Heroes of the Fantasy World

Chapter 648: Hill of Swords

(3)

The bright red sunset dyed the sky red. The thick clouds seemed to be lower and closer than yesterday, completely blocking the sun behind them. Only the bright red light could penetrate the gaps in the clouds and reach the earth.

This side is bright red, and the other side of the sword monument is flawless black.

Bai Feng stood between the two, waiting with a sword in his arms.

Soon, a beam of light that was sinking and rising came into view, opening a path between the red and black of this space. It was the light emitted by a portable lantern, an ambiguous color between red and yellow.

A carriage stopped in front of Bai Feng.

"Come up." A man in luxurious clothes invited, "You can't ask me to go down and invite you myself, right? Hero Bai."

Bai Feng bowed and got into the car. He looked back at the Sword Hill and said goodbye silently in his heart. Then he asked the other party, "Your Highness, why did you suddenly think of coming in person? Are you afraid that I will escape halfway?"

"Haha, that's not the case." Gao Yang gently lifted up the scattered hair on his forehead and said jokingly, "This is the last battle. Wouldn't it be too cold-blooded if I don't see you off?"

Bai Feng thanked him and said, "Your Highness has had a bumpy journey, I will definitely live up to your expectations. But I thought that Your Highness must have other things to do if he came to visit me personally."

Gao Yang looked at the red sky outside the car window, smiling but not saying anything, until Tong Yun, who was in charge of driving the carriage, asked, "Brother Bai, are you the only one going to kill Sima Tu?"

Bai Feng said: "For now, I am alone, but there will be others traveling with me in Jinyang. They will be waiting for me in Jinyang."

"Oh," Tong Yun casually said a few names: "Brother Yuchi promised to help. If Mei Xinghe also helps, maybe Prime Minister Mei Lin will also lend you a hand? If you think about it carefully, you have quite a few allies!"

Bai Feng said modestly: "We are all allies of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I am just taking advantage of them."

"Hahaha, Master Bai, please stop being sarcastic to me. Isn't it okay for me to say it?" Gao Yang looked at Bai Feng meaningfully and said, "Does Master Bai know how to govern a country?"

Bai Feng said: "For me, it means helping the weak and suppressing the strong, robbing the rich and helping the poor, so that everyone can live equally."

"No, that's not right. This is too one-sided. If the country is prosperous, the powerful do not bully the weak, and the rich take the initiative to help the poor, then what should we do?" Gao Yang suddenly asked some very profound questions, seemingly trying to embarrass Bai Feng.

Bai Feng showed a faint smile: "If there really is such a country, then they definitely don't need me."

"Master Bai, you are such an interesting person." Gao Yang expressed his admiration again: "Although your approach is simple, it cannot be said to be wrong. I think that when governing a country, we cannot just focus on one thing. Master Bai, think about the wars you have experienced and the people you have been loyal to. Whether it is Zhao Kuo or Heba, the root cause of the conflict is mostly due to racial differences. Nowadays, bullying of the weak often occurs simply because of racial differences, and the so-called perpetrators are usually the bullied party."

Bai Feng was puzzled and asked, "What exactly does Your Highness want to say?"

"The weak bully the weaker, and only the meat-eaters sitting at the top are not hurt at all. Master Bai, think about what you encountered in Jinyang five years ago, and think about the Taiping Taoists." Gao Yang's voice became heavier. In Bai Feng's eyes, he was not a kind person, but his words did reveal a sentiment similar to Murong Yan's.

Bai Feng was a little frustrated and said, "I can't do anything. I can only swing the sword to kill the enemy. Yan'er can at least guide the lost people back on track. I don't know how to answer."

"You don't have to answer now, Master Bai. In fact, what happened in Yuyi Town has given me a lot of inspiration. I believe that a multi-ethnic republic can exist. No matter whether you are Xianbei, Rouran, Xiongnu, Miao or Han, as long as you are willing to abide by the laws and regulations of this land, everyone can live on this land." Gao Yang's eyes were shining, and Bai Feng saw herself in these eyes: "Master Bai, people like you are needed everywhere. After the matter is accomplished, stay by my side."

Bai Feng asked, "Your Highness the Crown Prince looks confident?"

"I can't say I'm confident, but I'm prepared for everything." Gao Yang saw Tong Yun suddenly stop the car and asked, "What's going on?"

Tong Yun was a little panicked and replied: "The city is under martial law, there is no way to get closer!"

"Call the guards over." Gao Yang's voice became dignified, making people afraid to ask more questions: "Master Bai, wait, don't talk or act rashly."

Gao Yang lifted the door curtain to let the guard see his face clearly. Without saying a word, the guard bowed nervously and waved for someone to open the checkpoint.

"They are all my trusted aides. My face is the best pass." Gao Yang returned to the previous topic and continued, "That is to say, even if the assassination attempt of Bai Daxia on Sima Tu fails, I still have a way to stop the Fengshan Ceremony. Whether it is my own people in the city or Yu Wenxuan who is on his way to Jinyang, they are enough to help me accomplish this. I never make big bets. I only play chess that is sure to win."

