Lie Feng and the other two sat around a campfire. An iron pot hung over the flames, and the meat soup inside had finished cooking, releasing a rich, savory aroma.
Although most of the rebels had already eaten, some remained standing at a distance, still wary—after all, Lie Feng's behavior today had truly unsettled everyone.
Zheng Jian dropped in a handful of wild vegetables and stirred them with a ladle. "Alright, it's ready."
He scooped the soup and ingredients into several clay bowls by his side.
Ji Wushi gave Lie Feng an apologetic smile. "Sorry, out here in the wilderness, we really don't have anything better to offer."
Lie Feng asked, "You prepared this just for me?"
"That's right."
"You didn't have to do all this."
"Hah, we've been staying on this mountain for a while—barely counts as being the local hosts. We can't very well treat a guest like you poorly."
Zheng Jian placed the filled bowls in front of Lie Feng and Ji Wushi.
Ji Wushi brought the bowl to his nose, sniffed it, then commented, "Your cooking's improved. At least you finally managed to get rid of the gamey smell."
Zheng Jian snorted. "Shut up. A guy who's never cooked a day in his life has no right to judge my skills."
Then he began sipping the soup in small mouthfuls.
Ji Wushi and Lie Feng exchanged an amused look before lifting their bowls.
One mouthful of hot broth slid down his throat, and Lie Feng suddenly felt a sense of release—as if the tension coiled inside him for days had finally loosened a little.
He exhaled softly. "It's really good."
Zheng Jian perked up. "Yeah? Then have a few more. There's plenty left."
Ji Wushi curled his lip. "How long has it been since you ate something proper? You call this good?"
Lie Feng smiled. "I've been focusing on cultivation lately. I haven't been paying much attention to food."
Zheng Jian observed Lie Feng in silence for a moment, then asked, "Why are you cultivating demonic techniques? The side effects must be pretty severe, right? You looked really off this afternoon."
Lie Feng nodded. "They're pretty bad. But I needed to raise my strength quickly, so I had no choice. Luckily, I have a way to suppress the backlash—otherwise I really would've lost control. By the way, who exactly are you people? Why were you fighting those guys?"
Ji Wushi answered, "We're actually the Zhongzhou Rebel Army. Unfortunately, before our preparations were complete, our plan was exposed. We fought Yuan Hong's men and suffered a crushing defeat, so we've been hiding here ever since. But some of our comrades were captured, and we've been waiting for a chance to rescue them."
"So that's why you want to work with me? You want me to help you save them?"
Ji Wushi didn't answer. Instead, he countered, "Then why did you let Qin Fen go? Do you really think he'll help you seek revenge?"
Lie Feng shook his head, disappointment flickering in his eyes. "He won't. He'll definitely betray me."
Zheng Jian looked surprised. "If you knew he wasn't reliable, why didn't you kill him? Don't tell me you still care about your fellow disciples?"
"No. I just have my own plan."
Ji Wushi pondered for a moment, then smiled knowingly. "I see. You want to use him to feed Yuan Hong false information, right?"
Lie Feng was slightly taken aback—his intentions had been read so easily.
Seeing his reaction, Ji Wushi smirked. "Let me ask you this. If you fought Yuan Hong right now, how confident are you in winning?"
"Ten out of ten."
The answer came instantly—without hesitation.
"Oh? Then what if he refuses to fight and runs? Or escapes halfway? Can you still kill him?"
This time, Lie Feng hesitated.
Seeing he didn't answer, Ji Wushi continued, "I can roughly guess your plan. But no matter how perfect it is, without enough manpower, it can't be executed. Fortunately for you, that's exactly what we can provide."
Lie Feng was starting to realize Ji Wushi was not simple. It felt as if the man could see right through his thoughts—and his proposal was so reasonable that it was nearly impossible to refuse.
To confirm the man's intentions, Lie Feng asked, "You say you just want to rescue your comrades. Then what's this about taking over Zhongzhou City?"
