Seated beside his master, Chu Yao heard a gentle question fall from his lips.

In front of them, the arrogant young general, horse and all, collapsed to the ground.

A hundred paces distant, among the Qi army’s ranks, where a dense mass of cavalry stood, a ripple of chaos erupted. Horses bucked and scattered, their formation shattered. Many were driven mad with fear, galloping wildly in every direction. Yet, amidst this turmoil, not a single man or beast dared approach the carriage.

One word, a thousand armies were driven back!

Young Chu Yao’s mind echoed a phrase he’d once read: a truly great man should be thus!

All he desired was to forever sit beside his master, to follow in his master’s footsteps, and to witness his master’s grandeur!

As the dust settled, the steed with the demon beast bloodline remained kneeling, trembling with terror, rooted to the spot.

Huang Su, atop the horse, was disheveled, his hair a mess, his face gray with grime.

Though a thousand troops stood a hundred paces away, though over ten thousand Liang soldiers were garrisoned throughout Xiu Ning Fu, though his grandfather, Huang De Yi, was also present – none of this brought him a sense of safety.

It was as if he only now grasped the terrifying truth: if Jiang Wang, leading his army, had invoked the name of the carriage to strike him down, perhaps no one in Liang would have dared speak on his behalf!

Strength, status, reputation – the chasm was absolute, and it was laid bare in this very moment.

For an instant, he felt utterly powerless.

But after only a brief daze, he dismounted, not bothering to tidy his appearance. With his hair still askew, he bowed deeply: “Huang Su has been disrespectful.”

Then, from the war hook, he retrieved his bright silver spear, straightened his back, and looked at Jiang Wang once more. His eyes, however, shone with a fierce light: “Even if Wu An Hou were to kill me today, it would be justified. But there is a question I must ask, a doubt in my heart that I beg Hou Ye to answer!”

He held his bow casually, its power subtly concealed.

His hand grasped the spear, its edge gleaming sharp and bright.

He did not hide his fear, but it was precisely within this fear that his courage manifested.

Liang had no true illustrious clans; those so-called noble houses had perished with the former Liang dynasty.

If he, Huang Su, could rise, and support his clan, the Huangs would have the foundation of a noble house. And of this, he had never harbored doubt.

Jiang Wang gently brushed a corner of his robe and spoke in a light voice: “What do you wish to ask?”

Huang Su took another step forward, a surge of vibrant spirit energy rising within him: “I wish to ask Hou Ye this: During the great war between Qi and Xia last year, my Liang country stationed troops on the border, holding back the vast army of Jin An Fu. Even you, who led your army in triumph across the eastern battlefield, could not have escaped this situation. After the war, Qi fully occupied the lands of Xia. My Liang country accepting Xiu Ning Fu was a matter of tacit understanding. Why today do Qi’s roaming cavalry enter our borders, patrolling at will, so openly breaking their promise, heedless of the world’s judgment?”

Jiang Wang merely asked: “Is this your doubt, or Huang De Yi’s doubt, or dare I say, the doubt of your entire Liang court?”

Huang Su, spear in hand, his face proud, replied: “In Hou Ye’s eyes, what difference does it make?”

“If this were Huang De Yi’s doubt, he should have come to ask me himself; you are not yet qualified. If this is the doubt of your entire Liang court,” Jiang Wang shook his head and smiled, “this Hou can only say, matters of war and state are not child’s play. That such a childish court could linger on to this day truly speaks to the incompetence of the former Xia!”

Huang Su felt a profound humiliation, yet he persisted: “Suppose this is merely my own doubt? Could it be that with the heavens above, and justice before us, it is not permissible to ask?”

Jiang Wang furrowed his brow: “What talk of Qi occupying Xia’s lands, and Jin An returning to Liang? With whom did you confirm this? With whom did you reach this tacit understanding? Between Qi and Liang, what alliance exists? Did the Emperor of my Great Qi personally promise anything to your Liang monarch?”

“I had not known Wu An Hou was skilled in debate!” Huang Su said angrily: “This matter is clear to all with eyes to see; justice resides in the hearts of the people. How can clever words refute it?”

“It is not that this Hou desires to speak, but rather is compelled to do so.” Jiang Wang gave a cold laugh: “This Hou would rather cross swords with you. Can you withstand a single strike from this Hou?”

