Latest website address:

Never in history has any organization blossomed everywhere like today’s San Dian Xiang Lou.

Dou Zhao called them the “Flying Immortals Net,” and there is indeed a reason for it.

Especially for those who boldly left Chu and actively severed the so-called “roots” of the people of the world.

Jiang Wang had visited the San Dian Xiang Lou in Maple Forest City in Zhuang Country, in Tianfu City and Linzi in Qi Country, and in Ying City in Chu Country, among many other San Dian Xiang Lou branches.

Of course, no place was like the old days.

After leaving Zhuang Country, he was not greedy for pleasure, dedicating himself to cultivation.

Perhaps the reason he could be dragged there by his questionable friends was a subconscious familiarity, a familiarity with the traces of his past life in Maple Forest City, which made him less resistant.

Or perhaps, in the darkness, there was indeed some kind of fate at play?

Jiang Wang never thought about it.

He didn’t think about such problems.

Just as he also never thought he would one day hear this name from Ye Lan’er’s mouth.

“What do you mean?” He looked at Ye Lan’er and asked.

Miao Yu’s relationship with San Dian Xiang Lou wasn’t just hiding in a branch in Zhuang Country for a period?

At that time, Miao Yu was a demoness of the Bai Gu Dao, the “Dao Fruit” prepared by the Bai Gu Tianzun as a descent body.

Later, Yu Zhen was a nun from the Xi Yue Nunnery, hidden deep in a bamboo grove, with green lamps and ancient scrolls.

San Dian Xiang Lou was just a cover, just a woman named “Bai Lian” in Maple Forest City, an outer layer.

Why did Ye Lan’er mention it?

Why, after the San Dian Xiang Lou suffered heavy casualties, did she suddenly bring up Miao Yu’s name?

Ye Lan’er used her flawless beautiful eyes to look back into Jiang Wang’s eyes: “You’re nervous.”

“Do you know why I’ve always kept my distance from you?” Jiang Wang asked.

Ye Lan’er thought for a moment: “It seems so, ever since that time in Chu Country, it’s been like that. You’ve always kept your distance from me. So why is that?”

A perfect arc appeared at the corner of her mouth, revealing a truly charming smile: “Because I’m not beautiful enough, only ranking in the top five of those you’ve seen in your life? After so many years, I still hold a grudge, exactly who was it that you saw first?”

“Because your expression is truly very fake,” Jiang Wang said coldly, “Moreover, you have no sense of distance and like to make untimely jokes.”

Every expression on Ye Lan’er’s face had been carefully designed, almost becoming an instinct.

Including her current injury, weakness, and pitiful state.

But in her eyes, there was a hint of a smile: “I understand, distance creates beauty. I walked too close to you.”

“Don’t beat around the bush with me.” Jiang Wang took a light breath, using this action to smooth his emotions, “What exactly did you mean by that question just now?”

In that instant, he thought of many things.

For example, during their initial contact, Ye Lan’er was overly curious.

For example, why did Ye Lan’er at that time help him deal with Zhang Linchuan’s life-bound clone, Yang Chongzu?

Although he later repaid her by guaranteeing that San Dian Xiang Lou in Linzi would not be suppressed by official forces. But if San Dian Xiang Lou wanted to develop in Qi Country, as long as they were willing to spend, they had many choices, and it didn’t have to be him. Even Liu Xiuzhang, Jiang Wuyou’s line, they were clearly connected as well.

He and Ye Lan’er fundamentally didn’t have that kind of friendship. What reason did Ye Lan’er have to quietly help him, even faster than the actions of the Huai State Duke’s mansion?

Ye Lan’er opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly smiled, swallowing back those words that were hard to suppress: “I just suddenly wanted to ask you a question – if that ‘Miao Yu’ was still in San Dian Xiang Lou, would you still say that? Say it has nothing to do with you?”

Jiang Wang was expressionless: “A boring question.”

“You dare not answer?” Ye Lan’er pressed on.

