Chapter 2211: False Stubbornness

“Wise Brother Xiang!”

Zhongshan We-sun stood up suddenly, calling out enthusiastically.

Xiang Bei held the Cover World Halberd upside down, turning his head back to indicate that he was “looking.”

“It’s been eight years since we parted at the Observation River Terrace!” Zhongshan We-sun smiled broadly. “Wise Brother Xiang’s heroic bearing still often appears in my mind!”

Eight years had passed, and neither of them were the "newborn phoenixes" they were initially. They had both experienced a great deal.

Time had carved Xiang Bei's features sharply. Once arrogant and unparalleled, he was now very restrained.

Hearing the words, he only said: "That heroic bearing where a Flame Flower was pressed on my face?"

In the many years that followed, people reviewing the history of the Three Nine One Nine Yellow River Meeting, and discussing the most wonderful scenes in this gathering of unparalleled prodigies, would usually highlight two events:

The duel between Zhao and Chong Xuan Zun, prodigies standing side by side, and Jiang Wang, the Sword Immortal, against Qin Zhi-zhen, the Yan Luo Heavenly Son.

Below these were Jiang Wang's horizontal sword reversing travel, and Jiang Wang pressing a Flame Flower on Xiang Bei's face.

This was a battle often taken for observation, discussion, and learning, so it couldn't have often appeared in his mind. When people outside Chu Country mentioned Xiang Bei… oh, he was just that big guy who had a Flame Flower put on his face by Jiang Wang!

Zhongshan We-sun was stunned for a moment, then quickly corrected himself: "Those are all in the past! Who hasn't had a moment when things didn't go as planned? That year, I was also only a top four in the Outer Building stage."

"I was a top eight in the Inner Mansion stage," Xiang Bei said.

Zhongshan We-sun then remembered that Xiang Bei's luck with the draw was extremely bad. In the round of eight going into four, he happened to meet Jiang Wang.

Of course, speaking of luck with the draw, his, Zhongshan We-sun's, luck was extremely good, but he couldn't grasp it and lost to Yan Shao-fei. What could he say?

"It's all past!" Zhongshan We-sun waved his hand, his posture bold. "For remarkable figures, we still look at the present!"

Xiang Bei didn't speak, only used his index finger to point at his own eyes, as if asking — how do you look?

"Don't be like that," Zhongshan We-sun said with a smile. "If you're like that, I can't continue chatting."

"Remarkable figures, the number was already determined in the Three Nine One Nine year. Now eight years have passed, the most dazzling people are still the most dazzling. Looking ahead? Within two to seven years, a new session of the Yellow River Meeting will also convene. The rivers and mountains always produce talented people, and new unparalleled prodigies will soon attract the world's attention." Xiang Bei carried the Cover World Halberd and flew straight forward. "The time left for us to prove ourselves is getting less and less."

"Yes, ah! We all need to work harder." Zhongshan We-sun quickly followed, closing in. "Losing the Yellow River made me wake up in the middle of the night often. I often feel time is hard to catch up with, afraid of seeing waste — Wise Brother Xiang, we really share the same aspiration!"

Xiang Bei held the Cover World Halberd horizontally, signaling him to stop there and not follow further. "We don't share the same aspiration, Zhongshan We-sun. You still haven't found your true self. Where is your path?"

Zhongshan We-sun awkwardly stopped there, forcing a smile: "Brother Xiang, I don't understand your meaning."

Xiang Bei stood suspended there, a distance of one Cover World Halberd separating him from Zhongshan We-sun. "Do you feel that doing things you haven't done before counts as change? Do you feel that learning to bow your head counts as maturity? Do you feel that breaking the rules means you are already reborn?"

"Brother Xiang," Zhongshan We-sun's face was devoid of a smile. "What do you want to say?"

Xiang Bei shook his head: "Gentle and refined are good, and dissolute and uninhibited are also fine, but it's just changing one mask for another. The you now and the you before are both not the true you. You haven't truly broken the rules and restraints, you're just rudely disappointed. The thief on the mountain is still on the mountain. The thief in the heart is still in the heart."

What is the true me then? Zhongshan We-sun originally wanted to ask this, but he didn't make a sound. Because this really wasn't a necessary question.

"False nature is stubborn, hard to see the heavenly palace. I suggest you go and look at the details of Elder Jiang Ge's battle in the Heavenly Capital again. Perhaps you can understand what is called 'breaking fences can enlighten the empty'!"

After Xiang Bei finished this sentence, he flew away with his halberd.

His tall figure was just a flash, already blending into the heavy shadows of the distant mountains, as if he were also a part of the majestic, continuous mountain range.

Zhongshan We-sun didn't follow.

Xiang Bei had already given the answer, and Xiang Bei couldn't help him.

But Xiang Bei had also offered his help.

Standing suspended here, looking around, everything was desolate. Further away were the continuous military tents, and beyond that, a vast empty wilderness. This autumn was destined to be unforgettable.

