Chapter 1: Epilogue · The Blossoms on the Path, Part Two

Epilogue · The Blossoms on the Path, Part Two

"Mr. Xue, please."

"Hahaha, Master Nan, after you, please!"

Within the Xue family compound, Nan Hanwen and Xue Daoyong treated each other with great courtesy; both were seasoned men who had emerged from the chaos of war, fully aware of each other's status and stance before the founding Qin Huang, and there was no real conflict between them.

Moreover, this visit was for the imperial wedding.

A fine moment, a beautiful scene, a matter of state.

They spoke only of pleasant matters, avoiding sharp topics, all smiles and warmth—yet it was precisely in such moments that unusual events arose: as Xue Daoyong gripped Nan Hanwen's arm and led him toward the inner courtyard, a disturbance suddenly broke out.

Many of the Xue family's direct descendants emerged, clustering together.

Among the crowd stood a strikingly handsome man, holding a box, striding forward quickly.

This man was also a direct descendant of the Xue family, blocking the path of Nan Hanwen's party.

He bowed deeply and announced clearly: "Xue Yuheng of the Xue family, greetings to the elder patriarch and to Master Nan Hanwen."

Nan Hanwen's brow twitched faintly as he glanced at Xue Daoyong beside him:

"Mr. Xue, this is…"

Xue Daoyong remained expressionless: "Yuheng, you've just returned from the northwest, managing trade routes with notable success. Why aren't you resting at home? Why come here now?"

Xue Yuheng bowed respectfully: "I learned my niece is to marry His Majesty, so I brought treasures from the northwest, specifically to offer my congratulations."

Nan Hanwen smiled gently: "Mr. Xue Yuheng, you are overly courteous."

Xue Yuheng bowed again: "His Majesty has swept across the land, remade heaven and earth, opened trade routes that connect all directions, enriching the realm and laying foundations for ten thousand generations. We all revere him. This occasion demands our presence to pay tribute."

At these words, Nan Hanwen already understood his true intent.

He smiled and said: "Mr. Xue Yuheng, your thoughtfulness is noted. I shall speak well of you before His Majesty."

He turned again to Xue Daoyong: "Mr. Xue, please."

But Xue Yuheng suddenly knelt in full obeisance: "Master Nan, you are too humble. When my niece Xue Shuangtao becomes His Majesty's empress, the Xue family becomes the imperial in-law clan—we are one family with His Majesty."

"Now that the empire is founded, its territory dwarfs all past realms; the four seas are unified under one nation, and after years of war, all is in ruins. My Xue family has many talented youths, ready to serve His Majesty."

"Though I have managed the northwest trade routes with tireless toil and great merit, I remain a Bai Ding. I humbly beg His Majesty, as the former Red Emperor once did, to grant my Xue family sons official posts. We are His Majesty's kin—should the relatives of a founding sovereign remain Bai Ding, would it not invite mockery behind closed doors?"

"It would also bring shame upon His Majesty's face."

Nan Hanwen's brow furrowed.

This was an open demand for rewards.

It followed the time-honored tradition of rewarding merit after founding a dynasty—common among the Red Emperor's line, the Chen state, the Ying state.

But our Great Qin…

Nan Hanwen's gaze grew cold. The old man sensed an unnatural stillness around him. He looked up and saw that though the Xue family members did not support Yuheng, neither did they rebuke him.

Some, embarrassed by such blunt petitioning, stepped forward and whispered urgently: "Yuheng, today is a momentous day—why act like this? It's disgraceful! Rise at once! What does His Majesty need with your petty requests?"

He reached to pull Yuheng up.

He could not move him.

Yuheng stood firm—not resisting, but glancing sidelong at Nan Hanwen with hesitant, pleading eyes. The other Xue family members mirrored this: not opposing, but watching with silent longing.

Especially since Xue Daoyong made no move to stop it.

Like a fire spreading, ambition, reckless hope, and the innate hunger for status spread through breath and gaze.

Nan Hanwen sighed.

Wealth and fame stir the heart. The Xue family already had wealth; now they craved power and position. It was human nature—but…

He finally turned to Xue Daoyong.

The old warlord stroked his long beard, silent—as if giving tacit approval.

To an ordinary man, this would mean Xue Daoyong wished the Xue family to ascend to nobility. But Nan Hanwen was a disciple of the chaos-era poison strategist Dan Tai Xianming, a man who had weathered decades of turmoil, cunning and calculating.

But just as the flame in the hearts of the entire Xue family grew increasingly chaotic, footsteps suddenly sounded.

Just as the flame of desire within every Xue heart grew chaotic, footsteps sounded.

The calm voice fell, like a sharp sword slicing down, severing the craving, expectation, and reckless hope that had silently emerged among the Xue family; their thoughts paused momentarily.

A calm voice fell like a blade, severing the invisible threads of longing, hope, and reckless chance that had risen among the Xue family. Their thoughts halted.

Nan Hanwen blinked, looking up to see a woman in blue robes stride forward along the path to the inner courtyard. Her black hair was pinned with a wooden hairpin, a green bamboo flute hung at her waist, a sword in hand—her gaze sharp, commanding.

The Xue family's voices dropped:

Xue Yuheng chuckled: "Niece, you've come? No matter, no matter, nothing's wrong—we've just come to bring you a gift."

Xue Yuheng smiled: "Ah, niece, you've come. No matter, no matter—nothing serious. We just came to bring you a gift."

The woman's brows lifted. Her sword slid from its scabbard.

With a clear chime, the box Yuheng carried was split cleanly in two. Treasures gathered from the northwest scattered across the ground, their fragrance drifting.

Ching!!

The blade, like autumn water, pointed directly at Xue Yuheng's brow.

The Changfeng Lady spoke coolly: "You didn't come to give a gift—you came to demand profit."

"You see me as a stepping stone to climb higher."

Silence crashed down. The Xue family paled. Nan Hanwen stared, then said: "Lady, Lady, no—today is a day of joy! Why draw weapons?"

Xue Yuheng raised a finger to block the blade, voice thick with anger:

"You're not even married yet, Shuangtao. You're not even Empress of Qin."

"Already you favor the Emperor? Already so eager to abandon the Xue family? To carve out your name as a virtuous empress in history?"

"Is this how you repay your debts?"

"Have you forgotten how the Xue family raised you?"

Xue Yuheng, as the official in charge of a trade route, still had a sharp tongue at such a moment, striking straight at the most painful point to mock—even if he had no such intent, he still stirred the rhythm, causing the surrounding Xue family members to cast unusual glances.

Yet she had not anticipated that the woman was no longer the naive girl of old; she merely lifted her gaze, scanning those around her, seeing the reflections in every eye, and said:

"If you think so, then let it be!"

"If you, think so."

"Then let it be!"

The atmosphere among them grew deathly still, yet still held traces of resentment.

Xue Shuangtao suddenly said: "If any of you feel aggrieved or discontented, then so be it."

She pulled out a jade pendant, her voice cold and clear, and said:

"From today, Xue Shuangtao withdraws from the Xue family."

"I remain only with Grandfather and Changqing."

At this, the Xue family youths who had just been resentful now bore fear in their eyes.

"Young Lady! How could Young Lady do this!"

"No, no… Young Lady!"

They all panicked together.

Xue Shuangtao shook her head in disappointment and said: "You know why you still remain, why the Xue family still stands as it does—only because Your Majesty remembers old ties, remembers Grandfather's aid. You are unsatisfied, yet still crave more?!"

"Xue Shuangtao has spoken too harshly today; I beg your forgiveness."

She lifted her gaze, stepped forward half a pace, and said coldly:

"Do you, even deserve it?!"

This remark was extremely impolite; no one dared speak at this moment.

The Changfeng Lady said: "My younger brother must conceal his identity on the battlefield, lying awake with spear in hand, risking life and death, before earning military merit. You, for the state, have contributed not an inch of land; for the realm, have offered not a single blade of war. Yet you wear brocade and silk, live in comfort and plenty—this alone is heaven's fortune. How dare you use the Xue family's prestige to seek immediate high office and noble status?"

"It's pure fantasy!"

Xue Shuangtao sheathed her sword.

The Changfeng Lady's cold gaze swept over the Xue family's direct descendants. She knew well that, through all dynasties, the imperial consorts' clans were lavishly rewarded—but she also knew that if this happened, the past decade's wandering and campaigns would return to the old path.

Her slender fingers tapped the sword.

The longsword was cold as snow.

Xue Shuangtao said: "The rise of Great Qin follows two paths—civil and military—with strict rewards and punishments. But there is no path that relies on the Xue family's name. Whether direct or collateral, none of my Xue family kin shall receive any title or grant from Great Qin because of me."

"If you truly believe you deserve these rewards because of me."

Xue Shuangtao's expression paused slightly; the past decade's memories flashed before her.

She said: "Then all the sacrifices of these past years have been wasted."

"Master Nan Hanwen."

Nan Hanwen had just been admiring the woman's bearing; hearing this, he stepped forward, bowed, and said: "Your servant is here."

Xue Shuangtao flicked her wrist.

The woman's sword technique of the Fourth Heaven had indeed captured three essences of Chen Qingyan's art.

It sliced directly past Xue Yuheng's temple.

Xue Yuheng's hair fell; a chilling implication made his pupils contract violently. The next instant, Xue Shuangtao's longsword returned to its scabbard, where it hummed softly.

Xue Shuangtao turned to Nan Hanwen and handed him the sword, saying:

"This sword is the one I wielded as head of the Changfeng Tower. Now that the four seas are settled, this blade still holds special authority: it may be presented to Your Majesty. If any Xue family member dares to deceive the sovereign or violate law and order, this sword may slay him!"

"Execution without pardon!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chilling aura spread.

It instantly extinguished the Xue family direct descendants' desire to seize rewards under the new rise of Great Qin and the unification of the four seas.

This desire had merely lingered in their hearts, never strong—now it was utterly severed, not a single sprout dared emerge again.

Xue Shuangtao turned to Xue Daoyong and bowed deeply: "Grandfather."

She said no more.

Xue Daoyong sighed, sounding both weary and approving: "Good."

He kept Master Nan Hanwen behind, then said to the others: "Why are you still standing? Don't you understand? Are you waiting for this sword to cut you down?!"

"Leave at once!"

After this incident, Xue Shuangtao wandered alone, lost in thought; Xue Daoyong took Master Nan Hanwen to the Tingfeng Pavilion, where his shadow guards—those who had followed him from the martial world to this day—brought two cups of tea.

Nan Hanwen gazed outside, where ripples danced on the water and the long wind swirled; he looked at the tea cups on the table and smiled faintly: "Quietly listening to the wind rise, the long wind forever accompanies—what a fine Tingfeng Pavilion."

"When Your Majesty was young, when he lay hidden in the depths of sea and abyss, was it here that he received help from Xue Lao, and thus embarked upon his path to conquer the realm?"

Xue Daoyong replied: "With Your Majesty's spirit and will, I was merely in the right place at the right time. Had he entered the martial world, or followed General Yue Qianfeng, he would still have found wonders and achieved greatness."

"The Xue family merely offered a bit of charcoal."

"Master Nan, please drink your tea!"

Nan Hanwen slowly sipped his tea, still pondering the impact of what had just occurred, and sighed: "Xue Lao, during Your Majesty's youth, you gave him constant care and aid, repeatedly rescuing him in peril—you rendered great service to the state. Yet why today, perform such a play?"

"Was Xue Yuheng your arrangement?"

"Even without this performance, the Xue family's wealth and glory would not have diminished."

Xue Daoyong sat cross-legged in the Tingfeng Pavilion, sipping tea slowly, smiling: "Though I performed the play, the faint hope in the hearts of these Xue family heirs was real. Master Nan, do you know what a 'Physician' is?"

Nan Hanwen, well-read in the classics, answered:

"The Physician's art has three levels: First, the Physician treats illness before it takes form, so his name never leaves the home. Second, he treats illness at the level of hair-fine symptoms, so his name never leaves the neighborhood. Only the third treats blood vessels, administers poison, cuts flesh, and his name becomes known among the feudal lords."

"Master's meaning is…"

Xue Daoyong said: "The master of battle achieves no famed victories."

"Deal with the situation before it spirals out of control, to prevent catastrophic consequences—nipping evil in the bud is the correct path. Use one person to lure out the hidden desires buried in the Xue family's heir, then let Shuangtao sever them utterly, leaving no room for retreat."

"Only then can my Xue family survive."

"Only then can Shuangtao truly become the Empress beside Your Majesty."

"Only then will Guanyi not have to face the Xue family's problems ten or twenty years from now."

Nan Hanwen said: "Old Master, your methods are masterful."

Xue Daoyong said gently: "Shuangtao and Guanyi are both loyal, sentimental children. This old man like me, in terms of Wu Gong, can't even withstand one of Guanyi's strikes—but I still hope to help them a little."

"While I'm alive, yes, as you say—but what after I'm gone, ten years from now?"

"I don't want them to end up facing off against the Xue family heirs after I'm gone, becoming a laughingstock for posterity, or having these two good children grow distant from each other."

"They've weathered storms together for so many years—wouldn't it be a terrible waste if, because of some vile individuals, the Empress and Emperor grew estranged?"

Nan Hanwen said: "But this move will inevitably tarnish your reputation, Old Master."

Xue Daoyong laughed loudly, raised his teacup, and pointed at Nan Hanwen with a sly grin:

"Isn't there Master Nan Hanwen here?"

Nan Hanwen suddenly understood why the old man had arranged this day's affair, and said:

"Old Master means to have me vouch for you?"

Xue Daoyong replied calmly: "No—I hope that before you die, Master Nan Hanwen will write down today's events in your book and make them public, so all may know the heart of my Xue family, the heart of Xue Daoyong."

Nan Hanwen grasped the full intent behind Xue Daoyong's actions.

To protect his descendants, to resolve the troubles of Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao, to preserve Xue Shuangtao's reputation as a virtuous Empress, and to use Nan Hanwen—the observer—as a vessel to secure his own legacy.

Calculated with precision, carried out with such calm.

Nan Hanwen raised his cup, sighing with admiration:

"In turbulent times, true heroes are indeed like this."

Is this the ferocity of a tiger in chaotic times?

Yet even such a tiger of chaos, in the later years of the previous turbulent age, could not fully unsheathe its fangs—not because he had grown weak, but because the heroes of that era truly rose like wind and clouds.

But Tai Ping Gong, Wu Wang, Chen Dingye, Lu Youxian, the Divine General, the Sword Madman, the Last Red Emperor, Emperor Wanxiang—all those titans who stirred the storms of that chaotic age have now passed away.

This white-haired old man before me is surely the last hero of that age.

The story of Your Majesty and these heroes.

Does it begin with Xue Daoyong—and end with him?

But Xue Daoyong only laughed loudly: "Hero of chaotic times? I'm unworthy of that title. I'm merely a gambler. As for the world, this old man has nothing profound to say. Master Nan Hanwen—do you know what a gambler truly values?"

Nan Hanwen bowed respectfully: "I beg to hear your wisdom."

Xue Daoyong said: "Most believe that winning every gamble is the pinnacle of a gambler—but I say that's shallow, thin. The true gambler is not about winning, but about retreating."

"Winning is ordinary."

"The true feat is to walk away calmly after having gambled for the undisputed mastery of the world."

"To retreat swiftly from the torrent—that is true skill."

Nan Hanwen said: "Is today your retreat?"

Xue Daoyong laughed: "If someday someone says I gambled for ten thousand years of peace, good—I placed a heavy bet. For over a decade, I saw peace descend, my children's hearts entwined, the people living in peace and contentment. Xue Daoyong—a mere merchant, a gambler of chaotic times."

"What more could I possibly desire?!"

"It has been utterly exhilarating!"

"It is enough to console a lifetime."

Outside, the wind rose, stirring the curtains of Tingfeng Pavilion, rippling the water. The old man rose, teacup in hand, and as he stepped forward, emptiness behind him rippled. The Bai Hu paced slowly. Xue Daoyong's chest expanded, his spirit grand and bold.

He saw the misty rain of Jiangnan, heard the camel bells of the great desert.

Seeing the world, he felt his heart light and free, and cried aloud:

"The universe vast and boundless—where are the heroes? All are gamblers."

"A single bet of a thousand gold—boldness remains; laughing at victory, defeat, birth, and death."

"Sword qi like a rainbow, grudges and kindness swiftly resolved, wine and meat burning through the gut."

"The Jianghu road stretches far, through countless storms and changes."

"Return, return—to the mountains and woods, where clouds deepen and mist curls, strolling idly as the wind comes."

"The storms of the world have scattered; now I turn the pages of poetry and books."

"My great ambition fulfilled, my heroic heart still burns—why fear the passing of years?"

He turned, and behind him a wild wind surged, the Bai Hu roared, shaking Tingfeng Pavilion, its echoes reverberating in all directions. The old man laughed loudly:

"When the annals of a thousand autumns are written, my name shall resound across the four seas as peerless!"

Xue Daoyong placed his stone, concluded the game.

He withdrew intact.

He ended in glory.