"We brothers rose to prominence in a chaotic era. Back then, small families like ours either became vassals or were crushed to dust by the surrounding tigers and wolves. At first, everyone was just trying to protect themselves, so we were walking on thin ice. I don't know when it started, but the brothers' ambitions grew bigger and bigger."
Tian Heng squatted down and looked at one of the lieutenants, whose eyes were filled with resentment, and said, " Old Wu, do you remember? When you were twenty-nine, just one year shy of thirty, we had just joined a warlord's side. Our status was even lower than some vassal families. As surrendered generals, we were often used as suicide squads. Your biggest wish at that time was to survive, earn a vassal family status, and let your sons and grandsons have some standing, even if they were slaves for generations, so that they wouldn't be sent to their deaths like we were back then."
These words startled the group of people who had been filled with resentment, and they were suddenly reminded of the difficult years they had endured.
At that time, warlords were fighting each other, and many powerful families collapsed at any moment. Tian Heng led them to surrender to the warlords and was used as bait to lure the enemy. At that time, as the leader of a group of people, he could have easily become a lackey if he had secretly betrayed them.
But he didn't. Instead, he was the first to rush to the front, leading everyone to complete that perilous mission. In the end, he gained the warlord's appreciation, which allowed his old comrades to take the first step onto the right path in life.
I remember asking the other person about it out of curiosity at the time.
I remember that's how the Laoda replied to him back then.
Because of you all, they promised me a position as their lackey, allowing me to betray you. But if even you are gone, I won't even have the chance to be promised a position as their lackey. So why would I do such a thing? You are my assets.
During the ten years of war, everyone trusted each other and was always ready to shield those around them from harm, because everyone knew that if they, being weak, did not band together, they would not even have a chance to struggle.
When did things escalate to this point?
"You've changed." Tian Heng stood up, his eyes shifting from complex to icy. "You've changed so much I don't recognize you at all. Old Wu, remember when the court was first established? You were overjoyed. Your greatest wish was to have a title that could be passed down to your son, so you could proudly tell him, 'I haven't treated you unfairly; this is what I deserve!'"
"At the time, I felt that if I had a father like that, even if he offended someone and caused our whole family to be slaughtered, I wouldn't regret it. So I swallowed my pride and gave up the opportunity to go to the capital to get a title for each of you!"
The three of them were stunned, opened their mouths but found themselves unable to say anything.
Yes, our Laoda was so loyal back then. For them, he even gave up becoming one of the eight dukes of the capital. Other Laoda would betray their brothers after achieving success, but our Laoda never forgot his original intention.
"Look at you all now, what a mess you've become!" Tian Heng walked up to Old Wu, staring intently at him. "Do you even know your son is in Liuzhou? Your son, whom you once cherished so much, used to hold his head high and praise you, his father, in front of the neighbors Heavenly Capital. But what are you doing? Have you thought about the consequences of your actions? Even if you win."
Old Wu: "."
"Yes. You're all Transcendent now, each of you has reached the transcendent level, your lifespans are measured in tens of thousands of years, and you can have more sons than you can have. Unlike back then, when you were always on the verge of dying on the battlefield, and you treated your only son like a precious gem?"
"Back then, we lived like dogs, but at heart we were still human. Now, what part of you retains any humanity?"
By the end, Tian Heng was practically screaming!
At that moment, all the Fighter Army fell silent, including Xu Hu. He hadn't really liked Tian Heng before because of Tian Heng's record of betraying his master several times, but now, after hearing this heartfelt expression, he had a different opinion.
Yes, back then, who joined the army without trying to earn a living?
What's there to look down on?
The man called " Laoda," who was called " Old Wu," struggled to lift his head. The bloodshot in his eyes slowly faded, and he said with great difficulty, "Sorry, Old Wu, I've been blinded for the past two years."
Tian Heng remained silent. His life force was already gone; whether he was blinded or not, this was his fate. As for what would happen after death, he didn't even know if someone who had betrayed Chen Qing like this would still be qualified to go to the Underworld. Even if he was, he feared his fate wouldn't be good.
I couldn't possibly plead for them; after all, they almost caused the fall of Jiangnan.
Even if I were to atone for my crime by performing meritorious service, it would still be a crime of failing to manage subordinates. I'm already lucky I haven't been punished. I probably can't plead for them; I have a family in Liuzhou myself.
" Laoda, can I ask you for a favor?"
"I will take good care of your family, but they may not be able to stay in Liuzhou." Tian Heng took a breath. "You can't hide this from them anymore, and you don't want your child to be scorned by those around you, do you? Going abroad is the best solution."
" The Laoda is the most thoughtful," Old Wu laughed, but his laughter choked up. "Tell my son that I'm sorry. I was bewitched and lost everything I earned for him. From now on, he'll have to rely on himself." Damn it, why do these ridiculous words sound exactly like what my old man used to say to me?
Tian Heng: "."
The other two raised their heads slightly but said nothing. They were members of the Tian Household, and their offspring would most likely be spared, but they might also lose their promising futures because of their own misdeeds.
Sometimes, it's really bad to be too greedy.
"Thanks, Laoda." Old Wu smiled, then closed his eyes and held his breath, shattering his heart meridian. A sharp roar came from his body, and a red light flew out from the bursting blood mist, obviously trying to slip away. But Tian Heng and Xu Hu would not let him succeed. They caught the three red insects even faster.
"This is what orchestrated this incident?" Xu Hu frowned. This thing seemed very similar to the Ancient Insect, even the way it controlled people was similar. He remembered that there were such worms among the living corpses that he and his group killed back then. How come it seems like they're now fighting with worms?
"Yes, be careful, General Xu." Tian Heng said solemnly, "These things are no ordinary creatures. My few good-for-nothing subordinates, after being possessed by them, have gained their current skills in less than half a year. These things are not on the same level as the Ancient Insect of yesteryear."
Xu Hu nodded. This thing almost caused Jiangnan's downfall, so it's definitely not simple.
"Thanks to you this time, otherwise, something really serious might have happened."
"I'm ashamed," Tian Heng said with a wry smile. "If I hadn't failed to notice my subordinates' thoughts, we wouldn't have suffered this calamity. It seems Lu Ming was right back then; I'm not suited to be a general. Once the lord returns, I will resign immediately. Murong Yunji is more suitable for this position than I am."
"You've done this much today, so you're qualified." Xu Hu looked at the other person seriously and said, "Now is not the time to talk about these things. Are there any other people like this in the West Sea Army?" As he spoke, Xu Hu raised the bloodworm in his hand.
Tian Heng shook his head. "As far as I know, there aren't any left. High-level Ancient Demon are limited. If they could parasitize in large numbers, there would be no need for such schemes."
"That's true." Xu Hu nodded. "Our master's trip to Cloud Capital is probably a conspiracy. What do we do now?"
" Cloud Capital will definitely rush to their aid, but," Tian Heng looked out of the city, "According to their plan, the Northern Lands will probably also..."
" The Northern Lands?" Xu Hu was taken aback. Just as he was about to ask again, a horn suddenly sounded above Tong Pass. Xu Hu frowned, and Tian Heng glanced at it. The two of them then leaped onto the city wall and looked north.
In the distance, billowing dust billowed, and within that sandstorm-like dust were the eyes of countless giant pythons!