The Demon Lords

Chapter 809 178: Change of Heart (Part 3)

Zheng Fan silently stood up, turned around, and glanced at Tian Wujing still sitting by the river, then took steps towards upstream.

Tian Wujing's voice sounded again:

"Martial arts and life are essentially the same; the further you go, the more blood and corpses you will see.

You don't have to like it; doing so becomes like Li Fusheng and leads you astray;

You must not become numb, for under numbness, you overlook not only things you don't wish to see."

"Prince, what should be done then?"

Zheng Fan asked as he continued walking south along the riverbank.

"You must learn to adapt."

This was Tian Wujing's answer.

The blood in front of him was fresh; you could see it tumbling and soaking in the river, and it seemed you could still smell the scent of blood permeating the air.

Zheng Fan adjusted his breathing, walking step by step forward, while Tian Wujing's words continued to echo in his mind.

This was guidance, coming from a formidable entity who once defeated the Sword Saint in a solo duel.

Zheng Fan naturally understood exactly how important and precious this guidance was, so he certainly couldn't waste it.

The Pixiu belonging to Zheng Fan instinctively wanted to follow him as he walked upstream alone, but was blocked by a larger Pixiu beside it.

Under the twilight glow,

Zheng Fan kept walking slowly,

Gradually,

As the slaughter by the Yan Army against the Chu people upstream grew more intense,

The river's crimson color began to deepen.

Perhaps due to the stimulus from the scene in front of him, Zheng Fan's internal energy started to stir gradually.

A corpse of a Chu person floated downstream along the river.

Next came the second, the third, the fourth...

Soon, there was no need to count anymore, for they had become too numerous to distinguish.

Upstream, there were Yan cavalrymen who began advancing downstream, using arrows to kill Chu people trying to blend in with the river's waters in an attempt to escape.

The water skills of the Chu people were generally much better than those of the Yan people.

But since they had begun killing, the Yan people naturally would be merciless and not give the Chu people a chance to escape.

As the cavalrymen passed by Zheng Fan, they recognized him, recognized Lord Pingye.

Seeing this commander who previously incited a massacre now walking south alone, some cavalrymen greeted him, while others simply slapped their chest armor with their scimitars as a form of response.

However, upon noticing that Zheng Fan seemed too preoccupied to pay attention to them and simply focused on heading south alone, these cavalrymen continued onwards to pursue their targets without pause.

Once the slaughter begins, it's naturally impossible to stop it immediately.

Back then, when Lord Jingnan annihilated his entire family, those Jingnan soldiers, blinded by bloodlust and under immense psychological pressure, nearly massacred the Empress along with them.

Fortunately, there were enough Chu captives here to ensure that even if every Yan soldier couldn't claim a head, they would at least splash some blood onto their armor.

As Zheng Fan walked, he suddenly felt as if there was a shadow next to him.

On his left side, it seemed to be walking alongside him.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a man in a black hoodie, smoking a cigarette, with sunken eyes and pale knuckles.

This person was very familiar, almost painfully familiar, yet seemed like a stranger from long ago.

Even the strongest longing and the most cherished memories, once separated into now and past, become truly afar.

Zheng Fan felt his vision begin to blur slightly,

His understanding,

Suddenly experienced some deviation and bewilderment;

Who am I,

I am Zheng Fan.

But which Zheng Fan am I?

His mind seemed to conjure images of himself rushing to meet a deadline in a studio, the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts, and the trash bin beneath him containing two tubs of instant noodles.

The curtains were tightly drawn, making it impossible to distinguish day from night, as a lifestyle following the sun has long ceased to be mainstream for some.

"Knock knock knock!"

"Knock knock knock!"

"Ahhhhhhh!"

In his ears,

The sounds of hooves started echoing, along with the agonizing screams of Chu people shot by arrows in Wang River.

These sounds dragged Zheng Fan out of the whirlpool of memories, as he blinked open eyes, greeted by a gust of dust that stung them.

"Lord!"

"Sir!"

Occasionally, passing riders saluted him, but Zheng Fan simply rubbed his eyes without responding.

Eventually,

His eyes felt much better,

But when he cautiously glanced towards his left side again, he found that version of himself in a hoodie still there;

Also keeping a steady pace with each of his steps, moving forward, and that self had a smile on his face, this smile was directed at him.

Is it mocking?

It doesn't seem so.

Is it disdain?

It isn't either.

Instead, it resembled seeing something amusing that struck its funny bone.

Zheng Fan reached up to pat his head, unsure if this was the feeling he sought, but he felt uncomfortable and wanted to escape.