Volume Two: Bandits of This Realm Chapter 110: You and I Are Both Servants of the Heavenly Way

"Find yourself a spot to settle down. Nobody cleans this courtyard, so it’s quite a mess." Ma Hui stood up unsteadily. He seemed not yet fully awake, his clothes disheveled, lacking even a shred of the imposing aura expected of a Northern overlord.

Lin Changtian wiped the sweat from his brow. He dared not move, keeping his eyes fixed on Ma Hui with a sense of trepidation. The look in this fellow’s eyes... why did it feel so familiar?

"No matter how I look at it, you aren't worth Yu Baili going to such lengths. It is a pity that fate plays such cruel tricks." The Northern overlord looked melancholic, his expression filled with a strange compassion as he pressed his palms together toward the south, though it was unclear whose soul he was trying to console.

"And what business is it of his?" Lin Changtian muttered, searching for a clean spot. After a long while, he found a small square stool in a haystack that wasn't too dusty and slowly sat down.

Ma Hui, who had been watching him the entire time, suddenly laughed—a loud, unbridled sound, as if mocking Lin Changtian’s rigid manners.

"What's so funny? You’ve cluttered this place with so much filth that I had to find something barely fit to sit on!" Lin Changtian was annoyed. He found Ma Hui’s laughter irritating. He would have appreciated such heartiness in anyone else, in any other setting, but it was galling that it came from this man—this villain.

Ma Hui clutched his stomach, struggling to suppress his mirth as he looked at him and said quite seriously, "Please, don't misunderstand. This laughter has nothing to do with you. I simply recalled something interesting. Well, perhaps it does have a slight connection to you."

"What is it?"

"Flip the stool over and take a look. There’s a surname carved on it. It’s quite amusing."

The strokes on the stool were crude, yet when taken together, they were enough to send a chill down one's spine.

The character "Lin" stared back at him. Lin Changtian only had to glance at it before he threw the stool away as if it had burned him. He glared at Ma Hui with suspicion, assuming it was some kind of trick.

"It has nothing to do with me. Yu Baili left that stool in the hay. Sit down; there are many things I need to tell you. It is my duty." Ma Hui smiled, as if everyone found joy in teasing Lin Changtian, though he could never explain why.

Lin Changtian sat back down. He was compliant because he had heard the name "Yu Baili" from the lips of this villain once more.

"In truth, even if you hadn't come to Anma City, the Si Mountain faction would have won this war regardless." Ma Hui tapped his fingers, acting mysterious. "According to the schedule, I was supposed to sign a ceasefire and cede half of the Northern Territory. Originally, a portion was meant for Lin Yuan, but Yu Baili intervened. I imagine those hundred thousand troops have only just set off, likely on their way to Luoyou Mountain right now. And so, all the spoils fall to Si Mountain."

Ma Hui shook his head, looking regretful.

"What riddles are you speaking in?" Lin Changtian asked, though he was essentially playing dumb, keeping his understanding hidden in his pocket.

"Is that so? Do you want me to spell it out? For instance, what about Zhang Yi, who threw his life away at your hands?" Ma Hui’s eyes twinkled with amusement; he teased, seemingly having guessed exactly what Lin Changtian was thinking.

Lin Changtian looked at Ma Hui, feeling flustered. The look in this fellow’s eyes... why was it so much like Zhang Yi’s, the day he spoke so recklessly of heavenly secrets?

"Just think about it: if a mere pawn can become a chess piece, what does that make those of us who stand in the spotlight? Well, why are you closing your eyes?" He smoothed his sleeves, speaking as if he were discussing something trivial.

"Because I don't want to hear it! Heavenly secrets here, heavenly secrets there—what is this charade!" Lin Changtian snapped his eyes open, suddenly furious. He placed his long blade against Ma Hui’s neck. The latter did not resist; in fact, the smile on his face only grew wider.

Ma Hui pointed to his own ear. "If you truly didn't want to hear it, you should be covering these, not closing your eyes. Closing your eyes doesn't make the world go quiet."

"If you keep talking about heavenly secrets, then perhaps it is fate that I should cut off your head!" Lin Changtian tightened his grip, seemingly intent on ending the life of this Northern overlord right there.

Ma Hui continued to smile, his eyes filled with a deeper mockery.

"You cannot kill me. Not with your life, not with your hatred, and not with your anger."

The blade descended, slicing through the cold air. Even Ma Hui felt a chill against his neck.

However, the sword was already broken, and having endured countless battles, it chose that very moment to snap cleanly in two. It stopped inches away, failing to even scratch a hair on Ma Hui’s skin.

"Didn't I give you some Yang Stones? You were so generous as to give them away instead of repairing that blade, just making do with it—I suppose you gave them all to your subordinates? You see, the workings of cause and effect, the impermanence of the Heavenly Dao—you cannot kill me today."

Lin Changtian muttered something under his breath. Refusing to believe it, he picked up a rock and hurled it at Ma Hui.

But the ground was cluttered with too many things—wine bottles, broken cups—and he lost his footing, falling heavily to the ground.

"This child is truly too stubborn. Don't waste your energy. Let me tell you one more thing. Once you hear it, you must stop acting on impulse." Ma Hui watched Lin Changtian, who had fallen repeatedly. This time, he did not laugh; he straightened his hem and spoke with great sincerity.

"Speak!" Lin Changtian said, still stubborn. He sat on the small stool, clutching his face, looking rather ridiculous.

Ma Hui pointed toward the center of the city. "It was Xu Yong who caused the chaos in the city center, right? Do you really think he could hold out against our elite troops for so long? The truth is, the guards were changed a few days ago. I authorized it. All the battle-hardened soldiers were sent to Weinan Pass. The ones stationed in Anma City now are nothing but noble youths filling the ranks."

