## Chapter 111: National Hatred and Personal Enmity (Page 1/2)

“Should any individual provide the head of Zhang Linchuan, the Ancestor of the Nameless Teach, they shall receive twenty thousand pieces of primeval stone from Wu An Hou Jiang Wang. Furthermore, Wu An Hou pledges to exert his full power on their behalf, provided it does not violate the principles of public justice!”

This proclamation was undoubtedly the most substantial reward offered among the world’s nations in recent years. It wasn’t merely a reflection of Zhang Linchuan’s perceived importance. Rather, it was the fact that among the world’s powerful cultivators, few were susceptible to such a bounty. Consider Jiang Mengxiong; Jing Country would spare no amount of primeval stone to see him slain. Yet, who dared to issue such a reward? Who, indeed, would dare to claim it?

Only individuals like Zhang Linchuan, a fiend from the crooked path, could, upon being identified, instantly become like a rat in the street, hunted by all. His path of growth, destined to attract a wide following, required the spread of his teachings. Even without traversing the boundaries of the world, some trace would inevitably be left behind. Due to his consistent caution and the secrecy of his World of Nothingness, he himself remained hidden. However, his various branch altars were systematically destroyed, and the Earthly Fiend Envoys who spread his doctrine fled one after another. Those who were slightly slow to escape met their end, their heads severed for the reward.

Instances like the initial frantic expansion of the Earthly You Envoy in Cheng Country’s Feng Tai city domain, where they openly contended with orthodox sects like Ling Kong Hall, would no longer occur in the Eastern or Southern Domains. Once branded an evil cult, the right to grow under the sunlight vanished.

Jiang Wang had long contemplated how to deal with Zhang Linchuan. He had given it considerable thought on numerous occasions. To deal with those who walk in darkness, no matter how strong, how wicked, or how cunning, the most effective method was to crush them with overwhelming, righteous power. A great sun across the sky would naturally illuminate and shatter mountains and rivers. Where could the demons and specters hide?

It was only before Lin Youxie’s unfortunate end that he hadn’t fully grasped the possibility of eradicating the Nameless Teach entirely, thus unwilling to beat the grass and startle the snake. Dealing with an enemy like Zhang Linchuan with minor skirmishes and small provocations was utterly useless. The strategy needed to be one of absolute annihilation, striking only when ready to extinguish completely.

Yet, he hadn’t anticipated Zhang Linchuan actually sneaking into Qi Country and, through the peculiar workings of fate and divine ability, replacing Lei Zhanqian’s identity… They had been close at hand all along, and he hadn’t known! Just as he hadn’t known back in the Fenglin City Dao Academy that the senior brother Zhang Linchuan, with his exquisite thunder methods and pure demeanor, was actually the White Bone Daoist.

This world held no waiting period for a great enemy of life and death to mature. If not for Lin Youxie, the outcome of this struggle would have been difficult to predict.

In the heart of the wild forest, a lone grave stood. It wasn’t grand or opulent, yet every detail was meticulously crafted, clearly demonstrating the care put into its construction. Here, the brilliant Green Card Holder, Lin Youxie, found her rest. There was no body, no soul; it was a tomb of clothes and cap… Even these garments were retrieved from the sealed old house of the Lin family.

Within the tomb were also buried the original files of the numerous cases she had cracked over the years, perhaps the few remaining traces of her existence in the mortal world. The files that remained in the Northern Yamen were all copies—these were all meticulously organized and sent by Zheng Shangming himself.

Lin Youxie’s funeral arrangements were personally overseen by Jiang Wang. Every single detail, inside and out, was handled by his own hands. He had initially wished to bury Lin Youxie at Tian Xing Cliff, as the Three Xing Palace was the last place this girl had wanted to go. However, she had not truly left the soil of Qi, nor had she truly been able to join the Three Xing Palace. Moreover, as the sole successor of a Green Card family, her identity was special. The Green Card family, which originated during the reign of Emperor Wu of Qi, had, with her passing, become an absolute heir, thoroughly entering history.

