The time was just past noon, and the late autumn sunlight filtered through the withered willow shade along the riverbank as a black-awning boat punted towards the shore.

In the street, the fight between Chen Fan and Lin Zongwu smashed through a bamboo shed, sending shards of bamboo flying everywhere.

The muzzle of the sniper rifle followed the movements of the rapidly clashing figures.

The young man leaped into the air above the river.

Amid the deafening exchange, Lin Zongwu snatched a bamboo pole from the flying debris and vaulted out over the river.

The two grandmasters moved like lightning. Chen Fan punched towards Lin Zongwu's back, while Lin Zongwu swung the bamboo pole with a whistling sound.

With a deafening boom, the kasaya robes billowed open.

At the same moment.

--Bang, bang, bang.

The sniper rifle shots rang out almost simultaneously, attacking Lin Zongwu from different directions.

Ning Ji turned in the air, wielding his steel saber in a powerful upward strike.

With a loud crack, the steel saber and bamboo pole shattered into a cloud of flying splinters that cut through the air, drawing blood. Ning Ji's body crashed heavily onto the prow of the black-awning boat, causing the entire vessel to rise high out of the water.

Qu Longjun on the boat was nearly thrown off by the tilting deck. At that moment, Ning Ji, having crashed onto the boat, exerted his strength once more, leaping like a panther towards Qu Longjun in the air and pulling her back.

Another deafening crash followed as the black-awning boat slammed back into the water, creating violent waves. On the other side, Lin Zongwu, still wearing the kasaya, fell into the river and sank straight to the bottom amidst a huge splash.

The waves crashed against the shore.

The sniper rifle muzzles tracked above the water, sealing off any possible exit point for Lin Zongwu. The brief fight and chase between him and Chen Fan had been so close that the three hurried shots might not have hit the rapidly moving figure.

The sounds of distant fighting drifted across the riverbed. The black-awning boat rocked precariously, then a cry of "Ah!" was heard as Ning Ji stood up on the boat. His clothes were torn, half his body was stained with blood, and blood trickled down his face, giving the young man a somewhat savage look. He quickly shook off his initial shock, grabbed a bamboo pole that was about to fall off the boat, and thrust it into the water, using all his strength to push the small boat backwards.

Something huge seemed to be moving forward in the river.

Chen Fan walked along the bank, watching the movement in the water. Snipers in different locations held their breath, and warhorses galloped from afar. With a "splash," the small boat drifted backwards, followed by another "splash."

People waited for Lin Zongwu to strike again from the water.

For a grandmaster of this caliber, holding their breath underwater was no great feat. He had lost control due to Wang Nantuo's death, and if he emerged, he would surely launch a thunderous attack on Ning Ji. However, at this moment, a killing field woven from firearms sealed off the airspace above the water. If he leaped out, the grandmaster's speed would be reduced by the water, making him a perfect target for a bullet.

But for some reason, there were no further violent movements in the river, as if Lin Zongwu had vanished into thin air after plunging into the riverbed.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths...

After pushing the black-awning boat a distance away, Ning Ji, half covered in blood, turned to look at Qu Longjun, who was slumped in the cabin. He then subconsciously glanced at Chen Fan and the others by the river. Suddenly, he exerted all his strength, pushing the small boat towards the opposite bank.

As soon as they reached the shore, he pulled Qu Longjun up and walked towards the road beside the river. Only when they were about ten feet away from the riverbank did he turn back again.

On the riverbank, Chen Fan, who was on guard for Lin Zongwu to leap out of the water, looked at him from afar and tilted his head slightly.

Among the snipers, including Yuwen Feidu, several people who recognized Ning Ji also frowned slightly, but they quickly turned their attention back to the water.

Qu Longjun, being led by the hand by Ning Ji, felt that her hand was sticky and covered with blood. She gently touched Ning Ji's blood-stained arm and said in a low voice, "You, you..."

Ning Ji turned around: "...Let's go."

"...Huh?"

Qu Longjun blinked, then was dragged by Ning Ji into a narrow alley next to them. Soon, they disappeared from the sight of everyone by the river.

"Bast...ard..."

Chen Fan gritted his teeth and muttered.

But there was nothing he could do. At this moment, everyone, including him, could only stare at the riverbed, waiting for Lin Zongwu to strike again...

