Under the willow tree on the bank of the Wei River stood the man in the green robe with his hands being clasped behind his back, facing the river. The breeze blew his hair.

Song Jiao walked to him and stopped a few steps from him. She didn’t see him, but also faced the river.

Everything was silent. Song Jiao silenced for a while, and slowly said, “You should not come.”

The man in green replied, “But I have come.”

Song Jiao slightly sighed. “The East Sea is so big, is there no place for you?”

The man in green chuckled. “The world is big, is there any peaceful place?”

Song Jiao was annoyed. “You’re a sophist!”

The man in the green robe was silent. After a while, he said with a deep voice, “After the Battle of Bagong Mountain, I intended to live in the East Sea. At that time, I also made up my mind that no matter what would happen in Tang Empire, I would not come back.”

Song Jiao turned to look at the man in green. She even felt strange about this face which did not match that in her memory. She asked, “You have seen through everything and no longer care about glory and disgrace, why did you come back? You said at the time, life is like a dream, wealth and glory and many other things are destined. Since you even don’t care about Li Ye’s fate, why did you come back? You have reached the Foundation-building Stage and entered the Spiritual Master Realm and you can go anywhere, why did you come back?”

After finishing that, Song Jiao was excited and out of control.

She stared at the strange face in front of her. “Do you know there’s no place for you in the Tang Empire? You’ll die if you come back! Even though you have entered the Spiritual Master Realm, but can you fight against the emperor?!”

Song Jiao smiled with sorrow. “You are already dead… All of the people in the world think that you are dead… Since you were dead, why did you appear? Do you want to be killed again? !”

The man in green didn’t answer, perhaps he didn’t know how to answer.

Song Jiao said that and fell silent as if she had spent her whole strength.

After a long time, the man in the green robe said, “When I went out to the sea, our teacher and you promised to me that the disciples of White Deer Sect would never be involved in world affair… Why did you come to him?”

Song Jiao sneered. “Your spiritual realm is high and you can see through life, comprehend the Great Tao and get rid of the fetter, but I can’t do it. At least, when I couldn’t see him died in front of me when I saw him in Sanqingguan!”

“So you stay to help him in the name of revenge? Yes, that’s what you will do.” The man in green gave a look to Song Jiao.

“Don’t talk nonsense! You returned from the East Sea and appeared here. Why? Or in your mind, I can’t protect him well and need your help?” Asked Song Jiao.

The man in green looked back at the river again, and this time he kept silent for a longer time.

Then he said, “After the Battle of Bagong Mountain, I was disappointed at the Tang Empire. But when I was in the East Sea, I watched the stars in the night and found some strange changes… Forget it. When I bought food on the coast of the East Sea, I heard that he had achieved Qi-refining, inherited the title and was appointed as the Vice Magistrate of Chang’an Office.”

Song Jiao sneered, “After he inherited the title and became an official, he would get into the power struggle. Everyone, including the emperor and Wei Baoheng, will never forget what had happened in Bagong Mountain. Since he had made a decision, he will be the enemy of many people, suffer from many people’s frame, and fall into danger sometimes. But is his business has something to do with you? Haven’t you had no cares?”

The man in green said, “If he hadn’t inherited the title and become an official, I wouldn’t have…”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Song Jiao interrupted him. “I don’t believe what you said! After the Battle of Bagong Mountain, your heart is dead even though you survived. Don’t tell me that you still care about this worldliness!”

The man in green silenced again. He looked up at the night sky and suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Song Jiao was shocked. “You…”

The man in green waved his hand and showed that he was well. But Song Jiao had already sunk her face. “You have reached the Foundation-building Stage, how could Wei Jiangnan hurt you?”

The man in the green robe erased the blood from his mouth and smiled. “After the Battle of Bagong Mountain, my teacher saved my life, but my foundation has been damaged. Although I successfully reached the Foundation-building State in the East Sea, the injury is still unrecoverable.”

Song Jiao’s face became paler. “Isn’t it mean that every time you use your cultivation, you are risking your life?”

The man in green didn’t care that, saying, “It doesn’t matter. I won’t die for the time being.”

Song Jiao moved his lips and couldn’t bear to blame him.

After a while, Song Jiao asked, “Do you want to see him?”

“No.” The man in green waved his hand. “There’s something more important than seeing him.”

“What is it?”

“Taking down Wei Baoheng, clearing the four-ranking eunuchs and helping a new emperor!”

…

It was dawn.

Li Ye saw Song Jiao coming from the riverside and her face was pale, so he asked with concern, “Your face is so pale. What kind of old friend?”

Song Jiao took a look at Li Ye, mind complex. Finally, she just shook her head and couldn’t say anything.

Seeing that she didn’t want to say more, Li Ye did not intend to ask.

Liu Zhiyan considered for a while, determining to rely on Li Ye and testifying that the looting of the dock warehouse was Wei Baoheng’s force. In fact, as she said, people were involuntarily in Jianghu. She had no choice at all.

