Chapter 2342 - Three Years of Struggle, a Morning of Submission

Su Yi remembered.

On his way to the God Domain from the River of Epochs via the Road of Celestial Guidance, Su Yi and the Luo Siblings encountered a group from the Opening Origins Daoist Sect.

At the time, an old-timer who introduced himself as Tu Youfang invited Su Yi and his companions to travel with them.

The woman in Daoist robes had been there, too!

But they’d only met in passing, and Su Yi hadn’t paid her any mind. That was why he needed a moment to recall where he’d seen her before.

His eyes flashed. “This is somewhat interesting.”

Off in the distance, Wen Ruoxue gazed icily at Fu Yong. “Why attack a disciple of our sect?”

Beads of cold sweat formed on Fu Yong’s forehead, and he hurriedly explained the situation.

He was one of Immortal King Lu Hui’s attendants, yes, but even Immortal King Lu Hui would have had to greet Wen Ruoxue as his senior. The disparity in rank was enormous.

After hearing the full story, Wen Ruoxue looked at Mu Bai. “Do you have anything to say?”

Mu Bai was just an outer sect disciple. The gap between him and Wen Ruoxue was like the gap between heaven and earth.

Nonetheless, he was neither humble nor servile. He told her all about killing those yao cultivators, leaving nothing out.

“Elder Wen, as you just heard, the boy is depraved and devoid of conscience! He deserves execution!” said Fu Yong, sounding aggrieved. “After all, who in this world targets their own people?”

Mu Bai pursed his lips and said nothing. He’d already said everything he had to say, and there was no need for any further explanations.

After a moment’s silence, Wen Ruoxue said, “I trust Mu Bai’s character. There’s no way he’d wrong anyone. That junior of yours was indeed a heinous sinner, and she was sure to one day invite disaster and implicate you! The way I see it, Mu Bai did well!”

Fu Yong was flabbergasted

Mo Bai’s eyes lit up. He was quite surprised. He’d never have guessed that someone as illustrious as Elder Wen would trust someone like him, an outer sect disciple on the fringe of the sect!

But... Mu Bai quickly regained control of his emotions.

He’d experienced far too many setbacks, misunderstandings, and far too much rejection. By now, he no longer longed for others’ understanding.

Naturally, he wouldn’t forget himself over Wen Ruoxue’s words.

“So... my descendant died for nothing?” Fu Yong said despondently.

Wen Ruoxue’s gaze was cold. “You aren’t convinced?”

Fu Yong stiffened, then hurriedly lowered his head. “This old servant wouldn’t dare!”

Mu Bai said directly, “Elder Wen, Fu Yong attacked me to avenge a personal grudge. In doing so, he violated the thirty-third rule of the ninth chapter of the sect’s code of conduct. He must be severely punished!”

“You...” Fu Yong’s eyes bulged. He’d never even considered the possibility that Mu Bai would counterattack like this!

Wen Ruoxue furrowed her brow and sighed. “With me here, he failed to achieve his aims, didn’t he?”

Mu Bai shook his head. “Rules are the foundation of a sect. No one can violate them....”

When she saw that Mu Bai was about to go on, Wen Ruoxue was instantly exasperated. “Enough! How do you think he should be punished?”

Fu Yong looked stricken.

Mu Bai said calmly, “He has murderous intentions for me, and although he did not succeed in killing me, he ought to be punished for the attempt. In this disciple’s opinion, he at the very least ought to be whipped three hundred times and sentenced to house arrest!”

Fu Yong broke out in cold sweats and hurriedly begged for mercy.

The sect’s punishment whips were incomparably brutal. They were used to torture gods! Three hundred lashes might well kill him, and it would at the very least remove a layer of skin!

Wen Ruoxue couldn’t help but argue, “Mu Bai, I’ve heard about you, but I still don’t understand. Do you... really not take others’ feelings into account at all?”

Mu Bai looked down and said calmly, “The rules are the rules, and feelings are feelings. In the face of the rules, feelings ought to take a step back. Otherwise, the rules will inevitably fall apart. Who will willingly follow them then?”

Wen Ruoxue was instantly a little exasperated. She finally understood how this “jinx” of an outer sect disciple did things.

It was no wonder so many people rejected and distanced themselves from him.

But there was also no denying that she rather admired Mu Bai’s unyielding spirit.

“Very well. As you say, then.” Wen Ruoxue finally reached a decision. “Fu Yong, return to the sect immediately and accept punishment of your own accord.”

Fu Yong was just an old servant of Immortal King Lu Hui; he was in no way worthy of her personal protection.

Fu Yong’s expression was bleak, and he bitterly lowered his head. “Understood!”

In his heart, he longed to tear Mu Bai into ten thousand pieces!

Before long, Fu Yong left on his own

Mu Bai was just about to set off too when Wen Ruoxue called out to him. “Aren’t you worried that Immortal King Lu Hui will make things difficult for you?”

Mu Bai worked on Spirit Suppression Palace, making Lu Hui his superior!

Lu Hui might not punish Mu Bai openly, but if he wanted to quietly punish Mu Bai, he had countless means at his disposal.

“I’m not worried,” said Mu Bai. “I’m already friendless and alone, and I’m not afraid to die. There’s... no longer anything that scares me in this world.”

Wen Ruoxue fell briefly silent, then sighed and didn’t linger on the topic. Instead, she said, “Come on, follow me back to the sect”

Mu Bai said suddenly, “Elder, why does it seem like something’s weighing on you?”

