Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1086
"The situation is obvious right now. The expedition army of the Imperium is arriving and will possibly show up right above us any second. But the diehards of the government-in-exile are still hesitating reluctantly, trying to haggle with us. Do we really have the time and energy to negotiate with the government-in-exile?
"An insurgency of the Immortal Cultivators that discovered in advance can point out the threat of the Immortal Cultivators for the leadership of the government-in-exile and help them eradicate the internal 'pustule'. Two birds, one stone. Why shouldn't they do it?
"By saying this, I am not implying that I did such a thing. But let's 'assume' that a Jin Xinyue did this some time ago. Was it really so reprehensible?
"At the very least, it ended pretty well. The Immortal Cultivators lurking on Firefly were mostly fished up, and the old Speaker of the government-in-exile asked for full cooperation with us actively in his fear. Tell me about it, Masteress. What makes you so angry about the issue? Or, is it because you think that the job was so marvelously done that it will significantly improve my standing and grant me a final victory?"
"Bullsh*t!" Ding Lingdang narrowed her eyes. "Don't presume that everybody in the entire world considers the place of the 'Supreme Speaker' more important than anything else! Let me tell you, even now, never for one second have I really cared whether or not I am elected as the 'Supreme Speaker'!
"If you admit that you are responsible for the incident, and it was you who instigated the insurgency of the Immortal Cultivators on Firefly before suppressing it, is it any different from the firefighters who start a fire and then extinguish it later in order to earn credit for themselves? You—you have set foot on the wrong path. You have walked onto Lu Zui's path! What you are doing right now is no different from what Lu Zui did at all!"
"Then I'm afraid that you are mistaken, masteress." Faced with the tempest from Ding Lingdang, Jin Xinyue was as tranquil as before. She replied calmly, "First of all, Lu Zui personally planned and carried out the many crimes, including the assassination of the Speaker and the massacre of innocent people. His hands were stained with the blood of his compatriots.
"But for me, assuming—remember, it is just a hypothesis—assuming that I really planned to do something, I wouldn't have been as stupid as Lu Zui to plan and implement everything actively.
"The most I would do is perhaps delay the intelligence of an upcoming insurgency on Firefly that I 'happened' to learn of in order to lure the big fish in the water. Then, I might've slowly guided the situation.
"It's very understandable in intelligence work, isn't it? Firstly, I had to protect the safety of the intelligence personnel on our side. Secondly, how was I supposed to tell them with the awkward relationship between us and the government-in-exile at that time? Should I simply go to Cui Lingfeng and tell him that his most trusted subordinate whom he regarded as a daughter was joining hands with the third most powerful man on-board to start an insurgency?
"This is how intelligence work is done. If we arrest the lackeys whenever we find that they are up to something, we will never be able to catch the masterminds behind them!
"The Dim Moon Fund does the same. The Secret Sword Bureau, too. Even the police have to crack their cases similarly. Why are you so harsh on me particularly, Masteress?"
"Do not dodge the topic. You know exactly what I meant!" Holding back her anger, Ding Lingdang said coldly, "Thankfully, the insurgency of the Immortal Cultivators was suppressed in time. Otherwise, how many innocent people in Firefly would've been killed because you decided to 'catch the big fish'? Have you ever considered that?"
Jin Xinyue slowly narrowed her eyes, like a starship that was slowly unfolding the defense shield and entering the combat state. "Then, has it ever occurred to you, Masteress, how much trouble the government-in-exile would bring us if the problem on Firefly was not resolved quickly and neatly and if the 'cancer' was not completely removed? How many innocent people would have been killed miserably because of the trouble?
"At the very least, if anyone is killed right now, it will be the ordinary people of the government-in-exile!
"But if I am too merciful and blinded by petty kindness, it will be the ordinary people and the compatriots of the Star Glory Federation who are killed! A hundred times more than the victims of the government-in-exile!
