The Guest

Sensing the extraordinary aura outside the door, Yi Feng and Lady Bai knew the visitor was no ordinary person. They quietly exchanged a glance, a touch of solemnity appearing in both of their eyes.

The aura of the person outside was no small matter, and it was difficult to tell friend from foe. Not daring to be overly careless, the two of them quietly stood up.

The next moment.

A slow knocking sound echoed.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound was very steady and rhythmic, sounding quite polite. The visitor did not seem to have any obvious hostility.

Yi Feng relaxed slightly and stepped forward to open the door.

When the courtyard door opened.

The few people standing quietly outside all cupped their fists in greeting. They were all dressed extraordinarily and possessed an uncommon bearing.

Especially the young man leading the greeting; his embroidered robe was extremely magnificent, and his every movement exuded an air of nobility. Even though the people behind him had impressive cultivation bases, they followed him respectfully.

When that person spoke, it was even more shocking.

Hero Yi, it has been a long time.

Hearing this, Yi Feng was taken aback.

He had lived in seclusion in this small mountain village for a few years and had never revealed his name to outsiders. Even the children he saw every day at the schoolhouse only called him Mister Ah Dai.

This person was clearly a stranger, yet he seemed to know him?

Yi Feng grew somewhat vigilant and probed.

Greetings, sir.

I am afraid you have the wrong person. I am no Hero Yi, just a village man named Ah Dai.

Hearing this, the luxuriously dressed young man opposite him showed a smile in his eyes and respectfully cupped his fists again.

Hero Yi must be joking. I have been paying attention to you for a long time.

Back then, you founded the New Sword Sect and then annihilated the Snow Moon Holy Land in one fell swoop. The talent and terrifying cultivation speed you displayed are still fresh in my memory!

Later, you entered the Void Sword Mound, and the mound subsequently self-destructed. You must have obtained the inherited divine sword and comprehended the Great Dao of the Sword.

Hearing that the other party knew him like the back of their hand, Yi Feng became even more vigilant.

Even though what the other party said was completely accurate, he immediately denied it.

You really have the wrong person.

I am just a farmer. I do not know anything about a holy land, nor have I taken any divine sword. I even fell seriously ill a few years ago and do not even remember the affairs of the village.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the smile of the luxuriously dressed youth deepened.

Hero Yi.

We have always been watching you; you simply cannot hide from us. As early as a few years ago, your cultivation base had recovered, and your memories must have recovered as well.

Hearing this, Yi Feng's heart sank.

The visitor actually knew him inside out and explained everything in immense detail. Even if there was no hostility, it still made him feel very uncomfortable.

Pondering for a few breaths.

Yi Feng simply stopped hiding it, stared at the visitor, and asked.

Who exactly are you, sir?

I have already decided to withdraw from the martial world, and I have no grudges with you. I only want to live a peaceful life. Why must you come to disturb me?

As soon as he finished speaking.

The young man's expression became sincere.

Hero Yi, your words are too heavy.

I am the Crown Prince of the Bright Moon Dynasty, Luo Hetu. We originally would not dare to come and disturb you. We simply admired your talent and character, hence our years of observation. But recently, forced by circumstances, we had no choice but to come to your door to seek help. If there is any breach of etiquette, I hope you can forgive us.

As his voice fell, Luo Hetu led his group in bowing with an apologetic look.

Hearing clearly that the visitor was actually the Crown Prince of a dynasty, and that he did not hesitate to lower his status to treat others with courtesy, Yi Feng finally gained a little favorable impression. Adhering to the way of hospitality, he returned the bow and stepped aside to welcome them.

Greetings, sir. Since that is the case, please come into the courtyard to talk.

The two slowly stepped into the small courtyard. The expert attendants behind them all waited quietly outside the door. Whether master or servant, they all appeared extremely polite.

After sitting at the stone table in the courtyard.

Lady Bai served a cup of clear tea. Luo Hetu stood up to thank her, engaging in brief and polite pleasantries.

Afterward, he looked at Yi Feng and slowly explained his purpose for coming.

Hero Yi.

If not absolutely forced to, I would not dare to brazenly come and disturb you.

