Chapter 127: Psychological Mentor Jiang Ce
Wei Lao said it would be tomorrow, but Jiang Ce said it would be the day after.
This was of course not because he remembered wrong, but because he deliberately did so.
Because he did not want to let Bai Qing off, planning to completely eliminate this enemy and hidden danger.
But after meeting Yan Yi, he realized that the power of the Gluttonous Ghost intelligence organization was not as simple as he had imagined. He guessed that besides himself, Gluttonous Ghost had other informants, or intelligence channels.
The news might not leak out for a while, but sooner or later they would hear the wind. Since that was the case, rather than waiting to be held accountable later, it was better to pass on the intelligence right away, and perhaps even earn some trust.
As for the issue of the times not matching up, he could just casually find an excuse to push it onto Wei Lao, saying he temporarily changed his mind and advanced the plan, and he himself had no way to pass on the news, truly powerless to do anything.
If that really didn’t work, he could bite back: Bro, I already leaked the plan to you guys, so you should have been prepared at all times. Knowing that the Gatekeeper was about to act and still getting hit—this isn’t just pure trash?
And choosing the day after tomorrow for the false intelligence, of course, had its own reasoning.
In fact, it was very difficult for Gluttonous Ghost to openly bring in reinforcements from other cities, just like how the Gatekeeper could not casually change deployments, for the same reason: both sides were always in a evenly matched standoff, both sides wary and hesitant, not daring to act rashly.
Just like this time, originally clearing out a city was a major project requiring long-term planning, but because Bai Qing’s side was missing an important supporter, the Gatekeeper side got restless the moment they received the news and began plotting how to sweep away Gluttonous Ghost.
This could also be considered a tacit rule over these many years: unless one side fell into desperation, their mutual fights were basically limited to one city. Any Helmsman or Gatekeeper, once exposed as not staying at their post, would easily cause major chaos.
This meant that as long as the Gatekeeper did not pull in people from other branches, Gluttonous Ghost was also unlikely to suddenly get reinforcements from other cities. The only possible variable was the elusive Gluttonous Ghost Holy Envoy.
Wei Lao had said during the meeting that he could not act, precisely to keep watch on Gluttonous Ghost’s Holy Envoy and even bigger fish, indicating that in Wei Lao’s view, the Holy Envoy would be one of the biggest obstacles in this operation.
So Jiang Ce could not close the net too tightly.
Deliberately pushing the time back by one day was precisely for this purpose.
According to Jiang Ce’s estimate, after Song Yuntian received the news, if the time was too tight, no need to say more—he would definitely warn Bai Qing immediately, then inform Yan Yi, and then Yan Yi would bring people to provide support.
But if there was one extra day of buffer time, as the head lackey of Gluttonous Ghost’s Cult Leader, Yan Yi would naturally have ample time to report to the Cult Leader. This back-and-forth could delay the time for the Holy Envoy to come provide support.
Of course, even if this goal was not achieved, it would not matter.
Because people all have inertia and a fluke mentality. At this time, Bai Qing should be at his wits’ end. If he suddenly learned this news without preparation, he would inevitably be somewhat panicked.
But this timing was cleverly set: urgent, but not that urgent, just like a dying man making a desperate struggle of a cornered beast, yet vaguely seeing a glimmer of dawn, always unable to make up his mind.
For example, if you tell a college student that a paper is due the next day, he will definitely panic and rush to finish it overnight. But if you tell him it’s due the day after, he will divide the work over two days, anxious, but not that anxious.
At this time, if you suddenly demand the paper on the second day and make him defend it right away, that college student definitely won’t graduate.
Plus, Jiang Ce specially emphasized to Song Yuntian to remind them to prepare without alerting the enemy, so when they prepare, they definitely won’t act boldly, afraid that the Gatekeeper will notice and act early. If Bai Qing is a bit arrogant, he might even be thinking of turning the scheme against them, with the focus of deployment perhaps not even on defense.
In short, even if there was originally enough time to prepare, once Jiang Ce passes this false intelligence, there’s a 99% chance they will end up short on time and caught off guard for various reasons.
When an emergency is no longer urgent, the emergency situation that originally might not have happened suddenly occurs.
One could only say that Jiang Ce understood the system.
