Chapter 258: A Three-Legged Standoff
Hua Changxi saw off Hua Minghe and Hua Minghua, whose arrival had once again unsettled her.
Previously, upon learning that she was being jointly boycotted by the Royal Family and various nobles, she felt indignant but didn’t pay it much mind.
This was because she believed that once the Display Spiritual Artifact was refined, and cultivators from other regions learned about the Dan Yuan Secret Realm recruiting apprentices, the boycott would collapse on its own.
But now, the Royal Family had extended their influence to the Hua Family members.
This matter wasn’t unsolvable; if the Hua Family members were truly in danger, she could directly arrange for them to go to Five Finger Mountain.
Five Finger Mountain was her dojo, and if the Hua Family members stayed within it, their personal safety would be guaranteed.
However, implementing this plan wouldn’t be easy.
Firstly, not all Hua Family members might be willing to leave the Capital City. Her Eldest Brother likely wouldn’t want to leave the Demon Suppressing Army, and other brothers and sisters might have their own arrangements.
Secondly, if they were to truly fall out with the Royal Family and nobles, unless the Hua Family rose to power and no longer feared external oppression, they would have to stay in Five Finger Mountain for an extended period without venturing out. The younger generation of the Hua Family might not be able to endure such solitude.
Furthermore, cultivation also requires external experience. Staying confined to one place is not a good method.
In short, the aftermath would be troublesome, severely limiting both survival and development.
The more Hua Changxi thought about it, the more agitated she became. If it were just her, she wouldn’t have paid the boycott by the Royal Family and nobles any mind. But the problem was that she had the Hua Family members behind her.
Hua Minghua had directly told her to remove the Oath Tablet, and although her father hadn’t explicitly said so, his expression indicated his agreement with Hua Minghua’s suggestion.
Hua Changxi once again walked to the Plaza, standing before the Dan Yuan Secret Realm’s Oath Tablet, her expression solemn as she gazed at the oath’s contents.
Remove the Oath Tablet?
Hua Changxi’s expression turned cold. What was the purpose of her desperate cultivation?
Wasn’t it to avoid being controlled by others, to not be dictated to?
If she truly removed the Oath Tablet and allowed other forces to insert their people into the Secret Realm, not only would her acquisition of the Divine Wood Secret Realm become meaningless, but even her day and night efforts in cultivation would turn into a joke!
As Hua Changxi stood motionlessly before the Oath Tablet, various factions within the Medical Affairs Department were observing her.
As soon as they learned that Hua Minghua and Hua Minghe had arrived, all eyes were drawn to them, and they were closely monitoring Hua Changxi’s movements.
Now, seeing her standing before the Oath Tablet, many rejoiced in their hearts, believing that Hua Changxi, unable to bear the pressure, had heeded the advice of Hua Minghua and Hua Minghe and decided to remove the Oath Tablet.
Gu Xing was also observing Hua Changxi. Behind him, Granny Sun, with a worried expression, asked, “Will Changxi remove the Oath Tablet?”
Gu Xing shook his head, “I don’t know.”
Granny Sun looked at him, “Why don’t you help Changxi?”
Gu Xing sighed, “I can’t help her. Some hurdles must be overcome by herself, otherwise, she will never realize her own problems.”
Granny Sun frowned, “Changxi’s actions are all for the Sacred Land. What problems does she have?”
Gu Xing replied, “If she were just an ordinary person, her actions would be perfectly fine. But she is not; she is the Secret Realm Master.”
“What is a Secret Realm Master?”
“Aside from the Hall Master, the Qihuang Hall Master, the Secret Realm Master holds the greatest power, controlling the dispatch and distribution of the Secret Realm’s Resources. She must learn to utilize people and collaborate with them.”
“But what about her current actions? Although she is wholeheartedly devoted to the Sacred Land, she has also neglected others. What’s more, she believes she has done nothing wrong.”
“If I were to help her overcome this hurdle, she would only feel more convinced that she is right, and her actions in the future would only become more extreme. In this way, her temperament will only become more self-willed.”
Granny Sun listened, her expression not entirely agreeing, “But I don’t think Changxi’s temperament has any problems.”
Gu Xing shook his head, “That’s because neither you nor Hua Changxi have truly awakened yet. You are both still stuck in the mindset of ‘I do my own thing, I don’t bother others, and others shouldn’t bother me.'”
“However, people do not exist independently.”
“If you only focus on your own path and don’t look around to see if anyone is in front or behind you, you will either end up with a bloody head from a collision or be abandoned by everyone.”
Granny Sun, hearing Gu Xing speak so gravely, also became a little worried, “You’re exaggerating too much.”
Gu Xing said, “Exaggerating? Think about the fates of those Martial Artists who wander the jianghu alone. They either die in pursuit or perish in a desolate corner, lonely and uncared for.”
Granny Sun’s heart felt heavy. She looked at Hua Changxi, standing alone before the Oath Tablet, “Then call Changxi over and explain it to her properly.”
Gu Xing sighed, “She won’t listen. If people could change just by talking reason, then the affairs of the world wouldn’t be so difficult to manage.”
“Hua Changxi has walked her path alone up to this point, and she has achieved considerable success. She will only believe that continuing this way is correct, the easiest, and the most familiar.”
“People are unwilling to change.”
“Change is too difficult. Only when one stumbles in their endeavors, experiences pain, or loses something, will they be forced to reflect on themselves.”
Granny Sun also felt helpless, “Can we really only stand by and watch?”
Gu Xing replied, “One must walk their own life path.”
While the two were discussing, Hua Changxi left the Secret Realm entrance and headed towards Ninth Street.
The Ninth Street of today, divided by Pilgrimage Road, had its left side occupied by cultivators from the Guardian Family faction, while the right side was occupied by the Royal Family and various nobles.
About ten meters away from Ninth Street, Hua Changxi saw that in the courtyard on the left, Xia Zhen and Meng Qingyao were standing on the second floor watching her; she also saw that in the courtyard on the right, Prince Shou and Chu Junhao were also looking at her.
Noticing this, Hua Changxi stopped.
At this moment, Hua Changxi truly felt that she was being ‘watched,’ and she felt the outside world pressing down on her like surging waves.
At this moment, alone and with limited strength, she was facing the colossal Guardian Family and the Royal Nobles.
She should have felt timid and retreated, but a flame surged within her heart, a flame that wanted to burn those two behemoths to ashes.
Currently, Hua Changxi stood facing Pilgrimage Road, forming a tripartite standoff with the Guardian Family on the left and the Power and Wealth Faction on the right.
High in the sky, Wei Zhenjie, hidden above the white clouds, watched this scene with raised eyebrows.
“She has established a force on her own, her aura is not inferior to the other two sides. It seems Hua Changxi will not remove the Oath Tablet.”
Wei Zhenjie had come to the Medical Affairs Department precisely because he feared Hua Changxi would compromise under external pressure, and he wanted to secretly help her.
Now, it seemed he had clearly underestimated this young girl.
