Chapter 59: Outsmarting Them!
Outside Yangcheng, in the Yangding Mountain Range, Jiang Ce was incredibly distressed—
Physically distressed, that is.
He was so angry he wanted to bash his head against a rock, but he was afraid of pain, so he used the Golden Bell Shield to do the smashing instead.
It melted every rock it hit, and after several attempts, Jiang Ce became genuinely distressed.
“Huh? A Gold Nugget?”
Jiang Ce looked surprised, then paused, remembering something. He angrily threw the Gold Nugget, melted from some unknown rock, onto the ground: “Get lost! Don’t disturb my thoughts!”
“Damn it! My life is on the line, what do I need a Gold Nugget for?!”
Jiang Ce was incredibly disappointed in himself for his greed overriding his survival instinct.
But after standing there for a moment, he honestly walked over and pocketed the gold.
Suddenly, a spark ignited in Jiang Ce’s mind: “As long as Master Wei doesn’t see my Righteous Qi, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Afterward, his brow furrowed, he muttered something to himself, hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind.
“In that case, Master, I can only apologize to you. For the safety of your beloved disciple, I’ll have to arrange for you to ‘die’ first.”
Gatekeeper Headquarters, top floor.
Cao Zheng and Wei Lao were planning their next strategic move, intending to first clear out the relatively weaker Gluttonous Ghost positions.
Wei Lao pointed to the southwest on the map and said gravely, “The Gluttonous Ghosts in Tibet are the most scattered, making them easy to defeat one by one. However, their territory is too vast, making it difficult to capture them all at once.”
“It’s fine, we don’t need to capture them all. We just need to take down the most rampant ones. The remaining Gluttonous Ghosts will then flee to other areas. We can follow their trail, and perhaps there will be unexpected gains.”
Cao Zheng said with a relaxed air, “In Luocheng, we stirred up trouble, so they won’t make any major moves in the short term. We only need to keep an eye on the Corpse Raising Grounds to effectively contain them. No further arrangements will be necessary.”
Wei Lao nodded, about to say something, but then noticed Jiang Ce had returned, and immediately stopped talking.
Cao Zheng lightly waved his left hand, and the map on the table vanished without a trace.
“You’re back? How was your harvest today?”
Wei Lao asked sternly. Over the past few days, he had established a semi-mentor-disciple relationship with Jiang Ce.
Seeing Jiang Ce’s dejected expression, Wei Lao assumed he still hadn’t cultivated Righteous Qi and was somewhat disappointed.
But unexpectedly, Jiang Ce replied with a crestfallen look, “Reporting to Master Wei, I have already cultivated Righteous Qi.”
Wei Lao was about to habitually chide Jiang Ce, but when he heard that Jiang Ce had already cultivated it, he was immediately surprised: “Then why do you still look so disappointed?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ce inwardly questioned himself, *Am I disappointed? Am I not sad? Is my acting bad? No way.*
Noticing Cao Zheng was also present and watching him with a hint of curiosity, Jiang Ce composed himself, and two streams of tears trickled from the corners of his eyes.
“Master Wei, I’m sorry! *Sob sob sob*.”
Jiang Ce immediately knelt down, hugged Wei Lao’s legs, and cried with his head resting on Wei Lao’s knee.
This display not only startled Cao Zheng but also left the seasoned Wei Lao somewhat flustered.
“This…” Cao Zheng was at a loss for words. Having been powerful for so many years and only dealing with influential figures, he was unaccustomed to someone showing such vulnerability in front of him.
“Get up!” Wei Lao commanded. Jiang Ce’s tearful sobs abruptly stopped, but even after standing, he couldn’t help but sniffle.
“A man’s knees are worth gold. You only kneel to heaven, earth, and your parents. Why would you kneel so casually?”
“Sob sob sob, I’m an orphan…” Jiang Ce cried with even more feeling.
“Uh…”
Wei Lao glanced awkwardly at Cao Zheng, who averted his gaze and turned his head away, pretending not to see.
So, Wei Lao could only force a kindly smile and ask gently, “Tell me, what happened?”
Jiang Ce blew his nose, then choked out:
“Master Wei, it’s like this.
The moment I cultivated Righteous Qi, I was overjoyed and incredibly proud. My first instinct was to share this good news with those close to me. But amidst my joy, I suddenly remembered my Master…
When I left the monastic life and descended the mountain, my Master was very reluctant to see me go. But I was young then and didn’t consider his feelings at all; I just wanted to see the world.”
