Chapter 145

As the saying goes, there is surely something hateful about every pitiful person; this is that very principle.

The red and white twin swords sank into Su Xuan's sleeves, temporarily stored away by him using the Pot-Heaven Technique.

Although the Pot-Heaven Technique could not keep items stored for a very long time, this maneuver, falling into the eyes of Young Master Shang who stood beside Han Fei, undoubtedly added a few more shades of mystery to Su Xuan.

He associated this with the various matters concerning Su Xuan. Although it was widely rumored that this was a dangerous individual who had murdered the King of Han, judging from Han Fei's attitude toward Su Xuan, there was clearly a different conclusion to this affair.

And so, he reached a decision.

Young Master Shang stepped forward and immediately bowed to Su Xuan, saying, "Many thanks to you, sir, for the rescue!"

"Young Master of Qin, there is no need for such courtesy. I chose to save you because I feel you should not die here. However, there is one thing that puzzles me." As soon as Su Xuan spoke, he revealed Young Master Shang's true identity: he was none other than the Qin Wang, Seeing Ying Zheng.

"The imperial heaven is not yet constant; it is like the flowing spring. Do not let us perish together. Rise early and go to bed late, sweep and sprinkle the courtyard; these are the duties of the people. Repair your chariots and horses, bows and arrows, and weapons of war, to guard against the border raids, to repel the barbarian tribes..."

This was a line from the "Classic of Poetry - Greater Odes - Yi." The lines preceding this one all recounted the lessons of a ruler who failed to cultivate virtue, sinking into wine and lust, knowing only how to eat, drink, and play, leading to the collapse and ruin of the state. From this line onward, the style of the entire poem changed abruptly.

Whether a state prospers or not should not be decided by the imperial heaven, but by the one who governs. One cannot sink into despair just because the imperial heaven does not protect the state; the path to a state's rise or fall lies in the ruler diligently cultivating virtue and serving as a model.

Seeing Ying Zheng had taken the character "Shang" from this line as his alias, which precisely revealed his determination to forge ahead with sharp resolve.

But this did not mean he had revealed his identity to others.

It could be said that since arriving in the State of Han, only a handful of people, including Han Fei, knew his true identity. And even those who knew still chose to address him as "Young Master Shang" to provide him with cover.

As a result, Seeing Ying Zheng had not expected that the person before him would actually know his true identity.

Upon hearing Su Xuan's form of address, the face behind his half-mask could not help but change slightly, before returning to calmness. "I wonder how you came to know my identity?"

By referring to himself as "Guaren" (the lonely one), he had effectively admitted his identity.

"Although the Luo Wang is a massive force, spread across the seven states of the world, its influence in other states is ultimately inferior to that in its home base of Qin. For their assassins to come to Xinzheng, the capital of Han, to carry out a mission, they must, in the end, rely on the help of local forces."

"After the Qin Wang arrived in Xinzheng, the people of the Luo Wang found the Nightfall and sought their help to locate the Qin Wang!"

Su Xuan explained, and Wei Zhuang and the others understood the reason behind it.

"You learned this from the Nightfall? You have been missing for this period of time, yet you did not leave the State of Han—was it because of the Nightfall?"

"Yes!"

Su Xuan nodded. "I will not hide it from you: the Nightfall now belongs to me."

This news was undoubtedly shocking.

Even Wei Zhuang, who had always been indifferent to everything and maintained a calm and composed attitude, had his expression change slightly, not to mention Han Fei, Zinu, and the others. They were all from the State of Han, so they knew very well what the Nightfall represented.

"How did you manage it?" Wei Zhuang could not help but ask; he was truly curious.

One had to know that the master of the Nightfall, Ji Wuye, had died at Su Xuan's hands; the Jade Tiger, one of the Four Fierce Generals, had been crippled because of Su Xuan; and the Blood-Clad Marquis had also been killed by Su Xuan. It was no exaggeration to say that Su Xuan was the Nightfall's greatest enemy.

Yet, after Su Xuan had been missing for a period of time, he had suddenly transformed into the master of the Nightfall.

"A wise bird chooses its tree to perch upon, and the Nightfall is the same. After I killed Ji Wuye, the Tide Enchantress chose to submit to me. With her help, we controlled half of the Nightfall, and as the Straw-Cloaked Guest also expressed his submission, the Nightfall became entirely mine."

Wei Zhuang finally understood how Su Xuan had seized control of the Nightfall, and he could not help but sigh at Su Xuan's methods.

Although he spoke of it lightly, to make the remaining two great fierce generals of the Nightfall submit, Su Xuan had clearly used some unknown methods.

The Qin Wang was not interested in these matters; he only had a superficial understanding of the Nightfall and had no contact with it. Upon learning how Su Xuan knew his identity, he revealed a faint smile toward Su Xuan. "Mr. Su, would you be willing to have a chat with me?"