When three people walk together, there will always be a teacher.
Fan Xian and the little Emperor pushed Sigu Jian and quietly left the tree. Following the long straight path, they entered Dongyi's busiest street. The travelers who had been resting under the tree had long scattered in all directions in shock. Slowly, the scene they had seen earlier reached the ears of many people.
Not many people had discovered who the cripple sitting on the wheel of the chair was. Sigu Jian was Dongyi's god. Not many mortals had seen him before. The pedestrians on the street only felt that the combination of these three people was a little strange. Two very handsome young men were pushing a disabled person in a wheelchair. They didn't look like merchants who were here to buy or sell goods, nor did they look like tourists who came because of the fame.
Fan Xian paid no attention to the gazes around him. He just quietly pushed the wheelchair. His gaze naturally fell on Sigu Jian's shoulder. In the back of his head, he carefully thought back to the Grandmaster realm he had felt under the tree earlier.
He was a person who loved to learn. When he had escorted Xiao En back to Northern Qi, he had not forgotten to ask Xiao En about court matters. Although there was an unspeakable grudge between him and Sigu Jian, their relationship was incomparably complicated and subtle. Since this Great Grandmaster was willing to reveal this realm to him and give him a chance to study it, he would not pass it up.
Even though Sigu Jian's action hid a dangerous murderous intent, Fan Xian still did not want to pass it up. Perhaps for just one day in Dongyi, he was willing to see Sigu Jian as his true teacher.
Of the three of them, only the Northern Qi Emperor's situation was awkward. She seemed to be Sigu Jian's guest, but in reality, she was only a hostage in Fan Xian's hands. At this moment, she was purely a traveling companion. She was unable to understand the silent communication between Sigu Jian and Fan Xian. She could only watch helplessly and say nothing.
After leaving the tree, Sigu Jian did not bring up those profound words again. Fan Xian also did not ask him seriously for guidance. It was as if the two of them had forgotten what they had talked about earlier and what they wanted to do. They only quietly and freely strolled through Dongyi, walking amidst the gazes and whispers of the people around them.
Just as Sigu Jian had said, there were many things that could only be understood and not conveyed. Since it was so, there was no benefit in saying more, so it was better not to say it.
After walking for a while, perhaps Fan Xian noticed the little Emperor's uneasiness. He glanced at her with a slight smile and quietly said something. A strained smile rose to the little Emperor's cold face.
Sigu Jian took the two juniors to some old and run-down buildings. They were the places where the Ye family had made their fortune many years ago. Now, they had long been used for other purposes. The people who lived there would never have thought that the greatest merchant in the world had once lived in these rooms.
Fan Xian knew what Sigu Jian wanted to tell him and what he wanted to influence him, but he maintained his silence. It was not until they reached the Ye family's glass workshop that he quietly asked, "Later on, you became the protector of Dongyi. Why did Ye Qingmei … my mother leave with Uncle Wu Zhu?"
Fan Xian knew that period of history. After Ye Qingmei and Wu Zhu left Dongyi, they did not enter the surrounding vassal states. Instead, they found their way south of Dongyi and north of Danzhou. They found a path between the precipitous cliffs in that wild and primitive forest and went directly to Danzhou.
That path was like a sheep's intestines and heavenly stairs. It was difficult to walk, but it was still a path. During the Dong Mountain incident three years ago, Yan Xiaoyi had used this path to sneak out and surround Dong Mountain with 5,000 soldiers. After the incident, regardless of whether it was the Qing Kingdom or Dongyi, they all invested boundless enthusiasm and caution into this secret path. Both sides placed heavy troops on both ends of the path.
Fan Xian did not care about this path. He only cared about why Ye Qingmei had left Dongyi. By the seaside in Danzhou, Ye Qingmei had met the Emperor, his father, and that old man, Chen Pingping. From then on, the glorious career of the Qing Kingdom's gang of four began.
"At that time, I had just taken over the City Lord's manor. The Sword Hut had just opened." There was an uncontrollable anger in his cold words. "Your mother's departure had nothing to do with whether or not I was powerful. It only had to do with whether or not Dongyi was powerful. She was ambitious. The things she wanted to do had to rely on an even more powerful power in order to spread through the world."
Sigu Jian turned his head and glanced at Fan Xian. In an icy voice, he said, "In her opinion, Dongyi's power was not enough to support her thoughts."
Fan Xian silently pushed the wheelchair. He understood what was going on. Since Ye Qingmei had chosen to enter the world in Dongyi because she pitied the suffering of the people, this idealistic woman who had once shone with boundless light would certainly think of a way to perfect this matter.
