Chapter 789: Settling in a Strange Land

Sharp pain dragged consciousness out of chaos.

Yue Fei opened his eyes; the familiar, cool, clean air unique to the Chen Dynasty's Qi Purification Field flowed into his nostrils.

He immediately knew he had returned.

Amid the piercing pain in his shoulder blades, the lingering, chilling, bone‑eroding dark energy was dispelled, replaced by gentle restorative energy.

"General Yue, do not move rashly," Gong Sun Sheng's voice came as he approached holding a bowl of medicine, "Your injury has just stabilized."

"Your Majesty… them?" Yue Fei asked, voice hoarse, forcing himself to endure the pain.

"The nine‑person entourage of the Hongwu Emperor has been settled; Your Majesty is on the way to meet them," Gong Sun Sheng said quickly, "Our army has forty‑one survivors, the rest…" his voice sank.

Yue Fei closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing the surging emotions.

"How is the light curtain?"

"The disturbance is intense; Point Seven has permanently expanded. The Iron Crow Army is probing, but there is no large‑scale infiltration yet." Gong Sun Sheng fed him the medicine, "Your Majesty ordered General Yue to rest; everything will be discussed later."

Yue Fei said no more; the drowsiness from the medicine and the fatigue of his serious injuries pulled him into deep sleep.

Clear Mind Pavilion.

Zhu Yuanzhang changed into a set of plain attire prepared by the Chen Dynasty.

He stood by the window, gazing at the orderly yet unfamiliar streets outside.

Xu Da and Tang He stood behind him, silently surveying this alien world.

Footsteps came from the stairs, light and steady.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around.

A figure stepped forward, with Zhang Cheng beside him.

The newcomer was extremely young, looking no more than twenty, with clear brows and eyes and fair skin.

He wore a plain black deep robe, his bearing upright.

Most striking were his eyes—gentle and tranquil, yet deep as if reflecting long ages, bearing a weatheredness mismatched with his youthful appearance.

"Chen Dynasty, Chen Wenzhong," the young man said, clasping his hands in salute, his voice clear and ringing.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes narrowed slightly.

He recalled the "longevity" he had obtained, and also the vague rumors about the Chen Dynasty.

"Great Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang," he returned the salute, "a person of a fallen kingdom, sorry for the intrusion."

"Your Majesty is too modest," Chen Wen gestured for them to sit, "To carry the fire of civilization out amidst collapse is no feat for anything less than great wisdom and courage. Please."

Several people sat down, and clear tea was served.

Zhu Yuanzhang lifted his teacup, his gaze falling on Chen Wen's young face.

A mysterious monarch who, thanks to a secret method, has kept his appearance unchanged for centuries while leading the Chen Dynasty in resistance against the Iron Crow Army.

One who, by chance, gained extended life and, in dire straits, struggles to survive as the ruler of a fallen kingdom.

At this moment, they crossed the light curtain and met face to face for the first time.

"General Yue and the officers' wounds, the Chen Dynasty will spare no effort," Chen Wen said.

"Thank you," Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, setting down his teacup, "Your Majesty spared no expense to cross borders and rescue us—what is your aim?"

Chen Wen's expression remained calm.

"Your Majesty is a straightforward person."

"What the Chen Dynasty does, it certainly has a purpose."

"To seek Your Majesty's 'existence,' to seek Your Majesty's 'otherness,' to seek the 'change' Your Majesty represents."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes narrowed slightly: "I wish to hear the details."

"The power of the Iron Crow Army, Your Majesty has seen firsthand. What they wield is not for a single city or land, but to erase anything that does not conform to their 'set trajectory.' The continued existence of the Great Ming is the greatest deviation from that trajectory; Your very existence is their greatest 'error.'"

"To save Your Majesty is to preserve this 'error' and prolong this deviation. This is the foundation of resisting the enemy."

"This is the first point."

He paused.

"Second, Your Majesty, having come from that side, whatever you have witnessed, experienced, thought, and created—whether methods to counter dark energy, systems to unite hearts, or alternative applications of heavenly principles—are all paths our dynasty can learn from. Mutual verification may reveal more ways to defeat the enemy."

