Convictions

As night turned to day, Brother Tathagata and Wu Chao were the first to disappear from Zhang Xuezhou's sight.

But after Zhang Qian ate some bread for breakfast, the two of them mounted their horses and galloped off, leaving their fellow disciple Buddha and Wu Chao far behind.

"The Western Regions are teeming with extraordinary talents and individuals. This great monk certainly has some skill, but unfortunately, the imperial court finds it difficult to recruit such people, and they are unlikely to serve the court effectively!"

Zhang Qian kept mentioning his senior brother Buddha, and then he began to talk about the many capable people within the territory of the Great Han Dynasty.

In Zhang Qian's view, the more capable a person is, the more undisciplined and unrestrained they are. They are completely unwilling to serve the country and the people, and only care about the struggle for interests and their own carefree life. Only occasionally can you see these people doing some good deeds.

"What's the point of them having such high levels of cultivation?" Zhang Qian retorted, "They're completely useless!"

"It could be that they just don't want to be bullied, or it could be that they want a better life, or it could be..."

"That's useless. It's all for nothing if they don't serve the court," Zhang Qian said. "They've wasted all their knowledge."

"There's no rule that says cultivators have to serve the court after they gain abilities," Zhang Xuezhou laughed. "After all, their abilities weren't given to them by the court. It's already good enough if they don't cause trouble after gaining abilities!"

"I just regret that you didn't see the women and children crying under the crotches of the Xiong State, nor did you see the Han Xiong State," Zhang Qian said. "They lived worse than cattle and horses. The Xiong State would kill them at will if they didn't like them, and they were slaughtered like cattle and sheep when blood was needed for sacrifices. And then there were the soldiers wailing in the war..."

"What you've seen is only one side of the story. I've also seen the countless White Bone in the tombs of feudal lords; they didn't even know they were going to die, yet they were all killed without warning!"

While Zhang Qian appeared to be criticizing his senior brother Buddha and then extending the topic, he was also subtly trying to correct Zhang Xuezhou's thoughts.

Sending Zhang Xuezhou to find Zou Bugui as a consumable for casting spells, but Zhang Xuezhou's ability to obtain the Crescent Moon Saber Manual by traversing the Xiong State region was his true power.

The fact that Zhang Qian was willing to recommend someone was clearly a remarkable thing in Zhang Qian's mind.

Zhang Qian believed that if Zhang Xuezhou did this a few more times, it would benefit the country and its people.

But Zhang Xuezhou had far more experience than anyone else.

He had never been to the middle or lower levels of the Xiong State, but Zhang Xuezhou had contact with the high-ranking officials of the Han Dynasty and knew the origin of the remains in the Liang King's tomb.

That was the same slaughtering as cattle and sheep.

This led Zhang Xuezhou to completely reject Zhang Qian's explanation. He felt that all crows were black, and that the lower classes were either killed by the Xiong State or enslaved by their own countrymen, so the difference wasn't significant.

His roots are in the Han Dynasty, but Zhang Xuezhou's affinity and identification with the Han Dynasty are not very high. He believes that such a dynasty is too far removed from the Scarlet Alliance State.

Zhang Xuezhou's desire to serve the imperial court was practically nonexistent.

He was no different from the cultivators Zhang Qian had described; he was unrestrained and carefree, only concerned with the struggle for profit and his own enjoyment, and only occasionally did some good deeds.

His personality was almost completely opposite to Zhang Qian's, but they repeatedly came together because of the matter of recommending each other, and even became ordinary friends.

"If you like serving the court, then serve it more," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Make the most of your remaining energy and influence!"

I'm sure!

There was a fire in Zhang Qian's eyes.

Unlike Zhang Xuezhou, he saw and heard more from people in the lower and middle classes, who had witnessed too much suffering and wanted to try their best to change it.

He didn't want to worry about whether his efforts would be rewarded, nor did he want to calculate who actually benefited from them.

Even if the people he saw lived with more dignity, or even if the poor had a slightly better life, that would be enough.

Is that so?