Zhongshan We-sun gazed into the distance, looking at the back of the Outer Building stage's top four and the Inner Mansion stage's top eight.

This person who had a congenital divine ability eye poked blind, yet saw more clearly. This person who lost the Yellow River Meeting, lost the Mountain Sea Realm, yet became more grand.

Regardless of victory or defeat, experience can make people grow — the premise is that you face it all.

Although he himself had never relaxed his efforts in the past eight years, something was always missing.

What was missing?

Unclear, unclear, can't see, can't touch.

The road ahead is long, will he see through it today?

Heavenly light shatters the colored glaze tiles, a piece of autumn thought that cannot become a dream.

In a chaotic Southern Dipper secret realm, this side hall was one of the few quiet places.

But the quiet was soon broken.

Long Bo Ji, with lowered eyes, held his sword and walked in with urgent steps.

His past ethereal and transcendent air was already gone without a trace. That upright and proper face was also wrinkled by ferocious emotions. Resentful emotions spiraled out of control in every sudden wrinkle.

Only that hair bun, held in place by a jade pin, barely maintained some semblance of a large sect's true transmission's decency.

Clatter! Clatter!

His boots on the ground bricks stepped out with killing intent.

The woman, whose face was covered by a black veil, stood alone in front of the window sill, illuminated by the sunset with a warm color, quietly experiencing the emotions of deep autumn. Only when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching did she lazily turn back, and the look in her charming eyes held several points of casualness—

"Senior Brother Long, what is the meaning of this?"

"What meaning?" Long Bo Ji drew his sword from its sheath, killing intent bursting forth with it, instantly becoming ferocious: "You still dare to ask me what meaning?!"

Mei Yue simply turned back, leaned back casually, lightly resting on the window sill, holding her arms, looking at Long Bo Ji with a contemptuous posture: "This secret operation, my Three Points Fragrance Building has schemed for many years and made enough preparations. We've gambled on so many years of operations in Chu Country, activated all the dark children within the Chu border, broken through countless difficulties and obstacles, and taken out Peach Blossom Source silently. There was no accident in Ying City, no accident in the Chu border, yet precisely in this simplest, most relaxed link, when it was about to be sent to the Southern Domain, it was discovered! Senior Brother Long— why can't I ask you what meaning?"

The light in her eyes at this moment was cold: "The origin stones sent by my Three Points Fragrance Building can fill this side hall. The supplies we offered are all what your Southern Dipper Hall lacks. And what did you all do? Your Southern Dipper Hall is an ancient large sect, with a long history and deep foundation. Yet even the most relaxed link in this matter cannot be handled! Senior Brother Long— should I not ask you what meaning?"

These clear words, sentence by sentence, were undeniable facts.

Long Bo Ji gripped his sword hilt tightly, as if only this could support his anger, as if only anger gave him reason: "You didn't say at first that you all wanted to steal Peach Blossom Source! Not being careful enough to stroke the tiger's whiskers has just invited this heaven-filling disaster!"

"That's not called stealing, it's taking back what belongs to us," Mei Yue said calmly. "Before taking back Peach Blossom Source, didn't I notify you? Didn't you all know? We transferred the property of Three Points Fragrance Building seven times. Each time we fed you all full. Each time we wanted to take something, what route to take, where to hand it over, it was all explained clearly to you. You only needed to guarantee the safety of the last segment of the road, do the most relaxed thing, and reap the richest harvest — now that the Chu Country army has come, you start to resent us?"

Long Bo Ji had aggressively held his sword and come to question her, but at this moment, she was the one walking forward. She pressed step by step, as if stepping on Long Bo Ji's heartbeat: "The matter failed in your link, the secret leaked because of you. This time's action, my Three Points Fragrance Building has already exhausted all accumulation in the Southern Domain, consumed all chess pieces in the Chu border, and in the end, lost everything! Heaven Fragrance has seven, three died in battle. Heart Fragrance eleven, five were executed. Feng Fragrance True Person Fa Luo, died under Dou Zhao's blade! Senior Brother Long— you actually come to resent me?"

Mei Yue said these things, and Long Bo Ji could not refute a single sentence.

He came with killing intent holding his sword, but now he had no good reason.

But his heart was clearly clear, the danger that Southern Dipper Hall must now face was brought by this woman. It was she who opened that box filled with disaster. Heart Fragrance first, bringing disaster to the country and harming the people!

Long Bo Ji bit down ruthlessly: "I shouldn't resent you? Shouldn't those who died resent you? If you hadn't come to the Southern Dipper secret realm, none of this would have happened!"

Mei Yue shook her head. The disappointment in her eyes was so obvious, it made Long Bo Ji doubt just how much he had done wrong!

"How could you say such words? Mm?"

