The Exchange by the Lake

Golden Crow Kingdom, Northern Continent

Amidst the surrounding mountains and green forests, there lay a small lake. A beautiful young woman and an ordinary-looking man were sitting together at the shore of the lake.

Li Gang glanced at the beautiful scenery in front of him and felt peaceful.

It was Jin Huang who spoke first. "Why did you come to me?"

Li Gang asked in return, "Why do you ask when you already know?"

Jin Huang chuckled softly. It was an odd situation—they both understood each other's thoughts completely, yet they danced around them as if testing the waters.

Jin Huang smiled. "I just want to hear it from you."

Li Gang said, "I never thought the great Phoenix of the North would be so talkative."

Jin Huang ignored his words. Her face turned serious. "Why do you want to go against Golden Crow?"

Li Gang smiled. "It's not about opposing them. It's about starting something greater—my journey to becoming the ultimate ruler. The world will be mine, and it begins here, with the Northern Continent."

Jin Huang looked at him calmly. "You don't truly want to rule, do you?"

Li Gang stared at her deeply, he went silent for the first time as if considering something important.

Jin Huang asked, "Is it really your dream to be an absolute ruler?"

Li Gang replied calmly, "Yes."

Jin Huang narrowed her eyes. "Why this goal? There are other paths—immortality, transcendence. Why choose this one?"

Li Gang glanced at her and said calmly, "I hate losing, and I want to achieve the greatest heights."

Jin Huang stood up. "You're lying. There's no real passion or conviction in what you say. This goal you claim—it doesn't drive you."

Li Gang sighed, his thoughts were messy and filled with dilemmas. "I don't know... Talking to you feels like a blessing. I want to rule, to dominate, but for some reason, I can't muster the enthusiasm. I've been facing this dilemma for decades. Although I never let it affect my determination, it's always there. I can't find peace."

Jin Huang glanced at Li Gang deeply, her thoughts unreadable. She replied calmly, "I see. I understand now."

Li Gang looked surprised. "If you understand, can you explain it to me?"

Jin Huang refused straightforwardly. "No, I won't."

She immediately changed the topic. "Tell me, what is the reason you came here?"

He said, "In the future, there will be a great war. I will be the cause of that war."

Jin Huang's eyes narrowed.

Li Gang continued, "When someone becomes obsessed with the outcome, it affects their actions. I put in the effort, but I don't cling to the hope of success. If I did, it would only weaken my resolve."

Jin Huang smiled and sat back. "It appears I was wrong. You are indeed worthy. To think you have such a motive, but why should I help you?"

Li Gang glanced at her and said casually, "I am just speaking casually. Why do you think I am asking for help?"

She chuckled, ignoring his words. "Why did you think I would be the person who could help you?"

Li Gang smiled. "Why?"

He paused, then continued, "Your spiritual imprint is special. I don't know what it is, but my intuition tells me it is."

Jin Huang's eyes widened, and a special smile appeared on her face. She instinctively said, "Impressive."

Li Gang said, "Now that I have proven myself worthy, it is your turn. Can you prove yourself worthy?"

Jin Huang looked at him deeply, then stared at the beautiful sky. "I don't want this moment to fade."

She sighed, then said, "You are Li Gang from Azure Mountain in the Southern region. In the last 15 years, you have been active in multiple continents under different aliases. You have a little brother, and you are extremely well-versed in Alchemy and Formations. You have been using the alias Ren Ying for some purpose—perhaps to reveal a hidden enemy? You deliberately chose to affiliate with the Wei Dynasty, as it is the weakest and easiest to control."

She continued, "You don't possess a Spiritual Imprint, and your mastery of the Sword and Bow is very high. In the last 15 years, you have been spreading your influence in the Northern Continent in the name of selling pills, while occasionally traveling to other continents using the Spatial Order. Your business has already expanded throughout the entire Northern Continent. You are a Rank 5 Warrior but possess the battle strength of a Rank 8 peak warrior. This is due to some hidden treasure within you, so precious that it attracted the Immortals and nearly caused the destruction of the entire Divine Spirit World. However, a certain being interfered and helped you solve the crisis."

