Glory and Grief

Xin'an City, Sacrificial Hall.

The death of Dong A was a sacrifice for the nation.

Having fallen in battle while serving as Vice Chancellor, he was entitled to the highest honors.

Thus, his coffin now rested within the Sacrificial Hall.

Once the dust settled on the national war, Zhuang Gaoxian and Du Ruhui returned to Xin'an City immediately, not even waiting to settle the main army, leaving the heavily wounded Huangfu Duanming to handle matters alone.

Duan Li could die, Heba Dao could die, provided their deaths held value.

But the death of Dong A was a matter that shook the very foundations of the state.

Generals are easy to find; ministers are hard to come by.

In the immediate aftermath, Dong A's death had destabilized the entire front line, forcing Zhuang Gaoxian to initiate the decisive battle ahead of schedule.

In the long term, Dong A's death created a talent vacuum that Du Ruhui could not fill, preventing him from focusing on his cultivation to break through to the Divine Presence realm.

Because apart from Dong A, no one possessed the capability and prestige required to take over the chancellorship.

Now, Dong A's dismembered corpse lay within the coffin.

The various parts of his body had been crudely stitched back together.

His eyes were open, and the expression frozen on his face was, unexpectedly, a smile.

Dong A had not smiled in many years; whether he was promoted or his cultivation improved, he had always remained solemn and rigid. For so many years, he hadn't even offered a polite smile, to the point that Du Ruhui had forgotten he was even capable of one.

And to smile so wildly, so un-Dong A-like.

This man who had followed him for so many years.

Before he knew it, he had grown