First impressions are always from the heart.
“Manager Ren has been gone for quite a while now… might he be in danger?”
Zhu Jifeng stood in the mountains with his hands clasped behind his back, projecting an air of stern solemnity, yet his gaze drifted repeatedly towards the direction where Ren Du had vanished, each glance deepening the worry in his eyes.
“We don’t know,” Wan Ren replied, “We are completely unaware if Director Ji has set up an ambush.”
Wan Ren continued to whittle a bamboo stick with his small knife, adding in a hushed tone.
“We should have brought more people from the start.”
Mr. Ji fiddled with the telescope in his hand, occasionally surveying the mountain scenery and murmuring in admiration.
“The mountains here are truly magnificent, utterly distinct from those of the north and south.”
“How so?”
Wan Ren looked up slightly, completely oblivious to the fact that Mr. Ji had already diverted the conversation.
“Northern mountains are majestic and grand, southern mountains are graceful and picturesque, while these mountains possess a profound, ethereal beauty. Each has its own charm!”
“Had we brought more people from the outset, we wouldn’t have allowed them to reach this point. We would have ambushed them directly on their way to meet East Bamboo Immortal when they passed through the village during the day, catching them completely off guard.”
Fenghu leaned against the rock face, glancing towards the large courtyard where the Polaris group was resting. Although the courtyard was invisible from his vantage point, he continued to gaze in its direction.
“Manager Ren was reluctant to bring more people. Did he have some concerns?”
Yi Ranchén set her sword aside, agilely climbed onto a high rock, and gazed at the bright moon in the sky, a light laugh escaping her lips.
“Could it be that he feared complete annihilation? Is that why he only brought a few of us?”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jifeng, Mr. Ji, and the two elders Fenghu and Yunlong, involuntarily turned their gazes towards Yi Ranchén. Far from feeling awkward under their scrutiny, Yi Ranchén even chuckled from her elevated perch, playfully wiggling her foot.
Only Wan Ren kept his eyes fixed on the bamboo in his hands throughout. While Yi Ranchén’s words were somewhat inauspicious, they held a kernel of truth.
If this mission was unavoidable and carried the risk of total defeat, then Ren Du indeed had no need to bring too many people; a mere handful would suffice.
However, Wan Ren did not believe this was the true reason Ren Du brought so few people. The political maelstrom of the Southern Dipper Star was exceedingly perilous, and as the head of the Jianwu Institute, Ren Du’s actions were constrained by numerous parties.
This journey to East Bamboo was likely no exception, and this, perhaps, was the actual reason for his limited retinue.
Reasons involving the internal struggles of the Southern Dipper Star were something Ren Du would absolutely never disclose.
“Complete annihilation? Miss Yi, you exaggerate. Do you truly believe Director Ji’s paltry crew is capable of wiping us out?”
Yunlong’s brow furrowed, then quickly smoothed, and he burst into hearty laughter.
“They are no stronger than the Mortal Kingdom! I can’t even count how many sycophants like them have fallen beneath my fists!”
“I have long heard tales of the unparalleled martial prowess of the two elders, Fenghu and Yunlong. Though this journey to East Bamboo marks my first meeting with you both, I have admired you from afar for a long time.”
Mr. Ji cupped his hands in a respectful salute to the two elders. While Fenghu and Yunlong were not fond of his disguised appearance, they paid it little mind.
After all, many in the martial world harbored eccentric habits.
Furthermore, he was a fellow traveler on this East Bamboo expedition, and Ren Du himself treated him with considerable respect.
Thus, the two elders courteously returned Mr. Ji’s salute.
“Then, Mr. Ji, we are acquainted now, are we not? There’s no longer a need for distant admiration!”
The two elders and Mr. Ji exchanged smiles, finding each other quite congenial, devoid of the usual haughty demeanor of grandmasters.
“I have a question, if the esteemed elders would be so kind as to enlighten me?”
Yi Ranchén’s bell-like voice drifted from the side, and Fenghu, in good spirits, called out directly.
“Speak freely!”
“How did the elders come to know Manager Ren?”
Hearing this, Fenghu and Yunlong exchanged a knowing smile, as if recalling some amusing incident.
“We met through a fight, of course!”
Yunlong picked up the thread of the conversation, laughing heartily.
“That was many years ago. My brother and I chanced upon Manager Ren. At the time, he wasn’t yet with the Academy of Sciences.”
“We initially dismissed him as nothing more than a street performer, holding him in considerable disdain, but as it turned out…”
“The outcome truly astonished us!”
Fenghu swiftly reclaimed the narrative, continuing.
“Indeed, truly capable individuals often hide themselves in plain sight within the bustling city. My brother and I each exchanged blows with Manager Ren, yet we couldn’t gain even the slightest advantage.”
“That’s how we came to know him.”
As they spoke, their faces lit up with animation, completely devoid of their usual grandmasterly aura, clearly demonstrating how utterly delighted they were by their encounter with Ren Du, almost to the point of gesticulating wildly.
As for Mr. Ji, who stood nearby, he only began to speak after the two elders had finished.
“It was merely a chance encounter. Miss Yi, does that answer suffice?”
Yi Ranchén initially listened with a radiant smile as the two elders spoke, for it was the first time she had witnessed them speak with such vibrant animation, a stark contrast to their usual fierce demeanor.
However, Mr. Ji’s words were so simple and direct that they bordered on dull, failing to pique her interest.
A thought then occurred to her: perhaps his association with Manager Ren served some ulterior motive, with many details he preferred to keep hidden from others, which explained his brief dismissal of it as a ‘chance encounter.’
She had intended to hear what Wan Ren and Zhu Jifeng had to say, but as she turned her gaze to Wan Ren, she saw him offer a faint smile.
