Chapter 442: The Root Cause

Chapter 442: The Reason's Origin

Though the court now lies gnawed to the core by Confucianism, reduced to rotten timber, the millions of sinful denizens of the Wokoku region fear not you or I, the brocade‑clad sentinels, nor any affluent clan of exalted rank, nor the high‑born aristocrats of Confucianism; the sole terror that haunts them is the Great Ming Empire itself!

Su Ce spoke in a measured tone, "Should we cast aside our flying fish robes and cast off the embroidered spring blades, those deferential Wokoku marauders before us would instantly transform into fiercer bandits than you, and neither you nor I could restrain them!"

Having reached this juncture, further discourse would be futile.

Su Ce's voice softened, "Return to your homes, ponder deeply; there is no need to lodge a report with the thousand‑household office, keep it within yourselves."

Thousand‑household official, what course shall you take?

This is the sole utterance of Li Jun in the whole meeting.

All held their breath, eyes fixed upon the lofty Su Ce enthroned at the apex.

Regardless of the thoughts that stirred within them, their eyes revealed a hint of concern.

"What? You little whelps, not even having attained the fourth rank, dare to care for my mighty lord? You are fortunate not to have lived in an age of divided martial arts, and have not witnessed my killing prowess back then. Otherwise, you would not dare to fix such a gaze upon me!"

Su Ce lifted his hand, laughing and scolding, "Enough, enough—scram quickly, attend to your own affairs!"

Having spoken, Su Ce rose without hesitation and departed the hall first.

The gathered brocade guards stared wide‑eyed, uncertain whether to disperse or remain, frozen in indecision.

"Esteemed ones, I beseech you to remember the kindness of the thousand‑household official today!"

Likewise, the silent Prince Ming spoke suddenly, then departed briskly, taking the black‑clad monk with him.

The wild old man and the other hundred‑household officers, who took their cue from Prince Ming's stare, immediately quick‑stepped after them.

"What are you feigning? The most obvious rebellious spirit in your back is that bald donkey!"

Long Yan muttered, then turned to gaze upon the unmoving Li Jun seated before him.

"Lord Yan, it appears the thousand‑household's intention is now set; what shall we do?"

Qiong Qi, looking displeased, added, "Indeed, are we to watch helplessly as the New Eastern Lin faction does away with the Wokoku brocade guards?"

"Reconsidering this is futile; our urgent concern should be which house to wager upon! The contest among Confucian houses is not merely about rank, but about strength. The newly arrived first‑rank house scion may not overcome those who have long stood."

Pan Wei, undeterred by the angry gazes of Long Yan and Qiong Qi, addressed Li Jun solemnly: "This time, the four cities must advance or retreat together; only then can the chance of victory be maximized."

"All."

Li Jun cut off Pan Wei, looked up, and smiled at the three: "I am merely a warrior who knows how to fight; if this is a matter of killing, you may follow me into the fray. As for 'betting,' you ought not ask me, nor need you."

"How to proceed is up to you; as for retreat, I shall guarantee it!"

After speaking, Li Jun pushed back his chair, stood alone, and walked toward the opposite side of the hall.

The wild old man, his face grim, sat in the carriage's rear, his words pent up; he clenched his mouth, then glanced at the black‑clad monk ahead.

"Rest assured, the blood river is made up of our own kin."

Hearing Prince Ming's words, the old man exhaled a heavy breath, his voice cold: "Just now, when I incited, Su Ce showed no reaction; it seems this old man has truly been frightened by the New Eastern Lin faction and has resolved to let the Wokoku brocade guards be disbanded!"

"Even the Buddha worries about falling back into the mortal realm; how much more so for Su Ce, a mere mortal?"

Prince Ming scoffed, "The older one becomes, the softer his heart; he is unworthy of the thousand‑household post."

"But this is fine; we need no longer hide behind the thousand‑household office, now we can lay everything openly."

The old man's tense muscles finally relaxed, a smile spreading across his face: "Having lingered in this barren mountain and foul water for so many years, I thought I'd spend my life here; now at last the chance to leave arrives."

"Now it's just the beginning of the wager; the outcome remains uncertain, old man, are you so confident?"

"With Prince Ming here, what have I to fear?"

The old man lazily replied, "At worst I'll bet on Liu's side; the Edo city can swallow it, and a tiny Shiga should pose no problem."

Prince Ming smiled slyly, "If that's what you truly think, I can help you contact Liu Dian right now?"

"No, no."