Although Dongyi was located by the sea and had gathered all the wealth in the world, it was once a territory of the Wei Kingdom. Its position in the land was not very prominent. Most importantly, the people in Dongyi made their living as merchants. They were more than clever, but they were not very stubborn. If they wanted to create something big and use their own ideals to influence the entire world, Dongyi was, without question, not a good choice.
"Why didn't she go to Northern Qi? Yes, it was the Wei Kingdom. " The Northern Qi Emperor, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly interjected, causing Fan Xian and Sigu Jian to glance at her at the same time. She sighed helplessly and said, "I can't be mute all day."
The reason the little Emperor couldn't resist asking this question was simple. Before hearing today's story, as the Emperor of Northern Qi, she already had a deep understanding of the Ye family, once the foremost family in the world. She had a faint sense of admiration for that Ye woman. Later, after she took over the government, she worked hard to collude with the Qing Kingdom's Jiangnan palace treasury. She knew just how much influence the palace treasury could have on a country.
Thus, she was very regretful and curious as to why Ye Qingmei had not gone to the Wei Kingdom, which was now her own country. If she had gone, perhaps Fan Xian would have been born in Shangjing. Perhaps Northern Qi would not be as difficult as it was now. Of course, the biggest possibility was that Fan Xian would no longer exist in this world.
Fan Xian smiled and explained in front of Sigu Jian, "Back then, the Wei Kingdom controlled the entire land. It was the place where the feudal and decadent powers were most concentrated. Although it is said that a revolution should go to the most difficult place, in reality, it is not realistic. At that time, the Qing Kingdom had already been at war with Xi Hu for many years. The power of the country was beginning to show signs of youth. However, it was only in a corner and did not attract much attention. Additionally, the Qing people's personalities were open and unyielding, so they were more receptive to new things. Thus, it was not surprising that mother chose the Qing Kingdom. "
After saying this, the little Emperor furrowed her brows and shook her head unhappily. She thought to herself, What kind of nonsense is this? How come I clearly understand each word, but when put together, I don't know what he is talking about?
Sigu Jian glanced at Fan Xian and said, "It was for this reason that she left Dongyi and went to the Qing Kingdom. She thought that the heir of the Qing Kingdom would obediently listen to her. When the Qing Kingdom unified the world, it would be the time she changed the world. Who would have thought that the heir would eventually become a true dragon in the world? How could he tolerate someone riding on his body?"
In the end, this Great Grandmaster could not suppress his laughter. There was a hint of joy in his laughter. Fan Xian was slightly angry in his heart. He stared at him coldly.
Sigu Jian did not care about his gaze at all. Coldly, he added, "When I was young, I tasted countless joys and sorrows in the human world. I almost lost my life a number of times. Who knows how many of the servants and wet nurses who raised me died? Once I had power in my hands and my swordsmanship was beginning to form, when I entered the manor of the Master of the City, I was determined to kill for revenge. However, I was stopped by your mother. "
"Since your mother has left Dongyi and gone to the Qing Kingdom, I can kill as I please." Sigu Jian lowered his head slightly. "In one night, I massacred over a hundred people in the manor. In one night, my aura was in chaos, and my realm began to form."
"Of course, after that matter, your mother and I broke off any correspondence. From then on, we were strangers." Sigu Jian gently patted the armrest of the wheelchair. His words were filled with sorrow, hatred, and sharpness.
Fan Xian mockingly said, "Don't tell me that things are still so common. Don't tell me you are also one of my mother's admirers?"
Sigu Jian mockingly said, "No matter how beautiful she was or how capable she was, in my eyes, she was still that little girl under the tree. I have no interest in strange things."
"In this life, I only love the sword in my hand."
…
…
Fan Xian could clearly feel the long-suppressed resentment in Sigu Jian's chest. Perhaps it was a sense of loneliness after being abandoned. Perhaps it was because this Great Grandmaster saw Ye Qingmei's heart-wrenching end but was powerless to change anything.
Sigu Jian had gone to the Qing Royal Palace three times with the intention of assassinating the Qing Emperor. Because of the Grandmaster ace who never appeared in the Royal Palace, he had returned. He could not use his life as a gambling stake. His life represented the countless lives in Dongyi. Yet, he still went to the Qing Kingdom. Just this proved his power.
Why did Sigu Jian want to assassinate the Qing Emperor? In the past, perhaps people thought that under the threat of the Qing Kingdom, Dongyi was like a bird's nest in a storm and could be destroyed at any moment. Thus, this Great Grandmaster who used the sword tried to use his powerful martial power to change the course of history.
