He met Yu Tianheng's worried gaze.
Li Zhexian raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't expected it—
This brother of his was actually quite perceptive.
But Li Zhexian didn't respond.
Instead, he curved his lips into a smile
and pointed toward the nearby Jinxi Bridge.
"Come on, let's head over there."
"The sugar-figurine lady is closing early tonight—buy two, get one free."
"Alright."
Yu Tianheng agreed instinctively, then froze.
"Wait— we haven't even gone there yet. How do you already know that?"
"You'll see when we get there."
A short while later—
Ten boys and girls leaned against the mottled stone railing.
The night breeze brushed through the boys' tied-back hair
and swept across the girls' long locks that reached their waists.
The sweetness of the sugar figurines melted on their tongues,
but even that sweetness couldn't compare to the comfort in their hearts at this moment.
"Zhexian was right after all."
Yu Tianheng laughed to the group:
"He knew it was buy-two-get-one before we even showed up."
"Oh?"
Everyone burst into laughter, teasing from every direction:
"Brother Zhexian can see the future now? Then let big sister ask—what does my future romance look like?"
"Idol! I, Yu Feng, will definitely become a Titled Douluo someday, right?!"
"I, Osler, don't ask for much—just let me beat Yu Feng!"
They all knew Li Zhexian wasn't quite himself tonight.
Their noisy teasing—
Was simply to coax out a smile.
"You guys…"
Li Zhexian shook his head with a soft laugh.
He tipped back a mouthful of wine and looked up at the full moon above.
Suddenly—clarity washed through his heart:
A fine night is worth a thousand gold pieces; the bright moon feels like an old friend—
why worry about frosts that haven't yet come?
My future—
I, Li Zhexian, will paint it with my own hands!
Even if there are karmic ties…
They are nothing more than side dishes for wine—
and let the breeze pay the bill!
The last knot between his brows finally loosened.
Smiling, he took the sugar figurine from his mouth,
raised his wrist, and lifted it high beneath the luminous moonlight.
"Wait for my triumphant return!"
"Alright!"
Everyone exchanged smiles and imitated him, lifting their sugar figurines.
Ten sugar figurines shimmered under the moonlight—
like the bright, earnest hearts of these youths,
etched deeply into this gentle night.
Only when the long street emptied did they reluctantly part ways.
Li Zhexian walked with Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu.
The two girls' slender fingers were intertwined, their embroidered shoes tapping softly against the stone road.
Suddenly—
A warm, soft hand slipped over, gently hooking around Li Zhexian's little finger.
Zhu Zhuqing spoke quietly:
"No matter what the future brings…"
"Zhexian…"
"I'll always stay by your side."
...
Bianhong City—
located in the central-northern region of the Star Luo Empire.
It neighbored Wangtian City,
and further south lay two more major cities,
forming a direct line pointing toward the Star Luo imperial capital.
This time—
Li Zhexian and Dugu Bo's mission was to aid Bianhong City.
Wangtian City had already fallen.
Once the Spirit Master army of the Spirit Empire finished resting and reorganizing, their next target would definitely be this location.
The sky was gloomy this day. Thick clouds covered the sun, and day felt like night.
From a thousand meters above, Li Zhexian looked down at the fallen city below.
The dark-red earth had been soaked again and again with blood and fire.
Broken weapons and shattered armor littered the ground in chaotic disarray.
Even from this height—
The suffocating, brutal aura of a battlefield rushed upward without restraint.
Dugu Bo sighed, like a mourning old serpent.
"This is war."
Li Zhexian pressed his lips together, saying nothing, eyes scanning the city.
Perhaps it was because of the distance—
but the entire city was so quiet it felt… almost eerie.
Seeing the tension in his expression, Dugu Bo spoke:
"Don't worry. The Spirit Empire still needs to maintain its glorious public image.
They won't risk universal condemnation by massacring a city."
"And… a massacre holds no real benefit for them."
At this point—
Dugu Bo paused, his voice growing rough:
"But when a nation falls…
its people never meet a good end."
"New rulers, new laws. The conquered will always be treated as lesser."
"So…"
"Heaven Dou must not lose."
The world knew Dugu Bo as ruthless and venomous,
a man who could wipe out a clan on a whim.
But to the Heaven Dou Empire—
he was simply an old man still tied to his homeland.
Li Zhexian clenched his fist, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
"Let's go, Senior Dugu."
"This time…"
"Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo must both stay behind."
...
Their journey to support Bianhong City had been extremely covert.
Aside from Emperor Dai Zhen far away in the capital, and the commanding general guarding Bianhong—
No one else in the entire Star Luo Empire knew.
When they reached Bianhong City—
Because the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was too conspicuous,
Li Zhexian ordered it to hide high in the sky
and await his command.
Inside the military tent—
The Cloth-Robe Marquis of Star Luo—
a hardened general who rose from mountains of corpses to the rank of marquis despite his common birth—
Stood respectfully before the elderly man and young man.
"On behalf of the one hundred thousand soldiers
and one million civilians of Bianhong City,
I thank the two honored Douluo for your aid!"
"No need for formalities, General."
Li Zhexian immediately stood
and helped him up before he could bow deeply.
For men like this—
pillars who bled to defend their nation—
he always carried deep respect.
"General, please tell us in detail
the recent movements of the Spirit Empire."
"Yes."
At the mention of war—
The marquis straightened, expression solemn.
A streak of blood-red Spirit Power dropped onto the sand table.
"Honored Douluo, please look—"
"The Spirit Empire occupied Wangtian City seven days ago."
"Scouts report they are transporting thousands of wounded back home, while replenishing manpower, supplies, and equipment. The army is resting within the city."
"In my judgment…"
"In about seven days, they will march on Bianhong."
"Seven days…"
Li Zhexian pondered for a moment, then asked seriously:
"General, Senior Dugu and I are here to kill the Spirit Empire's Titled Douluo."
"Before that, to avoid alerting them—we will not intervene against their Spirit Master army."
"Can you and your troops hold the line?"
The marquis's scar twisted fiercely, revealing a hideous yet confident smile.
"Sword Wine Douluo, rest assured!"
"The two hundred miles between Wangtian City and Bianhong City
are open plains—no cliffs to hold, no terrain to ambush!"
"But even in a direct confrontation—
If no Titled Douluo interferes, my Star Luo soldiers fear no Spirit Master army!"
"With my hundred thousand troops—
we will fight until their Titled Douluo are forced to reveal themselves!"
Li Zhexian exchanged a brief look with Dugu Bo.
"Then this battle..."
"Must end in a massive defeat for the Spirit Empire."
...
Seven days later—
Frontline scouts rushed in with urgent news:
"Five thousand Spirit Masters have surged out of Wangtian City—advancing directly toward Bianhong. Estimated arrival: two days."
War was imminent.
Panic spread among the civilians.
The Cloth-Robe Marquis personally led one hundred thousand troops and formed battle lines two and a half kilometers outside the city—taking the initiative to meet the enemy head-on.
This was the Star Luo Empire's iron-blooded tradition.
Rarely defending behind walls—
more often attacking to defend.
This way—
The people within the city would remain undisturbed.
High in the sky, hidden within the clouds—
An old man and a young man stood silently on the cloud edge, gazing toward the black tide of Spirit Masters rolling from a hundred li away.
Their eyes gradually sharpened—cold as drawn blades.
They waited.
Waited for the Spirit Empire's Titled Douluo to appear…