Wang Anfeng glanced at the two martial artist aides in front, then looked up at the Pillar of the State sitting at the top. He realized that the few muttered words by Dongfang Ximing moments ago had all been heard by the Pillar; otherwise, this aide would never have said something like the pastries being plentiful. It was his own oversight as well. There was quite a commotion just now, and the Pillar had seen him that day; even if he restrained his qi mechanism, once the Pillar glanced down, he wouldn't be able to hide. Wang Anfeng hesitated briefly, and seeing that the other party meant no harm, he agreed. The aide's face, as steady as a mountain, showed a slight smile as he turned to lead the four of them upstairs. The interior decoration was indeed very different from the place where Wang Anfeng and the others had settled, with an elegant layout that showed a lot of care. Peephole view of a leopard, the expenses of this place must be extremely high. The aide's steps were steady and unwavering as he led them directly to the top floor pavilion. The Pillar sat by the pavilion window, wearing casual attire, yet still imposing, as if clad in armor, leaning obliquely against Liangzhou. In white garments like snow, rather than exuding the distant aura of a master, it was as if one saw a towering snow mountain, majestic and weighty. The old man's gaze shifted, his expression severe and solemn, resting on Wang Anfeng. He nodded slightly, quite sparingly, then waved his hand. The trusted aide who brought them in saluted and then politely said to Dongfang Ximing: "Various pastries are in the side chamber, gentlemen, please follow me." Dongfang Ximing glanced at Wang Anfeng, and seeing that he nodded, he followed the aide away, with Lin Qiaofu and Lv Baiping accompanying him. As the footsteps gradually receded, in the place with the broadest view, only Wang Anfeng and the reportedly domineering Pillar of the State remained. Wang Anfeng crossed his hands in a Jianghu salute and said he had met the Pillar before straightening up. For a moment, no one spoke, and silence fell. It was quite a while before the Pillar finally said: Though the Pillar had disrupted his and Wuxin's plans earlier, he was indeed a master on par with Uncle Li, and had once been a frontier general, having significant contributions to the nation's current borders. Wang Anfeng showed no disrespect, nodded in agreement, and sat before the elder. In front of the old man was not a white jade wine cup, but a dark ceramic bowl filled with wine. He held it up and drank it like water, gazing at the view outside, and spoke indifferently: "I merely instructed the local officials to host at this place, without intending to fight you young ones over food." "Someone probably plans to send it to their womenfolk after today, using today's events as an excuse to save some silver coins. Ha, strong wine and fine food I can understand, but pastries are something only enjoyed by women and children amongst us." Wang Anfeng coughed lightly and replied steadily: The old man drank again and casually asked, "Did Li Wu send you?" Wang Anfeng shook his head and said: "No, Uncle Li is unaware." The Pillar glanced at him, sneered, and said, "It's obvious you're not telling the truth. Your skill in lying is not even a tenth of your father's." Wang Anfeng was slightly embarrassed, and the old man continued speaking to himself: "You need not fear the old man." "Though Li Wu and I can't see eye to eye, that's between us and has nothing to do with you. Last time, it was you who came to challenge me, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered with you youngsters. Even then, I merely used my might to try and suppress you." "Who knew you'd be so stubborn." "I don't even bother competing with Li Wu anymore." Wang Anfeng asked, "Have the Pillar and Uncle Li known each other for a long time?" The old man looked at him and said: "When you put it like that, it's been quite a few years, though I've forgotten exactly how many..." "Back then, when the late emperor recruited troops, the two of us joined the army at about the same time. Ha, anyway, no matter what, from the first time we met, we couldn't stand each other. It started as a war of words, then turned into physical confrontation, he once smashed my tent, nearly causing me to freeze into a block." "But I didn't admit defeat either, once stole his belongings, intending to urinate in his porridge pot, only to be caught in the martial grounds after the army disbanded, leaving me utterly humiliated. I was raging mad back then, and even now, thinking back, I'm still angry." "Back then, we wished we could issue military challenges and fight to the death." Perhaps because of the wine today, or rarely talking about past events, the old man was slightly more talkative. His status was so