On the way back to Jing Country, Zhongshan Yanwen slightly slowed his pace.

Zhongshan We-sun had powerfully demonstrated his failure to reach the Cave True realm this time. Although Zhongshan Yanwen had protected him in time, he still needed a long period of recovery. Physical injuries were secondary; whether his heart knot could be resolved was the crucial point.

He had done everything he could.

Ultimately, the Cave True realm could only be sought by oneself.

If the Cave True realm could be achieved by him, then the Ba Country royal family would surely flourish forever.

It was just unknown how much the young people of the Zhongshan family could learn from this life lesson.

Zhongshan We-sun clutched the jade bottle containing his friend’s ashes, his lips tightly pursed, as if he would remain silent forever.

Autumn grass grew in the South Country, and the north wind howled fiercely in the North Country.

When the strong wind of Jing Country hit his eyebrows, Zhongshan Yanwen, having retracted his magical armor, wore an expressionless face. Proud throughout his life, he was unwilling to show his disappointment.

Zhongshan We-sun, who had been silent the entire way, spoke up at this moment: “Was there a problem with the battle at Nandou Hall? Isn’t the Duke of An Country covering something up?”

The stiffness on Zhongshan Yanwen’s face finally eased a bit: “How can you tell?”

“He was willing to let you witness the battle, but unwilling to let you truly witness it,” Zhongshan We-sun said.

“Yan Dao tries not to act in front of others, to avoid fundamental Dao principles being spied upon. This is a common matter,” Zhongshan Yanwen released his hands, letting him fly on his own, his tone calm: “The Evil Face Army is one of Chu Country’s six elite forces. It is also human nature to be unwilling to expose Chu Country’s most advanced combat methods and military formations.”

“That’s true. But Chu Country exterminating Nandou was prepared to be the center of the world’s attention. Even their tactic of surrounding but not annihilating was just a continuous declaration that they wanted to focus the world’s gaze and display their military might.” Zhongshan We-sun’s state was very poor, but his thinking was very serious: “I always feel their purpose is not just that.”

“Continue.”

“The Central Empire wants to peek at everything, manage a bit, hoping as before to hold everything in its palm, although they can no longer do so. At this stage, we can only focus on ourselves. Whatever ideas Chu Country has, and how Nandou Hall struggles, are all irrelevant to us. So you decided to leave.”

“Was it I who decided to leave?”

“It was me.” Zhongshan We-sun raised the jade bottle in his hand: “I accepted the fact.”

“What fact?”

“I accepted that Long Boji is dead; accepted that my bitter efforts were in vain; accepted my incompetence, to the point of being a mere laughingstock; accepted my rashness, to the point where grandfather suffered because of my dragging him down; accepted——”

“Your articles have always been written very well, but I don’t want to hear this,” Zhongshan Yanwen interrupted: “Go back and write a policy essay, with Chu Country exterminating Nandou Hall as the topic.”

Zhongshan We-sun slightly lowered his head: “Alright.”

The year he was born, his father had just died, and his mother did not survive the spring of the second year. He was raised by his grandfather since he was young. Whether practicing soldiers or performing martial arts, his grandfather took him along in everything he did. They had always gotten along like this since he was little. Zhongshan Yanwen would set questions anytime, anywhere, and Zhongshan We-sun would answer questions anytime, anywhere. If he answered correctly, he would get everything; if he answered wrong, he would be met with fists and feet.

Grandfather and grandson traveled without speaking from then on, returning directly to Yingyang Prefecture, as if nothing had happened. As if this was just an ordinary holiday, and they had just gone out for an autumn tour.

But before flying into Yingyang Prefecture, Zhongshan We-sun finally said: “Grandfather, I was wrong.”

“Do you regret going to save Long Boji?” Zhongshan Yanwen asked.

“I regret not thinking clearly about myself. I regret doing very poorly,” Zhongshan We-sun said: “People should not regret their own choices. I regret that I didn’t understand what I was choosing.”

Zhongshan Yanwen said: “I hope you truly understand. And not deceive yourself. I am not afraid of you deceiving me, We-sun. Ultimately, it is you who must face your life.”

