—Conqueror or vanquished, such is the way.
The small cabin and the well remained as they were yesterday, yet today, it was East Bamboo Immortal who meditated there.
Ren Du approached the well, drawing water, scooping it, and drinking.
Despite the formidable title of Manager of Jianwu at Nan Dou Star, one still drank water with their mouth; there was nothing extraordinary about it.
He settled onto the same rock as yesterday, observing East Bamboo Immortal.
East Bamboo Immortal had sustained some injuries today.
Ren Du meticulously examined her wounds, truly impressed by her cultivation.
Ren Xinzuo’s sword qi, when condensed into a thread, was exceptionally sharp, capable of piercing the Shenfeng acupoint over the heart, which should have instantly incapacitated East Bamboo Immortal.
Yet, she appeared utterly unfazed, even continuing to exchange blows with Feng Linwan and others—it was truly inconceivable.
Through today’s match, he had discerned that East Bamboo Immortal possessed a body-protecting divine art, which was why Xu Chang had failed to gain an advantage.
However, both Xiao Zhang and Ren Xinzuo had breached her divine art, with Ren Xinzuo even striking a vital point.
How could she remain so unaffected?
“East Bamboo Immortal, are your injuries not serious?”
“They are of no consequence.”
Ren Du noted no change in East Bamboo Immortal’s voice, no hint of physical weakness, prompting him to ponder if Ren Xinzuo’s attack had inflicted any substantial harm.
Indeed, a small red mark was visible on her clothing over the Shenfeng acupoint, a clear indication of a direct hit.
Ren Du’s brow furrowed in sudden realization.
He considered that East Bamboo Immortal’s body-protecting divine art might not be limited to surface defense.
While there was a saying that body-protecting divine arts worked ‘from the inside out,’ there was also the concept of ‘from the outside in.’
If she had channeled her internal energy and vitality into her internal organs using the ‘from the outside in’ method, forming a protective barrier over them, and simultaneously employed the ‘from the inside out’ method to pull outwards as Ren Xinzuo’s sword qi struck, she could significantly mitigate the damage to herself.
This would be akin to pulling a needle from the outside to prevent it from further penetrating the flesh.
Considering this, Ren Xinzuo’s attack might have merely pierced the skin, causing only minimal damage to her organs.
Ren Du couldn’t help but regard East Bamboo Immortal with newfound respect.
Her unique understanding of martial arts application, and her ability to implement it in battle, was truly remarkable.
“East Bamboo Immortal, Polaris suffered a setback today.
Tomorrow, having learned from their experience, they will surely employ a wheel battle tactic.
You must be very careful.”
“There’s no need for Mr. Ren to concern himself.
Whether Polaris uses a wheel battle or one-on-one combat, I will not falter or retreat.”
“That, I naturally believe.”
Ren Du watched East Bamboo Immortal, silently deliberating how to continue the conversation, when she spoke, her eyes still closed.
“How is the young lady you brought?”
“She remains secluded behind closed doors; her mood is certainly not good.”
Ren Du was surprised that East Bamboo Immortal would inquire about Yi Ranchén, but upon reflection, it was not so strange.
East Bamboo Immortal, as a protector of the common folk, naturally leaned towards empathizing with the vulnerable.
Yi Ranchén, having been defeated and humiliated by Ma Yan, would naturally be seen as such in her eyes.
“Yesterday, Mr. Ren stated that all those from Polaris had committed many unjust deeds and should be slain to establish authority.”
“That is correct.”
“Yet, Mr. Ren did not execute that ill-mannered Mr. Ma today.”
East Bamboo Immortal opened her eyes and looked at Ren Du, who felt a premonition of unease stir within him.
“Because I couldn’t defeat them.”
A flicker of confusion crossed East Bamboo Immortal’s brow, but she quickly understood that Ren Du’s ‘couldn’t defeat them’ referred not to Ma Yan alone, but to all of Polaris.
“Polaris arrived in great numbers.
Mr. Wan was without his sword, and Miss Yi had lost her will to fight.
Even if I, along with the other four, had charged in, we would have been hard-pressed to overcome the sheer numerical superiority of Polaris.
Before I departed, Master Cheng entrusted Miss Yi to my care.
Now that she has been humiliated, I already bear a heavy responsibility.
If I were to impulsively engage Polaris in a bitter struggle, potentially causing further harm to Miss Yi, I would have no face to meet Master Cheng.
Moreover, it would drag Mr. Wan and the others into a desperate situation where we would be surrounded and attacked.”
“Indeed, your considerations are thorough.”
East Bamboo Immortal returned to her silence, but a question arose in Ren Du’s mind.
He wished to ask but was unsure if East Bamboo Immortal could answer.
After much deliberation, he posed the question—even though it would not provide any substantial help to Nan Dou Star.
“East Bamboo Immortal, not all of Polaris’s members are necessarily innocent.
Why are you unwilling to kill them?”
“Among the people from Polaris, some are ill-mannered, some speak provocatively, some are humble and respectful, and some sincerely seek guidance.
There are even those who harbor doubts about Polaris because of Mr. Ma’s inappropriate conduct.
According to Mr. Ren, are none of them innocent?”
Ren Du remained silent.
While he found it puzzling that Guan Xuelan, Ye Shuanghong, and others served Polaris, and they themselves had openly questioned Ma Yan’s actions at the end of the match, the Flourishing Water Sword Sect, having lived in seclusion, truly hadn’t committed any acts of murder or arson.
He realized that his perception of all Polaris members as unjust individuals was largely due to the actions of a few among them.