After sending off Song Yuntian, he hurriedly took a shower, grabbed a few changes of clothes, and returned to the You Sha Branch again.
And during the time he was away, aside from White Talisman, Jiang Ce could clearly sense that the emotions of the others were somewhat off.
Tense, excited, and also a bit… impatient?
“Looks like the order has been passed down. Tsk, total mobilization.”
Jiang Ce wanted to find Wei Lao, but discovered that Wei Lao had already left, seemingly to prepare other matters. In the office, only Xiao Lin was there.
Seeing Jiang Ce enter, Xiao Lin’s expression was somewhat complex.
“Didn’t expect you to grow so fast.”
Jiang Ce had a face full of indifference: “That’s how geniuses are—no need for tribulations, no need for forcing growth, they can still take off, let alone someone like me with cheats.”
Xiao Lin was slightly embarrassed: “You’re still hung up on it?”
“Huh? What did you say?” Jiang Ce pretended not to understand.
Xiao Lin lightly sighed: “Feels like… I’ve always been wrong.
Whether it’s me, Gao Song, or other Lu Shan Sect disciples, those of us cultivated in this way all seem to have various defects.”
Jiang Ce had a serious face: “Look at yours.”
“.”
Xiao Lin understood that Jiang Ce did not want to discuss this topic, so he smiled and changed the subject: “But I didn’t expect you to do something like this for me. You’re quite bold—Third Rank and already scheming against Lu Shan Sect. When you reach my realm, I probably won’t even dare imagine what you’ll do.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ce shook his head:
“I’m always honest, only doing what’s within my duties. Don’t wrongly accuse me.”
“If you’re honest, then there are no honest people in the world.”
Xiao Lin joked, then said solemnly with a straight face: “Rest assured, even if Wei Lao doesn’t say it, I will protect you. Just go ahead and lure out Bai Qing; leave the rest to me.”
Jiang Ce was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: “Actually, I originally thought you might have some dissatisfaction toward me in your heart.”
“Why?”
“Because that was the sect that raised you.” Jiang Ce paused, then continued: “I know Wei Lao says I acted recklessly, but he probably won’t blame me for it. On the contrary, he’ll think I helped him solve a problem.
Over these years, I’ve also learned about Lu Shan Sect’s little moves. With Wei Lao’s temper, I guess he’s been tolerating it all because of you.
You can’t possibly not understand this reason, but you’ve never mentioned it and let them continue their little actions, which shows you still have some lingering feelings for Lu Shan Sect, hoping they will repent soon.
So before acting, I wondered if you would… how to put it, feel sad about it.”
“Should I feel sad?” Xiao Lin couldn’t help but smile: “Gao Song drove me out, and at that time I was betrayed by everyone I trusted. Now that they’re in trouble, shouldn’t I not feel sad?”
“That’s right, it should be like that.
But with your extremely awkward personality and mindset, back then you probably only hated them for a moment?
Once time passed, you probably thought it was because your ability was insufficient at the time, and took all the blame on yourself, right?
Even if you didn’t think that way, after joining the Gatekeeper later, your horizons changed—one part not wanting to stoop to their level, and one part because that was ultimately where you grew up, unable to bear holding them accountable?”
Jiang Ce sat down opposite Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin kept a straight face, silent for a long time, finally smiling bitterly: “So in your heart, I’m that kind of person?”
Jiang Ce shook his head: “It’s not that I think you’re that kind of person, but that’s how you’ve shown yourself to be.”
The two looked at each other in silence. Jiang Ce hesitated, then said: “Have I told you the story of my original sect?”
“No.”
“When I was little, my Eldest Senior Brother always targeted me, picking on me for no reason. The most excessive time, he even got human traffickers to try to sell me off.”
Jiang Ce’s face seemed to read “family misfortune” in big letters:
“I was the youngest, so aside from Eldest Senior Brother, the other Senior Brothers always dumped the dirty and tiring work on me.
I complained to Master, but he didn’t care. He told me that no matter what it is, you have to strive for it with your own hands, not wait for others’ help.”
“So what did you do?” Xiao Lin asked with interest.
“Then I got it. I understood that no matter what happens, it won’t shift according to human will. Whether it’s something good that makes me happy or won’t happen every day, or something bad that makes me sad, it won’t pass quickly just because I hate it.”
