Chapter 133

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Chapter 133: Martyr

Five Elements Sect, Zhang Wanjing’s Cave

"Senior brother, why don’t you persuade our father? Do you know what reform means?"

Lin Jiang felt that he would be driven crazy by this father and son. Why ruin a good life by getting involved in this matter? If he wanted to die, couldn’t he just find a piece of tofu to hit his head?

"Know"

"If you know but won’t persuade him, do you expect your father to die? If your father died, would it be good for you to inherit the family property? Your father doesn’t have any property anyway."

"My junior apprentice and I have been working with my father for several years. Have you ever seen me persuade my father?"

"Seems like not."

"Since we know persuasion won’t work, why waste our breath?"

"But this time your father is playing with fire, you know? People will die. It doesn’t matter how righteous and selfless you usually are, but your father’s actions involve their core interests. They might give your father face, but reforms are different. They’ll change whatever needs to be changed, and take who’s interests? Isn’t it taking the interests of the higher-ups? Do you think if they get their core interests affected, they’ll still be courteous to you? Blocking someone’s financial path is like killing their parents, do you understand?"

Lin Jiang almost yelled it out. Reform is not a new term. It essentially means redistributing interests. Some people have taken too much, while others have taken too little. The excess interests should be given to those who have less. That’s reform.

But do those beneficiaries of vested interests willingly give up their benefits? No one would want to. If they were so selfless, then there would be no need for reform. Every reform has bloodshed and sacrifice. Why should it be our own people’s blood?

"I know everything Junior Apprentice said."

"Know why not stop, if persuasion doesn’t work, just throw a tantrum, find your mother, let everyone persuade you. Compared to life, what does face mean?"

"Face indeed means nothing, but does belief matter?"

"What?"

"Belief, or rather, the state of one’s heart. My father decided a long time ago to devote himself to the sect. As his child, how can I bear to ruin his beliefs? Isn’t that the same as death? If it truly comes to that, I will go with my father."

"You’re crazy, your father is crazy, and you’re crazy too!"

Lin Jiang shouted loudly. He originally thought Zhang Shuhua wasn’t that crazy, but it seems he was mistaken. A madman gives birth to another madman, a little madman.

"Junior brother, if you don’t want to stay and accompany us, then go ahead. My father won’t blame you."

Zhang Shuhua calmly said. He had long discussed Lin Jiang’s personality problems with his father, but Zhang Wanjing didn’t pay attention. Zhang Wanjing believed that he could move people.

"Then go!"

Lin Jiang walked away with his legs, but as he walked, scenes of him and Zhang Wanjing kept appearing in his mind. Lin Jiang had to admit that, after living for over two hundred years, besides when he was with the Lin family, Zhang Wanjing had treated him the best.

Zhang Wanjing didn’t mind his background or qualifications, he took him on as a personal disciple. During those years, Zhang Wanjing didn’t put any pressure on Lin Jiang and allowed him to grow freely, even giving him a Building Foundation Pill.

These years, Lin Jiang followed by Zhang Wanjing’s side, and Zhang Wanjing patiently taught him, treating him no different than Zhang Shuhua. Lin Jiang often spoke without restraint, but Zhang Wanjing didn’t get angry with him.

"One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. Damn, that Lin family father was really easy to deal with. Why isn’t this father as easy to handle?"

In the end, Lin Jiang didn’t break Zhang Wanjing’s defensive formation at home, but turned around and went back.

"Master, are you going to sleep?"

"Come in."

"What are you still writing?"

Lin Jiang pushed the door open and saw Zhang Wanjing buried in writing something at the desk.

"Just some suggestions, why don’t you go ask Zhang Shuhua to persuade me?"

"Like father, like son. It’s better for me to convince you myself than having the senior brother do it."

"Haha, sure, I’ll give you a chance to persuade me."

Zhang Wanjing said, ever since Lin Jiang found out about his plans for reform within the sect, Lin Jiang has been opposing him. He wants to see what his young disciple can say.

"If I say that reform will cause your death, you would surely say that you’re not afraid of death, right?"

"Yes, as long as we don’t become immortals, humans are bound to die, Xiao Yi. Living is not just about cultivating, there are many things worth doing."

"I didn’t realize you had such deep feelings for the sect."

"That’s because you don’t know about my past."

"You can speak."

Okay, I’ll tell you. My background is the same as yours. I lived in a village with ordinary people. My parents were just ordinary people. Besides farming, they didn’t know anything else. Our village was big and we had two special people called cultivators. We gave them the best things we had, like food, cloth, and even young girls. Whatever they wanted, we gave to them.

Later, monsters came and they ran away. Our whole village became the monsters’ food. But the monsters didn’t eat us all at once. They kept watching us and sometimes they would eat one of us in a day, and other times it would be every two or three days.

