Chapter 1413: The People's Heart Is the Blade
Qin Mu walked out of the Sparrow-Catching Tower and looked back. Wei Yong stood dumbfounded on the tower platform, staring at that iron shard.
The Butcher strode over and walked shoulder to shoulder with him, praising, "Your cultivation in the Dao realm is too high, which has improved your blade technique. Even an iron shard can unleash the power of a divine weapon in your hands."
Qin Mu was lost in thought, then shook his head.
This was nothing to boast about. Compared to these ordinary cultivators, his vision, insight, Dao heart, and foundation far surpassed theirs. Even if he were given a small wooden stick, he could still break a divine weapon.
The Butcher laughed, "This time, when you comprehended the Dao and grasped the Blade of Law, you were clearly trying to cut down my prestige, saying I was just acting on reckless courage. But I wield my blade and roam the world freely, without the constraints of your rules and regulations. Your Blade of Law is not necessarily better than my blade Dao."
Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Grandpa Butcher, you must have known about Wei Qinghe long ago. Why didn't you use your blade of reckless courage to eliminate him, instead leaving him for me to deal with personally?"
"If I did it, it would always be just reckless courage. If you do it, it represents the direction of the Yan Kang."
The Butcher smiled freely and said, "In these years, while you were in the Heavenly Court and I was in Yan Kang, I've seen too many similar things. I've killed quite a few with reckless courage, but so what? The blade of reckless courage can't solve these problems. Yan Kang is too vast; the power of one reckless man can't investigate the rights and wrongs of the entire Yan Kang. It takes Celestial Venerable Mu to establish the law. I've been waiting for you to return."
"In this world, there will always be places where the Blade of Law of Yan Kang cannot reach. Perhaps the fury of a reckless man, blood spilling within five steps, is still needed."
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "The court needs to show the Blade of Law, to rectify the bureaucracy. But no matter how much it's rectified, there will still be people like Wei Qinghe. Grandpa Butcher, you're right. I've been too close to the heavens and too far from the earth. I need to reflect on myself. All my skills originally came from the mundane world. It was only after I went to the Heavenly Court that I began to study the Dao of the primordial, trying to catch up to the Ten Celestial Venerables in a short time, to give Yan Kang a chance to breathe and develop. Over the years, I've forgotten where these skills of mine came from."
The way of the sage lies in the daily use of the people. He had always thought he was still on this path, but when he suddenly looked back, he realized he had strayed. It was not too late to return now.
"As long as your original intention hasn't changed, you're still a good youth."
The Butcher patted him on the shoulder and led him to the blacksmith's shop in the new city. This was a place where farming tools were made, not spiritual weapons. The shop hung hoes, iron plows, kitchen knives, and other items.
"Forge a good blade."
The Butcher sat down and said to the blacksmith, "I want a Damascus steel blade. Two catties of iron, for this kid to use."
He pointed at Qin Mu, who also sat down on a long bench. The blacksmith brought over coarse tea and said, "There's no Damascus steel, only crude iron."
"Even better if there's no Damascus steel. This kid can shatter divine weapons with just an iron shard. Bring two catties of crude iron, not a tael more, so he won't find it too easy to cut people. Let the kid forge it himself."
The Butcher drank the tea. The coarse tea was bland, but he savored it with relish, saying, "You work the bellows and assist him."
The blacksmith looked suspiciously at Qin Mu, noting his fine clothes, and laughed, "This young master is a noble. How could he do such rough work?"
Qin Mu drank the tea and laughed, "I was once a blacksmith too. Why do you still have these farming tools in your shop? Aren't there daily-use spiritual weapons?"
"Even if you eat abalone and delicacies all the time, you still need some coarse tea and plain rice sometimes."
The blacksmith laughed, "Besides, the common folk aren't that wealthy. In recent years, grain prices have been too low. Hiring cultivators to harvest or using daily-use spiritual weapons is too expensive; not everyone can afford it. These days, the cultivators have money, but what do ordinary people have? Using these tools to do the work also saves some expenses."
Qin Mu silently drank his tea, taking a long time to finish a bowl.
Suddenly, he tilted his head back and drained it in one gulp, put down the large bowl, stood up, and said, "Come on. You work the bellows, and I'll forge the iron."