"This is the greatest difference between me and Lu Zui. Lu Zui claimed to be a guardian of the federation, but those he killed were all his own compatriots. But blades and claws will only be used to deal with outsiders and to defend the federation! If the sacrifice of some outsiders can save the lives of more compatriots in the federation, I don't see anything wrong with that!"
Jin Xinyue's suddenly raised voice and aura even cast Ding Lingdang into a daze.
The human-shaped she-tyrannosaur stared at the saintess of demons carefully and mumbled, "You are truly sinking deeper and deeper into the swirl of power, Jin Xinyue! Although I always knew that you were ambitious and ruthless, I thought that Li Yao must've seen that you still had boundaries in your heart that would prevent you from doing the things that disregard all principles when he recruited you as a disciple!
"But he was mistaken!
"Look at what you've done in the past hundred years, especially the dirty jobs after you left the Secret Sword Bureau and established an independent 'Dim Moon Squad'. Also, for the sake of the demons, you bent before the so-called 'big shots' of the core worlds and worked as their accomplice willingly! Just think about everything that you have done. Do you not feel that you are slowly sliding from a 'Cultivator' into an 'Immortal Cultivator'?"
Jin Xinyue smiled, apparently not thinking that it was a big deal. She tightened the coat on her body and remarked, "Cultivator or Immortal Cultivator, it is just a title. Is it any different from 'worker', 'farmer', 'policeman', or 'teacher'? They are not words that are engraved into one's forehead and can never be removed! I don't have the time to bother about Cultivators, Immortal Cultivators, and whatnot. I only know that I won't feel sorry for what I did either in front of my master or in front of the federation.
"What, do you despise me because my methods were too filthy? But would the four new worlds have been conquered so easily without filthy methods? If I hadn't plucked all the annoying 'stings' with my brothers through life and death, how on earth would the rest of them have joined the federation obediently?
"Through the clandestine approaches that the 'Dim Moon Fund' adopted, the four new worlds were fully integrated into the federation at least ten years faster. How many resources, military advancements, and combat ability improvements can we accomplish in ten years? How many lives of ordinary people will be saved in the upcoming war because of the improvement? One billion? Two? Five? Ten?
"If my hands can save the lives of another ten billion people at the price of getting slightly 'dirtier', then I will have to bear my master's tutelage in mind and do what I have to do no matter what!"
Chapter 1679: I Am Going to Win! |
Jin Xinyue's voice was as cold as a frigid blizzard, lowering the temperature of the entire warehouse by dozens of degrees.
However, the crimson flames of spiritual energy around Ding Lingdang were still flowing out incessantly like unstoppable magma.
When she stared at Jin Xinyue, there was no anger but deep sorrow in her eyes. "Do you not understand, Jin Xinyue? Your clandestine approaches, your blood and violence, will never resolve the problems fundamentally even if they can achieve something temporarily!"
From the moment they met, Jin Xinyue had been at ease, and she had controlled the pace of their conversation tightly, but she was utterly dumbfounded by Ding Lingdang's remark.
The delicate makeup and perfect smile on the saintess of demons' face were frozen before they split apart and were replaced by a genuine expression of disbelief and amusement.
"Did—did I hear it right? My masteress, the Valkyrie of the federation, told me that you can't solve a problem with violence?" Jin Xinyue bulged her beautiful eyes to the maximum and examined Ding Lingdang for a long time. "There are only two possibilities, Masteress. Either your brain was damaged in the prolonged hibernation in the past century, or you are not Ding Lingdang at all but a certain 'duplicate' that the Imperium of True Human Beings subbed in.
"Hehe. Violence can't solve problems. So, how did we conquer the Uranian Ring Sector under your lead? By wholehearted persuasion, like what you are doing to me right now?"
"Yes. The Uranian Ring Sector was indeed conquered by force. I do not regret what I did in the Uranian Ring Sector, nor do I object to the war." Ding Lingdang sighed, but softness completely different from a hundred years ago appeared on her face. "However, I do feel sorrowful for some things that happened during the war.
