Chapter 2285: The Fisherman

With a single sword, Jiang Wang settled Qian Tang, and then, treading on the wind and clouds, he left.

Left behind on the riverbank stood Wen Jingxiu, silent and still, unsure of the proper stance for the Yue country army.

And...

A wisp of sword qi suddenly soared into the high sky, stirred the tail of a comet, and cut through the long sky of the Yue country.

Bai Yuxia's voice rang out: "Dongfu! I'm still in prison!!!"

This voice was sorrowful, howling through the late autumn.

Wen Jingxiu lowered his head and looked at the armor leader Bian Liang.

This Yue armor leader immediately turned and flew straight to Kuaiji, not even waiting for the army to be dispatched. Far outside the city, he began to shout: "Release the person! Quickly release the person! His Majesty only told him to rest quietly, who allowed you all to lock up Master Bai? He is a pillar of the nation, the bulwark of Qian Tang, how dare you all be so unreasonable!!"

He adopted a charge-into-battle posture, rushing all the way into the heavenly prison. Before the jailer could even open the lock, he smashed open the prison door with a single fist.

Stepping in amidst the flying fragments of the prison door.

"Master Bai! You have been truly wronged!" He reached out to grasp Bai Yuxia's hand.

"Eh—" Bai Yuxia held his sword horizontally in front, separating them: "This broken country of yours is too unlucky, my life fortune is deep, yet in this ditch of yours, I repeatedly capsized and hit the reef. Damn, Dongfu is definitely angry, he'll settle accounts later—brothers, move aside, bad luck doesn't stick to me!"

With just this one sentence, he stepped out of the prison door and swaggered away.

From then on, there was no longer the noble young master of the Langya Bai family, only the shopkeeper Bai who would not deceive the children and elders of Xingyue Ping.

Wen Jingxiu always felt that a sword would fall—

Either Jiang Wang, after suppressing Qian Tang, would conveniently wipe him out with a single sword.

Or Bai Yuxia, after escaping trouble, would angrily stab him with a sword.

But nothing happened.

Bai Yuxia walked away without looking back.

Jiang Wang didn't even leave a shadow.

He gazed at Bai Yuxia's retreating figure from afar, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of the summer of Dao Li three nine one nine. At that time, he was right on the Qian Tang riverbank, personally seeing off Ge Fei and Bai Yuxia.

The world watched the Yellow River meeting, a time of dragon and tiger, wind and clouds.

At that time, he sprinkled a cup of wine, pouring it into Qian Tang, and boldly declared: "Today, we toast the world, first to celebrate the proud children!"

The Ge Fei and Bai Yuxia of that time, one strange, one handsome, though born in a small country, were full of high spirits, truly young heroes, full of vitality.

He himself was also full of ambition at that time, believing he could lead the Yue country to an unprecedented future—

He had endured many years, suffered many hardships, and now should suddenly become famous, bitterness should turn to sweetness. History always plays out like this, doesn't it?

True history is more cruel than history books.

He would probably leave a mark in history books, but he would certainly be a very foolish person, or rather, a "monarch of a perished country".

All his attempts failed, all his efforts went in the opposite direction.

At this time, he stood on the Qian Tang riverbank, his army and people all driven away.

He knew everything was over.

He was wondering, when Gao Shi left that day, standing here, what were his last thoughts?

Painful? Or very calm?

Feeling the river wind brush his face, gazing at the autumn colors on the distant mountains, he clenched the yellow scroll he had taken from his embrace.

This legacy edict left by Taizong was a promise at the time of the country's collapse. Whether he looked at it or not, it wouldn't make too much difference. But perhaps his clumsy efforts had been heard by Taizong, leaving a lingering sound of the Yue country's history to him.

He looked at it.

He wanted to do something, and was prepared to do something, but when it came down to it, he unexpectedly didn't dare to do anything.

This was truly ridiculous! As the master of ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, the monarch of the thousand-year-old Yue country, he was afraid! Afraid that he was still stupid, afraid that he would once again be clever and make a mistake, do the wrong thing—and who else could patiently teach him the right way?

At this moment, he looked towards the Qian Tang river.

There was a fisherman on the Qian Tang river.

