With that, Duke Wu turned to look at Chen Zhou and gave a deep bow.
“Thank you, My Lord, for your willingness to show mercy to our Tianchi Province.”
The witch doctors and healers behind him followed suit, bowing in unison.
Chen Zhou spoke calmly, “There is no need for such ceremony.”
Duke Wu shook his head slightly and said earnestly, “My Lord, on behalf of all the deceased of Tianchi Province, I thank you.”
“Thank you for avenging us, thank you for saving our descendants, and thank you for giving Tianchi Province new hope.”
Chen Zhou waved a hand. “No need. I had my own purposes; saving them was merely incidental.”
Duke Wu countered, “It may have been incidental to you, but to Tianchi Province, it is a grace akin to rebirth.”
“If not for you, I do not know how much longer Tianchi Province would have languished in darkness. My Mingchan Clan of the Witch Ministry would likely have hidden underground until our extinction.”
“If not for you, I would never have seen Old Man Purity and Filth again in this life.”
“I have nothing else to offer in return, so I can only kowtow to you.”
As he spoke, he truly knelt and performed three kowtows.
The people behind him followed his lead, kneeling and kowtowing three times as well.
Watching this, Jing Hui’s eyes reddened once more.
Duke Wu said helplessly, “You old fellow, crying again?”
He sighed, walked over, and stood before Jing Hui.
“Alright, stop crying.”
“We are leaving now. You must live well on your own. Do not blame yourself anymore; no one blames you.”
“You weren't like this in the past, old man.”
“You used to be so majestic, so domineering, a man of your word.”
“How did you end up like this?”
Jing Hui gave a bitter smile. “I have grown old.”
Duke Wu shook his head. “It is not that you are old, but that your heart has softened.”
“But that is fine. Only with a soft heart can one avoid doing wrong.”
Having said that, he turned to look at the Mingchan flying and singing.
“They sing well. The Mingchan clan has worthy successors.”
He slowly paced forward, and the people behind him followed.
At the edge of the Buddhist light, Duke Wu stopped and glanced back at Jing Hui.
“Old thing, I’ll go on ahead. You take your time; there’s no rush.”
“Take care.”
Jing Hui nodded forcefully. “Take care.”
Duke Wu smiled, then turned and stepped out of the Buddhist light.
With a flash of golden light, his figure dissolved into the air.
The members of the Medical Ministry and Witch Ministry followed him, vanishing one by one.
Then, the souls of the final batch of offerings were restored to their original forms. Duke Wen appeared after Duke Wu, leading a group of civil officials.
Standing half a step behind Duke Wen was a woman in a pink dress. She had delicate features and a gentle temperament, though her eyes held a faint sense of detachment.
Once Duke Wen grew accustomed to his free soul-body, he composed himself and took the initiative to greet Jing Hui. “My Lord, it has been a long time.”
His voice was mild, like a spring breeze.
Jing Hui struggled to calm himself. “It has been a long time.”
Duke Wen smiled, then turned his gaze toward Tao Tuantuan.
Tao Tuantuan looked embarrassed, keeping her head low and not daring to look at him.
“Tuantuan.”
“Master.”
Duke Wen sighed.
“How... did you die?”
Tao Tuantuan remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Master, please don’t ask.”
“I... was killed by Wan Xiu.”
Duke Wen closed his eyes. It was a long time before he opened them again.
“I knew it.”
“With your temperament, you would certainly have risked your life to avenge me.”
“But how could you be a match for Wan Xiu?”
“You’ve been stubborn since you were a child. Once you set your mind on something, nine oxen couldn't pull you back. How many times did I tell you?”
Listening to Duke Wen’s nagging, Tao Tuantuan couldn't help but give a sweet smile.
“Master, please stop. Tuantuan knows she was wrong.”
Duke Wen sighed. “You know you were wrong, but you’d never change, would you?”
Tao Tuantuan just kept smiling, offering no defense.
Seeing her like this, Duke Wen felt both exasperated and heartbroken. He then turned to ask Jing Hui what had happened in the years since his death.
Feeling guilty toward Duke Wen, Jing Hui didn't know where to begin.
In the end, it was Chen Zhou who spoke, briefly recounting Tao Tuantuan’s story so that Duke Wen could understand what she had endured all these years.
After listening, Duke Wen fell silent for a long time.
Tao Tuantuan kept her head bowed, not daring to meet his eyes.
Duke Wen walked over and reached out, gently patting her head.
“Silly girl.”
“You’ve suffered.”
Tao Tuantuan replied with a smile, “Master, please don’t say that.”
“Tuantuan lost her parents at a young age. It was you who took me in and raised me.”
“You taught me to read and write, taught me the principles of governing a state, and the way of an official.”
