Cao Lie tilted his head back and looked at the sky, carefully turning over the words Master Li had spoken… in truth, everyone is the same. Every person believes they themselves are the protagonist.

This was understandable — because every person is indeed the sole protagonist of their own life. That much cannot be denied.

And yet the vast majority of people in this world, within the fate they occupy as the protagonist of their own story, are still perpetually subject to the expressions on others’ faces.

By that reasoning, then, the vast majority of protagonists in this world do not lead particularly satisfying lives.

While Master Li, who regards himself as the king of supporting characters, leads a life that is, on the contrary, free and unrestrained.

At the very least, in his own life, he possesses the power to be left undisturbed whenever he wishes, and equally the power to reach anyone he wishes to disturb, with no possibility of escape.

“Contentment and resentment.”

Cao Lie murmured, as if speaking to himself: “Letting go and holding on… in the end, they are all about other people.”

Few people are brought low by their own inadequacy. And few people can fail to feel envy when someone else far surpasses them.

The indulgence one extends to oneself, and the intolerance one extends toward others, are one and the same.

“Master.”

Cao Lie turned to look at Master Li and asked: “Is it good to be a supporting character?”

Master Li said: “In theory — no.”

Cao Lie smiled: “And yet, from what Master said earlier, it sounds as if there are good aspects to it as well?”

Master Li said: “Not many.”

Cao Lie asked again: “Then why does Master prefer to be a supporting character?”

Master Li did not answer, but instead cut straight to the point: “Why do you always try to find excuses in other people to comfort yourself?”

Cao Lie’s expression shifted again, because this remark had once more touched something at the core of him. He truly had been looking for an excuse, a reason, a way of thinking about things that would let him feel more at ease in resignation.

Master Li said: “People in this world who can simply do as they please are few in number. Even in the days when you felt quite remarkable about yourself, you may not have been able to do as you pleased. And now you are holding yourself together… it is nothing more than a matter of face.”

Cao Lie said: “I don’t care very much about face.”

Master Li said: “Mm.”

He looked at Cao Lie: “If it’s not a matter of face, then you’re saying — even face you’ve let go of, yet still you cannot let go of other things?”

Cao Lie answered: “Such as hatred.”

Master Li asked: “What gave rise to the hatred?”

Cao Lie fell silent.

Master Li seemed to have lost interest in pursuing this topic. He smiled and said: “You raise pigs well. Stay and help me raise pigs.”

Cao Lie let out a long breath and, unexpectedly, actually nodded: “All right.”

Hermit Master Li Shangong raised his hand: “I’ll also…”

Master Li sighed: “You — go wandering through mountains, go floating along rivers, go surrendering yourself to the wilderness. Paint if you like, write poetry if you like. But don’t think of raising pigs, because you are not up to it.”

From anyone else’s mouth, these words would have sounded awkward and laughable.

But from Master Li’s mouth, Li Shangong actually felt a profound sense of loss at being unfit to raise pigs.

Cao Lie smiled, and in this moment suddenly understood something.

Even someone like Li Shangong had things entirely beyond his grasp. Was Cao Lie himself any different?

In truth, hadn’t he already accepted his lot long ago? Otherwise, why would he have made all those arrangements before leaving Dragon’s Head Pass?

So he let out a long breath and looked at Li Shangong: “You can be my assistant.”

Li Shangong sighed: “Am I truly so incompetent?”

You might say there were now two more eccentrics added to the mix.

—

Three days later. Wulai City.

Early in the morning, the people of the Blue Province royal manor were in full activity. The Slayer King’s army had mobilized more than twenty thousand elite troops to maintain order, while outside the city gates, fifty thousand Slayer King troops stood ready to enter at any moment.

The manor’s staff was making final preparations for the grand ceremony. Everyone was somewhat on edge — though their anxiety was a different matter from Gan Daode’s anxiety.

Gan Daode was worried, because even now the search had failed to turn up his junior great-uncle, Yuan Jianli.

