Chapter 1187: Drink This Cup

"Look how well I'm doing now? First Inner Mansion in the world, eh, first in the world!"

"I'm in Qi Country, you see. I've got a massive fiefdom, and the folks there are all simple people. Within my fief, there's a really interesting building, almost ancient in style, called the Hall of Ascending Virtue. You must come and sit a while later."

"As for me, well, I'm now the male Town Head of Qing Yang Town in Great Qi, and at the same time, a fourth-rank Azure Plaque Constable."

"The Azure Plaque Constables of Qi Country, they're like the... ah haha, what's the concept of fourth rank? Only cultivators in the Outer Building realm can step across that threshold, and your brother here has already reached it ahead of time!"

"From the islands of the near seas all the way to Linzi in Qi Country, your brother has friends everywhere. Whatever matters, they can be settled!"

"Be it title or official position, after I win the championship this time, I'm sure to rise even higher!"

Jiang Wang babbled on incoherently, unsure what he was trying to explain. But as he spoke, he could no longer maintain his smile. Finally, he said, "Enough about me. Let's talk about you. Have you been staying in Mu Country these past two years?"

"Ah, I was in the borderlands." Zhao Rucheng's gaze shifted away from the wine and he looked up, a smile on his face. "I wasted too much time before, so I put in a little effort. Didn't expect that a casual effort would make me the fourth Inner Mansion in the world."

"Borderlands..."

Jiang Wang repeated the word, his gaze falling upon Zhao Rucheng's short hair, which lacked its usual luster. His eyes were filled with a gentle warmth. "Then how many Yin Demons did you kill?"

"How many Yin Demons I killed..." Zhao Rucheng seemed to be calculating, then smiled. "I can't count. Yuwen Diao might have the answer."

Seeing Jiang Wang's puzzled expression, he explained, "Just that argumentative fellow, the one who almost fought with you at Suanni Bridge that day."

Jiang Wang, of course, remembered that person. Later, on the martial arts stage, Yuwen Diao had even rushed onto the stage to carry Zhao Rucheng away. He was a very upright and impulsive man.

"Your friendship with him is quite good," he said, smiling.

"He's still a rather honest person," Zhao Rucheng replied. "I'm doing quite well in Mu Country too. I have friends, I have beauties."

Silence fell between the two again. Each hid their scars, having walked all this way. They both knew that in this world, perhaps only they could truly understand each other's pain, yet neither was willing to burden the other with their own.

So they remained silent.

Wine was poured into two cups, but neither of them took a single sip. The dishes on the table were all ones they had often eaten in Fenglin City, but they didn't touch a single chopstick.

"Speaking of which..." This time, it was Jiang Wang who spoke first, looking at the dishes on the table as if he could deduce some important clue. "Why don't I see Uncle Deng?"

"Ah, him." Zhao Rucheng smiled. "He's staying in Mu Country. Every day, he drives several horses, carrying goods, selling them everywhere. Living as a 'Five Horses Guest,' traveling the mortal world."

This was indeed the life Deng Yue desired. When disguised as a Five Horses Guest, when bargaining with people, when living as an ordinary person... that was when he smiled most genuinely.

The tense string in Jiang Wang's heart loosened a little. He nodded and said, "That's very good."

"You know my identity now," Zhao Rucheng's smile was charming, his tone relaxed. "Uncle Deng is equivalent to my imperial guard. He's very powerful."

"I really didn't see it before," Jiang Wang's tone also relaxed somewhat. "I just felt that Uncle Deng was nagging behind you every day, not at all like an expert. Every day it was just, 'It's too late, Young Master, let's go home'..."

"Hahahaha!" Zhao Rucheng laughed heartily. "He really was annoying back then."

As he laughed, his eyes turned red.

He said, "When things happened, Uncle Deng first took me to Mingde Hall, but... we didn't see anything. At that time, Uncle Deng thought it was people from Qin Country chasing after us, so he was wholeheartedly focused on getting me to escape. It was a long time later that he knew it was the evil cult causing trouble..."

His voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry!"

But perhaps only he himself knew that this "sorry" was not just for Jiang Wang.

"An An is fine!" Jiang Wang reached out and placed his hand on Zhao Rucheng's shoulder. "I brought her with me when I escaped that time!"

"You mean..." Zhao Rucheng suddenly looked up. Not being able to save Jiang An An when they escaped Fenglin City that year was what made him feel most guilty. He always thought that in the entire Fenglin City domain, besides himself, only Jiang Wang had miraculously survived. So he didn't even dare to mention An An's name, afraid that it would make Jiang Wang sad.

Jiang Wang's hand tightened. "At that time, I mastered a secret technique that consumed lifespan, and I only had one chance..."

Now, he recounted everything that had happened on the day Fenglin City was destroyed to Zhao Rucheng. This included his contact with the Path of White Bones, and the choices he made on the day the disaster struck. The one desperate opportunity he had at that time, he gave to An An. And because of this, he gave up on Ling He, Zhao Rucheng, Tang Dun...

Regarding that disaster, Zhao Rucheng had always had only fragmented clues and some private guesses and analysis. Although later, combining Jiang Wang's situation, he had also roughly pieced together part of the truth, this was the first time he truly understood the specific process of the entire Fenglin City domain being enveloped. That scene of the ground sinking and the city collapsing seemed to be right before his eyes. That kind of anger, pain, and torment felt like a dream from yesterday.

Involuntarily, his handsome face turned cold, and he gritted his teeth. "That dog thief Zhuang Jun, I must kill him!"

Jiang Wang patted Zhao Rucheng's shoulder, then withdrew his hand. "That's a matter for the future." The hatred in his heart gnawed at him every moment. But seeking revenge on a country's monarch was by no means a simple matter, and even less could it be rushed. Especially when the opponent was a contemporary True Person, the same contemporary True Person who had killed Han Yin, the supreme emperor of Yong Country! Rash action would instead be irresponsible to those who had died in vain in the Fenglin City domain. Because if they failed, then no one could avenge the people of the Fenglin City domain anymore.

Zhao Rucheng opened his mouth. The dark memories of that day were never far away. Today, he had many words he wanted to say. But in the end, he only said, "It's a pity I can't go see An An now." His voice was very low. "I often dream of seeing her."

"Just this big, this big a little bit." He gestured with both hands, gesturing, and finally put them down, placing them on his own legs, with a kind of loss of not knowing where to put them. "So cute, so sensible."

Having drawn out the Son of Heaven Sword and exposed his identity as a descendant of Emperor Qin Huai, in any country, he would either be treated as a bargaining chip for good relations with Qin Country, or treated as a weapon against Qin Country. Before he was strong enough, his value was very difficult to separate from his identity. So exposing his identity was an unwise choice. But with Deng Yue's sacrifice and the Great Qin Town Prison Department chasing after him once again, he had no other choice. He needed time to grow, and even more, he needed space to shelter. Only by becoming famous at the Guan He Platform could he, in the current situation, maximize his identity as a descendant of Emperor Qin Huai, and carve out a path, whether it could be lived or not, but at least temporarily, he could still move forward. And these things, he didn't want to tell Jiang Wang. Even if he was the first Inner Mansion in the world, compared to Qin Country, he was truly insignificant.

"An An is now cultivating under Lingxiao Pavilion. It's very safe there. The Young Pavilion Master of Lingxiao Pavilion is a good friend of mine." Jiang Wang gestured with his hand in front. "She's probably this tall now. A few days ago, she wrote me a letter saying she has already successfully laid her foundation! She's very diligent."

"Foundation laying is not about the earlier the better. You must adjust properly and choose the most appropriate body state..." Zhao Rucheng said with great concern.

