He gazed at the river surface for three breaths, and the ripples began to move.
It was as if an invisible brush took the river surface as paper and sketched in midair, dozens of lines drawing simultaneously, a massive and complex formation beginning to take shape.
Sima had only seen such an immense yet seemingly effortless formation taking shape at the hand of this man in the past twenty years.
"Twenty years wasted, yet it's still a near success," he murmured hoarsely.
Qu Zhu looked towards the distant end of the river, autumn wind dancing with the gray hair behind the mask.
After a long while, he said evenly, "Indeed. To achieve great things, the path ahead is uncertain."
"My journey has ended, but yours can continue," Sima paused, then spoke hoarsely, "Locked up in this prison for seven days, I have been contemplating why we failed."
Silence.