Chapter 367

Chapter 367: Because I’m Awesome!

Hearing that familiar voice, Ye Tianming was somewhat surprised. He turned to look, and a woman stood not far in front of him.

It was the one-legged woman from before. The iron chain behind her was very conspicuous — one end fastened to her foot, the other end deeply embedded in the wall.

Ye Tianming was puzzled. “Why are you here?”

The one-legged woman looked at him and said calmly, “I guard all the official residences.”

Ye Tianming was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that all the official residences were guarded by this one person. As if a thought struck him, he asked, “Are you guarding the living beings below, or the gods above?”

The one-legged woman didn’t answer his question, but instead studied him with curiosity.

Ye Tianming asked again, “Miss, are you a divine being?”

The one-legged woman looked at him and didn’t answer that question either.

Seeing that the other party had no interest in conversation, Ye Tianming tactfully refrained from asking further and turned to walk away.

But just as he was about to leave the residence, the one-legged woman behind him suddenly spoke, “Are you truly doing this for all living beings?”

Ye Tianming stopped in his tracks.

The one-legged woman stared at his back and asked again, “Truly for all living beings?”

After a brief silence, Ye Tianming smiled and said, “My teacher once said something — do you know what it was?”

The one-legged woman shook her head.

Ye Tianming said, “My teacher said, acting for all living beings and acting for oneself are not in conflict.”

After a moment of silence, the one-legged woman said, “Young Master Ye, if you are not truly acting for all living beings, then you will absolutely be no match for that person.”

Ye Tianming slowly turned to look at the one-legged woman. “Miss, is that person truly my opponent?”

The one-legged woman’s dark brows furrowed.

Ye Tianming smiled and said, “Miss, let me guess — you must come from the age of the gods. You are guarding something, and right now you are hesitating, torn between choosing me or the other one. Because you cannot see through either of us, you hesitate. Why is that? Because… you simply do not know what the Ancestral God truly intends.”

The one-legged woman stared hard at Ye Tianming. “Why would you assume that the one above me is the Ancestral God?”

Ye Tianming smiled and said, “You are not afraid of divine beings, you guard all the official residences, suppressing those below and blocking those above — other than the Ancestral God, I truly cannot think of anyone else who could make you do this. Let me guess further — you are waiting, waiting for the right one… but do you truly know what the Ancestral God truly intends?”

The Ancestral God’s true intentions!

Hearing Ye Tianming’s words, the one-legged woman’s dark brows furrowed. “Are you telling me what to do?”

Ye Tianming glanced at her. “Why are you acting like you can’t think straight?”

The one-legged woman’s gaze turned ice-cold. The temperature in the space dropped to zero in an instant, and an invisible pressure enveloped Ye Tianming — yet he showed not the slightest fear.

Ye Tianming shook his head slightly. “I was simply asking whether you know what the Ancestral God truly intends. And you immediately say I’m telling you what to do… aren’t we just having a discussion? I’m genuinely shocked you would say that!”

The one-legged woman’s expression was blank. “Would I know Father God’s intentions less clearly than you?”

Ye Tianming smiled. “So have I been telling you what to do? Miss, you say you know the Ancestral God’s intentions — can you tell me, then, what those intentions are?”

The one-legged woman did not answer.

Ye Tianming shook his head. “If you truly knew the Ancestral God’s intentions, you would not have confined yourself here for so many years. It is precisely because you are uncertain that you cannot choose. You are waiting, watching… Let me tell you — the Ancestral God’s thoughts are in conflict. The fact that he suppresses both above and below is the best evidence. He wants balance, yet feels it is unfair to those at the bottom, but has no better option…”

As he spoke, he shook his head. “Whether it is humans or gods, the most dangerous thing is self-contradiction. I am not telling you all this because I want to win your support. To be frank, I don’t need your help — and besides, the path I am walking is not the Ancestral God’s path!”

The one-legged woman asked in return, “Why won’t you walk the Ancestral God’s path?”

Ye Tianming said plainly, “Because I’m that good.”

The one-legged woman: “…….”

She was clearly not accustomed to the way Ye Tianming spoke.

Ye Tianming glanced at her. “Miss, you are underestimating me, and you are underestimating my opponent. Simply put… a struggle at this level is not yours to play in. I don’t say that to belittle you — it is sincere goodwill. Don’t get involved, don’t pick a side, live well, and stop binding yourself for reasons that make no sense. You won’t move anyone, not even your Father God.”

With that, he turned and left.

Seeing Ye Tianming about to walk out of the residence, the one-legged woman suddenly asked again, “Do you know what Father God wants to do? He…”

Ye Tianming stopped, waved his hand, and once again cut off the one-legged woman. “I don’t care what he wants to do. Right now, what I, Ye Tianming, intend to do — no one can stop it.”

