Chapter 437

Si Ming raised his hand and said, "Though the rain from heaven is abundant, it does not nourish rootless grass; though the Buddha's teachings are vast, they do not save those without affinity. I have heard that the Buddha has three kinds of people he does not save: those without affinity, those without faith, and those without desire. Even the Buddha, who possesses perfect enlightenment and great wisdom, has people he cannot save, let alone a mere mortal like myself?"

Wuguo was stunned for a moment, probably not expecting that the other party also understood Buddhism, and seemed to be very proficient in it. He was speechless for a moment, because since the other party had quoted Buddhism, he, as a genuine Buddhist School disciple, should of course refute it with Buddhism. However, he was not the kind of "Buddhist monk" who specialized in studying Buddhist scriptures, so he couldn't think of anything for the time being.

Si Ming sneered inwardly. The monk's words sounded wonderful, as if all conflicts could be resolved through mutual tolerance. Unfortunately, it was too idealistic. Conflicts involving fundamental interests could not be resolved through spiritual tolerance, but only through physical elimination.

It's like when wolves eat sheep. People always feel sorry for the sheep, thinking the wolves are too cruel. But if the wolves didn't eat the sheep, they would die. Aren't wolves also living beings? To save the wolves, you have to sacrifice the sheep. This is an irreconcilable conflict, unless someone has the ability to turn carnivores into herbivores.

To put it more deeply, everything the Heavenly Martial Alliance has done is actually a martial arts revolution. What is a revolution?

A great man once made it clear: Revolution is not a dinner party, not writing an essay, not painting or embroidering; it cannot be so elegant, so leisurely, so refined, so gentle and courteous. Revolution is an insurrection, a violent act by which one class overthrows another.

Whether aristocratic Si Ming are considered Aristocratic Clan is unclear, but the system upon which Aristocratic Clan depend for survival conflicts with the system of the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Unless they are in different territories, only one side can survive if they are together, which is determined by the systems of both sides.

Of course, powerful Aristocratic Clan could allow all their members to join the Heavenly Martial Alliance, but the reason why family members cling to their Lineage and are willing to be exploited by their superiors rather than leave is because staying in the Lineage still offers the opportunity to learn martial arts secrets. Leaving would mean losing even that opportunity. But what if there are better opportunities after leaving the Lineage?

Naturally, I left without hesitation. Feelings can bind you for a while, but not forever.

Once they join the Heavenly Martial Alliance, the lower-ranking clansmen have the opportunity to learn Higher Vehicle martial arts and no longer have to be subservient to the upper echelons. In this situation, only those with an innate servility would be willing to accept exploitation, but such people are ultimately a minority. Without the lower-ranking clansmen, who would the upper echelons of the Aristocratic Clan exploit?

"If that's the case, it seems there's nothing more to discuss. We'll take our leave."

Shen Wumian was the one among them who understood things best, so he clearly realized that there was no room for maneuver for either side, and that it was a fight to the death.

"Wait!"

Wuguo, he hurriedly called out to the Aristocratic Clan families who were about to turn and leave, then looked at Si Ming and said in a sorrowful tone, "Alliance Leader Sima, are you truly so heartless, preferring death and destruction to even taking a single step back for peace? This humble monk is willing to swear on his life that Patriarch Shen Clan and the others have indeed come with a desire for peace. This humble monk begs you, Alliance Leader, please give them a chance."

After saying that, he was about to kneel down.

Si Ming cursed inwardly, "This old monk is trying to put me on the hot seat! Sure enough, the balder he is, the more poisonous he becomes!" He quickly flicked his finger, shooting out a burst of energy towards the knee that had Wuguo kneel, trying to change the direction in which the kneeling monk was kneeling.

However, someone was faster than Si Ming. Shen Wumian thrust out his One Sword, and no one could see the movement clearly. They only saw that his sword sheath had already landed below Wuguo's knees, supporting his kneeling posture. Then he flicked his finger and shot out a Sword Qi, which canceled out Si Ming's finger aura.

"Master Wuguo, you don't need to do this. We would rather die than be humiliated," Shen Wumian said, his eyes sharp as swords as he slashed at Si Ming. "The victor is king, the loser is villain; it's still uncertain!"

Why does it sound like I forced him to kneel? Get this straight, you're the villains! What kind of protagonist are you trying to portray with this righteous indignation? Are you going to start chanting "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years Hexi" next?

Si Ming was furious. The other party's actions had made him look like the villain who used his power to humiliate others. It seemed that everyone in reality thought they were on the side of justice.

"Idealism is always beautiful, but beautiful things aren't necessarily useful. Master, you may think you're helping them, but actually you're tearing away their last fig leaf," Si Ming turned his gaze to the Aristocratic Clan families. "Fine, for the sake of the Master's true saintly nature, I'll give you all a chance."

Master Wuguo didn't understand why he, a man, was being called the Holy Mother, but these were minor matters and not worth fussing over. He immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Excellent, excellent! Thank you for your leniency, Alliance Leader. This humble monk believes that if everyone can take a step back and show some tolerance, we can turn hostility into friendship and avert the calamity of war."