"United we are strong; divided we stand alone. Saving Your Majesty is also saving the Chen Dynasty itself."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent, his fingers rubbing the rim of the cup.

The other's words laid out the pros and cons clearly, stripping away false pleasantries.

"As for the Iron Crow Army," Zhu Yuanzhang lifted his eyes, "Your Majesty has faced them for hundreds of years—do you truly know what they are? Is their purpose merely to uphold the so‑called 'set trajectory'?"

The air in the pavilion grew slightly tense.

Chen Wen fell silent for a moment; a hint of complexity flickered across his young face.

"Your Majesty's question strikes at the root."

"The Iron Crow Army is neither alive nor dead; it seems to exist in the interstice of heavenly and earthly laws."

"They are like an invisible dam in the river of history; whenever the flow deviates from its preset channel, they force it back—or… completely dry it up."

"Their power is rooted in some ancient, cold 'order,' upholding an indisputable 'necessity.'"

"The rise of the Great Ming is a deviation; the establishment of the Chen Dynasty is also a deviation."

"Their methods, Your Majesty has experienced firsthand. Not only destruction, but 'erasure,' reducing everything to a blank slate."

Zhu Yuanzhang's breathing grew slightly shallow.

"Could it be that all our resistance lies within their calculations? Are we all in vain?"

"Absolutely not!"

Chen Wen's voice rang clear and firm, a blazing brilliance bursting across his youthful face.

"If the 'order' is unjust, then break this order!"

If 'necessity' is absurd, then redefine this necessity!

Their 'presets' are not flawless! Their 'riverbeds' also have cracks! Otherwise, how could the Chen Dynasty have survived to this day? How could Your Majesty sit here?

Every resistance, every choice, every spark of civilization's burst—all are chiseling gaps in their icy dam.

Your Majesty, your presence, the difference you bring, is the newest and strongest crack.

His words were like a scorching torrent.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared blankly at the young-faced, ancient-eyed 'Your Lordship' before him.

He saw the weight of centuries of a lone army's struggle, saw the wisdom that grasped part of the truth yet still struggled within the rules, and saw a determination that would spare nothing to tear apart darkness.

That determination echoed far away with the fire in his heart.

'Your Lordship' said…… gathering the 'different,' striking the 'dam'……' Zhu Yuanzhang repeated slowly.

'Exactly.' Chen Wen affirmed, 'Your Majesty brings a template of another possibility. Our union creates a new 'variable,' and hurls a heavier barrier-breaking hammer at the seemingly unbreakable 'order'.'

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent again.

He lifted the teacup and drank the slightly cool tea in one gulp.

After the bitterness came a lingering sweetness.

He set down the cup, and his gaze regained its clear sharpness.

'I, I understand.'

He looked toward Chen Wen.

'Staying in your noble lands, I and my troops need time to rest, and also need to learn all about this place.'

'That's natural.' Chen Wen's expression returned to calm. 'Within and without the Clear Heart Pavilion, Your Majesty may move freely. All facilities of North City are open to Your Majesty. Zhang Cheng and Gongsun Sheng can answer any questions.'

'As for the future,' Zhu Yuanzhang paused, 'once the wounded have healed and we understand each other, we will discuss further.'

'Good.'

Chen Wen rose.

The two leaders locked eyes again.

No pact, no oath.

But a tacit understanding, based on a common enemy, similar circumstances, and mutual recognition, has been established.

Chen Wen bade farewell and left.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked to the window again, watching his silhouette disappear around the street corner.

'Your Majesty, this Chen Dynasty sovereign is indeed…… too young.' Xu Da said softly.

'Young?' Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, his gaze distant.

'Just a mortal shell.'

'The years hidden in his eyes are likely far older than you or I can imagine.'

'Issue the order: bind everyone, speak cautiously, act prudently, observe more, learn more.'

'What we have to learn here…… is still much.'

Outside the Clear Heart Pavilion, the Chen Dynasty's sunlight is constant and clear.

On either side of the light curtain, the two civilizational sparks of exile and perseverance finally converge at this moment.

The faint light wavers; the road ahead is unknown.

But at least, they are no longer alone.