“

Rumble, rumble

...”

After the lightning flashed, the thunder followed, delayed by a moment. Its sound was deafening, rolling endlessly.

On the mountain and down below, countless merchants and travelers, along with those who had seen off the great demon, had yet to return to the capital. Many had witnessed the scene, their eyes dazed by the blinding lightning. Even in Changjing City, some areas could see the lightning flash across the sky.

Meanwhile, most of the martial artists on the mountain had already fallen, and the cold wind blew through, bringing with it the smell of charred remains.

At this moment, there was no distinction between skill levels. Whether they were lowly scoundrels or true masters of the

jianghu

, under the wrath of the thunder, all beings were equal.

As for the countless arrows, they seemed as though they had never existed, or perhaps they had been dissipated or melted away by the earlier lightning.

To Song You’s surprise, quite a few people were still standing. Perhaps two or three in ten. It seemed many had come just to watch the spectacle.

At the very front was Xi Yishang from the Yunhe Sect of Changjing, and from the Xi family. Xi Yishang had just lowered his arm that had shielded his eyes. Now, looking around, he could no longer maintain his composure. He was standing there in shock, as if turned to stone.

This was no human power—it was divine wrath.

“Sir.”

A voice came from the front. “Did you enjoy the spectacle?”

“...” Xi Yishang could not speak, lost for words.

Some even knelt to the ground with a thud.

“No need for formalities, I only wish to ask you all to spread the word in the

jianghu

that the Mount Cang Painting no longer exists,” Song You said, turning to leave. “So that the heroes of the

jianghu

no longer fight and kill each other over it.”

The jujube-red horse silently raised its hooves and followed him.

The calico cat stretched its neck, gazing at the bodies sprawled across the ground. It sniffed the air before turning and following along.

The swordsman in gray came to his senses and quickly tethered his horse before catching up.

“Sir!”

“Thank you for your help earlier.”

“You flatter me, I did not help much.”

“Do you have something else to attend to?”

“...” The swordsman in gray paused for a moment before asking, “May I ask where you are headed next?”

“North.”

“North?”

“Yes.”

“I’m heading north as well.” The swordsman in gray saluted with his sword in hand.

He added, “We met three years ago in Xuzhou. I was dull and unwittingly gained some insight from you, yet I did not realize it at the time. Afterward, when I came to my senses, you had already vanished without a trace. Now that fate has brought us together again, I wish to accompany you, doing whatever menial tasks I can, as a way to repay your kindness from back then.”

“Our encounter was but a coincidence, and the insights you gained were due to your own talent. There's no need for repayment,” Song You replied.

“That was fate, and this is fate too. I’m headed north, and you are also headed north. Is that not fate as well?”

The swordsman in gray bowed again, sincerely requesting, “The north is in turmoil, with demons and spirits running rampant, and people's hearts have gone astray. I am aware that you, sir, are a true divine immortal of this age.

“I do not dare claim that I can clear the obstacles on your path, nor that I can rid the world of these demons for you. I only hope to sweep away the dust on the road ahead, sparing you from some troublesome matters.”

“...” Song You thought for a moment, then smiled and turned to look at him. “May I ask where you were originally going?”

“I was going to Guizhou.”

“Guizhou...” Song You considered for a while before saying, “I’m heading north, but I need to go to Hezhou first, and then follow the border. Though going to Guizhou is not necessary through Hezhou, it wouldn’t be a detour either. If you wish to accompany us, you may escort us to Hezhou.”

“As you say, sir!” The swordsman in gray bowed again with his sword.

Among the companions, a swordsman had joined their group. The calico cat often stared at the swordsman. It observed the stranger in silence.

As they walked, Song You said, “After we parted ways in Xuzhou that day, I often heard rumors about you. They are full of heroic tales from the Jianghu.”

“

Jianghu

people love to talk like that, always making things sound the way they prefer, no matter what the truth is,” the swordsman in gray said humbly. “Sometimes, when I go to a teahouse and hear a storyteller recounting stories about me, I can't help but feel embarrassed, my face turning red.”

“Don’t be too modest,” Song You replied. “You’ve borne the hatred of a destroyed family, yet you still spared the women and children of the Lin family. That alone makes you a hero.”

