# Chapter 507: The Shocking Questions
"Only now do I realize that Wen Yuan's vision and ability far surpass us former Sect Leaders."
In the garden behind Wen Yuan Hall, the former Sect Leaders each rose to their feet. Si Yuanwei sighed with emotion, then suddenly recalled something and said, "Why did I take you as my disciple back then? I suddenly realize my judgment was actually excellent!"
The Young Patriarch's face flushed slightly. "When Master took me as a disciple, she said it was because I was handsome and had good aptitude. But of course, the main reason was that I was handsome."
Qin Mu looked around. Everyone here was exceptionally attractive. Among the Heavenly Demon Sect's successive Sect Leaders, including the Young Patriarch, not a single one was ugly.
Si Yuanwei's face also reddened slightly as she laughed. "I remember now. I took you as my disciple intending for you to use romantic love to break my Dao heart. My Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra focuses on cultivating the heart. I broke my master's Dao heart, so I ascended to the Sect Leader's seat. I also needed someone to break my Dao heart. As they say, without breaking, there can be no establishment. If you could break my Dao heart, you would become Sect Leader. If you couldn't, it would allow me to advance further, perhaps even become a demon or god. But later, I was on guard against you, and Yu Lian Sect Leader exploited the opportunity to ambush me."
Yu Lian Sect Leader looked smug. "Master only guarded against Little Junior Brother's romantic advances, not realizing that hidden arrows are hard to defend against. How old was Little Junior Brother back then? Yet you already had your eye on him. If you hadn't harbored such intentions and been more vigilant against me, perhaps Little Junior Brother truly could have become the Saint Sect Leader."
Qin Mu fell into thought. The reason the Heavenly Demon Sect had the character "demon" in its name was likely related to this kind of master-disciple inheritance.
This style of master indulging disciples in ambushing them could only be called demonic. It was like Li Tianxing. When Granny Si ambushed Li Tianxing, she was only at the Heavenly Being realm, utterly incapable of killing Li Tianxing, who had already reached the Divine Bridge realm, through true strength.
Yet Li Tianxing gave her that opportunity.
The master-disciple conflict in the Heavenly Demon Sect should have originated from the founding patriarch. However, the founding patriarch's purpose was to ensure each generation of the Heavenly Demon Sect surpassed the previous one. So he established the rule that a disciple who defeated their master could become the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader.
But this rule gradually changed over time. Combined with the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra's bizarre and unpredictable nature, which easily bred demonic tendencies, this seemingly good rule slowly evolved into its current form.
The Young Patriarch smiled. "If I had become the Saint Sect Leader, I would likely have been like all of you, entangled in the interests of the Heavenly Saint Church while ignoring the common people. Not becoming Sect Leader actually fulfilled me."
The successive Sect Leaders nodded in agreement.
"As for Qin Sect Leader..."
Si Yuanwei turned to look at Qin Mu, paused for a moment, then said, "We won't hold your irregular ascension to the Sect Leader's seat against you. After becoming Sect Leader, you've done reasonably well. But any of us could have done just as well in your position."
Qin Mu said humbly, "That's natural. All the former Sect Leaders are outstanding figures. If you had been in my position, you would certainly have done better than me. It's just that when you were in my position, you accomplished nothing."
The faces of the many former Sect Leaders twitched violently, their expressions shifting between light and dark as they barely restrained the urge to kill him.
This kid was emboldened by his position. After all, he was the Saint Sect Leader, bearing the heavy responsibility of passing down the teachings. The Stone Transmission still depended on him to pass it to the next Sect Leader. If they killed him, the Heavenly Demon Sect would be finished.
Qin Mu said seriously, "I was rude just now. I was merely indignant that you were using wrong and outdated rules to restrict later generations, so I offended you. I apologize to all the successive Sect Leaders of the Saint Church."
The successive Sect Leaders' expressions relaxed. Zu Yang Sect Leader quickly helped him up, laughing, "Little Qin Sect Leader has achieved what none of us could, and we truly admire that. Among the successive Sect Leaders, even if you can't rank in the top three, you can certainly rank in the top five. People say everything is empty after death. Such minor grievances don't weigh on our minds."
Hu Jun Sect Leader laughed, "Besides admiring your cultivation achievements, we're more worried that after you return, you won't let the sect members burn paper money and offer sacrifices to us during festivals!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
Everyone laughed. "We don't want to end up like those poor scholars in the Human Sovereign Hall, with no one even burning paper for them!"
"The current Human Sovereign of Human Sovereign Hall is truly unfilial. During festivals, there's not even incense, paper money, or offerings. Look, no matter how glorious the Human Sovereigns of Human Sovereign Hall were in life, they're just as poor now. Unlike us—glorious in life, glorious in death!"
Everyone roared with laughter. The Young Patriarch laughed a few times too, then suddenly remembered Qin Mu and quickly glanced at him.
Qin Mu forced a few dry laughs. Fortunately, he was now faceless and skinless, or else his face would definitely be bright red.
The successive Sect Leaders of the Heavenly Demon Sect didn't know that his other identity was the current Human Sovereign. The reason the successive Human Sovereigns of Human Sovereign Hall were so poor was also related to this Human Sovereign not going to burn paper and offer incense.
"After returning to Yann Kang, I must definitely visit Human Sovereign Hall and let the successive Human Sovereigns live prosperous lives. They can't remain so impoverished!" he resolved silently.
"Qin Sect Leader."
The Young Patriarch said seriously, "Now that you've met me, what do you plan to do after returning to the mortal world?"
The laughter stopped. Everyone looked at him, waiting to see how he would respond.
Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then smiled. "After I return to the Yann Kang Kingdom, I will first open roads."
"Open roads first?"
