Chapter 672

The night in the Great Desert is very cold.

It is already spring, still long before the height of summer; while noon may not be scorching, the middle of the night is bitterly cold.

Yet, the sunrise base camp is very lively, one might even say it is bustling with activity.

The bonfire in the very center rises up, bright as if it were the sun. The camp is filled with the fragrance of wine, the aroma of meat, and sounds of laughter.

Those from Yunzhou, those from Baiyujing, the White-haired Swordsmen, and the local folks are all singing and dancing, drinking wine in large gulps, and eating meat in large chunks; the camp is overflowing with boundless joy.

Although some teammates passed away in the battle just now, leaving a sense of sorrow in people's hearts, victory and the dawn have finally arrived as expected. At this moment, everyone still wants to indulge and enjoy the joy of victory, casting aside all worries and singing at the top of their lungs. When drinking to their heart's content, some who are usually refined and gentle even take off their clothes, dancing bare-chested; everyone, regardless of gender, cheers them on, and their uninhibited behavior is evident.

"Do you think if some remnants launched an attack, they could wipe everyone out in one go?"

Outside the camp, on a distant sand dune, a few young people sit on the ground, having set up a small feast for themselves. Although not as abundant as the camp's banquet, there is wine and meat.

At this time, one young man, slightly tipsy, says loudly to another youth.

"No." The other youth looks to be seventeen or eighteen, his eyes bright as stars in the night sky; he also has a faint scent of wine on him, but not a hint of drunkenness. "We are watching here. If an enemy attacks, we will see them."

The first young man, in his twenties, smiles and says, "Not 'we', but 'you'. Today I intend to drink until I'm drunk. We are all drinking, but you have to travel, so you cannot. Therefore, the task of keeping watch and staying alert must rely on you."

He thinks to pat the youth's shoulder and says, "Azhao, actually this is a bit unfair to you. You are clearly the one with the greatest merit. If you were in the camp, you would be the center of attention... oh, the center of the sun, rather. As it turns out, you are only with me, oh, and Wei Se, and this..."

Beside him, Zheng Yun says with a fawning smile, "Zheng Yun."

Jiang Shenyi says, "And Brother Zheng, the few of us drinking cold wine. If you hadn't wanted to feel the joyful atmosphere and stayed to have a couple of cups, you would even be returning to Zhongtian Prefecture overnight. This is a bit heartless."

Tang Zhao himself is quite relaxed and says, "For one, I am indeed not that happy. The outcome of the battle is not exactly wonderful for me." He drains the wine in his hand in one gulp. "Accepting condolences but not congratulations might seem a bit pretentious to others, but for me, I truly have no mood for feasting. Having the desert, the starry sky, and you brothers accompanying me is very good."

"Furthermore, having me leave before others and return early is for my own good, as per the Marquis."

He gently strokes one of the two swords hanging at his waist. "The implications are truly too great, especially since I have revealed the sword in front of others. Although I did not explicitly state the sword's name, the Jinwu Sword is not a particularly deep secret, and there are not a few people who know of it. Even if outsiders do not know, as long as one person with a discerning eye guesses it, it will soon be known to all. Plus, I did not hide my name, and it is very easy to trace my origins, so it is better not to show my face too much."

Jiang Shenyi says dismissively, "Not to mention the merit you have established, just speaking of your strength, how many people in the world can resist you? What if they find out about your home? Would they dare to make a move against you? It would be enough if you didn't go looking for trouble with them. I'd like to see who dares to say one more word."

Tang Zhao says, "If this sword is in hand, I naturally fear no one. But it is ultimately not my sword; it has its own destination. What is urgent now is to find a suitable destination for it. Before that, the burden I carry is immense and may attract the attention of many Heavenly Beings. Their powerhouses are even more unattainable, so I dare not say I can act without restraint."

Jiang Shenyi says, "Right, it is said that there is a very annoying force in the heavens that has been keeping an eye on the Jinwu Sword, called something..."

Zheng Yun says, "Caiyun Gui. That is nothing to worry about. Ever since I brought the Shadow of the Golden Crow out of Caiyun Gui, they have lost the justification to demand the return of the Golden Crow. Moreover, without the constraints of the Golden Crow, all the Sun-Holding Envoys are no longer under their control; on the contrary, they will deal with them because of old grudges. When the time comes, if the Young Master walks to Caiyun Gui with the sword and gives an order, all the Sun-Holding Envoys will rise in rebellion, and Caiyun Gui will crumble instantly..."

He speaks more and more beautifully, wishing he could incite Tang Zhao to go to Caiyun Gui. But he also knows that with Tang Zhao's personality, it is impossible for him to take the initiative to kick down the door and slap faces.

It is truly a pity; if Zheng Yun himself had obtained the Jinwu Sword, he would definitely make those old hags look bad.

Tang Zhao says, "Caiyun Gui is not much to begin with. What is important is the person behind Caiyun Gui."

The goal of Caiyun Gui is to find the Jinwu Sword, and this mission was also ordered from above. The Sun-Holding Envoys hold the Jinwu Sword, but are they not also Sun-Holding Envoys?

The Sun Domain...

That high and lofty Sun Domain...

With Tang Zhao's current strength, no one in the Sword Hero realm can put pressure on him anymore.