After hearing so many stories and seeing so many of the marks Ye Qingmei had left in Dongyi, a different thought suddenly welled up in Fan Xian's heart. Perhaps Sigu Jian wanted to assassinate the Qing Emperor because he was angry at the Qing Emperor for not protecting Ye Qingmei.
… …
The three of them gradually became silent again. It was impossible for Fan Xian to express his gratitude to Sigu Jian for assassinating the Emperor. The little Emperor also could not say to himself that he had a good time today. Sigu Jian's expression also became stern. It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. The two of them didn't disturb him.
The wheelchair rolled along the streets of Dongyi. The creaking was crisp and clear. It was as if it could travel along the long streets all the way to the harbor at the end. It could even travel to the ships and then be taken to other unfamiliar places in this world.
Fan Xian suddenly raised his head. A clear light appeared in his eyes as he scanned his surroundings. What startled him from his thoughts was the clear and terrifying creaking sound beneath him. It was daytime. In his observations two days ago, it should be the busiest time in Dongyi. Merchants selling goods, travelers from afar, and sightseeing guests would all crowd here and make a racket. Why was it so quiet now? Even the creaking of the wheelchair could travel so far?
He looked at the scene in front of him and took a deep breath. His face was slightly pale. His heart was filled with shock. The expression of the Northern Qi Emperor, who was pushing the wheelchair beside him, also changed slightly. Although she had seen such a scene countless times in her life, suddenly seeing it today still made her feel indescribably shocked.
There was not a single person on the street. There wasn't even a scrap of paper. There were only green stone slabs, pieced together into the distance.
All of the merchants and travelers were squeezed under the eaves on the two sides of the street. They knelt on the ground and bowed toward the center of the clean street, not moving at all.
The little Emperor knew that these foreign people were not bowing to her. They could only be bowing to the Great Grandmaster in the wheelchair. She couldn't resist looking at Sigu Jian's shoulder with a questioning gaze. Only now did she know that Sigu Jian's position in the hearts of the Dongyi people was even higher than that of an Emperor.
There were no soldiers to suppress them or open up a path. Everyone prostrated to the ground and bowed toward Sigu Jian in the wheelchair. It was like they were looking at the god in their hearts as they slowly walked toward the end of the street.
Everyone in the world knew that this Great Grandmaster was about to die. Not many people in Dongyi had seen this Great Grandmaster's true face. During these two years, they still couldn't help but feel terrified and uneasy.
Particularly now that they had truly seen the Great Grandmaster in the wheelchair, endless sorrow grew in the hearts of the Dongyi people. They knew that it was this crippled person in the wheelchair who had used the sword in his hand to protect their wealth, their freedom, and the decades of peace in their homes.
A sense of shame even grew in their hearts. They felt that it was shameful to live under the protection of the sword saint for so many years. The sword saint was tired and old.
A god gradually grew old and would eventually die. Just like the sun across the street, there would be a moment when it would sink into endless darkness.
…
…
It looked like the moment under the tree had finally spread and startled all of the people in Dongyi. They knew that the sword saint had finally come out of the Hut and had come among them. That was why they were prostrating on the ground and feeling sorrow in their hearts. They were making this final farewell to express their gratitude.
Fan Xian looked at this scene and felt a strange doubt in his heart. How did these people know that the person in the wheelchair was Sigu Jian? There was no time to think. He had already sensed the powerful aura emanating from Sigu Jian's small body. It was an aura that pushed people thousands of li away. It was an aura of absolute coldness.
It was a completely different aura from the tens of thousands of people prostrating on the sides of the long street.
Fan Xian was silent. He knew that this Great Grandmaster was giving him a second lesson. He didn't use words, only his actions. He used the shocking and sorrowful scene on the long street to tell him that in order to enter the realm of a Great Grandmaster, he not only had to take off his clothes, but he also had to abandon his emotions.
It was not that he was heartless. Sigu Jian's feelings for this large city were probably already very deep, which was why he appeared so cold and heartless. He was somewhat dismissive of the emotions the people of the secular world poured into him.
"Emotions are very precious things, but they are also very cheap things," Sigu Jian said for the first time on the long street. These were Sigu Jian's first words on the long street. "If you have feelings for something, then you cannot be controlled by this feeling."
"And this is your mother's biggest problem."
Fan Xian and the little Emperor were deep in thought as they pushed the wheelchair forward under the worshipful gazes of tens of thousands of people. The creaking of the wheelchair grew louder and more ear-piercing.
Then, the wheelchair stopped in front of a beautiful building. It was the manor of the Master of the City that Fan Xian had come to yesterday.
"What are we doing here?" Fan Xian asked respectfully.
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