Upon returning to the Qinglong Martial Hall, Samjeol Li Guang looked at the sign of the Zhongnan Sect and said right away,
"Leave that at Walong Hall. Iāll take care of it."
What did he mean by 'take care of it'? Li Guang and Zhen Xiaoqing were people whose ways of thinking I couldnāt understand. While I was grumbling inwardly, Samjeol Li Guang placed a bottle of medicinal wine on the table.
"Letās have a drink. I want to hear how it went."
"Yes."
Zhen Xiaoqing and I recounted the events at the wine table. Zhen Xiaoqing did most of the talking, with occasional supplements from me. When the explanation was almost over, Samjeol Li Guang said with satisfaction,
"Indeed, they are my disciples. Just as I expected."
"Thank you."
"Good, letās have a drink. The wine should taste good today."
The drinking session continued until about the hour of the Dog (ęę) before it ended. Zhen Xiaoqing had to return because he had to start his duties as a drill instructor at dawn the next day. After I diligently cleared the empty dishes, Li Guang said to me,
"You seem to have something you want to ask."
He had drunk a lot but was not at all drunk. He was just pretending to be. A master of his caliber could drink a barrel of wine without getting drunk. Knowing this, I cautiously brought up the topic.
"When I visited the Zhongnan Sect, they called you Qinglong (éé¾) instead of Sanjie (äøēµ¶). When I asked Lian Zhenghong, he said I should ask you directly."
"Why didnāt you ask during the drinking session?"
"It was a celebratory occasion to welcome our return. Now is a break..."
"Is it a waste of time to ask?"
"......"
Li Guang chuckled.
"You are a truly interesting child. Your formidable inner strength doesnāt match your age, nor does your talent. And your worldly wisdom seems like youāve rolled around among people for decades... I thought I was quite good at judging people, but I canāt figure you out."
"Thank you, Master."
"Good, have a drink. The wine should taste good today."
After I swallowed, Li Guang smiled bitterly.
"But even so, I had to do it. I persuaded the leaders of each sect, assuring them that if they followed me, they wouldnāt suffer. But they didnāt listen to me. So I resorted to the final means."
"Final means...?"
"I traveled around the martial world in Shaanxi, breaking into various sects. Under the pretext of a challenge, I destroyed several sect signs in a day. I knocked down quite a few masters, and I killed many, so I still feel a bit regretful about it."
"......"
"I thought that by applying such pressure, the martial world would yield and send their top masters to the imperial court."
Could it be that he meant this?
Qinglong Li Guang, one of the four great masters of the imperial court and a member of the Sishenwei (åē„č”), had challenged the martial world in Shaanxi under the pretext of an imperial orderāmeaning such a crazy attempt existed in the past. And the challenge likely involved the Zhongnan Sect of the Nine Sects and One Temple. I swallowed and asked,
"Did you challenge the Eight Sects of the Devilish Path and the Nine Sects and One Temple?"
The answer was overly concise. But I trembled, understanding the hidden meaning. Li Guang, as a member of the Sishenwei (åē„č”), the four great masters of the imperial court, had excessively flaunted his power in the martial world! And he had done so by defeating the top masters of both the righteous and devilish paths without a single loss! I began to understand the 'fear' that Zhen Xiaoqing had mentioned. Back then, the name Qinglong must have been a harbinger of blood and death, a death god of the imperial court.
"......"
"However, even after I applied such pressure, the martial world closed its doors even tighter. They often used the excuse of sealing their sects to avoid fighting me. When the goal of recruiting masters hit a wall, I became angry and frustrated."
Li Guang drank some tea and smiled bitterly.
"... But, unexpectedly, everything was resolved. When the internal power struggles in the imperial court ended, everything was settled. The martial sects began to send their masters again, and the distribution of masters in the Jin Yi Wei and Dong Chang returned to normal. I was dismissed from the Sishenwei due to lack of capability."
"Dismissed... but that wasnāt your fault, was it?"
"At first, I thought so too. I was furious and indignant, thinking that after a lifetime of loyalty to the imperial court, I was being cast out."
Li Guangās face showed a more relaxed expression.
"But it wasnāt. I was wrong."
