Chapter 2774: Firefly Burns the Sun, Ant Shakes the Mountain

Is it maturity to finally recognize reality and bow before love and responsibility? Or is it immaturity to remain arrogant, always ignorant of the world's vastness, always burning oneself out, and always fighting against heaven and earth? Dou Zhao didn't know.

Since the preparations for the Yellow River Meeting began, Jiang Wang, who had countless times put on a smiling face and bowed countless times, finally drew his sword, ready to challenge everyone without limits. Dou Zhao, who had repeatedly faced overly powerful opponents and been humiliated after reaching the Dao Manifestation realm, and who also worried for his family and the nation's affairs, opened his eyes, still arrogant and unruly.

He had indeed suppressed his sharp edge and seriously considered "Chu's matters are paramount." But with him, Dou Zhao, in Great Chu, wasn't that what was truly paramount?

Thinking not without self-assurance, if his sharp edge were gone, that would be the Dou clan's least considerate choice for national affairs. He arrogantly believed in himself this way, and proudly raised his saber this way. If one wasn't unrestricted, how could there be a Tian Xiao?

On the stage, sabers and swords shone together, young and fierce.

Below the stage, Historian Zhong Xuan was using his finger as a knife, swiftly inscribing the times, writing on bamboo slips. The words read—

"Jiang Wang confronted the human demon, but Emperor Li obstructed him. So, with his sword Changxiangsi, he initiated an unrestricted challenge… Dou Zhao responded." The key was that he wasn't writing secretly to himself, but each character was suspended in the air, projected onto the sky, widely heard in the current world.

Hong Junyan's expression turned grim. "Zhong Xuan, don't write nonsense! My presence here is not for personal gain, but for the world—"

"You know your own public and private motivations. Historical records only document actions, not intentions. If there is one untrue character, Emperor Li may kill me." Zhong Xuan didn't argue with him further. "However, the historian's pen is like iron; though Xuan dies, it will not change!"

If "public" referred to the Li Kingdom, then Hong Junyan naturally had no private intentions. If "public" referred to the world, then his actions were entirely for Li's private interests. There was indeed no point in discussing this.

The person recording history merely records. While responding, he added another stroke after Dou Zhao's name—Zhong Xuan as well. With a flourish of his scholarly robe, he walked to Jiang Wang's side.

Jiang Wang looked at him. "I forgot to ask earlier, Mr. Zhong, why did you withdraw with me from the Grand Void Pavilion?" Not asking earlier was because he hoped Mr. Zhong would protect himself, as the historians needed to pass on their legacy. Asking now was because he had already stepped onto the stage. A true historian's pen would not change a single character for Hong Junyan, nor would it change because of Jiang Wang.

Zhong Xuan said calmly, "Many people write the stories of victors. I want to write the stories of the defeated, even if it's a history that won't remain."

If Jiang Wang were to die here today, and Yan Chunhui were to successfully transcend, this history would naturally not be preserved in this way. No matter how truthfully or profoundly Zhong Xuan wrote, it would be useless. Just as the meaning of "Historical Saber Carving the Sea" was not the saber carving the sea itself, but Sima Heng. Only with him present does true history exist.

Jiang Wang merely asked, "Mr. Zhong, why do you think I will fail?"

"The power of reality weighs ten thousand jun, while the body of ideals is like an ant. The vast human world hangs in ancient days, and the lone newcomer is like a flying firefly—" Zhong Xuan shook his head and said, "Can a firefly burn the sun, or an ant shake a mountain? How can this succeed?" He was a historian; studying history grants clarity. He had seen too many stories of this kind throughout history and didn't actually find today's events novel. The reason he was still somewhat moved was perhaps because... he was personally involved.

Jiang Wang didn't object; he simply said, "But you are still standing by my side."

"There are already enough people in this world who weigh pros and cons," Zhong Xuan said calmly, without conscious drama. "There should also be a few ants that, though self-important, try to shake mountains, and fireflies that try to burn the sun."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Ju Kui, who had silently walked onto the stage and stood firm. "You old man, who was dragging his feet in the Grand Void Pavilion, don't you have anything to say?"