Our parents were willing to be eaten by the monsters in order to protect us. That year, I was ten years old. Eventually, there were only a few dozen children left in the village, and it was my turn. That’s when my mentor appeared and saved me.

He brought us to the Five Elements Sect and took care of us for many years. Until it was discovered that I had a Spiritual Root, he became my master and taught me how to read and cultivate.

Later, my mentor also died in a conflict with an independent cultivator. When he was brought back, he had very little breath left. I asked him why he had to fight so hard, why he couldn’t run away. My mentor said that the sect had raised and cultivated him, so if he ran away, how could he repay the sect?

Afterwards, I thought that it was the Five Elements Sect that saved me, avenging our whole village. The Five Elements Sect raised and cultivated me, so I wanted to dedicate my entire life to the sect. That way I would repay the sect, repay my mentor, and repay my fellow villagers.

"There are many ways to repay kindness, but you chose the dumbest one."

"Maybe you’re right. But then I think, if everyone in the world becomes smart, who will be the dumb one? There has to be someone a little bit dumb, right? Since no one wants to be dumb, then I’ll be the good one."

"You…"

Lin Jiang was speechless for a moment. He knew he couldn’t convince Zhang Wanjing no matter what. Zhang Wanjing was a very determined person. If he made up his mind about something, he would stick to it.

"Master, do you want to become a martyr?"

"What is a martyr?"

"You treat dedication to the sect as your belief. Now, you have a chance. You will seize it because you think sacrificing yourself for the sect is the noble path for you. It’s tragic enough."

"Makes sense, maybe. I’ve been tired all these years. Maybe it’s time to put an end to it."

Zhang Wanjing fell silent. A martyr sounded impressive. Maybe he would be willing to become one.

He had been exhausted all these years. He had to deal with many people, resolve the daily conflicts within the sect, and prevent the higher-ups from emptying the sect. Despite doing what he believed was right, not everyone liked him. He was tired.

If his sacrifice could wake up the sect, then he was willing to make it.

"But, Master, martyrs are also failures. People won’t thank you, only mock your failure. All your efforts will become meaningless under their interference. Many years later, when people talk about Zhang Wanjing, they will only recall the absurdity of the master…"

"Impossible, my Five Elements Sect can’t be like this."

"Why impossible? You are a loser."

"I won’t fail."

"How can you guarantee your success? Reforms always come from the top down. You are only the Deputy Hall Master, there are at least ten people in the sect who are on the same level as you. They can undermine you at any time. The sect also has fifteen elders who can remove you at any time. What do you have to contend with them?"

"The sect’s Martial Uncle supports me."

"The sect’s Martial Uncle is only one person. How many loyal followers does he have? How many direct descendants? Can they compete with the other fourteen elders? Moreover, during the reform, can you guarantee the interests of the sect’s Martial Uncle? What about his loyal followers and direct descendants? Aren’t they the ones benefiting now?"

"Um…"

"Master, the sect is very old, and when things get old, problems arise. It’s like ordinary people, as they get older, they develop many problems. I don’t oppose your reforms now, but I hope you can do it in the right way. I hope you can win."

Lin Jiang said, having a crazy master, a crazy senior brother, having one more crazy junior brother doesn’t matter anymore.

He lived for over two hundred years, always being very careful. He always chose to be safe, but this time, he decided not to. He would go crazy with this crazy father and son, perhaps this would be his Lin Jiang’s youth after thousands of years.

But Lin Jiang was still rational, even if he decided to go crazy once, it wasn’t completely crazy. He hoped Zhang Wanjing would win. In his life, having someone like Zhang Wanjing was what made it exciting enough for him, Lin Jiang.

"Xiao Yi, you know a lot about these things."

Zhang Wanjing smiled meaningfully at Lin Jiang. These words seemed to be beyond what someone should know.

"The Library Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect has many books, not necessarily about cultivation, Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation. But they are very interesting. No one reads them, but I do. So, I have gained some insights into human nature. If Master trusts me, then I, as a disciple, will be your strategist once and give you advice."

"Haha, of course I trust you. With your help, I have a little more chance of winning."

Zhang Wanjing showed a victorious smile. Both of his disciples supported him. This was a good thing, a great thing.

"Today, the disciple’s mind is in turmoil, and I don’t know how to express many things. So, I will go back first. Tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, I will come back to seek advice from Master and strategize for you."

"Okay, then go back and rest for now."

"Disciple takes leave."

Lin Jiang nodded and then left Zhang Wanjing’s room. At the door, he saw Zhang Shuhua, who was not his usual cold self, smiling at him.

"I hope they don’t plot against me, these father and son."

Lin Jiang felt a chill down his spine as he looked at Zhang Shuhua’s smile. He couldn’t help but feel like he had fallen into the trap they had set.