Chapter 129: In That Case, I Shall Take My Leave!

Li Zhi’s eyes were filled with a touch of melancholy as he whispered, “My late father’s fate was sealed by Miss Xia. I happened to witness a black dragon passing by when she arrived.”

Mr. Wen gasped, his breath hitching as he asked in astonishment, “The Grand Preceptor was dealt with by Miss Xia? Then do you not harbor any hatred toward her?”

Before Li Zhi could answer, a sudden jolt went through him, causing his entire body to shudder with a chill. Mr. Wen trembled in tandem.

They turned their heads to see that Xia Ningshang and Little Hongtang had ceased their conversation; both were now staring at them with haunting, hollow gazes. Even Ji Huo, who had been speaking with Kun Er, cast a sidelong glance in their direction.

“Sister, you were not very thorough in your work,” Little Hongtang whispered. “Shall I finish them?”

*No, we are so far apart—how can you both hear us?* Mr. Wen’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Li Zhi shook his head and explained, “Before my father passed, he told me that he held no resentment toward Miss Xia. I understand his sentiments now, so naturally, I hold no grudge against her either.”

Mr. Wen was stunned for a moment, then nodded, his gaze softening toward Li Zhi. He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “It is for the best that you think this way.”

As he spoke, Mr. Wen glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the two girls—one tall, one small—retract their gazes, acting as if nothing had happened, adjusting their hair and giggling from time to time.

*No, why do I find these two girls so terrifying?* Mr. Wen could not help but wipe the sweat from his brow.

Ji Huo, having learned everything from Kun Er, nodded and turned his attention to Xia Ningshang.

The latter, who had been chatting happily, felt his gaze, reached out to pat Little Hongtang’s head, and stood up to walk over.

Ji Huo smiled and asked, “Miss Xia, will you accompany me into the imperial city?”

Xia Ningshang tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, lifted her eyes to the gloomy sky, and replied nonchalantly, “Since I’m already here, I suppose I ought to see it for myself.”

Ji Huo nodded with a smile and turned to look at the crowd.

As his gaze swept across them—whether they were heroes of the Jianghu, agents of the Six Gates or the Grand Court of Justice, or the various hidden figures mingling among them—everyone looked up. Many even forced their exhausted bodies to stand, waiting in silence for him to speak.

The previously noisy safe zone, illuminated by the red glow and the warmth of the spirit fire, suddenly fell into a hush.

Ji Huo pondered for a moment before saying, “Everyone, I shall enter the imperial palace shortly. The ensuing battle will likely be of a massive scale. I advise you all to leave this place as soon as possible.”

The crowd exchanged bewildered looks. Someone asked, “But if we leave, what if the living dead rush in and interfere with your battle?”

Ji Huo explained, “Since the Flying Bear Army breached the city, the behavior of the living dead has changed. They are no longer converging here; something must have shifted within the imperial city.”

“There are not many living dead gathering here now, and even if a few remain, Miss Xia and I can hold them off. My guess is that my brother has entered a barrier. The imperial palace and this area are no longer in the same domain, which is why we see no changes in the palace from out here.”

“Once Miss Xia and I enter, we will find a way to break that boundary. At that point, the intensity of the battle will skyrocket, and we will be unable to protect you.”

He smiled and added, “You are the last survivors among the six hundred thousand people of the capital. It would be a waste of our efforts if you were to perish in the aftermath of this final clash.”

Hearing this, the people looked at one another, their faces filled with relief and lingering fear.

“In that case, we shall act the part of cowards for once and leave this to Young Master Ji and Miss Xia!” A bald, brawny man immediately cupped his hands in a salute, turned decisively, exited the red light, and vanished into the darkness.

“We are leaving as well! Young Master Ji, if there is a chance in the future, we shall visit again!”

“Many thanks for your great kindness, Young Master Ji! I am off!”

One by one, the Jianghu figures hurried into the darkness, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Within moments, nearly a thousand people had vanished.

Ji Huo’s mouth opened slightly, his expression awkward. He had intended to suggest that Little Hongtang take them to safety—with the red paper umbrella, keeping the living dead at bay would have been effortless—but he had not expected them to flee so quickly.

The agents from the Six Gates and the Grand Court of Justice also offered their farewells. Even Mr. Wen took Li Zhi and departed in a hurry, not forgetting to retrieve the bronze chime on his way out.

As if its mission were complete, the chime flickered a few times before its light vanished entirely.

“Mr. Wen, the bronze chime was left by my father for the Second Young Master…” Li Zhi said hurriedly as he was being dragged away.

“No rush, I shall study it, and then you can hand it to him yourself,” Mr. Wen replied, pulling Li Zhi along. He waved a hand to clear away the few remaining living dead and marched rapidly toward the darkness.

“Then why are we running so fast?” Li Zhi asked, puzzled.

Mr. Wen replied matter-of-factly, “To secure a good spot!”

“Huh?”

Mr. Wen dragged him another hundred meters before choosing a rooftop that looked agreeable. With a wave of his sleeve, the two soared up.

He immediately stepped on someone’s leg. Tie Ying gasped, shouting, “No, it’s already crowded enough here! Why are you coming up?”

Sharing the bond of those who had fought together, Mr. Wen chuckled, “I saw you all running in this direction earlier.”

“Damn it! If I had known, I would have run further away! Those from the Grand Court of Justice, move aside and make room for Mr. Wen and Young Master Li,” Tie Ying cursed.

“Got it, got it! Any room left? Can we squeeze in?”

“There isn’t an inch of space left!”

Li Zhi was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but ask, “What is happening here?”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event! To miss it would be a lifetime regret!” The voice came from a nearby roof. Li Zhi looked up and saw a shiny bald head poking out.

Li Zhi recognized him; it was the bald man who had been the first to run. Because he had been the first, he had secured a perfect vantage point and even had time to retrieve a mattress to lay over the roof tiles. Though soaked by the rain, it was far better than what others had.

“Exactly! We lack the strength to join the battle, but we can certainly watch!” another voice called from a different roof.

“After this is over, I’ll brag to everyone about how tough I was. I’ll be telling my grandchildren about this when I’m eighty!”

“I suspect that great demon is at least at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, and the First Young Master as well. How can one not watch a battle of this caliber? Even if I’m unlucky enough to die, it’ll be worth it!”

Li Zhi opened his mouth slightly. Having grown up in the Grand Preceptor’s estate with little contact with common folk, he struggled to understand their mindset.

It wasn’t until Mr. Wen pulled him down to lie beside him that he heard the old man chuckle, “This is the Jianghu.”

The Four Great Constables lying in a row beside them laughed as well. “The Jianghu has always been this way.”

The men from the Grand Court of Justice nearby looked up and retorted, “You imperial lackeys don’t count as Jianghu!”

“Hey! I take offense to that! We deal with Jianghu people every day; how can we not be part of it?” Tie Ying retorted immediately.

“You’re the lackeys! Your whole family are lackeys!” the other constables shouted. “Watch your tongue—we are the hounds of the throne!”

The Grand Court of Justice members, who specialized in interrogations, spoke with biting sarcasm. “Remnants of the previous dynasty!”

“Damn you!”

“Where is my blade?!”

“The Great Zhou isn’t finished yet! You are the traitor to the Zhou!”

The two sides quickly erupted into an argument, dragging each other’s families into the fray. As Li Zhi listened, the corners of his mouth curled upward. His eyes grew bright as he whispered, “This Jianghu… it sounds rather interesting.”