This person had a short beard around his face, his eyes were full of vicissitudes, he wore a bamboo hat on his head, a straw raincoat on his body, carried a fish fork on his back, held a bamboo pole in his hand, and stood on a bamboo raft under his feet.

Using the bamboo pole to push the water, he came on the raft just like this.

Wen Jingxiu knew, this was the person he wanted to wait for. Or rather, this was the person the Yue country had waited for many years. For many years, he had not been waited for.

It wasn't that this person was unwilling to come, nor was it that the Yue country was unwilling for this person to come, it was that the opportunity never came.

Now was an opportunity that wasn't quite an opportunity, it was the last choice of this country.

The fisherman pushed the bamboo raft closer, carefully looked at Wen Jingxiu for a while, then slightly sighed and said: "Unexpectedly, I have returned here once again, it has been so many years. Sometimes I no longer remember where I was born."

"This country didn't specially preserve any memories for you," Wen Jingxiu said. "Because any deliberate traces cannot escape the eyes of the Star Witch."

The fisherman said seriously: "But the great tide of Qian Tang always sweeps through my heart."

"Li Mao?" Wen Jingxiu looked at him.

The fisherman stroked his heart with his hand, lowered his head in a bow: "Your Majesty."

The country protector of the Equality country, Li Mao among Zhao Qian Sun Li!

"You also don't need to call me Your Majesty again. From today on, the Yue country has no imperial family. In the name of the last monarch of the Yue country, I abolish all honorary rights of the Wen surname imperial family, remove the last and largest family of the Yue country!" Wen Jingxiu said: "I have already formed the Privy Council. From now on, all major state affairs will come from the Privy Council, and the nine Privy Envoys will supervise and govern the country together. Court officials will all be selected through official examinations. There will be no more nobles in Yue land. From now on, those with the surname Wen, and those with the surname Ge, and those with the surname Bai, are all the same. All people in Yue land, from birth, are at the same starting point—Li Mao."

He gazed into the fisherman's eyes: "Is this the equality you all want?"

The current Li Mao was a person of the Equality country, and he embraced the ideal of "equality".

But he shook his head: "Even if such a Yue country can still exist, it will not exist because of equality. Equality is not a slogan, not a fragile ideal, equality is a kind of power."

The fundamental reason for the continuation of the Yue country's national destiny was, from the beginning, only two words—"checks and balances".

This had absolutely nothing to do with whether the people of the Yue country were diligent and brave, or how many generations of wise monarchs or virtuous ministers the Yue country produced.

It was the restraint and undercurrents of the various forces in the South Domain that allowed the Yue country, a "fierce tiger lying beside the bed," to keep its ancestral temple's incense burning.

Since this country did not exist because of "equality".

Then true equality, naturally, was out of the question.

Without the ability to protect itself, without relying on its own power to support this equality. Then no matter how thoroughly the new policies were promoted, how fair the new country was, it would all be water without a source, a tree without roots.

Wen Jingxiu listened and understood.

He shook his head, clearly already very sober, yet still couldn't help but ask: "You have been outside for so many years, your vision is broader. You say, can the Yue country of today attract that one back?"

Li Mao, who had left his homeland and watched the rise and fall, saw the Yue country gradually come to this point, and his heart was filled with complex emotions. He also had many words he wanted to say, but in the end, he only sighed: "No matter what, from now on, the Yue land will have nothing to do with Your Majesty, nothing to do with the Wen surname imperial family."

Wen Jingxiu said bitterly: "Having come this far, my heart has long not considered the state to be of the Wen surname. I only hope that the people of the Yue country are not inferior to others."

Gao Shi had not once told him—

You need to recognize your own powerlessness, recognize that the end of the Yue country is gray, and no matter what you do, it won't change anything. Then consider whether you still want to do something.

But it seemed he only truly understood this sentence today.

People teaching people, it doesn't teach. Matters teaching people, once is enough!

And there was no opportunity to come again.

Wen Jingxiu opened his arms, facing the Qian Tang river, as if embracing it. Finally, he closed his eyes, his tone still full of expectation: "Will this world become better?"

Splash, the river wind pushed the tide.

A bamboo pole, slanted through his neck.

The one holding the pole said: "It won't get worse."

