Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Wang Po of Tianliang finally appeared in the capital.

Upon seeing the blue-clothed man at the gate, Chen Changsheng finally understood why he had met Xiao Zhang.

The person who understood you most in the world was often not your friend, but your enemy.

This was a stereotypical phrase, and it was often very stereotypically correct.

In the entire capital, only Xiao Zhang would expect Wang Po to come to the Wei Estate. Thus, he had sneaked into the Wei Estate to wait, but he hadn't expected for Chen Changsheng to come first.

Wang Po looked at Chen Changsheng in the snow, rather surprised, and then he smiled.

With his smile, the drooping brows rose upwards, as enchanting as the sun breaking through the clouds.

So you were also here.

This sort of feeling of coincidentally agreeing with each other was truly excellent.

Chen Changsheng and Wang Po were truly kindred spirits, often walking the same path and often heading to the same destination.

Whether it was an abyss filled with the shadow of death, the Divine Kingdom in the sea of stars above, the heavily guarded Imperial Palace, or the utterly obscure Wei Estate, it didn't matter.

Wang Po invited Chen Changsheng, "Together?"

"Okay." Without hesitation, Chen Changsheng accepted the invitation. He began making his way out of the estate. With a shake of his right hand, drops of blood fell off his dagger and into the snow, blooming like plum blossoms.

Xiao Zhang was furious, shouting at the two, "Hey!"

Spear in hand, he stood amidst the wind and snow, possessed of a brazen and violent grandeur that soared to the heavens.

Yet Wang Po did not even glance at him, while Chen Changsheng turned to glance at him, clasped his hands in respect, then turned back around and continued walking.

Wang Po's disregard and Chen Changsheng's indifference made it impossible for Xiao Zhang to control himself any longer. "AYAYAYA! You're pissing me off!"

His shout was hard to listen to, hoarse and also somewhat shrill, like a crow in a desert that hadn't had anything to drink in days.

At this point, Chen Changsheng was already outside the Wei Estate and standing together with Wang Po.

Upon hearing Xiao Zhang's strange shout, Wang Po once more drooped his brows. With a somewhat helpless tone, he asked, "Just what do you want to do?"

Every since they were young, he and Xiao Zhang, Liang Wangsun, Xun Mei, and Xiao De would often compete and swap pointers. Sometimes it would be at the Grand Examination, sometimes at Boiling Stone Summit, sometimes in the Grand Examination, the Mausoleum of Books, Blue Pass, or Xunyang City. Although they faced each other as rivals or enemies, their familiarity with each other exceeded that of family.

"What do I want to do? Of course, it's to fight with you!"

Xiao Zhang roared, the white paper on his face flapping in the wind and snow, a hair-raising sight.

Wang Po was still very calm, even somewhat wooden. It did not seem like he was facing a powerful foe at all.

Whatever he was thinking, he spent some time very seriously pondering it, then he said to Xiao Zhang, "You can't beat me."

This was the truth, so it hurt all the more.

Xiao Zhang was outraged, his right hand seeming like it wanted to squeeze his spear apart.

Without waiting for him to attack, Wang Po added, "Also, I have other things to do today. If you insist on attacking, I might not be able to hold back."

Xiao Zhang furiously laughed, and asked hoarsely, "So you were holding back for these past twenty years?"

Wang Po replied, "In the past, even if I wasn't holding back, it would have been very difficult for me to kill you on the spot, but today is different."

Xiao Zhang shouted, "How is it different?"

Wang Po replied, "Right now, there are two of us, so you will die."

Xiao Zhang's Qi slackened.

This was still the truth, so it was still very hurtful and difficult to answer.

Xiao Zhang truly did not think that Chen Changsheng would appear at the Wei Estate.

If it were Wang Po, even if he was no match, he would not be afraid.

If it were Chen Changsheng, he would have absolute confidence in challenging him with his spear.

But if his opponents were both Wang Po and Chen Changsheng, then he truly didn't have a chance of winning, and there really was a chance that he would die.

However, this didn't match up with Wang Po's way of doing things, just like how he had vanished without a trace into the capital.

He shouted at Wang Po, "You're actually willing to join hands with someone else?"

Wang Po replied, "I already joined hands with him in Xunyang City. Moreover, the thing I have to do today is rather important, so I can't be held up by you."

Xiao Zhang asked, "Just what are you planning on doing? You should know very well that as long as you walk on the main streets, everyone will want to kill you."

"I want to kill Zhou Tong."

Wang Po's answer was very calm and unperturbed. "I thought you already knew."

From the moment he walked behind Wang Po, Chen Changsheng never once spoke.

His present status was no weaker than Wang Po's or Xiao Zhang's, but on the basis of his respect for his seniors, he was willing to keep his silence.

Xiao Zhang did not forget him, putting to him the same question, "And why must you kill Zhou Tong?"

Chen Changsheng's answer was very earnest. "Just like killing Assistant Minister Wei, only this way can we tell the people of the world that acting this way is wrong, to have people and matters like this appear somewhat less in the world."

On the side, Wang Po was very gratified to hear such words. "Correct, to forget gratitude and commit injustice is wrong, to sell out one's master for glory is also wrong. Since a wrong was committed, a price must be paid."

"Sell out a master? The Tianhai Empress was no good person, but I didn't see either of you coming to kill her," Xiao Zhang sneered back.

Wang Po replied, "Because I wasn't confident I could kill Tianhai, so I didn't have the bravery."

Xiao Zhang asked, "And now you're confident you can kill Zhou Tong?"

Wang Po answered, "Yes, because my blade is faster now."

Xiao Zhang harshly rebuked, "Where did all these principles come from? For the sake of survival, just what can't be done?"

"You have your principles, we have ours, and what happens if the two contradict? In the past, I didn't understand, but recently I've comprehended it."

Wang Po looked into Xiao Zhang's eyes and gravely said, "If we kill all of you, then our principles will naturally have won."

Chen Changsheng added, "That's the principle."

Xiao Zhang fell silent, then replied, "It sounds rather reasonable."

Wang Po calmly said, "If you agree with this principle, then cease your attempts to keep us, or else we really will kill you."

Xiao Zhang stared back at him and said, "I've had countless battles with you over the past few decades, but you've never had this much to say to me."

Wang Po replied, "Because I want to convince you."

Xiao Zhang asked, "Why do you want to convince me?"

Wang Po replied, "Because I don't have to use my blade against you this way."

Several weeks ago, the entire continent came to know that he had left Scholartree Manor and come to the capital.

From that day forward, he had never once unsheathed his blade.

His blade intent had already accumulated to a nigh unimaginable level.

If Xiao Zhang were to strike with his spear, his defeat against this blade was a certainty.

But Wang Po would no longer have the confidence to walk very far on the streets of the capital.

……

……

In the wind and snow, Wang Po and Chen Changsheng walked through the street, one in front and one behind.

They did not walk side by side because Chen Changsheng insisted. He felt that he still did not deserve it.

It was like they had returned to Xunyang City. Back then, they had also been one in front and one behind, confronting an expert of the Divine Domain, their bodies covered in blood, unwilling to rest until they died.

At that time, however, they had been breaking out of an encirclement. Today, they were coming to kill.