Once at the Border Fortress, all the truths and conspiracies surfaced one after another.

And the plot of this latter half also became clear.

Power within the pass had become unbalanced; the original commander, the elderly Old General Feng, had fallen ill, and his adopted son, Vice General Feng, took the opportunity to seize power. He controlled the narrative here, deceiving the imperial court for his own selfish gains.

With the distance so great, the court was actually kept in the dark.

—No, this was actually just the result of the various factions in the court balancing and fighting against each other.

The only one truly deceived was the person sitting on the Dragon Throne.

Yet it was that very person who could still decide the fates, and even the lives, of many at the Border Fortress.

The entire dynasty had already begun to crumble, and even the Border Fortress had developed such major issues, yet the one at the top was blind and deaf, still immersed in the prosperous rule of songs and dances. How ironic was that?

Jiang Rushuai didn't know the current state of the court or the future of the country; his eyes saw only the withered bones by the roadside and the arduous ten-year vigil of the Border Fortress soldiers.

This place shouldn't have been dragged into the struggles of those high-ranking people, nor should it have become a tool for certain individuals to seize power.

Before the great battle, Jiang Rushuai gazed at the lone plume of smoke in the distant desert, quietly fingering the copper coin in his hand.

The people suffered, bandits were rampant, and the government was incompetent, so the thief catcher appeared.

the thief catcher lived on the bounties for catching criminals, and at times, they also worked for the court or certain nobles.

Risking their lives was, in truth, nothing more than a way to earn a living in these chaotic times.

That's why some said that the thief catcher was just a mud-legged commoner who didn't even count as a bailiff.

Bailiffs were the dogs of the court, while they were the mud those dogs dug up.

In fact, they were merely the incompetent products of an era where the government was about to lose control.

How could anyone expect them to change everything?

It was laughable that those above couldn't see clearly, while for those below, just staying alive was already hard enough. Who would stop to think about whose fault all of this was?

Jiang Rushuai flipped the copper coin; it spun in the air before landing steadily in his palm.

Taking money to get the job done was the rule for most of them.

Jiang Rushuai was no exception.

One copper coin for that head—a fair trade.

Vice General Feng deserved to die!

The Border Fortress must never fall into this man's hands!

The young swordsman leaped down from the sand dune, his clothes snapping in the wind, but his eyes were filled with newfound grit and determination.

Some things, after all, needed someone to do them.

Why couldn't it be him?!

—

The final assassination was simpler than imagined; the only thing that wasn't simple was Vice General Feng's martial prowess.

Jiang Rushuai had met the strongest opponent of his life— 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Vice General Feng stood with his guandao in hand, mounted on a tall horse, looking down at him.

"the thief catcher? This isn't something you should be meddling in. I suggest you get lost while you still can!"

Jiang Rushuai swallowed hard. His hand, hidden under his cloak, throbbed with pain from the previous clash of weapons, but he merely held his wrist expressionlessly to soothe the internal injury from the vibration. He inconspicuously shifted the "the thief catcher" badge at his waist, hiding it completely behind him.

"I'm just doing what I must."

He replied calmly, "Someone paid a single copper coin for your life, so here I am."

Hearing Jiang Rushuai's words, Vice General Feng threw his head back and laughed loudly, as if he had heard the most ridiculous story.

Although he was somewhat surprised by the young man's martial arts, Vice General Feng didn't take Jiang Rushuai seriously at all, his face full of mockery. "A mere mud-legged commoner with such big talk. Do you really think being the thief catcher is some game of playing hero for the government? Hahaha—"

Without waiting for Jiang Rushuai to respond, he raised the guandao in his hand once more and swung it down fiercely at him—

Jiang Rushuai had already seen the power of this guandao and knew he couldn't take it head-on. He gritted his teeth and rolled away, his long sword thrusting out to attack Vice General Feng's wrist from a tricky angle again, only to be nimbly knocked aside by the armor on the man's arm.

This Vice General Feng had fought on the battlefield for many years, carving his way out of a sea of blood step by step. He had been Old General Feng's successor, so his strength was naturally not to be underestimated.

Even Jiang Rushuai, after having his multiple attacks blocked, was being beaten back by the general.

Fighting in the desert was indeed not Jiang Rushuai's home turf; instead, it severely limited his performance.

The opponent was also incredibly tough; he had to find a way to break the deadlock—

Jiang Rushuai's mind raced as he once again circled around to avoid the general's guandao.

Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.

A short blade, carrying a whistling wind, grazed Jiang Rushuai's cheek.

The moment Jiang Rushuai retreated, a young bladesman appeared out of nowhere and swung his blade directly at the general's guandao!

"Clang!"

Intense sparks erupted where the weapons met!

The audience on-site let out excited cheers.

But Shen Jue's eyes were as cold as ink. He forced himself to swallow the blood rising in his throat from the impact, and with a surge of power from his wrists, he actually managed to violently shove back the opponent's guandao!

Seeing this, Jiang Rushuai immediately °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° rushed forward without hesitation, continuing his attack on the general's wrist and knocking him straight off his horse!

Then Shen Jue took his place again, his sharp blade-wind, carrying the scent of blood, rapidly attacking Vice General Feng's lower body.

Vice General Feng's eyes narrowed. Just as he raised his guandao to parry, Jiang Rushuai leaped up again with a sword thrust, aiming for his face!

In an instant, the tide of battle turned, and the offensive was reversed!

...

The final result, unsurprisingly, was a narrow victory for Jiang Rushuai and Shen Jue.

As he and Shen Jue stood before the dying Vice General Feng, quietly watching him draw his last breath, Jiang Rushuai couldn't help but feel those doubts rising in his heart.

Vice General Feng was the strongest expert he had ever encountered. Without Shen Jue, he probably wouldn't have made it out of this fight in one piece.

Such a person clearly had real talent. Like the others at the Border Fortress, he had held his ground here for over ten years, yet in the end, he still became a pawn for the high-level power struggle.

Hoarding grain, embezzling military pay, falsifying reports... act after act, wasn't Vice General Feng's behavior turning him into the very kind of person he once hated most?

Once, he led from the front and was the most reliable general in the hearts of his soldiers. Now, he exploited their trust to line his own pockets, taking the hard-earned blood and sweat of his comrades for himself, and even concealing the truth of the commander's serious illness. He deceived everyone daily with lies, monopolized military power, and used the war as a pretext for his own sordid deeds.

His once loyal and heroic heart had finally been corroded by greed, leaving only a hypocritical shell.

When he picked up his old guandao again, did his conscience really not ache?

Jiang Rushuai didn't know.

Unfortunately, he would never get an answer from a dead man.

However, a despicable loser truly has no value worth defending, nor should they be given the chance to kneel and repent for their crimes.

Jiang Rushuai felt melancholy, but Shen Jue's expression remained indifferent. He finally picked up the Bone-Cleaving Knife from the ground and said calmly, "We should go."

It's time to go back.

Everything is over...

With yellow sand filling the sky, everyone's corpses will be buried. For some to vanish silently from this world—isn't that a way to preserve their reputation?

At least here, all secrets and filth can be hidden away—