The Vote

Faced with this move, the swordsman had no choice but to take it seriously, his mind entering a Dao Realm of supreme tranquility. Suddenly, as if unburdened, he casually slashed out with his One Sword, striking the strongest point of the arrow-shaped Gang Qi.

In an instant, accompanied by a crisp ringing sound, the two clashed thirty-six times in a few breaths. Si Ming's sword finger was upright and righteous, advancing firmly forward, while his opponent's sword was round and smooth, with the same Sword Intent. They moved and changed as if in sync. In the thirty-six exchanges, each strike blocked Si Ming's attack route.

However, in each exchange, Si Ming would intercept a portion of his opponent's Sword Qi, holding it back until, after thirty-six exchanges, he had built up his momentum and unleashed it all at once. The magnificent Sword Qi, like a cascading waterfall, forcefully broke through his opponent's defense, struck the sword, and sent it flying out of his hand, embedding itself in the wall behind him with a buzzing sound.

"The student has surpassed the teacher; you have graduated."

Yan Jinghong glanced at his sword, which had been knocked away, and sighed.

Si Ming hurriedly replied, "I am ashamed. I was only able to manage to produce half a move because it was not based on the martial arts of our sect. In terms of the mastery of the Feng and Shan Sacrifice Sword Technique, I am still far inferior to Master."

This was not him being modest. Even with the help of his talent for sudden enlightenment, Si Ming had only mastered the Feng and Shan Sacrifice Sword Technique to perfection. He had not been able to transcend the limitations of the Swordsmanship itself and was still using someone else's Swordsmanship. However, his ability as an imitator was quite outstanding, and he was able to perfectly reproduce the founder's Swordsmanship.

Yan Jinghong, however, developed his own understanding of the Feng and Shan Sacrifice Sword Technique. He used his own unique Feng and Shan Sacrifice Sword Technique, with each move perfectly suited to his own body, allowing him to unleash twelve times the power of the Swordsmanship. Even if the founder of the Swordsmanship were to be resurrected, he would not dare to say that his understanding of the Swordsmanship could surpass that of Yan Jinghong.

"What does it matter whether I use martial arts from our own school? Not everything I've learned is from the Dinghu Sect. Everyone has their own destiny. To limit ourselves to a particular source is just self-imposed confinement. What matters is our true nature, that is, our attitude towards life. That is the core essence of inheritance."

Yan Jinghong drew his sword, sheathed it, and then patted Si Ming on the shoulder, saying, "I've heard about your deeds in the Northern Continent —slaying the Demon General and protecting the Divine Pillar. You did a great job. The so-called righteousness of the Mohist is nothing more than 'doing things that benefit the world and hindering the world.' I'm very pleased that you put it into practice. Moreover, your martial arts have far surpassed mine, so I have nothing more to teach you."

Si Ming's memories of the past were stirred up. If Yan Jinghong hadn't taken him as a disciple, he probably wouldn't have had the chance to come into contact with the "Blazing Yang Battle Art." This special Internal Cultivation was the first step that helped him embark on the path of martial arts. Yan Jinghong never minded his background and taught him everything he knew without holding back. He was also very tolerant in all aspects.

Even the often criticized laissez-faire teaching style was just right for Si Ming. He was a free-spirited person who didn't like being restrained. He probably wouldn't be happy if he had a master by his side every day, constantly giving him instructions.

"Master, you flatter me. There is still much I need to learn from you."

Yan Jinghong shook his head and said, "Your future achievements will definitely surpass mine. Continuing to follow me will only limit your growth. I was too busy with official duties to teach you carefully, but now it seems that it was a lucky coincidence. You are the kind of person who can better demonstrate your strength on a bigger stage. As your master, all I can do in the end is to give you a helping hand from below so that you can stand on a bigger stage in the martial arts world."

Si Ming said worriedly, "Master, why do you sound like you're giving your last instructions? Are you going to a duel? Why don't I step in and test you? If even I can't beat you, the other person will definitely be too ashamed to challenge you."

Yan Jinghong chuckled and said, "You're overthinking it. I'm just feeling sentimental to see that there are successors. The cause of benefiting the world is endless, so how could I easily abandon my life? I'll take you somewhere, come with me."

