Chapter 65: Chapter 59: The Difference
Indeed, the battlefield could transform a person completely, inside and out.
Xu Ran watched Zhang Zhentian being thronged by the crowd, and he could feel it—the mischievous brat he once knew had truly grown up.
The calm competence he now exuded, along with his iron-willed aura, was a natural expression that came from deep within. It was no longer the forced composure he had affected back at the Instructor Hall.
Forged in the blood and fire of the battlefield, he had become a great tree capable of sheltering others, a pillar of strength that inspired trust and a sense of security. The label of "mischievous brat" would now leave him for good.
Xu Ran figured that even if someone now brought up how Zhang Zhentian had been a naughty troublemaker who had given his grandfather endless grief as a child, others would simply smile and praise him:
"As expected of the Evergreen Sword Saint. He was different from the others even as a child. Of course, kids should be a bit mischievous—that’s how you know they’ll amount to something."
No one would dig into the trouble he had caused. In fact, his past misdeeds would now be analyzed as signs of a genius’s unconventional nature, a crucial part of his development.
Such was the change brought by status, position, and glory.
As for Zhang Zhentian’s attitude toward him, Xu Ran just offered a faint smile. He didn’t take it to heart.
After all, they hadn’t seen each other in decades. Time changes people; it can wash anything away.
He didn’t know if there was a specific reason for Zhang Zhentian’s behavior, or if their bond had simply faded with time, creating a rift that he was struggling to accept.
It didn’t matter to him either way. As far as he was concerned, so long as someone showed him no malice, that was the greatest form of kindness.
On his way back, Xu Ran ran into Ye Shan.
Xu Ran was both surprised and yet not surprised to see Ye Shan. After all, Zhang Zhentian had once stood on the battlefield, his back to his fellow disciples, and declared, "Forget Ye Shan. My sword is sharper than his."
It was only natural for Ye Shan to come and see the man who had so openly declared his intent to surpass him.
He wasn’t with the welcoming party, but stood off in a corner, watching from a distance.
When Xu Ran spotted Ye Shan, Ye Shan spotted him too.
Seeing the strange glint in his eyes, Xu Ran chuckled and said, "What do you think? He’s a lot like you, isn’t he, Senior Brother?"
Ye Shan was silent for a moment. Then he nodded and replied, "He is very similar."
Then he shook his head, a wild, arrogant grin spreading across his face. "But he’s still a step below me."
Xu Ran stared at the expression on Ye Shan’s face, momentarily lost in a daze. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen such a look of confidence and pride on Ye Shan’s face.
He had to admit, even though Ye Shan’s face had changed completely—from that of a young man who seemed like a Banished Immortal gracing the mortal world to that of a white-haired, wrinkled old man—when he wore that proud expression, it was still uniquely captivating.
’Perhaps seeing a prodigy like Zhang Zhentian is what brought out this expression in him,’ he thought.
He let out a soft breath, collected himself, and then asked, "A step below in what way? His performance has been excellent, has it not?"
Ye Shan glanced in Zhang Zhentian’s direction. "People give him cheers. They gave me blind faith."
He turned back to Xu Ran with a faint smile. "They had faith that I could do anything. That is the difference between him and me."
Xu Ran was stunned for a moment, but then it dawned on him. He thought back carefully. The Sect’s disciples greatly admired Zhang Zhentian, and their blood boiled with excitement whenever the name Evergreen Sword Saint was mentioned, but it lacked the fanatical fervor they once held for Ye Shan.
’Come to think of it,’ he mused, ’even I feel a faint sense of worry when I think of Zhang Zhentian. I worry he might follow in Ye Shan’s footsteps and fall from grace.’
’Whenever news of Zhang Zhentian’s achievements reaches the Sect, I just feel a sense of relief and think, ’He’s surpassed himself again, he’s grown stronger.’ It seems everyone else in the Sect reacts the same way.’
But as for Ye Shan...
Xu Ran silently stared at the white-haired, decrepit old man before him.
’I’ve never once worried about him,’ he recalled. ’It was as if all his victories, all his power, were simply a matter of course.’
’When people in the Sect heard of his achievements, they would only remark, ’As expected of Senior Brother Ye Shan.’ They never said he had surpassed himself or grown stronger.’
