Chapter 705: He Zangjia

Chapter 705: He Zangjia

A tall building, a simple feast.

No delicacies of mountains and seas, no fine wine or beautiful women, and no throngs of guards and servants.

Only a square table, four small dishes, and an old bottle of wine.

He Zangjia in splendid clothes and Lin Jinjiang covered in dust sat facing each other.

"When I received your message saying you were coming to the Northern Zhili, I was quite surprised."

He Zangjia was easygoing, personally filling Lin Jinjiang's wine cup.

Lin Jinjiang tapped the table with his fingers and smiled, "Master He, are you surprised that someone as idle as me would still exist in such chaotic times?"

"No, I didn't expect there to be someone as pure as you, brother."

Lin Jinjiang smiled bitterly, "The word 'pure' is not a compliment these days."

"Being able to clearly know what you pursue and work tirelessly for it is worthy of praise and admiration at any time."

He Zangjia raised his cup, "Come, I toast you, brother."

"Thank you."

They clinked cups and drank.

Lin Jinjiang put down his cup and praised, "Master He, you are no ordinary person. In such a short time, you have built such a large estate in the capital and are thriving. Your courage and decisiveness are truly admirable!"

This was not Lin Jinjiang flattering him; he was genuinely shocked by the grandeur of the building.

The building he was in was a replica of the Golden Building in Chongqing Prefecture, with a vast footprint and extravagant decoration. The businesses operated were diverse and all-encompassing. The guests were a mix of all kinds, and people from various factions coexisted peacefully here, which was quite remarkable.

Sitting here, one could observe the winds from all directions.

Establishing such a force during such a turbulent time made Lin Jinjiang, who was meeting He Zangjia for the first time, feel particularly impressed.

"This is all thanks to Brother Jun. I'm just working for him, barely making a living."

He Zangjia spoke modestly and complained, "Brother, you don't know how restless those solo martial sequence are. If I didn't find them a place to avoid trouble and seek refuge, they would have been left to die on the streets long ago. Their deaths would be nothing, but if it affected Brother Jun's 'Position,' that would be serious, wouldn't it?"

Regarding the concept of 'Position' in Sequence, it was no longer a secret.

Even ordinary people who were not in the Sequence knew the details of 'Position' very well.

Some even said that the war between the Ordered and the Unordered was essentially a struggle for Position.

Whoever won would be the coveted Sequence One.

But Lin Jinjiang never expected that Li Jun had also started managing 'Position.' Could it be that he had already advanced to Solo Sequence Two?!

Thinking of this, Lin Jinjiang hurriedly asked, "Did the Hundred Household Officer instruct you to do this?"

"No, Brother Jun is a big shot now. How could he have time to care about these trivial matters?"

He Zangjia chuckled, "But although he didn't say it, I have to consider it for him."

Lin Jinjiang was taken aback and couldn't help but laugh, "If I remember correctly, Master He, you are from the Agriculture Sequence? I didn't expect you to be so meticulous."

"This is a common misunderstanding of the Agriculture Sequence. Who says farmers must always face the earth, be honest and dull, and not understand human hearts?"

He Zangjia said seriously, "In my view, heaven has four seasons, earth has four directions. Rise at dawn, rest at dusk. The Agriculture Sequence takes itself as the field, toiling within, sweating profusely, and tasting all the sweetness and bitterness of life. To bloom and bear fruit, to reap a harvest, one must not only work hard but also understand the ways of the world and social affairs."

"Actually, sequences like ours are no different from Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Strategists, or Yin and Yang. What we lack is just a bit of opportunity. This turmoil could be a natural disaster that destroys fields and seedlings, or it could be the long-awaited rain for all things."

He Zangjia pointed to the documents on the table and said meaningfully, "You must have felt this deeply, brother, having traveled so many places."

"Master He is right. Compared to this time last year, the three religions and nine schools have flourished much more. Even people like me from hybrid sequences with little self-defense ability have appeared in large numbers."

Lin Jinjiang sighed, "But I don't know if this situation is good or bad."

Seeing his mood become somewhat low, He Zangjia quickly filled his cup again.

"I haven't spoken my heart to our own people for too long, and I accidentally spoke out of turn. Brother, please don't overthink it."

"You are too kind."

Lin Jinjiang steadied himself and asked, "Are you not close friends with Hundred Household Officer Wang Xie? Why didn't he come to the capital with you?"

"Wang Xie?"

He Zangjia paused, then smiled, "In the old days, swallows nested in the halls of Wang and Xie; now they fly into the homes of common folk. That kid has truly become a rain swallow flying into people's homes."

