The Dust Settles

"... That concludes my questioning for now."

Si Ming did not intend to bring up the matter of the Holy Maiden using the Demon Race to force the Human Race to unite. This matter could easily lead to endless debate, and the two charges mentioned earlier were already enough to sentence the Holy Maiden to life imprisonment. Rather than wasting time on the debate, it would be better to first establish the two clear charges.

Cang Baiyi glanced at Si Ming but did not protest. Firstly, the right and wrong of these two matters were too clear to argue, not to mention that Tu Wangyue had already confessed. Secondly, these two charges alone were not enough to sentence Tu Wangyue to death, after all, she was not an ordinary person.

Cang Baiyi wasn't naive enough to believe that Tu Wangyue could escape unscathed. From the beginning, his goal was simply to keep Tu Wangyue alive; as long as she lived, that was enough.

As Mohist, he was not one to distort the truth. He had his own moral compass. In these two matters, Tu Wangyue had indeed made mistakes, and he did not agree with this approach. Naturally, he would not appeal against his conscience. After all, he was not a litigious man who would do things for money.

Before arriving, everyone had already heard the whole story, so they all guessed Si Ming's intentions, and the scene fell into Anomalies silence.

Outside the venue, Xia Guanxue and Ying Zhou exchanged glances, each secretly gathering their inner True Qi.

Just then, Tu Wangyue spoke.

Chapter 873 The Dust Settles

"The reason why the demon tides have grown stronger and stronger over the years, and why more and more Demon Beast have emerged, is all because I widened the crack in the Demon Race barrier with the Sacred Sword. This matter can be traced back to the Ninth Grandmaster, back then..."

Tu Wangyue repeated what she had said to Si Ming and the others, concluding, "I feel extremely sorry for those who died in the demon tide. It is only natural that they or their families would resent me, and I will not shirk that responsibility. However, I do not regret my decision, and even if I had to do it all over again, I would make the same decision. As for how to judge it, that is up to you all."

"That guy!"

Xia Guanxue was so enraged that her eyes widened in fury, and she almost lost her breath.

Ying Zhou hurriedly said, "Since she has said so, then it is only natural for us to kill her, and I'm sure she won't have any complaints."

Xia Guanxue was not an impulsive person after all, and he quickly lowered his head. He was afraid that the murderous intent in his eyes would arouse the vigilance of others. If he really wanted to carry out an assassination, the key to success was to strike unexpectedly and kill before others could react. In addition, he believed that even if people like Si Ming who opposed him reacted in time, they would choose to stand by and watch. Therefore, in theory, the success rate of the assassination was still very high.

"Even the most strained peace is more valuable than the most just war."

Before anyone else could speak, the Cang Baiyi defended Tu Wangyue, saying, "Back then, our Mohist School launched over three hundred battles, large and small, to unify the Eastern Continent, resulting in over four hundred thousand casualties on both sides. If the Grandmaster at that time had been unable to bear it and had instead retreated to a corner of the land, where would we find the peaceful and prosperous world we enjoy today?"

Then he took out a stack of documents and said, "These are the data I collected, including population growth data and casualty data of people in various parts of the Sea Continent before and after the appearance of the demon tide. All of this can prove that the Holy Maiden's actions are more beneficial than harmful!"

Although this act may seem immoral from today's perspective, for the people at that time, for those caught in the chaos of war, with families torn apart, homes destroyed, and nine out of ten empty, their yearning for peace was beyond our comprehension. If you gave them a choice, they would absolutely choose to support the saint's actions.

Born in hardship, die in comfort. We can now raise the banner of justice to criticize the saint's actions, but when war comes, we will surely regret our ruthlessness today—those who haven't personally experienced the suffering of war have no right to judge the saint's right or wrong!

After a moment of silence, Ji Shichen spoke up, "If this is the only way to maintain peace, then I agree with your point of view. But obviously, it is not. Perhaps the decision made by the Ninth Grandmaster was just a stopgap measure, the fastest and most effective solution that could be thought of under the circumstances at the time, and it does not mean that it should continue for the next two hundred years."