Her eyes blended into the autumn colors, showing a kind of desolate stern killing. She was almost pointing at Long Bo Ji's face as she questioned: "You are a direct transmission of Si Ming Hall, everyone's expectation for Southern Dipper's future, the favored son of heaven, Long Bo Ji! How can you say such stupid, such childish words? If you were slightly calmer, moved your brain a bit to think, would you still say this? Say that all of this originally wouldn't have happened?"

She stared at Long Bo Ji: "Does Chu Country want to exterminate Southern Dipper Hall because you all did something wrong? Or do they originally just want to exterminate Southern Dipper Hall, and just happened to catch this reason? Is this a very complex problem that you can't see the answer to! Senior Brother Long, where has that wise and steady you gone? Your heart is too chaotic! You are actually afraid of becoming like this—"

She suddenly retreated a step, withdrawing to a safe distance.

That kind of increasing pressure suddenly scattered! Long Bo Ji subconsciously looked outside the window. For that one instant, he really wanted to make an effort to breathe— he almost couldn't catch his breath.

Mei Yue spread her hands, slightly lifting her head, exposing her snow-white neck.

"Heh—" She laughed. Her laughter was so aggressive: "Senior Brother Long, you want to come and kill me, then please do so with your horizontal sword. Perhaps this can help you find back some courage."

Long Bo Ji almost instinctively retreated a step!

After this one step back, a huge sense of frustration was born in his heart.

He realized that he had indeed lost control.

From the moment he remembered things, he had lived in the Southern Dipper secret realm.

Southern Dipper Hall was his everything. All his life up to now had been an effort to be a "qualified Southern Dipper successor."

His talent was extremely high, standing out from the crowd. He started handling the affairs of Si Ming Hall early, and in recent years, he also began to share the authority of the entire Southern Dipper Hall.

Everyone felt this way, and he himself thought so— he was bound to be the next Si Ming True Person, and it was very possible that he would grow to be the Southern Dipper Hall Lord.

Southern Dipper Hall encountering a disaster that overturned everything was his sky collapsing.

He was unwilling to believe all of this, and also did everything he could, but it was very clear that it was all in vain.

Was he at a loss?

No, he knew it was already a dead end.

Was he stupid?

No, he just wanted to go mad!

"Senior Brother Long," Mei Yue's voice instead became calm. She asked: "Why don't you kill me?"

Long Bo Ji gripped his sword, not speaking for a while.

Mei Yue laughed gently, she was like this, lazily laughing: "Do you think you're the only one who hates me? Do you think everyone in Southern Dipper Hall, only you want me to die? Perhaps Si Ming True Person doesn't hate me? Perhaps Chang Sheng Jun doesn't want to pinch me to death? Although everyone knows I'm not the chief culprit, at this moment, I'm the easiest person to hate, aren't I?"

"People will always choose to hate the one who is easiest to hate, rather than the one who should be hated the most."

"But you say—" Her voice at this time was even a little ethereal, seeming to put nothing in her heart, including her own life and death: "Do you know why only you held your sword and recklessly killed your way over to me?"

Long Bo Ji lifted his eyes to look at her, using eyes covered in bloodshot lines, resentful and lost… waiting for her answer.

She said: "Because it's meaningless."

Mei Yue laughed out loud, covering her mouth, laughing until her body trembled: "Because… none of us can escape, ah… ha ha ha ha, God Arrive, Cave True, Derive Dao, no difference, no exception— all of us will… die here!"

Clang clang!

The sword in Long Bo Ji's hand dropped to the ground.

Many colors scattered from him in an instant, his eyes dull.

In Mei Yue's laughing eyes, a hint of coldness seeped out— those who couldn't hold their sword to the last moment were really weak, ah. Even with a golden body and jade marrow, a direct transmission of a large sect, they only had the form. Not even as good as a seventeen-year-old youth from a small town in the Zhou Heaven Realm.

But this hint of coldness soon melted like frost, falling crystal clear on the tip of her long eyelashes.

She gently wiped away the tears from her laughing eyes with her little finger, looked at Long Bo Ji, and said: "That's not right either. Not everyone in Southern Dipper Hall will die. Just like Three Points Fragrance Building, only this batch who unfortunately fell in the Southern Domain will die. You and I are just abandoned people."

There was a bit of divine light in Long Bo Ji's eyes. He slowly calmed down, blinking his eyes.

"Speaking of which, all the cultivators in the Southern Dipper secret realm have been guarding the gates these past few days, yet where have Heaven Machine True Person and Seven Kill True Person gone?" Mei Yue smiled: "When Chu Country made their move, they were already not in Southern Dipper Hall, right? Truly prescient!"

Long Bo Ji seemed not to have heard. He squatted down halfway, picked up the sword from the ground, said no more words, turned around and walked outside, walking faster and faster. He was almost fleeing from this side hall.

When he came, killing intent surged, when he left, he was flustered as if fleeing.

The sound of the sword left behind in this side hall was only a single lonely crash to the ground.