Chapter 1448: The Ballad of Chu

The outside world remained dark, Tai Yin had already departed afar.The old Xiang residence under the night sky, like a lurking ancient beast. Issuing not a single sound, its scarce fangs also drawn in.The traces of time were visible everywhere here, though in a place like Ying City, the old Xiang residence could not be considered among the most ancient.When Duke Yi Xiang Long Xiang was alive, the Duke Yi Mansion was naturally the core of the Xiang family.After Xiang Long Xiang fell in battle, he designated Xiang Bei to inherit the future of the Xiang clan.The core power of the entire Xiang clan family gradually returned to the hands of the family elders, awaiting transfer to the grown Xiang Bei.Xiang Bei, who had previously been highly regarded by Xiang Long Xiang and resided directly in the Duke Yi Mansion, had now moved out, taking up residence in the old Xiang residence.He certainly could not bring himself to drive the direct descendants of Xiang Long Xiang out of the Duke Mansion, but to continue residing there would inevitably lead to disagreements...Xiang Bei could roughly guess a few reasons for Tai Yin's hurried departure from Chu.There were not only internal tensions within the Tai clan, but also likely a good deal of caution regarding Jiang Wang.Within the borders of Chu, he could ensure Tai Yin's safety.Outside the borders of Chu, it was unknown.Tai Yin's entire skill lay in array formations. During the journey through the Mountain and Sea Realm, the array discs he carried were almost entirely used up. Now, before Jiang Wang, he indeed possessed no ability to protect himself.It was just..."You gave the Yuan Po pill to him, what will you do?"In the quiet room, a voice suddenly spoke. This voice was old, yet profound wisdom of time was deeply embedded within it.But looking around, no second figure appeared.Xiang Bei seemed long accustomed to this voice, and merely said indifferently, "What about what?""You know what I'm talking about!" The voice seemed somewhat displeased: "You are at a crucial juncture now, the position of the Xiang clan's heir is not stable. The thirty percent of divine soul origin that cannot be replenished is very likely to destroy you because of this!""Is that so?" Xiang Bei slowly wiped the tip of his halberd with a piece of white velvet cloth, his tone still calm: "If I can be destroyed so easily, then it means I should be destroyed."The aged voice became even angrier: "Do you think you are being very loyal? Is this the kind of outlaw loyalty that the Way of the Military taught you? Sacrificing yourself to complete others, is this the virtue you imagine? But have you ever thought about those who sacrificed for you on your journey to this point?! Do you know what you are doing, Xiang Bei!"Xiang Bei quietly placed the velvet cloth over the painted halberd, and said with a calmness he rarely displayed: "I used to know, later I didn't know... now I know again.""You... what do you mean?" The aged voice was puzzled.Xiang Bei said: "Regardless of how it is put, Tai Yin ultimately came to assist me. In the Mountain and Sea Realm, his needs were secondary to mine. I must take responsibility for his matters."The aged voice said: "Do you think Tai Yin is such a good person? Do you think he doesn't know your current predicament? But look how easily he took it, how relaxed he left! I've seen many people like him. Do you think he will be grateful? He just needs you, needs your resources. You treat him as a friend, he treats you as a fat sheep. You are too laughable!""I know what kind of person Tai Yin is. He is not a perfect friend, but he is not as despicable as you say. Furthermore, I only do what I should do, and how is that related to his character?" Xiang Bei said calmly: "Moreover, I never intended to take this Yuan Po pill.""What do you mean?" The aged voice became even more bewildered.Xiang Bei closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly: "Just now, I sat here alone. Suddenly I realized... if I don't make some changes, then I will never be able to defeat Jiang Qingyang in my lifetime.""How is that possible? How could you possibly think this? Your current struggle is merely a temporary outcome!" The aged voice said: "The path is long, your future holds infinite possibilities!""No, I know. At the moment he gripped the halberd tip and charged towards Tai Yin with me, I should have known. Relying on the future, I who have fallen to joint attacks and sneak attacks... will never, ever, be his opponent.""Why was I so angry at that moment?"Xiang Bei's voice carried a trace of sorrow."I was angry at myself, for why I had become so unfamiliar.""I was angry at myself, for burying my qualification to battle him head-on.""You shouldn't think this way." The aged voice said: "Xiang Bei, military strategy is without constant form, water is without constant shape...""Those who can achieve victory by adapting to the enemy's changes are called divine. Therefore, the five elements have no constant victory, the four seasons have no constant position, the day has its length and shortness, the moon has its death and life." Xiang Bei rattled off the passage, then said: "I understand military strategy, and I understand the principles. But I cannot deceive myself like this.""Clearly, I have already admitted defeat in my heart, clearly I am already afraid to face it... Why do I still deceive myself like this?""I have deceived myself long enough!"Xiang Bei took a deep breath, and slowly narrated: "Relying on divine soul power far surpassing that of fellow cultivators, I was invincible. And I also dared to contend for supremacy in the world.Defeated by Jiang Wang at the Guan He Stage, I believed I lost due to carelessness.After losing again before the Huang Liang Stage, I admitted the gap, but felt there was still a chance after the Divine Presence realm, because I possessed the Heavenly Double Sun, I was born with such brilliant eyes...In the Mountain and Sea Realm, I actually pinned my hopes on him being stripped of thirty percent of his divine soul origin, thereby avoiding the hardship of my pursuit. Because in this way, I could gain an absolute advantage on the divine soul level.But what about me?These days, I have asked myself more than once—But what about me?"Xiang Bei lightly pressed the Gaze the World halberd, then raised his right hand. This hand faced himself, the index and middle fingers slowly separated, all other fingers clenched.His right hand moved upwards.He spoke in a tone so calm it was almost eerie: "I have relied too much on my eyes. They made me, and they almost destroyed me.""Xiang Bei, what do I rely on to stand out from the crowd?"The aged voice suddenly became flustered: "No! What are you doing! Stop! Don't do something foolish!"And Xiang Bei merely continued to ask—"Is it because of my eyes?""Born with dual pupils, hence the world-gazing Xiang Bei?""What if these eyes are stripped away?""Who am I... What am I, considered?""Let me... find an answer."At this point, Xiang Bei's lips were slightly pursed, a semblance of a smile that was not a smile, and his right hand's two fingers, without hesitation, plunged into his eyes!His face instantly crumpled into a ball, his mouth unconsciously opening and closing, yet not a sound was uttered... He was in so much pain he lost his voice!Blood flowed down his two merciless fingers, spreading downwards.He fell to the ground, curled up, and it took a long time for him to finally claw some sense out of that kind of pain."You're crazy... You are absolutely crazy! You stupid, crazy brute, you have personally buried your future." The aged voice cried out in anguish: "You have destroyed everything!""Heh heh..."Xiang Bei lay curled on the ground, breathing with difficulty, reaching out a trembling hand, fumbling for a while, and finally grasping the shaft of the Gaze the World halberd.Having grasped the Gaze the World halberd, he seemed to relax considerably.Even though the path ahead was pitch black, his future was held in his palm."Now I have no special eyes, my divine soul power is also very ordinary..."He said thus: "But I have found myself.""It has been a long time since I have seen myself so clearly.""Let me be destroyed!""Or. Let me be recast into light."