The Path to True Peace

Li Tianming loved peace.

As a child, he regarded the King of the Kingdom of Slovenia as a hero. Despite presiding over a weak nation, the king’s relentless efforts to contend with powerful countries and safeguard his land and people seemed incredibly admirable.

However, over time, a stark realization dawned upon him.

Most people acted in much the same way.

They seized opportunities, played both sides, and sacrificed their pride to survive.

The King of Slovenia was merely doing what had always been done on a national scale.

Nothing truly changed, and it did not deter powerful empires from continuing their wicked ways.

Even the royal family of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom had initially considered submitting to the Empire.

Their failure to do so was only because the Empire sought to ‘kill the chicken to scare the monkeys,’ intending to awe the various Eastern nations into submission.

The Vermillion Bird Kingdom was simply the unfortunate chicken chosen for the demonstration.

But there were those who resisted.

The world was never devoid of rebels.

That was how individuals like Nangong Yan and Mu Yun emerged.

Yet, only failure awaited them.

After their defeats, the world remained unchanged.

Naturally, their failures did not affect the Kingdom of Slovenia, nor did they disturb its peace.

Looking back, people merely dismissed the defeated as unfortunate.

The nations conquered by the Empire would also eventually find peace under its rule.

But was this truly peace?

Was it the peace he truly desired?

Was this what he truly sought?

Li Tianming once believed it was.

Later, however, he realized he sought the happiness of those around him, those he knew personally.

His insatiable ambition grew, leading him to hope that even the Empire’s citizens, whom he had never met, could live better lives.

Then, he discovered something—

“My lord, thank you. Thanks to you, those officials have changed their attitude towards me.”

These changes had already begun.

To avoid being outdone by the Kingdom, the Empire had been forced to secretly adopt its technologies.

With these technological advancements, the formerly ignorant populace became more informed.

To stem the tide of fleeing subjects and to preempt resistance from an enlightened populace, the Imperial nobility had no choice but to implement reforms.

The entire world was improving.

All thanks to Xie Haizhu’s presence.

Li Tianming cherished such a world.

As he aged, as his experiences deepened, and as he traversed more and more places,

He grew to understand, approve of, and adore Xie Haizhu even more.

He also realized just how foolish he had been in the past.

And what he had missed.

He should have been by Xie Haizhu’s side, learning more, doing more to truly bring peace to the nation and its people.

But he had ruined it all.

He did not want this.

He yearned for atonement.

He wished to beg for her forgiveness.

He longed to salvage everything.

“Please tell me if there’s anything I can do. Give me your orders; I will do whatever it takes!”

He had contacted Dongfang Qinglong and Duanmu Yun more than once.

“It’s truly incredible. Even after forgetting everything, she is still changing this world.”

He had been closely following Xie Shenhong’s contributions.

“Please entrust this mission to me!”

He diligently applied the knowledge he had gained from Xie Shenhong, striving to achieve great deeds.

He was like a child who had made a mistake, desperately seeking an adult’s forgiveness.

‘She truly doesn’t remember me at all.’

He felt a profound loneliness and pain from being overlooked by the ‘adult’ he so revered.

‘Even if she hates me, it doesn’t matter. Please, just remember me.’

He found himself performing conspicuous acts, desperate to capture her attention.

Yet, deep down, a conflicting hope lingered: that she wouldn’t truly come to despise him for his antics.

He was undeniably pathetic in his desperation.

Even more absurdly, these very thoughts had been perceived and voiced by the woman herself.

“Thank you for your affirmation and adoration, but I cannot condone your actions.”

Hearing this, Li Tianming couldn’t help but offer a bitter smile.

“At the very least, I must have taught you to make many friends and few enemies, right?”

Li Tianming’s eyes brightened slightly.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t recovered my memories. I am not the person you knew, and our relationship cannot return to what it once was.”

Li Tianming’s expression dimmed.

“It’s not because I dislike you. Rather, a teacher shows the way, and you’ve embraced my ideals, which is why you hold our nation in such high esteem, correct? Then what you should be doing now is not wallowing in self-pity here, nor performing meaningless acts to gain my favor.”

As she spoke, Xie Haizhu deactivated her transformation, reverting to her Xie Shenhong form.

Li Tianming understood the logic; he had indeed been acting, but he was too weak. In the end, he felt he could accomplish nothing—

Xie Shenhong’s voice was soft, yet it resonated with an uncanny understanding. “You’ve been working hard all these years, haven’t you? Don’t negate everything before you even try.”

‘Why?’ Li Tianming wondered, his mind reeling. ‘How do you know what I’m thinking?’

A knowing smile touched Xie Shenhong’s lips. “It’s simple. I’ve started observing you closely, caring for you, and paying attention to your words and actions. Yes, your wishes have actually been fulfilled, whether it was for me to scold you or to pay attention to you. Are you satisfied?”

….

….

“No, right?”

“Why?” Li Tianming couldn’t help but ask, his voice barely a whisper.

“It’s simple. Offending the Saintess should be punished. To waste the opportunity to learn by the Saintess’s side—the Saintess is truly ungrateful. These are standard worldly principles, but deep down, you don’t actually agree with them.”

“How could that be?” Li Tianming couldn’t believe it.

“Why not?” Xie Shenhong countered, her gaze unwavering. “If you ask me, my past self was so fragile, unable to even protect my subordinates. What kind of Saintess was that?”

“No, that’s not true! You’ve already done so much; you’re truly incredible!”

Li Tianming exclaimed passionately.

“Thank you.”

Xie Shenhong offered a faint smile.

Then she returned to their previous topic.

“Indeed, there’s another possibility: that you understood my difficulties and shortcomings, and felt guilt for your actions. But beyond that, you approve of me and are drawn to me because of my successes.”

Li Tianming was speechless.

It was like people only saw the big money to be made in entrepreneurship, yet failed to see the risks and costs behind it, or the hardships, efforts, and principles of successful individuals.

It was truly possible that his heart was captivated only by Xie Shenhong’s achievements.

That was why, after seeing Xie Haizhu without her full strength, he had presumptuously dismissed everything about the current Xie Shenhong.

‘He truly was disgusting—’

“Before you get discouraged, I just want to confirm one thing: you’re not pursuing the aspects where I’ve performed poorly, are you?”

Li Tianming stared blankly, shaking his head.

“Then that’s all there is to it, isn’t it? Striving to pursue beautiful things is not shameful; it’s certainly not a mistake.”

Xie Shenhong opened the infirmary door, then turned back, extending a hand towards Li Tianming.

“Care to join me?”