Chapter 105: World Three【19】 Part 1

Jing Ke immediately noticed her little disciple’s slightly nervous state. However, she didn’t think too much of it, assuming the girl was simply displeased with the other woman’s identity as the Left Protector of the Devil Sect.

“I don’t like being forced to make choices, you understand?” Jing Ke replied.

At the same time, she reached out and held the hand of her little disciple who was tugging at her clothes, soothing her with the most straightforward action.

“The Devil Sect holds no appeal for me, and neither does the Martial Arts Alliance. Isn’t it good to be free and unfettered? Why must we place shackles on ourselves?” Jing Ke asked.

Yin Honglian raised her eyebrows slightly. “If it were four years ago, I would think your choice is very free and easy, and I’d even feel a little envious.”

“But the situation is different now. The Four Seas Pavilion’s influence has grown significantly while we were at odds with the Martial Arts Alliance. The Emperor has also formally appointed the Crown Prince, seemingly intent on strengthening imperial authority.”

Yin Honglian said, the smile fading slightly from her face as her expression turned much more serious. “You must have heard the discussions on the streets. The capital city area has already started strictly checking identities. Any Jianghu figures who have secretly engaged in fights are having their old scores dug up by the Four Seas Pavilion and are being dragged off to prison.”

“There have always been only two ways to leave the Four Seas Pavilion’s prison: either you become a corpse and are carried out horizontally, or you accept their recruitment and become one of them.”

Yin Honglian added, “Both we and the Martial Arts Alliance have realized this. That is why both sides have been quite restrained over the past two years, rarely dealing heavy blows to one another.”

Jing Ke frowned slightly. Remembering the origins of the Heavenly Derivation Sect’s Ancestral Master, a somewhat troublesome guess emerged in her mind.

“Did your high-level leaders betray you, or were the higher-ups of the Martial Arts Alliance bought out?” Jing Ke asked, her choice of words extremely precise.

Yin Honglian let out a soft sigh. “Both. That’s why the Imperial Court is very clear about our strength, and they also know…”

Yin Honglian didn’t speak the rest of her thoughts aloud, but she believed Jing Ke could understand.

“Are you the next Cult Leader?” Jing Ke suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Yin Honglian did not deny it. “If the Cult Leader unexpectedly departs, I will be the next in line. However, I have absolutely no interest in that kind of position, nor do I think it is necessary to stir up a war.”

Jing Ke was noncommittal. After connecting the sect’s treasury to the pattern on the token, she had already guessed the true origins of the Devil Sect lurking Outside the Pass.

It was nothing more than the residual forces of the Former Dynasty. Having stood firm for two hundred years, they likely still hadn’t relinquished their dream of restoring their kingdom.

As for the relationship between her sect’s Ancestral Master and the founding emperor of the Former Dynasty, Jing Ke had refreshed her memory while organizing the sect’s library over the past few years.

The founding emperor of the Former Dynasty was the biological older sister of her sect’s Founding Ancestor. In a sense, the Heavenly Derivation Sect governed the Jianghu on behalf of the Imperial Court to prevent their conflicts from spilling over to harm ordinary, innocent commoners.

Before the fall of the Former Dynasty, the Heavenly Derivation Sect was always the default premier sect. Under the sect’s self-disciplined example, Jianghu figures dared not act too outrageously.

But after the Former Dynasty fell, the Heavenly Derivation Sect—as the continuation of the Former Dynasty’s imperial bloodline—naturally became a thorn in the new Emperor’s side, an entity he desperately wished to eliminate as quickly as possible.

Having grown accustomed to a free and leisurely life, the disciples of the Heavenly Derivation Sect had no strong desire to restore the fallen empire. When they needed to strive, they had already done so. The rolling wheels of history were not something a single Jianghu sect could pull back.

Thus, the Heavenly Derivation Sect retreated from the world and lived in seclusion, carrying countless treasures and secret techniques into the deep mountains and forests, rarely recruiting new disciples.

“Jing Ke, if we could choose, I think roaming the world with a sword would be nice too,” Yin Honglian said. “But we have too few choices. The Imperial Court has not only the Four Seas Pavilion but also a million-strong army. I know you are very strong, but you alone can’t possibly fight that many people, right?”

Yin Honglian did not deliberately avoid Luo Yuezhu. After all, Luo Yuezhu was Jing Ke’s only disciple and, by extension, her future companion.

“I don’t think the Imperial Court would make such a fuss over me alone, sending out so many men and horses to encircle and suppress me,” Jing Ke replied dismissively.

“Emperors are always extremely suspicious. Just the treasures left behind by the Former Dynasty are more than enough to make him lose sleep,” Yin Honglian said.

