Chapter 7: A Heart that Strives to Help the World Begets Empathy for All Those in Need

In the One Heart Church.

"Pope Yin, Night Demon has already arrived in White Cloud Warrior Academy," Mu Linyuan reported.

Yin Shengong merely gave a casual nod.

"Pope Yin, there's a very good chance that the Protectionists already suspect Night Demon. I fear that they may have already tipped him off to White Cloud Warrior Academy," Mu Linyuan said in a concerned manner. "Looking back, we were too rash with the actions that we took against the Su Clan."

"You only realized that

now

?" Yin Shengong scoffed with a hint of derision in his eyes.

Mu Linyuan didn't know how to respond.

"This is where Night Demon will truly display his worth," Yin Shengong continued as he closed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Mu Linyuan asked.

In the wake of the incident concerning the Su Clan, Night Demon had fallen under the suspicion of the Protectionists, yet it seemed that Yin Shengong was regarding this as a positive development.

Yin Shengong's eyes remained closed as he elaborated, "These are all hurdles that Night Demon must overcome, and the academy won't target him too severely. If he can't even overcome such a rudimentary obstacle, then he'll just have to die.

“Right now, he's not worth much to our church anyway. If he survives, then he'll begin to slowly show his true worth. We're playing a long game, and he has to show that he has the ability to stick around. You can go now, Elder Mu."

With that, Mu Linyuan was dismissed, and he still couldn't quite wrap his head around what Yin Shengong had just told him.

***

Ye Meng was dutifully cleaning her and Fang Che's new home.

It was a huge manor with a massive yard, yet it was currently only inhabited by her and Fang Che.

Cleaning such an enormous place without making use of her cultivation base was quite a tiring task, but she was performing it with eagerness and aplomb.

This was her first-ever home, and even though it was registered under Fang Che's name, she still couldn't help but feel excited.

Before long, she was sweating profusely from her efforts, but her eagerness didn't wane in the slightest.

After close to a full day of toil, Ye Meng stared blankly at the manor, which was looking much more like a home, and there was a look of immense joy and satisfaction in her eyes.

Aside from the fact that she had to conceal her cultivation base, the time that she had spent by Fang Che's side was the most comfortable period of her life.

There was no competition, no pressure, no battles.

Even though Fang Che often spoke very harshly of her, she knew deep down that he treated her extremely well.

Even though he was a member of a terrorist organization, she had no complaints about his personal treatment of her.

Just that Heaven Vein Vermilion Fruit alone was already an enormous blessing that he had bestowed upon her, something that would only normally be given by a parent to their child or by a master to their most precious disciple.

However, Fang Che had given her something so precious without even batting an eyelid, and his training had ironed out all of her past incorrect movements, enhancing her combat prowess by at least twofold.

She was confident that she now possessed the ability to punch above her own weight!

That wasn't even to mention all of the pills and cultivation resources that he had given her, all of which would've been quite difficult to come by, even in major sects and warrior academies.

Even though he was very cold and demanding on the surface, it was clearly that he truly did care for her.

He was constantly threatening to sell her to the brothel, but he most likely didn't even know what the inside of a brothel looked like.

Over time, those repeated threats had become more amusing than demeaning to Ye Meng.

With that in mind, she heaved a faint internal sigh.

If she were to receive an order to kill Fang Che from her higher-ups someday, she wondered if she would actually be able to do it.

She bit down firmly onto her lower lip.

If the time comes, I have to do it. This is what you get for joining the One Heart Church.

With her mind steeled, her fleeting moment of vulnerability quickly passed, and she continued to toil away.

If she still weren't done by the time Fang Che returned, he would be sure to throw a fit.

***

Fang Che was also completely dumbstruck by his own detainment.

What did I do? Why am I being taken away?

The office building was very majestic, with the words "White Cloud Warrior Academy" at the center, accompanied by a set of shimmering golden couplets.

The characters on the couplets had been written in pure molten gold, and each character was around twenty feet in size, presenting a spectacular sight to behold.

The left couplet read: "A heart that strives to help the world."

The right couplet read: "Begets empathy for all those in need."

The contents of the couplets weren't anything special, but Fang Che was abruptly rooted to the spot by the sight of them, feeling as if he had just been struck by lightning.

He could sense that this had something to do with him, but he couldn't recall what the correlation was.

For some reason, the signature of Yao Guang at the bottom had him feeling so flustered all of a sudden that he was beginning to get dizzy.

Everyone else also stopped in their tracks, and the assistant dean said in a solemn voice that was laden with respect and admiration, "These couplets were personally written 520 years ago by our academy's ninth dean, Alkaid Monarch Meng Chuxing. Only by possessing the will to save the entire world can one understand the struggles of the masses against the Church of the Self-Righteous.

