The oil lamp in the tavern went out. The Lord Warden Commander stood up and glanced outside the door. The tavern was already in a mess.
A woman walked out from the backyard, looking at this martial artist who was akin to the noonday sun in the Great Liang Dynasty, and was silent.
The Lord Warden Commander turned to the woman and suddenly asked, "Are you also an old acquaintance implicated by that old incident?"
The woman nodded numbly and then asked, "Does the Lord Warden Commander want to kill me and eradicate the roots?"
There was no emotion in her eyes, appearing somewhat indifferent. She had lived in the Divine Capital for over a decade. If she feared death, she would not have stayed here for so long and would have left long ago.
The Lord Warden Commander narrowed his eyes, showing no intention of killing this woman. He had personally experienced that old incident, and he knew that many people were affected for no reason. However, every time a new ruler ascended to the throne, there were always necessary actions to secure the throne, especially someone like the Great Liang Emperor, who seized the throne from his nephew. If he did not display thunderous means, the throne would not have been secure.
"There are many aggrieved people in the world. Those who cause grievances don't always express apologies to those who suffer them. Even if they do, it's not guaranteed that the victims will accept. Injustice is common, and everyone sees it differently. Some people think maintaining the status quo is enough, while others are always thinking about revenge. This warden can be considered half-a-friend to this Lord Song. Back then, most scholars in this Divine Capital felt that this warden was merely a martial artist; unfit for higher circles. Only he would invite this warden into his manor for a cup of tea..."
The woman interrupted him, bluntly asking, "So, Lord Warden Commander killed him just like this?"
The Lord Warden Commander glanced in a certain direction and sighed, "Do you think he could leave the Divine Capital alive? Today, if I didn't come, someone else would have come. Since the moment he decided to step into the Divine Capital, he was a dead man. Nepenthe Realm sounds intimidating, but it's not that formidable."
"If this warden didn't kill him, someone else will, and he will die either way."
The woman was silent. She did not quite understand the intricacies of politics and schemes. She lacked the courage to take action again after her family's destruction. Her only solace was to lock herself in here day after day to find a moment of peace.
"Live well. It's better not to have any ideas."
The Lord Warden Commander glanced at the woman and was about to leave when he suddenly turned back, looking at her, "If possible, help to bury Lord Song's corpse."
At this moment, the Lord Warden Commander was still willing to address this deceased Song Yingxu as Lord Song. Despite being the one who came to kill him, it was a nod to the semi-friendship between them.
The woman did not say anything. But as the Lord Warden Commander walked away, a gust of wind suddenly blew in. The oil lamp which was already dim on the table, completely extinguished at this moment.
……
……
At midnight, this young couple set off firecrackers in the courtyard, and the sound echoed far in the empty academy. At this moment, the Divine Capital was teeming with lights and filled with laughter and joy everywhere. However, in the academy, it was eerily desolate.
After the firecrackers were set off, midnight had passed, marking the beginning of the new year. Xie Nandu returned to the house, and began to read under that oil lamp. Occasionally, she would look out of the window. Tonight, the heavy snowflakes were drifting, creating a rather beautiful scene.
Chen Chao sat in a chair, leaning against the window sill, gazing at the snow-filled sky. His fingers kept stroking the cold hilt of his saber. With the arrival of the new year, the outcome of his fate seemed to be approaching.
No matter how resolute or extraordinary he was, in reality, he was still a teenager. Faced with such a significant matter, Chen Chao was naturally still worried.
Xie Nandu was silent, engrossed in her reading. After growing tired of reading, she began to practice calligraphy, maintaining absolute silence without uttering a word.
Chen Chao said, "I want to go out for a walk."
Xie Nandu did not say much; just made a sound of acknowledgment.
As Chen Chao walked out of the small courtyard, he only took a few steps before encountering someone expected, yet unexpected.
A scholar in a cotton robe stood by the lake, not deliberately waiting for Chen Chao, but the two still encountered each other.
Chen Chao stopped in his tracks, gave a bow to the scholar from a distance, and called him Mr. Wei.
The newcomer was naturally Wei Xu.
As the legitimate son of the Wei family, he should be at the Wei residence at the moment, but for some reason, he appeared here.
Turning around, Wei Xu glanced at Chen Chao. The two locked eyes but did not rush to speak.
"Since we met, it's fate. How about having a casual chat?" After a moment, Wei Xu extended an invitation, and Chen Chao naturally did not refuse.
So, the two stood side by side by the lake.
Wei Xu assessed Chen Chao for a moment before slowly speaking, "Your journey may seem infinitely glorious, but in reality, it's a one-way street. With each step forward, there's one less place to turn back. Now, you're at a point where you can't turn back. Turning back will be eternal damnation. If you had known that this would be your situation from the beginning, would you still choose to come from Tianqing County to the Divine Capital?"
Chen Chao's situation was known to many influential figures in the Divine Capital now, and even his true identity was not a secret.
Looking at Wei Xu, Chen Chao could not have imagined that Mr. Wei would start with these words. There was no foreshadowing; he went straight to the point, addressing the matter Chen Chao least wanted to face.
Chen Chao smiled bitterly, "Did I have a choice back then?"
Wei Xu said, "But now you should have a choice. The question is, will you make it?"
Chen Chao countered, "If Mr. Wei were in my shoes, how would you choose?"
This question was very tricky. In reality, Chen Chao had already made a choice, but he threw the question to Wei Xu at this moment to see what Wei Xu thought.
Wei Xu shook his head and said, "You won't find the answer from me. Many people want answers from me, but I've never been the one to provide them. If my heart were not troubled, I wouldn't be here tonight."
Although his words seemed like he was answering Chen Chao, Chen Chao knew that he was talking about something else.
"But anyway, Mr. Wei is much luckier than me."
Chen Chao looked at the lake and let out a sigh.
Understanding Chen Chao's meaning, Wei Xu smiled calmly, "Having a good teacher means many questions don't need much thought. There will naturally be results. But if the teacher can solve everything, what's the point of us studying so many books?"
Chen Chao said, "Even after studying so many books, it doesn't seem to have had much effect on Mr. Wei."
This statement carried some sarcasm, but Wei Xu did not mind. He just nodded and said, "Perhaps I haven't studied enough books."
