Cloud Zeng left by ship, departing with a decisive and clear-cut manner.

Even Zhang Fangping, who wanted to see him off, could only catch sight of the sails moving downstream on the river.Pán Liáng, hunched over with pain, howled in anguish after the fleet disappeared into the twilight.

He then lay down on the ground, pressing his face against it.

Only this way did he feel like he was still alive.

He took off his official hat and reached for a strand of white hair, feeling tears welling up but unable to cry.“Om mani padme hūm, Master Pán, even though Cloud Zeng slew Liáng Jí and restored justice for the monks of Dali, he cannot escape the charges of imprisoning an official and a monk.”Pán Liáng looked at these monks with intense hatred.

He wished he could spit in the face of the monk Qìng Yún if it weren't for these greedy monks, who made him suffer so much.There are rules within the ranks of officials that must be followed.

If he had not gone to block Liáng Jí in the western grasslands but stayed at Dòushā Pass and waited for Cloud Zeng to give an explanation, no matter how bold Cloud Zeng was, he could not have been imprisoned and tortured.Pán Liáng's understanding came from his thorough research of Cloud Zeng’s past.

He realized that one must follow the rules when dealing with Cloud Zeng;that is, handling matters according to official procedures.Haciendo así, incluso si significaba perder, Ceng Nube aún resistiría.

Gui Sheng usó su vida para dar un golpe casi letal a Ceng Nube, pero no se detuvo ahí.En contraste, renunció sin reservas y esperó la disposición del tribunal, incluso cuando le asignaron el exilio en el remoto Paso de Dousha, no dijo nada.Eran las horas del mediodía cuando Cloud Zeng lo liberó.

En ese momento, Pan Liáng comprendió la verdad: Cloud Zeng no lo castigaba porque planeaba matar a Liáng Jí;instead, he punished him for breaking the rules and then broke them himself.As for that head brought by someone named Liáng Gōng, if it was indeed Liáng Jí’s, Pán Liáng felt his eyes could be gouged out as punishment.

However, there was a 90% chance that Liáng Gōng was the real culprit behind this.

Cloud Zeng had sent him a head to show he had various ways of dealing with such situations;one method being to assume someone else’s identity.Gazing at his own white hair, Pán Liáng felt that living was indeed a happy thing.

Such high-level battles were not meant for people like himself to get involved in.“Since it is so, Master Monks, I must go and look for Cloud Zeng's ill fortune.

I will rest in a quiet room in Chengdu after my recent health issues.”Huì Zhēn asked, “Can Master Pán really swallow the injustice of imprisoning an official?”Pán Liáng smiled, “I came here by carriage;there’s no matter about being imprisoned.

Masters, allow me to depart.”Se levantó del suelo y llamó a su sirviente, que había caminado a su lado.