Although few people had cared about her while she was alive, and her disappearance for several months went unnoticed, her burial place after death still needed to consider the feelings of the Qi people, and its impact on this nation… This seemed to be her fate, predestined from her birth.

Zhong Xuan Sheng had seriously advised him. The momentum to eradicate the Nameless Teach also needed to originate from Lin Youxie, a Qi person, starting the surge from Lu Shuang County and sweeping across the world… Considering everything, Jiang Wang decided to erect a grave for Lin Youxie at the place where the two of them had initially parted ways. It was also a way of telling her that she had waited for her old friend to come seeking.

Today was the day the grave was completed. The funeral rites, the music, the ceremonies, had all dispersed. Lin Youxie preferred quiet to noise, so he hadn’t invited anyone. Even those who sought to establish connections dared not touch his bad luck at this time. It was only Zhong Xuan Sheng, Fourteen, Li Longchuan, Yan Fu, and a few other friends who had specifically rushed over to offer incense. Now, they had all left.

It was high autumn in September, the bare branches sketching a chaotic pattern against the sky. An old crow cawed several times, gradually flying further and further away. He stood alone before the grave. He remained there in silence for a very long time.

The tombstone was carved by his own hand, using his finger as a chisel, inscribing into the stone. He had thought for a long time, and in the end, only carved the words “Lin Youxie,” without adding any prefix or suffix. The so-called honors, the so-called memorials, were all burdens to Lin Youxie. Her life had been bound by too many heavy constraints: ideals, family, the glory of her lineage, each one weighing heavily. She had not lived a single moment for herself. It hadn’t been easy.

Now, what remained in Jiang Wang’s memory were only the sound of pounding medicine, the silhouette of her waving hand as she walked into the distance, and that black cat in the sparrow-like eyes that had broken his heart. A clean and simple tombstone stood, engraved with the three words “Lin Youxie.” Few people in the mortal world would miss her, and he hoped that after she had departed, she would have no need to miss the mortal world either.

The snap of a dry branch gently broke his reverie. During this busy period, Green Brick, who had been preoccupied with the various matters in Lu Shuang County, approached the forest with a heavy heart: “Hou Ye, just received a message from Lin Zi. You are summoned back to Lin Zi to participate in the court meeting.”

The recent investigations around Lu Shuang County were jointly carried out by the Lu Shuang County garrison army and the Patrol Inspection Office. The person responsible from the Northern Yamen was Qi Huaichang, the Deputy Envoy of the Patrol Inspection, a member of the Qi family from Dong Lai… This was, of course, a stance of controlling the situation, and it was difficult to say that there were no other intentions at play. Green Brick’s worry had a reason.

The public letter from Wu An Hou of Great Qi had caused a global uproar. The reactions from various places were not uniform. Although there were voices from Chu, Mu, the Three Xing Palace, and the Sword Pavilion, not every place in the world would show face to Jiang Wang. For example, Jing Country’s Mirror World Platform, while solely an organization belonging to Jing Country, due to Jing Country’s special status as the central empire, usually held the responsibility of monitoring the world. They often invoked ancient covenants to exterminate demons, cleanse foreign invaders, and execute evil spirits.

However, on the matter of the Nameless Teach, they remained silent. Even Jiang Wang’s public letter, delivered to their doorstep, and the abundant evidence of the Nameless Teach’s wicked practices, all sent to their hands, this organization that monitored evil in the world still maintained its silence. They claimed that the Mirror World Platform could not act rashly, and that the nature of the Nameless Teach and specific information about Zhang Linchuan required time for verification…

Of course, those with a discerning eye knew that the underlying reason was more the dissatisfaction of Jing Country with Qi Country, and the intentional disregard of the Qi people by the Mirror World Platform. As Jing Country’s Mirror World Platform, they were unwilling to give Wu An Hou of Qi Country even greater momentum. If a letter from your Qi Country’s military merit Hou Ye could immediately mobilize me, the Mirror World Platform, then whose world is it truly?