"If there was a slim chance at all, I wouldn't have launched such a war and killed so many people or allowed myself to be praised as the 'God of War'!"
Obvious disdain beamed out of Jin Xinyue's face.
"Don't be hasty. Just hear me out," Ding Lingdang said solemnly. "A hundred years ago, before I entered the prolonged hibernation, I had never considered any philosophical questions but took violence for an ultimate solution to all problems driven by my instincts.
"However, in the past hundred years, I woke twice in the middle of the prolonged hibernation and lived… two new lives in the Nether World Sector and the Uranian Ring Sector.
"I met a lot of people and experienced a lot of things in the journey of the new worlds where I seemed to be reborn. I also witnessed too much blood and destruction.
"To save the two worlds, and to save the federation, I began to think. The result of my thinking is that I've realized it is more important to know when not to use violence than to know when to use it.
"Just like what your master did a hundred years ago. In terms of combat ability, he wasn't the strongest in the three Sectors. During the assimilation of the three Sectors, he did not resort to violence to solve all the problems, either!"
"Of course not." Jin Xinyue smiled. "Other than violence, he also used a lot of sordid tricks that fooled many people!"
Ding Lingdang was lost for words. She was dazed for a moment before she replied, "I would like you to consider it carefully, Jin Xinyue. After having developed to this day, the Star Glory Federation has already reached the 'limits of violence' with the seven Sectors it has. If our purpose is not just to dominate the edge of the cosmos but to fulfil our destiny for all mankind, it is impossible for us to conquer all three thousand Sectors with violence!
"Even if we do conquer them, the boundlessness of the universe itself means that we cannot govern them for long with violence and tyranny!
"The Imperium of True Human Beings intends to govern the hundreds of Sectors in its territory with violence and tyranny, but not every emperor boasts the wisdom and strength of Blackstar the Great. As the authority of the crown declines, the experts of the subordinate worlds will come up with their own plans and fight each other for benefits. The Black Wind Fleet will be the best example!
"The Alliance of the Holy Covenant wants to deprive everyone of their emotions and turn them into pure tools, but humans are not tools. More and more people are bound to be awakened from the swamp of the 'Ultimate Path of Benevolence'. The reign of the Covenant Alliance cannot last long, either!
"What about the federation? We have the national treasure that is a 'grand-unified Spiritual Nexus', but the construction and maintenance of the grand-unified Spiritual Nexus cost astronomical resources, and it is susceptible to cosmic storms. Also, as the distance increases, the cost will rise exponentially!
"Seven Sectors are already the limits of the grand-unified Spiritual Nexus under the current development level of our civilization!
"Let me ask you, in the near future, when we raise our flag and march toward the center of the cosmos, how much violence will we need to conquer and govern the worlds there?
"No. The most precious things in the federation are not our violence, schemes, and tricks but our ideology and our purest path of the Cultivators. We defend the ordinary people, we defend justice, and we defend everyone's peaceful life and beautiful home!
"Even the most advanced starship cannot cross the universe instantly, but once an ideology spreads out like fire, it is impossible to ignite the hundreds of the Sectors at the center of the cosmos in only a few years!
"As for you, you may call what you did in the past decades a means to an end, but you have greatly stained our ideology with you act! In years to come, when we truly march to the center of the cosmos, such a stain may pronounce the efforts of so many Cultivators in vain!"
"In years to come?" Jin Xinyue chuckled. "With the imminent scourge of the Black Wind Fleet right before us, let's solve the crisis through 'dirty approaches' before we invite you to preach on your noble 'ideology', Masteress!
"If this is all you want to talk about today, it is truly a great waste of our precious time. May I leave now, Masteress?"
"Wait!" Looking at Jin Xinyue who was turning around to leave, Ding Lingdang said, "I will ask you one last thing. It's about the explosion in the 'Jade Dust Mines'!
"The explosion was the greatest terror attack with the most victims in the history of the federation, done by the CFIA. Lu Qingchen became the most wanted criminal of the federation because of that, too!