Si Ming that Yan Jinghong must have come to him for something important. He also remembered that the doctor had mentioned that his master might recommend him to become Mohist, and his master had just mentioned the great principles of the Mohist. So he guessed that it was probably about this matter, and did not ask any further questions.

After leaving the Mohist Knight Guard base, the two transformed into a beam of light and sped away, flying for about a thousand miles before landing in the sky.

Si Ming looked around, only to find himself in a deserted mountain forest. He began to doubt his earlier guess. There was no need to come to such a remote mountain forest to become Mohist. Did he have to undergo some kind of ritual?

He didn't ask any more questions, but continued to follow Yan Jinghong. After a while, he sensed a subtle change in the Spiritual Qi around him and realized that they had probably entered some kind of formation.

Sure enough, Yan Jinghong said, "Follow me closely and follow in my footsteps."

Si Ming dared not act rashly. He followed Yan Jinghong, turning left and right in the woods. About ten minutes later, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi returned to normal, and his vision suddenly opened up. In front of him was an open-air circular altar with statues of the twelve zodiac animals standing in order. There were people standing next to eight of the statues.

Yan Jinghong approached his horse-shaped statue and addressed the crowd, saying, "I have gathered you all here today for one purpose."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I would like to recommend my apprentice Si Ming, to become a member of the Heaven's Will Palace."

Chapter 722 Voting

Si Ming stood in the center of the circular altar, looking around. Besides the five seniors he recognized— Ling Huanxi (Ox), Wu Xiu (Snake), Xing Daozhuang (Sheep), Ji Shichen (Chicken), and Zhu Hao (Pig)—there were three other strangers.

Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say he didn't know her at all. He had seen at least one of them on television frequently— Tu Wangyue, the Holy Maiden of the Mohist Religion. Si Ming hadn't expected that she was also a member of the Heaven's Will Palace.

Tu Wangyue stood in front of the rabbit-shaped statue. In public, she always wore the robes of a saintess and appeared as an envoy of the Mohist Religion. But today, she was dressed in white with a shiny fox fur cloak. She looked noble and elegant, with her black hair reaching her waist. Her delicate face had a strong scholarly air about it, and a slight smile played on her lips. People couldn't help but want to get close to her, yet dared not profane her sacred aura.

The other person's demeanor reminded Si Ming of Guanyin Bodhisattva in the temple. Although she gave people a gentle, friendly, and approachable impression, no one would really treat her as a relative or friend. She was also like the Goddess of Mercy, one of the three main gods of the Mohist Religion. Her maternal kindness itself carried a kind of condescending majesty, but it was hidden behind her benevolence and people subconsciously ignored it.

In addition, standing in front of the dog-shaped statue is a man of medium height and dignified appearance, dressed in a silver brocade robe and with his hair tied up with amethyst. His most striking features are his full head of white hair and thick, inverted V-shaped eyebrows, which make him look like he is frowning and staring at people. His eyes are piercing, as if everyone who appears in front of him is a potential criminal who must be treated with utmost caution.

Si Ming also remembered this person. His name was Cang Baiyi, nicknamed Heaven-Supporting Staff, and also known as the Number One Divine Constable. He was skilled in criminal matters and always pursued those criminals who were notorious internationally. In terms of reputation for punishing evil, he was even above Yan Jinghong. If someone's name suddenly disappeared from the Villain Ranking, people would immediately suspect that Cang Baiyi had arrested them. If a child did something bad, adults would also use "Be careful, Divine Constable Cang will catch you and put you in jail" to scare the child.

However, along with his reputation for ruthlessness came a reputation for benevolence, known for "not killing the enemy after ambush." Cang Baiyi man believed in God of Mercy and thought that the duty of a constable lay in "catching," so he would try his best to bring criminals to justice and bring them to trial in court, upholding the law. He also believed that criminals had the right to defend themselves.

This is different from Yan Jinghong, who is used to "hunting down" criminals, that is, catching up with them and killing them. Unless the criminals surrender voluntarily, he strives to eradicate evil completely and does not let them off easily. Therefore, criminals would rather meet Cang Baiyi than Yan Jinghong, because Cang Baiyi brings back living people, while Yan Jinghong always brings back cold corpses.

