Chapter 53: Let’s Fight
If that sentence had been spoken in anger or sarcasm, it would have been easy to answer. But Chen Changsheng was asking seriously.
He genuinely wanted to know the answer to this question.
In the stone chamber, upon seeing Wu Daozi and learning that Wang Zhice would appear, he had started pondering this question, yet he could never find an answer.
Since one side had to yield, why shouldn’t it be you?
If yielding meant falling into the abyss and dying, then why shouldn’t you die?
Those idealists who placed the world’s people above all else, who would not hesitate to shed blood and sacrifice themselves—why couldn’t they make that choice?
Wang Zhice didn’t know how to answer this question.
In his long life, he believed he had not been idle or useless; he had accomplished much and done many things for the human race.
Moreover, he trusted that he harbored great goodwill toward this world.
So whenever he looked back on the past, he felt no regret or shame—only calm and confidence.
Until today, hearing these words, he realized that those feelings were merely a hardened shell, incapable of yielding true flavor.
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Wang Zhice couldn’t answer Chen Changsheng’s question because he knew it was a real question.
The others didn’t know it was a real question, so they naturally assumed Chen Changsheng was insulting Wang Zhice.
Thus, angry rebuttals and sharp accusations kept ringing out.
“Then why don’t you go die?”
“Your Holiness the Pope can go die too!”
“Are you and the Saintess more important than the Daoist Master? More important than Lord Wang?”
From a practical standpoint, these words made sense.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong possessed extraordinary talent in cultivation, but they were still young and needed much time to enter the sacred domain.
Shang Xingzhou and Wang Zhice were legendary experts who had been famous for years.
If the human race wanted to defeat the demon race, the latter were naturally more important.
“My words are only about reason, not about strength; otherwise, Zhou Dufu wouldn’t have died back then.”
Hearing Chen Changsheng’s words, the noise in the field gradually subsided.
To this day, the entire continent couldn’t confirm Zhou Dufu’s life or death, but over the centuries, countless rumors had circulated.
Those rumors often involved Wang Zhice and were very dark.
Wang Zhice seemed to recall something, his expression dimming slightly.
Chen Changsheng continued, “Some believe the world’s people are paramount, worth countless sacrifices, and then use that to demand things of me. That’s why I asked that question. As for myself, I don’t think that way, so naturally, I don’t need to answer it.”
These words were a response to the accusations and also meant for Wang Zhice.
Wang Zhice was silent for a long time, then said with emotion, “In the end, it’s just selfishness.”
As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent.
Chen Changsheng was quiet for a moment, then said, “So it’s just selfishness after all.”
Xu Yourong watched him quietly, knowing he was hurting at that moment.
This wasn’t the answer Chen Changsheng had wanted, even though he should have anticipated it before asking the question.
From the Hundred Herb Garden to the Mausoleum of Books, the stage kept changing, but the same old plots were still being performed.
Under the starry sky, there was nothing new.
But what kind of ending would this story have?
If only—but there was no if only.
After centuries, Wang Zhice had reappeared before the world.
How many people would still be willing to support Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong?
The experts from the southern sects remained silent, and the heads of the Mu Zhe and Wu families had vanished somewhere.
Among the loyal priests of the Li Palace and the Imperial Religion cavalry, how many still had the courage to raise their weapons, knowing their opponent was Wang Zhice?
The Prince of Zhongshan snorted coldly, a hint of displeasure on his face, while the other princes, ministers, and several divine generals looked noticeably more relaxed.
In their view, the outcome of today’s standoff was already clear.
At that moment, a few young people entered the Mausoleum of Books.
They came to the divine path, joined the several Sword Hall elders present, and then stood behind Xu Yourong.
Throughout the process, they showed no hesitation or discussion; their movements and expressions were perfectly natural.
Xu Yourong smiled at them.
Chen Changsheng nodded in greeting.
Wang Zhice hadn’t seen these young people before, but he could guess they were Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, and Bai Cai.
