Upon hearing the old man mention the name of the Grand Commandant, the War God Murong Daoye, the villagers around showed a hint of fear and unease.

Previously, they were just listening to a story, but to speak recklessly about current affairs is a taboo in Qian Country.

Moreover, this involved past matters of the previous dynasty and the Four Great Clans.

The old man seemed to realize he had said too much and waved his hand, saying, "Today's story has been told. Everyone, please return home."

The villagers left one by one, with some frequently looking back at the old man, suspicion in their eyes.

The old man sighed in his heart, secretly thinking, "He could no longer stay in this Mist Rain Village."

"That Yuwen Mao is truly a despicable person, worse than pigs and dogs, so vile!"

Lu Qing couldn't help but curse.

Chen Tang couldn't help but glance at her.

Lu Qing's hands were clenched into fists, her eyes slightly red, and her gaze showed undisguised hatred.

According to the old man, this Yuwen Mao was indeed hateful, but Lu Qing, as a listener, was perhaps a bit too emotional.

Changsun Ming, Lu Qing, and Yuwen Heigou also turned and left.

All three were lost in their thoughts, silent along the way, not even noticing Chen Tang hadn't returned with them.

Changsun Ming remained silent for a while before suddenly saying, "Actually, what that old man said might not be true. If Emperor Wu was as good as you said, how could he have lost the people's support?"

Lu Qing immediately said, "Emperor Wu is just that good!"

"The benevolent do not command an army. If he were truly so benevolent, he couldn't have built such invincible, disciplined forces like the Hu Ben Army and Dragon Soaring Iron Cavalry. The old man's words are probably a mix of truth and exaggeration."

Changsun Ming shook his head, still unwilling to believe there could be such a benevolent emperor in the world.

"What he said is true!"

"How do you know?"

"How do you know he's lying?"

"Alas."

As Lu Qing and Changsun Ming were about to argue, Yuwen Heigou suddenly sighed.

From the village entrance until now, he had remained silent, only making a sound now, which attracted the attention of the two.

"What the old man said is not an exaggeration."

Yuwen Heigou said calmly, "In fact, there are things that he didn't fully mention."

"Oh?"

Changsun Ming looked surprised.

Yuwen Heigou said, "As far as I know, during the Wu Dynasty, the government imposed low taxes and labor, allowing people to rest and prosper. From the imperial court to the common folk, everyone could practice martial arts, without the need to bow and kneel before officials. Officials and constables could not disregard the law and act recklessly, and people across Kyushu could move freely. Emperor Wu never lost the people's support."

"Back then, if Emperor Wu hadn't insisted on the southern expedition, and later defending Snow Ridge with the Hu Ben Army and Dragon Soaring Iron Cavalry perishing in large numbers, leading to the upheaval in the Capital City and his death, other heroes might not have had a chance."

"Emperor Wu treated the people and the surrendered generals with kindness."

"But he was strict in military discipline and had a ruthless side towards the Green Forest Jianghu, which is why he could create the Hu Ben Army, Dragon Soaring Iron Cavalry, and even could have swept through the Martial World."

Lu Qing snorted lightly and said, "Emperor Wu was indeed too benevolent. If he had been a bit more ruthless and listened to the advice of the strategist by his side, killing both Yuwen Mao and Murong Daoye, there wouldn't have been any betrayal later on."

Changsun Ming argued, "At the time of Emperor Wu's death, the Wu Dynasty's fate was already sealed, the world was in chaos, and the deer was lost. All heroes chased after it. The War God Murong was among them, so he wasn't wrong to have ambitions. After the defeat in the battle of Xiajiang, he personally escorted the heavily wounded Emperor Wu back to the Capital City."

Yuwen Heigou said, "Compared to Yuwen Mao, the War God Murong is undoubtedly much better, but whether he is guilty towards Emperor Wu, only he himself knows."

"Huh, where's Haitang?"

"It seems she didn't come back with us."

...

At the entrance of Mist Rain Village, under the old locust tree.

Everyone else had left cleanly, leaving only the old man and Chen Tang.

"Young man, why aren't you leaving?"

The old man glanced at Chen Tang and asked calmly.

Chen Tang smiled and said, "I'm interested in the stories you told, senior, and want to hear more."

"Oh?"

The old man neither agreed nor disagreed.

He had just spoken about the Former Emperor Wu, which had already aroused some suspicion. To avoid any accidents, he needed to leave today.

In this Mist Rain Village, this young man in front of him was the only one worth his attention.

He had secretly observed that the boy's breathing cultivation technique was very similar to the Dragon Capturing Technique.

The sword skill he practiced was something only high-ranking generals in the previous dynasty's army could cultivate!

Yet, it was unclear who this young man's master was.

After all, Yuwen Mao, as the former Commander of the Dragon Soaring Army, also knew these cultivation techniques.

"What do you want to hear?"

The old man asked.

Chen Tang asked, "Which forces were involved in the assault on the Capital City back then? Did Emperor Wu die in the Capital City?"

He once harbored an extremely bold speculation that the Mountain Guest was the Former Emperor Wu!

But this speculation had two doubts.

Firstly, Emperor Wu was already dead.

Secondly, if Emperor Wu were still alive, he should be over a hundred years old.

Yet, the Mountain Guest looked only forty or fifty years old.

The second doubt could be explained.

After all, in a world of Mystic Masters and Mystic Skills, eternal youth wasn't impossible.

Moreover, the Mountain Guest was a Grandmaster, who had chosen an unconventional path, cultivating the Dragon and Tiger Grand Pill, which could indeed make him appear decades younger.

But how to explain the first doubt?

Therefore, he wanted to know more about whether Emperor Wu was truly dead.

What exactly happened?

Why did everyone affirm that Emperor Wu was already dead?

The old man said, "At that time, those who besieged the Capital City included the Yuwen Family, the Murong Family, and the Thirty-Six Marshals of the Profound Celestial Sect."

Chen Tang listened with some confusion and asked, "Did the Murong Family also besiege the Capital City? So didn't the War God Murong Daoye also betray Emperor Wu? What's the difference between him and Yuwen Mao?"

"And what are the Thirty-Six Marshals of the Profound Celestial Sect?"

The old man explained, "At that time, the Murong Clan had two branches, one led by Murong Daoye and the other by Murong Zhong. It was the branch led by Murong Zhong that joined forces with Yuwen Mao."

"Back then, in the Capital City, there were also many of Murong Zhong's clan members. Even when Murong Zhong besieged the city, Emperor Wu did not kill his clan members and still tried to persuade them with good words."

"But these clan members wanted to collude with insiders and assassinate Emperor Wu in the city. When their plot was discovered, Emperor Wu had them all executed."

Chen Tang asked, "Where was Murong Daoye during this time?"

The old man said, "Murong Daoye retreated to Yan State and never showed up until Emperor Wu died, and then he came out to strive for the world."

Chen Tang asked, "Where is this Murong Zhong now? His name doesn't seem to be heard in the court."

The old man said, "Not long after the fall of the city, he died suddenly. Some say it was Emperor Wu's ghost seeking revenge, but the exact cause of death is unknown."

"As for the Thirty-Six Marshals, they were the chief commanders of the thirty-six armies under the Profound Celestial Sect, similar to generals."

Chen Tang secretly stuck out his tongue.

No wonder the Profound Celestial Sect could stir up trouble in turbulent times; besides relying on charms and water to heal people, they had such a powerful force!

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