The blacksmith selected a few pieces of crude iron and assisted him.
Qin Mu wielded the hammer and worked the iron. The blacksmith watched his technique and couldn't help praising, "You're really a good blacksmith! If you opened a shop, old man, my business would be ruined by you!"
Qin Mu forged a crude iron blade. The two catties of crude iron were refined by him until they looked like they were made of mystic iron, gleaming with cold light and exuding a chilling aura.
The Butcher paid the bill and said, "Keep the change. Mu'er, let's go. You've found your original intention. Now your blade needs the next step of refinement."
But Qin Mu didn't follow him. "I still have some matters to deal with urgently."
The Butcher's heart stirred, and he stopped, looking up at the sky.
The blacksmith was delighted by their generosity. Suddenly, he looked up and saw that stars had appeared in the sky.
It was broad daylight, yet there was starlight, and it was dazzling—a truly strange phenomenon!
The stars were moving. One large star was surrounded by a hundred or so smaller stars. As the starlight drew closer, the stars became clearer and clearer.
Whoosh—
Beams of starlight descended from the sky, landing in this new city of Jiangling. They were the civil official team of the Yan Kang court, the officials of the Ministry of Personnel responsible for governance.
"Officials of the Ministry of Personnel, paying respects to the National Teacher!" The hundred or so officials, led by the Minister of Personnel, bowed in unison and spoke in one voice.
"No need for formalities."
Qin Mu raised his hand, unsealing his cultivation. He said to the stunned blacksmith, "I'll borrow your shop for a while. There will be compensation."
The blacksmith hurriedly retreated to the inner room. Qin Mu took out divine gold and divine materials from the Ancestral Court, smelted and forged them publicly. The Minister of Personnel and the gods of the Ministry looked up and saw lines of law text floating in the air, spreading from the small blacksmith shop throughout the entire new city of Jiangling. The law text was accompanied by a grand Dao sound, rumbling and vibrating continuously, as if an impartial judge was reciting the iron laws of Yan Kang!
In the new city of Jiangling, countless common folk walked into the streets, listening to the sound of the law recitations, and became engrossed.
Wei Yong and the few gods of Jiangling hadn't left either, staring at the law text descending from the sky, lost in thought.
As Qin Mu forged and the recitation sounded, those law texts were hammered by him into a divine blade, becoming iron laws, becoming the power of the divine blade.
After a long time, Qin Mu dispersed the divine fire, dropped the hammer, and held a Blade of Law in his hands. His voice resounded throughout the city, deep and solemn: "Officials of the Ministry, step forward to receive the blade."
The officials of the Ministry stepped forward. The Minister of Personnel bowed, raising his hands high.
"Is the law of Yan Kang rule by man or rule by law? Is it governing by law, or governing according to law? Do the old laws of Yan Kang still suit the current era?"
"Should the Dao techniques and divine abilities of Yan Kang be changed? Should the laws of Yan Kang be changed?"
"Have the good laws of the past become evil laws today? How do we punish evil, promote good, and achieve justice?"
"Is it impossible to completely abandon rule by man? How do we strike a balance between rule by man and rule by law?"
"Is the law about self-discipline, external discipline, or legal discipline?"
"Ministry of Personnel, take heed!"
"The law concerns the direction of the people's hearts!"
"The people's heart is the blade—the strongest divine blade. It can cut down one or two corrupt officials, or it can destroy a powerful nation. Gentlemen, please care for the people's hearts on my behalf."
"Today, on behalf of the court, I grant you this blade. The reform and transformation of the law are entrusted to you!"
Qin Mu bowed and offered the Blade of Law. The Minister of Personnel stepped forward, took the divine blade with both hands, bowed his head, and retreated to stand with the other officials. He said solemnly, "Where the law is, the Ministry of Personnel will go through fire and water, and will not fail the people's hearts of the world!"
...
Qin Mu followed the Butcher out of the new city of Jiangling, step by step. This granting of the blade in the new city would cause no small stir in Yan Kang. The reform of the law would surely be promoted and spread, perhaps restoring a clear and upright political situation to Yan Kang.