The Young Patriarch frowned. "Roads and transportation are certainly convenient for the people, but they also cost a lot of money. The Yann Kang Kingdom has experienced several major wars, and the national treasury is empty. For the sake of people's livelihood, why open roads first? The Yann Kang Kingdom already had well-developed roads. Opening new roads now would waste labor and money."
Qin Mu said boldly, "Because I have already pacified the Western Lands!"
The Young Patriarch's heart shook violently. "You led troops to conquer the Western Lands? How many troops did you bring? The Western Lands are so vast—how did you conquer them?"
The other successive Sect Leaders were also greatly shaken, finding it hard to believe.
"Just me, along with Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qi'er. I pacified the Western Lands."
Qin Mu smiled slightly. "The Western Lands have now been incorporated into Yann Kang. But the Western Lands are a hundred thousand li away from the Central Lands. As they say, the whip is too long to reach, and the emperor is far away. Currently, there are no roads connecting the Central and Western Lands. In the short term, the Western Lands may remain peaceful, but over time, unrest will surely arise. What I want to do is open transportation between the Western and Central Lands!"
The Young Patriarch and the successive Sect Leaders couldn't believe his words. They walked back and forth, holding their foreheads. Suddenly, a former Sect Leader stopped and said solemnly, "Between the Central Lands and the Western Lands lie the Great Ruins and the Flame Desert. The shortest distance is still a hundred thousand li! You want to build a hundred-thousand-li road?"
Qin Mu said, "Not just one. My plan includes two roads. Both must be extremely flat, allowing chariots, horses, and armies to pass quickly. The fastest cavalry riding exotic beasts should be able to travel ten thousand li day and night!"
"Wrong!"
That former Sect Leader said sternly, "Do you have that much money? Does the Yann Kang Kingdom have that much money? Paving roads means paving with money, with divine abilities, with human lives! Although our Saint Church has the Artisan Hall, if you make the Artisan Hall do this road-paving work, it will cost countless money and exhaust countless Artisan Hall disciples to death!"
Qin Mu shook his head. "No. During my trip to the Western Lands, I saw that their roads are far more developed than Yann Kang's. The True Heaven Palace's divine abilities can be used to pave roads. I am on good terms with the major families of the Western Lands. I can invite the True Heaven Palace Master to lead the Western Lands' cultivators in paving the roads. A thousand li of road can be paved in a single day. A hundred-thousand-li road can be paved in a hundred days, and the cost won't be too high."
That former Sect Leader's eyes lit up, and he smiled as he stepped back. The other successive Sect Leaders continued circling around Qin Mu. Suddenly, Si Yuanwei stopped and said, "What about the Flame Desert? The Flame Desert stretches for tens of thousands of li, dry and waterless. If you open a road, it will be buried by sand and dust, completely useless! By then, people on the road will be trapped in hardship and die on the road!"
Qin Mu said, "Now that the Yann Kang National Master has killed the True Heaven Old Mother, the desert's flames have already been extinguished. We only need to use the Black Tortoise Pearl to divert water and irrigate the desert, and the Azure Dragon Pearl to plant trees and vegetation. Turning the desert into grassland and forest is not difficult. The northern grasslands have snowy mountains that turn into rivers. I will divert water from the snowy mountains and create lakes in the desert, solving the water problem!"
Si Yuanwei smiled and also withdrew.
Another Sect Leader stopped and asked, "The shortest route passes through the Great Ruins. During the day, the Great Ruins are relatively peaceful, but at night, demonic monsters invade, and darkness encroaches. How do you ensure transportation?"
"Impossible to guarantee. But I can relocate the stone statues, gather them together, and use them to resist the darkness. One town every thousand li, one city every ten thousand li. These towns and cities will be situated between the two roads, providing places to rest. With these towns and cities, commerce between the Western Lands, the Great Ruins, and the Central Lands will inevitably flourish."
"You haven't said how to solve the money problem!"
"Once the roads are open, commerce will flow, and the money problem will naturally be solved!"
"The Great Ruins are not a smooth path. There are many strange and eerie occurrences. How do you turn thousands of mountains and rivers into a smooth road?"
"Cut through mountains where they block the way, build bridges where water blocks the path, and bow to gods where they stand in the way!"
"How wide will the road be?"
"Thirty-six zhang wide, with eight chariot tracks and four infantry paths."
"The chariot track width in the Western Lands differs from that in Yann Kang. How do you ensure smooth rail transportation?"
"Then standardize the chariot tracks!"
"The customs of the Western Lands differ from those of Yann Kang. What should be done?"
"Then standardize conduct!"
"The written language differs, and divine abilities differ. What then?"
"Then standardize the written language and open education!"
...
Suddenly, the twenty-eight former Sect Leaders all burst into laughter, bowed to Qin Mu, and paid their respects. "Qin Sect Leader can be called a Saint! You are worthy of the title Saint Sect Leader! We have already tested you on behalf of Li Sect Leader, and you have passed!"
Qin Mu returned the bow, sincerely saying, "Thank you, all Sect Leaders, for your shocking questions that enlightened my wisdom. I have learned much! After returning to the mortal world, I now have a path for reform and change. If my reforms achieve something in the future, turning natural barriers into thoroughfares, all the Sect Leaders will have contributed greatly!"
Everyone laughed heartily and rose to their feet.
The Young Patriarch was also very happy for them. Qin Mu had originally been at odds with the successive Sect Leaders, but now the previous grievances had been swept away, and he felt very gratified.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the hall. It was the bird-headed divine being Chi Xiu, calling out, "Qin Sect Leader, the King of Hell wants to personally interrogate you. Come out now!"
—Lalala, I am Zhai Zhu. Although my name has the character "pig" in it, I am not lazy at all! I am Zhai Zhu, updating as usual on the first day of the New Year. I feed myself a bag of salt!