Chapter 274 The Hero and the Swordsman smiled faintly: "What do you think of me..."

The eternal night has arrived, no light shines, even the night birds have lost their senses in the endless darkness, and all beasts are silent.

Lin Feiran looked down at the endless forest below, her eyes still wide open. She had been in Luoyu City for six days straight, but she didn't feel tired at all.

Perhaps it's because after breaking through to a higher realm, cultivators like her don't need much sleep, but maybe it's because she can't help but look.

Only by facing the crisis and the bleak situation squarely can we find a way out.

She sat cross-legged on her wings, looking down, and began to think in this rare moment of tranquility.

She was thinking about the Flying Flower Gathering, which was completely different from the one in the original book.

When she saw the night sky in the canyon, she thought of the endless night in Spring City, a grand event created by many saints, which suddenly changed under the watchful eyes of the masses, and even later completely closed the Pilgrimage Valley.

She had long suspected that the Flying Flowers Society might have a deeper meaning, but she could never figure out why they had changed. Now, a guess couldn't help but arise in her mind.

If "Spring City at Night" reflects this vast and endless night, then can this flower festival be seen as a sage's guidance and prophecy to the world?

Do the events that occurred during the Flying Flowers Festival reflect other things?

Those four pillars reaching for the sky, those strange flower growers...

With only one day left, the pillar of heaven collapsed with a deafening roar, unleashing an endless torrential downpour that flooded the city, turning everything into a living hell.

She couldn't help but recall what Ru Xian had said before: the annihilation of the old and the arrival of the new. If this was truly related to Tantric Buddhism, then under the flood, all the old things were washed away, and the new could naturally be rebuilt on the ruins.

Is this the purpose of Tantric Buddhism?

Lin Feiran's fingertips kept rubbing together, and her brows gradually furrowed, but she quickly realized something was amiss, so she shook her head and pulled herself out of her thoughts.

She cannot base all her speculations on this prophecy of uncertain veracity, otherwise she will become like those who blindly believe in Tantric Buddhism, falling into a misguided path and getting more and more wrong the more she thinks.

What esoteric Buddhism says is not important; what matters is what it actually does.

From the very beginning, they were searching for the spiritual veins of heaven and earth. Only after they learned that she was there did all the eyes of the esoteric sect turn to her, leading to the endless pursuit that followed.

Although their subsequent actions against her were not solely due to the spiritual veins, it was indeed one of their objectives.

Furthermore, the transformation of the human emperor's body into another was assisted by the esoteric sects over hundreds of years, and this was by no means solely due to Ding Yi.

Finally, this long-planned divine punishment, with its boundless energy surging forth and absorbing for hundreds of years, has finally begun to blot out the sky and head eastward for some reason, bringing eternal night.

After pondering for a long time, Lin Feiran finally managed to sort out most of the mess in her mind. Although she still couldn't figure out their true purpose, she was certain that they were not trying to annihilate the old world and bring a new one.

This would mean that the so-called prophecy was false, and that many respected elders of the demon race had already defected to the esoteric sect, but perhaps what they sought was the rebirth they spoke of.

What is the connection between these two things?

Lin Feiran always felt that she was about to grasp that secret connection, but it slipped away quietly. Frustrated, she sighed softly.

They were about to cross the western part of the demon realm and arrive at the endless sea gate in the sky. She opened her eyes and saw a city brightly lit in the endless night below. Compared with the other places she had just seen, this place looked much more peaceful and stable.

Lin Feiran couldn't help but ask, "Which tribe is this? They don't seem to be in disarray."

Ru Xian was lying on her lap, resting with her eyes closed. When she heard this, she glanced at him sideways, but quickly looked away.

"This is Qingqiu. The fox clan is a powerful clan that dominates the region and has some influence, but it's just that they keep things in order."

Lin Feiran paused, then said softly, "So this is the Fox Clan."

The last time she saw Qiu Tong was in that secret realm. Come to think of it, she had ruined Qiu Tong's wedding banquet with Wei Changzai. She hadn't had time to pay attention to Qiu Tong during the battle in the canyon that day, and she wondered how Qiu Tong was doing now.

Thinking of her mother's illness, Lin Feiran took out her mustard seed bag, took out a few relatively long hibiscus branches, and remained silent for a moment.