With the Mirror World Platform remaining silent, Jing Country’s influence extended across the Central Domain, and indeed, even its subordinate Dao countries, naturally maintained their silence.

With such an external political environment, the interior of Qi Country was not a monolithic entity either, with dissenting voices present. Although it was said that evil cultists and demons should be hunted and executed by all, promoting this matter using the power of Qi Country was not so simple. Politics, at times, transcended positions and existence. The Mirror World Platform was unwilling to allow Jiang Wang to lead this matter to gain greater momentum. Could it be that everyone within Qi Country hoped for Jiang Wang’s success?

Indeed, with the current political status of Bo Wang Hou and Wu An Hou, promoting a policy aimed at a specific evil cult within Qi Country was not an impossible task. However, in terms of efficiency, it would certainly not be very fast. After all, they did not hold the thousand-year-old lineage of the Duke of Huai Country, nor were they the highly favored Imperial Princess of Great Mu, who received profound imperial grace.

And to thoroughly exterminate the Nameless Teach, the most crucial factor was speed. With Zhang Linchuan’s cunning, he wouldn’t have failed to anticipate the unfavorable outcome after his defeat in Qi Country. Even if he had underestimated Jiang Wang’s influence, he would certainly have made many preparations. If given enough time, it would be difficult to say he wouldn’t find a way to safely transfer the Nameless Teach’s faith and create another organization, perhaps an undying teach or something similar. The act of borrowing a corpse and returning a soul was something he was already highly skilled at.

Therefore, in the pursuit and extermination of the Nameless Teach, Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuan Sheng were taking two distinct steps. Jiang Wang’s public letter was sent directly to the Three Xing Palace, requesting validation from the holy land of the Law Family. The letter was accompanied by a wealth of evidence, enough to allow the Three Xing Palace to clearly understand the matter. Due to the contributions of Lin Kuang and Wu Lie to the path of criminal justice, Ju Di Palace had long granted Lin Youxie a quota to enter and study. Furthermore, Lin Youxie had suffered harm in the process of pursuing the evil cult’s leader… With the actions of the Three Xing Palace, they would by no means evade this matter.

Of course, the statement from Grand Master Wu Bingyi, the holder of Ju Di Palace, was something Jiang Wang had not expected. He had originally felt that for an evil cult of such scale as the Nameless Teach, the Three Xing Palace sending a voice from a True Disciple at the level of a God Realm would suffice, and even a True Person wouldn’t need to appear. Let alone Wu Bingyi personally speaking out, calling upon the cultivators of the Law Family across the world to hunt and kill… This could only be attributed to the legacy of Lin Kuang and Wu Lie.

Zhong Xuan Sheng, on his part, began from Lu Shuang County, attributing all the actions Zhang Linchuan had committed after replacing Lei Zhanqian in Lu Shuang County to the Nameless Teach. Starting with the “victims” in Lu Shuang County, they ignited a large-scale wave of exterminating the evil cult. These “victims,” for a large part, could actually be said to be losers in legitimate competition. Because Zhang Linchuan had borrowed Lei Zhanqian’s body to attach himself to the large ship of Qi Country, not to cause destruction from the outset. Therefore, in the various struggles within Lu Shuang County, he had acted quite by the rules.

However, these people were indeed suppressed by Zhang Linchuan, the ancestor of the Nameless Teach. Using them to sound the death knell for the Nameless Teach was not at all improper.

Specifically, regarding Jiang Wang’s public letter and the resulting huge echo, there had always been differing voices within Qi Country. Among those who spoke the loudest was the famous Confucian, Er Fengming. This person had even written three articles, titled “How Ling Yang Should Bear Great Responsibility,” “For What Purpose Private Use of Public Tools,” and “National Great Matters, An Act of Private Hatred.”

The latter two articles, just by their titles, could be roughly understood. In the first article, “Ling Yang” referred to Ling Yang Hou, a national Hou during the reign of Emperor Wu of Qi, who was stripped of his title for public tool private use. The first article, scolding Ling Yang Hou, could be considered a test of the waters. He criticized the past to advise the present, his literary talent soaring. This was followed by the second and third articles, whose wording became increasingly severe, directly pointing their spearhead at Jiang Wang.