“I spared the child, because Lin Dehai spared me back then, and I must return the favor,” the swordsman in gray said, shaking his head, not saying much more.

In the silence, there was a sense of pride.

Lin Dehai had once claimed to be the number one swordsman in the world, full of arrogance and confidence. He didn’t consider killing the child of his enemies, nor did he think that a child could pose a threat to him twenty years later. How was the swordsman in gray, Shu Yifan, any different? He considered himself to be the best swordsman in the world. His heroic spirit was no less than Lin Dehai's.

If he had killed Lin Dehai's son, wouldn't that have weakened Lin Dehai’s reputation by a third in the eyes of the

jianghu

? And if he had done so, how could he have held the title of the best swordsman in the world?

“As for Lin Dehai's women...” The swordsman in gray hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering. “It was thanks to your guidance, sir. If it hadn’t been for that, I might have acted in a moment of impulse...”

Song You smiled but said nothing.

People like Shu Yifan, when faced with a major decision, were hard to influence by others’ words. At most, they could be a gentle nudge, but not a convincing argument.

It was simply a bit of assistance.

Even if the facts were as Shu Yifan said, the reason Song You’s words were able to persuade him to spare Lin Dehai's family was simply because he already leaned toward that decision in the first place.

“I heard you once defeated over a hundred mountain bandits alone with a sword in Nanzhou?”

“The

jianghu

exaggerates; it was only about a dozen or so.”

“That’s still impressive.”

“Those bandits were too arrogant. They didn't just rob people of their wealth but also of their dignity. They delighted in killing and torturing people. They deserved to die,” the swordsman in gray said.

He added, “They were just a disorganized mob. If they had truly surrounded me, I wouldn't have easily won. If they had used arrows from a distance, I might have been injured. But they weren’t tigers or leopards—just a bunch of wild dogs. They were only fierce in front of the common people. I charged in and killed seven or eight of them, and they scattered. I just followed behind and killed most of them.”

“You also know military strategy.”

“Not really.”

“May I ask why you are going to Guizhou?”

“To be honest, I still have a relative alive, an aunt who was married off. But back then, I was carrying a blood feud and didn’t know if I would succeed or fail, so I dared not reveal myself. Now that my vengeance has been taken and I’ve gained some fame in the

jianghu

, I plan to look for her. No other motive, just to see her face. It’s something I’ve been thinking about,” the swordsman in gray said.

He added, “If I don’t go, I just feel uneasy.”

“And after that?”

“The north is in turmoil, yet the court can’t manage it. It's time for

jianghu

people like us to show our talents.”

“I see.” Having an old companion along is always a good thing.

As Song You walked alongside him, he conversed with the peerless swordsman, using his sharp eyes to savor the chivalry of the Jianghu.

They slowly made their way to the mountaintop.

This was the closest mountain to Changjing. From here, one could see the nearby Mount Chang, and far in the distance, Mount Beiqin. Looking back, the entire Changjing City lay within sight.

Song You stood by the pavilion at the summit, gazing at Changjing.

From this vantage point, the capital city appeared square and even, a vast, flat expanse. The city's layout was orderly, with countless buildings, the most prominent being the central imperial palace, the nearby Stargazing Tower, and several temples and stone pagodas within the city. Outside the city, the land was also flat and expansive.

The sky shifted, clouds swirling, and light occasionally pierced through.

Wasn't this capital city the same?

On one side, it was peaceful and bright; on the other, dark and unpredictable. For every era of prosperity and glory, there was an equal amount of suffering among the people. On the surface, everything seemed calm, with the people of Changjing appearing oblivious. Yet beneath it all, storms were quietly brewing.

For now, it was time to part with Changjing.

Song You thought silently to himself.

But as mentioned earlier, Changjing was the center of this era, and he would surely return. The only question was how long it would take, and how much would change by then.

“Let's go.” Song You turned around and began walking. The cat, the jujube-red horse, and the swordsman leading the black horse followed behind him.

Ahead lay a journey of ten thousand li, but that was just the beginning. This was destined to be a journey through time.

***

Back in Changjing City…

Lu Wenlin, who managed the Western District’s estate affairs, woke up from a deep sleep, his head feeling heavy and groggy. He rubbed his temples, feeling a bit strange.

