A flicker of surprise crossed Li You's eyes. He had never seen the words "great hero" carved on someone's gravestone.
Surely such an ancient title had only been common a thousand years ago?
"Strange, isn't it?" Xiao Yi said softly as he cleared the weeds with his sword.
"My master, Chen Shou'an, was a crazy old beggar. Somehow, he got hold of a martial arts novel from the Old Era, and then... he spent his entire life dreaming of being a great hero."
Li You's heart sank slightly. From that single sentence, he caught a glimpse of a tragic life.
Because this era had no room for great heroes.
Xiao Yi gave a self-mocking smile. "But what kind of great hero spends thirty years mad and thirty years getting beaten?"
"Was your master a Transcendent?"
"I wish he had been."
Li You fell silent. In this era, there were two kinds of madmen: Transcendents and ordinary people who had lost their minds.
The former might become a legend like the Chief Judge, but the latter... were doomed to tragedy.
He thought for a moment, then offered some comfort. "Your master would be happy to see you fulfilling his dream for him."
Looking at Xiao Yi's blue robe and the sword strapped to his back, he finally understood why the man dressed that way.
"Perhaps." Xiao Yi tossed the weeds aside and gazed calmly at the grave. Slowly, he said, "Do you know what he told me before he died?"
"What?"
"Never... follow my path."
Reminiscence filled his eyes, as though he could see those old scenes again, see that little beggar and that old beggar.
Li You frowned slightly. "What did he mean?"
"That was the only lucid thing he ever said in his life." Xiao Yi took a wine