Ru Xian opened her eyes and looked at it suspiciously, "Didn't you use it all up a long time ago? How come you still have some?"

He knew Lin Feiran inside and out; he knew even better than she did what was in her old bag that she had used for many years.

Lin Feiran said somewhat shyly, "I originally thought I had used them all up, but who knew that the thickest sections were wrapped up by that spiritual vein and used as a bed. I didn't notice it when I checked before. Now that the spiritual vein is fused with me, these branches have appeared."

Ru Xian chuckled softly, then closed her eyes again: "What are you planning to do?"

Lin Feiran looked at the branch that was imbued with the sun's heat and said, "There are still quite a few left, but I don't need them. I'll give them to those who need them. However, I finally understand why spiritual objects like Fusang branches have gradually disappeared over the past few hundred years."

Why?

"Because it's not just people whose vital energy has been taken away, but also these spiritual beings."

The growth of spiritual creatures requires the purest spiritual energy, from which a wisp of the purest vital energy is born. The spiritual energy and vital energy of the world are absorbed by the ice pillar, leaving no room for such a small spiritual creature to grow.

"Perhaps this is why you have been unable to find the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass and have had to go to the Sacred Valley to obtain it. The spiritual energy there is the most abundant, allowing the spiritual grass to grow."

Now that there are no more hibiscus branches in the world, the only way to alleviate the cold symptoms is through that prescription.

Ru Xian sighed softly, sat up and said, "Go and deliver it, but I'll only give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you don't return by then, I'll go looking for you myself."

Lin Feiran responded, moved his head away, and then jumped down.

With a limited supply of hibiscus wood, she had already made a plan: some would be given to Qiu Tong, some to Xun Feifei, and the rest would depend on fate—she would give them to whomever she encountered.

In just a few breaths, she had already quietly appeared in front of the Qingqiu city gate with Mi Li.

This place is protected by a barrier. The city gates are wide open, and the exquisite construction and furnishings inside the city are on full display, showing how wealthy this place was originally. However, now that night has fallen, every household has closed their doors, and only the eaves lamps that keep burning on the streets are visible.

Below the city gate stood two cultivators guarding the city.

Just as she was about to try to cross the barrier and enter the city, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. She immediately leaped up and disappeared into the night.

Outside the city, a group of people rode in on celestial horses. The person in the lead was Qingyao, whom they had met before. Behind her were several young men and women who looked similar, as well as a group of fox clan cultivators, most of whom were her younger brothers and sisters.

Before anyone arrived, a figure leaped up and reached the city gate first.

This person had long hair loosely tied up, a flowing skirt, and sleeves bound with ribbons. In her hand she held a long sword that radiated spiritual light—it was Tai'a.

When Qiu Tong arrived at the gate, she exchanged a few words with the cultivators guarding the city. Then, the restrictions on the city gate were temporarily lifted, and she and the two cultivators turned around to look, waiting for the celestial horse procession to enter the city.

Under the lamplight, her face remained unchanged, but her forehead was covered in fine sweat, and her pale yellow dress was tattered and torn, with several conspicuous long marks.

This is Qiu Tong, yet she doesn't resemble her former self at all.

With a neigh, the celestial horse flapped its wings and landed at the city gate, entering in an orderly fashion. Qingyao stood guard and waited beside her, while Qiutong stood beside her. The two of them still looked somewhat tense and remained silent for a moment.

After a moment, Qiu Tong finally spoke up: "Big sister, we cut off the spiritual energy there today, what will happen to their tribe?"

Qingyao sighed softly, "We can only look for another place. Qiutong, chaos is coming, and we can't take care of anyone else."

Qiu Tong pursed her lips and didn't speak again, but turned to look at the deep night.

She vaguely saw a different kind of dark color moving in the night, and she immediately became alert, whispering, "There seems to be someone there."

Qingyao immediately focused her attention and ordered the cavalry to quickly enter the city before rushing off with Qiutong.

But there was nothing at the edge of the dense forest except for a few withered, yet gleaming, branches.

Qingyao immediately recognized the object: "A branch of Fusang wood? Who left this here?"

Qiu Tong's expression froze slightly. She looked around again, but still couldn't see a trace of anything. She pursed her lips and remained silent for a moment. Her eyes dimmed a little before she bent down and picked up the wooden branch.

