With the Blade

Jiang Wenyuan returned to Jiankang Capital City ten days later.

He learned about the killing of Huang Tian seven days ago. Although he was stunned for a moment upon hearing that the god-like creature was killed, the fact that it was Master Du who killed the creature made it seem less surprising—or rather, the feeling was peculiar, and he couldn’t quite put it into words.

Logically speaking, in a life-and-death struggle, where both sides are attacking each other, there’s always a chance of life or death. No one can guarantee survival, especially when the opponent is overwhelmingly strong; hope becomes even more elusive.

But once Master Du became involved, everything changed.

"If it’s him, then it’s indeed possible."

Jiang Wenyuan couldn’t understand why he felt this way. Previously in Yizhou, it wasn’t like this, but now, upon hearing that Master Du killed Huang Tian, an inexplicable sense of inevitability arose within him. As for why it felt so inevitable, he couldn’t really explain, considering that from what he knew, Huang Tian was definitely much stronger than Master Du.

Yet Master Du could still win, even with such a huge disparity in strength; he was bound to win.

"So, is there something wrong with my mind?"

Jiang Wenyuan immediately noticed the inconsistency in his thinking. To jump to conclusions without facts was absurd for someone with his background as a Chief Constable.

Thus, he spent seven days rushing back to Jiankang Capital City to see for himself what was going on.

"Perhaps Huang Tian is truly dead."

This was Jiang Wenyuan’s first impression upon riding into the city.

The most obvious change was in the atmosphere, or rather the mood. Although there wasn’t much change in Jiankang Capital City when Huang Tian was around, due to his grand plans for a martial arts competition, numerous martial artists and warlords started gathering towards Jiankang Imperial City. When there are more people, chaos easily ensues, especially with martial artists wielding power. Occasional arguments could lead to fatalities right on the streets.

This led to a tense atmosphere throughout the streets, with shopkeepers constantly on edge, ready to close at any moment. Of course, thin wooden doors couldn’t really block the fierce winds from those with evil qi, but at least it kept blood and sewage from being flung into the houses.

But now, Jiankang City was completely different.

Relaxed—this was Jiang Wenyuan’s most palpable feeling throughout the journey. Unlike the previous terror, the residents of Jiankang City were now visibly more relaxed. The street shops seemed bolder, and even vendors started selling snacks like pancakes and buns along the streets—something unimaginable during Huang Tian’s time, and even before Huang Tian’s arrival, it wasn’t possible.

After all, before Huang Tian’s arrival, peace was never even a consideration for Jiankang Capital City. There were constant debates in the court over whether to flee south, and monsters could appear at any moment in the city. At that time, chaos was the main theme for this capital city, leaving everyone unable to rest easy from top to bottom.

But now, the atmosphere in Jiankang City seemed more like...

"Yizhou?"

Jiang Wenyuan suddenly felt disoriented, inexplicably having a sense of returning to his hometown.

It indeed felt that way. Back in Yizhou, even though it was the first to raise rebellion, and despite being surrounded by enemies, for the people in the city, it didn’t seem to matter. Everyone lived their lives as usual, as if nothing could affect them regardless of what happened.

Where did they get this confidence?

Jiang Wenyuan had never thought about this before. At that time, he hadn’t mastered any power and wasn’t considered a master. Many strange things, he might have sensed but never became clearly aware of.

But now, after experiencing much, Jiang Wenyuan finally faintly sensed what was enveloping the entire city.

With this thought, he sought out his old friend Shan Bing.

"What... are you doing?"

Originally ready to chat with his friend, Jiang Wenyuan was stunned at the door, shocked by Shan Bing’s attire—this man with a war soldiers background, whether in regular clothes, armor, or even bare-chested, was something he could understand.

But to see a bare-chested muscular man wearing a cook’s apron—this visual was quite too overwhelming.

"You’re here? Perfect timing, I just made some soup."

Saying this, Shan Bing invited Jiang Wenyuan into the house and then served a small bowl of chicken soup.

"You can drink it directly to warm up while waiting for the main course to come."

"... There’s a main course?"

Jiang Wenyuan was taken aback and even suspected for a moment that Shan Bing had been possessed by some evil spirit.

However, to be fair, the chicken soup was indeed flawless. With its fresh and clear taste, it invigorated the spirit—though its clarity and brightness were perplexing. To make chicken soup this clear usually requires repeatedly refining with chicken meat paste, a technique only professional chefs use—when did Shan Bing, who had never cooked, learn this?

Just as he finished that small bowl of soup, the main course was served.