Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In this world, Chen Changsheng previously only had one idol, his senior brother Yu Ren. Later on, after experiencing that storm in Xunyang City, there was another: Wang Po. Golden light faintly glinted across the surface of the lake. He gazed at the koi in the water, especially that fat koi which was slowly sinking into the mud at the bottom. He thought to himself, I don't want to live like that. If I can live past this ordeal of life and death, if I can survive, then I would like to live like Wang Po.

He truly did admire Wang Po, and even somewhat worshiped him. Wang Po was at the head of the Proclamation of Liberation and was publicly acknowledged as the supreme expert of the middle generation. There were many people that worshiped him and worshipping him was a common sight. Logically, hearing Chen Changsheng's words, Tang Thirty-Six should have felt it was only right and proper. However, his expression was proof that he did not think this way, because he understood what sort of person Chen Changsheng was. When Chen Changsheng said he wanted to live like Wang Po, it assuredly was not like other worshippers who hoped to be as strong as Wang Po, but rather in other aspects.

Tang Thirty-Six thought that this was not good. Looking at Chen Changsheng, he said, "Don't be like Wang Po."

Chen Changsheng pulled his gaze away from the lake and turned to him in confusion. "Why?"

Tang Thirty-Six said, "Because becoming Wang Po is too bitter and too difficult. In addition, it's too easy to become moving and tragic. No matter how we want to live, it's best to stay far away from the phrase 'moving and tragic'!"

Chen Changsheng said, "I'm very confused about what you mean."

Tang Thirty-Six suddenly said, "Do you know why he's called Wang Po of Tianliang?"

Snow-treading Xun Mei, Painted Armor Xiao Zhang, Unmoving Mountain Liang Wangsun, Famous Name Guan Bai—these experts at the forefront of the Proclamation of Liberation all had their own titles that circulated about the continent, and each of them had its own origin: some were their achievement, some were their ancestral home, and some were their eccentricity. Chen Changsheng had always believed that Wang Po was called Wang Po of Tianliang naturally because he came from Tianliang County. Only upon hearing Tang Thirty-Six's question did he realize that it was for another reason.

Tang Thirty-Six said, "In those days, Tianliang County had four powerful families: Zhu, Liang, Chen, and Wang. Amongst them, the Liang clan and the Chen clan had in succession been Imperial clans, governing the entirety of the human world. The Zhu clan produced countless able experts, such as the current Solitary Drunk under the Moon, Zhu Luo. The Wang clan could stand together with these three other families because the Wang clan was extraordinarily wealthy. Many years ago, they could even be discussed on the same level as my clan."

Chen Changsheng asked, "Then how did the Wang clan fall into decline?"

Tang Thirty-Six replied, "The problem is that the Wang clan had always supported the Liang clan, but in the end, the Chen clan replaced the Liang clan and claimed the Emperor's throne."

After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng said, "It was just that simple?"

"A clan of a thousand generations is very much similar to an insect of a thousand legs. This is especially true of merchant clans, who always have many scattered investments. Naturally, it's impossible for a single lost gamble to cause the entire game to be lost. It's just that after the Chen clan rose up, the Wang clan would naturally be affected. The vast majority of the clan's property was lost in military expenditures, and the Liang clan declined quickly while the Zhu clan was getting ever closer, and could even be said to have had a much easier time." Tang Thirty-Six added, "In this period, the Zhu clan did many things that upset the Wang clan, so from that time onwards, there was a feud between the Zhu clan and Wang clan."

Chen Changsheng thought about the battle in Xunyang City as well as the words the Holy Maiden had said. He finally understood why the Holy Maiden said that Zhu Luo was selfish.

As there was a millennium-old feud between them, Zhu Luo was naturally unwilling to allow the destitute Wang clan to rise up again because of Wang Po's widespread fame in the world.

"Precisely as I said before, there were influential figures in the Wang clan and the Imperial clan that had always had good relations. Moreover, Taizu still remembered his former affection for the Wang clan, so he didn't let them their situation become too miserable. However, it was impossible for the Wang clan to imagine that this was the ultimate reason for their destruction."

