Chapter 540: Like a Dream

Chapter 540: Like a Dream

"Let me introduce myself. One of the Five Pillars of Tianque, Zhou Yuan."

"Jinyiwei of the Wa District, Li Jun."

Within the Elder Council, which had already been reduced to a scene of total ruin, the white-robed Zhou Yuan, his temples frosted with gray, looked at the exhausted youth before him. Hearing the words 'Wa District' in the identity the other party stated, a bitter smile could not help but form at the corners of his mouth.

"Regarding the Liaodong affair, Tianque was indeed in the wrong. Those two old men who took matters into their own hands are now regretting it to their very marrow, but they still cannot bring themselves to lose face and apologize to you. So, they have gone to the Liu Clan to cause trouble for Liu Jinxun instead. If you feel that you truly cannot swallow this grievance, I will have them come over in person right now."

"There is no need for that. My life now is slightly better than it used to be, but I am not so delicate that I cannot bear even a little grievance. If the two elders truly feel uneasy about it, then let them go to Old Man Su's grave and offer two sticks of incense."

Li Jun leaned lazily against the shattered wreckage of a pillar blasted by an artillery shell, his body sliding downward as he sat cross-legged on the ground.

He raised a hand to rub the congealed blood scabs on his face and smiled at Zhou Yuan. "Thanks for your help this time, Senior Zhou."

This word of thanks from Li Jun was not a casual remark, but came genuinely from the bottom of his heart.

If not for the intelligence and support provided by Tianque this time, things in the Central Academy could not possibly have proceeded so smoothly, nor could he have eliminated the two brothers, Liu Tu and Liu Dian, in succession over a single night.

Now that the dust had settled, Li Jun finally had the energy to review the entire event, tracing all clues and signs back from the end result, peeling away the layers one by one, only to discover that the waters were far deeper than he had imagined.

At first glance, he seemed to be at the very center of this storm in Jinling, but in truth, he was not.

The enmity between himself and Liu Dian was merely an inciting cause. One layer above was the conflict between the artisans and chivalrous knights within the Central Branch of the Mohist Order; yet another layer above was the succession struggle between the brothers Liu Tu and Liu Dian.

There was even a hidden, unseen, yet far more perilous struggle—the chess match between the New Donglin Party and the Spring and Autumn Society! At the same time, it was also a probe by Liu Jinxun toward Zhang Fengyue!

Regarding this final point, it was merely a guess on Li Jun's part, and he was not completely certain.

This was the rough conclusion he and Zou Sijiu had reached through analysis after Zheng Jizhi exposed the faction behind Liu Dian on the brink of death.

After all, for a figure of Zheng Jizhi's level, the only way he could have known the words 'Spring and Autumn Society' was from the mouth of Liu Dian.

In the words of Zou Sijiu, such a major taboo, which was no different from rebellion, would be something others would take to their graves. Yet Liu Dian even dared to tell a maternal uncle, which meant this matter was likely not much of a secret within the Liu Clan.

It was highly probable that Liu Jinxun had known about this long ago, and perhaps Liu Dian only dared to join the Spring and Autumn Society with his tacit permission.

In other words, Liu Dian was actually a bridge, or rather a buffer, between Liu Jinxun and the Spring and Autumn Society.

Otherwise, why would Lei Yao return to the Liu family carrying Liu Dian's head?

"Every single member of this family is rotten to the core. If you pull out a strand of their hair, it's probably hollow inside!"

This comment, blurted out by Zou Sijiu during his hindsight commentary with Li Jun, was felt by Li Jun to be extremely fitting, and he remembered it vividly to this day.

If not for Tianque's sudden intervention, which used an extremely brutal and direct method to forcibly shatter the chaotic situation, this storm would not have ceased tonight at all.

And deeply mired as he was, faced with an endless succession of troubles, he might have eventually lost his life here.

As for why Tianque's attitude before and after had undergone such a massive shift, Li Jun faintly felt it might be related to Shen Li, and to that Six Secret Teachings Military Sequence he had torn into fragments.

To put it bluntly, in this conflict of Jinling, he had used his fists to make Tianque bow its head.

And Tianque, in turn, used its fists to make the Liu Clan bow its head.

As for the Central Academy, it could not lift its head from beginning to end.

"Since the knots in everyone's hearts have been untied now, there is no need to be so polite, is there?"