Li Gang was genuinely impressed. He asked, "How did you deduce this?"

Jin Huang replied, "I wouldn't have answered this ridiculous question if it were someone else."

She continued, "Your Spiritual Essence carries the aura of the Southern Continent, and your facial structure resembles someone whose entire generation has lived in Azure Mountain. I am aware of this because the last emperor had some relation to Azure Mountain. Your temperament is similar to those born as leaders, those who usually take on responsibilities. You tried to hide it, but it didn't escape my notice. Such a temperament usually belongs to the eldest son in a family."

"Even though you have disguised your aura, it still can't escape my perception. Your eyes are sharp, often wandering over various objects with extreme focus, representing your high attainment in archery. The way you sit, the way you move, the way you stand—they all have a unique stance that contains the essence of swordsmanship. Only those who have practiced the sword to a high level can have that."

"Your body carries a unique aura of various herbs and pills, indicating your status as an alchemist. You also tried to hide it, but there was still a lot of aura left. In the Northern Continent, only Ren Ying from the Wei Dynasty possesses such an aura. From the description of my spies, I had already pictured how your aura would feel."

"In the Azure Continent, almost everyone was massacred. Even if they weren't, they were incapable of traveling through multiple continents, except for the Demon King of the South. The killing intent in your eyes also confirmed my suspicion. One can't have such a sharp killing aura unless they have killed at least billions of people or spiritual beasts."

"I had already pinpointed the exact location where the Giant Hand appeared when I saw it at that time. It was exactly above Azure Mountain. Thus, I had long known that the one who caused this was the Demon King of the South. I also knew that no matter how powerful, you were incapable of resisting a being that exists beyond this world. I am sure someone helped you, and your presence is sufficient proof of that. I guess it has nothing to do with you, but it's related to that being who attacked with the Giant Hand—unless you are in contact with an even higher being, which I don't believe."

Li Gang said, "You have quite a high perception, but your deductions have many loopholes."

Jin Huang smiled. "Do you have trust issues?"

Li Gang heard this and slowly closed his eyes, facing the sky, remembering his past life memories.

Soon, a drop of water fell on his forehead, instantly bringing him back from his thoughts. He sighed, "Yes, I do. I don't trust anyone, not even myself."

He paused, then continued, "Often, I plan something else, think something else, and do something else."

Jin Huang chuckled. "I know. I realized this during our conversation."

As she said that, the rain grew heavier.

Li Gang glanced at the sky and said, "It's been raining a lot these days."

Jin Huang glanced at him and said lightly, "There is a typhoon in the North-East Ocean. Due to this, the climatic conditions have been affected."

Li Gang nodded. "I wasn't sure if it was a typhoon, but I had a guess. Did you come here this time to enjoy the rain? I guess you had already expected even this natural phenomenon."

Jin Huang glanced at him and said calmly, "No one can predict a natural phenomenon, but if you calculate the humidity, wind pressure, temperature, wind speed, and water distribution in the air, you can always accurately tell when and where it will rain. It's not difficult, and any King or Monarch is capable of calculating weather accurately."

Li Gang nodded. "I can't sense humidity and water distribution in the atmosphere accurately. Even if I could, it would be difficult to predict when it will rain precisely."

Jin Huang smiled. "You just need to get familiar with these. It wouldn't take you more than a day to get better at it."

Li Gang looked at her and suddenly asked, "What is the situation?" (Referring to the situation of the Northern Continent due to the typhoon)

Jin Huang replied calmly, "I had already predicted this typhoon and took the necessary precautions beforehand."

She continued, "The eastern region's mortals have been relocated, and we enlisted the help of various formation masters to protect the coast. Many low-rank formation masters protected various agricultural lands. The military of the kingdom was also mobilized and is on high alert to ensure the safety of commoners."

Li Gang smiled. "You are quite protective of mortals."

Jin Huang nodded. "The Golden Crow Kingdom is the only meaning to my life. I have been protecting it since I was five."

Li Gang was surprised, even though he had heard the rumors.