Zhongshan We-sun said: “——Grandfather. Perhaps I am also your wrong choice.”

Zhongshan Yanwen looked at him deeply: “I, Zhongshan Yanwen, can bear my own mistakes. Can you?”

“I don’t know if I can do it.” Zhongshan We-sun grasped the jade bottle, propping open his tired eyes: “But I don’t want to have such moments of regret again. I also don’t want to disappoint you again, grandfather.”

Zhongshan Yanwen looked at him: “I have always taught you how to correctly face the world, but life is not just about being correct. You made truly stupid decisions. But you are my grandson, Zhongshan Yanwen’s grandson.”

Grandfather and grandson, one in front and one behind, flew into Yingyang Prefecture.

That black flag standing on the high platform of the prefectural seat, hanging on the pole head, instantly fluttered in the air as soon as the north wind came.

Vast and boundless black, an unreachable end.

The shape of the Nandou secret realm was like the universe, empty, vast, and boundless—of course, not truly infinite, but its end was not something ordinary people could explore.

The six huge stars, guarded by six True Ones, were the main body of this place.

From ancient times to the present, countless mortals multiplied and lived on these stars, ending their lives, regarding this as the “present world,” unaware that they were living inside a secret realm.

Only the especially outstanding among them, guided by immortals, could possibly return to the Nandou Hall, transcend the mundane, see the world outside the secret realm, and understand what the “present world” was.

Nandou Hall did not truly have contact with mortals, but Nandou disciples occasionally walked among them, entering and leaving the world.

Such various “divine traces” then created the legends of Nandou immortal gods in this place.

The people on these stars did not know that stars also had lifespans, and the high and mighty Nandou immortal gods would one day fall.

Nandou Hall multiplied so many common people in the secret realm, enjoyed their human spirit, and received their offerings, of course, they were not so foolish as to not give them opportunities for ascension.

But among the current true transmission disciples of Nandou Hall, very few truly came from these stars.

This was because, compared to the common people located in the center of the various heavens and ten thousand realms of the present world, the common people of the stars had innate deficiencies.

Just like the common people on the floating lands within the various heavens and ten thousand realms, just like the human race’s seeds scattered throughout the various heavens in the ancient “Valley Rain Plan.” After a long time, even if they were from the same root and origin, they were no longer the same branch and leaf.

Common people living in the imperial capital and those living in border prefectures had differences from birth.

The innate gap between different worlds was even greater, and more fundamental.

The most intuitive example was gods.

Both held the rank of gods, above Yang God. Nether Gods only possessed transcendent power in the nether world, while present world gods could constantly exist in various realms, eternal and inextinguishable. The nether world was still a large world, not comparable to ordinary small worlds.

The power levels of many small worlds were very low.

A place like the Nandou secret realm, if not attached to the present world, rooted in history, wouldn’t even have the qualifications to be compared.

“Nandou Hall has a history as long as sixty thousand years, an ancient Dao tradition inherited from the era of various saints. It is from the same period as Mugu Book Academy, and longer-lasting than the Blood River Sect.”

“In this long sixty thousand years, never have the common people of any stars become True Ones. On the path of the extraordinary, we treat everyone equally. But no matter how they cultivate, or how many resources are given, they can at most achieve ‘divine and understand it’ within the Nandou secret realm, make a contract with Nandou, and become a Nandou star god. This is almost an unbreakable limit, and even just these Nandou star gods who cannot make contracts with the present world are extremely rare. It takes many years to produce one.”

“The only exception is named Lu Shuanghe.”

“He is still creating history.”

In the Siming Hall, a voice spoke in this manner.

The speaker stood in the middle of the hall entrance with his hands behind his back, looking up at the outside. He was blended with the sky light, and the sky light cast a separate shadow, so he never turned back.

The person’s shadow on the ground bricks was stretched very lonely, and at the end of the shadow was a rather old meditation mat.

Siming True Person Fu Zhaofan was kneeling on this meditation mat, facing the statue of the Siming Star Lord enshrined in the center of the great hall. His expression was solemn, and he did not turn back either.