In the midst of Zhang Qian's loud pronouncements of his ideals while galloping on horseback, Zhang Xuezhou felt that Zhang Qian was truly an ideal contributor.

These types of people don't care about personal rewards; when assessing the situation, they tend to prioritize the greater good.

If Zhang Xuezhou's death could benefit countless people, Zhang Qian would think it was a good thing Zhang Xuezhou died.

That's the simple truth.

If Zhang Xuezhou had to choose, he would definitely prefer to live; what do those thousands of people have to do with him?

However, the difference in their ideologies did not diminish Zhang Xuezhou's admiration for such people.

He simply didn't want to become a victim himself, but Zhang Xuezhou felt very comfortable being friends with people like that.

As long as Zhang Qian maintains this temperament, there is a possibility of potential cooperation between him and the other party.

Take, for example, this trip to the imperial court.

The Crescent Moon Saber manual was of little use to Zhang Xuezhou, but it was of some use to the imperial court. Under these circumstances, Zhang Xuezhou was still willing to offer up the manual.

If he could obtain a leisurely and lucrative official position, or acquire the Vajra Talisman that Zhang Qian mentioned, Zhang Xuezhou would consider it a worthwhile investment.

He rode behind Zhang Qian on horseback, galloping along the military road.

Four days later, Zhang Xuezhou saw Chang'an City he had visited once before.

Having served time in Chang'an City and been used as a consumable for magic, resulting in physical damage, Zhang Xuezhou's second visit to Chang'an City lacked the novelty and anticipation of his first trip, replaced by a greater sense of caution.

As Zhang Xuezhou glanced at the white lanterns still lit by the national mourning banners on the Chang'an City, he pondered the power struggles between Emperor Jing, the King of Huainan, and the Prince of Liang, which further invigorated him.

In such a place, he obviously had to be extremely careful to ensure that he gained an advantage rather than being taken advantage of.

"Speaking of which, that prince still owes me a payment!"

After thinking about his trip to Lingnan and the Crown Prince who had now ascended the throne, Zhang Xuezhou finally gave up the idea of collecting the debt.

Times have changed. In the past, the crown prince could be intercepted by Zhang Qian, but now that he has ascended the throne, it's not something that can be done by simply blocking his way.

Consequently, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't even find anyone, let alone collect the debt.

"This is probably the highest level of owing money. In the future, when dealing with those in high positions, I must make sure to get hands-on benefits, even if it's not quite there yet, it's better than empty promises!"

No matter how wonderful the promise, if you can't get it, it means you've gained nothing.

Zhang Xuezhou summarized his experiences and lessons learned, and also constantly considered the actual compensation he could receive for this trip.

"If I can't get my hands on a treasure like the Vajra Talisman, I'll just exchange it for a martial art I can use for regular training, or even some money!"

He considered his highest goal and then his lowest possibility. After careful consideration, he followed Zhang Qian with great ease.

Regardless of the type of gain, as long as there is something, that's fine. After all, this secret manual isn't suitable for him, it was easy to obtain, and the price he paid wasn't high.

As usual, Zhang Qian went to the Office of the Jingzhao Intendant to submit his visiting card, and then found a cheap inn.

"Come on, brother, the hot steamed buns are here!"

Zhang Qian mentioned that he was rich enough to survive in Chang'an City for several months, but the inn Zhang Qian chose was the most remote and cheapest, and the food he ordered was only enough to fill his stomach.

Zhang Xuezhou quickly State of Chu mourning period, various matters were complicated and chaotic, and Zhang Qian had no confidence in the efficiency of the Office of the Jingzhao Intendant. The time they would spend on this recommendation was difficult to calculate.

This made Zhang Xuezhou want to visit Chang'an City first.

Firstly, he wanted to see where Dong Zhongshu lived, and then go to the Dong residence to leave a message or some information, in order to guard against possible searches by Xu Yuan and others.

Secondly, Zhang Xuezhou wanted to see what the real Chang'an City was like and hear the voices of the people of Chang'an City.

Of course, the main reason is that Zhang Xuezhou only has less than two days left to stay, so he can't go far and can only wander around the vicinity of Chang'an City.