The Simple Cai Buli

The elders expressed their opinions one after another; some were for war, some preferred to wait and see, and others were just there to watch the show. There were all sorts of views, but not a single one advocated for peace.

It was evident that regarding the issue of the Demonic Cult, the consensus among the upper echelons of the Mount Hua Sect was generally unified.

Fighting was a necessity; the focus of the dispute was merely: how to fight, and when to fight?

Generally speaking, the elders of the Qi Sect were relatively conservative, mostly advocating for observing the situation first, while the elders of the Sword Sect were slightly more aggressive, pushing for immediate mobilization and aid.

"The four of you, share your opinions as well!"

Perhaps out of a desire to test them, or perhaps simply feeling that the 'Bu' generation should participate in the discussion, Ning Qingyu spoke directly to pull the four of them in once all the elders had finished speaking.

Seeing the other three still hesitant, Li Mu did not stand on ceremony and was the first to speak: "Reporting to the Sect Leader, this disciple believes that in this righteous-evil war, our Mount Hua Sect should first observe the situation."

"Currently, the Demonic Cult has split its forces into two paths: one heading south to Jiangnan, and the other marching into the Central Plains. Neither has much direct involvement with our Mount Hua Sect."

"As long as the Heng Mountain and Mount Tai sects temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack, we of the Five Mountains Sword Sects can sit on the sidelines and wait for the situation to develop further."

"Our Mount Hua Sect has already paid enough to resist the Demonic Cult; now is the time for the various sects of the martial arts world to contribute."

"Especially Shaolin and Wudang—as the pillars of the martial arts world, how can they lag behind at a time like this?"

"We cannot reach the Demonic Cult army heading south, but we certainly shouldn't let the army entering the Central Plains have an easy time."

"If possible, it would be best to unite the various martial arts sects to encircle and suppress them in Henan. Both Shangdu and Luoyang would be excellent battlefields."

It was not that Li Mu was cold-hearted; it was simply that jumping out to fight the Demonic Cult right now was purely asking for trouble.

If they won, no one would be grateful. At most, they would receive a few words of praise, but they would gain very little in terms of tangible benefits.

Rather than that, it was better to sit back and watch the Demonic Cult ravage the land, letting the other sects suffer a bit first, and only intervening after they begged for help.

From the current situation, the Demonic Cult's offensive also carried the motive of eliminating dissent. If the Mount Hua Sect played its cards right, they might actually go and gnaw on the hard bone that was the Shaolin Temple.

Victory or defeat was not the point. Based on past experience with righteous-evil wars, leading a battle of this scale always cost the Five Mountains Sword Sects at least four digits in casualties.

Unlike the Five Mountains Sword Sects, which were isolated and relied on support from other sects, the Shaolin Temple had deep roots and vast resources; they could hold off the Demonic Cult relying solely on their own strength.

In this context, it was surely acceptable if the reinforcements from other sects arrived a little late.

He didn't expect them to destroy Shaolin, but as long as they could damage Shaolin's vitality, the Mount Hua Sect would be making a massive profit.

Scanning the expressions of those present, Li Mu felt confident. Most of the uncles and seniors gave approving smiles, and he simply ignored the few who were frowning.

Based on his past interview experiences, in an occasion like this, if it were a test, the "details of the opinion expressed" were not actually important.

After all, so many seniors had already spoken, covering every possible angle. The key was the test of one's ability to analyze problems and the display of a broader strategic perspective.

After hearing Li Mu's words, Yao Buzhou, standing on the right, had his facial expression stiffen. These opinions were very close to those of most Qi Sect elders, yet slightly different, leaving him with no opening to pick a fight.

Hesitating for a moment, he bit the bullet and said: "Reporting to the Sect Leader, this disciple's opinion is similar to Junior Brother Li's."

"With the current situation unclear, it is truly inappropriate for our Mount Hua Sect to act rashly. We can first contact the various martial arts sects to form an anti-demonic coalition."

Hearing this, Li Mu's estimation of Yao Buzhou rose a notch. Being able to remain rational and not oppose just for the sake of opposing, it was clear this Senior Brother Yao was no ordinary person.

After cursing "sycophant" in his heart, Cai Buli began to feel a headache. His own elders were all from the radical faction, and logically, he should follow suit.

However, the stances of the previous two were conservative, and if nothing went wrong, Wang Buyao would likely be a member of the conservative faction as well.

Often, it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back; when the elders were deadlocked, the stance of the 'Bu' generation could influence the final resolution of the sect.

From the current situation, the sect's resolution would likely lean toward the conservative side. If he supported the radical faction, he would be at odds with the sect's decision. He might even be questioned for his competence.

Caught in a dilemma, Cai Buli was already cursing Li Mu to high heaven in his heart. In his view, for a Sword Sect disciple to support the Qi Sect's stance was nothing short of betrayal.

Fortunately, Li Mu did not know Cai Buli's thoughts, or he might have burst out laughing. Did he really think this was a political game where one had to engage in factionalism?

Regardless, the Mount Hua Sect was just a martial arts sect. Where would they get such a high level of political consciousness?

One only had to look at the statements of the elders earlier to know. There were radicals in the Qi Sect, and there were conservatives in the Sword Sect as well.

It was clear that they spoke their minds. It hadn't reached the point where one's background determined one's stance.

Ning Qingyu, the head of the Qi Sect, might have been able to command a following, but Feng Qinglin, the leader of the Sword Sect, did not have such strong influence.

The elders could speak freely, and as disciples, they could naturally express their own views. Even if their opinions differed, no one would hold it against them at a time like this.

The Mount Hua Sect had participated in righteous-evil wars more than once; if they really played at factionalism, they would have been wiped out long ago.

Seeing that Cai Buli remained silent, Feng Qinglin feigned a cough and reminded him: "Buli, it's your turn!"

As if startled, Cai Buli's body trembled slightly, and he stammered: "Reporting to... Sect Leader, this disciple believes... Junior Brother Li is inflating the Demonic Cult's arrogance and diminishing the prestige of our righteous path."

"Since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over righteousness. Our Mount Hua is one of the three pillars of the righteous path; how can we stand by and watch the Demonic Cult run rampant?"

"Furthermore, the Heng Mountain and Mount Tai sects are currently suffering; as allies, we have an obligation to rescue them, and we cannot sit idly by."

"In this disciple's view, our Mount Hua Sect should immediately stand up and announce to the martial arts world, inviting all righteous people to join in the demon-slaying, to strengthen our righteous path..."

Before Cai Buli could finish his sentence, Li Mu knew he had already won half the battle. If nothing went wrong, the few Sword Sect elders who were still hesitating had already made their choice.

If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, who would believe that Cai Buli, whom the Sword Sect had painstakingly cultivated, could be so naive?

Supporting immediate participation was fine, but the reasoning had to show the benefits to the Mount Hua Sect. Even if he had said it was to avenge their fellow disciples, everyone could have accepted it.

But such high-sounding slogans were fine to shout outside, yet he had actually taken them to heart.

To lead Mount Hua disciples into a fire pit for the sake of a slogan—who would dare to have such a person as Sect Leader?