In the thousands of years of the cultivation world, there have been many great heroes. But there were only ten of them listed on the Zongshi List. Nangong Changying was one of them.

     In his past life, Mo Ran didn’t think much of it. He had crushed the seventy-two cities of Rufeng Sect with a single pinky, thinking that everyone harbored in the immortal city was useless. Before the blade was even placed on their necks, they began to cry out in pain, begging for mercy.

     It was just as Ye Wangxi had said before she died in his previous life—“In the seventy cities of Rufeng Sect, there is not a single man.”

     In Mo Ran’s eyes, Rufeng Sect was just a piece of loose sand, and as for the Nangong Changying who had gathered this piece of loose sand, what kind of great person could he be?

     Bloodstains were everywhere, and the foundation of a hundred years was razed to the ground in an instant. There were corpses everywhere, and crows pecking at the intestines of the dead. Back then, when Emperor Taxian-Jun climbed the stairs, there was no expression on his face as he pushed the door open to the Hall of Sages.

     He wore a black cloak that reached the ground, and walked through the long corridor that was decorated with the portraits of the previous sect leaders and elders of Rufeng Sect. Finally, he stopped at the end of the hall.

     Taxian-Jun raised his head. Under the hood, one couldn’t see his entire face, only his pale chin, which was curved in a harsh and arrogant manner as he raised his head slightly to size up the huge statue.

     It was a statue carved with jade spirit stones. It depicted a young immortal wearing a wide robe with wide sleeves. He stood tall and straight with a bow in his hands. The craftsman's workmanship was strong and skillful. The eyes were inlaid with crystal stones, and the crown painted with crystal sand.

     The bloody smell of the morning shone through the decorative skylight behind the statue, making him look like a banished immortal soaking in the divine light of the nine heavens.

     The half of Taxian-Jun’s face under the hood suddenly spread into a smile, revealing his sweet dimples and white teeth.

     He straightened his coat and bowed deeply before lifting his handsome face and saying with a smile, “I’ve heard a lot about you Nangong-xianjun.”

     Naturally, the statue did not speak. Only the pair of black crystals flowed with luster, as if gazing at the visitor.

     Emperor Taxian-Jun was extremely bored. No one paid any attention to him, but he still happily put on an act for a long time, “Junior Mo Weiyu, it’s my honor to meet you today. Nangong-xianjun sure is impressive.”

     He spoke for a long time, laughing and talking animatedly by himself, the living person going mad in front of the statue.

     “I’ve seen your…” He counted on his fingers for a moment, then sighed, “I lost count. Who knows which generation of your nephews he is. I’ve seen your whatever-generation-nephew and your whatever-generation-disciples under your sect.”

     Then, he smiled brightly and said, “But now, they’re all ghosts under my blade, so if you haven’t reincarnated yet, you have probably seen them already.”

     “It’s a pity I didn’t see your whatever-generation-grandson. That guy ran away before the city was breached. I don’t know if he’s dead or alive, but I do feel somewhat regretful.”

     He was suddenly happy again, and chatted with the statue for a while. Then, he said, “Oh right, I heard that Nangong-xianjun was also an outstanding hero of his generation. Everywhere you went, people swore loyalty to you. There were even people who supported crowning Nangong-xianjun as emperor.”

     Mo Ran smiled and said, “Then wouldn’t you be as impressive as I am today? This time, what I’ve said before is all nonsense. I only have one question; why did Nangong-xianjun refuse to ascend to the throne back then?”

     He paused for a moment, then took a few steps forward. His gaze fell on the tablet behind Nangong Changying’s statue. In fact, this tablet was so big that he had seen it a long time ago, but deliberately ignored it.

     The stone tablet was carved by Nangong Changying himself when he was ninety-six years old. It was originally simple and unadorned, but later on, his heirs had added gold dust and red dye. Now, it shone brightly, and each word was worth a thousand gold.

     Mo Ran stared at it for a while, then laughed, “Oh, I understand. ‘Greed, hatred, deceit, murder, rape, robbery, and plunder are seven things a gentleman of Rufeng Sect must not do.’ Nangong-xianjun really is a good person.”

     He stood with his hands behind his back and continued, “Xianjun lived a bright life with a pure reputation. You also earnestly taught your descendants until death. But I’m very curious, did xianjun ever expect that one day Rufeng Sect would become like this?”

     As he spoke, he pursed his lips as if he was trying to think of a suitable phrase to describe the situation. Then, he thought of something, and clapped with a smile, “A litter of rats.”