Wen Ruoxue was stunned.

This kid sure is perceptive!

A moment later, he said softly, “As I’m sure you know, the sect’s been in dire straits for the past three years.”

Mu Bai nodded. “They say that the Church of the Black Cloud has been eating away at our forces and our territories. Everyone in the sect is worried that we’ll lose to them.”

“I’m not worried we’ll lose. I’m worried we’ll admit defeat prematurely,” Wen Ruoxue said with melancholy.

Mu Bai’s heart shook.

......

The Opening Origins Daoist Sect.

A group of sect higher-ups had gathered in a grand hall. The atmosphere was oppressive, and clouds of anxiety hung in the air.

“Of late, the Church of the Black Cloud has repeatedly made itself clear. So long as we submit, they’ll spare our lives.

“Sect Leader, the Church of the Black Cloud is backed by Eight Views Grotto, a peak sect. There’s no way we can defeat them. Why struggle bitterly when we could just... bury the hatchet?”

“Sect Leader, over the past three years, we’ve suffered massive casualties in the war against the Church of the Black Cloud. By now, all of our hearts are wavering. We won’t last much longer!”

“Sect Leader, if things go on like this, we’ll descend into internal conflict before our enemies even get here!”

“Sect Leader...”

One after another, the experts spoke up and expressed their view of the matter.

The majority wanted to surrender!

Wen Ruoxue felt a chill in her hands and feet. She was overcome with disappointment.

She couldn’t help but slam the table and roar, “If not for us fighting all this time, risking our lives to defend our territory, how could the sect possibly have held on this long?

“Yet now, our enemies haven’t even come for us, but you’re already trying to surrender and submit. How can you face your sectmates who died in battle? Was their blood... truly shed in vain?”

Her eyes bulged with fury.

Many of the attendees didn’t dare to look her in the eye.

But one of them laughed coldly, “If you hadn’t been so insistent on fighting the Church of the Black Cloud to the bitter end, how could we have suffered so many casualties?”

Someone else chimed in, “Exactly! If we’d lowered our heads earlier, things would never have gotten this bad!”

Wen Ruoxue was instantly despondent.

So, in their eyes, our three years of effort and sacrifice were entirely misguided!?

“This isn’t just our opinion. It’s the opinion of the entire sect!” An old man said gravely. “There’s no stopping the Church of the Black Cloud. We cannot possibly fight them, so why sacrifice ourselves in vain?”

“It’s true. Over the past three years, countless sects have chosen to submit in the face of the Church of the Black Cloud’s large-scale invasion. They’re all alive and well, aren’t they?” someone tried to argue rationally.

“What do you mean, ‘alive and well?’” Wen Ruoxue said with grief and indignation. “Who among them wasn’t thoroughly ransacked after surrendering? Their territories, legacies, and cultivation resources... were all seized by the Church of the Black Cloud! Even their disciples were reduced to servants and slaves!”

Many of the attendees looked uncomfortable.

One of them sighed. “That’s the price of surrender, isn’t it? Surely that’s still better than letting them flatten us?”

Wen Ruoxue’s delicate frame quivered with fury. “You have high ranks and high cultivations. Even after we surrender, you’ll be able to live on, but what about the rest of us?

“We’ve been fighting them for three years straight, but those of us fighting on the front lines have no intention of giving up. Why are you people the first to wimp out?”

Many of the attendees’ expressions darkened.

“Enough!” roared one of the higher-ups. “Elder Wen, mind your tongue! Also, it’s only been a few years since you joined the sect. This is no place for you to act wantonly!”

The others were quite displeased, too.

Wen Ruoxue took a deep breath, then looked at Sect Leader Ling Qingfeng, who’d been silent this entire time.

Ling Qingfeng sighed. “Elder Wen, the past three years have wronged you.”

Wen Ruoxue stiffened. “Sect Leader, are you saying you already agreed?”

Ling Qingfeng nodded.

The other higher-ups felt a massive weight lift from their shoulders. Many of them were visibly delighted.

Wen Ruoxue, however, was completely despondent.

When the meeting ended, the higher-ups went their separate ways, but Wen Ruoxue was still out of sorts.

She just couldn’t wrap her head around it. Why had the sect changed its attitude so quickly?

“Wen Ruoxue, we cannot change our situation, and we can push no further.” The sect leader was the only one left in the hall, and he seemed to age countless years as he spoke. “I am the leader of our sect, but not even I can stop this. If I refused, the whole sect would be displeased with me, and they’d act against me. My title would be rendered effectively empty, and I’d lose control of the situation completely.”

He sighed. “This is called the overall trend. Even knowing that this path leads to doom, we cannot change course. It’s only after they’ve suffered the consequences of their actions that the sect will learn. Only then will they be willing to use their power to try and remedy the situation and minimize our losses.”

Wen Ruoxue was stunned. She would never have guessed that the sect master would be so helpless in the face of the overall trend!

“Those who fought bathed in blood for the past three years won’t have bled and died in vain,” said Ling Qingfeng. “It’s your efforts that kept the sect afloat all this time. We might be submitting now, but the Church of the Black Cloud won’t dare to push us too far, because... they suffered numerous setbacks over the years, too. They know we aren’t all pushovers!”

By the end of his speech, his voice was full of determination.

Wen Ruoxue was touched. She finally understood what the sect leader was thinking.

It was just a pity... that those eager to submit in the name of self-preservation were unlikely to ever understand his intentions.