"Of course," Jiang Wang said. "It was True Person Ye, the Pavilion Master of Lingxiao Pavilion, who personally taught her. Qing Yu also told me in her letter that An An's foundation was laid very well and she meets the conditions for opening meridians. It's just that she's too young, so the subsequent Greater and Lesser Heavenly Cycles will inevitably require more time to polish."

"Qing Yu?"

"Oh, just Young Pavilion Master Ye."

Zhao Rucheng seemed thoughtful. "You two often write letters?"

"You could say that..." Jiang Wang asked, "Why?"

"Cloud Country has always upheld the principle of neutrality, not leaning to any side, right?"

Jiang Wang sighed and nodded. "Yes, I owe Lingxiao Pavilion a big favor in this matter. So after winning the championship this time, I plan to take An An to Qi Country."

"That's not proper." Zhao Rucheng shook his head directly. "Winning the championship this time looks like you're rising straight to the clouds, but it's also precisely the time when you'll be at the center of the storm. Instead of being as peaceful as before, this time after returning to Qi Country, if waves are stirred up, it won't be the same as before. This is the first point. Second, since An An is personally taught by True Person Ye, she is a direct disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion. Lingxiao Pavilion will naturally protect her comprehensively. Putting aside the safety issue for now, if you take An An to Qi Country, where else can you find another True Person master for her? The talent and strength you have shown now make it not difficult to take a True Person as your master, but there's no such thing as 'buy one get one free' when it comes to taking on a master."

"I myself have no plans to take a master..." Jiang Wang frowned. "But I can't always let Lingxiao Pavilion take care of An An, can I?"

Zhao Rucheng looked at him. "How unwilling are you to owe people? Letting An An become a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion is the favor you owe Lingxiao Pavilion. After An An becomes a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion, it is her sect relationship with Lingxiao Pavilion. Whether you take An An away or not doesn't affect anything. You should wait until you return to Qi Country and have stabilized the gains from this time before considering it!"

Jiang Wang had to admit that what Zhao Rucheng said was indeed more reasonable.

"No wonder Eldest Brother always said you..." Jiang Wang paused here because he realized again that they no longer had an Eldest Brother.

Zhao Rucheng, however, did not shy away from the figure in his memory and seriously seized this sentence. "Eldest Brother's enmity, we must avenge."

"I have never forgotten," Jiang Wang said.

The two brothers hadn't had such a moment of consultation in a long time, sometimes thinking of love, sometimes talking of hate. Memory and reality mingled, and their words jumped from one topic to another. For both of them, these were rare moments when they could not maintain reason. After all, the tragedy of Fenglin City was a wound they had shared. No one else could truly communicate with them about it.

"Hu Ge," Zhao Rucheng said. "Uncle Deng... went to see Hu Ge for me. He seems not to know the truth about Fenglin City. He's in a military stronghold, and Zhuang Gao Xian has already become a True Person, so it was inconvenient for Uncle Deng to show himself..."

"I also asked Daoist Friend Ye to go see him, inform him of the truth, and wanted to bring him to escape from Zhuang Country..." Jiang Wang said. "But he refused." He didn't mention the bloody things Du Ye Hu had cursed him with because he didn't believe that was Du Ye Hu's true attitude. That short-tempered, impulsive tiger, once he began to sheathe his claws, must have been exhausting all his strength to devour his target.

Zhao Rucheng thought for a moment and said, "He must have his own ideas." They had not seen Du Ye Hu for a long time, but neither of them doubted that early bearded man.

"I think so too," Jiang Wang said. "Staying in Zhuang Country is also fine. There are no more living people in the Fenglin City domain, and no one knows our relationship anymore." This time, he thought of Li Jianqiu. That night in Xin'an City, Dong A Xian had used an excuse to send Li Jianqiu away, and then fought him to the death. The protection a teacher gives to a disciple was something he had once thought he also possessed. However, everything he had once placed his hope in had collapsed with Fenglin City. Li Jianqiu should know about their Five Heroes of Fenglin, but judging from Du Ye Hu's situation, either he hadn't said anything, or what he had said had no influence.