"Let's go."

Qingyao frowned: "What if it's a trap?"

Qiu Tong turned and walked towards the city gate: "Let's wait until we've tricked them before we talk about it. Mother needs this right now, doesn't she?"

The two returned to the city and walked at the end of the caravan, slowly entering the city. Lin Feiran watched from a distance and was about to leave when he suddenly caught sight of a figure standing on the city gate.

She glanced at it, but didn't find it strange, and quickly looked away.

She had only taken two steps when she suddenly remembered something. A flash of inspiration struck her, and she turned back to look. The invisible thread that she had previously been unable to grasp or see clearly had suddenly surfaced and appeared before her eyes.

Lin Feiran stood there stunned, her eyes filled with astonishment, unable to recover for a long time.

...

"We were almost too late." Ru Xian looked at her, resting her chin on her hand.

Lin Feiran's eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "It won't be late. I've been keeping track of the time."

Ru Xian raised an eyebrow: "You look radiant. Have you figured something out?"

Lin Feiran's expression turned slightly serious, as if she were holding some earth-shattering secret. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "It's just a guess of mine. I'll tell you after I confirm it."

Ru Xian chuckled but didn't press the matter. She simply lay down in the downy feathers and looked down at her: "Are you really not going to sleep?"

Lin Feiran was excited by his guess and definitely couldn't sleep right now, so he shook his head: "We still need someone to watch the compass. You go to sleep first, and I'll wake you up when we get there."

Ru Xian exclaimed again, "They're so young and vigorous! They haven't rested much for six days in a row, yet they still have so much energy."

Lin Feiran was also puzzled. A cultivator's energy had nothing to do with age. She leaned closer and said, "But you seem to get sleepy very easily lately. Is something wrong with you?"

As if closing his eyes, he said in a cool voice, "Because some people have only gone six days without sleep, while others have barely slept for three months."

Lin Feiran felt as if she had been struck in the knee with an arrow. She silently sat down next to Ru Xian and said, "I'll shield you from the wind."

Ru Xian remained noncommittal, letting her move closer, and said, "When we travel together in the future, it might be like this: you shield me from the wind, I sleep; you do things, I sleep; you jump around, I still sleep."

Lin Feiran thought about that scene and found it amusing, but she straightened up and said with absolute certainty, "You won't."

Ru Xian opened her eyes and looked at her: "How could you not?"

"You just won't do it, you'll keep watching me."

Like a hailstone curving its lips, a cool laugh drifted in the wind: "That sounds like something I would say."

Lin Feiran raised her hand to shield her eyes from the wind and said, "Then a lot of the things you've said lately sound like things I would say."

Ru Xian chuckled, closed her eyes again, and loosely put one arm around her waist, as if she were really about to fall asleep, her voice becoming ethereal.

"Yes, I won't sleep. I'll keep watching Lin Feiran, no matter what she does, I'll watch her forever..."

...

The arrival at Jinling Ferry was not long ago. Ru Xian was still asleep, and Lin Feiran couldn't bear to wake him. So she let the hamster carry him towards Xun Feifei's residence, while she leaped into the streets and alleys.

Although both the human and demon realms were shrouded in night, their situations were quite different.

The demon realm is almost entirely populated by cultivators, who are fighting over the dwindling spiritual energy. She originally thought the human realm would be better, since there are many mortals who don't need spiritual energy for cultivation, but what she saw was an even more oppressive scene.

Looking down a long, dilapidated street, several demonic beasts climbed onto the rooftops, while others roamed between the houses. Wooden doors were torn apart like brittle paper, beams and pillars shook, and roof tiles slid down with a dull thud.

As night fell and nothing grew, the monsters, deprived of food, began to enter the town.

They searched among the creatures, unwilling to let any weak survivor escape. When they saw Lin Feiran appear, several demonic beasts bared their teeth and peered at her, ready to pounce at any moment. However, after sensing her spiritual power, they all slowly retreated.

However, they only retreated, they did not leave.

The once bustling Jinling Ferry is now nothing but ruins. Dark shadows lurk everywhere in the streets and alleys. The air is no longer filled with the smell of cooking, but with the metallic stench emanating from the saliva of beasts, their low cries fading into every corner.