Zhou Yuan gestured toward his graying temples, narrowing his eyes with a smile. "At my age, it shouldn't be too much to ask for you to call me Uncle, right?"

"Uncle Zhou."

Li Jun had a good impression of this 'Five Pillars of Tianque' before him. Coupled with his inherent character of showing a slight respect for the old and love for the young internally, while treating the old and young exactly the same externally, he naturally would not put on airs with Zhou Yuan.

"To have the only Rogue Sequence Four in the current Great Ming Empire call me Uncle, this kind of thing brings more face than demolishing a Central Branch Academy."

Zhou Yuan laughed aloud, his gaze toward Li Jun showing increasing appreciation.

"In truth, our mobilization in full force this time, aside from taking the Minggui Warrior Order into Tianque along the way, had the greatest purpose of wanting an opportunity just like this, to sit face-to-face with you and have a peaceful chat."

"Understood."

Li Jun nodded, adopting an posture of listening.

"The current Tianque speaks of the 'Five Pillars and Three Talents'. Two Martial, one Agricultural, one Yin-Yang, and one School of Diplomacy; these are five rust-covered pillars barely managing to support the beams. The Three Talents are Jiang Wei, Shen Li, and Zhang Changfeng—well, only two talents remain now. The sects that still retain complete martial arts heritages capable of nurturing a Sequence Four martial artist can be counted on two hands, with thousands of disciples. Among them, those who walk the rogue path like you number no more than a few dozen, all brash youths now scattered across the Empire. Each of them imitates your style from back then; their sequences aren't advancing very fast, but the gangs they establish are almost outnumbering the sects of Tianque."

Zhou Yuan smiled helplessly. "I don't need to say much for you to see that the current Tianque is in a bleak state of transition, caught between generations."

Though Zhou Yuan's words were full of self-deprecation, the expression on Li Jun's face instead revealed a heartfelt respect.

Times were different now. For Tianque to accumulate such an estate under the pursuit, blockades, and various schemes of the Three Teachings was already quite remarkable.

"Aren't you curious how a faction like Tianque, which is based on sect martial sequences, has people from other sequences inside, and can even have them termed as Pillars?" Zhou Yuan suddenly asked.

In fact, upon hearing Zhou Yuan introduce that the 'Five Pillars' included the Agricultural and Yin-Yang sequences, Li Jun thought of a past event Su Ce had once mentioned to him.

In that war to conquer the Wa District, the configuration of the Empire's vanguard squad was not much different from the current 'Five Pillars' of Tianque.

However, Li Jun did not expose this in front of Zhou Yuan, but instead followed the other's words, saying, "I am indeed somewhat curious."

"We are all just lost souls who found a roof to huddle together under for warmth."

Zhou Yuan explained with a smile, "Take myself for instance. I simply felt that the Zhu Ming Imperial Family are also pitiful wretches, and I was unwilling to join Honghu to rebel against them. Yet I could not stand the disgusting behavior of the Three Teachings either. So after thinking it over, I found that following Tianque was the only path with relatively some future."

Zhou Yuan bantered, "But just listen to this and forget it. If you meet those two old men of the sect martial sequences in the future, you absolutely must not betray me. Those two old things are stubborn and proud; if they knew I joined Tianque only because I had no other choice, they would surely jump up and down to cause trouble for me."

"Then I certainly won't betray you, Uncle Zhou." Li Jun laughed heartily.

Zhou Yuan was indeed of the School of Diplomacy sequence. With a few plain, casual remarks, the atmosphere between the two became increasingly harmonious and congenial.

"In truth, my coming to meet you at the Central Academy this time carries another mission."

Zhou Yuan said softly, "Which is to invite you to join Tianque, to add a true central pillar to Tianque."

"This condition is grander than I thought."

Li Jun smiled. "I thought it would be to take over Zhang Changfeng's position, to make up the Three Talents again with Shen Li and the others."

"If you are willing, that is not out of the question either. Jiang Wei should be able to accept it, but Shen Li is a bit troublesome. That kid developed the rustic, untamed habits of Jianghu folk in Tianjin. Now that he recognizes you as his elder brother, he doesn't have the face to sit on equal terms with you."

Zhou Yuan sighed and said, "In truth, I know this idea is forcing your hand. After all, with your current strength, joining Tianque is more like placing a shackle upon yourself; the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits."