’Because the name ’Ye Shan’ was synonymous with power itself. He didn’t need to have breakthroughs or become stronger. His very presence meant invincibility.’
’I remember Chen Chang’an once said that for the disciples who fought alongside Ye Shan in the Secret Realm, they would believe him without a shred of doubt, no matter what enemy he claimed he could defeat.’
’Even for me, after Ye Shan’s Golden Core was shattered and his Dao Foundation severed, I always held onto the expectation that he would, sooner or later, rise again and reclaim his invincible glory.’
Xu Ran couldn’t explain why this was the case. Based on achievements alone, Zhang Zhentian had long since surpassed Ye Shan.
Ye Shan had only ever contended with his contemporaries from the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm. The later sneak attack from a Golden Core powerhouse occurred when he had already formed his Golden Core and was just a single step away from solidifying his breakthrough.
Zhang Zhentian, on the other hand, faced the calamitous foes of the Evil Demon Battlefield. His opponents weren’t just prodigies of his generation; he even had a record of killing a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, a feat that crossed a major Realm. Even if it was just an ordinary Core Formation Stage Cultivator who hadn’t yet forged their own Dao, rather than a true Golden Core Powerhouse, that was still far beyond anything Ye Shan had achieved competing against his peers.
And yet, for whatever reason, he didn’t feel the same way about Zhang Zhentian as he did about Ye Shan.
Perhaps it was because Ye Shan was the shining example that came before, or perhaps it was simply because Zhang Zhentian’s name was not ’Ye Shan’.
Then, Xu Ran turned to Ye Shan and asked, "Senior Brother, do you think he’ll be able to surpass you in the future?"
Ye Shan shot him a glance. "There is only one Ye Shan in this world, and he is standing right in front of you."
Xu Ran was taken aback and was about to say something more.
But Ye Shan turned and walked away after speaking, leaving Xu Ran with nothing but the sight of his aged back and disheveled white hair.
*
*
*
Half a month had passed since the first group of disciples returned to the Sect from the Evil Demon Battlefield. In that time, the fervent atmosphere within the Sect had not cooled in the slightest.
Since attending the welcome ceremony, Xu Ran hadn’t gone out again, remaining inside his Cave Mansion.
That night, Zhang Zhentian came looking for him.
Zhang Zhentian didn’t enter the Cave Mansion. He stood silently outside, bathed in the golden moonlight with his back to Xu Ran, and called out softly, "Senior Brother Xu."
Xu Ran looked at his ramrod-straight back, silent for a moment before speaking calmly, "I hear your name often in the Sect. These days, everyone only talks about the Evergreen Sword Saint. No one mentions Ye Shan anymore."
Zhang Zhentian shook his head. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice:
"War is cruel. On the battlefield, survival is all that matters; there’s no room for sentiment. And yet, the battlefield is also where you find the most sincere camaraderie. The chain of command is absolute, but it’s also the great equalizer. Cultivators of all Realms can sleep under the same roof, eat from the same pot, and shoot the breeze together."
As he spoke, he turned around, his expression complex as he stared at Xu Ran.
"Wang Xingye and Hao Daniu... they were my subordinates, and my comrades. They were cautious and wise, and they often advised me on strategy."
"And then, a single moment of impulse cost them their lives."
"And my grandfather... he lost a leg on the battlefield. He was trying to find a Dao Companion for you, Senior Brother, when he was wounded by a High Tier Cultivator. The Dao-scarring is permanent; it can’t be healed."
"I know none of this has anything to do with you, Senior Brother, but... I still can’t face you."
"So, I’m sorry. Until I can sort this out in my own head, I won’t be coming to see you again."
"Take care, Senior Brother."
With that, Zhang Zhentian left, giving Xu Ran no chance to reply. There was one more thing he left unsaid: ’I’m in the spotlight too much right now. It wouldn’t be good for Senior Brother to be seen with me.’
Xu Ran watched his retreating back—calm, capable, his stride firm. Not a single trace of the mischievous brat he once was remained.
’He really has grown up.’
’And naturally, he no longer needs to follow me around.’
Xu Ran gave a slight nod and returned silently to his Cave Mansion.
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