Ju Kui said seriously, "Don't say ominous words."

Zhong Xuan's gaze flicked past Ju Kui and towards Cang Ming, who was wrapped in a long robe—this person was cowering in a corner of the stage, having appeared at some unknown time, like a prop or a backdrop on the stage. If one didn't pay attention, he could easily be overlooked. Just as Zhong Xuan's gaze passed, Cang Ming's voice came over: "Don't speak."

It's come to this, and he's still shy! Zhong Xuan's words were indeed extinguished by the foreign god statues, but the historian stopped speaking but not writing, still inscribing True Monarch Cang's name.

"As the Great Mu's Minister of Rites, it's necessary to say a few words on behalf of the inarticulate True Monarch Cang, so that the world doesn't misunderstand the Mu Kingdom's stance." Zhao Rucheng, the most handsome man in the world, who attracted countless gazes, both overt and covert, simply by sitting there, slowly began to speak: "True Monarch Cang on this stage represents only himself. Friends from the Li Kingdom, do not be overly nervous."

"Oh, right." He said, seemingly offhandedly, "I just received a message—to combat the demonic tide and better prepare for the Divine Cloud War, in early August, Jing and Mu will hold a joint military exercise to purge demons in Chima Prefecture. At that time, unrelated individuals are advised to detour around the area to avoid being affected."

Chima Prefecture was precisely a crucial southwestern prefecture of the Jing Kingdom! Advancing west for Li, pressuring the Yong territories to the south!

It was too absurd. Hong Junyan felt that this world had ultimately gone mad in a way he couldn't comprehend. Young people, being relatively free, might act impulsively, but since Zhao Rucheng held such a position, controlling vital state instruments, didn't he understand the gravity of his decision?

Between nations, there were only eternal interests. For the Mu Kingdom, this was truly a too foolish strategic choice! Jing and Mu were both in the Northern Region, both hegemons, and had always had competition within their cooperation. Having a Li Kingdom in the northwest to constrain Jing was entirely beneficial to Mu. Just as Jing had been pleased when he went to the grasslands during Helian Yunyun's ascension. If today the Mu Kingdom could allow Zhao Rucheng to hold such a position, promoting national policy out of personal sentiment and disregarding national interests, then he could only say that the Mu Kingdom had been eliminated from the grand game of unifying the world!

"Does the Great Mu's King Consort know what he's saying?" Hong Junyan asked.

"As the Great Mu's Minister of Rites, I've said everything that needed to be said." Zhao Rucheng looked a bit pained, pressing his temples. "As for myself, this is a rather formal occasion, and my choice of words should be more cautious..."

"Forget it." He picked up the ceremonial sword at his waist and walked onto the stage. "I can't be cautious! My hand holding the sword is trembling! Do you know I'm trembling with hatred for you? What have you forced my third brother to become! He smiled and bowed to you, and you thought he could compromise more? Did you think his compromises were because of you? He dared to draw his sword against transcendence itself, what the hell are you?!"

He took a deep breath. "You ask if I know what I'm saying?"

"How else should I tell you?" As he spoke, he slammed the ceremonial sword onto the ground! He began to draw his spine sword. After fourteen years, the Emperor's Sword once again shone brilliantly over the Yellow River, and today he had shared royal authority, nurturing the nation's strength! With every step Zhao Rucheng took onto the stage, his sharp edge surpassed the last. "Under any circumstances, I stand with my third brother. No conditions, no principles, no bottom line!!"

Hong Junyan looked with some astonishment at the Six Harmonies Heavenly Pillar, which belonged to the Mu Kingdom. But the Great Mu Emperor remained silent!

"Are state affairs a child's game, Emperor Mu!" Hong Junyan immediately raised his voice. "You've chosen a fine King Consort! He places his personal feelings above national interests. If he has selfish motives for friendship, how can he control the nation's vital instruments? If he possesses only beauty, he should be kept in the palace for admiration!"