"Furthermore, you must certainly harbor suspicions in your heart as to whether we have simply changed our method to scheme for the Rogue Ritual on your body, correct?"

Li Jun neither admitted nor denied it. He rubbed the gradually healing scar on the back of his hand and grinned.

"In truth, regarding the Rogue Ritual, you don't need to speak of it; we have already guessed seven or eight tenths of it. All things are difficult at the start, but you have already forged this path. As long as one analyzes the things you have done and the people you have killed one by one, and replicates them, the ritual can slowly be figured out. Therefore, the Liaodong affair, in my view, was purely them acting blindly. To speak selfishly, even if Tianque wished to have no dealings with you, we would only need to stand aside and watch you quietly, and we would naturally obtain what we want. There was absolutely no need to press forward and do things that invite hatred."

"So to say, Tianque not only wronged you first, but owes you a significant favor. Therefore, I must brazenly state something here today that sounds rather unpleasant, but is indeed our true thoughts at present."

Zhou Yuan said solemnly, "Whether you, Li Jun, are willing to join Tianque or not, from this day forth, Tianque shall be your friend, standing watch and helping each other."

Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Li Jun fell into a long silence.

Admittedly, Li Jun had suspected Tianque's motives in inviting him to join. But now that the words were laid bare, this shred of misgiving naturally vanished into thin air.

What Zhou Yuan said was very practical. His journey along the way could not possibly be hidden from the investigations of determined people. As long as they were willing to bear the cost of trial and error, the probability of deducing the Rogue Rituals of the first few gates was not low.

Thus, Tianque could completely step aside after resolving the conflict with him, walking behind him and picking up what he left along the way.

Zhou Yuan's actions completely tore apart and laid out all of Li Jun's misgivings and worries, offering an open, honest, and sincere invitation.

"The things I intend to do next, if I carry the identity of Tianque upon me, will bring a great deal of trouble to you, Uncle Zhou."

There was not a single word of rejection, yet the meaning of a polite refusal was already explicitly clear.

Zhou Yuan was evidently prepared for this long ago. With a tacit understanding, he let the matter drop, changing the subject with a smile as he asked, "Still planning to keep knocking on their doors, family by family?"

Li Qian nodded, speaking in a hushed tone, whispering, “Some say I’m fate-bound. Seeing an old mentor who was good for myself would kill me. Though I don’t trust fate or luck, I can’t help but feel a sense of regret. So, the words I left before the tomb, I must make and do well.”

“Few of you, like you this year, are so rare.”

Zhou Xian looked back, his expression tinged with reflection. “If you’re so aware of your own shortcomings, what else should you fear?!”

Li Qian stood up, brushing dust from his sleeve, and smiled wryly. “Well, if you’re so confident, there’s nothing better than a simple nod. But don’t think you’re safe—especially if you’re not ready for the truth.”

He glanced at Zhou Xian, whose eyes still held the weight of confusion. “Don’t get too comfortable. This isn’t just about words. There are mountains of obstacles ahead, and if you don’t learn from the past, you’ll fall into a pit of disaster. Now, if you can grasp the meaning of ‘knowing’ and ‘reporting’ from the last generation, you’re already ahead of the curve.”

Zhou Xian’s curiosity piqued. “What exactly is this about?”

“Malice, deceit, brutality.”

Zhou Xian’s brow furrowed, but he couldn’t resist a smirk. “So, you’re talking about the worst kind of evil?”

Li Qian shook his head, his tone firm. “No. This is about responsibility. If you can’t learn from history, you’ll repeat the mistakes of others. And if you think you can handle it alone, you’re wrong.”

Zhou Xian hesitated, then nodded slowly. “You’re right. If I understood your words correctly, I’d do anything to avoid becoming another failure.”

Li Qian’s eyes sparkled with resolve. “Then let’s not waste time. This world is a game, and you’re about to play a dangerous one. Just remember—don’t let your pride blind you.”

With a final glance at his companion, Zhou Xian felt a surge of determination. “Alright, let’s go. But if this is another trap, I’m leaving now.”

As they stepped into the distance, Li Qian couldn’t help but wonder how fate would shape their journey.

The conversation drifted into the present, with Li Qian’s thoughts lingering on the weight of his past. It was a rare moment of clarity, a reminder that even in the darkest times, a single lesson could change everything.

And somewhere in the distance, the echoes of ancient wisdom whispered through the wind.