To tell you the truth, my Bright Moon Dynasty and the Eastern Spirit Dynasty have been enemies for generations. Our grudges have reached a point where they are difficult to resolve. Because our strengths are evenly matched, a delicate balance has been maintained among the dozens of affiliated small nations.

But in recent years, the Eastern Spirit Dynasty has successively recruited many experts, causing this balance to gradually break. The friction between our two countries has become increasingly frequent, with constant battles big and small. I fear that before long, an all-out war will break out!

When the great war is triggered, it will inevitably affect dozens of nations in the surrounding area, plunging tens of thousands of miles of living beings into misery and suffering!

Hearing these words, Lady Bai's expression became solemn.

Yi Feng also felt the severity of the situation and could not help but sigh heavily in his heart.

The struggle for power would never cease. The world divided and united, and nations constantly waged war against each other. In the end, it only brought suffering to the common people. A throne forged from countless tears and blood was nothing but a fleeting glory, as brief as a dream or a bubble.

Was all of this really worth it?

In all fairness, Yi Feng had absolutely no interest in so-called struggles, nor did he care about the future trends of the world. He only wanted to live a stable and simple life.

He never considered himself some great sage. He was just an ordinary person, at most a cultivator with a bit of cultivation. As a human being, it was inevitable to have a bit of selfishness.

Seeing that Yi Feng did not respond.

Luo Hetu's eyes showed urgency, and he continued to speak to persuade him.

Hero Yi.

In the future, the great war between the two countries will inevitably affect tens of thousands of miles. At that time, countless lives will be ruined, the people will be displaced, the wilderness will be littered with starved corpses for thousands of miles, and people will exchange their children for food...

Such a tragic scene, can you truly stand by and watch indifferently?

Furthermore, once this unprecedented great war breaks out, not only will our two great dynasties be plunged into a sea of blood, but the surrounding large and small affiliated nations will also join the war. By then, the battlefield will likely span across more than ten continents, and no one will be spared!

In such terrifying flames of war, even for cultivators like us, rare is the person who has the power to protect themselves, let alone the ordinary commoners?

As the saying goes, how can there be intact eggs beneath an overturned nest? Once the great war breaks out, all living things will be swept into it, and the casualties among the common people will be innumerable!

By then, even this small mountain village will be poisoned by the flames of war. Even if you and your esteemed wife have profound cultivation and can retreat unscathed, how will the children, women, and the weak in this village find a single thread of survival?!

Speaking to the end, Luo Hetu stood up, cupped his fists, and knelt on the ground to bow!

Hero Yi!

I beg you, for the sake of the common people of the world, to lend a helping hand this once. In the future, even if I, Luo Hetu, have to work like a horse or an ox, I will definitely repay this great debt of gratitude!

Seeing the Crown Prince not hesitate to kneel and beg, Yi Feng and Lady Bai both had a tremor in their eyes.

Looking closely for a few breaths, Luo Hetu's eyes were already red. He no longer had the refined and elegant demeanor from before; his feelings of urgency were beyond words.

Suddenly, Yi Feng fell into a state of conflict.

Even if the other party was suspected of moral kidnapping, what he said was absolutely true. If a great dynastic war truly broke out in the future, this small mountain village situated between the two countries would inevitably be reduced to scorched earth!

The children who used to laugh constantly...

The village with its singing birds and fragrant flowers.

Everything would be burned down by the flames of war!

The more he thought about it, the more conflicted he became, and Yi Feng's selfishness began to waver.

Right at this moment.

The faint sound of children's laughter coming from the village drew closer and closer. A few mischievous brats had even run up to the door, curiously peering inside and asking with a smile.

Mister Ah Dai, are we still having class today?

"Brother Ah Dai, what are you doing?"

"Who are these people?"

...

Looking at the innocent and curious gazes of the children outside the door, Yi Feng's heart suddenly trembled, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Every subtle expression and movement was caught by Lady Bai, who had been quietly listening by his side for quite some time. She gently reached out her hand and placed it softly over Yi Feng's. Her tender gaze was filled with a firm, encouraging light.

Though she did not utter a single word, her gesture spoke volumes.

Finally.

Yi Feng let out a soft sigh. Looking at Luo Hetu, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I promise you."