"What does that mean?"

"He has joined the Red Society."

Red Society?

Seeing Lin Jinjiang's puzzled look, He Zangjia explained, "Brother, you have been traveling all the way, so it's normal that you haven't heard some news. This Red Society is actually a force formed by those who follow the Unordered philosophy of Principal Zhang. It can be considered a new 'Position' for him."

Compared to Fan Wujiu and Xie Bian, He Zangjia, who was based in the capital, was far better informed.

Lin Jinjiang was startled, took the initiative to raise his cup in a toast, and respectfully asked for advice.

"Master He, has the situation changed again?"

"It remains largely the same, but there are some intriguing developments."

He Zangjia said slowly, "First, the Yellow Liang ghosts under the Eastern Palace are spreading the word that the Lord of Yellow Liang is awakening from slumber and will bless all people. In simple terms, they are promoting a new technique. It is said that within the empire, one no longer needs spiritual apertures as a medium, but only needs to call upon the honored name of the Yellow Liang Will to enter the Yellow Liang Dream."

"This thing is not exactly new, but before, it required strong Sequence power. Now it seems that threshold has been removed, and the distance between reality and dreams has greatly shortened."

Lin Jinjiang's eyes widened. This was no small matter.

If the Eastern Palace could achieve this, wouldn't it mean that ordinary people could enter dreams anytime, and Yellow Liang ghosts could seize bodies anytime?

In that case, what difference would there be between humans and ghosts?

"Don't worry too much. This technique sounds terrifying, but I have had people try it. All who link to Yellow Liang through this method enter a permanent dream structure, which is still rough. The chance of falling into addiction is low, and the possibility of being seized is almost non-existent."

He Zangjia said lightly, "The only thing worth noting is that the honored name of the Yellow Liang Will is 'Great Yan's Dreaming Walk, Heavenly Honored Four Nine.' I wonder if it is related to the gentleman we know."

"It should just be a coincidence."

Lin Jinjiang agreed with a smile on the surface, but inside he felt heavy.

If one day the Eastern Palace could make this permanent dream structure identical to reality, what would happen?

He believed that He Zangjia had also thought of this with his insight and strategy, but he deliberately ignored it.

Lin Jinjiang understood his meaning. Even if they were worried, what could they do? They had no power to change anything.

"Second, the Hong Hu issue."

He Zangjia continued, "In the coastal areas where the Hong Hu riots first broke out, the court has already sent town and garrison troops to fully control the situation. The process was practically effortless, with almost no bloodshed."

He Zangjia curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Of course, everyone knows the ins and outs. I never thought the Zhu family would be so shameless. They didn't even bother to relocate the people. They directly turned those rioters, whose hands were stained with the blood of the people, into officials in the yamen. They dropped their swords and picked up pens, acting like officials to maintain order. How ridiculous."

Lin Jinjiang pressed further, "And Nanjing?"

"There's no solution. I heard the Red Society has assassinated many people, but it still hasn't had much effect."

He Zangjia sighed, "Now it seems that all the Hong Hu in the Ming Empire have poured into the Southern Zhili area. The situation is not optimistic. There are also rumors that Zhang Fengyue's lifespan is ending, and the Zhu family will soon attack Nanjing to revive the Ming Empire."

Although emotionally he was unwilling to admit it, reason told Lin Jinjiang that Zhang Fengyue was now at a disadvantage, even in a desperate situation.

The melancholy man sat in silence, raising his cup repeatedly. He drank his sorrow, but it could not dissolve the pent-up frustration.

He Zangjia did not speak words of comfort; he simply kept him company in drink.

Before long, a bottle of strong liquor was empty.

Without deliberately suppressing the surging effects of alcohol, Lin Jinjiang's face flushed red and his gaze grew unfocused until the corner of his eye caught the recording desk's screen, reminding him suddenly of the purpose of his visit.

"Brother Zangjia."

Lin Jinjiang licked his lips and asked in a hoarse voice, "What is your view of Zhang Fengyue's ideology of Absolute Order? Do you agree or disagree?"

"You must have asked Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an the same question. I don't know how they answered, but rather than asking whether I agree with his philosophy, you might as well ask me how I see him as a person."

Unlike those Lin Jinjiang had spoken with before, He Zangjia's gaze was fixed on the desk, as if he took this conversation very seriously.

"I have never worn official robes nor eaten from the imperial granary. Though I can't say I've lived in destitution or gone hungry, the people I've dealt with most are those who live at the very bottom of this empire. I suppose I can claim to understand them."