So, in this high, vast, and dignified great hall, the person standing in the middle of the hall entrance with his hands behind his back, and the person kneeling in the middle of the hall with his hands hanging, were actually back to back.

Connecting them was a shadow.

Fu Zhaofan did not speak, he was just listening.

Today, in this Nandou secret realm, the only person who could make him “listen” was naturally the contemporary master of Nandou Hall, Long Sheng Jun, who had inherited the ancestor’s sixty thousand years of Dao tradition.

Long Sheng Jun’s crown and robe were very vague, as if he was trapped in a river of light.

In this state, which could never be truly seen, he continued: “So I have the greatest patience with him. I even allow him not to walk the Nandou star path, but to walk his own path. He was born to walk dangerous paths and can walk them very well. He is extreme in Dao, thus he can cut through all shackles and break through the impossible.”

Fu Zhaofan finally said: “He was also born to know how to give up, and to be absolutely indifferent.”

“Who isn’t?” Long Sheng Jun’s tone was inexplicable: “Who doesn’t need to give up something when walking forward? Who doesn’t give up something to reach this step?”

“So you shouldn’t feel surprised.” Fu Zhaofan’s flat voice said: “If his Dao is here, he will not cherish death; he will be more persistent than you and I. But Nandou Hall cannot bear his Dao, so naturally it will be ruthlessly abandoned by him—as for Ren Qiuli, many years ago, she was unwilling to look at the heavenly machine again. I think she is also tired.”

“I’m not surprised.” Long Sheng Jun’s voice sighed: “A long life is composed of countless surprises.”

“That year, the ancestor created Nandou Hall, established the Long Sheng Dao tradition, seeking eternal inextinguishability. Later, he died very hastily.”

“The highest secret method of our Nandou Hall has been revised by generations, aiming to become the Six Star Lords of Nandou, forever grasping long life and eternally shining upon the world. This is clearly a path that sees hope and is steadily advancing, but after sixty thousand years, we are still on the road.”

“The so-called masterless stars, fundamental concepts, I have searched outside of heaven and cannot obtain for you all. The generations of successors of Nandou Hall have still not proven it. Yet that Guan Yan’s Yuheng Star Lord became so easily.”

“Chance and coincidence, creation is hard to measure!”

“Things go against wishes, heaven does not fulfill people’s desires.”

Long Sheng Jun rarely showed so many emotions.

Just as Nandou Hall had never been pushed to such an extent before.

Fu Zhaofan did not speak; he looked at the high and mysterious statue of the Star Lord.

According to the direct transmission Dao tradition of Nandou Hall, he would follow the ancient path of Long Sheng and persistently walk to the end. His highest goal was to become the true and only Siming Star Lord within the various heavens and ten thousand realms. This statue in front of him would transform into a part of himself.

Siming, Tianliang, Tianji, Tiantong, Tianxiang, Seven Kill, only when all six Star Lords of Nandou were achieved could such a Nandou Hall support Nanji Longsheng Emperor to transcend.

Six Star Lords honoring one emperor, proving the myth of the Star Emperor of eternal inextinguishability.

But everyone understood that transcendence was just an illusionary dream.

How many romantic figures were there since the myriad ancients? All were blown and battered by wind and rain, becoming mud!

Was it not just Nandou Hall that failed? Not just the ancestor of Nandou? Not just the current master of Nandou Hall?

His own emperor title was severed, Long Sheng Jun’s Dao was just broken.

Those true Nandou six stars located in the ancient starry sky, that kind of embodiment of rules, collection of concepts, had been continuously approached for sixty thousand years, and had never been truly captured—under the gaze of today’s Chu Country, it was even more impossible.

Originally… this Siming star under the body would continuously evolve over the long years, gradually becoming the conceptual core of the true Siming star. The inheritance of generations of Siming True Persons was all for this effort.

This path was feasible, but this path was too long!

Just as Long Sheng Jun said, the components of long life were countless surprises.