The one-legged woman’s expression darkened. “If you do this, every god will come after you. You…”

Ye Tianming cut her off again. “Do you see me taking the gods seriously?”

The one-legged woman said gravely, “Don’t get so full of yourself…”

Ye Tianming turned to look at the one-legged woman. “Miss, going back to where we started — you asked whether I am truly acting for all living beings. What you really meant to ask is whether I am staging a rebellion for my own sake. But let me ask you this: if the living beings of the residence universe don’t rebel, will the gods lift the restrictions and let them leave? Will they?”

The one-legged woman fell silent.

Ye Tianming continued, “The people below will resist. The first to resist was not I, Ye Tianming — it was the Sword Master of Guanxuan. If I don’t succeed, others will come after me.”

At that, he suddenly laughed. “Miss, let me ask you something — do you think the Ancestral God wants the people below to resist?”

The one-legged woman froze. She had never once considered that question.

Seeing the woman’s expression, Ye Tianming shook his head at once. “Miss, think about it — if your Father God truly didn’t care about the living beings inside the residences, why would he give them hope? If he truly only wanted balance, then balance had already been achieved long ago. Why would he then scatter the Dao? Right?”

The one-legged woman fell silent.

Ye Tianming continued, “And if he hadn’t scattered the Dao himself, I believe no god — not even the three supreme gods — could have harmed him. Right?”

The one-legged woman said, “Yes. No one could ever harm Father God.”

Ye Tianming nodded. “So his scattering of the Dao was precisely his hope to break this balance and give the most lowly living beings a chance… that is his true intention and purpose. So if you truly want to help him, then help me!”

Little Soul: “…….”

In that moment, it suddenly felt a familiar feeling… a feeling from a very, very long time ago — the era of the Human Realm Sword Master.

The one-legged woman was also left stunned by Ye Tianming’s words.

Ye Tianming continued, “Sometimes it isn’t that complicated. The Ancestral God scattered the Dao — that means he felt the old era’s ways were no longer working. He wanted something new, or perhaps a transformation. Miss, I, Ye Tianming, would not dare claim that my ideas and beliefs are necessarily right, but at least I dare to try. If you trust me, we can join forces and give it a go. If you don’t, then choose my opponent — I will not force anything.”

After a moment of silence, the one-legged woman said, “Young Master Ye, what you’ve said sounds like it could be a trick, but deep down I know there is reason in your words. I once thought the Sword Master of Guanxuan was the one Father God had chosen, but later I realized he was not — because the Sword Master of Guanxuan’s order was still one of balance. But you are not…”

Ye Tianming smiled. “I know what you are worried about, Miss — that I will use all living beings to achieve my own ends.”

The one-legged woman nodded.

Ye Tianming said, “I, Ye Tianming, am not so noble either. I admit that what I do is both for all living beings and for myself — and I also believe these two things are not in conflict. I… have a clear conscience.”

The one-legged woman fell silent.

Ye Tianming added, “I hope to persuade you, but I also respect you. If you choose me, I will be very grateful. If you don’t, I can understand.”

The one-legged woman suddenly asked, “What does that young woman in the plain white dress think?”

Ye Tianming fell silent.

The one-legged woman seemed to realize something and immediately said, “I’m sorry…”

Ye Tianming smiled. “Honestly, I truly don’t know what she thinks. But in my view, whether it’s all living beings, or order, or any other belief… in her eyes, those things are probably all quite trivial.”

The one-legged woman sighed softly. “She is truly unfathomable… Actually, if you were willing, Young Master, to let it be known that she supports you, I believe not only I but many, many others would be very, very willing to support you.”

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, “I have no right to use her like that.”

The one-legged woman looked puzzled.

Ye Tianming smiled. “It’s not that I’m being overly principled — I’m not a rigid person. But there are things a man should do and things he should not… What standing do I have to use her that way? Even if she might not be angry about it, I still feel it would be wrong.”

After a moment of silence, the one-legged woman nodded. “I understand. But Young Master Ye, do you know the connections and influence your opponent commands? All I can say is, it far exceeds your imagination.”

Ye Tianming said, “I’m mentally prepared for that.”

The one-legged woman said, “Have you ever considered taking a step back?”

Ye Tianming said, “Miss, you need to understand — between me and my opponent, this is not merely a contest of divine paths, it is a clash of beliefs. In a struggle like this… can you afford to back down? Besides, he isn’t backing down — how could I, Ye Tianming, back down? Whoever backs down dies. So I, Ye Tianming, have no way to retreat. One thing and one thing only: life and death be damned, fight to the bitter end!!”

As he spoke, he laughed. “Even if anyone is going to step aside, it will be him stepping aside for me, Ye Tianming — not me stepping aside for him!”