"That's right, you finally remembered. Do you still remember that school? Do you still remember the children in that school? Do you still remember that village? Do you still remember the fire in that village?"
As Li Jun asked questions, he gradually approached Zhong Biao. Although Zhong Biao knew that Li Jun was still seriously injured and had attacked first, he could only retreat step by step.
"You...you escaped from which village?" He recalled what happened back then, and looking at Li Jun in front of him, he could still vaguely see a resemblance to Li Tan. "Who is Li Tan to you?"
“Li Tan is my cousin, he’s sixteen years older than me.” Li Jun’s lips twitched slightly. “That day, you and your gang slaughtered my entire village, young and old, and burned down all the houses. If my cousin hadn’t shielded me with his body, I would have died in the process, even if you hadn’t killed me. If Commander Xiao Lin hadn’t taken me in, I would have become a skeleton in this chaotic world long ago… I’ve been searching for you for twenty years. Do you know that the wailing and flames in the village have also been chasing me for twenty years!”
Zhong Biao had retreated to the wall, with nowhere left to go. He brandished his sword and laughed loudly, "So that's how it is! So that's how it is! In the past twenty years, have you killed any innocent civilians? Have you burned down any peaceful villages? Have you heard the cries of those who died by your hand?" Li Jun was startled. Seeing the disdain on his face, his killing intent intensified, but before he could answer, Zhong Biao continued, "I have done everything I have. You can seek revenge on me, but what about those in this land who lost their fathers and husbands because of you? Will they also seek revenge on you? What about the relatives and friends of the soldiers of the Peace Army who fought for you and died in battle?
Li Jun shouted and drew his sword. Although he was seriously injured, the spiritual power that the sword carried when it was drawn was still fierce and powerful. The wind blew in all directions, causing Zhong Biao's clothes to tremble slightly.
"Commander!" Shi Quan shouted, "Commander, please reconsider! Let's not talk about what happened back then. Now Zhong Biao is my leader and has just made a great contribution. If you kill him now, how can you win people's hearts?"
"I don't care about people's hearts!" Li Jun raised his arm, and the sword emitted a buzzing dragon's roar. "I have raised this Peace Army, so that the people of the world will no longer suffer what I have done. What do people's hearts matter? They can't stop me from taking this thug's life today!"
Zhong Biao looked around. The only person in the Peace Army who could speak for him was Dong Cheng. But just as Dong Cheng took a step forward, Li Jun waved his hand and said, "Brother Dong, after this matter is settled, I will apologize to you with a bundle of thorns on my back. But for now, please give me a second chance!"
Seeing Dong Cheng hesitate slightly, Zhong Biao felt a pang of anxiety. He suddenly threw his knife to the ground and said, "If you want to kill me, then consider me, Zhong Biao, blind and foolish to have walked into your trap. I just hope that you, Li Jun, will not end up like me!"
"Pick up your knife!" Li Jun coldly shouted, "Even if you give up resisting, I will still kill you today!"
"If the commander wants to kill Zhong Biao today, please kill me, Wei Zhan, first!" Wei Zhan, who had been silent until now, suddenly opened his arms and stood in front of Zhong Biao to meet the killing intent. His eyes were bright and resolute as he stared at Li Jun.
Li Jun slightly avoided his gaze and said, "Mr. Wei, I will do whatever you say, can't you do whatever I say?"
"To abandon public justice for personal grudges is not the act of someone who is destined for great things," Wei Zhan said slowly. "The commander has suffered hardship since childhood and has been through many trials, which is why he has the ambition to benefit the world and spread virtue throughout the land. Now, he is blinded by hatred and has lost his aspirations in a moment of anger. If I cannot correct the commander and stop his foolish behavior now, and obey the commander, how can I face the commander again?"
"How can killing this cruel and inhumane wretch be considered abandoning justice for personal grudges?" Li Jun thrust his sword forward, but Wei Zhan showed no intention of doing so. When the tip of the sword touched Wei Zhan's chest, Li Jun paused and said sternly, "Sir, please step aside!"