Jiang Wang calmly looked at her: “San Dian Xiang Lou is not unarmed, nor is it without fault. Life in the world, everyone has to bear responsibility for their own choices. Do you sympathize with those people in Nan Dou Hall? No matter who was in San Dian Xiang Lou, your outcome has nothing to do with me. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

“If at that time, flying past you wasn’t Fa Luo, but Miao Yu. Would you have saved her?” Ye Lan’er asked.

Without waiting for Jiang Wang to open his mouth, she said again: “You can not answer, but please don’t deceive me. At least concede my contribution in Zhang Linchuan’s death.”

This time, Ye Lan’er’s face finally didn’t wear that standardized expression, she looked over, and it was a rare seriousness.

Jiang Wang was silent for a while, finally saying: “I don’t know.”

“Don’t know means you would,” Ye Lan’er said.

Jiang Wang didn’t speak.

Ye Lan’er said: “Not speaking means you default.”

“Good!” Ye Lan’er said again, “You’re willing to default, that’s enough. You are the promising Jiang Ge Lao, the world-famous first prodigy of the human race, what do those unsatisfactory lives have to do with you? It was presumptuous of me to speak up today and stop. But I still want to presumptuously say one more sentence. Jiang Ge Lao, although you have the lifespan of a True Person, those who treat you with a sincere heart are not so easy to encounter – farewell, no need to meet again!”

“Wait, explain yourself clearly.” Jiang Wang reached out to stop her, “What exactly is Miao Yu’s relationship with you?”

“No relationship at all. I just heard her story.” Ye Lan’er again showed that smile with the just-right arc, “I just, as a woman who has lost too much and is very petty, can’t bear to see your calm appearance—”

After saying this sentence, she scattered in the wind like a piece of autumn floss.

Finally, only Jiang Wang was left, his hand grasping at empty air, only the autumn wind in his hand.

He stood alone in the desolate autumn plain.

Here is a sunken river valley, the ruins of various countries in the river valley.

Here is a sunken human heart, the human heart is a vast wilderness.

The autumn wind blowing over the wilderness also lingered in the deep mountains.

On Yin Xiang Peak at the border of Yue Country, there had been no sound for many years.

The deep autumn courtyard was unswept, yellow leaves rose and fell everywhere.

The King of Yue Country, Wen Jingxiu, in plain clothes, walked among the fallen leaves, pushing open the door with heavy copper rust.

He had never been here before, but everything felt very familiar.

The monarch of Yue Country should not see a retired state minister. Gao Zheng’s political program should not be inherited. And he, Wen Jingxiu, never did things he shouldn’t.

By the side of a lying tiger, one dared not even turn over lightly. How to sleep in the long night? Every breath had to be carefully considered.

As a qualified king, ruling for thirty-seven years, he was diligent, cultivating civil governance internally, and externally… also cultivating civil governance. Proper diplomacy, and not getting too close in diplomacy.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t engage in military matters. Where was there a place for military matters?

He was a king who preferred not to act, trying not to make mistakes.

But not making mistakes, was that enough?

Gao Zheng had been retired for so many years, what mistake did he make again?

At the time of his ascendancy, he said he would retire and he retired.

He even abolished the successor to his political program, overturning his entire first half-life’s political program, paving the way for those who came after. As an official path cultivator, he returned great power to the official path, retired to an old peak, and re-cultivated to the True realm.

Bearing the hopes of the world, yet able to remain silent in the deep mountains. Having the talent for salvation, yet able to imprison himself in a cage.

With the support of Nan Dou Hall and Mu Gu Academy, with the observation of Shu Shan, he was still cautious in speech and action, not even speaking or acting. He was cautious enough, tolerant enough!

This superficial effort, to what extent was it still needed?

Yin Xiang Peak had been closed for many years, only opening once for a child named Ge Fei.

A famous minister of a generation in the deep mountains, wanting to take a disciple to pass on his mantle, this mood should be understood. This one thing, he still specially informed Chu Country.

But what about it?

On the Qiantang River, there was only the autumn wind!