Er Fengming’s representation was, of course, not just his own. But it was also difficult to rigidly categorize his faction. This individual, with his brilliant brush and the stance of a madman who dared to scold anyone, was precisely his philosophy for survival. His cunning in knowing who he could and couldn’t scold, and his thick-faced tendency to shrink back and close his door when encountering a tough opponent, were the reasons he lived a more comfortable life than Xu Fang from that year.

Some people sought a good reputation, some sought a wicked one. Dragons and snakes each had their ways, and all could stir up wind and water. These three articles were indeed written beautifully, causing much discussion in court and the wilderness. The Political Hall and the Military Affairs Hall had no major figures come out to state their positions, but below them, the debate became increasingly intense.

As one of the most influential figures in Qi Country at present, Wu An Hou’s action of mobilizing national resources to pursue and exterminate an unknown evil cult became a hot topic of discussion on street corners. Memorials related to this matter arrived like raindrops. There were supporters and opponents.

It wasn’t until today that this court meeting was clearly decreed by the Emperor for Jiang Wang to participate. This was likely to bring this period of fervent public opinion to a decisive conclusion. Green Brick was worried about this. Jiang Wang, however, was very calm. Upon hearing the news, he merely said, “Understood.”

Some matters had nothing to be debated, but some people would always nitpick, and others would add fuel to the fire. If one’s heart was set on causing trouble, a reason could always be found. They stood blocking my sunlight, and lay blocking my path. He was already accustomed to it; it was nothing more than putting on a face.

He only looked at Lin Youxie’s tombstone one last time, then straightened his body and flew into the distance… green clouds gathering towards Lin Zi.

The Purple Extreme Hall was where the civil and military officials of the Great Qi Empire discussed matters. The local affairs of this great empire could be resolved in the county magistrate’s office. The court usually only took responsibility for monitoring. National affairs, and some governance matters that couldn’t be decided locally, were often resolved on the stage of the hundred officials’ discussion. Higher up were the joint discussions of the Political Hall, and finally, the Emperor’s review. After all, a vast empire, with ten thousand li of territory and billions of subjects, how could every matter consume the Emperor’s heart? It was common for emperors in history to hold court every half month, every month, or even go without holding court for half a year or a year.

Only the current Emperor held court diligently. As long as he wasn’t on expedition outside, he would be present rain or shine. He often sat high in the Purple Extreme Hall, silently listening to the hundred officials debate. He didn’t participate in discussions unless it was a major matter, but all matters discussed by the hundred officials had to pass through his mind, so no one dared to be anything less than diligent. Even after achieving merits that could already be compared to those of the founding ancestor and Emperor Wu, he remained so, never slacking for a single day.

He sat high in the supreme position, calm behind the beaded curtain. His intentions were unclear to all, but it was also his gaze upon the entire world. Every great emperor must have great aspirations. Clearly, the Great Qi Empire, which now spanned the east and south and eyed the world like a tiger, had not yet filled his ambition. From his ascension to the throne until now, he had reigned for fifty-seven years. The reign title “Yuan Feng” was already enough to be crowned with a great name, but the story about this reign title still continued.

Contrary to the majestic and solemn image imagined by many common people, in most cases, the Purple Extreme Hall was no different from a bustling market. The two sides of a debate would each present their arguments, often arguing until their faces were red and their ears hot, and such instances were not few. Today was no exception. One side argued that not only should agricultural taxes be reduced further, but grain should also be exchanged for money, thus avoiding the losses incurred during the grain collection process. The other side argued that a thirty-to-one tax was already a great imperial grace, and all decisions should consider the national condition; collecting money for money, could your mother, about to starve, eat money? The debate was inseparable.

It wasn’t until the golden melon warrior outside the hall announced, “Wu An Hou in attendance!” that the Purple Extreme Hall immediately fell silent, as if a silencing boundary had been placed, and everyone closed their mouths. Some gazes, subtly, fell towards the queue on the right side of the main hall, towards that famous Confucian who stood with his hands in his sleeves and a composed demeanor… the officially unrecognized Er Fengming.