Huang Su choked for a moment, then fury blazed in his heart: “Though Su is not talented, if Wu An Hou grants a sword, I am willing to use this head of Six Yang to sharpen that blade for the world!”

Jiang Wang simply waved a hand.

Huang Su’s passionate declaration, in the face of such nonchalant ease, appeared utterly childish.

Jiang Wang said calmly: “You lead your army to block the road, seeking justice from this Hou. You speak as if this is a matter for the Governor’s Mansion of South Xia, but this Hou is a wandering cloud, a wild crane, and rarely meddles in court affairs. You should petition your court to deliver a state letter to Governor Su. Do you think Governor Su will pay any heed to you? Very well, you wish to speak with this Hou. I shall speak with you for two sentences. You constantly speak of Jin An returning to Liang, but I ask, on what basis? Does it rely solely on your word, ‘tacit understanding’?! This Hou shall retreat one step further. Forget the absence of alliances and treaties. Even if they existed, have you not read history? Can a single alliance between nations serve as a law for a myriad of ages? This Hou asks you again. When the Liang Emperor Wen died that year, a member of his clan, Kang Shaoyi by name, presented a surrender document, sealed a contract, and voluntarily became a vassal minister to the former Xia, his loyalty unwavering. This is recorded in the history books! You must still remember? Later, when my Great Qi shattered Xia, your Liang monarch immediately raised the banner of restoration. What is this matter? How does a monarch teach me? It is nothing more than this time being like that time!”

Huang Su said with a voice full of hatred: “I am discussing this matter with you. Why bring up Emperor Wen and Governor Su! There is no need to speak of others. Today, Qi soldiers enter my Xiu Ning Fu and roam freely. Is this not the behavior of bandits?”

Jiang Wang said: “The one who slew King Wu, Si Jiao, and received the surrender of King Min, Yu Liyang, is Great Qi. The one who annihilated the two great armies of Shen Wu and Zhen Guo is Great Qi. The one who fought all the way from Sword Peak Mountain to Guiyi City, who broke through the Xia border, is Great Qi. Now you wish to say that Jin An County was conquered by you?”

Huang Su said: “The Xia army in Xiu Ning Fu surrendered to my Liang country, of course it is my Liang land! Even if Hou Ye’s tongue is as sharp as a reed, can it change this fact?”

Jiang Wang grew slightly impatient: “Do you wish this Hou to speak more clearly? Why were you able to restore your nation? It is because thirty-four years ago, my Great Qi won dominion. Why were you able to steal Jin An County? Because this spring, my Great Qi extinguished the Xia country. Everything your Liang country has gained, not once, has been by your own strength. Can the act of scavenging and thievery forge an eternal dynasty? You should pore over your history books; you won’t find a single empire that was begged into existence!”

Huang Su felt a surge of shameful blood rush to his heart, yet he was utterly without words to refute!

Shame and vexation intertwined. He cursed his own uselessness, cursed his small family and country, and wished he could simply die on the spot, no longer suffering this immense humiliation. His eyes turned red, and he gripped his spear, ready to charge forward.

Suddenly, a sword cry, sharp to the extreme, rang out, bringing a jolt of alarm and a measure of sobriety.

“Who is this? Ah, it’s my defeated subordinate, Huang Su!”

Xiang Da Ye lifted the carriage curtain and climbed out. His right hand formed a sword finger, and between his messy bangs, those dead fish eyes peered out, looking at Huang Su: “How dare you challenge the Long Xiang Si! If you truly wish to make a fool of yourself today, why not let me keep you company for a few moves?”

Another figure flashed, the handsome and elegant Bai Yu Xia appearing before the white ox. He bowed to Jiang Wang: “Relying on Hou Ye’s great favor, Bai Yu Xia has nothing with which to repay it. Should a petty individual dare offend your esteemed face, it is better to let Bai Yu Xia act on your behalf, and avoid having Hou Ye lose your esteemed bearing.”

One was the successor of the peak of Flying Sword Three Absolute, the other a descendant of the renowned Bai clan of Yue country.

Both were talents who could be counted among the young generation.

Blocking the ox carriage, they stood like two precipitous mountains.

Huang Su gripped his spear tightly, having calmed down. For a moment, he remained silent.

He had already been defeated by Xiang Qian once; he truly had nothing good to say.

Divine Arrival, Divine Arrival, the barrier between heaven and man, how many heroes were blocked before it!