Wen Jingxiu would forever remember Gao Zheng’s words, Nan Dou Hall’s support, Mu Gu Academy’s support, Shu Shan also selectively supported, but Nan Dou Hall, Mu Gu Academy, Shu Shan, none of them were Yue Country—

“Never take supporting branches as your own roots.”

Those forces actively against Chu Country just needed a country, standing there, slightly checking and balancing Chu Country.

That country didn’t necessarily have to be Yue Country.

It could be Song, it could be Wei, it could be those countries already destroyed by Chu Country.

So where exactly was Yue Country’s path?

Wen Jingxiu saw Ge Fei again.

This was the first time he saw Ge Fei after Wu Ling’s death. His country’s prodigy, his trusted talent, his “beloved minister.” At this time, he was still like a dog, chained under that tall gnarled tree.

Disheveled hair, face full of dirt, smiling foolishly.

Wen Jingxiu didn’t look at him a second time.

Leaning against the courtyard wall on the left side, there was a large broom.

Wen Jingxiu walked over, used his hand that commanded worldly power, his pampered hand, to grasp this broom, and seriously began to sweep.

Actually, Ge Fei was not Gao Zheng’s only student.

He, Wen Jingxiu, often learned the way in chess.

One game in a box, a hundred years of teacher-student affection.

This matter was not known to others. After so many years, it was also the first time he performed the disciple’s rite, sweeping the courtyard for his teacher.

Teacher Gao often said, for any one thing, don’t look at the surface, peel away those superficial flashes, and directly point to the essence of the thing. So one should often sweep.

Sweep the courtyard, sweep ignorance, sweep the dust in the human heart, the haze in the human eye.

Just like no matter how Teacher Gao hid his light and nurtured his obscurity, how cautious he was, as long as he was still in Yue Country, Chu Country would never relax its vigilance towards him. And if he wanted to leave Yue Country? Chu Country would not allow such a figure to leave, unless the final destination was Ying City.

This was the fundamental reason Gao Zheng was trapped in Yin Xiang Peak. No matter how wronged he was, he couldn’t seek “completeness.”

If there was no reason, they would create one; if there was no excuse, they would make one up. Gao Zheng was held captive on an isolated peak, not moving, not speaking, making it impossible for Chu Country to find an excuse, making it inconvenient for the official surface to act. Then they would change to other forces, other people, to find this excuse.

What kind of transaction the Chu Heavenly Emperor and Rakshasa Ming Yuejing reached, Wen Jingxiu didn’t know.

But for this day on the banks of the Qiantang River… no matter whether it was Gao Zheng or him, they had all had a premonition early on.

Only before the blade was at their neck, they didn’t know who held the knife.

The world hegemon, who dared to neglect?

They knew Chu Country’s power from the beginning.

Dare to stroke the tiger’s whiskers, how could they not have the determination to feed the tiger?

This academy where Gao Zheng closed his door to read books had no name, not even a plaque on the door.

Yin Xiang Peak originally didn’t have a name either, it was just a remote mountain, not even special in terms of feng shui.

Even in the previous year, the Yue Court, to clear up the rumor within its territory that “Gao Zheng secretly sits on Yin Xiang Peak and remotely controls the situation in Yue Country,” specially named this mountain peak “Cloud Come Peak,” erected a stele at the foot of the mountain, and recorded it in the county records. This extremely diluted Gao Zheng’s influence.

But in the end, it was still remembered as “Yin Xiang Peak.”

So you see, what is the human heart?

Gao Zheng was hidden in the deep mountains, yet sat in the hearts of the common people of Yue land.

He was the only person in the history of Yue Country who gained an advantage in front of Chu Country. In that year’s maneuvers, he cleverly shouldered the situation. People believed he would bring unprecedented hope to this country.

Although Wen Jingxiu had never done sweeping work before, after all, he was a contemporary True Person. Broom by broom, he still swept the not-so-large courtyard very clean.