Li Ye, together with the officers of Chang’an Office, escorted the members of Changhe Gang and Chen Jianghe’s body and his subordinates to return to the village. They were ready to take a break and then went back to Chang’an. Since Wei Baoheng was the manipulator of this matter, he may have already got the news of failure. Whether Li Ye could successfully return to Chang’an City was hard to say.

When they were in the village, Li Ye sent a message to Wang Duo and Lu Yan, asking for people to help him. They needed masters to protect the witness. As long as Liu Zhiyan and others arrived at Chang’an Office, Wei Baoheng would get into trouble.

Now there was not much power available to Li Ye. In the Black Office, only Song Jiao had a high-level combat force. If Wei Baoheng were well-informed and sent people to stop Li Ye, Li Ye would be intercepted before the arrival of people sent by Wang Duo and Lu Yan.

They might not dare to kill Li Ye, but they must dare to attack and kill the witness.

At this time, in the cottage on the hill, the stove fire was extinguished. Liu Dazheng was sitting on the threshold and smoking with a serious look. The boy got out early in the morning and was surprised that Liu Dazheng didn’t lit the stove fire as usual. But when he saw the Taoist was there too, the boy did not ask much and went to prepare breakfast.

The Taoist stood in the courtyard with a sullen face. Obviously, he lost the battle with Nangong Diyi last night. However, he was not taken away by Nangong Diyi, which was also a good ending. But the Taoist couldn’t accept this ending.

“What did you say? You are going to find Prince An, Li Ye?” The Taoist stared at Liu Dazheng, full of anger. “The matter of green lotus has not been ascertained. That guy is probably the enemy of my Taoist sect!” “You are going to help the enemy now? ”

Liu Dazheng was smoking, and his face was a little vague in the smog. “After twenty, I went down the mountain and followed the old Prince An. I fought battles throughout the length and breadth of the country and made some meritorious deeds. Later I became the old Prince An’s personal bodyguard. Even Song Jiao had to respect me. At that time, I told myself that following Prince An was my lifelong pursuit.”

“When the Battle of Bagong Mountain happened, I should have been with Prince An. But because of the temporary mission sent by out sect, I had to left old Prince An… I was responsible for old Prince An’s death in Bagong Mountain! If I were with him on that day, how could not he escape with his cultivation?!”

In the end, Liu Dazheng was angry when he said.

The Taoist sneered and said, “On this matter, you hated our sect for so many years and insisted on coming here to live regardless of teacher’s dissuasion… But did our Zhongnan Mountain Sect do something wrong?”

Liu Dazheng glanced at the Taoist. “Old Prince An had extremely high cultivation. Even if he was besieged, he still could escape if he couldn’t win. How could he directly die there? Do you really think that I don’t know what our sect is planning over the years? You ignored the prohibition of the imperial court, passed immortal methods to ordinary people without permission, recruited disciples, and made friends with greenwood heroes. This time, you even grew Green Lotus and wanted to find the so-called heroes to stir up battles in the Tang Empire. Is there any difference between your behavior and rebel’s?! I followed old Prince An for half my life and was loyal to the Tang Empire. How could I join your team?”

“Liu Dazheng! Are you crazy?” The Taoist was furious. “The cultivators in the world are all practicing the techniques of my Taoist sect and they are all my disciples. The world doesn’t belong to the Imperial Court, but belong to our Taoist sect! The court is decaying. In order to relieve people’s pain, we Taoist sect seeks to overthrow the court and establish a new order! This is not a rebellion, it enforces justice on behalf of heaven!”

“Tell that to the teacher. It’s useless to tell me!” Liu Dazheng finished smoking and stood up. “I have paid off the sentiment I owed the sect yesterday. Since then, we have no relations. I don’t want to investigate whether the sect contributed to the death of old Prince An or to what extent the sect contributed. But from now on, I won’t help you again!”

Finishing that, Liu Dazheng said to the boy, “Pack the luggage, we’ll leave!”

The Taoist was furious, pulled out his long sword and pointed to Liu Dazheng. “You are going to find Li Ye? Are you going to be the running dog of the court and become a retainer of the enemy of Zhongnan Mountain Sect? You have to defeat me first!”

Liu Dazheng sneered.

After a while, Liu Dazheng went down the mountain with the boy.

The yard and the cottage had become ruins.

In the ruins, the Taoist looked at the sword that was inserted on the ground. His face was pale and he felt ill at ease.

On the mountain road, Liu Dazheng turned his head and gave a look at the place where the man in green stood last night.

He said in his mind, “In the whole Tang Empire, only old Prince An could achieve the Spiritual Master Realm…”

Would he have a chance to see old Prince An again if he followed the new Prince An?

The old Prince An who everyone thought was dead?

At this moment, Liu Dazheng’s eyes were tearful.