This person was like a bolt of lightning that might strike at any moment — a human force could be blocked, but a lightning bolt from heaven could not.

“Your Highness, be at ease.”

The strategist Xu Ru smiled and said: “With those arrangements in place, Your Highness will absolutely have no accidents today. Everything is within our control. And for the sake of caution, today Your Highness may only eat the food placed before you, and only drink the wine at your side. Nothing else may be touched.”

Xu Ru had thought of a method earlier, which had given Gan Daode some relief.

But now that the day had actually arrived, he found he couldn’t sustain that relief. As long as Yuan Jianli wasn’t dead, this day might still go badly for him.

There was also the person who could match Yuan Jianli in a fight — they still hadn’t been found. These were all sources of hidden danger.

“Your Highness, it is time to depart.”

Xu Ru offered a reminder.

Gan Daode acknowledged with a sound and slowly let out a breath: “After today, I may truly need to change some of my old habits.”

Xu Ru asked: “What does Your Highness have in mind?”

“Governance of the people.”

Gan Daode looked at Xu Ru and said: “You have long been advising me not to be too harsh on the common people, not to be too brutal, not to kill too many — yet I have never heeded your counsel. After today, I will change.”

Xu Ru smiled and bowed deeply: “Your Highness is wise!”

Inwardly, Gan Daode thought: from this point forward, the Sacred Blade Sect would pursue him in an endless stream of assassinations. But things had already come to this. What was the use of looking forward and backward now?

“Let’s go.”

Gan Daode gave the order, then looked around: “Where is Director Gui?”

Xu Ru said: “He went to the ceremony venue early this morning. Though I have no fondness for the man, I must admit his work is very thorough.”

Gan Daode smiled: “The two of you — both men of great talent. The Emperor sent him here to convey an edict, and in doing so essentially delivered me a capable aide. Come to think of it, I ought to be grateful to the Emperor.”

Xu Ru said: “Those matters can be considered later. Your Highness really must depart now.”

Gan Daode smiled, then looked down at the magnificent embroidered royal robes he wore, thinking that he ought to feel supremely solemn and dignified at this moment.

This was indeed a supremely solemn and dignified moment — for him, the most important moment in his entire life.

—

In the rear quarters of the royal manor.

An opulently decorated room was hung with red festive decorations. Xiao Zhang Zhenren, dressed in a great red full-length gown, sat on the bed feeling that he must look absolutely ridiculous right now.

In such attire, in such a role — of all people under heaven combined, if ridiculous were ranked, he would at most come in second today.

And the one who ranked first was at this very moment crouching on a chair sulking.

Yu Jiuling had indeed been made up as a matron — a dowager maidservant accompanying the bride. He wore dowdy, drab clothing that practically shed dust, with heavy makeup plastered on his face.

Xiao Zhang Zhenren took one look at him and couldn’t help laughing. Yu Jiuling let out a grunt: “What are you laughing at? You’re not a bit better off than me.”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren pointed at Yu Jiuling: “Are you comfortable with it?”

Yu Jiuling paused, then followed the direction of Xiao Zhang Zhenren’s gesture and looked down at his own chest… which was rather prominently pronounced.

He let out a sigh and turned the question around: “Are you comfortable with yours?”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren was suddenly proud, and gave a little shake: “Mine is real.”

It was unclear what exactly he was proud of.

Yu Jiuling: “Disgusting!”

Early in the morning when they were setting out, before it had even grown light, Yu Jiuling’s elder sister Gao Xining had personally steamed a pot of round, soft, large steamed buns.

She looked seriously at Yu Jiuling and said: “We can’t lose to anyone else. In any department, we cannot lose. So the buns I’ve steamed this time… are absolutely enormous!”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren, looking at Yu Jiuling’s situation, laughed so hard his stomach ached.

“Ha ha ha ha… yours, yours are deformed!”

Yu Jiuling: “Shut up!”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren said: “Try it — give a shake and let’s see. Let me see how spectacular it is.”

Yu Jiuling: “If you make fun of me again, I’ll take you down with me. Anyway, if this gets back to Jizhou and those at home make a big deal of it, neither of us will want to go on living.”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren said: “I’m a bit better off — mine is real.”

Yu Jiuling: “Get out of here…”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren: “This morning when you stuffed them in, were they still hot?”

Yu Jiuling: “Get out of here…”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren stood up: “Let me test the feel.”

Yu Jiuling: “GET OUT OF HERE!”

At this moment, everyone in the manor had gone to prepare for the investiture ceremony, while Xiao Zhang Zhenren and the others were to remain in the manor and wait — when the time came, they would be escorted out, and before the assembled crowd, the Blue Province King Gan Daode would announce who his royal consort was.

Whether Xiao Zhang Zhenren and the others were being disregarded or simply not given thought, no one was stationed to guard this courtyard, inside or out.

Yu Jiuling sighed and said: “What if the two of us just make a break for it right now, and escape together?”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren said: “Talking nonsense — if I run now, word would get out and I’d have another thing to be mocked for. People would say I eloped with you.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Eloping with me is an insult to you?”

Xiao Zhang Zhenren: “An insult.”

Yu Jiuling: “…”

About an hour later, a carriage came to collect the royal consort — full red bridal gown, red veil covering the face — and conveyed her toward the ceremony hall.

—

Atop a stone pagoda inside Wulai City, Yuan Jianli stood with hands clasped behind his back.

Standing here, he could see the surging crowds at the distant ceremony venue, and see the people going in and out of the royal manor.

He was not rushing to act, because he knew his current wounds severely limited him.

For him, there was a misunderstanding he had no way of resolving — he was certain that the person who had injured him had been sent by Gan Daode.

Otherwise, there was no more reasonable explanation.

The investiture ceremony had been in preparation for so long, with that many troops maintaining order. Naturally nothing unexpected would occur.

The ceremony proceeded with extraordinary smoothness, and was completed in complete success. Gan Daode looked flushed with health and joy.

There atop the high platform, he publicly announced that his royal consort was the eldest daughter of the Shanhai Army of Yanzhou.

He also publicly announced that he would form an alliance with the Shanhai Army of Yanzhou — and that once the two armies united, they would be unrivaled under heaven.

That high platform had in fact been tampered with by Gui Yuanshu. There was only one opportunity. A plank on the platform could be flipped — the moment someone below pulled the rope, Gan Daode would fall from the high platform.

Below the platform, arrangements had also been made. All of this Gui Yuanshu had prepared by exploiting the convenience of his role overseeing the platform’s construction, pursuant to Li Chi’s requirements.

The earlier plan had been to make Gan Daode’s death look like an accident. But that plan had to be abandoned.

Despite all the preparation, abandoning it was indeed something of a shame.

—

That night.

After drinking a great deal of wine, Gan Daode was supported by attendants as he swayed and staggered back to his room to rest for a while.

Inside an opulently furnished bridal chamber, the royal consort sat on the bed waiting — dressed in a great red long gown, face covered with a red bridal veil, appearing somewhat ill at ease, sitting there looking every bit as nervous as she seemed.

Gan Daode had indeed drunk too much. He was supported by attendants as they took a detour past the privy, where he retched for quite some time before being helped back to the bridal chamber.

The attendants helped him to the doorway. Gan Daode waved his hand: “Get out, all of you. How dare you enter my bridal chamber without permission?”

But he couldn’t even walk steadily on his own, so his attendants still had to help support him inside.

Just a moment after entering, the two men supporting Gan Daode were suddenly flung backward through the air.

A figure stepped in from the doorway. Two hands seized the two attendants by the shoulders and hurled them flying a great distance.

The one who had entered drew a long blade and brought it chopping down toward Gan Daode’s neck.

—