“Only by understanding these struggles will we be more determined than ever to save the world. Dean Meng Chuxing served at our academy for 450 years before finally retiring, and prior to his departure, he had pointed at these couplets and told his successor, Dean Meng Hejun, to commit these words firmly to memory.

“Dean Meng Chuxing served with unmatched diligence, even going as far as to remember every single student during his term. It was only under his leadership that our academy was able to claim a spot among the top eight academies, and since then, we've risen to number five!

“Dean Meng Chuxing's successor, Meng Hejun, was also his beloved only daughter, and she took Dean Meng Chuxing's teachings to heart, carrying on his good work for over a hundred years. Following her retirement, she became the honorary dean of our White Cloud Warrior Academy, and it's all thanks to those two that our academy has reached its current heights."

The reverent look on the assistant dean's face was mirrored by everyone else, and they extended a collective bow toward the couplets.

Meanwhile, Fang Che felt as if something were about to burst out of the deepest recesses of his mind, and he was struck by a splitting headache.

The couplets, the name Meng Chuxing, the title of Alkaid... All of these things had shaken him to the core.

Right at this moment, a woman emerged from the building amid a light tinkling sound.

The woman wore a purple dress, and there was a regal aura of undeniable authority about her.

There was a string of small bells around her wrist, and they were giving off a soft white glow.

The bells chimed as she walked, producing a sound akin to that of a windchime, evoking soothing imagery of a gentle breeze blowing through a bamboo forest.

"Huang Yifan, what are you all of you doing bowing to the building?" the woman asked with an amused smile.

Huang Yifan was the name of the assistant dean, and he and the others immediately extended respectful bows toward the woman as they collectively greeted, "We pay our respects to Mistress Meng."

"There's no need for such formalities. I am no longer the dean, just the honorary dean now," the woman said with a smile.

"You will forever be the spiritual pillar of our White Cloud Warrior Academy, Mistress Meng!" Huang Yifan declared in an earnest and serious manner.

"That's not an easy title to live up to," the woman chuckled.

She was none other than Meng Hejun, the only daughter of Alkaid Monarch Meng Chuxing and the tenth dean of White Cloud Warrior Academy.

She drifted down the steps in an elegant manner as she said, "Several seniors have summoned me, so I have to go right away."

"Fare thee well, Mistress Meng."

Meng Hejun nodded in response, and as she strode past Fang Che, she casually asked, "Is he a new student? He's here rather early."

"Yes, he's a very bright young prospect, so we wanted to take a good look at him," Huang Yifan hurriedly replied.

Meng Hejun's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and she said, "Don't be too rough on him. You've always had a hot temper, so you must learn to rein yourself in, and if you're unsure of anything, then consult with Dean Gao.

"Yes, I'll be sure to do so," Huang Yifan replied.

"Don't be nervous, just make sure to work hard," Meng Hejun said with a smile.

Fang Che nodded in response in a slightly dazed manner.

Meng Hejun strode over to his side, then pointed up at the couplets as she said, "Make sure to commit these words firmly to memory. As warriors, we seek power in order to protect the kindness in this world and save the masses from suffering.

“A heart that strives to save the world begets empathy for all those in need. I hope you can truly embody these words someday and dedicate your life to them. This world is in desperate need of people to protect it."

Her voice was gentle and kind and imbued with boundless mental power, cascading through Fang Che's mind like a wave of serenity.

It was as if Meng Hejun had passed her will of duty onto him while simultaneously purifying his soul, and it was an indescribably blissful sensation.

In the blink of an eye, Meng Hejun rose up into the air, quickly vanishing out of sight.

Huang Yifan shook his head with a wry smile.

Mistress Meng is far too kind. She went out of her way to cleanse his soul before she left.

He had brought Fang Che here as he had received a report that Fang Che was a spy from the One Heart Church, and Meng Hejun had clearly guessed this. She knew that such a formidable lineup wouldn't have been deployed just for any new student.

However, she had still done what she did out of sympathy and her duty as a teacher, unwilling to see any student stray down the wrong path.

No wonder all of the countless students to have come out of White Cloud Warrior Academy say that Mistress Meng is someone capable of saving souls!

"There aren't many people that I admire, but Mistress Meng and her father are at the very top of the list," Huang Yifan said in a reverent manner.

"You make it sound like you're the only one!" someone else chuckled.

By the time Fang Che returned to his senses, Meng Hejun was already gone, but the delightful chiming of her bells continued to echo in his mind.