ATPnovel Chapter 1310 - 1310 5 Let's Drink This Cup_3
Chapter 1310 - 1310 5 Let's Drink This Cup_3
1310: Chapter 5: Let’s Drink This Cup_3 1310: Chapter 5: Let’s Drink This Cup_3 “I reckon so,” Jiang Wang said.“There’s nothing for us in Zhuang Country, and with no living souls left in the Maple Forest City Region, no one knows of our connection anymore.”
At that moment, he remembered Li Jianqiu.
That night in Xin’an City, Dong Ah had sent Li Jianqiu away on a pretext before facing him in a life-and-death struggle.
The protection a mentor should offer a Disciple was something he once thought he had too.
However, everything he had once hoped for crumbled along with the fall of Fenglin City.
Li Jianqiu should have known about them, the Maple Forest Five Heroes, but judging from Du Yehu’s current situation, he either hadn’t spoken of it, or his words had no impact.
“Even if someone else knows, Brother Hu has earned trust through his military achievements,” Jiang Wang continued.
“Peng Ju and I have parted ways in life and death; to others, the bonds of our Maple Forest Five Heroes may not seem so unbreakable.”
Zhao Rucheng’s lips twitched with painful humor, making him want to laugh and play along, but he couldn’t muster a smile.
He could only say, “Brother Hu may be hot-tempered and reluctant to think things through, but he’s not foolish.
If he refuses to leave, he must have made his choice.
And besides…”
He sighed, “Who could change Du Yehu’s decision anyway?”
“Indeed, he’s always been that way,” Jiang Wang sighed in response.
Aren’t you the same?
Zhao Rucheng thought to himself.
He would always remember that figure, who often practiced swordsmanship far into the night.
He would always remember the time they frantically went to the western hill in search of Jiang Wang, only to find a blood-soaked figure descending the mountain alone.
He would always remember, after Jiang Wang disappeared, how he asked Uncle Deng to search the western hill thoroughly, even venturing into the Qi Chang Mountain Range, but found no trace of him.
For a while, he believed Jiang Wang was dead, buried in some nameless place.
Yet one morning, Jiang Wang returned to the Daoist School with such firm resolve.
And he could never forget that, two years later upon seeing Jiang Wang again, the boy from a small town now stood tall on the Guanhe Platform, having reached the position of the number one Inner Mansion in the world.
Always appearing before him in times of confusion, despair, and hopelessness.
So certain, so blazingly bright.
Zhao Rucheng prided himself as an exceptional talent, yet he conceded that he fell short of Jiang Wang by a margin.
“Come on, third brother!” Zhao Rucheng lifted his cup, “A toast to you.
This first drink, to your victorious triumph!”
Jiang Wang raised his cup in response, and they both drained it in one go.
Zhao Rucheng picked up the silver jug, filled their cups again, and raised his cup saying, “The second drink, to your journey thus far; never faltering, never pausing, never looking back!”
“The third drink, to your shoulders bearing the weight of mountains, venturing thousands of miles with a heart as clear as the Ming Yue; known to heaven and earth!”
After toasting three times, he stopped with an empty cup and said, “Third brother, I must be off.
Yuwen Ze and the others are waiting for me.”
Jiang Wang fell silent for a moment: “Are you in such a hurry?”
Zhao Rucheng spoke with an easy tone, “What can I do when I only secured a spot in the top four?
Na Liang stopped at the top eight, and Cang Ming didn’t even get a chance to fight.
Mu Country’s performance has been too poor; we can’t bear to stay here any longer.”
Jiang Wang took the jug from his hand, filled his own cup to the brim, and said, “I, too, shall toast you three cups.”
“First, to your being alive.”
He drained it in one gulp, then filled it again: “Second, to my being able to see you.”
Continuing to pour and drink, he topped up the last cup: “Third, thanks to you for being in this world, that we brothers can march the same path.”
He looked at Zhao Rucheng so earnestly, as if to forever imprint this scene in his memory, then set the cup on the table and stood up to leave: “Let’s go!”
Not a word of pleading was spoken, but every sentence was a fervent appeal.
A plea from an elder brother to a younger brother.
Stay alive!
Zhao Rucheng had revealed his identity after the fall of Qin Huaidi but had never spoken a word of it to Jiang Wang, obviously not wanting to drag him into it.
Yet how could today’s Jiang Wang, who had left that little city region and experienced so much, not have realized this?
Knowing his influence was slight, he could do nothing but wield his sword on the World Stage.
So, all he could do was earnestly beg Zhao Rucheng to live well!
To wait for the days to come!
As he was about to step out of the courtyard, the voice of Zhao Rucheng came from behind—
“Third brother, make haste!”
Jiang Wang didn’t look back, simply raising his fist above his head.
With his fist held high, he strode away into the distance.