"What do you mean?"

"At the time when Emperor Taizu was prepared to sort out the Wang clan, Chen Xuanba took up his sword and went to the palace, offering to serve as a guarantor for the Wang clan. In addition, the crown prince married a daughter of the Wang clan."

"Crown prince?"

"I'm talking about that real crown prince of course."

Chen Changsheng thought about that bloody storm that had occurred several hundred years ago, about that cruel story of the Hundred Herb Garden, and his body couldn't help but shiver. He thought to himself, since the Wang clan supported that crown prince, Emperor Taizong who succeeded to the throne naturally wouldn't be able to tolerate them.

"After that?"

"You should know the story after that. In that coup in the Hundred Herb Garden, Emperor Taizong killed his own older brother. A little earlier, Zhou Dufu had killed his own little brother. Thus, the world finally obtained peace.”

As he said the word 'peace', Tang Thirty-Six's lips edged up, filled with an indescribable sense of derision.

Chen Changsheng was silent at these words. He whispered, "Are you saying…Chen Xuanba entering the Garden of Zhou, then dying in battle, was all part of Emperor Taizong's plan?"

"Or else?" Tang Thirty-Six looked at him said, "Emperor Taizong and Zhou Dufu were like brothers with different surnames, while Chen Xuanba was his own little brother. Why would the two fight each other?"

Chen Changsheng said, "They all say that once Chen Xuanba saw that the state was steady, he desired to pursue the supreme realm of the martial Dao. For this reason, he took the initiative to challenge Zhou Dufu."

Tang Thirty-Six replied, "When the army of Tianliang County first entered the capital, the situation in the capital was one of general chaos. Even the demi-human hunters knew what Emperor Taizu's sons were up to. If the affairs of the clan were so disordered, how could the affairs of the state be stable? Chen Xuanba was the crown prince's most powerful military force, and he would actually choose that time to leave? Do you take that exceptional martial god of the past, the supreme expert of the Great Zhou Imperial clan of the past millennium, to be an idiot?"

Chen Changsheng said, "Perhaps…he just didn't want to kill his own relatives, so he decided to just walk away, thinking that what remains unseen is clean?"

Tang Thirty-Six gave a cold laugh, but said nothing more.

Chen Changsheng knew that this argument wasn't the least bit convincing. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and frustrated, and also feel a sort of indescribable sadness.

He lowered his head to gaze at the sword at his waist and felt that it had gotten a little hotter.

It wasn't blazing, only hot enough that his skin could feel it, or perhaps a feeling similar to one's eyes feeling a little hot.

It was an emotion of sorrowful melancholy.

The sword contained a sword soul, the sword soul of the Dragoncry Sword.

The Dragoncry Sword was Chen Xuanba's sword.

From a certain standpoint, he had a faint connection through this sword with that young martial god of the past.

The so-called sadness and melancholy originated from this.

"And the Wang clan?" he asked. "Chen Xuanba died, Taizu abdicated, and Emperor Taizong ascended the throne. How did he treat the Wang clan?"

“The sovereign wanted to deal with his disobedient subjects. How could he still need to personally deal with them?"

Tang Thirty-Six's expression was somewhat apathetic. "Three months after Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, the autumn wind began to blow. As he leaned on a railing and viewed the scenery, he very casually said a few words."

"What did he say?"

"The weather has gotten cold; let the Wang clan go bankrupt."

(TN: See the translator’s note at the top of Chapter 204 for reference to the idiom being referred to here.)

The lakeside was peaceful. The night gradually set in and it was somewhat chilly.

For a long time, Chen Changsheng said nothing.

He had originally been called Wang Po of Tianliang for this reason.

Emperor Taizong was a grand king with superb talent and bold vision. Whether it was his method or his abilities, he was in every aspect an expert rare to see in a thousand generations. But he did not need to use any strategies or method. He only needed to casually say a few words, and countless people would naturally begin to carry out countless strategies to accomplish this task.

Chen Changsheng understood what Tang Thirty-Six had been saying before. Authority really was this world's most frightening thing.