Bai Feng said: "Then I am the exact opposite of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I am used to risking my life to do things."

"You should think about it. There's no need to reject me now." Gao Yang understood the meaning of Bai Feng's words: "No one is born to get along with anyone else, but with you by my side, I can definitely do what I want to do. Don't you want to build a country like that?" Bai Feng fell silent.

The carriage started again, Tong Yun breathed a sigh of relief, and continued driving into the city.

The days of martial law and curfew in Jinyang City have made this huge capital city extremely deserted. The market stalls that should have been filled with vendors are now empty, with only fully armed soldiers patrolling around.

Seeing that Bai Feng still didn't say a word, Gao Yang took the initiative to order the carriage to go to the Dali Temple. Before getting off the carriage and entering the Dali Temple, he said, "There are still two days before the Fengshan Ceremony, which means that the day after tonight will be the day Sima Tu will die. Master Bai, do you want to make any preparations?"

"Let me go to Xiangguo Temple. My companions are there." Bai Feng seemed to have been waiting for Gao Yang to ask this question, and answered without much thought.

Gao Yang asked: "Who is this person? Can you trust him?"

"A monk. I promised to hand Sima Tu over to him." Bai Feng grinned: "Don't worry, I will only hand over the corpse to him."

Gao Yang's eyes showed a hint of vigilance. He patted Tong Yun's shoulder and said, "Take him to Xiangguo Temple and return here before midnight tonight, otherwise I can't guarantee your safety."

"Don't worry, I will never desert the battlefield." Bai Feng said, and Gao Yang got out of the car and entered the Dali Temple.

Bai Feng’s friend in Xiangguo Temple was Monk Juexin.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Monk Juexin has been a visiting monk in Xiangguo Temple for five years. Although he is devoted to spiritual practice and recites sutras for a living all day long, no one knows what his real purpose is. This secret, along with the Zen stick that came with him to Xiangguo Temple, was buried until Bai Feng came to his door tonight.

The Zen stick was hidden under the bed where Juexin slept. There was a secret chamber there, and Juexin thought it would never be opened again. He placed the token given to him by Abbot Xuanqing in front of the Buddha's seat as an offering, and silently recited something in his heart.

"Are you reluctant to leave this place?" Bai Feng asked, "Perhaps after the success, you can stay here as a meritorious official who helped Crown Prince Gao Yang ascend the throne and become emperor. You may even be named a 'holy monk'."

Juexin's beard was very sloppy, probably having never been groomed. But now his temperament has gradually become calm and sophisticated, and he has changed from his previous cautious attitude. As a monk who broke the precepts, he has a new understanding of the precepts after practicing.

"The abbot asked me to take the Zen stick and embark on the path of cultivation so that I would always remember my mission. I broke the precepts to slay demons and monsters, not to satisfy my own desires." Juexin took a razor and a basin, shaved his beard overnight, and threw the shaved beard into the incense burner, thinking: "As long as I have the precepts in my heart, I will never break them."

Bai Feng asked: "Why, did you get enlightenment?"

"Holy monk, this is not what I want. I'd better go back to Qingliang Temple." Juexin picked up the Zen stick, put on the Buddhist beads around his neck and went out. Tong Yun waited for a long time and bowed and said, "I have heard a lot about you."

Bai Feng went out first to explore the way. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, he immediately took a carriage back to Dali Temple with Tong Yun and Juexin.

Tonight, no one sleeps.

Countless strangers kept coming in and out of the Dali Temple. They were dressed differently and had different identities. Some came with news, while others returned injured. Bai Feng couldn't recognize their appearance, but only knew that they were all risking their lives.

No one is born to fight for anyone. They all have the right to choose anything to sacrifice their lives for. At that time, even if it is foggy at night and they cannot see the road ahead clearly, they will never succumb to fear. If the country Gao Yang mentioned really exists, then these great warriors should rise up.

"I am no exception." Bai Feng counted down silently in his heart, hoping to continue like this until dawn.

They continued to enter and exit the gate, but Bai Feng gradually could not hear any sound. He only felt an unprecedented peace in his heart, a silence even deeper than that during his cultivation.

After a moment, Bai Feng suddenly understood that they were the righteous men under Gao Yang, responsible for finding out the situation of the road to the palace tomorrow - all this was to allow Bai Feng to enter the palace successfully without being noticed by Sima Tu.

Bai Feng silently called out the names of the warriors from various ethnic groups. At this moment, he understood that welcoming the arrival of a new era was not something that one person could do, and the sword he was about to stab out would be forged by the lives of countless people.

In the night sky, the vast Milky Way swirls continuously, vast and sad.

"Brother Bai, are you worried about Miss Murong?" Tong Yun suddenly appeared in front of Bai Feng. Behind him, the bright sun had risen again. "Don't worry, the brothers of Crow's Nest will swear to protect the Saint Lady. I will take you and Brother Yuchi to the palace later. In name, we are reporting to the emperor. After all, Jinyang has been dangerous recently, and many forces are surging. The Dali Temple should actively report the situation."

Bai Feng stood up and nodded: "Don't forget to bring Monk Juexin with you."

This is a vibrant morning, and everything will start anew.