high, a pillar of the state, that not many people could talk about the piles of past incidents. He took a sip of his drink and continued: "Then, then we ended up on the battlefield..." "Back then, the countries still existed, border tensions were constant. Five years in the Border Army, that winter Yan Country invaded the borders. Faced with a dense mass of enemies, our formation advanced recklessly, got dispersed, leaving only him and me alive." "I was a spearman, he was in the sword and shield company. Not able to stand the sight, but what can you do? If you didn't want to die, you could only team up and slowly crawl our way back." "When we were frozen and muddled, we'd curse. If we died there, we'd promise to defecate on each other's graves. We'd fight, swinging fists at each other's faces. Back then, I punched with all my might, wishing I could muster a child's strength. When we returned, I found my face was more swollen than his martial soldiers." "That guy punched even harder... Haha... Infuriating me. We lay there, continuing to curse each other. I was bedridden for a month, he for three days more. Now it was his turn to be unsatisfied." At this moment, an elder's solemn and dignified face couldn't help but show a stingy smile. With each sentence, he took a swig of alcohol, as if the fiery liquor would make him the hot-blooded youth he once was, forever young and capable of foolish deeds. The elder downed the wine, a hint of drowsiness in his eyes, gazing outside, murmuring: "Half a life on horseback, traversing the world. How many times I blocked blades for him, I can't remember. How many lives he saved me, I can't recall..." "Yet our relationship is neither truly good nor bad." "If not for this, when he saw me suppress you with aura, he would've started with a 'Rushing Thunder Nine Heavens', then struck with 'Ghost Palace Thunder Axe' and 'Heavenly Strike of Five Thunderbolts'. Why would he be so mild?" "His character is extremely protective. Back then, for his subordinates, he covered a superior's head with a grain sack and took a beating. This wasn't uncommon; otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed in the Border Army for so long. I'd been promoted to deputy general, but he was still a petty sergeant. When I transferred, I kindly advised him, but we ended up fighting again." "I kept wondering if his martial soldiers' brains had knots." Amusement tinged the elder's voice, even as he mentioned past annoyances, it remained. This kind of talk could never be shared with Li Qidao, nor discussed with others, disdainful to share." Passion boils in youth and arrogance. The reckless deeds of youthful days eventually bury within increasingly white hair. Having finished a jar of wine, the elder's faint smile vanished, returning to a solemn dignity, saying: "Since you came today, don't leave yet. Let's meet the visitors together; it's beneficial for you." Wang Anfeng instinctively responded, realizing what the elder said and hesitated: "Are they from the Ministry of Punishment?" The Pillar of the State looked slightly surprised at him, replying: "They're considered Ministry of Punishment, but not from within. They came today using Jianghu names and identities. Telling you this already breaks some taboo, just keep it to yourself, don't let a third person hear." Before the voice fell, Wang Anfeng heard a long howl from afar, ethereal like mist, lofty as thunder. It was still far, but in a blink, it was near, showing the opponent's inner strength and Qinggong were top-notch. With Wang Anfeng's perception, he could feel a qi mechanism heading straight here, immense and pure. Among Martial Artists he'd seen, it was rare. He felt slightly familiar but couldn't discern before someone appeared at the window— ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet A mess of white hair tied up. His clothing had stains and was somewhat disorganized like various fabrics sewn together. A red nose grasped a large gourd, he laughed before entering: "Lv Hou, long time no see... Quite a big scene today..." "Who's this kid? Your junior?" His gaze fell to Wang Anfeng. The old man suddenly exclaimed, with furrowed white brows: "Why does this kid look so familiar? Hmm? Hmm! Is it you, kid?!" "Haha, since we parted, it's been a while, seems your cultivation isn't bad." "Back then, I promised with you to reach Seventh Rank. How is it, have you cultivated seriously?" The old man recognized Wang Anfeng, smile surfaced, then casually gauged his cultivation. Sensing the abundant qi mechanism on Wang Anfeng, his smile froze, eyes widened, appearing as if he'd seen a ghost. Wang Anfeng stood, feeling nostalgic, clasped his hands in greeting: "Since we parted at Qingfeng Edge, long time no see..." "You made me search tirelessly..." PS: Here's today's first update... 2800 words...