"Alright. I'll say that everything you did when you supervised the 'Dim Moon Fund' and your indulgence of the insurgence on Firefly were in the gray area of our 'boundaries', but what about this one?
"Lu Qingchen committed such an inhumane, insane felony, and the innocent victims included a lot of your demon compatriots. In order to build up your personal influence, or maybe because you were confident in manipulating him, did you stay in touch with him and try to make use of him?"
Jin Xinyue halted and turned around. Her face turned extremely mysterious and cold. "As I said, Masteress, everything we chatted about just now is an 'assumption'. I never admitted that Lu Qingchen worked for me."
Ding Lingdang sneered, "Alright. That's fine. I'm going to investigate it, with the Patriots Front and all the resources at my disposal, until I reach the bottom of the matter. I will seek justice for the 35,527 unrested souls in the Jade Dust Mines and find out the true criminal behind Lu Qingchen!"
Jin Xinyue's voice grew calmer, but the killing intent in her eyes became more intense. "Masteress, must you turn us against each other? Look at yourself. Rash, reckless, and childish. Are you 'Speaker of the Federation' material at all? Something will happen to you… if you run about like an angry bull."
"Are you threatening me?" Ding Lingdang laughed in fury. "I'm very curious about one thing. Although people called me 'God of War', I know that it is just a compliment because I happened to help federation find two new worlds.
"You, on the other hand, have always kept a low profile. You were a saintess adept at infiltration and assassination and an expert in the demon king stage a hundred years ago. You never hibernated in the past hundred years but fought in the most dark, dangerous frontline the whole time. I'm told that you also gathered the secret techniques of many new worlds.
"Jin Xinyue, how strong are you right now? I would very much like to find out as your masteress!"
Faced with Ding Lingdang's ever-expanding spiritual energy that was almost tangible, Jin Xinyue smiled and, combing her hair that was messed by Ding Lingdang's auras, replied, "As I recall, somebody just said 'violence can't solve problems' three minutes ago. Is this why they say it is easier to change the world than to change one's nature?"
Ding Lingdang smiled, too. "Fair enough. Then, let's compete in the battlefield for the Speaker of the Federation!"
"Then you will be even more hopeless, Masteress!" Jin Xinyue yawned and said, "With all due respect, and please don't be mad, Masteress, but I don't know why you are running for it even now. You don't appear to be someone who doesn't know herself!"
"If you want to know, I'll tell you." Ding Lingdang strode forward until she was only one meter away from Jin Xinyue. "I ran for it because of you at first. I only came up to highlight you!"
Jin Xinyue rolled her eyes. "Oh?"
"There is some friction and contradiction between the core worlds and the new ones. Nobody can deny that," Ding Lingdang declared resolutely. "Only I can talk the people of the new worlds into supporting you after I lose the campaign so that you can control all the resources of the seven Sectors and resist the Black Wind Fleet!
"No candidates except me boast such influence that can help you stabilize the four new worlds quickly without leaving any chance for the Black Wind Fleet.
"That was my original goal. Hehe. You didn't see it coming, did you? I was only showing up as a 'green leaf' to help you stabilize the situation and concentrate the strength so that you could be the toughest 'wartime Speaker' in centuries!
"After all, I thought that you had your boundaries as a Cultivator despite your ambitions, treachery, and lust for power! I thought I should believe in Li Yao and trust you and unite the federation with the strength of both of us!
"But right now…
"I've changed my mind. You don't deserve to be the Speaker of the Federation. The only place suitable for you is a prison!
"Let me tell you. An independent persecution group made of thirty persecutors has been established to investigate the relationship between the Dim Moon Fund and the CFIA.
"Let's see if you can persist for another month. Jin Xinyue, take care!"
While talking, Ding Lingdang walked past Jin Xinyue toward the gate of the warehouse without looking back.
She was like a cluster of angry magma flowing past a cold block of ice, unwilling to spend another second with the other person.