Just at this moment, Wu An Hou, wearing a nine-python swallow-cloud Hou robe of purple, with his hand resting on his long sword, stepped into the hall without removing his boots. His boots echoed crisply on the grand hall’s floor. Today, he had shed his usual gentleness; his eyebrows were sharp, his Qi like steaming clouds, as if the famous sword at his waist had already left its sheath! He walked down the dedicated path separating the court officials and nobles, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Within the tall and spacious Purple Extreme Hall, he had the bearing of someone supporting the heavens. Step by step, he walked to the front of the imperial steps.

“Dispense with the formalities.” The Great Qi Emperor, seated on the dragon throne, merely raised his hand. Song Yao, in the Political Hall queue, had no expression, his peripheral vision catching Yi Xingchen beside him, who carried memorials, his demeanor unperturbed. He knew that everyone was somewhat confused. Whether they supported Wu An Hou or Er Fengming, they couldn’t grasp the Emperor’s attitude. He wasn’t bowing, but merely dispensing with the formalities? Was the Emperor pleased, or displeased? Was he holding him high only to strike him down heavily?

Those with intentions looked towards Champion Hou, who was ranked with Wu An Hou as the empire’s double pride. But they saw that in the meritorious service queue, this white-robed Hou Ye had his eyes slightly closed, still immersed in his own cultivation world—”standing guard” during court meetings was indeed a privilege of these two young military merit Hous.

Jiang Wang paid no mind to all of this, nor did he try to guess anything. He simply stood there, his spine straight as a sword, standing firm and supporting the heavens. The Emperor’s gaze fell upon him, his voice encompassing the entire hall: “Wu An Hou’s letter is exceedingly well-written. It can be seen that you have put effort into your recent studies.”

Jiang Wang replied, “This minister merely found it difficult to restrain his emotions and wrote as the brush moved. I do not understand what constitutes good or bad writing.”

The Emperor looked at him, his tone calm: “Recently, there have been several articles, citing classics and points, with flowery words and sentences, reading like fragrant tea. Has Wu An Hou read them?”

“If they are recent articles, this minister should not have read them.”

“Why not?”

“No time.”

“What has this beloved minister been busy with?”

Jiang Wang answered calmly, “Busy with a friend’s funeral.”

The Emperor had originally intended to say more, but his words suddenly ceased. He then waved his hand: “Mister Er, I have invited Wu An Hou for you. If you have any questions, you may as well ask him face to face.”

The atmosphere in the Purple Extreme Hall grew tense. Er Fengming had clearly made preparations long ago. His sleeves floated as he calmly walked out of the queue and approached Jiang Wang. He carried no weapons, and his feet were only clad in white socks, his momentum naturally diminished by several degrees. But his face was composed. He first bowed to the Emperor, then bowed to Jiang Wang, saying very sincerely, “This humble commoner has always respected Hou Ye’s military achievements. Today, I will speak my mind. If there are any fallacies, please do not show mercy and feel free to rebuke me. If it is not enough to quell your anger, and blood is spilled upon these three steps, this humble commoner will have no complaint either.”

Facing this famous Confucian who had repeatedly verbally abused him to the point of spitting blood, Jiang Wang slightly raised his eyebrows: “Please speak.”

Er Fengming straightened his body, his wide sleeves brushing outwards, revealing a scholarly air: “Dare I ask Hou Ye, between national hatred and personal enmity, which is lighter and which is heavier?”

“What is national hatred? What is personal enmity?” Jiang Wang counter-questioned: “Mister Er, you may as well clarify. What is the conquest of Xia? What is the extermination of the Nameless Teach?”

Er Fengming said, “Naturally, the conquest of Xia is for national hatred, and the extermination of the Nameless Teach is for personal enmity.”

Jiang Wang looked at him calmly: “Does the extermination of the Nameless Teach impede this Hou’s conquest of Xia?”

