Chapter 507: Raising the Resounding Question
"Only now do I realize Van Nguyen's breadth of vision and abilities far surpass ours as former cult masters."
In the back garden of Van Nguyen Hall, the former cult masters each rose to their feet. Tu Uyên Vy sighed with deep emotion, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Do you remember why I took you in as my disciple back then? I've suddenly realized my judgment was truly excellent!"
The Young Patriarch's face flushed slightly. "When Master took me as a disciple, she said it was because I was handsome and had good aptitude—but the main reason was that I was handsome."
Tần Mục surveyed his surroundings. Everyone here was exceptionally attractive—the successive cult masters of the Demon Cult, including the Young Patriarch, none of them were ugly.
Tu Uyên Vy's face also reddened slightly. She laughed and said, "I remember now. I took you as my disciple intending to have you break my Dao heart through romantic love. My Great Nurturing Demon Scripture focuses primarily on cultivating the mind. I broke my master's Dao heart, and so I ascended to the position of cult master. I also needed someone to break my Dao heart—as they say, without breaking, there can be no establishing. If you could break my Dao heart, you would become the cult master. If you couldn't, it would allow me to advance further, perhaps even become a demon or god. It's just that later I became wary of you, and Dụ Liên Cult Master exploited that opening to ambush me."
Dụ Liên Cult Master said smugly, "Master only guarded against the youngest junior brother's romantic advances, but didn't realize that hidden arrows are hardest to defend against. How old was the junior brother back then? And you already had your eyes on him. If you hadn't harbored such intentions and instead kept greater vigilance against me, perhaps the junior brother truly could have become the Holy Cult Master."
Tần Mục pondered this thoughtfully. The reason the Demon Cult had the character "demon" in its name was likely related to this kind of master-disciple succession.
This style of master indulging disciples in plotting against them could only be called demonic—like Lệ Thiên Hành. When Tư Bà Bà had ambushed Lệ Thiên Hành, she had only been at the Heavenly Human realm, utterly incapable of killing Lệ Thiên Hành, who was already at the Divine Bridge realm, through genuine strength alone.
Yet Lệ Thiên Hành had given her that opportunity.
The master-disciple rivalry of the Demon Cult should have originated from the Founding Patriarch, but the Founding Patriarch's purpose was to ensure each generation of the Demon Cult surpassed the last. Thus he established the rule that a disciple who defeated their master could become the Demon Cult Master.
But this rule had gradually become corrupted over time. Combined with the truly bizarre and unpredictable nature of the Great Nurturing Demon Scripture, which easily bred demonic nature, what had seemed like a good rule gradually evolved into what it was now.
The Young Patriarch laughed. "If I had become the Holy Cult Master, I would likely have been like all of you—obsessed with the Holy Heaven Cult's interests and disregarding the common people of the world. Not becoming cult master actually benefited me."
The successive cult masters all nodded in agreement.
"As for Cult Master Tần..."
Tu Uyên Vy turned to look at Tần Mục, paused for a moment, then said, "I won't quibble with you about your irregular claim to the cult master's seat. After you became cult master, you did reasonably well, but any of us could have done just as well in your position."
Tần Mục said humbly, "That's only natural. All the former cult masters are exceptional talents—dragons and phoenixes among men. If you had been in my position, you would certainly have done better than I. It's just that when you were in my position, you simply accomplished nothing."
The faces of the former cult masters twitched violently, their expressions shifting between dark and light as they barely suppressed the urge to kill him.
This brat was emboldened by his position—after all, he was the Holy Cult Master, bearing the heavy responsibility of passing on the tradition. The Stone Transmission still depended on him to pass it to the next generation of cult masters. If they killed him, the Demon Cult would be finished.
Tần Mục said seriously, "I was rude just now. I was merely indignant that you predecessors were using erroneous, outdated rules to restrict your successors, so I spoke out of turn. I offer my apologies to the successive cult masters of the Holy Cult."