"In their eyes, Zhang Fengyue is a towering figure, but by no means a hero who saved them from misery. In fact, most of them deeply hate this former imperial grand secretary, believing that he single-handedly caused this calamity."

He Zangjia paused, his gaze dropping as if examining his own heart.

"In my view, he may not be a hero, but he is definitely a rare and formidable warlord in this world!"

He Zangjia took a hearty gulp and exhaled, saying: "From a teacher in the Qingfu reign to the head of an academy in the Xingwen reign, from ascending to the position of grand secretary in the Longwu years to being denounced as a traitor in the Jiaqi era. He implemented new policies, starting from the criminal districts, destroying the Buddhist order in the barbarian lands, leveling the Daoist sects in Jiangxi, cutting away the rotten flesh of the aristocratic families like severing his own arm, and overthrowing the rule of the three religions to cut himself off from the world. Now he has taken up the identity of academy head again, donning a blood robe, forming the Red Society, and from the bottom up, he is changing the world."

He Zangjia's voice rose steadily, each syllable more fervent than the last.

"If he truly acts for the people of the world, then he is a well-deserved hero, and I, He Zangjia, am a narrow-minded and despicable villain!"

"But if this is merely a grand ritual, with the ultimate goal of deifying one man alone, then I would still be in awe of him!"

He Zangjia picked up a new, unopened bottle of wine and rose to walk to the edge of the building.

In that moment, the setting sun in the distance had not yet fully faded, and a flood of afterglow spilled over him, his face aglow with crimson clouds, his heart brimming with heroic sentiment.

He Zangjia poured all the wine from the bottle into the evening wind, as if offering a drink to Zhang Fengyue, far away in Jinling.

"But I do not envy him in the least, nor do I wish to become a man like him."

Lin Jinjiang stood beside He Zangjia, the fierce evening wind causing the hems of their clothes to flutter.

"Why?"

He Zangjia did not answer; instead, he pointed to the city below and asked, "What do you see?"

Lin Jinjiang looked down and saw the neon lights of the city gradually brightening, and the streets filled with streams of people.

Even in such chaotic times, a bustling, thriving atmosphere of the marketplace swept over him.

"Prosperity?"

He Zangjia made no affirmation, continuing, "Look further into the distance."

Lin Jinjiang cast his gaze farther, looking at the darkness beyond the neon lights.

In a daze, he seemed to see gangs vying for territory gathering their men, hidden swans spreading rumors, and righteous warriors of the Red Society walking on the edge of a blade.

Greedy officials were scraping together the meager wealth, and cunning demons were tempting the long-suffering people.

Figures covered in filth, with disheveled hair and grimy faces, stubbornly crawled up from the mire again, desperately trying to force their way into the neon glow.

Wham!

A huge noise suddenly came from above, as a patrol airship of the Pacification Army passed over their heads.

"Now... what do you see?"

"Survival."

Lin Jinjiang finally realized the truth.

"Exactly, it's about survival."

He Zangjia took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to become Zhang Fengyue, because I cannot choose between god and man. I want to be immortal like the gods, yet I am also deeply attached to the mortal world's daily life."

"A person like me can be neither a hero nor a warlord. I can only ever be a small figure, striving with all my might to survive in these changing times."

Lin Jinjiang was silent for a long time. Along his journey, he had witnessed Fan Wujiu's relentless pursuit of righteousness and Xie Bi'an's steadfast, silent devotion.

Yet here, he could not articulate what he saw in He Zangjia.

Perhaps it was the helplessness of drifting with the tide, or maybe it was an indomitable tenacity!

Lin Jinjiang asked softly, "Then what do you think of Li Jun? Is he also a warlord?"

"Him?"

He Zangjia grinned and suddenly pointed to the distant sky where a ray of light was about to break through.

"Hope?" Lin Jinjiang murmured to himself.

"No, he is a roar against the darkness of this world, from the millions of flesh-and-blood people like us who have been oppressed into silence! To hell with your schemes and tricks, to hell with your ambitions and desires! If the gods offer no path, then someone will draw a blade and carve one!"

"So if some day you can weave their stories into dreams, be sure to tell me."

He Zangjia declared loudly, "Let even a coward like me become a solitary traveler who breaks through the darkness, just for once!"

"Agreed!"

"Then it's settled."

He Zangjia, beaming with joy, raised the empty bottle high and laughed into the wind.

"The farmer's joy, one after another, is unlike the vile strife in the marketplace. The world is like a field, nurturing good seeds and uprooting the bad seedlings..."

"When the spring breeze blows next year, we'll see the hills all green, and raise our cups in joy again!"