Chapter 331 - 128: Seeking the Way (Part 2)

Chapter 331: Chapter 128: Seeking the Way (Part 2)

"Yuan, you old fiend, you’ve gone too far!"

As this rumbling, thunderous voice boomed, a massive, twenty-zhang-tall Martial Arts Saint Body appeared, its radiant form soaring into the sky.

"Execute!"

The only response he received was that single word.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Endless Light Sabers of Vast Righteous Qi poured down like a river of stars. The final blow was Yuan Haogu’s sacrificial strike, born of his literary heart and sword-like courage, which fell like a great sun crashing to the earth.

BOOM!

The entire Shangluo City seemed to tremble.

"Did it work?!"

Fang Rui looked up.

In the city center, Qi Ba’s twenty-zhang-tall Martial Arts Saint Body developed countless cracks before it violently disintegrated and shattered.

At the same time, a crisp crack echoed—the sound of a sword breaking.

CRASH!

The boundless Vast Righteous Qi dissipated back into heaven and earth, transforming into waves of righteous energy that swept through the entire city, cleansing the world and purging all Ghosts.

At that moment, countless people in Shangluo City wept, while just as many celebrated the downfall of a tyrant.

...

"SOB... The Elder is gone!"

"What? That was the Elder?! Damn it all! The ones who deserve to die live on, so why... why did a good man like the Elder have to be the one to go?!"

"From this day forward, who in this world will seek justice for us common folk, who will stand up for the poor and downtrodden?!"

...

"Haha, that old fiend Yuan is dead!"

"Is that Qi Martial Saint’s residence?! Phew! That flash of light just now scared the hell out of me. It seems that compared to Qi Martial Saint, I, Qin, am actually a decent guy!"

"That damned Elder Yuan is finally dead! Tomorrow, I’m going out to grab a couple of decent girls to celebrate..."

"Shut your mouth! You wretched son, are the brothels not enough for you? What if another Yuan Haogu appears one day... Speak! Are you trying to get your father killed so you can inherit the Patriarch’s seat?"

...

"This Mortal World would be so dull without people like Yuan Haogu."

Fang Rui sighed and sat down on the edge of the roof.

SHIMMER!

A Spiritual Light flashed in his hand as he retrieved some wine from his Spirit Ring. He poured a full cup and, facing the city center, sprinkled it into the fierce winds formed by the dissipating Vast Righteous Qi.

...

「Inside Yuan Haogu’s house.」

As Fang Rui sorted through the deceased’s belongings, he found that aside from the books, there were only pots, bowls, and other kitchenware. There were only two sets of plain cloth robes, both washed so much they had faded to white. There was not a single other item of even slight value.

"A man like this, a man like this..."

He smiled bitterly, suddenly feeling a sense of shame and inadequacy. He knew, however, that he could never become a man like Yuan Haogu.

After pacing for a long time, Fang Rui lay down on Yuan Haogu’s old wicker chair, its varnish shiny and peeling, letting his thoughts drift as he mulled a few things over.

’According to Old Yuan, Spiritual Qi is poisonous. It’s not a problem for short-lived species with only a century or so to live, so they don’t need to worry about it. But I’m different!’

’And come to think of it, neither the Martial Arts path nor the Spirit Master path seems to have completely abandoned Spiritual Qi...’

This was a thorn in Fang Rui’s side.

’There’s another issue. From my interactions with Old Yuan over the years, I got the sense that he didn’t see the Great Yu as completely beyond saving. In fact, he seemed to identify with it to a considerable degree.’

’He was especially aware of the periodic population culls and the gathering of Tribulation Qi in certain provinces—and he even seemed to tacitly approve of it.’

’It was just the cannibalism that he had a lot of complaints about...’

Fang Rui naturally trusted Yuan Haogu’s character, so he was certain: there was a great secret behind all this that he didn’t understand!

But he couldn’t get the answers to these questions. Just like with the poisonous Spiritual Qi, Yuan Haogu had been extremely tight-lipped, treating the subject as taboo.

"It’s all shrouded in mystery!"

Fang Rui sighed.

He hadn’t been desperate for these answers before, but after learning that Spiritual Qi is poisonous, there was a new sense of urgency.

’No! I have to find the answers to these questions. I need to see the truth of this world from a higher perspective, through the eyes of the Great Yu’s upper echelon.’

’That way, it can serve as a guide for my future actions.’

Otherwise, if Fang Rui were to truly incite some great Tribulation in the future, overthrow the Great Yu, and think of himself as a beacon of hope, only to find he’d opened some kind of Pandora’s Box—well, that wouldn’t be fun at all.

"So, here’s the question: how do I get the answers? I knew Old Yuan for over a decade and he never told me. Who else can I count on?"

"Myself?!"

Fang Rui shook his head slightly, shifted into a more comfortable position, and lay flat.

He had no desire to re-enter the Great Yu’s system. His experience in Huaiyin Prefecture had already proven that joining them was a no-go.

Not to mention, if he ever reached the higher echelons, he wouldn’t even pass the background check.

"I’d better find another way."

Fang Rui muttered to himself. His gaze swept over the room full of books, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Maybe... I could open a private school and try out being a teacher?"

’Hmm, the world’s orthodox scholars place a high value on virtue. In a sense, that means they remember kindness. The students I teach will be like scattered dandelion seeds. Some are bound to reach the upper echelons of the Great Yu...’

’I won’t ask them to do anything, or risk their lives to divulge secrets. I’ll just ask that when they’re old and on their deathbeds, they’ll chat with me for a bit. That should be fine, right?’

The more Fang Rui thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed.

As for whether he was capable of teaching and molding students?

That was simple. With this room full of books, all he had to do was spend some Tribulation Points.

’It wouldn’t even be that abrupt. I was Old Yuan’s neighbor, so I can claim I learned from him through constant exposure. That would explain my proficiency in this area...’

’Besides, teaching, like Medical Skill, is a service-oriented profession. It won’t step on any big shot’s toes.’

Old Yuan could have actually been a teacher too, but some people were afraid that his successful students would pull him back into the imperial court. Therefore, they didn’t dare let him enter the profession.