Chapter 16

Late at night.

Dou Changsheng successfully arrived at the agreed location.

After Dou Changsheng arrived, he found the place empty; he sat down and began to wait.

Feng Zhongyi was entrusted to the wrong person—Dou Changsheng had never intended to reveal Feng Zhongyi’s affair; he planned to let it rot inside his belly.

To speak frankly.

That primordial true realm cultivator of the Five Qi Ascending to the Apex died too cleanly; Dou Changsheng suspected something was off.

But there was no need to investigate further.

After all, Dou Changsheng also suspected the other party had sensed something amiss.

This accidental encounter ended dramatically—and it was a perfect resolution for both sides.

After a while longer, Dou Changsheng heard footsteps.

He gripped the hilt of the sword beside him, turned his gaze toward the sound’s source, and slowly rose to his feet; he held no hope for his own intuition, fearing the arrival of a stranger.

If it turned out to be Feng Zhongyi again, that would be quite amusing.

As the newcomer drew closer, Dou Changsheng recognized him—Tang He.

There were three of them.

All were in dire straits.

Their clothes bore scorch marks, and even their arms and thighs showed burns.

Black Eagle Elder was the most pitiful: his once smooth, flowing long hair was gone—apparently burned off and then chopped short with his own sword; now he had a cropped haircut, and his entire demeanor had changed drastically.

The last man, Dou Changsheng also recognized—he was Zhao Manren, whom he had met briefly before.

When Zhao Manren saw Dou Changsheng, shame flashed across his face; he bowed his head and said, “I owe you, Brother Dou, for saving my life. I owe the Wang Mansion. I owe the people of the North.”

“The military pay I was carrying has been stolen.”

Zhao Manren let out a long sigh, his face twisted in agony, radiating an aura of utter defeat.

He plopped down onto the ground like a salted fish.

Anyone who glanced at him could tell—he was broken.

Tang He reached out and took the water pouch Dou Changsheng offered, drank several large gulps, and calmed his fire before speaking: “The elder has been rescued.”

“Then I won’t linger any longer—I’ll head south tonight and return to my sect.”

Hearing Tang He’s words, Black Eagle Elder grew anxious and hurriedly pleaded: “Now is the time to recruit talent.”

“Why are you leaving?”

Before Black Eagle Elder could finish, Tang He cut him off: “It’s not that I fear danger—I only realized, upon reaching Jianmen Pass, that this unrest in the North was sparked by the Northerners themselves.”

“I’m merely an outsider. I have no right to interfere.”

“No matter what I do, I’ll become an accomplice to one side, oppressing the other.”

“So rescuing the elder is the limit of what I can do.”

After speaking, Tang He clasped his fists and said to Dou Changsheng: “Brother Dou, take care.”

Tang He took a few steps away, then added: “Brother Dou, your noble character is that of an ancient gentleman.”

“Should you ever face hardship, come find me in Jiangdu, Southern Chen.”

“We’ll wield our swords across the land, touring the scenery of Jiangnan together.”

After speaking, Tang He flicked his arm—a long sword arced gracefully through the air and landed before Dou Changsheng, who caught its scabbard in one hand.

Tang He, with his back turned, spoke in a clear, resonant voice: “The sword you carry, Brother Dou, is of poor quality—and it’s rusted.”

“This sword of mine is named Hero. It was given to me by my clan elders when I left Jiangdu, imbued with their hopes for me.”

“Though not a divine weapon, it is a sharp blade, far beyond ordinary steel—it contains two taels of star iron, making it razor-sharp, able to sever hair with a breath.”

“The ancients said: ‘A precious sword is given to a hero.’ I bestow this sword upon you, Brother Dou!”

“When I return and enter seclusion, upon emerging, I shall strive for the Human List—let us encourage each other!”

His voice faded away, and finally, barely audible, came these words:

“The Jianghu road is long—farewell. The mountains tower high, the waters stretch far—we shall meet again!”

Dou Changsheng tightened his five fingers around the scabbard, a faint sadness rising within him.

Since stepping into Junxian and being drawn into the North’s turmoil, though only a little over half a month had passed—most of it spent traveling, with much fighting, and moments of utter despair—

He had to admit: the Jianghu was dangerous, yet it held its own romance.

Tang He’s actions today left Dou Changsheng speechless.

Hero Sword.

He had given it to him—signifying that, in Tang He’s eyes, Dou Changsheng was a true hero.

This sword was heavy.

Dou Changsheng knew he was not the selfless man Tang He believed him to be.

In rescuing Black Eagle Elder, how much was genuine? How much was self-interest?

Even Dou Changsheng couldn’t tell.

Past memories flowed through his mind.

Though they had known each other only briefly, Tang He was undoubtedly a man of righteousness.

What did the North’s affairs have to do with a Southern Chen citizen?

Yet he transported military pay across a thousand li, risked his life to rescue Black Eagle Elder—each act was an act of justice.

It wasn’t just Tang He. His gaze turned to Zhao Manren, his face filled with guilt and despair, and to Black Eagle Elder—both had risked everything, defied death, for the sake of the North.

But the commander of Jianmen Pass, the Vanguard Captain, was not wrong.

He was no villain.

The border troops resisted the Hu Ren; their families back home suffered abuse. The military pay, sent from the capital a thousand li away, was buried by a landslide, and the silver vanished without a trace.

They demanded justice. They demanded an explanation. They demanded the entire realm resist the Hu Ren—not just the locals sacrificing their homes to fight them.

The lands of Liang and the capital enjoyed the peace bought with their blood, yet looked down on them, constantly belittling and suppressing them.

Black Eagle Elder roared in fury: “The demon minister has ruined the state!”

Finally, unable to hold back, he muttered under his breath: “The foolish emperor’s favor for the demon concubine? Neither is anything good.”

Black Eagle Elder turned to Dou Changsheng and spoke gravely: “The military pay Zhao Manren carried has been stolen. With the pay incomplete, the Vanguard Captain can now hold the Wang Mansion accountable, accusing them of incompetence.”

Dou Changsheng sighed: “The military pay doesn’t matter.”

“The pure yang blood of Grandmaster Yuan, the Invincible Divine Fist, was destroyed right before my eyes by the Vanguard Captain.”

“That kind of thing—he didn’t even consider refining it or selling it for profit. That shows the depth of his rage.”

“This fire was lit because the Grand General of the North refused to stand up for the North.”

“It’s just military pay. How much more could it possibly be? Could it rival the capital’s wealth? Why take so long to raise it?”

“If Yu Yun wrote one letter, every general from the North down to the common border soldiers would sign their names.”

“Let the true dragon emperor of the capital answer this: can he afford to pay it?”