Kelan Kai had long since cast aside all deference and awe, leaving only the easy openness of reunited old friends.
Standing by the window, he gazed at the bustling, peaceful streets below, exhaled a long breath, and murmured wistfully.
"Shiheng, I often dream of our youth."
"In my dreams, windblown sand still fills the Northern Border. We sleep with weapons at hand, ready for battle, risking our lives every day and struggling to survive. Back then, my greatest wish was to live through it and spare my family hunger and suffering."
He turned toward Shiheng, who sat calmly beside him, his eyes filled with the sense that a lifetime had passed.
"I never dared imagine that the brother who struggled beside me through mud and mortal danger would one day become a god who ruled heaven and earth and awed the continent."
Shiheng raised his cup and took a small sip, his gaze calm and distant.
After ten years of the gods' schemes and countless battles, he had long since seen through the splendor of Divine Positions and the hollow prestige of the Great Way.
"The heights do not always offer glorious views."
His voice carried the weathered weight of years as he spoke slowly.
"You envy me for attaining a Divine Position, for having the power to shake the heavens. Yet I envy you instead."
Kelan Kai abruptly raised his head, astonishment covering his face.
"Envy me?"
"I am only a mortal city lord with a maimed body, forever barred from the Saint path. What could a revered god possibly envy about me?"
"You have a peaceful life, loved ones beside you, and convictions you can hold to. You have attained everything you sought in life."
Shiheng's gaze passed over the merchants below, the laughing children, and the people