Wen Jingxiu's Dao body began to decline, and the imperial dragon qi on his body, following his last will, threw towards Li Mao. The imperial dragon qi turned into two small dragons, one gold and one black. The former represented supreme nobility, the latter represented the sorrow of a perished country.

The two dragons flew together, yet went their separate ways, each throwing into Li Mao's two eyes.

Those two sad eyes were deep to this extent, like an abyss hiding a dragon.

Wen Jingxiu's hand loosened, and the scroll he had held for a long time fell into Qian Tang. Before it touched the water surface, it was caught by Li Mao's rough hand.

That was a hand that had fought against wind and waves, full of the marks of years. Just on this Qian Tang river, he slowly unfolded the yellow scroll.

The fisherman of the Equality country, Li Mao, who was used to watching the vast sea, this rough man who had experienced countless winds and frosts, grasped the long pole, with dragons swimming in his eyes, and his body's aura continuously soared... yet suddenly he wailed and cried.

The wind blew the yellow silk, like autumn leaves fluttering. There were no extra sentences on it, only two words—

"Bo Lu".

The most famous genius in the history of the Yue country, the son of heaven depicted with thick ink and heavy colors in history books!

"Though Bo Lu is strong, I fear he cannot benefit the country."

"Bo Lu escapes the country."

"Taizong killed Bo Lu at Huo Water, unable to overcome his sorrow."

In the long river of Yue country history reflected in that mirror, Jiang Wang saw many romantic figures of the Yue country. Some were loyal, some were rebellious, and they were defined differently in history books, but all in their last shadows, fought for the Yue country.

Only that very famous Bo Lu, the Bo Lu depicted in history books, Jiang Wang had never seen.

Bo Lu was born in the year Dao Li two four two zero, precisely in the late period of Yue Taizu Wen Yuan's governing career.

In the year Dao Li two four three three, Yue Taizu Wen Yuan, who had founded the state and held power for ninety-eight years, formally abdicated, and the third imperial son Wen Zhong ascended the dragon throne, becoming Yue Taizong.

Two years later, that is, in the year Dao Li two four three five, Wen Yuan died. Before his death, he specifically targeted Bo Lu, leaving the evaluation "cannot benefit the country".

Some say this was Wen Yuan's insight into people, some say it was precisely this evaluation that caused the rift between Bo Lu and the Yue country.

In the year Dao Li two four five eight, the thirty-eight-year-old Bo Lu rebelled and escaped to the Yan country, and in the same year, led an army to contend with the Yue country.

In the year Dao Li two four six zero, Wen Zhong killed Bo Lu at Huo Water.

These are all engraved in history, chapters that can be called "historical facts".

But history books are written by people.

And people will make mistakes.

No matter how painstakingly, with full intent, one seeks the truth, there are bound to be "missing strokes" and "wrong strokes". Either limited by vision, or limited by knowledge, or misled by people, or simply distracted.

Bo Lu simply had an intentional "error".

He never truly died.

The Yue country succeeded the state of South Chen, and South Chen had also crawled from the beginning in front of the claws of the Chu country.

Wen Zhong realized very early that he was born too many years late. The Chu country was already a towering giant tree, plundering all the nutrients of the South Domain, and it was impossible to allow the Yue country beside it to grow.

To be a vine, a wild grass, there could still be space to survive.

To straighten one's spine in the same way, to contend for light, then one would surely be strangled.

The Yue country had no future.

Though Bo Lu had heavenly talent, he absolutely could not reach the absolute peak.

Just like himself, clearly capable of proving the Dao, yet unable to ascend. The scenery at the world's absolute peak was the guillotine for the people of the Yue country.

So there was only this chapter of "Bo Lu throws Yan", and so there was only this grand play of "the emperor in fish clothes kills Bo Lu at Huo Water".

Fish clothes, fish clothes, a fisherman.

Bo Lu died at Huo Water, and Li Mao turned into a fisherman. He was also like a fish, returning to the sea, hidden from then on.

According to Wen Zhong's initial plan, he would let Bo Lu leave the country and achieve True Monarch status outside. After laying a strong foundation for the state, he himself would abdicate and return, solidify his Dao and move forward. Waiting for an opportunity, he would call the True Monarch Bo Lu back to Yue, and he himself would also ascend and reach the absolute peak.

