Chapter 93: No Door in the Human Realm, the Story Unfinished

After the World Extermination Token shattered, a green rain fell from the sky.

The rain fell upon the scorched earth.

It fell upon the Broken Swords.

It fell upon the faces of the fallen.

It fell into the palms of the survivors.

No one cheered.

At least, not at first.

For the living were all checking to see if those beside them were still there.

Chen Shanhe sat beside the formation core of Han Zhou, his blade stuck in the ground, his head full of white hair soaked by the rain.

He had lost a leg, yet he was still alive.

Shen Wanjin was pinned beneath half of the formation platform; his first words were:

"Where is the ledger?"

Qin Su, covered in blood, heard this and angrily ordered others to be saved first.

The old man of Luo'an had died.

Even as he died, he still leaned against the stele.

The two characters "Unwilling" on the stele were dyed red by his blood.

Xiao Cheng'an, severely wounded, learned of the old man's death upon waking; after a long silence, he personally added a line to the History Book:

"Old man of Luo'an, name Li Shouyuan, the first to cry 'Unwilling,' died still unwilling."

Lin Xiaoman wrote it down while weeping.

Xie Wuya survived, but of the three thousand Sword Cultivators of the Sword Pavilion, nearly half were lost.

Of the Floating Boats of the East Sea, fewer than three in ten remained.

The Green Bamboo Forest of the Southern Border was mostly burned, yet new shoots sprouted again in the rain.

The Poplar Array of the Western Desert was entirely incinerated, and the first new seedling grew from the ashes.

Jiang Che lay in a coma for seven days.

On the seventh day, when he awoke, Xie Tingxue sat by the window.

This time, it was not in a military tent.

But in the Jiang Manor of Han Zhou.

Outside the window lay snow.

And bamboo.

Jiang Che's voice was hoarse: "Did we win?"

Xie Tingxue looked at him.

"We won."

Jiang Che closed his eyes and gently exhaled.

"How many died?"

Xie Tingxue remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Che opened his eyes.

Xie Tingxue said softly: "Many."

Jiang Che nodded.

"Where is the register?"

"Lin Xiaoman is writing it."

"Don't just write about me."

Xie Tingxue looked at him, her eyes slightly red.

"No one writes only about you."

Jiang Che smiled.

"That is good."

After the battle of the World Extermination Token, the World-Contract between the Upper Realm and the Human Realm was severed.

This did not mean the Upper Realm could never come again.

But from now on, the Upper Realm could no longer naturally suppress the Human Realm in the names of "Heavenly Fate," "Legal Principle," or "Shepherding the People."

If they came, they could only come like enemies.

And the Human Realm would draw its sword as it would against an enemy.

Three months later, the Human Assembly Hall reopened.

The first item on the agenda was not a celebration of victory.

But post-war compensation.

The second was the reconstruction of the formation core.

The third was the revision of the "Interrogation Law of the Anti-Heaven Bureau."

The fourth was a discussion on whether the Guardian of the Nation Sword Master Jiang Che, due to multiple severe injuries, required mandatory rest.

When Jiang Che heard the fourth item, his expression changed.

"This is also debated?"

Gu Chongming sneered: "Of course it is debated."

Qin Su said calmly: "The Medical Camp recommends that the Guardian of the Nation Sword Master must not participate in frontline combat for three years."

Jiang Che looked to Xie Tingxue for help.

Xie Tingxue lifted her tea, pretending not to see.

Chen Shanhe leaned on his cane and laughed loudly:

"Young Master, this time this old man supports the Council Hall!"

In the end, the Council Hall passed the resolution:

Guardian of the Nation Sword Master Jiang Che must rest forcibly for three years.

During this period, he may not cross the border, enter Heaven, cut the Gate, or shatter the World without authorization.

If he violates this, Xie Tingxue has the right to ask with the Sword.

The entire hall erupted in laughter.

Jiang Che helplessly held his forehead.

Lin Xiaoman was recording seriously nearby.

Jiang Che saw this and couldn't help but say, "This doesn't need to be written, right?"

Lin Xiaoman looked up and said solemnly:

"It must be written."

"Future generations must know that even the Sword Master is governed by the Council Hall."

Jiang Che sighed in admiration.

"You are becoming more and more like Lord Gu."

Gu Chongming snorted coldly, "That is a compliment to him."

In the sixth month after the war, the Human Realm No Gate Stele was erected at Kunlun Mountain.

The inscription was drafted jointly by the History Camp, the Council Hall, the Old Prisoners, and representatives from all regions.

The final sentence was written by Jiang Che:

"The Human Realm has no Gate to kneel to Heaven; only the Road opens for those who come after."

People no longer erected a statue of a god for Jiang Che.

Many names were carved beside the stele.

Luo'an, Li Shouyuan.

Lao Chai.

Liu Suanpan.

Jiang Ling.

Liu Sandao.

Nameless Sword Cultivators.

East Sea fishermen.

Southern Border shamans.

Western Desert female doctors.

And many, many more.

Those that could not be carved would have their own steles erected separately.

The Steles Forest stretched from the foot of Kunlun Mountain all the way to the Sacrificial Platform.

The Green Bamboo Sword was placed in the center of the Steles Forest for three days.

After three days, Jiang Che retrieved the sword.

Xie Tingxue asked, "What about after?"

Jiang Che looked into the distance.

Children were reading among the Steles Forest.

Veterans were telling them about White Bone Pass.

Storytellers were recounting Luo'an Unwilling.

Xiao Cheng'an, leading his younger brother Xiao Chengping, was wiping snow off the Old Dynasty Sin Stele.

Shen Wanjin stood before the Merit Stele, secretly checking if the Wan Tong Merchant Association name was carved correctly.

Chen Shanhe sat nearby basking in the sun, scolding new recruits for having no posture while standing.

Gu Chongming and the widows of Luo'an were still arguing over the details of compensation.

Qin Su chased after Jiang Che to ask for a medical consultation.

Lin Xiaoman was writing a new volume of the History.

The Human Realm remained noisy.

Still imperfect.

Still prone to mistakes.

But it stands.

Jiang Che smiled.

"After?"

"After that, let them walk their own path."

Xie Tingxue looked at him, "And you?"

Jiang Che took her hand.

"I will rest for three years first."

Xie Tingxue raised an eyebrow, "And then?"

Jiang Che looked up at the Human Realm.

The sky was very high.

Very blue.

No more Gates.

"And then..."

He smiled and said:

"If anyone in Heaven still disagrees."

"I will go reason with them again."

Xie Tingxue said lightly, "Reasoning with the Sword?"

Jiang Che thought seriously for a moment.

"Depends on whether they listen to human words."

The Wind blew through the Kunlun Steles Forest.

Countless names shone quietly in the sunlight.

This was not the end.

It was only that the Human Realm no longer needed to look up at a Gate.

The story would continue.

But from this day on, the beginning of the story would no longer be Heavenly Fate.

It would be the Human Realm writing its own opening.

—The End of the Book.