Lin Feiran slowly drew her sword and walked through. The eyes of the beasts on both sides were like eerie blue flames in the night, coldly watching her. They seemed to be deliberately surrounding her, carefully maneuvering around her.

But she had no intention of maneuvering.

Lin Feiran flicked his sword and leaped onto the roof ridge. In a few leaps, only a few dozen animal heads remained rolling down the alley.

She took the time to investigate and found that although most of the houses had been trampled beyond recognition, there were hardly any valuable items inside, which meant that the people here had already packed up and left before the monsters attacked.

Lin Feiran climbed onto the roof and saw a magnificent ancestral hall in the darkness. After a moment's thought, she made a gesture towards the sky. Upon seeing this, the hooligan changed direction and went with her towards the ancestral hall.

As expected, almost all the people who had temporarily stayed at Jinlingdu gathered here.

The ancestral hall was bustling with people, and a great many demonic beasts gathered there, their low growls rising and falling. Whenever they tried to get close, the spirit jade array embedded in the brick walls of the ancestral hall would start to operate, repelling the demonic beasts.

Lin Feiran silently counted the number of people, feeling dazzled. He simply drew his sword and charged in. Wherever the flying sword passed, the dark shadows began to fade away.

In the fairly spacious courtyard, Xun Feifei was busy going in and out. Hearing the commotion outside the courtyard, he had a slight thought and leaped onto the wall, just in time to meet the flying ram.

Xun Feifei: "..."

"Long time no see." Ru Xian jumped down from the bird's back and exchanged a brief greeting.

Xun Feifei paused, then said, "It wasn't long."

He glanced at the pile of goods, then at the hailstones, and suddenly raised an eyebrow. He immediately turned to look at the figure still clearing the area, and a look of surprise and bewilderment quickly appeared in his eyes.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Your Excellency, have you found some useful method of resurrection?"

Ru Xian turned around and looked: "We didn't find anything, but she's been fine all along. She just faked her death last time."

Xun Feifei's eyebrows relaxed, revealing a gentle smile: "That's wonderful."

The profound meaning behind a simple "good" is hard to describe. The two of them didn't speak again, but just watched quietly as the figure swiftly eliminated the monster, then swung his wrist and walked in, reeking of blood.

The courtyard was filled with ordinary people resting there. She didn't get too close, but instead wore a veil and stood at a distance. Occasionally, an elderly person would walk by, and she would reach out to help them up the steps.

Xun Feifei was silent for a moment: "What is she doing standing there?"

“She probably thought we had something to talk about, so she waited there, but then she felt she smelled too much blood on her, so she kept her distance.” Ru Xian seemed quite understanding, and said with a smile in her eyes, “Go down, or she’ll keep waiting.”

The two walked into the courtyard. Xun Feifei looked at Lin Feiran, removed the silver mask from her lips, and asked in a familiar tone, "Why did you suddenly return to Jinling Ferry?"

Although his words did not reveal her identity, they indicated that he knew who she was.

Neither Lin Feiran nor Xun Feifei were sentimental people. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other, their unspoken words all contained in their laughter.

She took out the hibiscus branch, explained her purpose, and then couldn't help but ask, "What's going on here? Hasn't the court sent any cultivators here to suppress the demon beasts?"

Among the cultivators in the world, besides the disciples of various sects and independent cultivators, there is also a group of cultivators led by the imperial court. That is the Canxing Domain, headed by Ding Yi. If there is any turmoil or beast tide in any state, it is usually the disciples of the Canxing Domain who go out to quell it.

"Yes." Xun Feifei nodded. "However, the world is in chaos now, and the Shenxing Domain is short-handed. We can't be stationed everywhere to oversee things. We can only try our best to gather the people in the prefecture and take care of them together."

Many people from Jinling Ferry had already gone to the southern prefectures, but the rest, unable to travel the long distance, had no choice but to gather here.

Regardless of my cultivation level, I am still a cultivator; protecting them shouldn't be difficult.

Lin Feiran looked at the people in the courtyard, and his heart was inevitably shaken.

After a long silence, she finally asked, "How is Ru Niang?"

Xun Feifei paused, the light in his eyes dimming slightly. He took the Fusang wood branch and said, "Come with me."

