Not Holding Office, Not Plotting State Affairs

Even as Miejue's direct disciple, Zhou Zhiruo had joined Emei too recently. She had never even gone down the mountain with Miejue before, so how could she know what Miejue, as the Sect Leader, did out in the world?

But since Gu Shao'an asked, Zhou Zhiruo's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she thoughtfully considered:

"It must be... very difficult."

"There are over a thousand Emei disciples in the Emei Sect. Eldest Senior Sister once said that fourteen years ago, it happened to coincide with a demon of the martial world challenging the experts of eight major sects, including Mount Hua, Kongtong, and Shaolin, to a battle on Mount Hua. One hundred and eight experts were involved."

"At that time, the strongest dozen or so Elders of our Emei Sect went to the appointment, but not a single one returned."

"Upon hearing the news, Grandmaster Fengling Shita was so enraged that she passed the position of Sect Leader to Shifu before her passing."

"But at that time, all the sect's experts had perished. Seeing Emei's weakened state, and with Shifu having just taken over as Sect Leader, surrounding powers began to harbor ambitions."

"Eldest Senior Sister said that during those years, Shifu led a sect, maintained order within, and dealt with other sects. Shifu was almost constantly on her feet."

"As soon as she finished dealing with the various matters within Emei, she immediately had to rush around, suppressing the surrounding forces that wanted to rebel and the martial artists causing trouble within Emei's sphere of influence."

Gu Shao'an nodded, his gaze also turning to the deep night sky, as if he could pierce through the darkness and see the deeper currents of sect fortunes and the heavy burden of a Sect Leader.

"It's more than just difficult; it's like walking a tightrope over a thousand-foot cliff."

Gu Shao'an's voice deepened slightly. "Fourth Senior Sister, look at our Emei. Founded for a hundred years, our sword light shines brightly, and our might shakes the southwest. But have you ever thought about what it takes to maintain this foundation, to let over a thousand disciples practice martial arts with peace of mind, and to prevent martial artists within Emei's sphere of influence from causing trouble?"

Zhou Zhiruo thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "Is it because Shifu and the others are highly skilled in martial arts?"

Gu Shao'an shook his head. "That's only one aspect."

He paused, then continued, "For any power, experts are the sharp blades that protect the sect's safety, but rules are the sinews that maintain the continuous operation of this vast system, the cornerstone upon which it can be passed down."

"Without rules, nothing is round; without standards, nothing is square. Once the rules are broken, people's hearts will scatter, and a thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant's nest."

He paused again, his tone becoming more solemn. "Ding Shijie's actions today are not merely a matter of angering Shifu. She deliberately harmed a fellow disciple, and she did so when Shifu had clearly given orders and a great enemy was at hand."

"The hidden weapons she sent towards us are not just about our lives; they are about Emei's century-old ironclad sect rules, the fundamentals that Shifu, as Sect Leader, must defend with her life."

Zhou Zhiruo's small mouth parted slightly, and her body unconsciously straightened up. Gu Shao'an's words struck her heart like heavy hammers.

Gu Shao'an turned, looking at Zhou Zhiruo with a heavy tone. "Fourth Senior Sister, imagine this. If Shifu today, out of consideration for Ding Shijie's twenty years of sect affiliation and the merits of her upbringing, or considering her past contributions."

"Were to indulge and condone such a grave crime of openly betraying a fellow disciple and disregarding Shifu's orders, downplaying it to mere confinement or expulsion from the sect, what would be the consequences?"

He didn't need Zhou Zhiruo to answer immediately; he continued to analyze, "First, unfair enforcement of laws. Unclear regulations."

"Once regulations have exceptions, their power of restraint vanishes completely. Shifu's authority as Sect Leader would be greatly diminished."

"If one can let Ding Minjun, who deliberately harmed a fellow disciple, go today, how will other disciples who make mistakes be punished tomorrow?"

"What will other disciples think when they see this? They will think that rules can be applied selectively. That twenty years of affiliation and so-called contributions can offset betrayal."

"Second, fellow disciples will become estranged, and suspicion will arise. You, I, and all the Shijies who witnessed today's events will forever have a thorn in our hearts: it turns out that harming a fellow disciple doesn't require paying a heavy price."

"It turns out that as long as there are sufficient 'reasons' and 'capital,' one can trample on sect rules without bearing the most severe consequences."

"In the long run, what will become of the bond between Shijies? Can we still entrust our backs to each other? Will Emei still be a sect united from top to bottom? Or will it merely be a place of superficial glory, with everyone harboring their own schemes within?"

Gu Shao'an's voice carried a hint of coldness as he described that terrifying future scenario.

Zhou Zhiruo felt a chill in her heart just thinking about the scenes Gu Shao'an depicted.

"If one can harm fellow disciples for personal gain today, they can sell out the entire Emei for greater benefits tomorrow."

"If such a spark is not extinguished immediately with thunderous means, it will be too late to regret it when it rages out of control. The foundation of a hundred years will completely collapse through generations of 'leniency beyond the law' and repeated erosion of ironclad rules."

"As the Sect Leader of Emei, Shifu bears the responsibility for Emei. Can she allow Emei to decline under her leadership? If you were the Sect Leader, knowing such risks, would you still dare to show leniency to Second Senior Sister?"

Zhou Zhiruo's face turned a little pale; she had already vaguely understood the gravity of the situation.

Seeing the expression on Zhou Zhiruo's face, Gu Shao'an's tone became more somber.

"Therefore, Shifu's actions today are by no means simply a matter of 'willingness' or 'unwillingness'."

"She is fulfilling her undeniable responsibility as Sect Leader, eradicating a tumor that could destroy the sect, regardless of who that tumor is."

Miejue was not an unfeeling person.

At least, before matters concerning the Ming Cult arose, Miejue's moral bottom line was quite high.

If not for this, she wouldn't have allowed Ding Minjun to act so arrogantly within the Emei Sect, knowing her character.

Gu Shao'an could clearly feel how difficult it must have been for Miejue to personally kill a disciple she had cultivated for over twenty years and spent so much time with.

But in Miejue's heart, even she herself was far less important than Emei's century-old foundation.

Let alone a single disciple?

Miejue's strike that killed Ding Minjun, while seemingly ruthless, was in fact her exercising the highest duty of a Sect Leader, upholding sect rules for survival, and eliminating internal threats to strengthen herself.

The position of Sect Leader has never been one that a tender-hearted person could occupy. The person who occupies that position sometimes needs the sharpest decisions and the sternest demeanor.

One who only values personal feelings is merely a chieftain in the feuds and affections of the martial world.

If it's difficult for an individual to navigate the martial world, how much more difficult is it for a Sect Leader leading a group of people?

Founding a sect may earn respect and reliance, but only the founder knows the suffering behind it.

Didn't even an expert like Zhang Sanfeng have to refrain from going down the mountain freely all these years due to being burdened by Wudang?

Finally, Gu Shao'an's tone became more solemn.

"Holding one's position and attending to one's duties, Shifu, as the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect, is destined to set an example for Emei. Many things are not only beyond her control but also things she must do."