Chapter 8: The Great Dao in Simplicity

After bidding farewell to Zhao Junhong, Song Zining and Qian Ye didn’t return to the great hall. Instead, they walked along the mountain path. Standing halfway up the mountain and looking back, the moonlit waves of the Lan River shimmered like the undulating sleeves of a dancer, while stars dotted the hills leading to the water’s edge, painting a magnificent and bustling scene.

Suddenly, a streak of purple fire flashed across the night sky, speeding closer and stirring the air, creating ripples like tiles striking the water’s surface.

Upon seeing the purple fire, Qian Ye stepped forward, shielding Song Zining.

Zhao Jundu landed a few steps away, his perfect face cold as ice. “A mere Song Qi, what virtue or ability does he possess that makes you willing to be his servant?”

Qian Ye frowned, speaking slowly, “Young Master Zhao, I have no idea what misunderstanding you harbor. If we were to meticulously calculate the gains and losses between me and Zining, I owe him my first life. And do you think I would allow anyone to control me?”

Song Zining sighed, unable to hold back, “I heard the Zhao clan’s rules mandate that men must go to war after reaching adulthood or achieving in their cultivation. Even if Qian Ye were to return with you, could you keep him from engaging in life-and-death battles forever? Is this protection, or harm?”

Zhao Jundu remained silent for a moment, then opened his eyes, staring at Qian Ye. “One year is your deadline. If you don’t come, I will find you. Additionally, if a year passes, you will never see that crystal amulet again.”

Qian Ye took a deep breath, his fingertips trembling, but he said nothing.

Without waiting for Qian Ye’s response, Zhao Jundu’s cold gaze turned to Song Zining. “Song Zining, there’s something you should know. Zhang Boqian is about to challenge Duke Dingxuan. The news will spread throughout the empire in a month.”

Song Zining was stunned, his expression abruptly changing.

Duke Dingxuan was a royal bloodline and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of humanity. With these four kings holding the line against the dark lords, a balance was maintained, keeping the empire from collapsing.

Now, Zhang Boqian was planning to challenge Duke Dingxuan. Regardless of the outcome, it would shake the internal structure of the empire. This battle, whether won or lost, would elevate Zhang Boqian to the status of the Fifth Heavenly King. And once Zhang Boqian ascended to the position of Heavenly King, even if the Duchess of Anguo could maintain order, the Song clan would face dire times.

This news was earth-shattering. Even with Song Zining’s composure, he was taken aback, left momentarily speechless. By the time he recovered, Zhao Jundu was long gone.

“…Let’s go.” Song Zining called out, his voice suddenly hoarse.

So, Qian Ye and Song Zining continued up the mountain. After a long silence, Song Zining finally spoke.

“Qian Ye, have you thought about your future path?”

“If there’s only one path, then I’ll follow it. If there are several, I’ll choose one.”

“How do you choose?”

“The one that leads to the result.”

“What if you can’t decide which one you want?”

“The one closest to your feet.”

After this nearly pointless conversation, Song Zining suddenly laughed. “The world is complex, but the path is simple. The road has always been there; I was overthinking it.” In retrospect, Qian Ye had not many choices in his life, so why would he, who had always had options, now be at a loss?

“Qian Ye, since you put it that way, you have two choices right now. Pick one!” Song Zining’s voice lightened again. Whenever he spoke like this, Qian Ye often found himself in trouble.

Qian Ye looked up and saw they had reached the entrance of the “Yunshen Hall.” Two identical beautiful maidens emerged from the side courtyard, bowing and greeting them, their long black hair cascading down to their chests, revealing a mesmerizingly white nape.

These maidens were more alike than Aqi and Jiuniu, trained to perfection—every smile, every gesture, and even their voices, were eerily consistent, like a single person, or a double image seen through drunken eyes.

Qian Ye felt a dull pain at his temples, wondering if Song Zining really intended to divide them between them.

Song Zining smirked, “I haven’t used Sixteen and Seventeen yet, but the female teachers at Yinquan say their only difference is in bed.”

Qian Ye had an ominous feeling. Before he could move, a powerful force pushed him into a pile of warm, soft flesh. The two maidens, seeing Song Zining’s signal, giggled and climbed onto Qian Ye, wrapping around him tightly.

At this moment, Song Zining would not let Qian Ye retreat.

Soon, the sounds of a battlefield filled both the inner and outer rooms, separated by a curtain.

Indeed, although Sixteen and Seventeen’s voices were indistinguishable in speech, their musical tones were distinctly different. One sounded like a warbler in a valley, clear and crisp, occasionally soaring high. The other was like the continuous, low, and winding music of a lute, like the waves of the spring river at night, rising and falling incessantly.

As the battle raged, in the distant territory of the rebel-held Younan Province, a grand fortress stood under the night sky, its origin lamps as bright as daylight.