The old man waved his hands repeatedly, aware that Prince Ming had seen his thoughts, and said awkwardly, "I was only saying that; you know, if I approached now, Liu would press down my price. So I shall wait until the Wokoku Confucian house is taken over first."

"You figure it out yourself."

"Alright, I'll return, weigh it carefully, then tell you, Prince Ming, when I have a decision."

"Go."

The old man's silhouette suddenly flickered, the light weaving through his features beginning to recede.

Just as his form was about to vanish, the old man spoke suddenly: "How shall we deal with Jiao Miao? This boy has boldness, daring to conspire with Lord Yan, and now acts as a spy among us."

"It is human nature; after all, in his eyes, Lord Yan truly would kill him."

Prince Ming whispered, "Leave him be; he still has use."

"Understood."

The old man's silhouette disappeared within the carriage.

"Brother, the hundred‑household officer of Matsumoto Castle, Lu Yu, has sent a chat invitation; shall we connect?"

A cold, rigid voice emanated from the black‑clad monk.

"No need; just tell him that if he worries about risk, I can help him contact Liu Dian."

Prince Ming chuckled, "Seeking a horse while riding a donkey, waiting for the price—these are all clever folk."

"Then must we go see Liu Dian? He previously said, please, brother, meet at the Imperial Mercy Office after the meeting to discuss matters."

"Ignore him, return directly to the household office."

Prince Ming coldly laughed, "We cannot go anywhere now."

"Brother, do you doubt Su Ce?"

Prince Ming frowned, "I do not believe a martial artist who has survived the age of divided martial arts would still cherish these phantom emotions! Let the old men investigate first; if Su Ce has truly become so aged that even his claws have fallen off, we can act later."

"Blood River, keep the underlings quiet during this time; anyone who speaks out of turn knows what will be done."

"I shall obey the brother's command."

Prince Ming nodded, as if recalling something, and asked, "By the way, has the incense money I borrowed from the temple been released?"

"Not yet. But I have asked; the temple is holding a meeting, and the funds should be released soon."

"A bunch of mischievous old fools!"

Prince Ming cursed sharply, "When the money arrives, notify me immediately!"

"Understood."

In the speeding carriage, Prince Ming lowered the window, his elbow resting on the sill, calmly watching the swift streets, his index finger gently tracing the red, cinnabar‑like mark at his brow.

"Su Ce, what exactly do you intend to do?"

"Sir, what exactly are you intending to do?"

Before the expansive map of the Wokoku region that covered the entire wall, Su Ce stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

He measured each undulating hill with his naked eye, surveying every winding river.

Su Ce did not answer Li Jun's question, but raised his hand toward the southwestern corner of the map, saying, "Back then, when I followed Emperor Longwu into Wokoku, I set foot here."

Back then, the Jinyiwei served as the vanguard of the entire army. Under my leadership, we infiltrated the cities ahead of time to sabotage infrastructure, gather intelligence, and assassinate key figures. The only opponents qualified to clash with us at the time were the personal guards of the pirate royal family. Even then, they were barely worth a glance; they were simply no match for us.

The Jinyiwei were at their absolute zenith in those days. A standard seven-man squad featured three martial-sequence operatives dedicated to frontal assault, one yin-yang-sequence specialist responsible for concealing our tracks and dream-theft interrogations, one dao-sequence mystic handling long-range fire suppression, and two mohist-sequence engineers managing logistics. Their synergy was seamless, their combat prowess terrifying.

On open terrain, even a pirate master a full sequence rank higher would have no choice but to bow their head and await death if they crossed paths with such a Jinyiwei squad.

Su Ce’s finger traced a path from the southwestern corner deep into the heart of the pirate territory, sketching a distinct line of march across the map.

The entire campaign progressed smoothly. Wherever the Empire's spearhead pointed, it crushed all resistance like dry weeds rotting before a gale, achieving total pacification across the realm in just one short month. Do you know why this Thousand-Household Office was built here? Because this spot used to be the council chamber of the pirate royals. The bones of their entire imperial clan lie buried right beneath the foundations of this building.

Su Ce sighed with genuine emotion. But looking back, those pirates did possess a certain resilience. Over the years, they have been slaughtered down to a mere handful, yet every now and then, some still leap out to revolt.

Su Ce turned around, staring at Li Jun as he asked, Kid, would you say that deep in a man's bones, his genes compel him to fear the strong, or to become the strong?

Li Jun stood frozen by the question. After a long silence, he spoke. Fearing the strong is merely a means of survival; becoming the strong is the ultimate purpose of the genes.