"Master?"
"What I should have done was not to provoke the martial world and destroy masters, but to quickly end the internal power struggles in the imperial court and bring peace to the world. If I had done that, fewer people would have been sacrificed, and I wouldnāt have incurred unnecessary enmity.
I followed orders without thinking for myself, believing that obedience was the virtue of a martial official. Because I didnāt think for myself, I failed."
"......"
Li Guang looked at me intently and said,
"Remember this. No matter how strong you are, you must think for yourself and choose your path with your own will. Otherwise, strength is useless."
Think for yourself!
This was the greatest lesson that the current Sanjie Li Guang could give me. Having experienced several reincarnations, I could deeply feel the meaning of his words. I had died several times acting impulsively without thinking for myself.
'Experience and wisdom are truly necessary.'
As I showed a look of realization, Sanjie Li Guang had a peculiar expression.
"You are truly unique. Iāve told this story to Xiaoqing several times, but he only saw it as a guideline for the future. But you seem to deeply empathize, as if youāve had similar experiences."
"......"
"Perhaps the wine has made me talkative. Iāll answer a few more questions."
Li Guangās face showed a hint of embarrassment. Even such a cold and calculating person seemed uncomfortable revealing his past. I thought deeply and asked Li Guang an important question.
"Do you know the commander of the Jin Yi Wei? Is he also a member of the Sishenwei?"
"Of course. He is Baihu (ē½č) of the Sishenwei and a close friend of mine."
I inwardly sighed.
'No wonder he was so incredibly strong.'
If the commander of the Jin Yi Wei was Baihu of the Sishenwei, it was impossible for me to defeat him in a direct confrontation. Being a friend of Li Guang and one of the four great masters meant he was at the pinnacle of the martial world.
"Who are the other two?"
"One is Xuanwu (ēę¦), the commander of Dong Chang, Huan Ye (å¹»å¤). The other is Zhuque (ę±é)."
"Master, including you, three of you were the leaders of the imperial martial organizations. Does Zhuque not hold a special position?"
"Zhuque is a special existence. He is the true Shouhuangwei (å®ēč”), rarely revealing himself even to other members of the Sishenwei. He operates in the deepest darkness."
"I see."
Li Guang, who had been answering various questions, scolded me.
"Why are you so curious about the Sishenwei? With your current skills, you canāt handle any of them."
Nonetheless, the information I gained today was a significant harvest. I ignored his scolding and tried to remember everything. Then I said,
"... I have one last question for Master."
"Go ahead."
"If the Jin Yi Wei loses its humanity and engages in evil deeds, would you consider stopping them?"
"Hmm."
Li Guang seemed to be seriously considering my question. Perhaps he had thought about such a scenario himself. After a long while, he finally spoke, frowning.
"If itās for the Emperor, I cannot stop them."
"Do you mean it?"
Li Guang nodded.
"Iāve seen and heard many inhumane activities, and Iāve even participated in them. Iāve conducted interrogations myself. But I believed that all these actions were for the Emperorās loyalty and sincerity. As a martial official, itās our duty to sacrifice our own justice and serve the public, so I can understand them."
"Thatās..."
I clenched my teeth, wanting to retort.
'The Jin Yi Wei is no longer the Jin Yi Wei in your memory! They are driving thousands, even tens of thousands, of people mad and sacrificing them as offerings!'
But I held back.
I held back because I remembered Wang Liangās head. If I told Li Guang the truth now, I might spend time trying to prove the tragedy and make him an ally.
However, even if I made Li Guang an ally, there was no guarantee that we could defeat the Jin Yi Wei. Moreover, based on Li Guangās words, there was a possibility that he would ignore the truth and turn a blind eye. Given my lack of strength, I would end up in the same situation as when I cut off Wang Liangās head.
I wonāt rely on othersā strength anymore. I entered the Qinglong Martial Hall in this reincarnation to strengthen myself. I vowed to run tirelessly without looking back or sideways.
Bowing my head, I heard Li Guang say,
"Todayās drinking session ends here. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the Heavenly Execution Technique, so be prepared."
Li Guangās presence slowly faded away.
I sat alone in front of the empty table, looking out the window at the full moon.