In this process, the already crazy Ge Fei was unusually quiet, just tilting his head, drooling, and staring blankly at him. Perhaps this completely isolated thought body also felt familiar with this scene?

Wen Jingxiu put down the broom, walked around the tall gnarled tree, walked around this person, but thought about it, and walked back again. He used his sleeve to wipe off Ge Fei’s drool. After wiping twice like this, he simply scooped some water and helped him wash his face.

Then he supported this young man upright, used a spell to help him clean the dust, tidied his collar, and combed his hair, letting him sit properly under the tree.

So this strange ancient Yue Country prodigy then had some casual scholar’s posture, leaning against the tree to rest.

Wen Jingxiu had, of course, never helped people dress up before, but based on his daily serving experience, he did have a model to follow. Throughout the process, Ge Fei didn’t cooperate, but he also didn’t resist.

Walking past Ge Fei again, Wen Jingxiu’s mood, which was on the verge of an abyss, suddenly calmed down a bit.

The mountain rain was about to come. Even he, who had taught himself endurance for half his life, could face the thunder directly, but he couldn’t help but sigh at the leaking roof.

He pushed open the inconspicuous small door and came to the back mountain.

High cliffs, green moss, cloud mist, smooth white stone chessboard, these were all.

The old man who forever sat alone in the back mountain was no longer there.

But the chess pieces were still there, and the chess game was not yet finished.

On those nineteen vertical and horizontal paths, black and white chess pieces were interlocked, the big dragon entwined in one place, turning several times horizontally and vertically, extremely dangerous.

Wen Jingxiu silently walked forward, sat down in the position where Gao Zheng often sat in the past, and he began to think for a long time.

The stone chess stool opposite Gao Zheng’s was empty year-round, no one ever sat there. As far as Wen Jingxiu knew, only ‘Ge Fei,’ who had just returned from the mountain and sea realm and didn’t understand things, had sat up once.

Since Gao Zheng began teaching him, he was no longer impolite.

For how many years, who exactly did Gao Zheng play chess with, and who did he take as his opponent to place the pieces?

Time flies, perhaps everything will have an answer.

Sunset, sun sets, enters night, dawn, again sunset.

Wen Jingxiu quietly thought for a day and night, finally reaching out his hand for the first time. His fingers were very long, the joints clear, very orderly, a hand very suitable for playing chess.

This hand was empty inside, only containing wind and frost.

He did not take a piece from the chess basket, because he knew he did not have the ability to master this game of chess.

His gaze swam across the nineteen vertical and horizontal paths, his index finger also moved with it, finally stopping at the key point of the chess game, that blank spot, which at this moment condensed a piece from virtual to real.

This was such a key piece!

At first glance, it wasn’t obvious. But when it condensed into a specific piece and truly fell, you would discover that if it was black, the black dragon would swallow the sun; if it was white, the whole board would be filled with white.

This key piece repeatedly shifted between virtual and real, suddenly black, suddenly white, constantly changing.

The entire chess situation also repeatedly shifted because of this.

Victory and defeat in a single thought, life and death in an instant.

Sweat seeped from Wen Jingxiu’s forehead, as if he was truly facing a life and death situation, truly hanging by a thread. The world, this game of chess, was borne by this slender index finger of his.

But he opened his mouth and forced a smile.

“Teacher Gao, you said as long as you are alive, Chu Country will never relax its vigilance.”

“You said you also don’t want to die, you said you will try your best to live, but maybe you still can’t escape in the end.”

“You said you played one game of chess your whole life, but you always waited for an opportunity, unable to verify your calculation power.”

“Four years ago, you said you would die, and no one could save you.”

“Teacher Gao, you said everything came true—”

Wen Jingxiu’s index finger fell, pressing on that constantly changing key piece. Making its black and white, virtual and real, all invisible.

Another drop of water fell, smashing onto the back of his finger.

The appearance of the refined Great Yue Country Lord Wen Jingxiu slowly spoke, as if proclaiming a decree: “This game of chess, played until now, only just counts as beginning.”

Latest website address: