Tang Lici didn’t answer. Wanyu Yuedan’s brows curved as he smiled expansively. “I want to be a king, but don’t necessarily need to be strong. Young Master Tang, you… don’t necessarily need to be a king, but must definitely be strong.” He said slowly, “The strong… must have hearts hard as stone. If you can’t withstand others’ suffering, you’ll too easily expose your weaknesses. The jianghu is turbulent with wind and rain, and you are a very important person…”

Tang Lici raised his eyes and smiled. The sky appeared quite gray-white, desolate and distant, like fine sand blown into the sky by fierce wind, scattering and drifting, yet blown ever higher, never falling.

Just then, a loud “bang” sounded in the distance. In Tang Lici’s view, a cloud of black smoke rose from Wangting Manor’s direction, followed by fierce flames blazing up to half the sky’s height. Needless to say, that estate with its complex mechanisms and interconnected tunnels had once again vanished in gunpowder and fire. The outcome of the battle between Zhu Yan and Yu Konghou remained unknown, and the whereabouts of the men and women hidden in Wangting Manor would obviously become a mystery.

They certainly had other lairs, but even if Zhu Yan and Yu Konghou both suffered defeat, the remaining forces of the Wind and Moon Store were still formidable – pursuit was inadvisable. Tang Lici stared fixedly at the increasingly fierce blaze. If he could be stronger, if he had helpers like Zhu Yan, last night would actually have been an excellent opportunity to kill Yu Konghou.

A helper like Zhu Yan…

Fu Zhumei’s shadow flashed through his mind. Tang Lici’s beautifully flushed complexion suddenly paled slightly, with a faint dizziness. Tang Yingdi’s words “he’s better than you” and A’Shui’s “he’s better than you” overlapped and circled in his ears like persistent ghosts. His eyes half-closed. Beside him, Wanyu Yuedan raised his head. “Young Master Tang?”

“I’m tired.” Tang Lici said. Wanyu Yuedan breathed out softly and sat down on the ground. He didn’t care whether the ground was muddy water or weeds. After sitting, he touched around and discovered it was a patch of damp, withered grass, so he simply lay down, pillowing his arm and gazing at the sky.

He couldn’t see the sky, but he was very content.

Tang Lici followed suit and sat down. Wanyu Yuedan tugged his sleeve. “If you’re tired, lie down. Rest for a while. Though the ground is cold, it won’t freeze us to death.” Tang Lici lay down, also pillowing his arm and gazing at the sky.

The sky remained hazy and unclear. Several dried, withered leaves too shapeless to identify drifted in the wind, rising and falling, yet appearing very free in form. Wanyu Yuedan reached out and plucked a blade of dried grass. “Can you sing?” Tang Lici stared fixedly at those few leaves in the wind. “Sing?” Wanyu Yuedan used his nimble fingers to caress the dried grass delicately, carefully studying its shape. “When lying on the ground, don’t you want to sing? I’d like to hear someone sing.”

Watching his movements as he played with the dried grass, Tang Lici’s whole body gradually relaxed somewhat. A string that had been stretched very tight recently slowly loosened. After relaxing, his expression was no longer calm and refined, showing a trace of cold mockery. “There’s a song called ‘Weak Insect.'”

“Weak Insect?” Wanyu Yuedan was stunned. “What a strange name. Sing it for me to hear.”

Tang Lici lay carelessly on the withered grass. “Over there, the campfires of the encamped army, endless cavalry sleeping by rivers through the night, the moon like a hook, long grass covering mountain slopes. Over there, dreaming many dreams, counting one, two, three, four, even less clear than the stars. Over there, weak little insects flashing light, wandering in the silent midnight hours; over here, fragile little insects flapping wings, soaring when strong enemies approach, how many ghosts on the riverbank, holding guns under cover of night… Whose nighttime dreams, weak insects gently drifting, cavalry drawing near; whose nighttime dreams, weak insects gently dying, falling to earth like leaves. Whose war boots trample over them, not knowing their dreams, thinking them only dirt, oh – thinking them only dirt – moonlight flickers in that hook-like form, coldly shining, coldly shining, unable to illuminate all the weak insects dying lonely this night…” He didn’t sing, only recited the lyrics.

Wanyu Yuedan listened very seriously. “The line ‘cavalry drawing near’ is quite sudden.” Tang Lici gazed at the sky. “That’s a dual harmony.” Wanyu Yuedan continued, “And ‘falling to earth like leaves’ also…” Tang Lici interrupted him. “That’s also dual harmony.” Wanyu Yuedan didn’t know what “dual harmony” meant and regretfully tugged at the dried grass in his hand. “Why don’t you sing it?”

“Sing?” Tang Lici grabbed a handful of dried grass from the ground and scattered it into the air with a shake of his hand, watching it blow everywhere in the wind. “Who knows… go ask Fu Zhumei to sing it for you. I can only sing ‘cavalry drawing near’ and ‘falling to earth like leaves.'”

Wanyu Yuedan was surprised. “Why?”

Tang Lici gazed at the sky. The dried grass he had scattered was no longer visible in the sky. “Because… that’s just how it’s regulated.”

Wanyu Yuedan fell quiet. “Who made this regulation?”

Tang Lici raised his hand, spreading his five fingers, looking at the sky through the gaps. The sky remained very vast, but viewed through his finger gaps it seemed narrow. “All the people… all of all the people.”

When saying “all the people… all of all the people,” Tang Lici’s tone was like a child’s. Wanyu Yuedan smiled with relaxed eyes. “Then I’ll sing for you instead.”

Tang Lici laughed. “You?” He was quite contemptuous, but didn’t forbid it. “Go ahead and sing.”

Wanyu Yuedan lay on the ground and began singing. He sang casually, singing childhood tunes. When he forgot some lyrics he would improvise connections, and when he forgot more thoroughly he would make things up entirely. After all, Tang Lici didn’t know what he was singing anyway.

The winter wind was quite cool. After listening to Wanyu Yuedan’s nonsensical singing for a good while, Tang Lici’s red lips curved slightly. “You… sometimes resemble someone.” Wanyu Yuedan stopped singing. “Who?” Tang Lici’s lip curve lifted very subtly. “You’re missing him.” Wanyu Yuedan asked again, “Who?” Tang Lici said, “Who it is… you know very clearly.” Wanyu Yuedan sighed. “Mm… how do you know him? Where is he?” Tang Lici appeared to smile but not smile. “He’s in a… very, very distant place.”

“Is he well?” Wanyu Yuedan didn’t ask where “he” was. He knew Tang Lici wouldn’t say.

“Not too well.” Tang Lici closed his eyes. “Or rather… very unwell.”