Er Fengming was momentarily stunned, realizing he had fallen into a linguistic trap, feeling a sense of absurdity… Didn’t they say Wu An Hou would only use his old fists to deal with him? But he quickly reacted: “That’s not how it works. If the Nameless Teach is an evil cult, it should indeed be exterminated. I also deeply detest evil cults. But how should it be exterminated? How much force should be consumed?”

“A mere Nameless Teach, like ants against a mighty mountain, is it worth Great Qi expending national power like this?” He spoke, becoming more and more excited: “A small, insignificant teach, posting a reward in the Patrol Inspection Office is enough! Hou Ye, however, with a heart of hatred, stirred up such a large momentum. Now the entire country is talking about the Nameless Teach, everyone wants to chop off Zhang Linchuan’s head. The entire court is being used for the national Hou’s private hatred, does Hou Ye truly feel no uneasiness?”

Jiang Wang stared at him intently for a moment. He looked at Er Fengming, who was somewhat confused, the excitement of having exhausted his mind for the country unconsciously weakening. But he still held his spine straight, with scholarly grace: “Where have I spoken incorrectly, Hou Ye? Please speak plainly.”

Jiang Wang said, “If this Hou were to speak of the harm of the Nameless Teach, I could say a great deal. The danger of Zhang Linchuan, the ancestor of the Nameless Teach, is also something that could be listed one, two, three, four. Perhaps you understand, perhaps you do not understand, perhaps you pretend not to understand. But today, all of this… is not important.”

He sighed: “You speak of private hatred, you are not wrong.”

“The Nameless Teach has a deeply ingrained hatred for this Hou, a hatred that can only be resolved by killing them… Facing the Emperor, facing my colleagues, this Hou cannot deny it.” He turned his body, no longer looking at Er Fengming, but bowed to the Great Qi Emperor on the dragon throne: “In the past, during a game in the palace, the Emperor asked, and this minister was unable to fully answer. Today, I will try to speak—”

Although he was bowed, he raised his voice: “This minister already understands the reverence for an overlord country, and the nobility of a king or marquess! I am willing to use all the merit I have accumulated over these four years, fought for with life and death, for this private hatred! I hope for imperial grace and approval!”

He did not explain, he did not argue. He admitted that dealing with the Nameless Teach and dealing with Zhang Linchuan was primarily motivated by his personal hatred. He admitted that he was not the type of person who was completely selfless and only had the nation in his heart. He admitted that he lived by his own loves, hates, and enmities. Now, he was willing to use everything he had fought and won for over the past four years to make this exchange! The present world was too vast, and there were still places where the White Bone Dao could hide. He wanted to implore the Emperor of Qi to issue a national decree!

The entire hall fell silent. Zhong Xuan Sheng was also silent. This did not align with his prior suggestions and made his subsequent preparations unusable. The outcome of today’s court meeting became hazy and mysterious. Was it fortune or disaster? Was it right or wrong?

Er Fengming opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, he closed it. Jiang Wang admitted that his extermination of the Nameless Teach was for private hatred, admitted that he was merely a person who didn’t understand the bigger picture. What more could he say? All he could do was look at the Emperor’s attitude. The current Emperor was impartial in grace and punishment. He could show extreme favor, and he could also be extremely cold and cruel. So, for a military merit Hou Ye who didn’t prioritize national affairs, what kind of attitude would he display?

No matter if they were kings, marquesses, generals, or old ministers with renowned titles. Everyone held their breath. Even Zhong Xuan Zun, who had been silently “standing guard,” opened his eyes.

But they heard the Emperor’s voice rise: “How can you speak of private hatred?”

Then it slightly lowered: “You are a national Hou!”

“You say you already understand the nobility of a king or marquess. I think you do not understand.”

He looked at Jiang Wang from the dragon throne and slowly said: “You are a king and marquess of Great Qi, sharing the same glory and reverence as the nation. Your private matters are precisely the national matters of Great Qi!”

－－－－－－Outside the Topic－－－－－－

Today, six thousand words, one of which is for A Shen to add to the debt master committee. (1/10)