荔枝影院

Edited by: Michyrr

The room was very large, but it was practically devoid of any furniture. An armchair had been placed in the center of the tranquil room. Across from the armchair, Wang Chong saw a curtain hanging down. A fire could be glimpsed behind the curtain, its light leaking through and silhouetting several muscular figures, all of them seated imposingly on what appeared to be armchairs as well.

Despite the fact that they were just seated motionless on the chairs, they exuded storms of energy that enveloped the entire room, appearing powerful, heroic, and dignified.

Wang Chong had experienced many gruesome battles, directed the large-scale meat grinders that were the war of the southwest and the Battle of Talas, and his body stank of iron and blood. But in the face of those figures silhouetted by the flickering light, he immediately seemed childish.

Wang Chong’s energy was like a peerlessly sharp sword, able to slash and break through anything it was applied against. As for the figures behind the curtain, they were pieces of metal that had been forged and tempered countless times, making them tenacious from the inside to the outside.

They also possessed the sharpness of a sword, but they were also like majestic mountains that could block any beating or hammering.

Wang Chong’s aura of iron and blood compared to theirs was like comparing the moon to the sun!

More importantly, even though the curtain obscured their faces, Wang Chong was already sure that those people were the most revered figures of his life, the ones he felt the greatest gratitude toward. At this moment, Wang Chong couldn’t stop his eyes from getting a little moist.

“Haha, kid! I heard that you could kill people without blinking an eye and have even killed one million. Everyone outside calls you a Demon King of Slaughter, but what’s this? How could a true man be weeping like a little girl!?”

A voice suddenly rang out—boorish, extremely old, and infused with an unconcealable boldness. It caused the entire room to rustle and shake.

“Old scoundrel, what did we say? Try not to scare this junior to death!”

Another voice came from behind the curtain, one suffused with wisdom that came from experiencing all the trials that life had to offer and a power that could comfort one’s soul.

“It’s fine. Venerable Senior was correct. It was Wang Chong’s fault for losing control of himself.”

Wang Chong wiped his eyes and quickly regained his composure. Although he had been criticized for acting like a girl, Wang Chong did not care. Those familiar voices and familiar mocking only made a surge of warmth rush through his heart. To be able to see them again in this lifetime was Wang Chong’s greatest blessing.

From their deaths until now, Wang Chong could no longer keep track of just how long it had been since he had last heard their lessons and critiques. One of Wang Chong’s greatest regrets was that he had allowed them to leave with regret, had failed to let them see any hope for the Nine Provinces, had let down their expectations. Tears once more welled up to the edge of his eyes, but Wang Chong forced them back.

“Haha, kid, do you know why this old man wanted to see you?”

That boorish voice from before heartily laughed.

“I heard that you were wronged a little in the Imperial Court and the common people call you a Demon King of Slaughter. What, can’t take it?”

“No.”

Wang Chong shook his head.

“Haha, then it’s fine! This old man heard that you had suffered an injustice in the Great Tang, so I had that brat invite you here. And what does a true man care if they are wronged a little? That’s just a minor itch! As for the people calling you a Demon King, back in this old man’s day, I would have regarded it as high praise and celebrated for three days and three nights. In this old man’s era, killing one man made you a murderer, killing ten thousand made you a hero, and killing one million made you a hero amongst heroes. The more you killed, the more the people of the world would respect you. If they say that you’re a Demon King of Slaughter, what do you have to be unhappy about?!” the rough voice boldly declared. In his view, the world was hailing Wang Chong as a hero.

“Zhijie!”

The wise voice suddenly spoke, tinged with reprimand.

“It’s fine if you’re like this, but you can’t misguide our junior. In the final years of the Great Sui, who didn’t know about your reputation as a Great Demon King of the chaotic world? Child, don’t listen to his nonsense! This old man has also heard about what happened to you. Just like you said yourself, a true man only needs to feel no regret for their actions. As for the praise or slander of others, that is unimportant. A true man decides whether to do something based on whether it’s right or wrong. As for the opinions of others... even if everyone in the world misunderstands you, what does it matter? One day, the clouds will clear and the sun will shine. Everyone will understand the troubles you have gone through!”

This person had a mellow voice and spoke in an instructive tone. Like the spring rains, he silently nurtured Wang Chong’s heart, soothing its wounds.

“Venerable Seniors are correct. It was Wang Chong that was wrong!”