However, there should be true Sword Immortals in the Sun Domain. Since he is temporarily holding the Jinwu Sword, he will definitely have to get involved with those existences. Rather than waiting for them to come from above, it is better to take a trip himself. The Ruyi Sword also said it would accompany him, so there should be a final result.

Before that, Tang Zhao should not easily show his face. After all, in everyone's eyes, he is not just a Sword Hero, but a powerhouse who can fight against the Wangliang and even win; he is not a Sword Immortal but surpasses one. If he were to appear, everyone would likely be trembling and would not dare to laugh loudly.

Yet, setting aside the Jinwu Sword, he is just an ordinary Sword Hero.

Although he is certainly a powerful one among Sword Heroes, he is still somewhat inferior to a peerless Sword Hero like the Dazai. At the very least, he must wait a few months to let him steadily comprehend his second Sword Intent and then determine the direction of his third Sword Intent.

"Returning to Yunzhou, you wouldn't be planning to live under an assumed name, would you? Not even being an official, just casting swords in peace?"

Tang Zhao ponders and says, "I don't know how the Marquis is considering it. If I openly take up an official post, I suppose the fact that Wangliang Mountain was destroyed by Yunzhou will not be able to be hidden, right? I don't know if there will be any repercussions. And those Turtle Bandits, they have all been captured; there are many big fish among them, and I fear Yunzhou cannot handle them if they are too big. I also asked the Marquis overnight; if the Marquis does not want them, then please let Her Highness Hua handle it."

If he had killed all the Turtle Bandits at the time, although cruel, it would have been done; but since they were all captured, large-scale execution of prisoners would be too brutal. This trouble must also be dealt with.

He does not care about being prominent in front of others, and worldly official positions are not what he seeks, but based on his understanding of the Gaoyuan Marquis, he will likely still give him what he deserves.

It is just that this trip to Wangliang Mountain solved the crisis of the Turtle Bandits, but has the crisis of Yunzhou been resolved?

His Highness Jinwu has turned into the Jinwu Sword; although the remaining power can temporarily support the ground so it does not collapse, without the source, it will gradually fade away. When that time comes, how will the huge void underground be filled?

Wouldn't Yunzhou collapse on its own without the Turtle Bandits having to do anything?

Tang Zhao just came out of Wangliang Mountain, saw Anxi Mountain collapse, and immediately associated it with Yunzhou, adding another troubling matter.

Wangliang Mountain has collapsed; shouldn't the Human World be a little better? Why are there even more troubling matters?

Tang Zhao shakes his head; there have always been troubling matters, it is just a question of whether they are right in front of one's eyes. He says to himself, "Wangliang Mountain is gone. The Human World has indeed become better."

At least it is better than before.

Since that is the case, why not offer a cup of wine to the world, and also a cup of wine to oneself?

Have a hearty drink with friends; at least tonight, don't think about those worries...

Suddenly, Tang Zhao's expression changes, and he says, "What is going on?"

The few are all startled, and the next instant, Tang Zhao has already disappeared.

Outside the camp, by a water well, a shadow is leaning against the well railing, holding an object in hand, about to pour it out.

Just then, a hand rests on her shoulder, and a voice says, "Miss Chi, what are you doing?"

Chi Mingjing's body stiffens, but then she lets go regardless, and a bottle falls downward.

From the other side, a flash of light appears, and the bottle lands in a palm made of light, not falling even a bit. At the same time, Chi Mingjing lets out a muffled groan and falls down after being struck heavily in the stomach.

Tang Zhao knocks her down, controls her Qi, seals her acupoints, and takes away her sword, saying, "Don't be ungrateful. I clearly gave you a chance to stop, yet you remain obsessed. You actually wanted to poison the water; this well is an important water source for Yulang City, how many people were you going to poison? We have spent many days together, yet I did not know you were so vicious."

Chi Mingjing lies on the ground, eyes looking at the sky, and says, "Why don't you ask me why I wanted to poison it?"

Tang Zhao does not answer for a moment. Could he say: Does this need asking? It is not our first time meeting; you know the grudges, I know them, have we all lost our memories?

Chi Mingjing does not need him to answer, murmuring, "Spending many days together, I did not see this face of yours. If I had seen your face, I should have remembered it the first moment. At that time, even if I had died in the desert, I would not have traveled with you."

Although several years have passed and everyone has grown up, it is not to the point of being unrecognizable. It is quite hard to forget Tang Zhao's face. Likewise, does Tang Zhao not remember Chi Mingjing?

However, in Tang Zhao's heart, Chi Mingjing is just a passing figure, but in Chi Mingjing's heart, Tang Zhao is an unforgettable enemy.

"Let's speak plainly; we had grudges back then, you can call it hatred. You come to me for revenge, and I will naturally take it. But you actually want to poison so many people at once. Besides our own people, there are so many innocent ones; you can be considered truly heartless."

Chi Mingjing cannot look him in the eye, but her gaze is very firm, saying, "You are now high and lofty, and your strength is beyond my comparison, so naturally you can say such light words. If you were as powerless as I am, and your enemy of deep blood-feud was incomparably powerful, you wouldn't know what you would do to get revenge."

Tang Zhao says, "I would not be like you."

He was certain, and Chi Mingjing smiled, she also certainly did not believe him.

The two were talking past each other, with no possibility of communication.

Tang Zhao said: "Since it has reached this point, let us stop here."

Chi Mingjing shouted: "Don't you even think about it!"

Suddenly, she lunged!