"Commander, kill me first!" Wei Zhan stared intently at Li Jun, his lips slightly pursed. Li Jun gritted his teeth. The generals all knew that he was truly blinded by rage, but none of them knew what to do.
"Li Lang!" Ji Su placed his hand on Li Jun's forearm and gently pressed Li Jun's hand down. "Killing Zhong Biao was deserved, but what crime has Mr. Wei committed that you would point your sword at him?"
"You've come to oppose me too!" Li Jun looked around and saw that all the generals looked displeased, and not a single one of them showed any sign of resistance. He angrily threw down his sword, shoved Ji Su's hand away, and strode out the door, leaving the generals standing there looking at each other in bewilderment. A celebratory banquet that should have been joyous was canceled because of this unexpected dispute.
Li Jun locked himself in his room for an entire day and did not come out. Even during training sessions, which were usually conducted without interruption, he did not come out.
Ji Su was deeply worried. The close relationship Li Jun had cultivated with the soldiers over the years was already faltering among them. Deep down, Ji Su supported killing Zhong Biao, but she understood that killing him after such a great service would inevitably affect their loyalty and unity. Moreover, when Wei Zhan pleaded for his life, Li Jun had genuinely intended to kill him. This was Ji Su's main concern.
"Mr. Wei, why did you risk your life to stop Li Lang yesterday?" At her wit's end, Ji Su had no choice but to go to Wei Zhan.
Recalling the murderous intent in Li Jun's eyes yesterday, Wei Zhan felt lingering fear and couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "I also know that the commander's desire for revenge is what gives him his power today. If he cannot control his hatred, then the goal that the Peace Army has strived for all these years is nothing more than the commander's words. Even if we can seize the world, we will only have one more tyrant!"
"Killing a mere Zhong Biao, how could there be such consequences?" Ji Su said dismissively, "Would a man of such talent as Li Lang become a tyrant?"
“Madam, the Commander is undoubtedly a man of exceptional talent, but his heart is not naturally magnanimous,” Wei Zhan said with a wry smile. “The Commander has been orphaned since childhood and has been somewhat extreme. It was only under Commander Lu’s command that he learned compassion and self-control to curb his violent temper. Over the years, Heaven and I have advised the Commander to read more, hoping that he could be influenced by the sages and philosophers of the past and gradually eliminate his biases. If the Commander were to act against Zhong Biao out of personal grudges, I fear that although his hatred might be resolved, his violent temper would be rekindled. Moreover, evil has no limit, and good has no order of precedence. If the Commander takes this first step, there will inevitably be a second and a third. Today he killed Zhong Biao because of personal grudges, but who knows if the Commander will kill someone else for a trivial matter tomorrow?”
Ji Su remained silent, but in her heart she acknowledged that Wei Zhan's words made sense. Thinking of how roughly Li Jun had pried open her hand yesterday, she felt somewhat disheartened, realizing she was useless. If Mo Rong were here, she would surely have been able to stop Li Jun.
Wei Zhan knew his thoughts and said, "Now, the only one who can persuade the commander is you, Madam."
"I did my best..." Ji Su paused, and the two discussed for a while before Ji Su took his leave.
Back outside Li Jun's house, she gently knocked on the door, but there was no response. She knocked several times before she finally heard someone say, "Who is it?"
“Li Lang, it’s me,” Ji Su said softly.
But Li Jun didn't open the door for a long time. Ji Su stubbornly knocked on the door again and said, "Li Lang, let me in."
Li Jun finally gave in to her and opened the door. Ji Su entered and saw that Li Jun's face was still ashen. She sighed softly, "Li Lang, are you still angry?"
"With so many of you opposing me, how dare I be angry with you?" Li Jun sneered. Although he had matured somewhat, he was still full of youthful vigor, so his words were sarcastic. "When I first raised an army, it was only because I wanted to free my destiny from the control of others. My military strength was comparable to that of a great nation, yet I couldn't defeat an enemy. I really have you to thank for that!"
