The great snake was throwing itself against the formation with frenzied violence.
The bamboo forest that once stood before the formation had long since been leveled to the ground. Not a single blade of grass remained; layers of fresh soil covered one another, punctuated by several dark pits that led straight underground. Evidently, the great snake had attempted to bypass the barrier from below.
Unfortunately for it, once the formation was raised, it did more than just block the paths of the sky; it sealed the ways of the earth as well.
Nangong Ning gritted her teeth, blood constantly staining the corners of her mouth as she struggled to maintain the defense. In her phoenix-like eyes, tears were beginning to well.
There was no longer any movement from the battlefield behind her. The seven streaks of sword aura had departed for the Northern Borders. Though she could not see it, the truth was already clear in her heart.
Little Grand-Uncle and the others were dead. She was the only one left.
Two days of turmoil, a single night of cataclysmic change, multiple brushes with death—after all this slaughter, she still could not change the fate of failure. This was not the first mission she had accepted, nor was it the most brutal battle she had ever fought. But it was the one where she felt the most powerless.
In the past, even in the battle to eradicate the Demon Grotto—where the enemy's experts were as numerous as clouds and the situation was so dire it seemed a certain death trap—there would always be elders from the sect who stepped forward, leading the charge and shielding them.
In this mission, though she was not the most senior in rank, she was the one with the most experience and the highest cultivation realm. By rights, she should have been the one protecting them. Yet, in the end, she was the only one who remained alive, even if her own life was likely coming to its end.
She feared death, but she did not shrink from it. Having lived for several hundred years within the Wendao Sword Sect, she had long since prepared herself to die for the sect. Throughout the millions of years, when had blood not been shed? The apparent peace and tranquility of the Northern Borders had been bought with the lives and blood of the Wendao Sword Sect’s ancestors.
Someone always had to carry the heavy burden. Since ancient times, who among men could avoid death?
She was simply unwilling to accept this. She blamed herself for not doing enough, for underestimating the enemy, and for allowing things to reach this state. Because of her, Little Grand-Uncle had fallen in the Southern Borders before his brilliance could even be revealed to the world, dying at the hands of nameless nobodies.
Whether out of personal emotion or the sect values she had been immersed in since childhood, she could not forgive herself. Hot tears blurred her vision.
If she could, she truly wanted to wail aloud.
'Little Grand-Uncle, I failed you. I failed the sect...'
Between the hissing, tyrannical snake, the glowing blood-red formation flags, and the girl who was about to exhaust her very life force, this night was destined to be unforgettable.
Min Zhan appeared behind Nangong Ning at some unknown point. Sensing the movement, Nangong Ning looked back, a murderous intent growing unrestrained in her eyes.
"You traitorous dog!"
Min Zhan stopped beside her, his expression calm. He thrust his mountain-cleaving blade into the ground and rested his hand on the hilt. Gazing up at the great snake through the walls of the formation, a flicker of light occasionally passed through his deep eyes.
He murmured to himself, "What a massive king snake. A pity it has the form but lacks the sapience. It is merely a slightly larger beast. What kind of storm could it truly stir..."
Nangong Ning knit her brows, staring intently at the red-robed, one-armed veteran beside her. Her gaze was bone-chillingly cold.
Min Zhan turned to look at her, and with just one glance, he shook his head and smiled. "Girl, you don’t need to look at me like that. Since I have come, you certainly won’t be surviving. I will slay this great snake for you; you can go in peace to reunite with your colleagues."
Nangong Ning let out a cold, raspy laugh. "Heh... I simply didn't expect the legendary Min Zhan to be like this. It is truly disappointing!"
Min Zhan continued to watch the great snake before him, asking with interest, "Oh? Then what did you think I would be like?"
Nangong Ning said in a low voice, "'Gazing at the southern stars, sword in hand; a lifetime of worry for the nation's sake.' You should have been a great hero. Even in your twilight years, your ambition should not have faded, and your original heart should have remained unchanged. You should be the one whose sword defends ten thousand miles of territory and whose brush brings peace to every household..."