******

In the center of the city, the fierce fighting near the old Martial Affairs Office continued for more than half an hour, then turned into an even more chaotic situation that spread throughout the city.

Before noon was over, the sound of the grievance drum rang out at the gate of the yamen, announcing the collapse of the Four Kings' defense line. After a few more moments of fighting, a large number of Green Forest men, having lost their command, surged chaotically towards the outer areas northwest and northeast of the old Martial Affairs Office.

Lu Xian, covered in blood with one arm shredded by a bomb blast, retreated under the protection of several young and strong men from Li Family Village. He was surrounded by martial artists who had also suffered injuries. The black flag and the flag of the King of Equality were raised above the yamen. As news of the Great Brightness Cult Leader Lin Zongwu's crushing defeat and escape spread, the will of the martial artists in the center of the battlefield gradually collapsed.

The killings of "High Heavenly King's" subordinate, "Mountain-Opening General" Luo Yan, and "Avici Butcher" Sword-Wielding Man Peng Tiangang, as well as the serious injury of "Undying Guard" leader "Crow" Chen Jue in the fighting, were also major reasons for this rout.

The surging crowds passed through the streets and alleys, everything was chaotic. Some people screamed, some cursed. Gold Brave Sheng, the chief manager of the "King of Equality" side, sent some men to shout from high places, trying to restore order. But not only did the Green Forest men from the other three sides ignore him, even among some of the experts who had originally been won over by the "King of Equality," morale was wavering at this moment.

In the distance, columns of smoke rose from the city, accompanied by the sounds of explosions.

"What's going on?" Noticing the commotion in the distance, Lu Xian, who was somewhat dazed due to his injuries, reacted and ordered his subordinates beside him, "Go find out."

The subordinate hurriedly went towards the distance.

Before long, fragmented bits of news trickled back.

"The news of the Fair Party's five kings splitting apart has spread. The news from the Black Flag has also spread. They all say that a great battle has begun in Jiangnan. The families within the city are now only looking after themselves and have begun fighting..."

"The families within the city... There are only five families within the city..."

As Lu Xian said this, he suddenly realized something, and his face turned pale.

How could there be only five families within the city of the Fair Party?

Those various groups that had fought their way out of the chaos in Jiangnan, bearing the banners of the five great kings, had come to Jiangning City in dozens or even hundreds, waiting for a gathering while seizing benefits and territory. Among them, there were indeed the direct descendants of the five great kings and the strongly controlled branch families, but more than half of them were mountain strongholds that had been built on bloodshed and ferocity.

When the situation of the Fair Party was good, they waited to be incorporated into regular troops. But no one had expected that the Fair Party would split apart like this. This was the beginning of a new round of choosing sides.

Before re-offering an allegiance certificate, they had a choice and regained their freedom.

"Ah..." Lu Xian roared, turning his head to look at the south, where, amidst the fluttering black flag, various banners were falling one after another. And the corpses of a large number of relatives and friends, including Li Duanwu, could not be collected at this time.

The few remaining young and strong men from Li Family Village looked at the distance, not yet realizing the situation they would face next. Lu Xian gritted his teeth and finally said with difficulty, "Quick, go back..." He said, "Go home..."

"But Uncle Duanwu and the others..."

"Quick--"

He roared in a low voice.

The Green Forest men were chaotically gathered in this area, while people who saw the flames of war within the city were already scattering in different directions, like the dissolution of a huge sandbar. Lu Xian and several young and strong men, also covered in blood, passed through the city, which had already begun to experience large-scale turmoil. Small forces, each with dozens or hundreds of people, had already begun to confront and attack each other. Sensitive people who were planning ahead had begun large-scale looting.

Returning to the market town that the villagers of Li Family Village had seized, they saw a group of bandits dressed in various tattered clothes already launching an attack on the market town. Someone was shooting flaming arrows into the market town, and the women and children in the market town were crying out to put out the fire, while the few young or old men who had stayed here were resisting the enemy's killings from behind the fortifications.

Blood was everywhere.

The few young and strong swordsmen beside him were gnashing their teeth in anger. Someone said, "It's Cao Xiang's group from 'Great Dragon Head'. They're taking advantage of the fire to rob us--" Someone shouted and rushed forward.

Lu Xian's eyes were also red with anger. He gripped the long saber in his hand and charged forward.

He roared, "I am Lu Xian, vanguard under 'Heaven Killer' Wei Xuwen! Are you tired of living?"

