When An Jiu first met Chu Dingjiang, she thought he was in a difficult situation but resilient. Later interactions made her think he was a straightforward, honest man. Now, looking back, she realized he had never been a good person from the start.
“That wasn’t my choice,” Chu Dingjiang had something on his mind and needed to vent. “Gu Jingfeng is the Emperor’s special envoy. I was exiled here after being pushed out of the Shenwu Army. He outranks me by half a grade. How could our positions be the same?”
Gu Jingfeng was undefeated in battle and renowned in the Konghejia Army. Those with the ability to challenge him in trials feared losing face if defeated, while ordinary people were no match for him. So the selection had been in limbo. The newly appointed commander of the Shenwu Army, who had been scheming to push out Chu Dingjiang, certainly wouldn’t miss this rare opportunity. When he proposed Chu Dingjiang, it was almost unanimously approved internally, with no suspense. They effortlessly pushed this thorn in their side out of the Konghejia Army.
Far from comforting him, An Jiu said disdainfully, “You were once the Shenwu Lieutenant and Commander.”
Her implication was clear: Why had Gu Jingfeng, a mere deputy, become the Emperor’s confidant while Chu had fallen so low? There must be issues with his character.
“Haha,” Chu Dingjiang laughed loudly but didn’t argue.
His advancement to the Transformation State had relied on some external help. He never denied that his innate talent was inferior to Gu Jingfeng’s.
But like others, he had climbed to high positions stepping on mountains of corpses. The leap from Shenwu Lieutenant to Shenwu Commander seemed swift, but the scheming and hardships behind it were beyond outsiders’ understanding. Yet he was pushed down from that high position after such a short time. Others might feel resentment and hatred, but he didn’t.
Victory and defeat were common in a warrior’s life. As long as one lived, there was always a chance to rise again!
“Alright, I’m done teasing you. I have things to do,” Chu Dingjiang stood up. He wanted to touch An Jiu’s face but his raised hand only seemed to brush past her cheek.
An Jiu felt he had something to say, but in the end, she only saw a blur as he vanished into the darkness.
An Jiu’s heart skipped a beat. Surely he wouldn’t go kill Lou Mingyue! She went to the wall and knocked three times.
After a moment, two knocks came in response from the other side.
An Jiu fell into deep thought. Why had Chu Dingjiang come specifically to see her?
After resting for two hours, a distant signal horn sounded.
Everyone immediately rushed towards it.
On the training ground stood two tall, black-clad riders. Beside them were thirteen fine horses, their hooves treated to minimize noise when running.
The trial participants arrived one after another.
“Mount up!” Chu Dingjiang ordered.
Once everyone had mounted, with Chu Dingjiang and Gu Jingfeng in the lead, they rode out of Konghejia through a side gate.
In the darkest moment before dawn, the group galloped along the main road like a gust of wind, producing only muffled sounds.
As they neared the city gate, the guards finally saw a group of mysterious figures in dark cloaks racing towards them. Just as they were about to challenge them, the leader raised a hand, and in an instant, a bamboo slip was forcefully embedded in the stone wall.
The guard commander took a close look, then turned and shouted, “Let them pass!”
Those below dared not delay.
The side gate creaked open. The group arrived just as it began to open, disappearing before it was fully wide. The soldiers holding the gate stood dazed for a moment, peering out briefly before remembering to close it.