In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Card--

Zhi Xiang emitted a mechanical voice again, increased its altitude, and hovered above Wen Ju.

"Ah!" Wen Ju came to her senses, quickly picked up the load again, and caught up with Zhi Xiang's steps.

As Zhi Xiang flew forward, the air rippled like water as it passed high in the sky.

The ripples grew larger and larger, and a light curtain slowly emerged, then, as if opening a door, a gap appeared.

Wen Ju didn't delay and quickly walked across the gap.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally set foot on this land called the Central Plains once again.

The breach had not yet been closed. Wen Ju stood in the Central Plains, staring blankly at the area outside.

It was a wild and desolate place, filled with the bloody and tragic memories of the four men.

Of the four, one was skilled in divination techniques, one was taciturn, one was carefree, and the other only knew how to run away.

They had set foot on the plateau, they had traversed the basin, they had roamed the forests, and in battle and roars, they had resolved unimaginable horrors for their beloved land.

That is a story that should not be forgotten, yet is destined to be unrecorded; it is a legend that Wen Ju would never dare to imagine.

Looking at that desolate land, he couldn't help but shed tears.

"Ahhh... Ahhhh—"

His body went limp, and he knelt on the ground, facing southwest, towards the rainforest, towards the direction where Ji Chao had died, and wailed loudly.

"My lord..."

winter--

His head slammed violently onto the ground.

"My lord—"

Zhi Xiang hovered high in the sky, making a constant "ka ka" sound, but did not leave, as if waiting for Wen Ju.

The First Evolution

The gap had disappeared. Wen Ju, her head bleeding and tears streaming down her face, stood up. Without wiping away the blood and tears, she gritted her teeth, picked up her load again, and set off on her journey once more.

Knowledge guides him, enabling him to move towards his destination.

The scorching sun dried the blood on his face, turning it black and seeping into his skin, making him look like a ghost.

Along the way, they encountered people, but the people were terrified of Wen Ju's terrifying appearance and avoided him at all costs. Some even called Wen Ju, who was carrying a load on his shoulders, "Black-faced Ghost," and some children who were not afraid of him threw stones at him.

He paid no attention, his withered body still following Zhi Xiang's footsteps, walking eastward.

During their journey, they encountered someone who tried to shoot Zhi Xiang down from mid-air with a bow and arrow. Wen Ju simply grabbed a stick and smashed it down, nearly killing the person, before continuing on their way.

He has traversed the towering mountains and deep forests beyond the Great Wall, and now he is walking through the beautiful scenery of the Central Plains.

He walked for an unknown amount of time, perhaps he had long since lost consciousness. His body was emaciated, skin and bones, and his back was hunched over under the weight of the load.

But he kept walking, following Zhixiang, his eyes vacant.

He walked from the southwestern border to the river, and then followed the river eastward. Everyone who saw him along the way was amazed.

A legend about a masked demon chasing a strange bird began to circulate in the Central Plains.

He has gone from the sweltering summer to the snowy winter.

Until we reached a certain location.

This place is called Xiaxiang, and it was the center of the old Chu region.

He carried his load on his shoulder pole and walked to the ruins of a large house, where he stopped.

Zhi Xiang landed on his shoulder, startling him awake.

"Click-clack—" Zhi Xiang made a mechanical sound from his throat.

"Zhi... Xiang..." His voice was hoarse and dry, and could no longer be heard clearly. He looked at the strange, large bird, Zhi Xiang.

Snow covered the ruins, but Wenju already knew what this place was.

"This... must be... the master's former home..."

He put down the load, allowing the Xiang brothers to touch the ground.

The moment it touched the ground, a sudden change occurred.

The two brothers opened their eyes at the same time and stood up from the leather bag.

The two brothers looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, still a bit childish, but they were already quite tall.

The two brothers stood on the ground, their expressions revealing bewilderment.

Wen Ju became excited, but the emptiness in his body caused him to stumble involuntarily, startling the two brothers.

Xiang An quickly helped Wen Ju up: "Um...you are, Wen Ju?"

"Do you...do you still remember me? Xiang An?" Wen Ju stroked Xiang An's head with his withered hand, then looked at Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu frowned: "I...I think I'm not quite sure..."

"Where is this place?"

Wen Ju took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, and spoke slowly in her dry voice.

"This is the Xiang residence in Xiaxiang. Your father, Xiang Chao, asked me to lead you to find your uncle."

But now it seems...

Wen Ju's gaze shifted to the ruins of the Xiang residence, and she couldn't help but sigh.

"Crack—" Zhi Xiang let out another unpleasant mechanical sound and flew up.

With great difficulty, Wen Ju raised her head through her deformed spine to look at Zhi Xiang, her face devoid of color as she looked at Xiang Yu and Xiang An.

"let's go."

"This is Lord Xiang... giving us directions."

His smile was ugly and menacing.

The bewildered Xiang Yu and Xiang An couldn't help but believe him and followed him.

It's a kind of unfamiliar familiarity, a sense of déjà vu.

Their intuition and understanding told them that the person in front of them, this ugly and terrifying monster, was trustworthy.

The three of them embarked on their journey once again, just like always.

Despite the wind and snow along the way, the three of them walked with unwavering determination for some reason.

Finally, they arrived at Kuaiji.

Zhi Xiang stopped in front of yet another large house.

It's still the Xiang residence, but it's not the same Xiang residence as before.

Wen Ju knocked on the door of the Xiang residence.

A moment later, a strong and powerful man came out.

He opened the door, looked at the person in front of it, and was startled.

“I’m looking for…Xiang Liang.” Wen Ju’s voice was hoarse and unpleasant.

The man took a step back, looking at Wen Ju warily: "...I am who you are. Who are you?"

“I’ve come to entrust… your elder brother’s two sons…” Wen Ju pointed to Xiang Yu and Xiang An.

"This...?" Xiang Liang was confused for a moment.

"...This bird...is the proof."

Zhi Xiang stopped on Wen Ju's hand, and Wen Ju's voice suddenly changed, becoming relaxed.

"You!?" Xiang Liang looked at the mechanical bird with surprise and doubt, only to see it gradually shrink and turn into a small mechanical bird.

Memories suddenly flood back.

“…Big brother?” He took the document and looked at Xiang Yu and Xiang An again.

The withered, black-faced demon suddenly collapsed.

"This person—!?" Xiang Liang was taken aback and tried to help him up.

However, this act of helping him up startled him.

This strange man had almost no weight on him.

But the strange man had a relaxed smile on his face.

"Lord Xiang Chao, in this way, my mission... is complete..."

"So...tired..."

"...Let's take a break."

Wen Ju closed her eyes with satisfaction.

------------

Chapter 785 Xiang Liang

Xiang Liang sat on his bed, gently stroking the mechanical bird that had shrunk in size, his expression complex.

Brother... he already felt somewhat unfamiliar with this person.

But suddenly a man arrived with two young boys, claiming to be his elder brother's sons, and...

Only the eldest brother knows how to make this mechanical bird.

Those were some of the few clear memories the three brothers had of their childhood. The eldest son, a military general, liked to tinker with these things. The eldest brother was often disliked and scolded by his father when he was young. Later, his father, who was completely disappointed in him, sent him to Xianyang as a hostage and then disappeared without a trace.

I never expected this to happen...

"Ok?"

Xiang Liang gently stroked the mechanical bird's head twice, and discovered that the bird's head seemed to be able to rotate.