When I awakened this time, I had no intention of stirring up any more trouble. So, whatever state the Immortal Dynasty was in, whether the Nine Heavens still existed or not, I couldn't be bothered to spare a thought for it. But since the situation has now changed, I reckon I'll have to find some time later to properly look into it.
If the Immortal Dynasty insists on making trouble, I wouldn't mind letting ancient history repeat itself—slaughtering the Immortal Dynasty.
If the Nine Heavens also want to make trouble, I wouldn't mind letting history repeat itself either—burning the Nine Heavens.
Be it the Immortal Dynasty, the Nine Heavens, or whatever Cloud Realm, no matter who wants to stir things up, Gu Qingfeng will see it through to the end this time.
"As for the Immortal Dynasty's business, you lot don't need to concern yourselves. Leave everything to me."
"Leave it to you?"
Old Master Hong and the other two were utterly stunned. Scar-face Kui, sitting beside them, said indignantly, "Listen, kid, never mind what your relationship with our Monarch actually is. Even if you really are our Monarch's successor, there's no need to be this arrogant, is there?
What do you mean, 'the Immortal Dynasty's business is not for us to worry about'? And 'leave everything to you'?
What's this about?
You looking down on us?"
Scar-face Kui snorted coldly. "Don't think just because you've got some skill, we're pushovers. We weren't afraid of the Immortal Dynasty in the past, and we're even less afraid now."
Looking at Scar-face Kui, Gu Qingfeng gave a helpless laugh, shook his head, sighed, and then said, "Since you all think I'm Gu Tianlang's successor, then I'll use that identity to speak to you."
"Kid, we only suspect it, we haven't confirmed it..." Scar-face Kui tried to say more, but Old Master Hong cut him off. "What does the young master wish to say?"
Gu Qingfeng stood up and poured wine for the four of them. "Gentlemen, do you know why Gu Tianlang disbanded the Chixiao Sect after slaughtering the Immortal Dynasty?"
Before Old Master Hong could speak, Scar-face Kui said, "That's a stupid question. Of course we know. Back then, the Monarch said it himself: the Immortal Dynasty could be slaughtered, but above the Immortal Dynasty lies the Nine Heavens. As long as the Nine Heavens exist, the Immortal Dynasty will inevitably rise again. The Monarch disbanded the Chixiao Sect and then voluntarily faced the Immortal Dynasty's judgment alone—wasn't it all...
To avoid dragging us all down..." Scar-face Kui's voice grew low toward the end. His usual boisterous mood seemed to dampen, as if even now, he couldn't come to terms with the Monarch's death.
"Saying 'dragging down' is putting it a bit too strongly."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, rubbed his neck, and said, "Rather than 'dragging down,' it's more accurate to say he hoped everyone could live a good life."
He picked up a cup of wine, downed it in one gulp, and continued, "In the past, opposing the Immortal Dynasty was something we did because we were all loners, with no one to rely on and no attachments. Most importantly, life was hard back then; we had no other choice but to take that path."
"But it's different now. You all have families now, children and grandchildren. You have food and drink. You may not be fabulously wealthy, but at least you don't have to roam around struggling for survival anymore. So, what's the point of stirring up trouble now?"
Looking at the four of them, Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes and asked very seriously, "No one likes a life of constant fighting and killing. No one likes living with their heads hanging by a thread every day."
Gu Qingfeng's words struck a chord with Old Master Hong and the other two. However, Scar-face Kui said, "Of course! If we could live a good life, who would want to fight and kill?
But kid, there's one thing you've probably got wrong. It's not that we don't want to live in peace now; it's that the Immortal Dynasty wants to make trouble for us."
"And that's precisely what I wanted to talk about."
Gu Qingfeng's statement left Old Master Hong and the others baffled.
"Talk about what?"
"The Crimson-Letter Sect."
"What about the Crimson-Letter Sect?"
"Back then, Gu Tianlang disbanded the Chixiao Sect precisely because he didn't want the Nine Heavens to perceive the existence of a threat like the Chixiao Sect. But what did you do? After the Chixiao Sect was disbanded, you went and cooked up this Crimson-Letter Sect, still flying the Chixiao banner. Isn't that openly declaring yourselves enemies of the Immortal Dao?
If that's the case, then why disband the Chixiao Sect in the first place?
What was the point?"
Gu Qingfeng spoke softly and unhurriedly. "Of course, if you truly intend to be enemies of the Immortal Dao, cooking up a Crimson-Letter Sect isn't a big deal. Since you're enemies, then fight the Immortal Dao to the bitter end. When the Immortal Dynasty descended again at the dawn of the Present-Ancient Era, you should have wiped them out immediately, cutting off their retreat. But you didn't do that."
"If you didn't have the strength to cut off the Immortal Dynasty's retreat back then, then you should have grown and strengthened yourselves throughout the Present-Ancient Era. Since you were already a threat to the Immortal Dynasty, you should have embraced being a threat fully—pose as big a threat as you can, make them too afraid to act rashly, make every step they take feel like treading on thin ice. Even if you can't match them head-on, threaten them so much they can't move an inch."
"But you didn't do that either. Not only did you not do that, after the Present-Ancient Era began, you chose to retreat into seclusion instead, handing over this so-called Crimson-Letter Sect to a bunch of riffraff and your own descendants. These people have no real power, yet they love to stir up trouble everywhere. It's only because of the Great Cataclysm of the Ancient Era, which caused the Immortal Dao to collapse and left the Immortal Dynasty's foundation unstable, that they haven't wiped you out yet. If I were the Immortal Dynasty, I'd have wiped you out too!"
Gu Qingfeng's words left the three Banner Masters of the Black Banners speechless, their old faces turning pale and then flushed. Even the hot-tempered Scar-face Kui hung his head, feeling deeply ashamed. Especially the final stern rebuke shook the four of them, causing their blood and qi to churn violently within.
Perhaps that stern shout was too severe, even causing the Dragon-Elephant Spirits guarding the four to feel fear.
It was genuine fear.
Whether it was the three Banner Masters or Scar-face Kui, they could all clearly sense it. This feeling of reverence was both familiar and foreign to them, stirring something deep in their souls. That stern shout seemed to transport them back over three hundred years, creating an illusion—as if the person standing before them wasn't the successor of Monarch Chixiao, but the Monarch himself.
It truly felt that way.
The four couldn't tell if it was an illusion or something else. They couldn't distinguish whether this reverence came from the Dragon-Elephant Spirits or from within themselves.
They couldn't tell.
Nor did they dare remain seated. They all stood up, retreated outside the pavilion, bowed their heads, and dared not speak.
"Now, the Immortal Dynasty grows stronger by the day, its foundation in this world becoming ever more stable. You've missed your best opportunity for development. It's too late to stir up trouble now. Your threat to the Immortal Dynasty diminishes daily; you're completely passive, only able to be led around by the nose by the Immortal Dynasty."
Gu Qingfeng looked at the four and said, "If you want to live a good life, don't meddle in all this messy business. Just live your own lives. If you want to stir up trouble, then go all out and stir it up with everything you've got. But you lot, you want to live a good life while still stirring up trouble. How can there be such a good thing in all the world?"
He let out a breath, looked up at the full moon in the night sky, and sighed. "Alright, don't take offense. I don't mean anything else by it. I just think this whole affair wasn't handled well at all, it's downright pathetic. Go back and think it over carefully."
"Since I'm representing Gu Tianlang, I'll represent him fully. I'll say it again: the Immortal Dynasty's business is all mine. None of you are allowed to stir up any more trouble for me. Live your lives peacefully and quietly. Otherwise, I'll be the first to slaughter you all!"