The autumn wind began to blow and Emperor Taizong said a few words. As the autumn began to set in, the Wang clan was ruined.

No one knew how many heads fell to the ground, how many manors and fields were seized, and how many servants and maids were left destitute and homeless.

The Wang clan of Tianliang County faced their most terrifying period. Their situation was extremely miserable, and then as the years slowly passed, they faded until they were almost forgotten by the entire continent.

It was also at this time that the Wang clan produced a youth.

That youth was called Wang Ping. His talent in cultivation was exceptional, even being judged by the Divination Elder as an outstanding genius of the human world, second only to Su Li.

Perhaps it was in remembrance, or perhaps so that he could remember.

When that youth obtained the first rank of the Proclamation of Azure Sky, he changed his name to Wang Po.

Tianliang County's Wang Po. (天凉郡的王破)

The weather has gone cold, the Wang clan has gone bankrupt. (天凉王破)

"From the day he changed his name, the entire continent knew what he wanted to do."

Tang Thirty-Six said, "He wanted justice from the Great Zhou Imperial Court."

Brushed by the night wind, Chen Changsheng felt a little refreshed, but his face felt a little hot.

For a single person to ask for justice from the world, how grandiose that was.

"Could it be…the powerful figures of the capital didn't have any reaction to this?"

"At the time, Wang Po had already displayed the potential to enter the Divine Domain. Because of the oath of the Saints, even Zhu Luo couldn't move against him. Crucially…the Divine Empress had already come to power at the time. The Imperial clan was suppressed so heavily that they couldn't even breathe, much less have the energy to deal with him. Of course, Wang Po also faced many dangers, so he went to Wenshui!"

"I heard from Senior Su Li about this. He said Wang Po worked in your clan for many years as an accountant."

"I've never met Wang Po, but I've heard many stories about him from my father."

Tang Thirty-Six said, "Wang Po was always confused—how had his Wang clan which had been so well-off, after facing these clan-destroying difficulties, have no strength to retaliate, while the Tang clan had been able to survive up until now? Later on, after working for many years as an accountant, he finally understood. The reason that the Tang clan was able to survive was, firstly, that it wasn't part of any faction and never took part in any activity. Secondly, if it invested, the Tang clan was more willing to invest in those young people who were still not famous."

"Such as Senior Su Li?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Tang Thirty-Six glanced at him, then said, "There's also you…didn't you say that my grandfather gifted you that umbrella?"

Chen Changsheng said, "It was wrested away from me by Senior Su Li."

Tang Thirty-Six could not refute this, so he no longer dwelled on it and continued, "After that bloody affair of the Orthodox Academy, the power of the Imperial clan was completely suppressed by the Divine Empress and His Holiness. Zhu Luo also became very well-behaved, so Wang Po left our clan."

Chen Changsheng noted, "I know he went to the south."

Tang Thirty-Six said, "Correct, in the span of ten-odd years, he bought half of Scholartree Manor and is already an expert."

Chen Changsheng fell into a long silence.

After listening to Wang Po's story, he realized that Tang Thirty-Six was right.

To become a person like Wang Po, to live as he did, truly was very difficult.

"My grandfather said that Wang Po lives too miserably."

Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and earnestly said, "I don't want you to live as miserably as him in the future."

Chen Changsheng asked, "So just how should we live?"

Tang Thirty-Six answered, "We are young, so we should live like young people do. Just like how when I came to the capital and learned of all of Tianhai Ya'er's repulsive deeds, I wanted to cripple him. This morning when I saw his idiotic self sitting on his wheelchair in front of the academy, I wanted to give him a good kick, so I kicked him! If you want be hot-blooded, to act on impulse, just do it! What else? If you don't like it, then fight!"

From the other side of the lake, there was a sudden muffled bang.

The two looked over and saw in the gloomy darkness that Xuanyuan Po was continuously hitting a tree.

Tang Thirty-Six roared with laughter. "You see, if you have the energy, you have to use it. If you have the strength, you have to apply it. When you're young, why shouldn't you be frivolous, doing whatever takes your fancy?"

Chen Changsheng also began to laugh.