The expressions of the successive cult masters relaxed. Tổ Dương Cult Master quickly helped him to his feet and laughed, "Young Cult Master Tần has achieved what we never could, and we truly admire him for it. Among the successive cult masters, even if you don't rank in the top three, you can certainly rank in the top five. People say that after death, all things are empty—such minor disagreements are not something we would hold against you."
Hồ Quân Cult Master laughed, "Beyond admiring your cultivation accomplishments, what worries us more is whether you'll return and stop letting the cult members burn paper money and offer sacrifices to us during festivals!"
"Indeed, indeed!"
Everyone laughed and said, "We don't want to end up like those poor scholars of the Human Emperor Hall, without even anyone to burn paper for them!"
"The current Human Emperor of the Human Emperor Hall is truly unfilial—not even offering incense, paper money, or sacrifices during festivals. Look, however glorious the Human Emperors of the Human Emperor Hall were in life, they're equally destitute now. Unlike us—glorious in life, and glorious after death!"
Everyone roared with laughter. The Young Patriarch laughed along for a few moments, then suddenly remembered Tần Mục and quickly glanced at him.
Tần Mục also forced a few dry laughs. Fortunately, he was now shameless and thick-skinned, or else his face would certainly have been bright red.
The successive cult masters of the Demon Cult didn't know that his other identity was the current Human Emperor. The reason the successive Human Emperors of the Human Emperor Hall were so destitute was also related to the fact that he, as the Human Emperor, hadn't gone to burn paper and offer incense.
"When I return to Diên Khang, I must definitely visit the Human Emperor Hall and let the successive Human Emperors live prosperous lives—they shouldn't be too impoverished!" He resolved inwardly.
"Cult Master Tần."
The Young Patriarch said seriously, "Now that you've come to see me, what do you plan to do once you return to the mortal world?"
The laughter subsided as everyone turned to look at him, waiting to see how he would respond.
Tần Mục pondered for a moment, then smiled. "After I return to the Diên Khang Kingdom, I will first open roads."
"Open roads first?"
The Young Patriarch frowned. "Roads and transportation are certainly convenient for the people, but they also cost a great deal of money. The Diên Khang Kingdom has been through several great wars, and the national treasury is empty. For the sake of the people's livelihood, why open roads first? The Diên Khang Kingdom already has well-developed roads. Opening more roads now would waste labor and money."
Tần Mục said with great conviction, "Because I have already pacified the Western Lands!"
The Young Patriarch's heart shook violently. "You led troops to conquer the Western Lands? How many soldiers did you bring? The Western Lands are so vast—how did you manage to occupy them?"
The other successive cult masters were also deeply shaken, unable to believe it.
"I went alone, with Long Kỳ Lân and Hùng Kỳ Nhi, and pacified the Western Lands."
Tần Mục smiled slightly. "The Western Lands have now been incorporated into Diên Khang, but the Western Lands are a hundred thousand li from the Central Lands. As they say, the whip is too short to reach, and heaven is high and the emperor far away. Currently, the roads between the Central Lands and the Western Lands are impassable. In the short term, the Western Lands may remain peaceful, but given time, unrest will surely brew there. What I want to do is open transportation between the Western Lands and the Central Lands!"
The Young Patriarch and the successive cult masters all found his words unbelievable, pacing about with hands on their foreheads. Suddenly, one former cult master stopped and said gravely, "Between the Central Lands and the Western Lands lie the Great Ruins and the Flame Desert. The shortest distance is still a hundred thousand li! You want to build a great road of a hundred thousand li?"
Tần Mục said, "Not just one—my plan calls for two. Two great roads, both must be perfectly flat, allowing chariots, horses, and armies to pass quickly. The fastest cavalry riding exotic beasts should be able to travel ten thousand li day and night!"
"Wrong!"
That former cult master said sternly, "Do you have that much money? Does the Diên Khang Kingdom have that much money? Paving roads costs money, costs divine powers, costs lives! Our Holy Cult does have the Heavenly Works Hall, but if you have the Heavenly Works Hall undertake this road-paving project, it would cost untold sums and exhaust countless disciples to death!"