Wang Chong’s eyes were moist as he lowered his head. For a moment, he felt like he had returned back to that apocalyptic era, back to that hall where he listened to those familiar lessons. Back then, it was right when he had been depressed and dejected, having lost everything, that these seniors found him and took him to a mountain top. There, they passed onto him their martial arts and entrusted him with the world, making him the Grand Marshal.

Senior... Wang Chong internally muttered. Caught up in this wave of nostalgia, he felt like all the pains in his heart had been soothed.

It was true!

If that venerable senior had received the same treatment, no matter how great the misunderstanding or the pain, he would never have cared. Even the most major affair became irrelevant and unimportant in his mouth. Just as they had said, a true man decided to do something based on whether it was right or wrong. The rest was unimportant.

He had been confused and misguided this entire time.

“Child, we called you here to tell you one thing!”

Another elderly voice spoke at this time, completely different from the other two voices.

“Everything you have done is correct, and no matter how much people misunderstand or criticize you, do not take it to heart. All you should seek is a clear conscience, to look upon your heart and find no shame. Or are you doing this seeking the understanding and approval of others?”

There was a faint hint of criticism in that final question.

Buzz!

Wang Chong’s mind trembled as if he had been struck by lightning, and he was suddenly enlightened.

“Yes!”

As he spent more time in this world, constantly struggling and striving, he had forgotten his original intentions. He did not need anyone’s approval, anyone’s understanding.

He did all this because that was what he wanted to do, not so that he could win anyone’s understanding. Even if the entire world did not understand him, even if the entire world criticized him and called him the Demon King of Slaughter, so what? He had never been seeking these things in the first place, so why did he care now?

The light flickered behind the curtain, and three imposing figures behind it, though never revealing their faces, had been observing Wang Chong’s reaction this entire time. Upon seeing that he had apparently understood, they gently nodded.

“Kid! It’s fine as long as you understand.” The boorish voice spoke once more. “A man only needs to look up and find that he has not shamed the heavens, and look down and find that he has every right to hold his head amongst his fellow men. There’s no need to worry about anything else! There are so many juniors in the Central Plains, but only you, kid, suit my appetite. This old fellow has clung to life for a hundred-some years, and I’ve never been much of one to see others. If I hadn’t heard that you were feeling all down and depressed, I would have never even thought about meeting you.”

“My utmost gratitude, Senior!” Wang Chong said. To be able to see them in this lifetime left him without any regrets.

“Child, although Zhijie is a crude man, there is truth in his crudeness. As it is said, when heaven is about to confer high office upon a man, it will test his mind with suffering and hone his sinews and bones. You come from a clan of ministers and generals, are a descendant of Jiuling, and possess astonishing talent, particularly in the art of war. Although your path was one of bones and blood, it was also extremely smooth with few difficulties. A little setback is a good thing. Wash away at lead enough and you will see true gold. As long as you are not battered down, you will become even more outstanding!” the wise voice said.

“Junior understands! Seniors, my utmost gratitude for your teachings!”

Wang Chong stood up and gave a deep bow.

“Kid, it’ll be fine as long as you get it! And here I thought that you would have a wooden head and we would need some time to get you to understand. It looks like those kids were right. You are a little smart!”

The boorish voice heartily laughed.

“Zhijie!”

The third voice suddenly spoke, a hint of reprimand within it. But this voice quickly turned once more to Wang Chong.

“Child, if one lives in this world and wishes to become a hero, one must go through suffering and difficulty. As long as the world can be prosperous and peaceful, as long as you feel that you have done the right thing, then that is enough.”

“This junior understands!” Wang Chong replied.

“Haha, we must have been brought together by fate, and since you’ve called us seniors, we can’t let that title down. We have to give you a little something, or else we’ll be mocked to death!” the crude and rough voice said.

Buzz!

Before Wang Chong could react, the world trembled as three streams of boundless Psychic Energy locked onto Wang Chong. With a sharp tug, these three enormous streams of Psychic Energy had pulled Wang Chong into a boundless Psychic World.

Whoosh!

Gales of dust howled and fierce fires roared. At this moment, a thunderous voice rang out at Wang Chong’s ear.

“Kid, watch carefully!”

The entire world quaked and rumbled. Wang Chong turned his head and saw three enormous figures standing in the center of the world, looming tall like mountains and exuding vast auras of blood and fire.

Time began to reverse as Wang Chong traveled through spacetime and saw the insignia of an era far in the past. This was a chaotic world overrun by armies, the entire realm engulfed in war where mighty heroes fought for supremacy. Only the most outstanding commanders were able to break away from the pack and stand at the peak, creating legends of blood and steel in this world.