Chapter 52: Their Past Selves Are Dead
Cai Xianggao was deeply shocked.
The two people he had just thought of were legendary figures.
Years ago, their names had resounded through the land.
As a child, he had admired heroes, so he had paid particular attention to them.
That’s why their names felt so familiar when he heard them.
“But are these two really the same people I know?” Cai Xianggao muttered to himself.
The two figures in his memory were heroes.
But look at Niu Jinxi now—dark-skinned, fat, and ugly—how could he have the aura of a hero?
Of course, judging by appearance alone was wrong.
It didn’t prove anything.
But what about Wei Wentong?
He reeked of alcohol, was unkempt, and bullied the common folk.
None of this matched the heroes in his memory.
Cai Xianggao suspected these were two different people with the same names.
But it was too much of a coincidence for two such people to end up together.
His curiosity piqued, he decided to ask someone.
He approached the strange old man with the sarcastic tone. “Sir, I have something to ask.” 𝚏𝗿𝗲ew𝐞b𝐧o𝚟𝚎𝗹.com
The old man, never letting go of his black box, held it in one hand while the other was behind his back.
He replied indifferently, “Go ahead.”
Cai Xianggao pointed to the two men in front of him, hesitantly asking, “Are these two called Niu Jinxi and Wei Wentong?”
The old man glanced at him. “What exactly are you trying to ask?”
Lowering his voice, Cai Xianggao said, “I recall two remarkable individuals with those names.”
The old man understood immediately.
He looked at the two men and then let out a strange laugh. “Are you referring to the number one constable of Jiangnan, Wei Wentong, and the invincible soldier of the northwest border army, Niu Jinxi?”
Cai Xianggao nodded.
Indeed, it was these two individuals.
Wei Wentong, a prodigy in martial arts since childhood, trained with the martial scriptures personally written by the Great Ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty.
By the age of fifteen, he had already swept through his peers in Jiangnan with his swift blade, earning the nickname “Chasing Life Blade.”
If he had focused solely on martial arts, Wei Wentong would undoubtedly have achieved great things. However, at eighteen, he chose to join the imperial court, a decision that puzzled many.
The court, weakened and corrupt, held little sway over the martial world compared to the past.
But Wei Wentong had a deep desire to serve his country.
Once in the court, he specialized in solving cases.
In four years, he cracked three thousand cases, earning the title “Divine Constable” from the people of Jiangnan.
His rise was meteoric, and he soon became the chief constable of Jiangnan.
From this high position, he tackled more significant cases, such as the “Empty Seal Case,” where someone sold stamps bearing the imperial seal; the “Tax Silver Case,” where bandits repeatedly robbed tax silver; and the “Self-Immolation Case,” where a highly regarded magistrate inexplicably burned himself to death.
Wei Wentong solved seven major cases in just two years, gaining nationwide fame.
He was hailed as the best constable in the country.
But then, he vanished.
Cai Xianggao, a child at the time, couldn’t find out where Wei Wentong had gone.
Over time, he had forgotten about him.
Niu Jinxi was a similar figure, but his battlefield exploits brought him fame.
Born in the borderlands, Niu Jinxi had immense strength, making him a perfect soldier.
He joined the border army and participated in countless battles over ten years, earning the nickname “One Man Army.”
When Cai Xianggao was twelve, Niu Jinxi did something extraordinary that made him famous. During a barbarian invasion, Niu Jinxi led five thousand cavalry across plains, mountains, and snowfields to the barbarian’s golden tent, capturing their nobles and even their chieftain.
His victory was unprecedented, as it was the first significant triumph against foreign enemies in hundreds of years.
Niu Jinxi became a household name, an idol for many, and a figure of legend.
But like Wei Wentong, he disappeared after reaching his peak.
People soon forgot him.
“Yes, it’s them,” the old man admitted with a cackling laugh.
“Are they really these two heroes?” Cai Xianggao found it hard to believe.
Jiangnan’s number one constable who solved seven major cases, and the border army’s one-man army who performed miracles—how could they end up like this?
It was beyond his imagination.
The old man sighed, his eyes filled with memories. “If not them, who else could they be? The number one constable of Jiangnan, the one-man army of the border—they’ve likely forgotten those titles themselves.”
Cai Xianggao swallowed hard, feeling heartbroken. “How did they end up like this?”
His childhood idols were shattered.
“How did they end up like this?” The old man laughed darkly, his expression turning grim. “Because their past selves are already dead!”
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