She glanced at Tu Wangyue and said, "First, we need to understand a premise: it was the Grandmaster who ended the war, not the Holy Maiden. The Holy Maiden's actions were merely wishful thinking on her part, clinging to methods from over two hundred years ago without any change. This is akin to trying to find a sword by marking the boat where it fell into the water."

The Cang Baiyi said angrily, "If you have any better ideas, why don't you bring them up? What kind of logic is it to mock those who do nothing for not doing things perfectly?"

Yan Jinghong said, "If the Holy Maiden were willing to consult with us, we would naturally pool our wisdom and efforts. But she didn't do that; instead, she concealed it. Since she doesn't trust us, how can we repay her trust? Your accusation is a trumped-up charge."

The Cang Baiyi said, "If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if secrets are not kept, disaster will result. This matter has nothing to do with trust. Everyone has secrets they cannot share with others. Besides, now that you all know, why don't you pool your wisdom and come up with a foolproof plan?"

Wu Xiu chuckled coldly twice and said, "Is the reason she didn't reveal this matter really because she was worried that a leak would lead to disaster? Did you ask her directly?"

The Cang Baiyi replied without hesitation, "No, but I believe her."

"... That's enough, Baiyi, you don't need to defend me anymore," Tu Wangyue said.

"Now is not the time to give up. Besides, I'm not just making excuses; everything is supported by data. Your good intentions shouldn't be criticized."

"That's enough. I understand your feelings, but it's really not necessary."

Tu Wangyue sighed deeply, looked up at the sky, and said slowly:

"Once, I abandoned this world, and I abandoned myself."

I loathe people's hearts, I loathe politics, I loathe war, and I loathe this hopeless world even more, until I met a naive fool.

He always had a smile on his face. No matter what setbacks he encountered, he faced them with optimism and never got discouraged. No matter how much I criticized him, he would comfort me and tell me about those beautiful ideals that I found nauseating...

But, I don't know when it started, I found myself beginning to believe that perhaps there really is a paradise in this world where everyone loves each other, is equal, and is as close as brothers and sisters.

The Cang Baiyi hesitated, then let out a sigh.

Xing Daozhuang frowned and questioned, "Who exactly is standing here? I originally thought you used Secret Method to pass down memories generation after generation without changing the original owner's personality. But now, after hearing your confession, could it be that even your personality has been replaced? This kind of Evil Method, which is almost like possession, is intolerable!"

"If it is only the memories of one or two generations, one can still maintain a complete self. However, as memories accumulate, it becomes difficult for the original owner's personality to remain independent, and personality split may even occur. It is reasonable to suspect that it is a method of possession."

In fact, we had considered this issue before. Therefore, when it was passed down to the twentieth generation of Holy Maidens, we finally combined the wisdom and experience of several generations of Holy Maidens to create a Cultivation Method for solving the problem. Normally, I maintain an absolutely rational state, but when necessary, I extract the corresponding memories and personality and immerse myself in them, just like an actor acting in a play, thereby maintaining the independence of my personality.

As if to prove her words, Tu Wangyue closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened them, and everyone noticed that her temperament had completely changed. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, carrying a hint of Evil Qi and arrogance. She gave people the feeling that she was usually cynical, but once she set her mind on something, she would forge ahead without hesitation.

"I am Qiao Muyi."

Immediately, her demeanor changed again, becoming shy like a lady from a prominent family, revealing a profound wisdom hidden within.

"I am Xi Yesi."

"I am Lu Dabei."

"I am Tu Wangyue."

Si Ming felt that if there were film awards, the Saintess would definitely win Best Actress. She didn't even need to act out the plot; just by saying a single line, she could make people feel the huge difference between the characters.

At this moment, Tu Wangyue returned to that almost divine state, unmoved by external gains or losses, and her voice rose in layers, as if several generations of saints had spoken in unison:

"We are willing to dedicate our lives to realizing the Mohist School paradise, unwavering in our commitment! To uphold righteousness and eliminate evil, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves, even unto death! To create a world where the virtuous are valued and justice is shared, where the noble are not forever noble, and the lowly are not forever lowly, we will dedicate our lives to never betraying the Mohist tradition!"

She placed her hand on her chest and bowed slightly, as if in silent respect.