Volume One: Turmoil over Yan and Yun Chapter 113: Love Between Life and Death

This was not the first time Li Jinxing and Dou Xiaotong had discussed this topic.

Long ago, when Yama first fell, Li Jinxing had already provided his answer. He was uncertain about the consequences of killing Feng Yang; if it could resolve the crisis, that would be one thing, but he feared the outcome would be the opposite of his intentions.

It sounded reasonable, but since Dou Xiaotong had asked for a second time, there was only one explanation: he did not believe Li Jinxing’s words, no matter how plausible they seemed.

Li Jinxing offered a bitter smile. "Is there any possibility you could believe even a little bit?"

Dou Xiaotong shook his head. "Being hesitant and overthinking—that is my way of thinking. You are different from me; you are more decisive. When you proposed the extinction of half the human race back then, you presented the implementation plan at the same time, which is enough to prove your swift and resolute nature."

Li Jinxing asked, "Is there any other reason?"

Dou Xiaotong shook his head again. "I am not a tapeworm in your belly; how could I guess everything?" He paused, then continued, "But my intuition has always been accurate. Even without the reason I just mentioned, if my intuition tells me you are lying, I will not believe you."

Li Jinxing sighed softly. "It comes down to the 'Heart of Heaven' after all."

He and Dou Xiaotong had nearly split the fortune of the Ji Palace, but the abilities derived from it differed somewhat. Li Jinxing’s calculations were flawless—this was the "Calculation of Heaven." Dou Xiaotong’s thoughts were clear and transparent—this was the "Heart of Heaven."

This was why Dou Xiaotong never needed to immerse himself in techniques like "Instant Insight," for no lie could escape his intuition. It was also for this reason that the Xiaoyao Pavilion had stood for a thousand years without its reputation faltering. One must understand that for an intelligence-trafficking organization, accuracy and timeliness are rarely synchronized; one often loses the other. To prioritize accuracy, one must spend time verifying information, thus delaying it. To prioritize speed, one cannot verify the information provided by sellers, thus lacking accuracy.

The fact that the Xiaoyao Pavilion could balance both points naturally stemmed from its uniqueness, though few in the Divine Empire knew that this "uniqueness" was merely Dou Xiaotong himself.

"I have some thoughts regarding him, so I cannot move against him for now," Li Jinxing added. "Of course, what I told you earlier is also one of the reasons."

Dou Xiaotong asked, "Risk?"

Li Jinxing nodded. "You know, I value that quite a bit."

Dou Xiaotong said, "Then what if I go and kill him?"

Li Jinxing shook his head. "You won't."

Dou Xiaotong raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that although he was often hesitant, he was not incapable of decisive action.

Li Jinxing glanced at him. "If you don’t want the Master of Daoming Temple to fight you to the death, it is best not to act rashly."

Dou Xiaotong thought that he might not necessarily fear the Master of Daoming Temple, even if the latter had reached the half-step to the Heavens. However, the Xiaoyao Pavilion was ultimately no match for Mount Taixuan. Since that was the case, he had to let it go.

He looked toward Yanbei and sighed. Li Jinxing followed his gaze and sighed as well. Dou Xiaotong thought to himself that he was sighing for the four hundred million people of Yanbei and its vast landscape, but what was he sighing for?

Before Dou Xiaotong could ask, Li Jinxing spoke first. "I still haven't figured out how you persuaded Feng Changkong, or why he would agree to your plan."

Dou Xiaotong smiled without saying a word.

Li Jinxing pondered for a moment and said, "Given his temperament, if the time had truly come to sacrifice himself for the country, I could understand him taking the lead. But to have him sacrifice the entirety of Yanbei, to hand over such vast territory and such a broad domain—that truly surprises me."

If even he felt surprised, let alone Yang Wanli.

Yang Wanli truly had not realized that the Yanbei campaign’s string of victories was intertwined with the Divine Emperor’s conspiracy. In his view, every step taken had no strategic flaws. Although the pace was not fast, it was steady, and the world’s foremost generals had gained little advantage against him. While there was indeed a gap in strength between the attacker and the defender, his own strategy had played a significant role.

The Bohai Rebellion was clearly aimed at the throne. The Underworld was powerful, and the fall of Wuyang was a foregone conclusion. He had an agreement with the Underworld: once Wuyang fell, no one would be spared. By then, the royal family would be decimated, and only two people in the world would have the capability to vie for the throne. The Crown Prince was weak and still young; there were many ways to deal with him.

The King of Bohai could logically ascend the throne and then launch a campaign to "restore the nation," bringing the Divine Empire into his territory. Once the world changed, the atmosphere would naturally follow. He was very confident in persuading Wolong Island. The addition of the Southern Sea Demon Race would greatly compensate for the losses in this internal strife, and the capital to resist the Demon Race would increase rather than decrease.

After that, when the Demon Race marched south, regardless of victory or defeat, he could fulfill his master's ambition through the war and largely avenge his two seniors. The script was perfect, with no discrepancies—except for the estimation of Wuyang City.