He had focused on breaking through to this realm after the Outer Building, advancing step by step in the Inner Mansion realm, daring not to neglect a single step. Now, when he suddenly looked up, the person on the mountain peak was no longer in sight.

But did he want to despair just like this? Did he want to give up just like this?

There was still a road after Divine Arrival; the path beyond the ordinary had no end.

Xiu Ning Fu could be gained and then lost; the Liang country could be extinguished and then restored.

He, Huang Su, was also at the forefront among so many young people in Liang, he was also a heaven’s favorite of his country, and he had fought his way into the main tournament at the Heaven’s Proud Gathering of various countries!

Could the future truly be defined now?

“I shall remember Wu An Hou’s words today. I shall keep them in my heart.” Huang Su retracted his spear, also restraining his emotions, and said in a slow voice: “But I hope to meet again another day!”

Seeing that a fight would not ensue, Bai Yu Xia also quietly climbed back into the ox carriage.

Xiang Qian merely glanced at him: “Are you not going to say, ‘Don’t bully a young man in poverty’?”

He retracted the sword light at his fingertips, smoothed his messy hair, and said without emotion: “Wu An Hou is still a year younger than you.”

In Huang Su’s increasingly embarrassed gaze, Jiang Wang said slowly and methodically: “If this Hou were to kill you now, he should be able to cross hands with old General Huang De Yi, and it would not be in vain that your Liang people have blocked the road several times…”

Huang Su suddenly felt a cold sweat break out, and his mind became alert. Jiang Wang simply continued: “But I think there is no need.”

“Go.” He finally just waved a hand.

The Qi country had no intention of swallowing Liang, at least not now. All they desired was the strategically important Jin An County, so there was no need to do anything against Huang De Yi.

As for Huang Su.

Whether you remember well, or do not remember well. Whether you resent it, or say, ‘Don’t bully a young man in poverty’. None of it matters.

Today, he still wore the unrestrained immortal robes he received when he was conferred with his title by Qing Yang Zi. Aside from an ordinary piece of white jade, he wore no extra adornments.

The ox carriage he rode was not luxurious, though the white ox pulling it possessed a certain spirituality.

And his every word and action, every glance and furrowed brow, already held a soul-captivating majesty. It had little to do with what he wore, where he sat, or who was by his side.

This was the respect of a hegemonic nation, the nobility of a king and a marquis!

Huang Su left without a word. He had arrived in fresh clothes and on an angry horse, his thousand riders like rolling thunder. He left disheveled and grimy, his spirit low, his banner askew, as if he had suffered a crushing defeat somewhere.

Xiang Qian shook his head, casually tossed Chu Yao into the carriage compartment, and sat down with Jiang Wang.

Chu Yao, thin as a monkey, glanced at his master. Seeing no reaction, he dared not speak his anger and simply leaned back inside.

The Liang army scattered, and the Qi army’s roaming cavalry also spread out again, following and protecting the carriage.

The two old friends sat together at the front of the carriage, not speaking too much to each other.

Xiang Qian quietly looked up at the sky.

Jiang Wang turned his head and waved to the deputy commander who had first drawn his saber towards Huang Su. When he approached and saluted, Jiang Wang asked: “What is your name?”

The young deputy commander, who had dared to face a thousand troops with his head held high, felt nervous in front of the gentle Wu An Hou. He steadied himself and replied: “This humble one is Yu Xintian, from Yugu County, Yugu Prefecture. I have been in the army for six years and returned to Qi this spring. I am now a deputy commander in the Shao Kang Army, ordered to Jin An County to hunt down the remnants of the Ping Deng country.”

After the Qi people occupied Xia’s lands, to pacify the Xia people, they avoided drastic reforms. In both the army and government, everything was done step by step. This deputy commander, in the former Xia army system, held a military position commanding three hundred people.

“No need to be nervous. Yugu Prefecture or Yugu County, it makes no difference. The Governor’s Mansion is just beginning reforms; I myself often make mistakes.” Jiang Wang smiled lightly: “The name Xintian is quite stylish.”

Yu Xintian said with some embarrassment: “Because I was born a boy, my grandfather said I could open up new fields for the family in the future, so he called me Xintian.”

“Are you interested in joining my Old Mountain Iron Cavalry?”

“Ah, of course, of course! I dream of serving you!”

“First, serve as a vice commander, leading five hundred men. How does that sound?”