Clearly, Yin Honglian’s perspective differed from Jing Ke’s. She felt those in power were arrogant; for them, they only needed to issue orders, with no need to personally carry out the encirclement and pursuit.

“Or are you willing to just hand those things over, Jing Ke?” Yin Honglian countered.

“No. If anyone truly comes to encircle and suppress me, I will go straight to the palace and chop off the Emperor’s head,” Jing Ke said, her tone exceptionally calm.

“Didn’t you say so yourself? The Crown Prince has already been appointed. If the person currently sitting on the dragon throne is not clear-headed and wants to mobilize a million-strong army to deal with me, then I will simply replace him with someone whose head is a bit clearer.”

Jing Ke looked at Yin Honglian and smiled slightly. “Just because you cannot do it doesn’t mean I cannot. What you fear, I do not fear.”

“The only reason you are still the Left Protector of the Devil Sect rather than a free person is simply because you are not strong enough,” Jing Ke said, turning the tables and dealing a sharp emotional blow to Yin Honglian.

“If you were stronger than your Cult Leader, would you still worry about so many problems?”

“If you could easily enter the palace and chat face-to-face with the Emperor, would you still have so many vexations?”

“If you were so strong that you had no rivals, you wouldn’t need to wear clothes of this color today, nor would you need makeup to conceal your true appearance,” Jing Ke remarked.

“Instead of trying every possible way to win me over, you should focus on becoming stronger. As long as you are strong enough, you will find that all problems resolve themselves.”

Yin Honglian listened, completely dazed. She opened her mouth to speak several times but hesitated. Finally, after swallowing twice, she asked in a slightly dazed voice: “Jing Ke, your… your thoughts are absolutely insane. You don’t really want to kill the Emperor, do you? That could plunge the entire world into chaos…”

Jing Ke let out a calm “Oh,” and said, “So what? If he provokes me, I kill him. Isn’t that the rule of the Jianghu? I am not the Emperor, so why should I worry about whether the world falls into chaos?”

“He who holds the position must shoulder its duties. Whether the world is stable is something the Emperor should worry about, not me,” Jing Ke said, kindly reminding her.

“Your friend is about to win. You can go over and offer your congratulations,” Jing Ke said. “If you have time, you can repeat what I just told you to her, so the Martial Arts Alliance knows my stance as well.”

“It would be even better if some of their spies find out. It will let the Emperor know that I don’t oppose him tightening restrictions on the Jianghu. But if his head isn’t clear and he wants to target me, I don’t mind leaving him without a head,” Jing Ke added.

With that, Jing Ke picked up the teapot nearby and filled the teacup in front of Yin Honglian.

A full cup of tea signals the departure of a guest; Jing Ke’s meaning was already crystal clear.

Yin Honglian opened her mouth twice. Before coming to find Jing Ke, she believed she had made thorough preparations, but in the end, she was utterly terrified by the response Jing Ke had given.

Kill the Emperor just like that? This style of doing things seems even more reckless and unscrupulous than the Devil Sect…

In the end, Yin Honglian couldn’t utter a single word, leaving in a complete daze.

Such terrifying words couldn’t be heard by her alone. She had to let Ye Wenxin hear them too!

She wanted to see if, after hearing these words, Ye Wenxin could still maintain her signature calm expression!

“M-Master…” Never mind Yin Honglian; even Luo Yuezhu was frightened after hearing her Master’s borderline treasonous words, stammering as she spoke.

“What is it?” Jing Ke turned her head and asked, her hand never letting go of her little disciple’s.

“Master, is what you just said true? Will the Imperial Court really target us? Will you…” Luo Yuezhu said with a conflicted expression.

“Half and half. I don’t believe the Emperor would be that brainless,” Jing Ke smiled, gently pinching the back of her little disciple’s hand.

“The conspiracies and schemes of the imperial court are far more numerous than those of the Jianghu. The court is likely just floating some rumors to observe the reactions below. As for exactly how many people have been arrested, or how many have submitted to the Four Seas Pavilion, there is still no accurate list.”

Jing Ke released her little disciple’s hand, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and patting it. “No need to worry too much. As long as the Emperor’s head is clear, he won’t make a move against us. The Heavenly Derivation Sect has been quiet for so long; targeting us now would just be looking for trouble.”

Luo Yuezhu nodded slowly. “Master, our sect… is our sect’s background really that grand?”

“Well, our Ancestral Master was the biological younger sister of the Founding Emperor of the Former Dynasty. Generally speaking, the lineage of the Sect Master carries the bloodline of the Former Dynasty’s imperial family,” Jing Ke explained, keeping nothing from her little disciple.