He had vented his anger, but he hadn't heard Ji Su refute him. Given Ji Su's stubborn nature, she should have either rebelled or stormed out. But after waiting for a while, Ji Su remained silent, which surprised Li Jun.
Turning around, Ji Su was biting her lip, her tear-filled eyes staring at him. Li Jun's heart softened. He remembered how the two of them had shared joys and sorrows and were deeply in love. His words just now had truly hurt her.
"Ji Su..." She moved her lips a few times, then swallowed back the words of apology. If she were to apologize now, she would have to give in to Ji Su and the others.
Ji Su ignored him, letting her tears fall one by one. The two remained silent for a long time. Li Junsu's eyes gradually became red and swollen. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and said softly, "Ji Su, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't cry anymore."
Ji Su bowed respectfully to Li Jun and said slowly, "When I married Li Lang, I made a promise to him that I would never interfere in politics. Yesterday, I stopped Li Lang in public, which was wrong of me. I ask Li Lang to punish me."
Li Jun was taken aback. When he married Mo Rong and Ji Su, he made an agreement with them that they could do things within their own authority, but they could not interfere with the military and political affairs of the Peace Army. However, Mo Rong and Ji Su were not ordinary women. Whether it was military or political affairs, they often had their own opinions and occasionally offered suggestions to Li Jun, which could make up for some of Li Jun's oversights. Therefore, this agreement was gradually no longer mentioned.
“Sister Ji Su, what happened yesterday was unusual. Zhong Biao is the enemy who ruined our family. If we let him go easily, he will make us face the relatives he killed!” Ji Jun’s mind raced. He knew that Ji Su was actually subtly advising him, so he said bluntly, “I know that Zhong Biao should have been killed twenty years ago.” Ji Su wiped away her tears and said, “But now that twenty years have passed, you should not have any intention to kill Mr. Wei.”
Li Jun slowly sat back down in his seat, waiting for Ji Su to continue speaking, but Ji Su only said this one sentence before stopping. "Is there anything else to say?" Li Jun couldn't help but ask.
"I have already said that as a woman, I will never interfere in your affairs of state. I shouldn't have said that just now."
Ji Su stopped crying, regained her composure, sat upright, and her face was almost expressionless.
"Sister, I was just angry for a moment." Seeing her like this, Li Jun had a headache and could only slightly relax. Unexpectedly, this sentence made Ji Su's eyes redden again. He choked and said, "You were angry for a moment... to kill someone in a moment of anger is indulging your temper. Is there any way for anyone in the world to live?"
Li Jun felt a chill run down his spine. He was now in a position of great power and influence, and if he indulged his temper, it would not be a blessing for the people. However, Ji's words made him somewhat unhappy, and his face darkened.
“I can’t blame you for what happened yesterday.” Ji Su ignored his expression and continued, “It’s just that I’m not here with Sister Mo Rong, who would surely be able to resolve your inner conflict. It’s just that I, a rough and careless Rong woman, am by your side…”
Hearing her mention Mo Rong and seeing her self-pitying expression, Li Jun felt a pang of pity. Although he had been married for several years, both Rong and Ji Su were remarkable women, and he rarely saw them like this. Therefore, he didn't know that crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide were originally the only methods women used. Thinking that for twenty years of hatred, even his virtuous wife, with whom he had shared life and death, was uttering such complaints, Li Jun could only sigh. "Alright, alright, don't mention Sister Rong anymore. I'll do as you say. But I have the urge to kill Zhong Biao whenever I see him. It's best to let him go in the future."
Ji Su burst into laughter through her tears: "You are an unparalleled hero, you cannot break your promise to me, a woman."
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Li Jun said with a wry smile, "I give up..."
Just then, a guard outside the door called out loudly, "Reporting to the commander, Mr. Wei has urgent military information to report."
"Please let him in." Li Jun then said to Ji Su, "Go wash your face; you look terrible like this."