Chapter 361 – Full-time Teaching (Part Two) (2/2)
Su Li coldly laughed. ”You know about the origins of this umbrella?”
Chen Changsheng had heard Zhexiu speak about some of the stories related to this umbrella. Coupled with what he had seen and heard in the Garden of Zhou and the snow plains, he basically knew everything, so he nodded his head.
Su Li paid no attention to him and narrated the story of the umbrella one more time. At the very end, he stared into Chen Changsheng’s eyes and declared, ”I found the sword, and I designed that umbrella. You actually have the audacity to say that this umbrella is yours?”
Chen Changsheng answered, ”But this umbrella's materials were all found by the Old Master Tang. Back then when Senior left this umbrella behind at the Wenshui Tangs, wasn't it because Senior could not find the money?”
Su Li's expression gradually grew frigid. ”Repeat what you said.”
Chen Changsheng felt that not being able to find the money was truly rather imprecise, so he changed his phrasing. ”Isn't it because Senior repudiated the debt that this Yellow Paper Umbrella returned to the Wenshui Tang clan?”
Su Li furiously laughed. ”As Mount Li's supreme elder, I have wandered the four seas, plundered houses, and committed every sort of crime—how could I lack money?”
Chen Changsheng completely ignored his talk about robbing houses and committing crimes and earnestly explained, ”But Senior still didn't pay.”
Su Li found he had nothing he could say, so he said nothing.
The atmosphere grew rather awkward. Chen Changsheng hesitantly got up and climbed up a tree to observe the distant movements of the Great Zhou cavalry, at the same time letting the cold wind disperse the heat on his face.
After a while, he descended from the tree and said to Su Li, ”Senior, I believe that those horsemen have really withdrawn.”
Su Li ignored him.
Chen Changsheng continued, ”Senior, if the cavalrymen really are searching for you, do we still need to hide our tracks? Senior does not believe in us Zhou people, but there should still be people that Senior trusts. Just like Senior said before, although there will be people that come to kill Senior there are also people that would come to save Senior. Although Mount Li is far away, those people that want to save Senior could be very close by!”
Su Li looked into his eyes and said, ”Herein lies the question, are there more people that want to kill me, or more people that want to save me? Who are the more urgent ones?”
Chen Changsheng somewhat hesitantly replied, ”Senior… don’t you think too darkly of human nature?”
”It's not about nature, but hearts. Human nature cannot be tested, and human hearts cannot be guessed. Zealous love and rejection are both ultimately about profit. Emperor Taizong is clearly a shameless follower who murdered his brothers and compelled his father. Zhou Dufu is clearly a butcher who slaughtered people without regard. Yet why is that in the eyes of ordinary folk, these two seem to have a golden aura about their bodies? Because Emperor Taizong and Zhou Dufu brought them sufficient profits. They expelled the demons back to Xuelao City and spared the humans living in the Central Plains from the blade of the soldiers and the flames of war, spared them from being enslaved by another race. Thus they naturally became what the hearts of the people longed for.”
Su Li seriously asked him, ”And me? I live in this conflict-free and peaceful generation. Besides killing a few Demon Generals, I've not done too much. What have I done for the human world? What sort of profits have I obtained for the cultivators and the common folk? Enough so that they would lightly journey ten thousand li to help me? Just because my path of the sword is powerful without equal, that my bearing is exceptionally free and easy-going?”
It was clearly a very serious, even solemn discussion, or perhaps a lecture, but because of how those last few words changed the flavor, Chen Changsheng had no idea how to continue, so he asked, ”What about the southerners?”
In the minds of the common people, Mount Li's Junior Martial Uncle Su Li was currently the strongest expert of the south. It was also because of his existence that the south could protect its final vestiges of dignity and pride in the face of the flourishing Great Zhou.
”Of course, there are many southerners who have thanked me, but there are also many southerners that loathe me. As I've said these past few days, I've killed many people. Since I grew up in the south, the vast majority of people I killed naturally are southerners. They all had relatives, fellow students and disciples, and later generations. How could all those people like me? Of course, even if these people who loathed me were even more numerous, they wouldn't be in the majority, or else wouldn't I be a rat crossing the street that everyone is shouting out to kill? The problem lies in the fact that many years ago, I did something that made the entire south despair, so the people that dislike me grew in number.”
”What thing?” Chen Changsheng asked curiously.
”A bit more than ten years ago, the bloody case of the Orthodox Academy. You should know about it.”
”I know about it.”
”Speaking of which, is Daoist Ji really your master?”
”Senior… in truth, I'm really not really clear on this matter.”
”Fine, let's go back to the main topic. In brief, after that incident in the Orthodox Academy, the Pope was severely wounded, the army was in internal disorder and the Imperial Court at odds with itself. Zhou Tong was randomly killing people, and the entire capital was in complete chaos. Your Zhou Dynasty was in complete shambles. In the eyes of the southerners, this was undoubtedly their best opportunity. Moreover, it must be admitted that the Longevity Sect was truly very powerful back then, on par with your Li Palace.”
”And then?”
”Just as the southerners had completed their several years of preparation and were ready to sortie, because of a certain matter, I trampled into the Longevity Sect and slaughtered all those elders. As a result, the things they had prepared to do were naturally left unsettled.”
”Senior, this sort of secret is really too shocking, or else why would I always feel like Senior is making up ways to praise yourself?”
”Such a tragic affair, what's there to praise about it?”
In a rare moment, Su Li did not continue the conversation to praise himself. His expression was so calm that it caused the heart to beat faster.