Thus, the Yue country would have two True Monarchs in one country, and the state power could still support the new monarch as a True Monarch. Three honors would derive the Dao and the country, and the Yue country would stand firm. It would have greater investment value, allowing Book Mountain and other forces to invest more chips, allowing it to stand tall against the Chu country, and at the same time expand eastward, seeking the possibility of becoming the second hegemon of the South Domain.

Pity that Wen Zhong did not wait for the day when Bo Lu achieved True Monarch status; he was already strangled by the Chu people first. There were no more schemes, only swallowing it all. There were no more grand blueprints, just a sheet of waste paper.

Zhang Huaxin Dao was like a huge net, strangling the people of the Yue country breathless.

Zhuge Yixian casually cast a glance, wanting to overturn mountains and rivers.

This was the suppression of absolute power. In front of this terrifying strength gap, many plans inevitably became jokes.

Such a large Qian Tang river, empty and quiet, making people panic.

The previous act of swallowing the heavens and earth seemed like an illusion—just like the shattered beautiful dreams of countless people in the Yue country over the years.

Wen Jingxiu's Dao body no longer existed, his gifts were in Li Mao's eyes.

A lonely raft, crossing the river and flowing away.

Li Mao stood barefoot on the bamboo raft, his two feet were black and rough, with water scabs formed after continuous soaking and healing.

His aura was still soaring.

At this moment, standing on the river surface with him was only Zhou Sixun, the commander of the Yue country's water army, who was also one of the last nine Privy Envoys appointed by Wen Jingxiu.

"I still can't believe it," said the armored Zhou Sixun. The armor on his face concealed his expression, people could not see his sorrow.

"Can't believe what?" Li Mao asked.

Zhou Sixun said: "Bo Lu died many years ago. Even if he didn't die that year, by today he would be one thousand five hundred and eight years old, far exceeding the lifespan limit of a True Person!"

Li Mao lifted his eyelids: "Who said I was a True Person?"

Zhou Sixun slowly said: "You also haven't derived the Dao."

Li Mao lowered his head to look at his own hand, his hand was rough, as if describing the ruggedness of this road.

In this long time, he had indeed not derived the Dao.

He was the heaven's proud son with the highest cultivation talent in the history of the Yue country. At the age of thirty-seven, he had already reached Dongzhen. He carried Wen Zhong's huge expectations, received the support of the entire country's power, and even in the matter of pretending to throw Yan, he plundered away a trace of glory from the last twilight of the Yan country.

He should have truly stepped onto the absolute peak. And he should have done it as quickly as possible, as strongly as possible.

But he didn't.

The more anxious he was, the more he missed that line. The distance of that one step evolved into a heart demon over time, becoming a permanent heavenly chasm.

The more he didn't want to disappoint Wen Zhong, the more he couldn't reach the other shore!

When the news of Wen Zhong's death came, he collapsed and spat blood even more, went mad and entered the demonic path, almost scattering his Dao and dying, burying the former monarch. Finally, at the critical moment, he turned to ghost cultivation and started from the beginning again.

He couldn't compare to those with accumulations, couldn't compare to those who had prepared early. Before cultivating as a ghost, he had absolutely no knowledge of the ghost Dao. This was not a good road to walk.

When people die, they become ghosts.

If one doesn't close their eyes and refuses to submit, and has the advantage of heavenly timing and earthly advantage, then one can cultivate as a ghost.

From ancient times, this has been a dead end choice, for those who have no other path, in difficult circumstances, stepping on thorns and walking a rugged road.

He also painstakingly walked to this point.

Because he was born in the Yue country, because he experienced so much, personally feeling the unfairness between countries, he chose to join the Equality country. His goal was to eliminate this unfairness. To let the people of the Yue country, to let the people of any country, all be "born on the same level", not inferior to others.

What Wen Jingxiu said last was precisely what he had sought all his life.

"I am a True Ghost," Li Mao said. "I will become a Heaven Ghost."

The two small dragons in his eyes had already completely melted into the deep sea, evolving into gold and black flames. The straw raincoat on his body burned into a black Daoist robe.

"See you later, Qian Tang."

He leaped up and went straight south.