Shen Wumian knew that if the two sides went to war, the Aristocratic Clan had little chance of winning. If the issue could be resolved in another way, he was unwilling to take such an extreme step. So he asked, "How so?"

"Simple. People of the martial world should solve problems in their own way. I won't take advantage of numbers. Each side will send seven people. The first to get four wins will be the winner. If our side loses, the Heavenly Martial Alliance will not set foot within a hundred miles of any of your Lineage' locations."

Shen Wumian nodded inwardly. This was exactly the bet they had been trying to win on this trip, so he asked, "What if we lose?"

"If you lose, you won't have to pay any price, just don't prevent others from joining the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Democracy and freedom are the two principles that our Heavenly Martial Alliance upholds. Our Heavenly Martial Alliance will not use force against the Aristocratic Clan, and Aristocratic Clan must not use force against the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Both sides should seek common ground while reserving differences, exercise restraint, and coexist peacefully."

Master Wuguo asked in surprise, "Is this really true?"

In this way, regardless of who wins or loses, it seems that no war will break out, which he considers the best possible outcome. It would be even better if the two sides decided the outcome through negotiation rather than a martial arts contest. Wuguo, Master Wuguo knew that this was impossible; people in the martial arts world have their own rules.

Si Ming laughed and said, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. In the end, it is our Heavenly Martial Alliance that is pursuing peace. It is the aristocratic families who want to disrupt the peace. If you really want to maintain peace in the martial Aristocratic Clan, you should persuade the Aristocratic Clan to lay down their weapons. I can promise here that the Heavenly Martial Alliance will never strike the first blow against the Aristocratic Clan."

As long as the Heavenly Martial Alliance continues to develop, the Aristocratic Clan will inevitably decline or even be destroyed sooner or later. This is an inevitable trend, and peaceful development is beneficial to the Heavenly Martial Alliance.

Master Wuguo said with satisfaction, "Wuguo! Alliance Leader Sima is compassionate, a blessing to the martial world and to all living beings."

If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, he really wanted to say, "You have a connection with Buddhism."

Shen Wumian ignored the slight sarcasm in his words and asked directly, "Time? Place?"

"Let's set the date for half a month from now, to give you ample time to prepare, so you don't have to make excuses if you fail. As for the location, let Master Wuguo decide. I believe he can find a fair venue for both sides."

Master Wuguo said, "Leave this matter to me."

Si Ming revealed a malicious smile and said, "Master, I have a question. What if one side loses and then refuses to admit defeat, maintaining peace on the surface while secretly harassing the other side with various underhanded tactics, even resorting to murder and framing?"

"This... both parties made a promise as gentlemen, and it was a vow made in front of everyone. They are unlikely to break their word, otherwise they would be condemned by the entire martial arts world."

Master Wuguo didn't know how to respond, since Si Ming to one side, which naturally included himself.

Si Ming, "What threat can contempt pose? It can't hurt a hair on someone's head. When the other party feels they've been driven to a dead end, they'll do whatever they want, regardless of their reputation."

Shen Wumian finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Is Young Master Sima looking for a way out after his failure?"

"Wrong, I'm cutting off the losers' escape route," Si Ming said to Master Wuguo. "Master, if you truly want to maintain peace in the Western Martial World and don't want to see such a tragedy of bloodshed, then make a promise—a promise that the losers won't dare to break. After all, some people fear power but not morality."

Master Wuguo hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Wuguo well, this humble monk hereby promises that if either side loses and refuses to abide by the bet, disregarding their oath, they will be considered enemies of Glazed Temple. Even if Glazed Temple does not intervene, I will rally all martial arts practitioners to punish these dishonest scoundrels."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Aristocratic Clan all looked rather grim. They had originally thought that this bet was a free win; winning would be ideal, but losing would simply mean returning to square one. Now, however, their escape route had been cut off. If they wanted to turn against the temple after a defeat, they would have to be prepared to become enemies with Glazed Temple. The price of breaking the contract was far too high.

Si Ming clapped his hands and said, "Thank you, Master, for your contribution to the peace of the Western Martial World. I believe that if someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect. Therefore, to express my sincerity, the seven members of our team will be selected now."

Upon hearing this, everyone present, whether from the Aristocratic Clan or the Heavenly Martial Alliance, was secretly alarmed, wondering which seven experts this alliance leader, who always acted unpredictably, would choose to fight.

"Zhao Jiaren, you are my disciple. Confucius said, 'When there is trouble, the disciple should do the work.' Of course, you should go into battle."

"Liang Zhenhuan, you've received a lot of guidance from me these past few days. Now it's time to test the results and see if you're promising or hopeless."

The two names surprised not only those who knew them, but also the parties involved, who never expected to have a role in such an important battle.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Jiaren and Liang Zhenhuan stepped forward simultaneously, saying, "We will obey Master's (Alliance Leader's) orders."

The members of the Aristocratic Clan were astonished when they saw the two. These two were far too young; could they be unparalleled geniuses, one in a century? But why had they never heard of them before? And judging from their aura, their cultivation seemed rather shallow.