The Curtain Falls

The chaotic scene in the palace hall, the Taotie corpses, and all the rest were naturally left for the surviving soldiers and civilians to clean up. Xiao Hen didn't need to bother with that. He lifted his foot and walked toward the tower beside him.

The tower's great doors burst open with a bang.

Lin Mei, William, and the lightly wounded Advisor Wang slowly walked out.

The three of them glanced blankly at the countless Taotie corpses littering the ground, disbelief written on their faces. The greatest source of calamity in the Central Plains, the Taotie, had been wiped out just like that?

For two thousand years, the Central Plains had poured endless manpower and resources into building the Great Wall, all to guard against the Taotie army. And now, the man before them had slain the Taotie Beast King. Just thinking about it felt unbelievable.

Advisor Wang spoke with a hint of excitement: "Captain Xiao, you've rendered a great service. I must petition the Emperor to reward you!"

William's eyes flickered as he looked at Xiao Hen. "You... are very strong."

Xiao Hen understood English. The shuttle had instilled in him a level of English proficiency nearly on par with a linguist's. "Thank you."

Xiao Hen's flawless English caught William off guard. He hadn't expected that besides Lin Mei, Xiao Hen could also speak English. William nodded and said no more—he was never a man of many words.

"Why did you only bring out that terrifying weapon now?" Lin Mei demanded. "If you had shown such a powerful weapon earlier, Marshal Shao might not have died, and the Taotie would have been stopped outside the Great Wall. If you had acted sooner, killed the Taotie Beast King earlier, the people of Bianliang wouldn't have perished..."

"Shut up!" Xiao Hen's face turned cold. "I had my reasons for not bringing out this weapon sooner. Since you want to know, I'll tell you."

"Why did I put this weapon away after killing over a thousand Taotie just now? Because it's no longer usable. It's like a bow needing arrows—the 'arrows' this weapon fires are consumed far more heavily, and I've run out of them."

"As for why I didn't strike earlier and kill the Taotie, it's because beyond the Great Wall lies Gouwu Mountain, close to the Taotie's lair. If I had acted rashly and let that Beast King escape back into Gouwu Mountain—their nest—killing it there would have been far harder. In the next sixty years, or the one after that, I don't know if I'd still be alive. So I had to lure it out and kill it."

Xiao Hen's words mixed truth and falsehood, weaving together to calm Lin Mei and Advisor Wang's emotions.

Advisor Wang, sharp as ever, caught on. "You knew the Taotie would dig tunnels and attack Bianliang?"

"Yes."

Xiao Hen nodded.

"What? You! Why didn't you tell me such important news?" Lin Mei was shocked, her dissatisfaction with Xiao Hen growing. Did this man even see her as the Marshal? Knowing the Taotie would strike Bianliang, and he didn't notify her?

Advisor Wang interjected, "Exactly. You turned the situation to your advantage, letting the Taotie dig their tunnel to attack Bianliang, then killed the Beast King inside the city?"

"Correct." Xiao Hen nodded calmly, acknowledging this 'truth.'

Xiao Hen looked at Lin Mei's stunningly beautiful face, the faint fondness in his heart slowly fading. That fleeting, graceful figure had once been deeply etched into his mind, but now it was growing dim.

The surviving soldiers in the city gathered and began clearing the Taotie corpses under Lin Mei's command. Other officials started organizing the surviving citizens of Bianliang for post-war reconstruction.

It was a long-term task, mainly handled by the Bianliang city guard. Lin Mei and her people's primary duty remained the Great Wall. Though the Taotie were dead, the nomadic tribes beyond the border still lived, and the threat from the north persisted. The young emperor, who had narrowly escaped with his life, immediately ordered Lin Mei to lead her troops back to guard the Great Wall. Rewards for Xiao Hen and the others also came down.

As Xiao Hen had predicted, the emperor promoted him two ranks, officially granting him the title of General. In the entire Shadowless Imperial Army, he was now second only to Lin Mei, on par with General Wu and General Chen.

On the Great Wall's battlements, Lin Mei stood at the front. Behind her were Xiao Hen and General Wu. General Chen had fallen in the Battle of Bianliang.

Beyond the Great Wall, William and Thorva sat astride tall horses. They waved toward the Wall, then tugged their reins. The sound of hooves rang out as the two gradually rode away.

"You should all return to your posts. Don't let your guard down just because the Taotie are gone. There are many powerful tribes beyond the border—we must remain cautious." Lin Mei turned to General Wu.

"Yes!" General Wu clasped his hands and left. Before departing, he seemed to glance at Xiao Hen.

Xiao Hen looked at Lin Mei with curiosity. This woman had deliberately kept him behind—he wondered what she was plotting.

"What are your plans next?" Suddenly, Lin Mei's voice reached his ears, crisp and pleasant.

"You know?" Xiao Hen raised an eyebrow.

"Mm. Lately, I've reviewed the tasks you assigned to your men. It's obvious you're preparing to leave." As the Marshal commanding the entire Shadowless Imperial Army, Lin Mei naturally had the authority to oversee the affairs of subordinate units.

"Yes. Since the Taotie calamity is over, it's time for me to go." Xiao Hen nodded in acknowledgment. The plot of this film had truly ended here. His two tasks in this world—the main quest had long been completed, and the side quest, helping the Shadowless Imperial Army defeat the Taotie, had also been fulfilled when he killed the King of Taotie. In short, everything he had to do in this world was done. It was time for him to leave.

"Who exactly are you?" Lin Mei's expression was complicated as she looked at him. She'd had enough time to investigate his background. From what she'd gathered, this guy was no frontier migrant who'd moved to the Central Plains. More importantly, the terrifying power he wielded—especially that monstrous weapon—had shocked her the most.

"Who I am, there's no need to tell you. Suffice it to say, I mean no harm to you or the Great Song." Xiao Hen smiled, then asked, "And you?"

"Me?"

Lin Mei's expression remained still as she said softly, "I grew up here. I've lived here all my life. I'm used to it."

"I'll always stay here, guarding the northern gate of the Great Song, holding back the enemies beyond the border."

Xiao Hen stood quietly for a moment, then looked at Lin Mei with deep meaning in his eyes. "Well then, it's time for me to go."

"Until we meet again. Perhaps we'll cross paths someday."

Lin Mei turned her head, but only saw Xiao Hen's retreating figure. He had already vaulted down from the Great Wall, landing lightly on the ground outside. A few steps later, his silhouette vanished from her sight.

"Until we meet again? Maybe."

No dinner to be had, folks. Throw me some recommendation tickets—I'm planning to use them to pay the bill at a restaurant tonight. What do you think of that idea???