"Do you know that many provinces in Da Qian have already formed rebel forces? They've all killed their local city lords and occupied their resources to resist the court."
"So you want to imitate them and carve out your own territory?"
"On the surface, yes. But the real goal is to save the people—and ourselves."
"Oh?"
"When you fought Yuan Hong and killed many of his men, do you know the people at the inn all secretly cheered for you?"
"They did?"
Ji Wushi nodded and continued,
"Da Qian is the first dynasty to appoint cultivators as officials. Every city is governed by a sixth-realm cultivator. Their cultivation progresses slowly but extends their lifespan. Yet eventually, their lifespan hits a bottleneck, and without advancement, they die.
To speed up cultivation, they need alchemist-made pills—which are expensive.
To afford them, cultivators squeeze the common people dry. The stronger they become, the longer they live, and the more resources they demand.
Small uprisings throughout history have all been crushed. The common people have endured in silence for years… until they could no longer. That's how rebel armies formed across the land."
Lie Feng nodded in agreement. "I understand what you mean. To gain more resources, many cultivators flock to the court. People like my master are rare… But what exactly is your true goal? Is it for justice, or for yourselves?"
Ji Wushi replied,
"Both.
If we succeed, the people of Zhongzhou will be free from oppression. At the same time, we need to fill our stomachs too.
To be honest, we've been here for months. Hundreds of people eat a lot of food every day. We've nearly hunted the entire mountain clean. Lately we've been surviving on wild vegetables.
The pheasant you're eating right now is the only meat we've had all month.
Ideals are beautiful, but reality is harsh.
Once the wild vegetables run out, we'll be chewing on bark and grass—or becoming bandits.
To avoid starving before battle, we need a base and supplies."
"I see," Lie Feng murmured.
He looked at the soup in his bowl, took another sip, then said to Ji Wushi,
"Alright. I'll work with you."
Ji Wushi's face lit up. "Great—now we won't have to endure Zheng Jian's cooking anymore."
Zheng Jian protested, "Then don't eat it! Always complaining…"
He reached out to snatch Ji Wushi's bowl, but Ji Wushi blocked him. In the scuffle, some soup splashed out.
"Hey hey hey—don't waste it!" Ji Wushi quickly shielded the bowl.
Zheng Jian grumbled but pulled his hand back and continued eating.
Watching them squabble, Lie Feng couldn't help thinking of his own playful fights with Zhao Dun. He said quietly,
"You two seem close. Must've known each other for a long time."
Ji Wushi laughed. "We grew up together. He liked weapons since he was a kid, and I was forced by my family to study. But I wasn't good at it, so here I am—messing around with him."
Zheng Jian chimed in, "A curse, really."
Ji Wushi sighed dramatically. "Right? One day he suddenly asked me, 'Wanna rebel with me?' And somehow I said yes. Now look at us—living off wild vegetables. Truly a tragedy."
Lie Feng chuckled. "He really asked like that, and you agreed?"
Ji Wushi thought for a moment. "It's pretty close to the truth. But mainly, I know his character. He's straightforward, fights injustice, and never has bad intentions.
Believe it or not, during the Zhongzhou Tournament, he wanted to help you, but I stopped him. I can read fortunes, and your face didn't look like a short-lived one, so I figured you'd be fine. Otherwise, with his strength? He'd die before he even knew what happened."
Zheng Jian scowled. "You still dare talk about your fortune-telling? Not a single prediction of yours has ever been right. You lose every time you gamble."
And so, with laughter and bickering, they finished their dinner.
Lie Feng stood up. "Thanks for the meal. I'm going to find a place to rest. See you tomorrow."
Only when Lie Feng's silhouette disappeared did Zheng Jian whisper, "Didn't you say you wanted to persuade him to join us? Why didn't you mention it at all?"
Ji Wushi smiled. "No rush. He'll join. It just isn't the right time yet."