“You said that although the Peach Clan is not good at fighting, we can use wisdom to protect our people.”
“You said that a scholar’s pen is no worse than a warrior’s blade.”
“You also said that Tianchi Province needs someone to remember history, to remember those who bled for this land.”
“Tuantuan remembers it all.”
Her voice grew soft as she continued.
“Wasn't Tuantuan just following Master’s teachings? To never forget the national hatred?”
Looking at her, Duke Wen’s tears finally fell.
“Tuantuan, you...”
Tao Tuantuan walked over and took his arm, just as she had when she was a child.
“Master, please don’t cry.”
“Tuantuan is all grown up now and can take care of herself.”
“Go in peace. Tuantuan will be coming soon as well.”
Duke Wen shook his head through his tears. “No, don’t come... you...”
Tao Tuantuan smiled but said nothing more.
She turned her head and glanced at Chen Zhou on the high platform.
In her eyes, there was gratitude, relief, and something else that was hard to define.
Tao Tuantuan knew that in this life, she owed this Lord her life—the kind of debt that finally allowed her to close her eyes after a thousand years of despair.
She withdrew her gaze and held her master’s hand, feeling the slight trembling of that aged hand.
Her master was old and had been dead for a thousand years.
But the soul standing beside her was exactly as she remembered him.
White-haired, lean-faced, and elegant.
Those eyes were still so sharp, as if they could see through everything.
Tao Tuantuan lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
It wasn't because of fear.
It was because of guilt.
Tao Tuantuan had always known that her master hoped she would inherit his mantle, achieve high rank, and contribute her strength to Tianchi Province.
“Tuantuan, you are exceptionally gifted. In time, you will surely become a great talent.”
“Tuantuan, the greatest achievement of my life was not the articles I wrote or the documents I approved, but taking you as my disciple.”
“Tuantuan, the future of Tianchi Province depends on your younger generation.”
Every time her master said these things, Tao Tuantuan would nod with a smile and say, “Don’t worry, Master, Tuantuan will definitely work hard.”
But in her heart, she knew she didn't actually have such grand ideals or ambitions.
She admired Duke Martial.
She admired how he could remember the name of every soldier and treat the mother of every fallen warrior as his own.
She also admired Duke Wu.
She admired how he could commune with heaven and earth through the song of the Mingchan, how he could seek a sliver of life for Tianchi Province, and how he could stand on the sacrificial altar with his entire clan, setting aside life and death.
But Tao Tuantuan knew she couldn't do it.
She couldn't be like Duke Martial, watching the people around her fall one by one and still say with a smile that it didn't hurt.
She couldn't be like Duke Wu, handing her life over to the heavens and calmly accepting any outcome.
They were self-sacrificing, they cared for the world, and they held the safety of Tianchi Province higher than their own lives.
She wasn't that great; she was just an ordinary person.
An ordinary person who was a bit clever and had a bit of ability, but was selfish to the bone.
If not for her Wenchang destiny, if not for being able to see things in words that others couldn't, she would probably have been just a plain little girl in the Peach Clan, picking mushrooms every day, soaking in the sun, and drifting through life.
She wasn't that smart, wasn't that capable, and didn't have such great love.
She never thought about saving the common people, never thought about having her name recorded in history, and never thought about being some extraordinary figure.
She only wanted to stay by her master’s side to help him with his burdens, so he wouldn't have to work so hard.
When her master reviewed documents late into the night, she would accompany him, pouring tea and grinding ink.
When her master held meetings with officials from various cities and villages, she would sit nearby, listening quietly and occasionally chiming in to point out problems others missed.
When her master fell ill, she would stay by his bed, feeding him medicine, wiping his sweat, and telling jokes to make him happy.
Her master was her only relative, the person she cared about most in the world, and she wanted to protect him.
It was that simple.
So when Wan Xiu killed her master, Tao Tuantuan had only one thought in her mind.
Revenge.
Her master taught her never to forget the national hatred, taught her to take the common people’s well-being as her responsibility, and taught her to fight for the future of Tianchi Province.
She understood all those principles.
But everything she did, in the end, was only to settle a personal grudge.
Her master died at the hands of Wan Xiu, died in the underground prison, died in the fire.
The old peach tree that grew toward the sun was burned alive.
By the time Tao Tuantuan learned this news, it was already hundreds of years later.
At that time, she had just recovered her memories from Wan Xiu’s refinement and learned the truth.
She had knelt on the ground, crying her heart out.
Then she wiped her tears and began her revenge.
She stayed in the underground city for eight hundred years, pretending to be Wan Xiu’s pawn, helping him cultivate offerings.
For eight hundred years, she acted every single day.