Yu Xintian half-knelt on the ground: “I am willing to serve Hou Ye!”

The Old Mountain Iron Cavalry now totaled only two thousand men, and he would command a quarter of them. To put it grandly, he would become a trusted choice of Wu An Hou in the lands of Xia. How could this not make him overjoyed?

“I’ll give you your first task.” Jiang Wang’s tone was casual and intimate: “Record the names of all the brothers who came with you. When you return to the Hou Mansion branch, each person will be rewarded with ten taels of silver as a commendation for their courage. Furthermore, when the Old Mountain Iron Cavalry recruits again in the future, under the same conditions, they will have priority in selection.”

Since Jiang Wang had achieved the extraordinary outside the True View, secular gold and silver no longer held importance for him. The currency of the extraordinary world was simple and direct, based on Dao Yuan Stones, supplemented by Open Pulse Pills and the like. There were also currencies that circulated in special regions, such as Lost Crystals and Birth Soul Stones. These were almost two separate systems from secular gold and silver, with very little overlap.

However, because the extraordinary world was built upon the foundation of the ordinary world, it was impossible to be completely detached.

For the vast majority of common people, gold, silver, and copper would always be the most important currency. Moreover, for some special Dao laws, only copper money possessed the greatest human spirit.

Roughly speaking, approximately ninety to one hundred and ten taels of pure gold could buy one Dao Yuan Stone. Of course, this was only possible if one had access to extraordinary channels. This was the only intersection of the two currency systems.

Jiang Wang had long since ceased to worry about gold and silver, and of course, he could casually give away more silver. But rewards and punishments needed to be meted out appropriately; too much would not be effective.

Xia country’s use of Jing country’s ring money was gradually being replaced by Qi country’s knife money. This itself was also a process of condensing national power.

Benefiting from the material prosperity of the extraordinary world, although they had experienced a major war, commodity prices in the lands of Xia quickly stabilized. Currently, two pieces of Qi knife money could buy one white flour steamed bun. The daily living expenses of an ordinary household did not exceed one hundred pieces of Qi knife money.

Ten taels of silver was equal to ten thousand pieces of money. For an ordinary soldier, this was not a huge fortune, but it was absolutely a pleasant surprise.

“This humble one accepts the order!”

Yu Xintian rode his horse back spiritedly, and soon there were bursts of cheers. Sometimes happiness was a very simple thing. But this simple matter was unobtainable for many. Listening to the sincere laughter of the soldiers, it was clearly very close, yet seemed very far away.

Xiang Qian half-leaned against the carriage compartment, staring blankly at the sky: “Time passes truly fast.”

Jiang Wang turned his head and, looking beyond that sigh, actually saw the winding traces of tears.

Xiang Qian was weeping, yet his voice remained that same calm, powerless tone. He only asked: “Jiang Qingyang, do you want to see my sword?”

March, early spring.

Rain, blood-colored, bearing sorrow, fell upon the mortal world.

The earth was hazy. A ruined city lay silent in the dim red blood rain, devoid of life.

Within the city, shattered walls and crumbling ruins, everything withered. Everywhere one could see collapsed houses and sheds, as well as green-black corpses, broken flesh, like withered autumn leaves, silently decaying.

The once bustling streets were now desolate.

The sandy roads where people once came and went were now silent.

Only broken flesh, dust, and paper mixed with blood-mud remained, indistinguishable from each other, a shocking sight.

Not far away, a damaged horse carriage, deeply sunk in the mud, was filled with sorrow. Only an abandoned rabbit toy on the carriage shaft hung above, swaying in the wind.

Its white fur was soaked wet and red, full of a gloomy strangeness.

Its muddy double pupils seemed to hold some lingering resentment, staring alone at a mottled stone block in front.

There, a figure lay.

This was a youth of thirteen or fourteen years, his clothes torn, covered in dirt, a damaged leather bag tied to his waist.

The youth’s eyes were narrowed, unmoving. Bone-piercing cold permeated his broken clothing from all sides, attacking his entire body, gradually stealing his warmth.

Even when rain fell on his face, his eyes did not blink. Hawk-like, he stared coldly at a distant spot.

Following his gaze, some seven or eight zhang away, a skinny bald eagle was gnawing at the rotten corpse of a wild dog, from time to time observing its surroundings with alertness.

It was as if, in the midst of these dangerous ruins, the slightest rustle of wind or grass would send it soaring instantly.