The Agreement

Seeing Yi Feng nod in agreement, Luo Hetu stood up, clasped his fists, and was overcome with excitement.

"Thank you, Great Hero Yi! Thank you so much!"

Yi Feng, however, remained extremely calm and got straight to the point.

"Although I have agreed to help you, this matter will not be easy."

"Your two great empires have profound foundations and clouds of experts under your command. Even with my modest cultivation, it would be difficult for me to turn the tide of war single-handedly. What must I do to stop this great war from happening?"

Hearing this, Luo Hetu's expression turned solemn.

He caught sight of the curious children outside the door from the corner of his eye and signaled to his attendants with a look. The attendants understood implicitly, taking out a few sweet pills to coax the cheering children away.

Once the courtyard gates were quietly closed and there was no one else to disturb them, Luo Hetu finally bowed quietly and explained the crux of the matter.

"Great Hero Yi."

"This matter might be as difficult as ascending to the heavens for anyone else, but you can definitely do it!"

"Previously, a young man came to visit you many times. That person is the Sixth Prince of the Eastern Ling Empire, Ouyang Yu. This man is extremely shrewd and meticulous, and his methods are ruthless. He lurked within our country for many years and only recently had his identity exposed!"

"This Ouyang Yu has quite the reputation in the Eastern Ling Empire and is highly likely to ascend to the position of Crown Prince. You saved his life, and he admires you greatly. As long as you play along and leave with him, you will definitely be able to gather crucial intelligence on the Eastern Ling Empire!"

"In the future, as long as you remain undercover by Ouyang Yu's side, even if the Eastern Ling Empire has experts as common as the clouds, we can still anticipate the enemy's moves. As their strength wanes and ours waxes, the military power between our two nations will return to its previous equilibrium, and the great war will naturally be hard to launch."

Hearing these words, Yi Feng fell into deep thought.

Admittedly, going undercover in the Eastern Ling Empire was indeed a brilliant plan, but this kind of undertaking was simply too dangerous. The slightest carelessness leading to the exposure of his identity would bring about a fatal disaster.

In the past, Yi Feng was not afraid of death, but now that he had someone to care for, it was difficult for him to press forward with an indomitable will like before.

If it was truly as Luo Hetu said, and that Sixth Prince was meticulous and ruthless, once he was exposed, it was highly likely that Lady Bai would be implicated.

Thinking of this, Yi Feng felt torn.

Compared to his own life and death, he was even more unwilling to see any harm come to Lady Bai!

Luo Hetu seemed to see through Yi Feng's concerns and timely clasped his fists to make a promise.

"Please rest assured, Great Hero Yi."

"We have already mobilized vast manpower and resources to forge a perfect identity for you. From now on, you will be a reclusive sword cultivator named Feng Yi. Even if Ouyang Yu sends people to investigate, it will be impossible for them to find any flaws."

"That Ouyang Yu values talent above all else. As long as you appear in the Eastern Ling Empire, he will definitely rush out to welcome you. Just act carefully in the future, and he will absolutely not suspect a thing!"

Hearing that Luo Hetu had come prepared, Yi Feng finally felt a bit more at ease.

He had already agreed to the other party's request, and since things had reached this point, he could only nod in agreement.

"Alright."

"In three days, I will set off for the Eastern Ling Empire."

Hearing this promise, Luo Hetu was overjoyed. He repeatedly bowed in thanks and left behind heavy gifts before departing.

Three days passed in a flash.

Yi Feng never mentioned this matter in front of Lady Bai, and Lady Bai was the same. The two had a deep mutual understanding, yet both harbored their own heavy thoughts.

Early morning.

The morning sun had just risen.

The two got up and washed as usual, had some pastries, and sat quietly in the courtyard.

Sitting opposite the beautiful woman, they looked at each other in silence.

Yi Feng had a thousand words in his heart and endless worries, but he did not know how to speak. Staring into Lady Bai's clear eyes for a long time, he only felt his heart was in a tangled mess.

Seeing that it was already the day of parting, he was reluctant to set off for a long time.

As if seeing the complex emotions in the depths of Yi Feng's eyes, Lady Bai's eyes revealed tenderness as she spoke to comfort him.

"My dearest Yi."

"Now that the great war is about to begin, the tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers in the outside world will soon see its people plunged into misery and suffering. Since you have the ability to save the common people, it is naturally your inescapable duty."

"I also want to stay together with you forever, ignoring worldly affairs and living in seclusion here, but the situation is critical. For the sake of millions of commoners, and for the children in the village, you must shoulder all of this."