He led the two through the ancestral hall to the back room, where Ru Niang was lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

But the closer one gets, the colder the room becomes, and one can even see that her aged skin is covered with white frost, and her open eyes have turned completely stone-like gray.

Xun Feifei stood aside, her eyes dim, and said, "She can no longer see. Her eyes are as dark as gray stone, and she can hardly close them even when she is asleep."

He looked at the withered branch in his hand, unsure whether he was comforting Lin Feiran or himself: "My godmother's illness is not mild, but fortunately she hasn't suffered much. Compared to those in the city who have endured excruciating pain, she is already very content."

The last time I met Ru Niang, she was full of energy and talked endlessly about her mother's past. We chatted until night. I never imagined that when I saw her again a few months later, she would be so weak and listless.

Since the body's vital energy cannot be replenished, cold syndrome cannot be cured. People who contract cold syndrome will ultimately face only one path.

Lin Feiran's heart sank. It was as if she was tainted by the deathly aura in the room, or as if the rusty smell on her body was too strong. She felt a little dizzy, but she was more awake than ever before.

Just then, Ru Niang's fingertips twitched slightly. She had just woken up from her dream. Her stone-like eyes were unfocused, but as if she had discovered something, she suddenly looked up and accurately grabbed Lin Feiran's wrist.

"Jinlan, is that you?"

Lin Feiran shook her head, reluctantly withdrawing her hand: "No, Ru Niang, I am..."

Before she could even utter her name, Ru Niang shook her head: "What do you mean 'not'? You're clearly right here, I can feel it. Have you forgotten? No matter where you hid before, I could always find you. You thought I had performed a spell on you, but it was just a feeling."

Xun Feifei said, "She's been like this lately, often dreaming about the past. Yesterday she even thought I had just been taken in by her and told me not to do heavy work... She must be half-asleep right now."

Lin Feiran did not change her mind. Instead, she went along with her words and pretended to be Jin Lan to comfort her. Only after Ru Niang fell asleep again did she slowly withdraw her hand.

Xun Feifei said, "You're passing by this time just to deliver a branch of Fusang wood?"

Seeing Lin Feiran nod, he took out a jade token and handed it to her: "I accept this sentiment on behalf of my godmother. In addition, if you ever need to fight against the Secret Sect, use this jade token to summon me, and I will definitely go."

Lin Feiran paused, looking at him in surprise, and then explained, "This jade token has nothing to do with the Venerable One; it is merely a token of our friendship."

He hung the jade pendant on Lin Feiran's fingertip.

“I have been here for a long time, but I have also heard about what is happening outside. The cold illness is inextricably linked to Tantric Buddhism, and I will not stand idly by.”

After I have sent all the people of Jinling Ferry to the prefectural capital, I will go to find Zhang Siwo.

So you don't need to linger here. Whatever you need to do, go on your way. I'll take care of things here."

Lin Feiran looked at the people in the courtyard, her heart already filled with turmoil.

With a few clangs, the jade token collided with the white jade bell at her waist, making a crisp sound. Lin Feiran and Ru Xian set off again, but this time, she did not ride a flying bird. Instead, she carried her sword and walked below, stepping onto a necessary road leading to Luoyang City.

The final landing point of the array plate happened to be in Luoyang City.

Along the way, Lin Feiran wore a veil that blended into the night and walked alone on the long road. She encountered many migrating people and many monsters that were chasing her. Her Golden Wave Sword hardly stopped, and beast heads kept rolling down the road.

Ru Xian neither disturbed nor urged anyone, but simply sat on the flying bird, leaning against the golden umbrella, and watched quietly.

Everyone has their own path, but unlike Lin Feiran's path of living towards death, Lin Feiran's path is bound to blend into everyone else's and must endure every trial.

It's not a physical challenge, but a mental one.

Every time she drew her sword, it was a test of her skills; every time she sheathed it, it was a challenge to her.

This journey wasn't the longest, but it took longer than any of the previous ones. She had saved children, the elderly, bandits, and Buddhist monks.

Rumors about her gradually spread and grew louder, but along with them, the veil that concealed her face also grew longer.

She started talking less, often squatting on the ground chewing on steamed buns, staring blankly at the disaster victims. She would only talk more when she was in front of him, and only in front of him could you see that she was just a teenager.