Then you have now witnessed the bloodless, murderous stratagems of the Confucian sequence, tasted the awe-inspiring celestial wrath of the Dao sequence high above the cosmos, and endured the eerie unpredictability of the Buddhist sequence's earthly paradise. Let me ask you now—are you not afraid? Do you not tremble?

Of course I am afraid.

Li Jun’s expression was entirely candid as he grinned. But what I fear is dying before I have slain those I wish to slay, and before I have taken the vengeance I am owed.

Not for the sake of survival?

Does kneeling guarantee life?

It does.

Living like a dog—can that even be called living?

Only by staying alive do you get a chance.

Once you kneel, you lose all chances forever.

But the enemies before you all want to see you on your knees, packed together, too numerous to count.

From Chengdu Prefecture to this place, my eyes have long been bloodshot from killing. The color I have seen most is the piercing, blinding red of blood.

Just to stand tall?

Just to stand tall.

This solitary path is not an easy one to walk.

Cut through the mountains, bridge the waters. With a blade in hand, a path opens beneath your feet.

Good, marvelous!

Su Ce’s brows twitched as the solemnity on his face dissolved into a hearty, delighted laugh.

It was well worth risking my old dignity to demand your transfer from Chongqing Prefecture.

Li Jun was struck with shock upon hearing this, asking in horror, The person who transferred me from Chongqing Prefecture to the pirate territory back then was you?

Who else could it be but me? You didn't honestly think the New Donglin Party would just let a rogue who dared murder an imperial prince off the hook so easily, all because of some Legalist protection? And then thoughtfully place you under a martial-sequence sect leader like me?

Su Ce lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, sneering. But those insidious bastards didn't have good intentions either. Their goal was also to see what a rogue martial-sequence operative actually looks like, so they could prepare their countermeasures in advance.

Right now you are only at Martial Five, so you aren't worth their attention yet. When you advance to Martial Four, they will leap out to court you frantically. Whether it is wealth, power, strength, or women, they will grant whatever you desire. But once you reach my sequence, these Confucian clans will target you at every turn, scheming relentlessly to ruin you. So whenever you leave the pirate territory in the future, you must beware of the Confucian sequence!

These words of Su Ce were clearly born of hard-won experience, and Li Jun etched them into his mind word for word.

Why did you help me? Just because I am a rogue martial-sequence operative?

Nonsense, I lost interest in the martial sequence a long time ago. What do I care if you belong to a sect or walk alone?

Two plumes of smoke billowed from Su Ce's nose. In just two or three drags, the cigarette was already burnt to the stub.

I helped you because Yan Bahuang was a soldier under my command back then. Though I never quite liked his stubborn, rigid temper, I have to admit he was one of those rare, genuinely good men. What you did for him at the Golden Pavilion possessed a spark of the bloody defiance I had in my youth, which is why I lent a hand. Looking at it now, though, it seems that was a very right decision.

Su Ce’s reasoning was simple to the point of casualness, yet Li Jun felt it was precisely how it should be.

As for what you asked earlier about today's meeting.

Su Ce stepped over to sit in a grand armchair, asking with a smile, What do you think I intend to do?

A test.

Li Jun directly voiced the suspicion in his heart. You want to see who will choose to align themselves with the clans!

And then what? Whoever aligns with the clans has treasonous intent, so I kill them? Lest you forget, most of the officials currently overseeing the New Policy in the various cities are also born of the clans. The difference between them is merely one of scale; in essence, they are no different.

Su Ce shook his head. Besides, testing human nature in the face of profit and life or death is inherently meaningless. If I truly wanted to rebel, I wouldn't have waited until today. The moment the New Donglin Party decided to implement the New Policy, I could have led my people to join Honghu. Though my current strength is a shadow of its former self, securing a spot as one of the top three Heavenly Kings in Honghu wouldn't be an issue.

Li Jun said in a heavy voice, Even if we do not rebel, as long as we band together, it will not be so easy for the New Donglin Party to disband the Jinyiwei in the pirate territory!

The New Donglin Party's target is me; the disbandment is merely a superficial excuse. If I were to let you young whelps shield me from the arrows at a time like this, it would be too damn pathetic.

Su Ce’s tone turned magnificent. Whether marching against enemies in the outcast lands of old, or vying for supremacy against other sequences within the Empire proper, there has never been one of my own men standing in front of me, Su Ce. I have always been the vanguard arrow piercing through the front lines!

So this time, I do not need you to stand as a wall before me. In fact, only after I drive all of you away can I truly unleash my hands and feet to thoroughly slaughter those I have wanted to kill all these years!