Cao Xiang and other subordinates of "Great Dragon Head" used to scrounge around this market town and had always been respectful to the "Heaven Killer" faction, never daring to offend them. But at this moment, the leader named Cao Xiang narrowed his eyes and looked around. After seeing the miserable appearance of Lu Xian and the others, he burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... The Black Flag Chinese Army has already entered the city to support the King of Equality in suppressing you rats! Lu Xian, you're about to die, but you still don't know it! Today, we will march to support the King and act on behalf of Heaven--"

As he spoke, he had someone bring out a large, charcoal-like flag from behind and wave it in the air. The many fierce men around him immediately had their morale boosted. Everyone shouted and spread towards the market town, instantly covering Lu Xian's blood-red vision ahead.

He roared in despair.

He charged forward...

...

The chaotic conflicts within the city spread out, and on some of the main roads leading out of the city, the wars between small and medium-sized forces had ignited a continuous fire.

The news of the appearance of the Black Flag and the gradually clarifying situation were causing complex chain reactions within the city.

In the afternoon, around the time of Shen (3-5 PM), countless Great Brightness Cult members roared in and submerged everything near the old Martial Affairs Office.

It was said that Great Brightness Cult Leader Lin Zongwu, who had once been defeated by Chen Fan, had mobilized all the cult members he could after disappearing for nearly an hour and had killed his way back here.

Everything had been reduced to a ruined wasteland. The Black Flag troops, who had appeared briefly, had already disappeared without a trace after suppressing the Four Kings and achieving their goals. They had no interest in repeatedly entangling themselves with a large number of rabble within the city.

Long Xian Fu Pingbo's troops had also begun to shrink and transfer towards the north of the city after the chaos within the city spiraled out of control.

The time was already the pale white evening. The "Number One Person Under Heaven," who was huge but had just suffered a defeat, walked on the ruined battlefield. He found the body of his junior brother, Wang Nantuo, and collected his remains.

A crying little bald head followed him, and together they completed the entire process of collecting the body.

Many other forces' representatives were also retreating out of the city in the dusk.

In several courtyards in the north of the city that were still controlled by Fu Pingbo, a delegation from the southwest and the elite troops of the 29th Army from Miao Territory gathered together. Along with them were Zuo Xiuquan and others, serving as envoys from the small court in southeastern Fujian. Yue Yun and Yin Ping were whispering as they watched experts such as Chen Fan and Qian Luoning. Chen Fan waved for Yue Yun to come over, tested a few of the other party's martial arts moves, and then imparted some of his insights on how to use his fists.

Chen Fan had natural strength and was similar to Yue Yun in aptitude. When the two talked about boxing techniques, it was of great benefit to Yue Yun.

As everyone was talking, a girl with a heroic air between her eyebrows came out from the side, accompanied by Black Niu and others, and mustered up the courage to ask Chen Fan something.

Chen Fan was forthright and kind, and he did not put on any airs in front of juniors with low martial arts skills. However, after the other party stated the problem and he asked a few more questions, even his face, which had been that of a general for many years and had become quite sophisticated, revealed a complicated expression.

The other party's name was Yan Yunzhi, and she was looking for a young man named Long Aotian in the Chinese Army. In the fighting at noon today, the other party charged all the way to the very center of the battlefield. She couldn't catch up and didn't want to settle some personal grievances with him at that time. However, later on, that young man had angered Lin Zongwu and was chased all the way by the fat monk. After everyone chased and fled to the distance, the young man and Lin Zongwu never came back. Now, the Black Flag was releasing information that Lin Zongwu had been seriously injured and had escaped, but...

"That Long... Long Aotian, what happened to him..."

Lin Zongwu's martial arts were divine. Today, if it hadn't been for the firearms, he might have single-handedly overwhelmed the entire field. After going berserk, he wanted to chase down a novice young man. Even if Chen Fan had tried his best to intercept him, it seemed that he had not really managed to keep the other party behind. Later, the Black Flag only said to the outside world that Lin Zongwu had escaped. Regarding the situation that the young man might have encountered, the girl had some guesses in her heart. When she asked at this time, water suddenly flowed from the corner of her eye. She was concerned about the answer and stared at Chen Fan. At this time, she did not even notice her abnormality.

After clarifying the ins and outs of the matter and learning about the consequences of the "Young Hero Long's" lie in Tongshan County, Chen Fan subconsciously reached out and rubbed his face, trying his best to make his eyes appear pure and kind, and was speechless.