But my Master is a monk who cultivates in seclusion on the mountain. He has no communication tools, so if I don’t go back, I can’t contact him at all. That’s why I don’t know, alas.
A child wishes to care for his parents, but they are not there. The last time I went back, my Master’s funeral rites had already been completed. The original family had also dispersed. Only my Senior Brother left the latest and happened to run into me. It was then that I learned the terrible news.
At that time, my Senior Brother relayed my Master’s dying words to me. He said that he was most worried about me and had the highest expectations for me. He hoped that I, who had received his true teachings, could carry on his Buddhist Dharma and complete the work he had left unfinished in his life.
So I suddenly wondered, if I cultivate other Daoist things and have achieved something, is that a desecration of him? I am truly very confused right now. Elder Wei, can you tell me if this is considered betraying my Master?
After speaking, Jiang Ce looked at Elder Wei with anticipation, as if waiting for the answer he desired.
However, these words also rendered Elder Wei silent.
Could he say that Jiang Ce was wrong? With such filial piety and such conviction in his heart, even if Elder Wei were made of stone, he could not find fault with Jiang Ce.
But was he not wrong? Elder Wei could not, for the sake of a dead man, allow this genius, who had received the Blessing of the Four Gods even in his Jianghu Magician stage, to abandon the greater achievements he was meant to have. Whether out of the Gatekeeper’s personal bias or out of his expectation for Jiang Ce, he could not make such a decision.
“This…” Elder Wei’s thoughts were complex, and for a moment he dared not meet Jiang Ce’s sincere gaze. It felt as if looking at it would be disrespecting the truth, goodness, and beauty of the world, and he would uncontrollably feel inferior. For a moment, he showed a troubled expression and looked towards Cao Zheng for help.
Just then, Cao Zheng spoke.
“Your intention is indeed commendable. You have proven that neither your Master nor Elder Wei, nor I, misjudged you. However, you have indeed gotten stuck in a rut.”
Cao Zheng looked directly at Jiang Ce: “Your Master was an Ordinary Person. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are natural laws. But you are different. You are no longer an Ordinary Person, and you may even transcend the mundane in the future. You should not live for others. Think about what goal you truly want to achieve.”
“Furthermore, who says cultivating other Great Dao is betraying your Master? No matter what it is, it should not change your original heart. If you have a Buddha-heart, then even if you fall into the demonic path, you are still Buddha. You will not become a Confucian just because you cultivated Righteous Qi, nor will you become a Daoist just because you cultivated Daoist Qi. Similarly, you will not become a Martial Artist just because you cultivated Martial Soul.”
Ask your heart more often: who are you, really? The answer is not given by others; it is within you.
Jiang Ce stood frozen on the spot. After a moment, as if struck by enlightenment, he murmured: “It’s all external.”
“Exactly!” Cao Zheng nodded. “It’s all external. Power serves human will, not the other way around; humans do not serve power and change for it.”
“It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“It’s just that I still can’t overcome this hurdle in my heart for now. Perhaps until the day I can truly face it, I still won’t use any Power other than Buddhist Dharma in front of outsiders.”
Jiang Ce’s expression was strained: “At least… at least until my Buddhist Dharma is accomplished. That way, even if I use other powers, everyone’s first impression will still be that I am a disciple of the Buddhist Sect. For me, the priority of Buddhist Dharma is still above all else.”
“It’s fine,” Elder Wei comforted him at the opportune moment. “As long as you don’t doubt yourself anymore, these things are not important. You just need to handle it yourself.”
Cao Zheng also patted Jiang Ce’s shoulder with expectation: “I look forward to the day you overcome your inner obstacles. I believe that when you have a goal that can help you transcend these issues, your future achievements will be extraordinary!”
Jiang Ce took his leave. Watching his departing back, Elder Wei had a complex expression. “Such a good child. I’ve seen too many examples of those who betray their masters for Power. When you occasionally encounter someone like this, it’s hard not to feel a love for talent.”
Cao Zheng shared the same thought: “When he becomes the Gatekeeper, the symbol of the Gatekeeper in the entire Jianghu will surely gain another addition.”
And at this very moment, Jiang Ce splashed his face with water in the bathroom. He placed his hands on the washbasin and looked intently at his reflection in the mirror, exclaiming involuntarily:
“I’m a damn genius!”