Lin Xitang stood before the long table, gazing at the sand table, deep in thought.

In one corner of the table lay a crude wooden box, sturdy despite its rough craftsmanship. It was one of Lin Xitang’s personal items, always placed on his desk. Someone had once glimpsed inside and saw some damaged dog tags, each with the marks of battle, many of them incomplete.

Lin Xitang’s expression changed suddenly, and he walked over to the terrace, pushing open the long window. His figure rose into the air, soaring up to the azure sky bathed in moonlight, his silver hair flowing in the night breeze.

Hundreds of meters above, a cloud formation spanned a hundred yards, slowly rotating.

In the center of the cloud, a man sat cross-legged, drinking a large gulp of wine. A few drops of red liquid dripped from his sharp chin, his demeanor wildly unrestrained. He then threw the wine flask away.

Lin Xitang stood outside the cloud, catching the approaching wine flask without hesitation, taking a large sip, and then throwing it back.

The man chuckled, his deep, magnetic voice saying, “Vampires may not have much good, but they have a long history. Five-hundred-year-old wine, besides the Imperial Palace, can only be found with them.”

Lin Xitang smiled faintly, “Congratulations, General Zhang, on your achievements in battle.”

Zhang Boqian slowly stood up. This legendary figure, one of the twin pillars of the empire, was tall and imposing, his features rugged, especially his phoenix eyes, which exuded a fearsome, overwhelming presence.

“You’ve been in this damned place for two years. Is it that interesting?”

Lin Xitang’s gaze remained calm. “The war is difficult, but we have made some progress in the Eternal Night War.”

Zhang Boqian sneered, “Some ants, how difficult can they be? Give me a month, and I’ll ensure none of them remain.”

Lin Xitang lowered his eyes slightly. “This is my theater of war. If General Zhang has any thoughts, please present them to the Imperial Military Department first, then we can discuss.”

“Why hide, General Lin? You linger here to avoid the mess in the Unending Palace, the throne…”

Lin Xitang’s eyes, usually calm as still water, now rippled with anger, cutting off Zhang Boqian sharply, “General Zhang!”

Zhang Boqian’s phoenix eyes flashed with lightning, the cloud around him swelling and then subsiding. He said boredly, “Forget it. I came to give you a gift.”

Lin Xitang was slightly taken aback.

“The Song clan’s Tian Sun grass field in the Great Maelstrom produces various rare herbs. You’ve always needed them, haven’t you? In a month, ask them for it, and Song Zhongnian will hand it over. Their defenses are about to be insufficient for the borderlands.”

Song Zhongnian was the current head of the Song clan, and the Tian Sun grass field, located in the Great Maelstrom, required more troops for defense than the homeland.

Lin Xitang’s brows furrowed, silently waiting. He knew Zhang Boqian had more to say.

“In a month, I will challenge Duke Dingxuan.”

Lin Xitang was silent for a moment, then said, “Congratulations, General Zhang, on breaking through to the Heavenly King realm.”

Zhang Boqian acted without restraint, treating the imperial court as if it were empty. Once he decided on something, he would see it through to the end. Such a character had fostered a dominating presence, often defeating even stronger opponents in a fight to the death.

Thus, Zhang Boqian’s chances of winning against Duke Dingxuan were high.

Thinking of the Song clan, Lin Xitang sighed. If Zhang Boqian became the Fifth Heavenly King, the Song clan might indeed align with him, his greatest political rival.

“Why did your Great Derivative Celestial Formula stagnate at the Star and Moon Resplendence Realm? If you could predict a sixty-year cycle back then, you should know that my path is the correct one.”

Lin Xitang smiled faintly, “Our paths are different. The ability to divine the celestial formula is to defy fate. Otherwise, what use is such power? To be a puppet of the heavens?”

Zhang Boqian was shocked. He had never thought that this former classmate, hailed as the best in the Empire’s astrological techniques, would take such a path.

“Why?!”

“Since I have the Emperor’s trust, I must devote myself to the Empire, serving until my last breath.”

“What is your Empire?” Zhang Boqian asked slowly.

With a wave of his sleeve, the cloud tore into pieces, quickly turning leaden gray, and the sky seemed to spin, forming a massive, gloomy vortex that engulfed Lin Xitang.

Lin Xitang spread his hands, and the dark clouds briefly glowed, stars twinkling like a meteor belt descending from the heavens.

Stars fell like rain, and in the vortex, Lin Xitang stood straight, as sharp as a drawn sword, unbending even if broken.

Zhang Boqian suddenly inhaled deeply, and with a wave, the clouds parted, the moon appeared, and the sky returned to its original tranquility, as if nothing had happened.

His phoenix eyes were filled with fierce arrogance, “I look forward to seeing your path of the Empire!” He turned and faded into the distance.

Lin Xitang watched him go, his clear eyes reflecting the stars and the universe, everything except his own heart.