The smile on Zhao Baiyang's face intensified by a fraction as he spoke slowly, "I am here today to invite Brother Pei to participate in a certain great cause."
He deliberately paused for a bit, anticipating Pei Xuanjing's response.
Even though Pei Xuanjing had a vague idea of Zhao Baiyang's intentions from his prior experiences, he didn't want to spoil the occasion.
He praised Zhao Baiyang's words and made sure they didn't fall to deaf ears. After all, considering Zhao Baiyang's capabilities, he deserved respect from Pei Xuanjing, even as an adversary, there was no need for any insult.
"Lord, speak your mind." Pei Xuanjing portrayed a demeanor of attentive listening.
Zhao Baiyang smiled and nodded, then expressed shocking words as he voiced each one calmly, "I invite Brother Pei for one great cause, entering Tiandu to slay the dragon!"
Enter Tiandu to slay the dragon!
Who is the dragon in Tiandu? It is the Emperor of Great Ming, currently the most powerful person under the heavens.
Upon hearing these words, even the wind atop Shenxiao Mountain paused for a moment.
Looking at the calm-faced Zhao Baiyang, who appeared as if he just discussed something insignificant, even Pei Xuanjing, who knew about Zhao's actions, couldn't help but smile.
Coming from a world without emperors, he naturally had no reverence for such entities.
But it was different for the people of this world, who, under this system, even the strongest martial artists maintained a degree of reverence and caution towards the Emperor.
From Pei Xuanjing's perspective, among the martial world, only the mighty figures that dominated it and rebels like Zhao Baiyang, who saw power as insignificant, would utter such words casually. "Hehe." Pei Xuanjing let out a faint laugh, remaining noncommittal to the suggestion.
"Why does Brother Pei laugh?" Zhao Baiyang was intrigued. Seeing a small, unresponsive, smiling Pei Xuanjing, he couldn't help but ask aloud.
According to him, after uttering these words, they should have shocked Pei Xuanjing leaving him breathless.
Despite countless attempts by the Mire Sect to assassinate the Emperor in the past.
But those plans were completely different from the task he proposed today, so they weren't even comparable.
What is Tiandu?
It's the heartland of the Great Ming Empire, crowded with numerous nobles, full of skilled martial artists. To them, it is akin to a dragon pool and tiger den.
Especially after the disintegration of the Martial Academy years ago, the defense of the entire Tiandu has become more stringent by several folds.
Infiltrating Tiandu to slay the dragon is a grand plan.
Pei Xuanjing suppressed his smile, and asked seriously, "May I ask, Lord, why do you desire to slay the dragon?
"Hmm?" Zhao Baiyang frowned and retorted, "The Emperor hoards the wealth of the world, indulges in luxury and wealth, yet neglects and treats his subjects like chaff. Is such an Emperor necessary?"
Indeed, many may find it amusing when they hear Zhao Baiyang, the infamous Maitreya Sect Leader in the Jianghu, expressing such words.
The reputation of the Mire Sect is not good at all.
Even though in terms of heritage, foundation, and power, the Mire Sect is on par with the major powers, even surpassing most. Nonetheless, these powers have always held disdain for the Sect, viewing them as a peculiar 'outcast' birthed from their land.
Especially after Zhao Baiyang ascended to the Sect Leader's position, there has been a stronger aversion towards the Mire Sect from all directions.
Yes, in their eyes, the Mire Sect is an outcast.
The powers led by the Ming royal family hold a majority of the world's interests and they wish to let everything remain stagnant and secured. However, the Mire Sect has been attributed as a source of chaos and instigators of instability to their reign.
"Oh?" Regardless of anything else, merely these words were enough to dramatically alter Pei Xuanjing's impression of him. He quietly said, "Brother Zhao, please continue."
Zhao Baiyang, noticing the change in Pei Xuanjing's form of address, didn't mind it and sneered, "The former Yuan Dynasty was a foreign tribe, who ruthlessly invaded the Central Plains with their brutal troops. Despite achieving a temporary world domination, they exploited and deemed the populace as animals for their amusement, leading to the uprising of the Great Ming Empire by the founding Emperor who overthrew the Cruel Yuan and established the Great Ming Empire, thus giving rise to the glorious six hundred years of the Great Ming. But, is today's Great Ming the same as the initial Great Ming?"
Six hundred years ago, the founding emperor emerged from insignificance, drew out his three-foot sword, achieved unparalleled merit, swept across the four barbaric tribes, unified the Divine
Continent, and consolidated his rule because of the atrocities committed by the former dynasty.
Owing to the humble origins of the founding emperor, he knew the roots of Great Ming's founding and therefore treated the populace kindly and rectified the government.
However, six hundred years have passed since then, the guiding principles left by the Great Ming founding emperor have turned into waste paper. The Ming royal family and those who team up to govern have forgotten their responsibilities.
"However, Brother Zhao should be aware that this is inevitable." Pei Xuanjing stated leisurely in a casual tone.
The future generations will lament it yet fail to take lessons from it, making the next generations lament it too.
The first time you hear about such matters, you may feel astonished, find it hard to accept, and wonder why the reality is so different from your original knowledge.
But when you calm down, meticulously think it over, and peruse those pages of history, you realize that it is just what it is, everything is as expected.
He questioned Zhao Baiyang, "Is this a problem that can be solved by beheading an emperor?"
Clearly, this isn't a problem that can be resolved by beheading the emperor.
In his perspective, Zhao Baiyang's solution seemed a bit like, "If you can't solve the problem, solve the person creating the problem."
But the key point is, the emperor might bear responsibility for the problem, but he is not the root of it.
Moreover, if Zhao Baiyang can execute one emperor today, the Great Ming Empire can bring forth a second emperor tomorrow.