     After he finished, he laughed wildly. His laughter was happy and unrestrained, so pure and evil that it echoed in the silent and solemn Hall of Sages for a long time. His voice was like ripping silk, as if it wanted to tear apart the portraits that were swaying slightly in the wind, tear apart the portraits of the heroes of Rufeng Sect through the ages…

     The laughter finally stopped abruptly in front of Nangong Changying’s ice-cold statue.

     Mo Ran no longer laughed. He stopped smiling, and a layer of ice slowly formed on his face. His pitch-black eyes were fixated on the martial ancestor in front of him, staring at the man who, like him, could also command the world and tread on all immortals.

     It was as if time and space were intersecting, and the first immortal of two eras confronted each other amidst the torrent of time.

     In the end, Mo Ran said softly, “Nangong Changying, your Rufeng Sect is a pool of dirty water. I do not believe that you are clean.”

     He suddenly waved his sleeves, turned around, and strode out of the Hall of Sages. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the hood off his cloak, revealing the nearly crazed face of Emperor Taxian-Jun.

     He was the most handsome man in the world, a man worthy of being called handsome. However, on his face, there was a vicious and sinister gaze, like a vulture, that was second to none in the world.

     His black robe was like a thick cloud of ink, rolling down the long steps. He was the evil spirit of the human world, the asura of the mortal world. When he looked around, he only saw the corpses of the disciples of Rufeng Sect everywhere, with missing arms and legs. Emperor Taxian-Jun did not accept surrendered soldiers. Apart from that woman, Song Qiutong, the rest were all killed.

     At that moment, Mo Ran’s heart was filled with cruel pleasure as he looked at the gorgeous splendor of the morning sunrise on the horizon. The rising sun pierced through the clouds, and a dazzling golden light shone on his pale face.

     He closed his eyes and clenched his hands in his sleeves, trembling with ecstasy and excitement.

     He had once been a person whose life was regarded like dirt and grass, worthless. When he was young, he had begged for food in Linyi, and seen his mother starve to death. At that time, he had asked a cultivator of Rufeng Sect if he could get her a coffin, even the thinnest and worst one in the world would be fine. But that person had ridiculed him with one sentence—

     The cultivator said, “The kind of person should be matched with the kind of coffin. When life is three feet long, you can’t ask for ten feet.”

     There was nothing he could do. He wanted to bury his mother on the spot, but Linyi was strictly guarded, and the nearest unmarked cemetery was outside of Dai City, which could only be reached after crossing two hills.

     And so, he dragged his mother’s body all the way, receiving repulsed, disdainful, surprised, and sympathetic gazes. However, no one helped him. He walked for fourteen days, a child dragging a woman’s body for fourteen days.

     Fourteen days. Not a single person was willing to help him.

     At first, he would kneel on the side of the road and beg, pleading with passersby, horsemen, and farmers to give him and his mother a ride in a wooden cart.

     But who would be willing to put the body of a stranger in their cart?

     Later, he stopped pleading. He just gritted his teeth and dragged his mother, step by step.

     The corpse stiffened, softened, and began to rot, with a foul stench and corpse fluid seeping out. All the passersby backed away from him, covering their noses as they left in a hurry.

     On the fourteenth day, he finally arrived at the mass grave.

     There was no longer any smell of a living person on him; the stench of corpses had permeated the marrow of his bones.

     Without a pickaxe, he used his hands to dig a shallow hole at the bottom of the mass grave. He really didn’t have the strength to dig a deep hole. He dragged his own mother, who had rotted beyond recognition, into the hole, then sat beside her in a daze.

     After a long time, he said stiffly, “Mother, I should bury you now.”

     He then began to scoop up the dirt. He only managed to scoop up one handful and sprinkle it on his mother’s chest when he broke down and cried bitterly.

     It was strange. He thought his tears had already dried up.

     “No, no, no, I won’t be able to see you anymore once you’re buried.” He crawled into the pit and lay on top of the rotting body, crying.

     When his emotions calmed down again, he went to scoop up dirt again. But the dirt seemed to have some kind of smell that could open up people’s tear ducts. He collapsed again.

    “Why is it all rotten like this…? It’s all rotten…”

     “Why is there not even a mat?”

     “Mother… Mother…”

     He rubbed his face against her, and didn’t didn’t despise her for the fact that she was dirty, smelly, and dead, that there was not a single piece of skin on her body, that she bled, with pus and maggots crawling all over her body.

