At the Tower Lodge.

Xiao Ruofeng found a corner seat and sat down. Though many people in Tianqi City knew him, having welcomed him with grand celebrations after his numerous victorious returns, no one noticed him as he sat alone drinking.

This was partly because it defied common sense – how could a prince who stood second only to one in the court be sitting alone in the Tower Lodge at such an hour, drinking without any guards?

The other reason was that Xiao Ruofeng had employed some mystical techniques.

Born from the academy and apprenticed to the former World’s First Li Changsheng, who, despite heading the world’s premier academy for many years, was himself an unorthodox figure. Beyond normal sword techniques, he was also highly skilled in the mysterious arts and formations. Xiao Ruofeng had learned one such technique called “Coming Geese, Departing Swallows.” When he sat there, patrons coming and going naturally overlooked him, and even if someone happened to notice him, his features would suddenly become indistinct to their eyes.

The innkeeper, however, was unaffected by this technique. He brought a pot of wine and a plate of appetizers to the table, then asked: “Your Highness hasn’t visited the Lodge in a long time. Are you meeting any distinguished guests today?”

Xiao Ruofeng shook his head: “No. I just suddenly wanted to sit here for a while.”

The innkeeper nodded thoughtfully before withdrawing: “Then I won’t disturb you.”

Xiao Ruofeng picked up his wine cup and tilted his head back slightly, looking at the Lodge’s ceiling.

Once, a pot of wine had hung there – the Lodge’s most precious Autumn Dew White.

But now it was empty, nothing there at all.

Back then, his junior brother Baili Dongjun had challenged the Autumn Dew White with seven cups of Starnight Wine, ultimately defeating the Lodge’s strongest wine master, Master Xie. He then leaped up to take that aged Autumn Dew White from the ceiling. Xiao Ruofeng had been one of the judges in that contest, and after drinking seven cups of Starnight Wine, he had broken through his boundary, instantly shattering the martial arts bottleneck that had confined him for years.

But later his junior brother left, and his other senior brothers gradually departed too. He then accepted the position of prince, helped his elder brother ascend to the throne, defeated South Jue, saved the world, and became a great hero in people’s eyes. But his martial arts no longer progressed. His skills had stopped at that moment of drinking the wine, and all his years of hard training afterward could only barely advance him a few more steps.

“If you enter the jianghu, you might inherit my title in the future. But if you remain in court, you can only stay at this level. Do you understand?” Li Changsheng had once told him this.

“Master, being able to reach this level is already great fortune for someone born to the Xiao clan,” Xiao Ruofeng had answered with a smile.

Master, will you appear again?

To guide me once more?

“Even the finest wine turns bitter when drunk with sorrow.” A figure suddenly sat down across from Xiao Ruofeng.

Xiao Ruofeng raised his head slightly, looking at the young man before him.

The young man had a well-groomed small mustache, maintained with great care and cleanliness. His eyes held a hint of mockery, and he sat with casual arrogance, lounging there without any regard for etiquette.

Yet in this casualness, he had broken through Xiao Ruofeng’s “Coming Geese, Departing Swallows.”

The innkeeper noticed this scene with surprise and immediately moved to intervene, but Xiao Ruofeng raised his hand slightly, indicating he should stay back.

“Su Changhe, the new Family Head of Dark River?” Xiao Ruofeng said flatly.

Su Changhe habitually touched his mustache: “We’ve met once before.”

“I remember. Back then you came to assassinate the Western Marquis, but then withdrew.” Xiao Ruofeng said softly.

Su Changhe laughed heartily: “Hahaha! If we hadn’t withdrawn then, perhaps the world would have one less great hero who saved mankind.”

“You’re very confident.” Xiao Ruofeng picked up an empty cup and poured wine for Su Changhe.

Su Changhe drank it in one gulp: “One’s ambition naturally needs to be great enough to fuel a lifetime of fighting. And for assassins like us, killing the most difficult person to kill in the world is the greatest ambition.”

“That’s somewhat interesting.” Xiao Ruofeng smiled too, “Those words deserve a drink.”

“I just never expected that the radiant King of Langya spoken of by all would drink alone in a tavern.” Su Changhe smiled, “You’re very lonely.”

“In a sense, yes.” Xiao Ruofeng nodded.

“That’s interesting. I, called a demon by the world, rarely feel lonely, because I’ve always had a brother worthy of entrusting life and death to by my side.” Su Changhe poured himself another cup.

“Where is Dark River?” Xiao Ruofeng suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Su Changhe paused, then replied: “In nameless deep mountains, where dark currents begin and end. You cannot find it, only in the deepest, darkest night, following moonlight can you find the path to Dark River through guiding messengers.”

“Mysterious indeed, yet still part of the jianghu.” Xiao Ruofeng tilted his cup, but no more wine came out. He shook his head and sighed, “The wine is finished.”

Su Changhe looked around – the tavern was now empty, and Mu Qingyang appeared at the door, gently closing the Tower Lodge’s main door. He looked back at Xiao Ruofeng: “Since the wine is finished, then…”

“Back then when you tried to assassinate the Western Marquis, you and Umbrella Ghost Su Muyu brought many assassins, but today you came to kill me with only two people.” Xiao Ruofeng smiled, “Wasn’t I supposed to be the most difficult person to kill?”

“The me of then and the me of now are completely different.” Su Changhe pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, “And I’ve followed you for a long time. Today, there is truly no one by your side. Because today, you deliberately made yourself unnoticeable to others.”

“Oh?” Xiao Ruofeng raised his eyebrows.

“Because you wanted to deliberately see how this Tianqi, this world, would be without you, the King of Langya. Would it still be the same? Were all your years of choices and sacrifices worth nothing?” Su Changhe smiled.

“If you weren’t an assassin, you’d truly be worth sharing a real drink with.” Xiao Ruofeng raised his head, carefully examining the assassin before him.

“What a pity. The world cannot be without you, King of Langya. In the light, people look up to you, and in the darkness, we wait for you!” Su Changhe leaped up.