The sky-blue dragon robe subtly unfurled at the horizon. The "person atop the Six Harmonies Pillar" that Hong Junyan referred to finally spoke to the audience. "I do not know how you consider such things as national interests." The young Mu Emperor's voice was not far-reaching enough, yet it carried the same gravitas as Helian Zhengshuo's. "But I believe—no nation can achieve eternity by suppressing others. Becoming a more trusted nation is the way to strengthen oneself, and it concerns a more distant future."

"Individuals have integrity, and so do nations. Those who do not see this are likely not wise rulers. Lord Jiang has shown great kindness to Mu, and the grasslands have no tradition of betraying kindness. If you speak reason to him properly, I will not utter a word. But if it truly comes down to a life-or-death struggle with him... the Mu Kingdom will be forced to make a choice."

"My good words end here, Emperor Li, act on your own discretion!"

Hong Junyan repeatedly misjudged. Zhao Rucheng was not the handsome male courtesan he had imagined. Nor was Helian Yunyun merely a monarch who "knew some political maneuvering" as he had thought!

He had already decided to adjust Li's Northern Region policy because of this, but then saw Huang Sheli excitedly ascend the stage. "This military exercise will be presided over by me, achieved with the power of Emperor Li, just negotiated! I hear True Monarch Fu is isolated and cold like snow, with excellent temperament, and I happen to have an interest in meeting him. A public duty to admire the scenery, what a joy!"

"Everyone knows Huang is a person who clearly separates public and private matters." She squeezed closer to Jiang Wang, unable to suppress a laugh. "But it's truly wonderful when public and private interests align!" Her smile receded slightly. "Presumably, it's even more satisfying when killing people!"

Chong Xuan Sheng sat below the stage, smiling. Having just privately moved state instruments, now was precisely the time to be discreet. As one influential person after another stepped forward, Jiang Wang's momentum blazed like a raging fire. It somewhat overshadowed and dimmed the combined presence of Hong Junyan and Yan Chunhui. But he understood that this was Jiang Wang's most dangerous moment—

Unconsciously, Jiang Wang had gained the ability to shake the current world order. It could be said that if he were to support any hegemonic emperor with his sword, that person's chance of unifying the Six Harmonies would immediately greatly increase! Now that the situation among various powers was settled, there was no second person in the world who could wield such influence. This was precisely the reason for Jiang Wang's danger!

Even Chong Xuan Sheng, who prided himself on his intelligence, felt this was an intractable deadlock. Because Jiang Wang was fundamentally someone who refused to retreat. Even when he sometimes bowed his head or chuckled awkwardly, he would fiercely hold onto his bottom line. Withdrawing from the pavilion didn't necessarily mean freedom; there might still be swords that had to be drawn! That's why he had allowed Fourteen to take Chong Xuan Yu back to Linzi, thinking that perhaps some reckless actions might be necessary.

But on the increasingly complex River-Viewing Platform, amidst the ever more perilous Yellow River situation, he saw an opportunity. How to free Jiang Wang from this danger? The solution was... to make him even more dangerous! The reason some people still wanted to strike him, to suppress him, was precisely because Jiang Wang had reached a dangerous level, yet wasn't so dangerous that suppressing him was no longer an option! He should become even more dangerous, so dangerous that no one would even conceive of extinguishing that danger.

Chong Xuan Sheng leaned back lazily and lightly patted his belly with a large, plump hand. Interesting. What was it that first moved me about this guy? And for what reason has he been tempered by the world for so many years? All that is past. Now the dust-lock has been opened; he should shine upon the Nine Heavens!

Such a soft sound on the Marquis of Bowang's belly was as if... it had beaten the drums of war for an attack! The young duke of Great Chu, who had claimed the top spot this year, gracefully rose from the viewing stands and very politely cupped his hands to Hong Junyan. "I am too weak to join the excitement up there. I trouble Emperor Li, please grant my grandfather a little time." He patted his forehead. "Oh, right, my grandfather said he's here to support Dou Zhao!" The champion of this year's unrestricted competition for those under thirty added more weight to the truly unrestricted challenge. "The Zuo and Dou clans, both three-thousand-year-old aristocratic families of Great Chu, have been friendly for generations. My venerable grandfather cannot just stand by and watch Dou Zhao face danger on the stage."