"You are my only Dao companion in this life. I believe my judgment is absolutely not wrong. You have a benevolent heart, and a true man should take saving the common people as his own responsibility."

"I will definitely wait for your return in the village. When that time comes, we will retire from the martial world, travel to the ends of the earth, drink and sing with your brothers, and see all the myriad breathtaking landscapes of this world."

Looking at his beloved woman tenderly pouring out her heart, Yi Feng felt deeply moved.

Listening to her visions of the future, his eyes revealed a look of longing, and he nodded, visibly touched.

"Yes, we must see all the breathtaking landscapes of the world."

Saying this, Yi Feng slowly stood up, stepped closer, and took Lady Bai's hands.

"To be able to meet you in this life is my greatest blessing. With a soulmate like you, even if I, Yi Feng, were to die..."

Before he could finish speaking, her jade-like fingers had already covered his lips.

Lady Bai feigned anger and gave him countless instructions.

"You must not speak such nonsense."

"On this trip to the Eastern Ling Empire, you must be careful in everything. Even though your sword Dao has already achieved great success, venturing deep into the tiger's den all alone will definitely be extremely dangerous. You absolutely must not be the slightest bit careless!"

Listening to her instructions, Yi Feng nodded solemnly.

The two stood up and walked out of the courtyard. Lady Bai wanted to see him off further, but he stubbornly refused. The scene of husband and wife parting was simply too sorrowful. If he was seen off with such tenderness again, he feared his state of mind would waver.

At the moment of parting.

Lady Bai still had a tender smile in her eyes. Her clear eyes watched him leave, standing before the door and reluctant to depart for a long time, as if she wanted to take one more look at Yi Feng.

As their eyes met, a trace of regret had already sprouted in Yi Feng's heart.

Suddenly.

He somewhat regretted agreeing to this great matter of saving the common people.

But as a man, he also did not want to see the mountains and rivers shattered and the common people displaced. Personal feelings and the greater good of the world had been difficult to reconcile since ancient times. Moreover, his true love deeply understood the greater good and had spoken to persuade him to come out of seclusion. Yi Feng could only shoulder this heavy responsibility, grit his teeth, and endure countless hardships!

Seeing that he was about to leave, not knowing when they would meet again.

Yi Feng still felt somewhat uneasy in his heart. He immediately channeled his supreme sword intent, his hands forming profound incantation seals, and set up a restrictive formation all around the outside of the small courtyard. A faint golden light merged into a ten-zhang radius in the blink of an eye!

With everything ready, he finally took a deep breath and spoke his instructions.

"I have set up a restrictive formation here. Apart from you, it will be difficult for any cultivator to enter easily. As long as you stay in the courtyard, it will be hard for outsiders to detect your aura. You must be extremely careful after I leave."

"Wait for my return, and I will take you to meet those brothers of mine. After that, we will roam the ends of the earth and never concern ourselves with the affairs of the martial world again!"

Hearing these affectionate words, Lady Bai also revealed a smile and nodded slightly.

"Yes, go with peace of mind. I will wait for your return right here in the village. Even until the end of time, I will absolutely not leave."

Her soft words were permeated with endless affection.

Indescribably complex feelings surged in Yi Feng's heart. He did not dare to stay for another breath, afraid that he would truly waver. Taking one last deep look at that stunningly beautiful face, he gritted his teeth and soared into the clouds!

The divine sword in white flew across the sky, while the beautiful woman in the long dress mourned their parting.

Watching Yi Feng's figure disappear into the horizon, clear tears fell from Lady Bai's eyes. Like a mortal unable to restrain the complex emotions in her heart, she did not make another sound, deeply afraid of becoming a burden and affecting Yi Feng's state of mind.

There was no one else around, and the small courtyard was eerily quiet.

The rustling of the falling leaves carried a trace of heartbreaking loneliness.

Standing before the courtyard gate for a long time, Lady Bai did not leave. She silently gazed at the sky, praying for her beloved and yearning for their future reunion...

Far away in the horizon.

Yi Feng pierced through the clouds, his eyes slightly red. However, he knew very well the heavy responsibility he bore. He dared not dwell on the true love in his heart, only gripping the longsword in his hand tightly to remind himself of his duty.

As he channeled his cultivation and flew further away, the small mountain village was soon left far behind at the edge of the sky. Yi Feng's expression grew increasingly solemn. Even if a thousand surging waves roared in his heart, they were quietly suppressed by an awe-inspiring, icy resolve!

Before long, he would step into the borders of the Eastern Spirit Dynasty!