Jiang Ce alluded to something:
“So what do I mean by saying this? It means you have to take initiative in doing things—cut decisively when needed, do what should be done, not treat bad things as tribulations arranged by heaven or good things as my luck.
Bad things require striving to turn them around and remedy them; good things are the deserved feedback from my own efforts. You get what I mean?”
Xiao Lin pondered, and after a long time, asked softly: “If you were me, what would you choose?”
“If I were you, after recovering from my injuries with the Gatekeeper back then, I would have killed my way back to Lu Shan Sect, kicked Gao Song off the Sect Leader’s throne, and sat on it myself. After all, you shed blood and sweat for it. To put it bluntly, that’s what you deserve.”
Jiang Ce said seriously:
“From the moment they betrayed you, they no longer saw you as one of their own. Even if you cut ties with them, you don’t owe them anything. The one who should feel guilty has never been you.”
Jiang Ce took a deep breath: “I’ve wanted to say these words for a long time. Whether you want to hear them or not, I still want to say them. I really don’t like seeing someone face a problem and think not about how to solve it, but first wonder if it’s their own fault.
Doesn’t doing that just embolden those villains?
No one’s growth ever comes from tribulations. Your high position in the Gatekeeper isn’t because they drove you out of Lu Shan Sect for you to rise from the ashes—these two have absolutely no relation. It’s all because you’re strong enough, right?
What I’ve always wanted to correct is that thanking tribulations is just self-numbing. Those not crushed by tribulations could still stand out in a relatively stable environment without them. What truly matters is the person.
Most accomplished people come through tribulations not because tribulations brought them success, but because most people can’t avoid tribulations. To put it unpleasantly, who doesn’t like smooth sailing to success?”
“So.”
Jiang Ce’s hands rested on the table, staring into Xiao Lin’s eyes:
“Don’t be poisoned by that toxic chicken soup anymore.”
After hearing this, Xiao Lin was lost in thought for a long time. When he came back to himself, he only felt utterly exhausted.
“So that’s how it is.”
Jiang Ce sat back down, watching Xiao Lin reach for his teacup to drink water, but his eyes looked straight ahead, his gaze very dazed, clearly deep in thought.
Caught off guard, Xiao Lin knocked over the teacup, scalding hot tea spilling on his hand, but he seemed oblivious, still immersed in contemplation.
Jiang Ce frowned, pushed his own teacup in front of Xiao Lin, grabbed a few napkins, and covered Xiao Lin’s hand.
Xiao Lin noticed something odd, looked down, and saw Jiang Ce cleaning the table.
He looked up, met his gaze, and then said grumpily: “Not expecting me to wipe it for you, am I? I’m not your female secretary—perform arts, not sell body.”
Xiao Lin silently wiped his hand. The somewhat blistered skin made even Jiang Ce take notice, but Xiao Lin didn’t even blink.
Finally, Xiao Lin couldn’t help but show a relieved smile: “Who would’ve thought, today I got schooled by you instead.”
“Not schooling, just think that without these ideological shackles, you might be able to charge toward a higher realm. Return to Origin Limitless shouldn’t be your end point.”
Jiang Ce said casually while cleaning up.
He said these words that were practically pointing at Xiao Lin’s nose to lecture him, without any burden, because he believed Xiao Lin wouldn’t get mad at him over this. In his view, Xiao Lin was someone who clearly distinguished right from wrong.
He could have not said these things at all, but one reason was that he truly did not agree with Xiao Lin’s ideology—even found it somewhat repulsive, couldn’t stand by and watch; two, because he genuinely wanted to help Xiao Lin.
The reasons for daring to help Xiao Lin in this way were many. Besides that current Jiang Ce already had some say within the Gatekeeper, he also had some selfish motives.
As someone who cultivated Buddhism, he knew best: to influence a person, whether material conditions like food, clothing, housing, or emotional needs from kin and lovers, none rivaled changing a person’s ideology and beliefs in influence.
This was tantamount to thoroughly changing the person from inside out. The feedback and returns naturally couldn’t compare to help in other areas, because this factor could affect the person’s future life.
So Jiang Ce spoke bluntly from the heart to Xiao Lin—he wanted Xiao Lin’s support.
Unrelated to Wei Lao, but personal friendship, true support!