"This... that..." His gaze swept over Qian Luoning, Black Niu, and the others beside him, going around in a circle before he said, "Actually... Little Long, he... he suffered a little bit of injury, and... we sent him to another place to carry out a mission... Miss Yan, I think... This... he has a responsibility for your family's affairs... We will do our best to... um, give you an explanation, this..."

His words were hesitant, which gave the girl opposite him room for complex speculation. He didn't know what she was thinking, and blinked her eyes, her black pupils were shaking: "He... he's performing a mission... Where did he go... Grand Commander Chen, you..."

"Um... this... after all, the mission must be kept secret... we didn't expect that he still had things to finish... This..."

"Is... Is he dead?" Yan Yunzhi stared at him. At this moment, her figure seemed extremely thin and her voice choked with sobs.

"No, no." Chen Fan frowned, "This is definitely not the case... Miss Yan, about this matter..."

"You don't have to lie to me. I'm just... I'm just..."

"Ah..." Chen Fan slapped himself on the head, "It's really not the case, Miss Yan, he's really not dead..."

There was a flurry of activity in the hall. Qian Luoning's eyes twitched and his expression was serious. Black Niu and the others reached out to cover their mouths and turned their heads to the side. Yuwen Feidu, who had witnessed Ning Ji's escape, had to come out and say, "No, no..." However, this matter could not be explained in detail, so how could anyone believe it? Yue Yun and the others looked at all this with confusion and anxiety.

Not long after, everyone temporarily comforted and persuaded Yan Yunzhi to leave. Chen Fan and Qian Luoning exchanged complex glances. Because Zuo Xiuquan and the others were still there, they would have to wait until later to discuss the glorious achievements of a runaway bear child all the way over here in private... Just thinking about it was a headache...

Then someone came to report the reappearance of Lin Zongwu.

Zuo Xiuquan in the hall smiled and said, "Commander Chen came for this matter. I wonder if he will take action against that Cult Leader Lin again to complete this unfinished battle."

Chen Fan shook his head: "Collecting debts from the fatty was just a whim. After fighting a battle, the fate is over. And his personal cultivation is indeed profound. Among the world, except for that one in the southwest, I am afraid that no one can take his life in a one-on-one fight..."

"Oh." Zuo Xiuquan looked solemn and nodded.

At this moment, he finally understood the hierarchical structure of martial artists in this world: The only person in the entire world who could take Cult Leader Lin's life in a one-on-one fight was Ning Yi—since Chen Fan thought so, then there was probably no doubt about this judgment.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Truly, the capable are omnipotent. He had previously had some doubts about Ning Yi's martial arts skills, but now he could only admit that there were indeed geniuses in this world who were worthy of admiration.

Chen Fan did not know what the old Confucian scholar next to him was thinking, paused slightly: "However... After today's battle, the fatty has also realized his own limits. From now on, personal courage is not something he can boast about..."

In that pursuit along the river today, Lin Zongwu gradually disappeared after falling into the water and did not continue the pursuit. It was definitely not because he had become enlightened and let go of his hatred. The only possibility was that he felt that once he leaped out of the water, he would be shot to death by firearms.

Over the years, Ning Yi had been constantly advancing the craftsmanship of firearms. In order to deal with experts of Lin Zongwu's level, he had also carried out a large number of contingency plans and deductions. In theory, he had the confidence to take down Lin Zongwu, but none of this had ever been put into practice.

After this time, the threat of the firearms' killing array to experts of Lin Zongwu's level had been proven.

The romance of the martial world has receded another step from reality.

Zuo Xiuquan's opening was originally intended to give Chen Fan some well-intentioned advice. At this time, when he heard that he had given up the idea of continuing to compete in martial arts with Lin Zongwu, he did not continue. He then said, "It seems that the Chinese Army still places high hopes on He Wen. I will report this to His Majesty when I return to Fujian. With His Majesty's character, he may also propose an alliance with He Wen."

Chen Fan smiled: "According to Ning Yi's saying, the Chinese Army will place high hopes on anyone who has hope and ambition. I heard that the southeast has bet on General Gao. In the future, we may as well try to match them up."

