Chapter 1268: Chasing Fame and Fortune

Yu Youyu frowned as she listened to his words.

But Sha Tang pressed on, "Do you really think you're fighting for the common people? Hmph..."

He took two steps forward. "Why do you think those Supreme Immortals descended from the upper realm? They weren't born here. Why would they waste their energy coming down for some so-called righteous cause?"

Yu Youyu looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's qi destiny!" Sha Tang said. "All of this started because of qi destiny! The descending Supreme Immortals came for it. This so-called Investiture of the Gods isn't the will of heaven at all—it's man-made. They laid this trap from the very beginning. Under the guise of saving the suffering masses, they are openly carving up the mortal world's qi destiny. I pity you people who came here for a righteous cause. You die tragic, pointless deaths, yet won't even leave your names behind."

"Shut up!"

Yu Youyu cut him off. She couldn't believe the words of the demon before her, yet she still harbored a seed of doubt.

Or perhaps she had already guessed it. She had wondered about this before, she just hadn't understood the root cause.

Sha Tang smiled at her. "Do you know why there has never been such a massive demonic uprising before, yet it has become so rampant in recent years?"

"You have your emperor to thank for that. He was so obsessed with the Dao that he gathered all the qi destiny in the world into the Imperial Seal. Without the protection of qi destiny, mortals were left defenseless. Demons and ghosts no longer fear karma, and eating humans to nourish themselves carries no burden. It's pathetic how clueless you all are, thinking this is just the Demon Race rebelling. Hahaha! This is a disaster you brought upon yourselves. The emperor cared only for his selfish desires, plunging the common people into misery and ruin."

Sha Tang burst into laughter. "Who are you even risking your life for? Is it really worth dying for these people?"

"I told you to shut up!"

Yu Youyu charged forward with her sword. She raised a hand, forming a spell seal, and a streak of golden light coated her blade.

But in an instant, Sha Tang caught the oncoming blade between just two fingers.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed it aside, sending Yu Youyu tumbling to the ground along with her sword.

"I've said what I needed to say," Sha Tang said. "If you ever have the desire to submit, you can come find me here. I'll wait in this spot for a month. After that, the offer expires."

A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Yu Youyu's mouth.

She looked up, only to find the demon had vanished in the blink of an eye.

She spat out the blood in her mouth, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.

"Senior Yu!"

Yu Youyu looked over and replied, "I'm here."

She was easily found. The newcomer was also a martial artist of the jianghu, someone she was acquainted with.

When asked what had happened in the woods...

Yu Youyu thought for a moment before shaking her head. She denied Sha Tang's existence and said nothing of what the demon had told her.

She was also wondering whether the demon's words were true or false.

Her doubts lingered for a long time. It wasn't until a few days later that she sought out Sanyuan True Man of Quanshan.

"Daoist, I am plagued by doubts."

Daoist Sanyuan looked at the person before him. He paused to think before remembering. "Ah, it's you. This poor Daoist remembers you. You are quite close to Commandery Princess Ruyi. Please, sit."

Yu Youyu paused for a second before taking a seat.

Daoist Sanyuan asked, "I see you possess Magical Power. Have you stepped onto the Great Dao of Cultivation?"

Yu Youyu nodded. "By a stroke of luck."

"Wonderful. The old saying is true: those with immortal affinity need not seek it out."

Daoist Sanyuan asked, "What are your doubts?"

Yu Youyu hesitated, then asked, "Daoist, I've asked many elders, and they said the world wasn't like this a few decades ago. Now there are demons running rampant everywhere, as if they all appeared out of nowhere. I believe there must be a reason behind this. I wonder if you could clarify this for me?"

Hearing this, Daoist Sanyuan paused before replying, "The rise of Hongyuan Tianxia is much like the nomadic tribes of the Northern Territory's steppes. They were scattered everywhere, each answering only to themselves. Once a supreme overlord was born, they unified all of this, thus plunging the world into chaos."

Yu Youyu kept her eyes fixed on Daoist Sanyuan.

When Daoist Sanyuan met her gaze, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

"But I heard a different explanation," Yu Youyu said.

At those words, Daoist Sanyuan suddenly fell silent.

He seemed to understand the true purpose of her visit.

Yu Youyu looked at him and said, "You know, don't you? So what you just said was nothing more than a cover-up. The true cause was never the scattered nature of the Demon Race."

Daoist Sanyuan took a deep breath. "Why must you obsess over this, Miss Yu? We are doing this for the sake of the world..."

"So it's true?"

Yu Youyu stood up. "The Human Sovereign merged the human dao qi fortune for his own selfish desires, allowing the Demon Race to take advantage of our vulnerability? So all of this could have been avoided from the start?"

Daoist Sanyuan remained silent, offering no answer.

Yu Youyu felt a momentary wave of dizziness. She steadied herself, let out a long breath, and pressed on, "What about those who descended from heaven for the so-called Investiture of the Gods to save the suffering masses? The Supreme Immortals? Are they really fighting for the righteous cause they preach?"

Daoist Sanyuan pondered for a moment before saying, "A portion of them are doing it for righteousness."

"Heh..."

Yu Youyu listened and then asked, "And how large is that portion?"

Daoist Sanyuan fell silent once again.

It seemed this was never a glorious matter to begin with.

After a brief moment, Daoist Sanyuan finally spoke. "All the bustling in the world is for profit; all the scrambling in the world is for gain. At their core, things are always like this. If you judge by actions, everyone is good; if you judge by intentions, there are no good people. Why must you obsess over this, Miss Yu? We merely wish to restore peace to this world."

"And what about you, Daoist?"

Yu Youyu ignored Daoist Sanyuan's words. Stepping forward, she demanded, "What are you doing this for?"

That single question completely silenced Daoist Sanyuan.

Seeing his silence, Yu Youyu fully understood.

Beneath this grand conflict, every single one of these people was after something. They had come for profit. The emperor abandoned the commoners to attain immortality. The people of the jianghu came here to slay demons and make a name for themselves. The Supreme Immortals descended for human dao qi fortune. And the Daoist before her also had his own desires.

So much for judging by actions and not intentions.

Yu Youyu couldn't understand it. She had finally seen the ugly face of this world.

"Ridiculous."

Leaving those words behind, Yu Youyu shook her head with a bitter smile and turned away, departing from the temple.

This was no longer her jianghu.

Her jianghu was about wielding a sword for justice, not flocking together for the sake of profit.

Her Master had once taught her that the greatest of heroes fight for their country and its people—never for fame and fortune.

But upon realizing the truth behind it all, she was left utterly disappointed in this world.

This was a man-made disaster, an exchange of interests. In Yu Youyu's eyes, everyone's true face had become hideous, and a profound sense of disgust swelled in her heart.

She loathed this world, this era!

The ignorant emperor, the hypocritical Supreme Immortals, and all those people chasing fame and fortune...