And so, Lin Feiran, carrying a long sword, fought her way from south to north until she could finally see the ever-sleeping city of Luoyang, at which point she slowed down.

“We’re almost there.” Ru Xian stood beside her, turning the compass in her hand.

Lin Feiran turned to look at him: "Are you tired?"

Ru Xian didn't always sit high on the flying bird. One day, he began to stand beside Lin Feiran, standing in the blood and mud, measuring this short yet long distance with her footsteps.

"What's so tiring about this?"

Ru Shan paused, glanced sideways at a child diagonally behind him, and said in a cold voice, "If you try to pull on my clothes again, I'll throw you to feed the monsters."

They traveled with the northward-bound refugees for some time, and now, nearing Luoyang, the group stopped to rest. Many of the children who were with them saw that he was handsome and especially liked to hang around him.

Ru Xian had a special kind of attraction. He seemed to be born aloof, but there was always an inexplicable fun in being looked at by him and scolded. For the children who were inexperienced in the world, it was more fun than scary. Being looked at by him made the group even more excited.

The snowflakes were astonishing.

Hearing the sound, Lin Feiran looked over in confusion. In fact, the action was nothing more than curiosity. But to those people, it looked like the god of war who could slay demons and beasts as easily as cutting melons and vegetables had turned around. With his face covered by a veil, he looked even more like a sword drawn from its sheath.

The children both respected and feared her, and scattered within moments when she turned around.

"Am I scarier than you?" Lin Feiran asked doubtfully.

In the past, others were afraid of Ru Xue, but no one was afraid of her.

Ru Xian looked at her with a half-smile, raised her eyebrows and said, "Do you think I'm scary?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" She shook her head vigorously. "Please sit down first. I just heard some unusual noises, so I'm going to take a look around the area."

His eyes, like haze, narrowed slightly as he looked closely at her.

"What's wrong?" Lin Feiran touched his face. "Is there dust on it?"

Ru Xian shook her head: "There's no ash, it's just that I suddenly feel the sharpness in your eyes seems to be more exposed."

If Lin Feiran in the past was like a sword with its edge still sharp, then today she has begun to unsheathe her blade.

"Go on, and come back soon." Ru Xian turned around and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk, feeding the hamster by herself, ignoring the few children who were secretly watching.

Lin Feiran was somewhat confused, but she secretly wiped her face before leaving.

...

The closer they got to Luoyang, the fewer monsters there were, but there were always some that slipped through the net. Lin Feiran had indeed heard some unusual noises just now.

In the dense forest, a woman carrying a spirit jade ran swiftly. With the help of the spirit jade, a faint wind arose beneath her feet, greatly increasing her speed, which allowed her to put up a fight against the giant wolf chasing behind her.

However, being faster was not enough. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter until, at a certain moment, the giant wolf leaped up and pounced like a whirlwind.

At this critical moment, two other clanging sounds were even faster, piercing its neck while it was still in mid-air.

The giant wolf crashed to the ground, its body convulsing. Two long swords were already stuck in its neck, one extremely long and the other chipped. The two swords wrestled for a moment, and in an instant, the wolf's head was severed.

The woman held the jade, stunned on the spot, as blood splattered around her and quickly seeped into the night.

Footsteps echoed through the dense forest. The woman turned her head cautiously and saw a woman wearing a veil walking slowly past her, stopping beside the wolf carcass, and casually drawing her sword.

"It's alright, go home now."

When she spoke, the woman suddenly realized what was happening. After thanking her profusely, she dared not linger and hurriedly left, lifting her skirt as she went.

Lin Feiran glanced at the other broken longsword, a thought flickered in his mind, and casually pulled it out, then looked back as if sensing something.

At the edge of the dense forest, under the flickering lamplight, stood a person, also wearing a veil and dressed in black, with eight long swords hanging at his waist, which jingled in the wind.

This moment is just like that moment back then.

They are like two reflections in a mirror, yet they share two completely different but ultimately similar pasts.

Upon seeing it, he suddenly chuckled, and Lin Feiran chuckled as well.

The swaying needle on the compass finally stopped and pointed straight at the person.

Author's note: While writing this last paragraph, the theme song from the movie "Kung Fu Hustle" happened to play, and the melody was so fitting...