“He’s back…”
Gifted with keen hearing and sight, Wan Ren had already detected Ren Du’s footsteps. His small knife paused for a moment before resuming its work on the bamboo.
Yi Ranchén, who had been quite relaxed, hesitated upon hearing Wan Ren’s words. She then turned her head and saw Ren Du approaching along the path behind the rocks.
Her expression subtly shifted, and she looked back at Wan Ren.
She had always been quite confident in her own abilities, yet Wan Ren’s perception far surpassed hers.
If an enemy, not Ren Du, had arrived, Wan Ren would have already sensed them, while she remained oblivious.
Should an adversary strike first and seize the initiative, she would be thrust into a passive position, whereas Wan Ren would still be able to maneuver with ease, ready to launch a preemptive strike at any moment.
Ren Du’s figure gradually sharpened into focus, finally stopping at the base of the rock where Yi Ranchén sat.
“Manager Ren, what’s the situation?”
In response to Zhu Jifeng’s question, Ren Du simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gently shaking his head.
“It seems she cannot be persuaded!”
Wan Ren sighed softly, rose, and put away his small knife, then continued.
“Does East Bamboo Immortal have any concerns?”
“Not so much concerns as a perspective. In her eyes, there’s no distinction between the Southern Dipper Star and the Polaris.”
Ren Du began descending the mountain, with the group following closely behind him.
“I suggested she employ swift and decisive measures, eliminating a few of Polaris’s petty villains to establish her authority, thereby instilling fear in those cowardly schemers who plot assassinations and poisonings, deterring them from rash actions.”
“However, she insisted on adhering to the customs of the martial world, unwilling to take a life with her first strike.”
“Strange indeed!”
“Mr. Zhu, what’s wrong?”
“Manager Ren, over the past two centuries, a considerable number of martial artists have perished at the hands of East Bamboo Immortal, for she has always struck without mercy.”
“Why, then, is she unwilling to take a life in this upcoming challenge?”
Ren Du recalled a question East Bamboo Immortal had posed. He tilted his head back, gazing at the bright moon on the horizon, and found himself asking aloud.
“Have any of you ever unjustly taken an innocent life?”
The group exchanged glances, each remaining silent.
After a moment, Zhu Jifeng was the first to speak, his voice notably subdued.
“Many years ago… I mistakenly killed a righteous warrior. The memory of it still weighs heavily on me.”
Even grandmasters like Fenghu and Yunlong fell silent upon hearing Ren Du’s question.
Their personalities were always straightforward, and while they could sometimes be overly arrogant, giving off an an air of disdain, they were certainly not ones for clever sophistry.
An ordinary martial artist would undoubtedly consider the killing of a few innocent people a minor matter compared to the villains they eliminated, and would never dwell on it.
Yet, Fenghu and Yunlong’s silence clearly indicated their implicit admission of having unjustly taken innocent lives.
Wan Ren instinctively drew a breath, then slowly exhaled, as if shedding a great burden. He showed no trace of shame, nor did he remain silent, speaking in his usual measured tone.
“Yes, many times. So many that I can no longer recall them all.”
Yi Ranchén was the only one among them whose face betrayed no hint of shame; she even boasted with a touch of pride.
“None.”
The others’ peripheral vision instinctively drifted towards her. Upon reflection, given that Yi Ranchén was new to the martial world and had not experienced many battles, her claim of never having unjustly killed an innocent person was likely no exaggeration.
As for Mr. Ji, who walked at the rear, he pondered for a moment before pinpointing the crux of the issue.
“Manager Ren, East Bamboo Immortal has unjustly taken innocent lives in the past, hasn’t she?”
Ren Du nodded, confirming Mr. Ji’s statement.
“East Bamboo Immortal is unwilling to deliver a fatal blow to Polaris. Could it be that she considers those from Polaris innocent?”
In response to Yunlong’s question, Ren Du shook his head, neither confirming nor denying.
“East Bamboo Immortal sees herself as a righteous practitioner. Because she protects the people of East Bamboo, she naturally would not wish to harm ‘innocent people’—those whom she believes she ought to protect.”
Mr. Ji’s words caused Ren Du to involuntarily halt, waiting for him to continue.
“Previously, East Bamboo Immortal likely never pondered whether those who challenged her were innocent. Anyone who came to challenge was deemed an enemy of East Bamboo, and thus she killed them without compunction, convinced that none of those she slew were ‘innocent people.'”
“However, East Bamboo Immortal eventually discovered that among those she had killed were individuals she considered ‘innocent.’ This led her to question her own ‘righteous identity,’ and her refusal to deliver fatal blows now is precisely to quell this self-doubt…”
“To be precise, it’s ‘no longer taking a life with her first strike.’ During an engagement, she will discern whether her opponent is a truly wicked villain who must die. Only if that is indeed the case will she deliver a fatal blow.”
Ren Du nodded, adding.
“This is precisely what concerns me.”
“Manager Ren fears that East Bamboo Immortal’s avoidance of instantly fatal strikes plays right into Polaris’s hands.”
“Polaris, which previously harbored considerable apprehension towards East Bamboo Immortal, will now feel emboldened and act without restraint.”
Wan Ren scrutinized Mr. Ji. While he had been contemplating the situation, he had not considered it with the same depth as Mr. Ji.
It was no wonder Ren Du had brought this man on the East Bamboo expedition; his profound insight into human nature made him a significant asset.
‘His surname is Ji… how is it that I’ve never heard of such a person among the martial artists recruited by the Jianwu Institute?’
“Since she cannot be persuaded, we can only return and rest early. Tomorrow, during the contest, should Polaris employ any stratagems, we will simply have to adapt and counter them as they arise.”
Ren Du nodded, and the group swiftly vanished along the mountain path.