And let's not talk about anything else, there must be at least millions in the imperial family, and when you count, there must be tens of thousands who are eligible to be emperors. Can he, Zhao Baiyang, execute all of them?
"If changing an emperor doesn't solve the problem, then let's replace this imperial court!" Zhao
Baiyang announced in a cold tone.
In his view, infiltrating Tiandu to slay the dragon was just the first step of the plan.
What follows next, while the Great Ming imperial court is headless, he has the next plan prepared.
Pei Xuanjing, in silence, "Is replacing an imperial court that easy?"
But if actually the world plunged into chaos, and heroes rise simultaneously, then it would incite battles across the world again.
Moreover, with the foreign tribes beyond the borders eagerly watching, a slight mistake could lead to potentially catastrophic repercussions.
Zhao Baiyang seemed to have forgotten his goal when he heard Pei Xuanjing's somewhat anxious response.
He couldn't help but ask, "Just because this matter is dangerous, should we not go ahead with it?"
Born into poverty, Zhao Baiyang relentlessly climbed the ranks to become a prominent martial artist whose reputation shook the world.
His destiny had already undergone a drastic change. For him, he could easily dismiss his old ways and comfortably lead the Mire Sect, becoming one of the group.
Unfortunately, there's an unrest brewing within Zhao Baiyang's heart.
Simply put, he just couldn't let go. Even with the status he achieved today, he struggle to move past it.
As for Zhao Baiyang, he could never forget the humiliation he was subjected to by those people…
Initially, Zhao Baiyang was a poor boy who by accident or perhaps a bit of luck grew to become a promising young talent in the martial world, a rising star.
Just when he thought his life was taking a turn for the better, he was given a brutal wake-up call which made him realise that even at the peak of his success, the higher-ups still saw him as nothing more than trash, no better than swine, loathed as the lowest of the low.
Since then, for Zhao Baiyang, he only had two goals left in life:
One, to reach the peak of cultivation; the other, to pull down those high and mighty people, making them taste the pain and bitterness of being tread upon just like him.
He wished that those who were originally just like him would no longer be despised. Instead, they could proudly stand and no longer be seen as dirt cheap, despised like swine, their lives as worthless as the grass.
"However, you must be more clear about the significance of this than I am!" Pei Xuanjing said solemnly and earnestly.
On Zhao Baiyang's face emerged a determined expression: "I know it won't be easy, but I will still persist."
At this moment, Zhao Baiyang set his determined gaze, insinuating that nothing, not even Gods or Buddhas, could sway his determination.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head: "What I'm asking is not that, brother."
He knew this path was tough but wasn't questioning Zhao Baiyang's resolute beliefs.
Martial artists at their level are firmly resilient in mind and spirit—the sort that cannot be easily toppled.
So, that wasn't the question Pei Xuanjing was asking.
He was questioning whether Zhao Baiyang was clear about the cost of this undertaking.
He could comprehend his motives. He understood that some things are invariably taken up by someone.
Just like when he had chosen to kill Ning King and attempted to quell the rebellion.
For Zhao Baiyang, it was indeed a monumental task, but for the common folk of the world, it was an inescapable catastrophe.
The heroic figure that pulls the sword out one day sparks a decade's disaster for the world.
This awe-inspiring, epic, mighty endeavor is laden with countless destroyed homes, families torn apart, scattered and floating lives.
Even for Pei Xuanjing who had now reached this stage in his cultivation, possessing immense power, standing at the pinnacle of martial strength in the world—
Such undertakings were, to him, still slightly touching, still slightly difficult to bear.
Because on reaching that step, every decision, every action, means countless people would have to pay with their lives.
As of now, Pei Xuanjing himself did not dare bear the burden, for he could perceive the weight behind it.
That's why he asked Zhao Baiyang.
"In order for success to happen, sacrifices must be made, and this is inevitable, " Zhao Baiyang said coldly.
He was fully aware of what costs would be involved, of how many lives would be affected.
But in his eyes, all of it was worth it. These were the prices to be paid for success, considering a few sacrifices for the sake of success meant nothing.
Hearing Zhao Baiyang's response, Pei Xuanjing remained silent.
At this moment, he finally understood where he and Zhao Baiyang differed.
Even if Zhao Baiyang's goals were ambitious and won the admiration of many people—
Even Pei Xuanjing himself had to admire Zhao Baiyang's foresight and thinking not long ago— However, when Pei Xuanjing got this answer, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
With a mysterious smile, Pei Xuanjing asked: "Brother Zhao, I just want to ask one question, by what right?"
"Hmm?" Zhao Baiyang wrinkled his brows, not understanding Pei Xuanjing's meaning for a moment. Pei Xuanjing asked again: "I want to ask, by what right do you have to let those people sacrifice?"
Zhao Baiyang's face slightly changed, Pei Xuanjing didn't care, his tone gradually getting colder: "Brother Zhao, have you ever asked those people if they are willing to sacrifice for your goals?"
Peace unto the nameless dogs, chaos onto the humans.
For the ordinary people of this world, they bear no lofty ambitions or ideals.
All they seek is the absolute basics: three meals a day, enough warmth and comfort to get through each day.
As long as they can continue living peacefully each day, they don't mind enduring more hardships and tiredness.
Naturally, Zhao Baiyang, with his resolute mindset, wouldn't easily be stunned by Pei Xuanjing's question.
He claimed aloud: "I am doing this for their good, so they can live with their heads held high. So they won't be bullied, so they can…"
His spirited statement was rudely interrupted by Pei Xuanjing, who coldly said: "They don't care about how others see them, they just want to live, they just want to live peacefully. They don't care if they get bullied, as long as they can survive."
To live, to live peacefully, to accept a little bullying is no big deal..