It seemed like he had dreamt of a deity the night before. Or maybe not.

Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed and, to his surprise, noticed a small pile of silver coins beside his pillow.

“...!” Lu Wenlin instantly woke up. The dream from last night came back to him in full clarity. He had indeed dreamt of a deity.

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that it was some grand, mighty god, but it was also wrong to say that the deity was someone insignificant.

In his dream, the visitor had been none other than the City God of Changjing.

In the dream, the City God had been respectful and polite. He was asking for his help in keeping a small building on Willow Street in the Western District, as if leasing it out, and requesting that he not lease it to anyone else.

Though Lu Wenlin held a government position in Changjing, truth be told, he had never really encountered deities much in his life, let alone the well-known and highly respected City God who was greatly revered by the common folk. Moreover, the City God had treated him with such courtesy, and in the heat of the moment, Lu Wenlin had agreed to the request in his dream.

Seeing the pile of silver now, Lu Wenlin realized that it wasn’t just a dream. However, it wasn’t until he woke up that he recalled that the small building had long been known to be unusual.

Furthermore, as early as last year, a personal letter from the State Preceptor had arrived from the Stargazing Tower, asking him to keep that building and not rent it out again. Even yesterday, Cui Nanxi, the official in charge of the compilation of the great encyclopedia of Mingde, had come with money and asked him to do something similar. But he had turned it down.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly in my dream.” Lu Wenlin slapped his head and looked at the pile of silver. Aside from one or two official silver pieces, the rest were small silver coins—some big, some small, evidently given by the worshipers.

“The City God isn't exactly wealthy either.”

After some thought, Lu Wenlin decided to visit the City God’s temple to return the silver and explain the situation to the City God.

After getting dressed, he went out for breakfast. His breakfast was century egg and lean pork congee.

Speaking of century eggs, Lu Wenlin didn’t even know how they were made. He only heard that they were made from duck eggs. They looked dark and unappetizing, as though they were rotten and inedible, but their surface was beautifully covered in patterns known as

songhua

.

A while ago, he bought some to try. Eating them raw didn’t seem like anything special, but when paired with lean pork to make congee, as suggested by someone, the flavor was incredibly delicious.

It was amazing that such a cheap thing could make such a flavorful bowl of congee.

As Lu Wenlin ate, he calculated in his mind that he would have one of the servants go out to buy more from the egg vendor later. In a few days, a few of his close friends were coming to visit, and since they were close friends, he would invite them to taste the new and interesting food he had recently discovered.

Just then, the steward passed by the door. Lu Wenlin immediately called out to him and instructed him to carry out his plan. However, the steward simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry, sir. When I saw that you liked eating these, I thought of buying more for the kitchen this morning before I left. I just bought them and came back.”

“You’re quick-witted.”

“However, there’s something new I must tell you.”

“Is it about the thunder strike that killed hundreds of martial artists outside the city yesterday?” Lu Wenlin asked with a smile.

“No, it’s not.”

“Oh? What is it then?”

“This morning, when I went out to buy groceries, I saw the century egg vendor calling out in front of the former Grand Commander’s mansion. Even the people from the Grand Commander’s mansion bought some.”

The steward said, “I hurriedly stopped him, and while buying the eggs, I casually asked him how they were made. He wouldn’t tell me, and when I pressed him further, he only said that a master from the Western District had taught him how to make them when he saw him in a difficult situation.”

“Is that master from the Western District?”

“I asked him in detail, and it’s the person you’re thinking of, sir!” The steward said with a smile. “The vendor had heard about the Grand Commander’s mansion, but like the rest of the people in the city, he only knew the general story and didn’t know the identity of the Daoist who had punished the Grand Commander’s son. When I told him, his eyes widened in surprise, and he was quite frightened.”

“That’s quite a coincidence.”

“Isn’t it?”

After telling this interesting story, the steward went back to his duties.

The rest of the time, Lu Wenlin sat by the table, savoring the fresh congee in his bowl while reflecting on other matters.

Cui Nanxi, the magistrate, had come yesterday, and the City God had appeared to him in a dream last night. The mysterious master from the Western District also seemed to have left the capital yesterday.

Yesterday, a thunderclap struck outside the city like a divine miracle...

“Ah...” Lu Wenlin stood there in a daze.