     He lay in her arms and wept, choking and sobbing. Every sound seemed to have been torn out of a throat stained with blood.

     In the end, the mass grave echoed with his wails. That voice was distorted, hoarse, and muffled; sometimes, it sounded like the cries of a human, but more often, it sounded like the wails of a cub who had lost its mother.

     “Mother… Mother!”

     “Someone come… Is anyone there…? Someone come bury me too… Bury me too…”

     In the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed.

     Mo Ran returned to Linyi and stood at the top of the mountain of Rufeng Sect, standing in front of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. The young cub who had reeked of corpses back then had already grown bright fur and sharp fangs. He opened his eyes again, and his pupils flashed with a wild and intense brilliance.

     Today, he stood here.

     Who would dare to tell him that he can’t ask for ten feet? Ridiculous! He could have ten feet, a hundred feet, a thousand feet!

     He wanted them—wanted everyone in this mortal world to kneel down, to press their knees against the ground and present his ten feet, hundred feet, thousand feet—

     He had trampled over all immortals, and was now the ruler of the world!

     Having entered the Hall of Sages and seeing Nangong Changying, he became increasingly certain of his desires and ambitions. Yes, to trample all immortals and rule the world. He would grasp everything in the palm of his hand. He would no longer be the child who wept over a corpse. He would no longer let someone he loved die in front of him. He would no longer let them rot in front of him, their skin turning to white bones, their beauty decaying into mud.

     Never again.

     In a hundred years, he would also become a god like Nangong Changying, worshipped by the people, revered by the mountains, with a body of jade and words turned to gold.

     No, he would be even better than Nangong Changying. Sisheng Peak would be far superior to Rufeng Sect. And he, the first emperor of the cultivation world, would be more admirable and praiseworthy than Nangong Changying, a hypocrite who couldn’t afford to let things go.

     Sin?

     He didn’t believe that Nangong Changying was a sinless man. How could the person who created a monster like Rufeng Sect be a righteous and noble gentleman who gave up his life for justice?

     Wasn’t it just “greed, hatred, deceit, murder, rape, robbery, and plunder are seven things a gentleman of Rufeng Sect must not do”? Who didn’t know how to say beautiful words? Before he, Mo Weiyu, died, he could find someone to come up with brilliant and admirable words to enlighten the world, or ask someone to write a history book for him, and his dark past would be erased. From then on, Emperor Taxian-Jun would also become a wise man who “cared for the common people and achieved great things.”

     It really was wonderful.

     There was no ending better than this.

     “Greed, hatred, deceit, murder, rape, robbery, and plunder… are seven things a gentleman of Rufeng Sect… must not do.”

     The weak murmur rang in his ears like a clap of thunder.

     Mo Ran abruptly pulled himself out of his memories. However, his vision was still blurry. He raised his head to look through the barrier at Nangong Changying, whose chest had already been pierced through by Nangong Si’s Cloud-Piercing Arrow.

     It was the same face as the jade statue from back then.

     Someone exclaimed, “Nangong Si was already injured to that extent… How could he draw the Cloud-Piercing Bow?!”

     “Was the bow already prepared in advance?”

     “Look, there’s spiritual energy attached to the bow… But it’s not Nangong Si’s! It’s—it’s…”

     No one continued.

     But everyone in the crowd was well aware.

     It was Nangong Changying’s.

     The only person who could control the divine Cloud-Piercing Bow was Nangong Changying.

     On that bow and arrow was the last remnant of spiritual energy left by Nangong Changying before he died.

     The fire quickly spread and burned Nangong Changying’s chest once the Cloud-Piercing Arrow pierced his heart. The fire immediately spread to his entire body.

     However, the corpse did not feel any pain. Nangong Changying’s corpse stood tall in the flames, his face so clear and serene, even calm.

     Mo Ran heard Xue Zhengyong murmur, “He already expected this? Did… Did he foresee such a day?”

     No… It wouldn’t have been expected. It was just a coincidence.

     Mo Ran was stunned, his pupils twisted into two thin slits.

     This was only a coincidence!

     But how could he convince himself? To be able to break free from the control of a Zhenlong chess piece, the broken meridians, the unburied Piercing Cloud holy weapon on Mount Jiao, and the arrow that was filled with spiritual energy.

     …If not for meticulous planning, how could he have achieved such a state?

     He staggered back a step.

     He used to think that they were the same. He used to think that all the legendary heroes in this world were born with a pair of hands that could cover the sky, that could wipe away the stains of their life, that could put on a clean shroud, leaving behind a field of pure white.