"We just killed a major general under High Heavenly King. What are you saying, Commander Chen?" Zuo Xiuquan said with a smile, but then cupped his fists. "The world is dangerous and people's hearts are unpredictable. Anything is possible. The current situation of the Fair Party is chaotic, and the southeast may not be able to make many promises. But if there is a chance for cooperation in the future, I will do my best to work for it. I hope everyone can get some benefits."

"I hope so." Chen Fan nodded. "I quite like that little emperor of yours. Please send my regards to him. Also, Zuo Wenhuai is good. We cooperated in Tanzhou. I heard that he went to Fujian. If he has time, he may as well come back and sit down. The 29th Army will always be his home."

"I will convey your words, I will convey your words." Hearing Chen Fan say this, Zuo Xiuquan laughed heartily and constantly cupped his fists. "His Majesty has also heard about Commander Chen's deeds for a long time and has repeatedly praised the Battle of Tanzhou. If he hears Commander Chen's words today, he will definitely be happy. As for Wenhuai, it is all thanks to Commander Chen's past care for him. The Zuo family is very grateful for this kindness. One day when he returns to the Chinese Army to visit relatives, he must go to Commander Chen's place, hahahaha..."

The two sides talked like this for a while. After a while, they talked about the situation and the situation in Jiangnan. Zuo Xiuquan asked, "When will the Chinese Army leave here?"

Chen Fan said, "There are only so many people who came here. The matter has been done. Staying for a long time will only lead to unforeseen circumstances. We will probably set off in the next two days."

"The Chinese Army has planted its flag in Jiangning City, but it seems that it has no intention of cleaning up here."

"Tanzhou and Jiangning are thousands of miles apart, and as for Chengdu, they are even further apart. How can we have the energy to clean up the mess here?"

"The principle is naturally like this, but... Jiangning is Mr. Ning's hometown. After this war, it will be even more broken."

When the old man said this, he sighed slightly. Chen Fan thought of this and hesitated for a moment. Then, he looked at the movement outside the courtyard and sighed.

"Yes..."

Outside the courtyard, the chaos and clamor in the city became more and more intense. This was a city that had already lost its order. Flames, war disasters, unorganized fighting, and chaos would sweep through here again. The fierce fighting that broke out around the old Martial Affairs Office at noon today would become part of the overall propaganda trend of the Fair Party in the future. However, the truly core gaze had already left here at this moment.

On the Yangtze River, nearly a hundred miles away from Jiangning, a huge fleet, which had been gathering along the way, was sailing forward mightily. The bleak river wind already carried a hint of early winter chill. Under the pale white setting sun, He Wen, draped in a single garment, stood on the deck of a multi-story ship, facing the world that was about to become bleak, and had been standing there in a daze for a long time.

At this moment, the layout in Jiangning had already been launched and may have entered its final stages. The Black Flag would raise its flag in the sky above Jiangning City, as if announcing the brief arrival of Mr. Ning from the southwest and engaging in fighting with experts including Lin Zongwu and the remaining Four Kings.

That would be a battle that would make all martial artists excited, but for him, the result of that battle was not important.

In the second year of Wu Zhenxing, on September 22, with the opening of that small battle in Jiangning, among the hundreds of towns from Xuzhou in the north to Lin'an in the south, in the fertile fields and crisscrossing waterways for thousands of miles from both sides of the Yangtze River to the Taihu Plain, the hundreds of thousands of troops of the King of Equality, who had already been transferred there, simultaneously launched attacks on the key towns and areas under the jurisdiction of the other four kings.

With the split of the five kings of the Fair Party, at this time, the entire Jiangnan region, thousands of miles away, had been engulfed in the alternating fires of purgatory.

The river wind howled.

He Wen stood there, looking at the palm of his hand.

At this moment, he did not know whether what he was doing was right or wrong, nor did he know whether he could see the sun at this time next year.

He would think of what Ning Yi had Qian Luoning bring to him, as if Ning Yi was standing in front of him, looking at him indifferently.

In any case, this is a progressive movement.

A movement that only progresses one step is also progress.

But...

You still have to take the correct second step, the third step...

...

He put down his palm.

...

However, any step taken wrong in the past can only be washed with blood now...

This is a sin that he cannot forgive...

...

Did Ning Yi ever take the wrong step...

What will he do?

...

Will he feel guilty for the deaths of countless people?

He thought quietly.

...

The fleet sailed against the wind and waves, carrying the Great Asura, sailing in the center of purgatory.

Everything is irreversible.