"I could have guessed that. Is that all?"

"Well, there is more, but your mouth is far too stubborn." Ma Hui frowned and, without warning, slapped Lin Changtian across the face to signal him to behave.

Lin Changtian felt wronged. He intended to strike back, but one cold glance from Ma Hui left his internal energy stagnant. Great, another powerhouse he couldn't afford to provoke.

"We are both at the Tongshen Realm. Is the gap really this wide?"

"Who told you I was at the Tongshen Realm? I entered the Chetian Realm years ago. It’s just that there are too many mortals about, and no need to show off."

Ma Hui looked at him earnestly, as if he were speaking of something entirely insignificant.

Lin Changtian suppressed his indignation and asked, "That can't be right. There is only one person in the Northern Territory at the Chetian Realm. Could you really hide this from Elder Liu's perception?"

"You can't hide it from him. That old man is still vigorous; if we were to fight, I would still feel a tremor of fear. There are only four known Chetian-level experts in the entire Northern Territory, one for each direction. The South has Liu Qingshan. The East and West have the clan elders of the Lin and Cheng families, though you surely don't know them. And here in the North, it is I. However, years ago, when I was still at the Tongshen Realm, there was indeed another Chetian-level old man. He was a descendant of the Qiu family."

"Then where did he go?" Lin Changtian sat upright, asking honestly. After receiving such a heavy slap, his tone had become much gentler.

Ma Hui curled his lip and said irritably, "Where else? The old man had a fiery temper. He refused to accept Yu Baili and insisted on picking a fight with him, only to be beaten within an inch of his life. He was small-minded, too—he was so furious with himself when he got back that he died in his bed. Tell me, isn't that a disgrace for an old man?"

"Indeed. If you hadn't mentioned his name, I would have assumed it was Liu Qingshan based on that behavior," Lin Changtian said with a forced smile, eager to appease Ma Hui.

"Do not let anything I said in this courtyard today spread. You may look like a blockheaded boy, but your shamelessness reminds me of myself in my youth. Honestly, the time is not yet ripe to discuss these things. But... the day I die by your hand should be approaching. Saying it sooner or later makes no difference. Just consider me a messenger."

Lin Changtian bowed his head, looking sincere. "Is the rule the same as when I killed Zhang Yi? Not to ask questions, only to listen?"

Ma Hui nodded. His calm, mirror-like expression flickered for a moment. He began to speak to himself: "Since you stepped through my gate, you have worn three different faces. Which is true and which is false, I have no interest in guessing. Just one thing: judging by the celestial fortune today, I suspect Kuisheng has already broken through the Hidden Cavalry and Chu Ji. He is fighting a desperate battle, having led his troops to scatter the invaders at Weinan Mountain Pass, and is now marching north, locked in combat with the reinforcements sent by Du Zhaolin."

Lin Changtian felt dazed, and forgetting the rule they had just set, he blurted out, "Is this true?"

"Do not ask, only listen. You have forgotten the rule again. Very well, I am a dog nearing the end of its life; why should I make things difficult for a youngster like you?"

"Oh, then I know who you are," Lin Changtian said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "I heard Yu Baili say there was a vicious dog in the Northern Territory with a stronger constitution than mine! You must be that vicious dog transformed into human form, right? Though, it’s not just in the latrine that your image is poor... I get it! Your true form is a pug, no wonder you ruin everything you touch!"

The Northern overlord, who had been so magnanimous just a moment ago, felt a pang of regret—some youngsters simply weren't worthy of his open-mindedness. Thinking this, Ma Hui casually delivered another heavy slap.

"I am a human; I do not tuck my tail. Ha, but you aren't wrong. A man as fond of killing as I am—only this blessed land of the Northern Territory was willing to take me in. But even a villain should have some kind words before he dies, right? Let me advise you: don't be so obsessed with the outcome. I, the man who is to die at your hands, am not worried, so why are you so anxious?"

In truth, the Northern overlord had cycled through several expressions, but he was only truly sincere when speaking of his own mortality.

"I still want to ask: you and Zhang Yi both act inexplicably, as if you’ve gone mad, both willing to die at my hands. Why?"

"For... a principle, I suppose. Acting against the trend is often the true way to follow the heavens. It’s just that I realized this truth far too late."

Lin Changtian shook his head. He didn't understand, which was not surprising. He had always been odd—sharp when he should be dull, and incredibly foolish when he should be cunning.

"I came from the seven ancient clans of the Northern Territory. Though we have fallen, we were heroes! From a small village to Anma City, I have no regrets. But I have done so much evil; when I finally wanted to do one good thing, I could only watch, powerless. I am wicked enough, so trying to educate others is the greatest joke of all! My descendants will have to learn from me, follow the rules, start from a small village, and then burn, kill, and plunder—turning their blades against their own home!"

Ma Hui seemed delirious, much like Zhang Yi had been that day, laughing and scolding, sitting and standing by turns. Lin Changtian watched him with a complex expression, not knowing what to say.

He lacked the ability to snap a Chetian-level expert out of his madness.

After struggling for a long time, Ma Hui squatted on the ground, clutching his head, his eyes fierce as he stared at the firmament like a celestial dog trying to devour the moon.

"Remember, do not be tethered by how many people die for you. Lead the Northern Territory out—the further, the better. That is my final selfish wish!"

The vicious dog bowed his head, slamming it against the ground as if to bear witness to his sincerity.

"I have been taught," Lin Changtian bowed. He hadn't truly taken much of it in; after all, he could not empathize. Anything more would be in vain. But there was one sentence that had been repeated to him by countless people, one he would never forget.

He remembered it clearly: Go outside!