Conclusion
The current situation was somewhat tricky, and Duan Xu thought he might have to use Ziwei, who was lurking in Jingzhou. Just as he was thinking this, he saw a crow land on the moonlit ground.
His eyes flickered, then he smiled.
A pale hand rested on Han Lingqiu’s shoulder, and the pale and beautiful face of He Simu appeared behind him. She said coldly, “Am I interrupting a reunion?”
Her fingers dug deep into Han Lingqiu’s shoulder, each word spoken deliberately, “Let go.”
Han Lingqiu stared at He Simu in shock, and involuntarily released his grip, murmuring, “You are…”
He Simu snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. Han Lingqiu staggered and collapsed to the ground. Then she turned around and looked at the astonished eyes in the room, pointing at Duan Xu, “This person is mine, I’m taking him away.”
The soldiers lurking in the shadows murmured with fear. The first to react was Lu Da. He glanced at the Ghost King Lamp on He Simu’s waist and said, “This lamp… Are you… the Ghost King?”
He Simu nodded and said, “You have good eyesight.”
“I saw you last time, you were still human.”
“That was just a little game.”
Lu Da’s gaze swept over Duan Xu and He Simu. He said, “Since last time until now, your situation has reversed. You went from being human to ghost, and he went from being a ghost to human. There is some kind of connection between you.”
He turned to Duan Xu and said, “So, is this the reason why General Duan achieved such a great victory on the Yunluo battlefield?”
Duan Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. He closed the Broken Illusion Spirit Sword and said lightly, “If thinking so makes you feel better, then go ahead.”
He Simu waved her hand, and three hidden daggers aimed at Duan Xu hovered in the air. She looked at Fourteen, snapped her fingers with her pale hand, and the three poisoned daggers turned into ashes, falling to the ground.
Fourteen’s expression turned dark, and he said coldly to Duan Xu, “You have ultimately betrayed the God of the Sky and sided with the evil god.” He paused, then turned to Muer Tu and said, “Master, he is the one rumoured to be connected with the evil god, the child opposing the Azure God. We should have killed him long ago.”
He Simu had always had no interest in the grudges and animosities of those outside of Duan Xu. She wanted to take Duan Xu away directly, but Duan Xu grabbed her hand, indicating she should wait for a moment.
He turned to Muer Tu, whose hair had turned completely white. In fact, from the moment he entered the prison until now, Muer Tu had not said much. Just now, he didn’t even respond to Fourteen. He simply sat there with his back straight, like a statue, like a mountain.
But Duan Xu felt that he knew what Muer Tu wanted to say but couldn’t.
“Master, is this the first time you’ve left Tianzhixiao Mountain Villa in nine years?” he asked.
Duan Xu still remembered Muer Tu’s jet-black hair when he left. Now it was all white. The once vigorous stride could now only rely on a wheelchair for mobility. He still maintained his dignity, unwilling to show any excitement or signs of aging.
But he really had aged. Aging was indeed a thing. Nine years had passed, and the once arrogant leader of Tianzhixiao had also declined.
Nightmares, too, could grow old.
The anger and fear surging in his heart slowly receded. It was as if one foot had struggled out of a nightmare that had lasted for over a decade. Finally, he could reluctantly wipe away the bloodshot eyes and carefully examine his nightmare.
He was Muer Tu’s nightmare, too.
“Master, not everything in this world has an answer. I don’t have the answers you seek, and even if I did, you wouldn’t understand. What I can tell you is that Seventeen, whom you once favoured so much, his obedience, attachment, fervor, and devotion were all fake, always fake. I detest everything about Tianzhixiao. I never saw becoming Seventeen as an honour, and I never believed in the Azure God. In fact, I have never believed in any god. In all the mud…”
Duan Xu pointed to himself and said, “I pulled myself out. It was because of my faith in the gods that they had power. The power of the gods is my own power.”
Muer Tu’s hand tightened. He seemed to be desperately restraining his emotions, so much so that veins popped out on his forehead, and his breathing became heavy.
After a pause, Duan Xu said, “I used to hate you, Master.”
Muer Tu had once told him that those who were useless didn’t deserve to live in this world. So, he had blinded Muer Tu’s eyes, maliciously wanting to see how the useless Muer Tu would survive. It was as if tormenting Muer Tu could bring him a breath of relief when recalling that past.
But hatred didn’t end. The past didn’t disappear. What truly allowed him to let go was time, and He Simu.
“But I don’t hate you anymore, Master. But you probably still hate me. Perhaps this hatred will only come to an end when either you or I die. Perhaps in the next life, we still won’t understand each other. Actually… that’s not a bad ending.”
Duan Xu took a step back and then knelt down on the ground covered with dry grass, slowly lowering himself until his forehead touched the ground, emitting a soft sound.
As if realizing what Duan Xu was doing, Muer Tu’s expression showed a momentary daze.
“Thank you for teaching me martial arts, imparting military strategies. All my skills are thanks to your favour, without reservation.”
“Thank you for once treating me sincerely, treating me like your own child, always protecting me.”