"Even if there is someone else who knows, Hu Ge is in the army and has earned trust through military merits," Jiang Wang continued. "Fang Pengju and I have already gone through life and death. The relationship between us Five Heroes of Fenglin might not seem very reliable in the eyes of others."

Zhao Rucheng pulled at the corner of his mouth. This uncomfortable humor made him want to laugh to ease the tension, yet he couldn't laugh. He only said, "Hu Ge is just short-tempered and too lazy to use his brain, but he's not stupid. Since he's unwilling to go, he must have already made his choice. Moreover..." He sighed. "Who can change Du Ye Hu's decision?"

"Yes, he's always been like that," Jiang Wang also sighed.

"How are you not like that either?" Zhao Rucheng thought in his heart. He would forever remember that figure who often practiced sword late into the night when he was living in a daze. He would forever remember, when they panicked and went to West Mountain to seek Jiang Wang, they only saw a figure covered in blood, walking down the mountain alone. He would forever remember, after Jiang Wang disappeared, he asked Uncle Deng to exhaustively search West Mountain, even going to Qi Chang Mountains, but they couldn't find any traces. He had once thought Jiang Wang was already dead, buried in some nameless place. But on that early morning, Jiang Wang walked into the Dao Academy again, so firm. Even more, he would never forget, after two years, seeing Jiang Wang again, this youth born in a small town, already standing at the Guan He Platform, having walked to the position of the first Inner Mansion in the world. He had always appeared before him in his moments of confusion and despair. So determined, so dazzling. He, Zhao Rucheng, was confident in being a top genius, yet he had to admit, he had lost to Jiang Wang by three points.

"Come, Third Brother!" Zhao Rucheng raised his wine cup. "I toast you. This first cup, I toast your championship!"

Jiang Wang raised his cup in response, and they both drank it down. Zhao Rucheng lifted the silver pot and filled the wine cup again, raising it again. "Second cup, I toast you for walking all the way here, not shrinking back, not stopping, not looking back!"

"Third cup, I toast you for shouldering the weight of mountains and rivers, yet facing a ten thousand li journey, your heart like a bright moon, heaven and earth can know!"

After toasting three cups of wine consecutively, he paused with the empty cup. "Third Brother, I should go. Yuwen Diao and the others are already waiting for me."

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment. "So urgent?"

Zhao Rucheng's tone was relaxed. "Who told me I only got a spot in the top four? That Liang stopped at the top eight, and Cang Ming couldn't even make a move. Mu Country's results this time are too poor. We can't stay here any longer."

Jiang Wang reached out and took the wine pot from his hand, filling his own wine cup. He said, "Third Brother also toasts you three cups of wine."

"This first cup, I toast you for being alive." He drank it down and filled it again. "Second cup, I toast that I can still see you."

He filled and drank continuously, filling up the last cup. "Third cup, thank you for still being in this world, so our brothers can still walk together."

He looked at Zhao Rucheng so seriously, as if he wanted to remember this scene forever. Then he put the wine cup on the table and got up to walk outside. "Let's go!"

No one begged in words, but every sentence was a plea. An elder brother's plea to his younger brother. Begging you to live!

Zhao Rucheng had exposed his identity as a descendant of Emperor Qin Huai, yet he had never elaborated on it with Jiang Wang for a single sentence, naturally unwilling to involve him. However, Jiang Wang today, having left that small city domain and experienced so much, how could he not think of these things? He knew his current power was small, and besides wielding his sword on the world stage, he couldn't do anything else. So he could only beg Zhao Rucheng, to live well! To wait for the future day!

Just as he was about to walk out of the courtyard door, Zhao Rucheng's voice came from behind—

"Third Brother, walk faster!"

Jiang Wang didn't turn back, only stretched out his fist and raised it above his head. Just like that, with his fist raised, he strode away.