     He thought that Nangong Changying was just like all the other men he had seen in Rufeng Sect, that it was nothing more than appearances, that he was nothing more than an evil beast wearing a mask of human skin!

     Was he wrong?

     He looked at Nangong Changying, who was wrapped in blazing flames. Hundreds of years ago, he had the same amazing spiritual power as he had, the power to pierce heaven and earth.

     Was he wrong?!

     Nothing could drown out the sins. No matter how dignified the official history was, there would always be an inexplicable flaw that could not be justified.

     Nangong Changying was a kind person. He refused to be a tyrant and ascend. He thought that it was just a disguise to cover up for himself at the peak of power.

     Was he wrong…?

     Nothing could bury the truth, just like the snow that had fallen all winter would melt. After the vast whiteness faded away, the earth exposed the face of rigid ravines. All the dirt hidden in the cracks had nowhere to escape. When the sun shone, it would all be revealed in the daylight.

     Was he… wrong?

     Mo Ran slowly shook his head. He stared at Nangong Changying, who had also raised his face. He still wore the black silk ribbon embroidered with a soaring dragon. No one could see his eyes, nor the emotions behind them.

     However, Mo Ran didn’t know if it was his own illusion, but he felt that Nangong Changying seemed to be smiling. Under the black silk ribbon, he seemed to see smile lines, which could not be burned away by fire or washed away by water. Nothing could hide the faint traces of a smile as he stood quietly in the sea of fire.

     If he could, he would like to be selfish for a while. He wanted to leave this broken body to accompany the green hills and cypresses, to accompany the future generations of heroes of Rufeng Sect.

    The world was too beautiful for anyone to want to leave.

     However, he also knew that sometimes one had to leave. So, he had already planned to break his meridians and hide his bow, so his body could not be used as an accomplice to the tiger in the future.

     The world was too beautiful. Having flowers was enough. They should not be stained with blood.

     “Grand Sect Leader…” Nangong Si held the Cloud-Piercing Bow and knelt on the ground. The light of the fire illuminated his young face with tear stains, “This junior is unworthy…”

     The Cloud-Piercing fire burned away the black chess piece in Nangong Changying’s body, which was about to be burned to ashes, his figure growing fainter and fainter in the light of the flames.

     Nangong Changying, who had completely regained his freedom, asked Nangong Si, “How many years has it been since Rufeng Sect was established?”

     He was just a corpse. His soul was no longer there.

     There were not many memories, and little consciousness, left in the body, so he could only ask such a simple question.

     Nangong Si did not dare to hesitate, and replied with a choked voice, “Rufeng Sect was established four hundred and twenty-one years ago.”

     Nangong Changying tilted his head. This time, even the corners of his mouth were smiling.

     He said, “It’s been a long time.”

     That voice was faint, like a gust of wind that had pierced through the mountain forest, scattering without a trace.

     “I thought it would end in two hundred years.” Nangong Changying’s voice was gentle and rich, flowing through the leaves of Mount Jiao, “Everything in this world has a lifespan. When it reaches its end, it cannot be renewed by human hands. There will be a day when the old will be replaced by youth. Anything that is used for a long time will become dirty and old. Someone will discard it and overturn it. This is a good thing. Si-er, there’s no need to blame yourself.”

     Nangong Si suddenly raised his head, his face already as white as a sheet of paper from blood loss. His voice trembled slightly, “Grand Sect Leader!”

     “In fact, the longevity of Rufeng Sect does not depend on how many years the sect has been in existence, or how many disciples it has retained.” Nangong Changying’s figure was almost faded away, his voice becoming more and more distant, “It depends on whether there are still people in this world who remember that greed, hatred, deceit, murder, rape, robbery, and plunder are seven things a gentleman of Rufeng Sect must not do.”

     As he spoke, he gently waved his sleeve. In an instant, the grass on Mount Jiao shook, and vines rose from all directions, sinking the corpses that were on the verge of escaping into the depths of the earth.

     “As long as you remember, your job is done.”

     After saying this, Nangong Changying’s body suddenly broke into pieces in the raging fire, turning into specks of glowing fiery powder. The golden-red starlight drifted throughout the vast mountain forest.

     His body had disappeared, but his voice did not disperse.

     Inside the barrier, Nangong Si was already sobbing uncontrollably. Outside the barrier, Ye Wangxi had already knelt down.

     One after another, people began to kneel down.

     In life and in death, they were all heroes.