Duan Xu kowtowed twice, then stood up straight, facing Muer Tu. The figure across from him trembled slightly, as if there were uncontrollable emotions raging inside him. The dark red scar on his eyes under the moonlight illuminated some painful memories.
“Thank you for coming all the way to Jingzhou, just to see me once, to settle things with me. Master, you are still one of the most outstanding people I have ever met in this world. But I would rather walk the single-plank bridge in the mortal world than go to the golden road in the underworld.”
In the Cangyan Scripture, the most faithful followers of the Azure God would embark on a golden-paved road after death, leading to a world of pure bliss without suffering. At that time, he wondered, people liked gold because it could buy delicacies and luxurious mansions. Since it was a world without hunger, cold, and storms, what use was gold? If people were mice, wouldn’t the golden road become a road paved with rice?
He was ultimately a sceptical and rebellious person. The only thing he could be sure of was the single-plank bridge beneath his feet.
Duan Xu kowtowed again, then stood up from the ground. Muer Tu finally spoke at this moment, saying, “Duan Xu, this is your name now.”
“Yes.”
“I swear by the righteousness of the Azure God, you will lose everything and die with your eyes open.”
Duan Xu smiled faintly and said, “Alright, I’ll be waiting. Farewell, Master.”
He Simu grabbed Duan Xu’s hand, and Duan Xu also picked up Han Lingqiu, who had fainted on the side. Under the serene moonlight, a breeze blew through, and the three of them disappeared without a trace.
To avoid causing a stir, He Simu left Duan Xu and Han Lingqiu in a remote wilderness some distance away from the camp of the Guihe Army in Yuzhou. When his feet touched the land of Yuzhou, Duan Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his whole body relaxed. The events just now felt like a dream, and now everything was quiet around, as if waking up from a dream.
He turned to He Simu and said, “You came at just the right time.”
“Why didn’t you call me when you ran into trouble?”
“It wasn’t something that couldn’t be handled.” Duan Xu walked towards the bustling camp in the distance.
He Simu walked beside him, hugging her arms, and said, “Are you very afraid of that person, your master?”
“Can you tell?”
“I just arrived, and you were trembling all over.” She spun around and stood in front of him, looking up into his eyes, and smiled, “But after I came, you stopped being afraid. What’s the matter, Little General? Are you going to act all high and mighty now?”
Duan Xu’s steps halted, he looked down at He Simu, then reached out to embrace her, holding her cold body tightly in his arms, burying his head in her neck, inhaling the scent that was exactly the same as his.
He Simu gently patted his back.
“I used to live to please him, thinking I couldn’t face him. Before you came, I felt like I was back in a nightmare. But you came, and the dream woke up.” He chuckled softly, saying, “Although I’ve mentioned things about Tianzhixiao to you seemingly casually, I know I haven’t been able to let go.”
The occasional madness and bloodthirstiness that surfaced on him were still reminding him that he was not an ordinary person, perhaps he was a weapon and a beast wearing human skin.
“But just now, I felt like I could let go. Maybe after years of disguise, I didn’t realize I had become human.”
Over the years, he had lost some of his sharpness, although it seemed like he was still walking on a single-plank bridge, but it seemed like his steps were steadier. Perhaps it was because he had something of his own, for the first time feeling at ease with life.
And there were people who would hold him like this, patting his back, gently and seriously soothing his pain.
He Simu fell silent for a moment, then smiled as she lifted Duan Xu’s head and caressed his face. “Duan Fox, you’re truly brave.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, many people in this world cannot face the past and make a proper conclusion like you do.” She turned her head slightly, “Maybe I can’t either.”
“It’s because of you.”
“No, you are inherently brave. Courage is a very precious quality. Among all the people I have encountered, you are the bravest.”
Duan Xu smiled, releasing He Simu and holding her hand, intertwining their fingers, walking towards the camp. When they approached the camp, he lifted Han Lingqiu, who had been dragged by He Simu’s magic, onto his shoulders.
As if the guards on duty recognized Duan Xu from afar, there was a commotion at the camp, and then the camp gate opened. Chenying led the troops and rode over to meet Duan Xu. When he arrived not far from Duan Xu, he dismounted and ran over to help Duan Xu support Han Lingqiu on his shoulders, urgently saying, “I only found out after returning from the Tabai that you had infiltrated the enemy camp alone again. How could you do this again, Third Brother? Your body…”
At this point, he finally noticed He Simu beside Duan Xu and quickly swallowed the second half of his sentence. Meeting Duan Xu’s warning gaze, he immediately said, “You’re not just yours anymore, you belong to Daliang. You should cherish yourself!”
He Simu didn’t pay attention to Chenying’s stuttering. Since only Duan Xu and Chenying could see her, she waved her hand to indicate that they should go inside the camp and disappeared into the smoke.
Chenying observed for a while before finally letting out a sigh of relief. While helping Duan Xu lift Han Lingqiu onto the horse, he said, “Third Brother, you can’t act recklessly anymore in the future.”
“I got it, I got it. Look how scared you were,” Duan Xu even chuckled.
Chenying complained, “And you’re still laughing, Third Brother!”
Duan Xu continued to smile and patted Chenying’s head affectionately.
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