He had not expected the Divine Emperor to be so powerful, achieving such a victory even without the presence of the Fengshen Guard. Fortunately, a major figure at the Harmony Realm had fallen from the royal family, and through his death, the root of this great victory had been revealed to the world. If Wuyang still possessed someone at the Heavenly Realm, his subsequent plans would have had no chance of unfolding. That was a realm even his master had not reached, a realm that, on the surface, was on par with the Demon Lord.

However, the defeat of the Underworld was not entirely a bad thing. From now on, it would be much easier for him to control the Underworld.

As he thought of these things, the outer city of Wuyang was finally breached. A barbarian giant stepped over the chaotic wood and rubble of the city walls, truly entering the outer city. A spear was lodged in his neck, and blood flowed out in a steady stream. He died the moment he stepped inside, but he had entered nonetheless. Since the founding of the Dugu Divine Empire, he was the first barbarian to set foot in Yanyun. He was very happy, dying with a smile on his face. Behind him, countless barbarian soldiers surged in like a tide.

Pan Chen had lost half his body; he held his blade with his only remaining hand, struggling several times but unable to stand. Beside him, Momo glared with wide eyes, filled with anger. Looking further, his field of vision was filled with the corpses of Yanbei soldiers. They died with their eyes wide open.

In the setting sun and residual blood, Pan Chen spat out his final mouthful of blood. His right hand loosened slightly, and his heavy blade hit the ground with a crisp sound.

"My Lord... I fear this subordinate... is no longer capable of protecting Yanbei..." He murmured, then closed his eyes. There were already too many who had died with regrets. If possible, let him guide the fallen heroic spirits toward the Return to Ruins.

Duo Magan rode a tall horse at the very front. The streets on both sides had been destroyed by catapults and other equipment during the siege. Combined with the blade light that Li Shouli had used to cleave the heavens, the entire Yanyun city was reduced to ruins.

Right, there was still the inner city. The problem was, the formations were broken, the main city was destroyed, and morale was shattered—what could the inner city do? Strategic depth was a concern, but since absolute strength had been demonstrated, no problem was truly a problem.

Feng Muyun... old friend... I am here. I have come to kill you.

...

"There are fewer than a thousand soldiers left who can fight, and morale is shattered... My Lord, are you really not considering a retreat?"

Hearing this, Feng Muyun smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but swallowed a mouthful of wind and snow, choking him into a long fit of coughing until tears streamed down.

"The Eighteen Cavalry have all fallen; it is time for me, the Prince of Yanbei, to follow." He forcefully suppressed the foreign sensation and soreness in his throat, continuing, "Besides, I have retreated all the way from Yufeng Pass to Yanyun. I really do not want to retreat anymore. If I am to die, let me die in my homeland."

He chuckled softly. "Perhaps my blood can touch this yellow sand one last time."

As soon as he finished speaking, he began to cough again. This time, what he coughed up was no longer tears. It was blood. Blinding blood.

Yun Wanyan was by his side and reached out to help him, but Feng Muyun waved his hand to stop her, smiling. "Save your strength; you will need it to kill the enemy later. There is no need to waste it on me."

Yun Wanyan was slightly stunned, then flew into a rage. "If I don't act now, you won't even live until then!" As a physician, she naturally knew how dire Feng Muyun's condition was. Simply put, the fact that he could stand there, in front of all the soldiers, was a medical miracle.

In the past, Feng Muyun would never have dared to disagree when Yun Wanyan was angry, but perhaps on the verge of death, he wanted to be willful just once.

"Didn't you want to accompany me to roar at the vicissitudes of life?" He smiled. "If you collapse here from exhaustion, that can hardly be called accompanying me to roar at the vicissitudes."

Yun Wanyan was stunned again, then said angrily, "I don't care if you die!"

Feng Muyun looked at her, his eyes very gentle. Yun Wanyan felt a bit flustered.

"You look beautiful," Feng Muyun said.

The deputy general standing by, waiting for orders, looked at the dust in the distance as if he had heard nothing, but the way his hand tightened on his blade betrayed a great deal.

Yun Wanyan said with shame and anger, "What are you saying? We are in the middle of a war."

Feng Muyun said earnestly, "You look beautiful when you are at war."

Yun Wanyan finally gave in, rolling her eyes at him. "Decades have passed and you are still the same, only knowing how to use flowery words to make me happy."

Feng Muyun was somewhat shameless. "As long as you are happy, what are mere flowery words?"

Yun Wanyan looked at him quietly, the right corner of her mouth curling up slightly against the setting sun. She smiled at him just as she had when they first met.

Feng Muyun looked at her quietly as well, though his gaze was somewhat evasive. He felt shy toward her, just as he had when they first met. Yet, shy as he was, he remained the one to take the initiative. He stepped forward, facing her, though his eyes drifted to who knows where.

"I am... I am the Heir of Yanbei, Feng Muyun. Young lady... may I ask your name?"

Yun Wanyan looked at him. Though he was right before her eyes, her vision blurred.

"Muyun... I'm afraid."

"I am here. Don't be afraid."

"Muyun, can I marry you again in the next life?"

"Then you must remember what I look like, otherwise what will you do if you forget me?"

"Muyun..."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."