The Dao calendar restarted, the national system greatly prospered, the human Dao torrent rolled forward… Nandou Hall still bitterly sought the Dao, persisted in its old ways, and when it turned its head, the human world outside the mountains had changed. They all became remnants of the era.

The Great Chu Empire stood in the southern domain, at the bedside of the Son of Heaven of Ba Country, fundamentally unable to tolerate the so-called “Star Emperor.”

Before the great blueprint of the Six Directions Son of Heaven, even the myth of the Star Emperor who was immortal and eternally shining was too thin. That year, the Son of Heaven of Chu held the Great Chu Son of Heaven sword in his hand and cut off the emperor title with a single sword. Long Sheng Jun’s crown still had no pendants to this day.

All supreme crowns had different numbers of pendants according to the weight of the ceremony and the identity of the wearer.

By this, the Son of Heaven of Chu declared that Long Sheng Jun was “without ritual” and “without share.”

This great humiliation also became silent in time.

Fu Zhaofan knelt there alone.

The sky light outside the hall stopped just at his back spine. As if the edge of his spine was a sword, cutting open this false sky light.

Everything further forward in his Dao body was in the category of shadows, blended with the dark shade of Siming Hall. Perhaps this was the real part.

The present world was a long night, and inside the Nandou secret realm was daytime.

The Nandou secret realm had continued for many days, as if so grand, it could solemnly shine upon ghosts and monsters.

But the human heart was a den of ghosts. How could sky light shine through?

During this period, Nandou Hall was chaotic and without form. Except for the most basic front-line defense, almost all other orders and systems had collapsed.

Maintaining pride took sixty thousand years, collapsing the system only required dozens of days of despair.

And all the ugly states that humans could imagine all occurred here.

Did Nandou Hall have no kindness?

Kindness had also been alienated; those who could not be alienated were killed first.

And he, who was in charge of all matters of Nandou, just sat and watched. Just as he sat and watched Long Boji’s death. Too piercing sky light could only make people close their eyes; it could not make people see everything more clearly.

Everything was meaningless.

But this meaningless everything still had a price—how much was the price?

Long Sheng Jun’s voice said: “The time is almost here.”

“Was that letter arranged and sent by you?” Fu Zhaofan asked.

“Go with the flow,” Long Sheng Jun said.

“What means were used?” Fu Zhaofan asked.

Long Sheng Jun said: “All means were meaningless, Wu Zhaochang gave no opportunities.”

“But you still tried.”

“Always have to try a bit.”

Fu Zhaofan lightly sighed: “Yes, ah. Always have to try a bit.”

This was the answer.

There was no sound in the hall for a while.

Fu Zhaofan asked again: “Tianliang and Tianxiang have both left?”

Long Sheng Jun’s tone was inexplicable: “No one will remember what their names were called.”

“Then, my time has also arrived.” Fu Zhaofan drew the sword from his waist, held it reversed with both hands, pressed it against his heart, raised his head, looked at the statue of the Siming Star Lord that could never be realized, and slowly returned the sword… into his heart.

Contemporary True Persons were not so easy to kill, so he was resolute in doing this. He prudently grasped his power, suppressed his instinct for survival, and infused the sword with a sharp intent to dissolve Dao and annihilate the soul. First dissolve the Dao, then dissolve power, and finally dissolve life.

Flesh, bones, and soul were all just parts of the process.

The most traditional, most conforming to the orthodox Dao tradition of Nandou, the contemporary Siming True Person, “Fu upon Zhaofan,” suddenly passed away inside the Siming Hall.

Before him was the shadow of the Siming Hall, and after him was the sky light of the Nandou secret realm. His death was very slow, without wasting a bit of power, and this process was so quiet that there wasn’t the slightest sound.

Long Sheng Jun’s back was in the sky light, Long Sheng Jun’s outline was unclear.

And then the hall door slowly closed.

Everything about Siming Hall was closed within Siming Hall.

The five thousand five hundred word side story is finished and submitted. If it can count as an extra update, that would be great. O, O

Thanks to book friend “20231117222106470” for becoming the alliance master of this book! This is the 716th alliance for Red Heart Patrol Heaven!