Tần Mục shook his head. "No. On my journey to the Western Lands, I saw that their roads are far more developed than Diên Khang's. The divine powers of the True Heaven Palace can be used to pave roads. I am on good terms with the major families of the Western Lands and can invite the True Heaven Palace Master to lead the Western Lands' divine power practitioners to pave the roads. A thousand li of road can be laid in a single day. A hundred thousand li of road can be completed in a hundred days, and the cost won't be too great."
That former cult master's eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his face as he stepped back. The other successive cult masters continued circling around Tần Mục. Suddenly, Tu Uyên Vy stopped and said, "What about the Flame Desert? The Flame Desert stretches for tens of thousands of li, parched and waterless. If you open roads there, they'll be buried by the drifting sands, making them completely useless! By then, travelers on the road will be trapped in misery and die upon it!"
Tần Mục said, "Now that the Diên Khang National Master has killed the True Heaven Old Mother, the flames of the desert have already been extinguished. We only need to use the Black Tortoise Pearl to draw water and irrigate the desert, and the Azure Dragon Pearl to plant trees and vegetation, turning the desert into grasslands and forests—this is not difficult. The northern grasslands have snow mountains, and the snow mountains can become rivers. I will divert water from the snow mountains to create lakes in the desert, solving the water problem!"
Tu Uyên Vy smiled and also stepped back.
Another cult master stopped and asked, "The shortest route passes through the Great Ruins. The Great Ruins are relatively peaceful during the day, but at night, demons and monsters invade, and darkness encroaches. How do you guarantee safe passage?"
"I can't guarantee it. However, I can relocate the stone statues, gather them together, and use them to resist the darkness. One town every thousand li, one city every ten thousand li, with towns and cities between the two roads—this provides places to rest. With these towns and cities, goods will flow between the Western Lands, the Great Ruins, and the Central Lands, and commerce will inevitably flourish."
"You haven't explained how the money will be resolved!"
"Once the roads are opened and commerce flows, the money will naturally resolve itself!"
"The Great Ruins are not a smooth path—there are countless strange and supernatural occurrences. How do you turn thousands of mountains and rivers into a smooth road?"
"Cut through mountains where there are mountains, build bridges where there is water, and worship gods where there are gods!"
"How wide will the roads be?"
"Thirty-six zhang wide, with eight chariot tracks and four footpaths for soldiers."
"The width of the chariot tracks in the Western Lands differs from that in Diên Khang. How do you ensure smooth rail transportation?"
"Then standardize the chariot tracks!"
"The customs of the Western Lands differ from those of Diên Khang. What should be done?"
"Then standardize conduct!"
"The written language is different, and divine powers are different. What then?"
"Then standardize the written language and open education!"
...
Suddenly, all twenty-eight former cult masters burst into laughter together, bowing to Tần Mục in salute. They paid their respects and said, "Cult Master Tần can be called a sage! Worthy of the title Holy Cult Master! We have already tested you on behalf of Cult Master Lệ—you have passed!"
Tần Mục returned the salute with utmost sincerity. "Thank you, all cult masters, for raising these resounding questions that have enlightened my wisdom. This junior has learned much! When I return to the mortal world, I will have a path for reform and transformation. If the reforms achieve success in the future, turning natural barriers into thoroughfares, all the cult masters will have contributed greatly!"
Everyone laughed heartily and rose to their feet.
The Young Patriarch was also very happy for them. Tần Mục had originally been at odds with the successive cult masters, but now the previous grudges had been swept away, and he felt deeply gratified.
Suddenly, from outside the hall came the voice of the bird-headed divine being Xích Tú, calling out, "Cult Master Tần, the King of Hell wants to personally interrogate you. Why haven't you come out yet?"
—Lalala, I'm Trại Trư. Although there's a "pig" character in my name, I'm not lazy at all! I'm Trại Trư, updating as usual on the first day of the new year. I salt my own food!