"Yes, yes!" At some unknown point, a monk with an unremarkable appearance but a very clean bald head appeared on the stage. He nodded like a chick pecking rice. His face showed an expression of relief. "Finally... I made it! Your reason is excellent, now it's mine." He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "The poor monk as well!"

Great Chu National Preceptor Fan Shijue! At this moment, the momentum was so intense that it made Chen Yanxun's expression change!

Chong Xuan Sheng lightly patted his belly and smiled as he looked at the white-robed young master in front of the martial arts stage. One crucial step remained... When all parties had lifted him high, reaching a dangerous consensus... He would be most dangerous, and also most safe. Most constrained, and also most free. Only then would he have passed this tribulation and gained an indestructible body.

When his chubby younger brother's gaze fell upon him, Chong Xuan Zun gracefully rose. His sleeves fluttered, displaying his unrestrained elegance. Chong Xuan Zun, who saw through illusions to the truth, did not say anything. Instead, he made a very obvious turn and looked up—towards the top of the Six Harmonies Pillar... where the Great Qi Emperor's Dharma Body resided. He truly was... a loyal and upright minister, whose life was only for his sovereign.

Three hundred li of Linzi City, sixty-nine years in Delu Palace! The Great Qi Emperor's revered body was seated in this cultivation palace. His Dharma Body, along with the national power, was manifested tens of thousands of li away. He sat there, a solitary ruler. A vast empire spanning tens of thousands of li, yet for him to sit, only a nine-chi golden platform was needed. The stagnated qi and blood transformed into faint dragon smoke, which he swallowed into his belly. Just as he never knew the extent of Ji Fengzhou's injuries, no one could know that he had been wounded in the battle of Tianhai. Not even the Grand Imperial Physician knew—this was a tenderness he disdained to display.

He understood that the Marquis of Bowang was pressing for his stance, leveraging the perilous and fierce momentum of the Yellow River. And his former Marquis of Champion was pushing the boat with the current. All for his former Marquis of Wuan. Chong Xuan Sheng... this boy, too clever for his own good, had more restraint than his father. But it must be said, he was truly Mingtu's seed. At crucial moments, his choices were strikingly identical. He sometimes felt truly old. Thirty years ago, the Chong Xuan family would have been stripped of their titles. Chong Xuan Sheng's fat body, without burning off a few jin of fat, would absolutely not escape. But today, he actually thought... "Perhaps people have their private motives." He remembered the lonely moss in the Azure Stone Palace. He remembered the young man who, that autumn, had bared his body and held a jade pendant. He remembered too much, too much. He remembered their first meeting at the Donghua Pavilion, that "strong man of the nation who bared his clothes to show his wounds," a country boy covered in scars.

The Yellow River's top champion of the Great Qi Empire! The day you knocked Qi Xiao unconscious and left the battlefield, what were you thinking on the way? The night before you left Qi, you stood outside the Great Qi Imperial Palace all night. That night there were no stars, but the moon was exceptionally bright. On that deep, dew-laden night, standing on the square paved with Taiyi celestial white jade, letting the moonlight cleanse you, what exactly were you thinking? You never mentioned it to anyone.

The Qi Emperor sat alone in Delu Palace, cultivating alone, feeling alone. For so many years, he had grown accustomed to bearing everything on his shoulders, holding the nation in his palm, and moving it like the sun and moon. Today was no different from countless past days. But within Delu Palace, there seemed to be an echo from that day—

"My path... is not here!"

Then let's see where your path lies. Whether it's worth getting covered in mud. Whether you'll have to endure until your hair turns white... before you realize it's unachievable.

The Stage of All-Under-Heaven, the Pillar of Six Harmonies. The purple dragon robe seemed to be stirred by the wind. That deep, majestic voice, encompassing all matters, descended: "Regarding your Grand Void Pavilion matters, why are you looking at me?"

Chong Xuan Zun smiled nonchalantly, plucked the moon into a blade, its tip pointing downwards, and with a flourish of his white robe, ascended the stage. "What Mr. Zhong said is greatly mistaken!!"

"What 'firefly burning the sun'? The sun and moon are in my palm!"

"What 'ants shaking mountains'? We are the mountain!"