Don't be fooled by Yan Jinghong's kind and gentle demeanor in front of Si Ming. He seems easy to talk to, but in reality, he shows no mercy to evil people and doesn't give them any chance to "repent." Just like the second move of his self-created Hero Sword Technique, "Heaven and Earth Overturned, Locusts and Borers Slaughtered," the only way to repent is to do it as soon as possible. If you encounter him, you will only be met with One Sword, devastating blow.

The last person was a man standing in front of the rat-shaped statue. Si Ming had absolutely no recollection of this man. He was tall and thin, neither handsome nor unattractive, but he didn't try to appear ordinary either. His monocle added a distinctive feature, but it couldn't hide his bookish air. He looked like a college student who often spent time in the library, giving the impression of someone who "ignores everything else and only focuses on studying."

Upon hearing Yan Jinghong's words, the solemn-faced man in Cang Baiyi spoke up, "According to the rules, as long as there is a vacancy in the Heaven's Will Palace, anyone has the right to recommend someone to join, provided that they obtain the consent of at least six existing members and that no member objects. If the recommendation fails, they cannot recommend a new person for five years."

When Si Ming heard this, he initially thought the requirements were very strict. At least six people meant more than half of the candidates needed to be nominated, since there had to be vacancies. Only nine people were present today, which meant that two-thirds of the candidates needed to be approved. Moreover, the others also had a veto right. But then he thought it was quite normal. It would be strange if an organization like Heaven's Will Palace could just let people join so easily.

Si Ming calculated the gains and losses in his mind. Several seniors he knew would likely vote in favor of him, and with his master's vote, that would bring him to six votes, fulfilling one condition. All that remained was for the others not to object.

Currently, this Cang Baiyi, who seems difficult to get along with, appears to be the most likely to vote against it. However, I have never had any conflict with him. Could it be that he has a grudge against my master, and therefore hates him because of me?

Just as Si Ming was lost in thought, Yan Jinghong spoke up, "Everything should be done according to the rules, including the fact that Teng Baixin couldn't attend. We need to consult his opinion later. As the mentor of the person being recommended, I have a duty to avoid any appearance of impropriety, so my vote doesn't count."

Si Ming sensed something was wrong, but he wasn't surprised at all; he probably subconsciously had already anticipated this outcome.

Wu Xiu chuckled sinisterly, "I was going to praise you for truly 'recommending the worthy without regard to personal relationships,' but I didn't expect you to clear yourself off so quickly. It's quite a pity."

The saying "recommend the virtuous without avoiding relatives" is ironic. The original saying is "recommend the virtuous without avoiding enemies, recommend the virtuous without avoiding sons," which can be translated as "recommend the virtuous without avoiding relatives or enemies." Unfortunately, later generations only know "recommend the virtuous without avoiding sons," and have forgotten "recommend the virtuous without avoiding enemies." It is already considered magnanimous not to kick an enemy when they are down, let alone recommend them. That's just wishful thinking.

"Recommending the virtuous without regard to relatives or enemies" is a compliment, but if you remove the last word and it becomes "Recommending the virtuous without regard to relatives," it becomes an irony, meaning the same as nepotism.

The bespectacled man representing "Rat" looked up and said, "So, you're going to vote against the God-Burying Coffin?"

Wu Xiu snorted and said, "This kid isn't ruthless, but he's shameless enough. He's capable of great things. While some people are busy scheming for their own little corner of the world, his vision has already set his sights on a much broader horizon. Just for that vision alone, I'd definitely vote in favor."

The bespectacled man chuckled, not at all angry, and said, "Who else wants to vote in favor?"

Ling Huanxi said briefly, "I agree."

Zhu Hao laughed and said, "When I first met this kid, I knew he was no ordinary person, but I didn't expect him to grow up so fast. Hmm, his character is trustworthy, and his abilities are beyond doubt. I agree to let him become one of us."

Wearing glasses, Ji Shichen exuded the elegant air of a literary young woman as she slowly said, "Although his attitude towards his elders is questionable—he lacks respect and is disrespectful—personality is a very minor factor in whether someone can become a member of the Heaven's Will Palace. We have people among us with a hundred times worse personalities than him, so I agree to his joining."