She acted for Wan Xiu, for Qing Lu, and for the little demons of the underground city.
She smiled, she was kind, she was gentle; she was like a caring big sister, looking after every little demon.
But her heart had long since died.
It died on the day her master died.
She hated Wan Xiu with a passion.
But she also knew that hating Wan Xiu alone wasn't enough.
Jing Hui also bore responsibility for her master’s death.
Even though Jing Hui had gone mad at the time, even though Jing Hui had devoured the Golden Buddha for the sake of all Tianchi Province, even though Jing Hui was also a victim of Wan Xiu.
Tao Tuantuan understood all these reasons.
Her Wenchang destiny allowed her to see the truth through words and distinguish between truth and lies.
She knew Jing Hui was acting against his will; she knew he was also a victim.
But emotionally, she still couldn't control her resentment toward him.
If Jing Hui hadn't gone mad, if he hadn't slaughtered the Royal Capital, if he could have protected the Three Dukes, perhaps her master wouldn't have died.
This thought had dwelled in Tao Tuantuan’s heart for hundreds of years.
She knew it was unfair, she knew it was misplaced anger, but she couldn't control it.
Every time she thought of her master, she would think of Jing Hui.
She would think of the high-spirited Master of the Province standing on the platform.
She would think of the madman with blood-red eyes who killed everyone in sight after devouring the Golden Buddha.
So Tao Tuantuan also hated him, hated him for eight hundred years.
But now, it didn't matter anymore.
She had met a Lord who descended from the heavens and helped her complete her plan for revenge.
Her eight hundred years of enduring humiliation, her eight hundred years of patient suffering, and her eight hundred years of blood and tears finally had a result.
She could finally close her eyes.
Moreover, she had seen her master again.
Her master was still the same—stern and unsmiling, sighing whenever he saw her.
But Tao Tuantuan knew her master was pained for her, that he loved her.
She was finally reunited with him.
She was still her master’s proudest student.
Even though she hadn't earned any official honors, hadn't become a high-ranking official, and hadn't achieved anything earth-shattering.
But she had avenged her master.
She used the skills her master taught her, the power her Wenchang destiny gave her, and eight hundred years of time to set a trap.
A trap that ensured Wan Xiu would die without a place to be buried.
Never forget the national hatred, but one must also settle the family feud.
Smiling, Tao Tuantuan took Duke Wen’s arm and slowly began to dissolve along with him and the civil officials behind him.
Tao Tuantuan’s body began to fade, starting from her feet, bit by bit.
She wasn't afraid, nor was she flustered.
Because her master was by her side, and she could finally rest.
She knew that once she fell into this sleep, the next time she woke up, she would be in a place without plagues, without Wan Xiu, and without hatred.
There would be her master, her fellow Peach Clan members, blue skies, white clouds, and warm sunshine.
She would live there quietly.
Picking mushrooms, soaking in the sun, and drifting through life.
Just as she had always wanted.
The Buddhist light flared, the sound of the Rebirth Mantra drowning out the Ode of the Three Dukes, turning the stone forest into a dazzling field of gold.
Then the golden glow faded. All the souls of the offerings had departed for the afterlife, leaving only Jing Hui standing forlornly on the high platform, his tears flowing uncontrollably.
Chen Zhou glanced at the system panel with interest, then spoke words of encouragement. “Don’t be sad. Perhaps you will see them again soon.”
Jing Hui was startled and looked at Chen Zhou.
“My Lord, what do you mean by that?”
Chen Zhou smiled and didn't explain.
Jing Hui didn't ask further, taking a deep breath and pulling himself together.
“Yes. I will be dissipating soon anyway, and then I can go see them.”
Having said that, he gathered his final strength. An earthy yellow light erupted from his body and spread in all directions.
“Great—Plague—Heaven—”
In an instant, the filth energy from across Tianchi Province surged frantically toward the stone forest. Wrapped in the yellow light, it poured into Jing Hui’s body.
Seeing this, Nie Chaoxi immediately spread pure water ripples, joining Jing Hui’s Great Plague Heaven.
The water ripples and the earthy yellow light intertwined, abruptly accelerating the purification of the filth.
Plague Rat also rushed over, dark green mist billowing from his body to join the technique.
Su Xue held up her orchid phantom, the white petals swaying in the wind and releasing a faint fragrance to assist Jing Hui.
The various lights intertwined, forming a brilliant sea of light within the stone forest.
Standing in the center of the sea of light, Jing Hui experienced a final burst of terminal lucidity, his power surging to the peak of a half-step Siming expert.
He frantically absorbed the filth of Tianchi Province.
Grayish-black filth energy surged from cracks in the ground, fell from the clouds in the sky, and converged from afar, all pouring into Jing Hui’s body.
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