The Li Mountain Sword Sect had been the vanguard of the human race against the demon race for centuries, with an excellent reputation and great influence.
Wang Zhice, living far from the world, knew this, but he didn’t know many things that had happened in recent years.
When he saw the Li Mountain Sword Sect so firmly standing with Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong, he couldn’t help but be surprised.
The southern sect experts, princes, and ministers were even more astonished—or rather, uneasy.
Gou Hanshi and the others were famous as the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, but they were still young; the several Sword Hall elders were the true elite experts.
More importantly, their actions represented the will of the Li Mountain Sword Sect’s sect master.
The will of a sacred domain expert had to be taken seriously, even by Wang Zhice and Shang Xingzhou.
Then, another sacred domain expert stepped forward.
The cold wind and snow fell on the dark iron blade, not melting but sticking to it.
Wang Po, holding his blade, said, “Chen Changsheng is right. If anyone should yield, it should be you.”
Even if Mao Qiuyu and Cao Yunping were present, it would be hard for them to withstand the pressure Wang Zhice exerted.
The Li Mountain Sword Sect’s sect master hadn’t come in person, perhaps for this very reason.
But Wang Po openly and unapologetically declared his support for Chen Changsheng, even with a sharp, cutting edge.
The era of wildflowers blooming had begun with Wang Po.
Perhaps for this reason, the senior experts of the human race all admired him.
Except for Zhu Luo and Su Li.
Wang Zhice also admired Wang Po, which made him even more puzzled.
He asked, “Why?”
Wang Po said, “Because he’s younger than you.”
Wang Zhice raised an eyebrow slightly. “Younger?”
“Youth is correctness,” Wang Po said.
“Or rather, when people get old, they tend to get confused.”
Wang Zhice said, “Overthinking can indeed dull one’s edge, but when the big picture is at stake, one must be cautious.”
Wang Po said, “Back when my family was raided by order of Emperor Taizong, you said nothing. Was that also for the big picture?”
Wang Zhice raised an eyebrow again, wanting to explain that he had already fallen under the emperor’s suspicion back then and had no influence over court affairs, and… but looking at Wang Po’s somewhat shabby eyebrows, he suddenly found these explanations meaningless. In the end, he could only let out a bitter laugh.
At that moment, Shang Xingzhou suddenly said to Chen Changsheng, “If you want to see your teacher’s true intentions clearly, these words alone are not enough.”
The meaning of this sentence seemed hard to grasp.
But Chen Changsheng understood, because that had been his intention all along.
“Yes, so I’ve thought of a way to help us see clearly what we really want.”
“What way?”
“None of us are willing to yield or die, and we all want to prove we’re right. So the only option is to fight it out.”
“I thought we were already on the battlefield.”
“No, there are too many people on this battlefield.”
“Everyone has a reason to fight.”
“But in the end, this is our matter. Why drag the whole world into it?”
Chen Changsheng looked at Shang Xingzhou seriously and said, “Master, let’s fight. Whoever wins, the other will listen.”
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(I warmly recommend the new book by the young girl Lian Sanyue! The book is called *I Am an Old Acquaintance*, and the address is: http://www.qidian.com/Book/xxxxx. The summary is as follows: He is the least cool, domineering, and arrogant CEO in CEO history. His original intention is that the world and good food should not be betrayed, so his wish is world peace and eating all the delicacies. She is the most cool, domineering, and arrogant secretary in secretary history. Her goal is to ruin the CEO, ruin the CEO, ruin the CEO. But the current problem is: Is the horse white or not? Who exactly is this CEO? The only thing troubling her is: Heavens, is this person the one I want to take revenge on! Also, I wrote this chapter with great difficulty. I hope you overlook this sentence. In fact, I was dissatisfied with this plot for two months, revised it countless times, and only today, when I wrote the last sentence, did I finally feel satisfied, relaxed, calm, and relieved. The hardest days are over. Ahead lies a brilliant radiance. Let them fight, let us love each other. Love you all.)
(37 Chinese)