Their presence within the Polaris ranks had muddled his impression of Guan Xuelan, Ye Shuanghong, and others, leading him to lump them together with Ma Yan and his ilk.
“In the past, whenever someone came to East Bamboo bearing weapons, I always suspected their intentions were malicious.
I would often scrutinize them with hostile eyes, positioning them as adversaries of East Bamboo.”
Ren Du nodded, realizing he had made the same mistake.
He had automatically assumed anyone associated with Polaris to be a ‘malicious’ villain who had sought refuge with them.
Perhaps there were hidden circumstances, and they were forced to serve Polaris out of desperation.
If he were to discover their plights and alleviate their worries, they might not continue to serve Polaris, and could even switch allegiance to Nan Dou Star.
However, thoughts were one thing, reality another.
They were undeniably still in the Polaris camp at this critical juncture, and even if there were hidden circumstances, it was impossible to investigate or sway them now.
If he did not view them as aligned with Polaris and showed too much leniency towards their hostile actions against Nan Dou Star, he would lose his standing among his own people.
His actions had to be considered from Nan Dou Star’s perspective; how could he consider the enemy’s?
Even if they faced immense hardship, he could only differentiate once the current conflict concluded.
Should they unfortunately perish in this strife, it would simply be their misfortune.
“Until one time… I accidentally killed an innocent person.”
“That was fifteen years ago.
A man brought nearly a hundred civilians to East Bamboo.
They were from Canshan Star; Polaris’s army had reached ‘Tusu,’ forcing them to flee north.”
Fifteen years ago… Polaris reaching Tusu… Ren Du mused for a moment, understanding that East Bamboo Immortal was likely referring to the ‘White Crane Spreads Wings’ offensive launched by the Polaris Academy of Sciences in the summer of New Calendar Year 213.
That offensive was a classic, demonstrating Polaris’s ability to organize such a powerful and effective attack even as their overall strength waned, successfully turning the tide of the war and even forcing Nan Dou Star to intervene.
Ren Du believed this was largely due to Polaris’s bold decision to implement Shu Dingle’s plan.
His proposed offensive was extremely risky and aggressive, with a very low margin for error, where even a slight misstep could lead to a complete collapse of Polaris’s southern front.
Nan Dou Star would never have approved such an uncertain plan.
“The leader was a Canshan Star military officer named Yin Chunhui.
He claimed to be a guardian officer of the Tusu jurisdiction under the Canshan Star Academy of Sciences.
Polaris had blocked all southern escape routes from Tusu, and they had fled north until they reached this place.”
The so-called guardian officers were a special designation within the Canshan Star Academy of Sciences.
The officer themselves belonged to the military, but their subordinate guard units were essentially local militias, composed of non-full-time players and old civilians.
This included players and old civilians who had retired from active duty, transferred to the reserves, undergone training in paramilitary organizations, or held positions in quasi-military institutions, all of whom underwent regular military training.
However, they did not function as a standing army in peacetime, only mobilized in emergencies.
Although these units were affiliated with the military, they primarily handled local security and auxiliary tasks, not frontline combat.
Consequently, the rank of a guardian officer varied greatly depending on the nature, level, and scale of the guard unit in their area.
In other words, Ren Du had no idea who this ‘Yin Chunhui’ was; in Nan Dou Star’s intelligence gathering, he was merely an insignificant figure.
“East Bamboo took them in.
Yin Chunhui came to thank me… but I remained vigilant towards him because they were all outsiders, not to be trusted.
Suddenly, he shouted behind me, ‘East Bamboo Immortal, danger!’ and then drew a pistol… I thought he was like those before him, so I turned around… and killed him.”
“There was no actual danger, was there?”
“Danger did exist, but it was for him.
For me, it was hardly a threat.”
East Bamboo Immortal gazed at the night sky, sighing with resignation.
“Monsters occasionally appear here in East Bamboo; it’s a common occurrence.
The danger he spoke of was merely a ‘White Ghost Eagle’ swooping down to hunt.
I had already sensed it, and knowing I could kill it with a flick of a pebble, I paid it no mind.
Instead, it was Yin Chunhui, the uninvited guest, who warranted more vigilance.”
Ren Du looked at the ground beneath his feet, silent.
Such an incident… he had experienced it too… perhaps many people had.
Mistaking others’ goodwill for malice.
East Bamboo Immortal would surely be troubled by this, feeling a sense of remorse.
Yet, the vast majority of people in this world would likely consider their actions justified afterwards, harboring no regret.
Humans are inherently selfish.
When faced with others’ actions, their thoughts inevitably center on themselves, doing whatever it takes to protect their own.
“I still remember Yin Chunhui’s eyes before he died.
He kept looking at the sky, as if reminding me to beware of the White Ghost Eagle above.
There was no anger, no resentment in his eyes, only an eager hope that I would quickly turn around and notice that White Ghost Eagle.
He knew nothing of my strength, and even until his death, he believed I hadn’t detected it.
I mistakenly killed a good man… someone who was trying to help me.”
Ren Du sighed upon hearing this, feeling pity for Yin Chunhui, when a sudden realization struck him.
Yin Chunhui… surnamed Yin…
“East Bamboo Immortal, you’re not saying that Yin Chunhui is…”
“As you suspect, Mr. Ren.”
East Bamboo Immortal’s gaze shifted to Yin Cunxin, who was approaching from behind Ren Du, her eyes revealing a helpless sorrow.
“Yin Chunhui was her older brother.”