to the accusation against Divine Hero, Jiang Wang still needed to witness the truth for himself before it counted.
"Please drink at your leisure, sir. Jiang will be back shortly."
He gripped the bamboo slips, his gaze sinking slightly as he plunged into the rings of time.
A blue bird circling Book Mountain several times was enough to spread a name throughout the world.
News of Jiang Wang's championship victory atop Book Mountain naturally reached River Viewing Terrace at once.
This Yellow River Assembly had created far too much history. The contestants had champions, and so had the referees!
Everyone was delighted—at least, everyone appeared delighted.
The Li Emperor clapped and laughed. "Thus, the great trend of the world must change its cauldron and renew itself. Old powers and stale forces shall go with the rivers! The human realm has a new champion!"
The Wei Emperor had