Min Zhan burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Nangong Ning continued, her voice now filled with mockery. "In reality, you are a sanctimonious hypocrite, an old beast who brings calamity upon the common people. For the sake of your own selfish desires, you have committed such monstrous sins..."
After listening, Min Zhan gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Little girl, this old man has lived for over six hundred years and served three generations of wise lords. I have fought countless battles throughout my life; what kind of scene have I not witnessed? What point is there in saying these things now? To me, they are nothing more than the empty reputations of the mortal world. I saw through them long ago. Prestige, reputation, the original heart... these are things only your Wendao Sword Sect cares about. Others might not."
Nangong Ning smiled with disdain, her voice weak. "How grand you make it sound. If you truly saw through things so clearly, then why are you doing all this? What are you after?"
Min Zhan pondered for a moment. "A general should either be a guardian, defending the nation’s gates, or a conqueror, expanding the borders. A minister, on the other hand, should repay his sovereign with unwavering loyalty. I have been a general for six hundred years, and though I have not won an inch of new land, my loyalty as a minister is as clear as the sun and moon. My current lord is gifted in both civil and military arts, harboring great ambitions to swallow the mountains and rivers and establish an unprecedented empire. Naturally, I must exert my life’s strength to assist him."
Nangong Ning questioned, "So, the person behind you is the current sovereign of Yecheng, Sima Wuxie?"
"Whether it is or isn't no longer matters. After all, you are already a dead person," Min Zhan said.
Nangong Ning laughed in anger. "My Wendao Sword Sect has protected Yecheng for ten thousand years. When have we ever wronged the people of Yecheng? When has the sect ever mistreated the Sima lineage? Heh... Truly an ungrateful wolf that can never be tamed."
Anger flared in Min Zhan's eyes, and his tone sharpened. "You may speak of me as you wish, but you shall not speak ill of my lord."
Nangong Ning simply found it hilarious. She finally understood. Mockingly, she said:
"A wise minister chooses a wise lord to serve, but your master is nothing but trash—a fool. My Wendao Sword Sect has stood in the Northern Borders for ten thousand years. Beast beasts were driven to the Great Desolation, the demon race was suppressed in the Demon Abyss, and spirits and evils dare not show their faces. Throughout the entire Fanzhou, those who wish to swallow my Wendao Sword Sect are as numerous as the stars, and the Three Sects are no exception. But have you ever seen anyone actually succeed? Who has even dared to draw their sword? With your tiny Yecheng, thinking you can destroy my Wendao Sword Sect is a pipe dream. How utterly ridiculous! Hahaha!"
Surprisingly, Min Zhan did not argue.
The words were coarse, but the logic was sound.
Reality was indeed thus.
But ask yourself:
In this world, which king does not wish to expand his borders and build an eternal legacy?
Which king can allow others to ride over his head and keep him in check?
The Wendao Sword Sect was like a shield, indestructible, protecting the entire Northern Borders within it.
But the Wendao Sword Sect was also a sword hanging over the one hundred and eight cities of the Northern Borders.
If a king sinned, the sword would fall to execute him without negotiation.
I ask you:
What king in the world can endure a sword hanging over his head every moment of every day?
How can one allow another to sleep soundly beside one's own bed?
Min Zhan took a deep breath and said slowly:
"My lord is young and does not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. He is also somewhat foolish. However, I believe he will understand and see clearly eventually. People need to grow, do they not? A king is also a human, so it is the same for him. You needn't worry yourself; I will cover for him. As long as I live, I can ensure his safety."
"This is blind loyalty. You are not only harming yourself, you are harming him," Nangong Ning said.
Min Zhan smiled. How could he not know? Yet the previous king's entrustment still rang in his ears. In this life, he was fortunate that the Sima family had recognized his worth and bestowed their favor upon him; only then did the Min Zhan of today exist.
The logic of the Wendao Sword Sect was merely logic; it could not explain the rights and wrongs, the favors and grudges of this world.
"Loyalty is loyalty. There is no such thing as blind loyalty."
He pulled the mountain-cleaving blade from the ground, his tone turning vicious.
"Let it end here, little girl. You can go explain your logic to the King of Hell..."
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