"Grandpa Butcher, where are we going next?"
"This mortal world is both a great sacred land and a great purgatory. Living beings transcend in this sacred land and also sink in this purgatory. There are too many injustices in the world, too many conflicts—open and covert struggles, endless scheming. The blade Dao must be tempered in the mortal world and also in the battlefield."
The Butcher said, "I'll take you to the battlefield. Although you are my disciple, you've never been on a real battlefield. The war in the Grand Heavenly Emperor Heaven was just a taste for you. Back then..."
He was lost in thought, then shook his head. "Forget it."
Qin Mu was curious. "Grandpa Butcher, since you brought it up, why not continue?"
The Butcher hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Qin Mu was no longer as solemn as before—having granted the Blade of Law to the Ministry, his Dao heart had become even more steadfast than before—the Butcher was happy for him and decided not to hide it. "Back then, I was still something of a scholar. Although I was tall and sturdy, I was well-read in poetry and literature, and my essays and poems were somewhat famous. At that time, I was a literary man, indulging in a life of luxury and pleasure, frequenting the red-light districts. It wasn't until the enemy invaded, the country was broken, and my family was lost that I saw the horrors of that time. I threw away my brush and ink, drew my blade, and joined the army to go to the battlefield. Hundreds of scholars from the south of the river went with me. Those who returned..."
His voice was hoarse. "Only me."
Qin Mu patted him on the shoulder.
The Butcher let out a turbid breath and said, "The blade on the battlefield is different from the blade you encounter in ordinary times. The blade on the battlefield is a blade of slaughter, but also a blade of redemption."
Qin Mu was slightly startled and asked for an explanation.
The Butcher said, "The blade kills the enemy and protects the land behind it, the people living in that land. The blade of reckless courage spills blood within five steps, avenging grievances with pleasure. The blade of the battlefield gallops a thousand miles, hands covered in blood, saving countless lives! Come with me to the battlefield, to see our comrades and brothers!"
Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken, and he followed him as they walked.
They traveled for dozens of days and arrived at the southern frontier battlefield. After the Ten Celestial Venerables had divided the Primordial Realm, the pressure on Yan Kang had greatly increased. The first force to attack Yan Kang was under the command of the Southern Earth's Celestial Venerable Fire, a mixed force of humans and demigods, attacking Yan Kang, capturing cities and territories.
These gods, demons, and cultivators came from the Southern Heaven, humans and demigods of the Southern Heaven.
The Butcher and Qin Mu each used false names and enlisted in the army.
"The army on the other side is also human," a soldier said, trembling as he looked at the opposing forces.
"Don't think that way."
An old soldier comforted him, saying, "Think about what's behind you. Behind you is Yan Kang! The people of Yan Kang! If you treat the enemy on the other side as human, you'll be the one who dies, along with the people you're supposed to protect!"
"Huff, huff..."
Someone was panting heavily, his legs shaking, his face pale with tension, struggling to breathe. "This is my first time on the battlefield. I've only practiced with other students at the university, never really been in battle..."
"Just follow me later."
An old soldier with a scar on his face laughed, "Remember what the teacher taught you in class? When you see someone waving a flag in the sky, stand up. When you hear the drum, continuous drumming means advance. When the drum quickens, run and charge. When you hear the bell, stop. When you hear the drum and gong, retreat. Also, there will be people skilled in divine consciousness who will send messages directly to our minds, so there won't be mistakes."
The scarred old soldier then looked at Qin Mu and handed him a water pipe, laughing, "You don't look nervous. Are you an old soldier? Smoke this. It tastes good."
Qin Mu took the water pipe, took a puff, and said, "I've been to the Grand Heavenly Emperor Heaven battlefield before, fought a bit blindly."
"The Grand Heavenly Emperor Heaven battlefield? That was over twenty years ago."
The scarred old soldier's spirits lifted, and he waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, gather around this brother! Our squad, come here!"
The other cultivators gathered around. The scarred old soldier grinned and said, "There's an old soldier here who's been to the Grand Heavenly Emperor Heaven! When the fight starts, we'll charge together. Follow him, and our chances of survival are greater! Come on, everyone, remember each other's faces. We need to get familiar!"