“The peach blossom face means fortune, the peach wood sword means doom.” Mu Qingyang tossed his peach blossom coin high in the air, then caught it with one hand, “Family Head, I think we don’t even need to calculate this time.”

“Oh?” Su Changhe smiled.

“It must be the sword face.” Mu Qingyang raised his hand, looking at the sword side, and smiled bitterly, “The worst possible doom.”

“Is Xiao Ruofeng, the King of Langya, really so difficult to kill?” Su Changhe said softly.

“To put it intimidatingly, he’s even harder to kill than the emperor.” Mu Qingyang put away his coin, “After all, besides being North Li’s top military commander, he has another identity – the personal disciple of the former World’s First, Li Changsheng, and the senior brother to the current contender for World’s First, Baili Dongjun.”

Su Changhe stroked his small mustache: “Ah, Baili Dongjun, I’ve met him before.”

“Oh? How was it?” Mu Qingyang asked.

Su Changhe’s eyes flickered slightly: “Back then, I almost killed him with one sword strike.”

Mu Qingyang was stunned: “Family Head was so formidable?”

“Hahaha, back then he didn’t know martial arts, I could have killed him with a wave of my hand. Unfortunately, the Wen Family Head, Wen Hujiu, was by his side, so I didn’t strike. Who would have thought that my momentary restraint would lead to the creation of a World’s First?” Su Changhe said with feigned emotion.

Mu Qingyang shrugged somewhat disdainfully: “Family Head, he became World’s First because he took Li Changsheng as his master, not because of you. Conversely, if you had struck then, he might still be World’s First now, but Dark River… wouldn’t have its current Family Head.”

“Hahaha, you look down on your leader so much? How about this – divine for us what the story would be now if we had struck then?” Su Changhe asked.

Mu Qingyang shook his head lightly: “Divination can predict future possibilities, not past possibilities.”

“Well, since there’s divination, is there interpretation? You say our journey brings great doom, so how can we turn doom into fortune?” Su Changhe took the peach blossom coin from Mu Qingyang’s hand, examining it carefully in the sunlight.

“Unfortunately, even the person who created this peach blossom coin was trapped by their fate, unable to interpret the divination.” Mu Qingyang stepped forward to retrieve his coin, “Family Head, I have only one question.”

“Speak.” Su Changhe turned around, already preparing to leave.

“Can I not go…” There was bitterness in Mu Qingyang’s voice.

“No.” Su Changhe shook his head, “In Dark River, only you accompanied me into Tianqi City. If I’m going to my death, I can only drag you along as my shield.”

“Isn’t Uncle Zhe also in Tianqi City? He’s much stronger than me.” Mu Qingyang said.

Su Changhe smiled: “Uncle Zhe is no longer part of our Dark River. He should have his own life now.”

“Ah.” Mu Qingyang stretched lazily, “I also want to have my own life.”

At the Academy.

Chen Ru had been napping on the bamboo couch when he suddenly smelled tea. He sniffed and sat up, seeing that familiar figure sitting by the wooden table brewing tea.

“Ruofeng, why have you come?” In the academy, there were no distinctions of status or rank, so Chen Ru called him directly by name.

Xiao Ruofeng turned slightly: “Teacher, you’re awake. Last night I suddenly dreamed of Master and my senior brothers, so I wanted to visit the academy.”

“What did you dream about?” Chen Ru got down from the bamboo couch and sat across from Xiao Ruofeng. He still remembered when he first met Xiao Ruofeng, who was then a spirited youth who broke through a boundary after drinking seven cups of Starnight Wine at the Carved Tower Lodge. But later, the worry in Xiao Ruofeng’s brow grew deeper and deeper, until now, when he sat there emanating a heavy, desolate feeling.

Xiao Ruofeng poured Chen Ru a cup of tea: “Nothing special, just some ordinary scenes from the academy many years ago. Back then, Dongjun hadn’t yet joined the school, and Senior Brother Gu hadn’t returned to Chaisang City. He and Second Senior Brother would steal each other’s wine every day. Senior Brother Liu Yue and Senior Brother Xiaohei always wore their bamboo hats, but even those couldn’t stop their mutual mockery, while Senior Brother Luoxuan would always sit quietly to the side playing his flute, never joining in these disturbances.”

“And you?” Chen Ru took a sip of tea and asked.

“Me?” Xiao Ruofeng thought for a moment, “I sat with Master. I wanted to play a game of chess with him, but he refused. He told me I was lost.”

Chen Ru paused, putting down his teacup: “Don’t think too much about it. You just miss them. Why not find an opportunity for everyone to reunite? Come back to the academy. Master Li is hard to find, so let me, the academy’s Wine Master, host for you all. How about that?”

Xiao Ruofeng remained silent for a long while but finally shook his head: “Everyone has made their own choices, their own lives. If they saw me as I am now, they would probably be disappointed.”

“You are North Li’s great hero, the world’s great hero. No one has the right to be disappointed in you, not even Master Li.” Chen Ru said in a deep voice, “I just hope you won’t be disappointed in yourself.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Xiao Ruofeng nodded slightly and drank his tea, “In Tianqi City, there are fewer and fewer people who can speak to me like this.”

“Your friends are either too simple-minded, like the Lei Mengsha couple, or too complicated, like that masked fellow.” Chen Ru sighed lightly, “And I cannot be counted as your friend.”

“Teacher is someone I deeply respect.” Xiao Ruofeng replied.

“Have you ever regretted it? You had another path you could have chosen. The jianghu is vast – if you hadn’t confined yourself within this imperial city and royal family, you might have lived more freely and happily,” Chen Ru asked, “Like your other senior brothers.”

“When the current me thinks of those past dreams, I feel some loss. In those dreams, I could wield a sword and ride horses, cross flower seas, and appear before the woman I loved.” Xiao Ruofeng stood up, putting on his black cloak, “But if everyone stayed in the jianghu, then the jianghu wouldn’t be what it is today.”

“I knew from the beginning that while you might feel regret, you wouldn’t truly regret your choice.” Chen Ru smiled.

“Some things, someone has to do them.” Xiao Ruofeng sighed lightly, “And thank you, Teacher, for your dedication to the academy all these years.”

“I’ll also be leaving the academy soon. My nephew’s disciple will come to replace me as Wine Master for a while. He was once ranked alongside you as one of North Li’s Eight Young Masters.” Chen Ru said.

“Ah, Xie Xuan.” Xiao Ruofeng smiled.

“Yes, but he won’t stay at the academy long. And the academy has reached the time… when it should bid farewell to everyone.” Chen Ru said slowly.