780 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

"The one who stands above the common people? Hm, should I consider myself as standing above the common people?" Qing mused, finding the concept rather difficult to resonate with. In the Zhongyuan, it was an undeniable fact that the Son of Heaven was akin to a supreme being, standing alone and unrivaled, whether Qing agreed with it or not. So, what need was there to emphasize such a thing any further? It was nothing more than insisting, "I'm the highest, so I can do as I wish." But it seemed the Emperor had not finished speaking. "Every man dares to dream of ascending above the Emperor, harboring such delusions. They dream of becoming the Emperor, who stands above all beneath the heavens and commands the land with unmatched authority." The Emperor continued, "But I am the Emperor chosen by the heavens, and that's precisely why they could not become the Emperor. The people dream of being the Emperor simply because he is the superior figure above them, warranting the utmost respect and treatment. Isn't my view accurate?" "I will listen attentively." "This listening of yours. The Emperor is the one who exists above the people. But is it only the Emperor who stands above them? Even the minor officials in humble villages, lesser known to the world, can be considered as being above the common folk within their own jurisdictions. Isn't it the same with the martial world?" Indeed, the martial world is similar. A master from a reputable Sect gains more respect compared to other masters, and the common people worship and admire them. Take the regional nobles that are represented by the Five Supreme Clans, for example. Even local officials are subservient to these nobles—those who have acted as lords within their regions for generations, elevating themselves above the common folk as their superiors. "So, do you see me as their superior, one who holds greater power than all of them? Do I seem to you the proprietor who owns and dominates them all?" "Uh, um," Qing murmured, at a loss for words. To say yes felt wrong, but claiming otherwise might brand her a traitor. "Indeed, it's natural for the Unrestrained One not to covet the position of Emperor." The Emperor bared his teeth in a feral grin. "Does anyone give up greater benefits for smaller ones? Would a prime minister abandon their office to become a court eunuch? What reason does a person have to move from a position of substantial power to one with less?" It was an astonishing claim—implying the Unrestrained One held greater power than the Emperor himself. Of course, Qing, with roots outside Zhongyuan, thought, "Is that so? Even if so, it's still the Emperor, after all." "The Unrestrained One, in her freedom, could manipulate all affairs of the world as she wished. Being the strongest, those who revered her would follow her like obedient dogs, or else she'd wield her blade to intimidate, rob, and eliminate those unwilling to listen. Why would someone with such control care for the throne?" The Emperor shook his head. "See? I couldn't even orchestrate the Crown Prince's marriage as I wished; non-family members prevented the father from making decisions in his household. And more so, I didn't even realize my own child was gone. A wise ruler knows to cultivate morality, manage the family, instill virtue in the state, and maintain peace in all under Heaven. Yet, I couldn't even govern my house, let alone the empire, or ensure my own self-control." An awkward atmosphere suddenly enveloped them. In fact, Qing stood as evidence of the Emperor's plight. If the Emperor wielded omnipotent power, the imperial wedding should have already commenced. But reality intervened with fierce opposition, leading to the Emperor exposing his intentions and seeking understanding. Yet, his expression and tone remained serene, neither complaint nor lament, merely stating facts with dry expression and voice. "So, what is the power of the Emperor that people speak of? Such power is a mere imagination of dreamers, which is why they were not chosen by Heaven." Didn’t the Emperor say he stands above the people earlier? Upon listening, Qing realized that the emperor's position, too, comes with its own set of hardships. Unlike Qing, who had lived as a beggar among the beggars, not even treated as a beggar, facing hardships such as eating rotted food, discarded meals, and insects, simply surviving—being born into a wealthy family and living well was an extraordinary fortune indeed. "The Emperor is the one who exists above the people, who must be above them. People worship the Emperor as being in heaven, but the Emperor is the one who maintains the continuity, the existence of the Heavenly Court." The Emperor cast a bitter smile towards Qing, who seemed utterly puzzled. "Have you read the classics?" asked the Emperor. If the Emperor's power were as absolute as claimed, capable of wielding his will unopposed, the world would plunge into despair. Like the First Qin Emperor, like Wang Mang. In such periods, people hated one another, and starving, they would swap children with neighbors to consume them—truly a horrific hellscape ensued. The world is vast, too vast for one person to know entirely, for one person's ideas to unruly dominate it. The world is too weighty for one person to bear on their own. Thus, they stumble and teeter, shaking all earth beneath them. "But if the Emperor's power is too feeble, it also throws the world into chaos." When the Han dynasty fell into decline, with the weak Emperor being manipulated, what were the deeds of treacherous ministers beneath them? Those who truly cared for the country would not plunder the Emperor's authority to fill their own bellies. In such times, all officials turned into monsters devouring the blood and flesh of the people to satisfy their greed. People, driven by instinct to survive, would rise with weapons turning into marauders. Above are the ravenous beasts, below are the bandit hordes. What, then, is the difference between this world and hell? "And if the Emperor ceases to exist, the Zhongyuan would drown in blood." Without an Emperor, when no one fills that role, war begins. The whole world would be torn apart, endlessly killing and coloring the earth red with blood. In the past, during the decline of the Liu Dynasty, how did things fare? Even the leader of a ragtag group, which once only wove bamboo mats, raised an army under the pretense of a greater cause, committing immense carnage in the process. "Do you understand now? This is the duty of our Heavenly Dynasty. We must persist and exist to the very end. Yet, we must neither crave power excessively nor relinquish it easily. We should not let what we have be taken away, nor should we seek to acquire more." The Emperor cracked a wry smile. "Simply breathing and living, sitting sturdily at the highest place in this Forbidden City, that is the duty of the Emperor and the manner by which the Emperor governs the world." Only then did Qing grasp the Emperor’s words. The Emperor is the one who exists above the people. It is not about existing 'over' the people, but about 'existing' above them, which is a position of importance. "Now, you also understand why the martial world is considered harmful to this world." "Your Majesty, but currently the righteous sects are ensuring the peace of the world—" "Do you fail to understand, or do you simply wish not to? Very well, then I shall ask not Yeon Sul, but the Heavenly Sword Flower. Is there a national law within the martial world?" "That is..." Qing let her words trail off, unable to provide an answer. There is no law for the martial artists. They use martial prowess as an excuse, claiming swordsmen speak with their swords and fighters with their fists rather than words. Martial artists consider solving matters through dialogue as the disgrace of a coward and feel it is honorable to stand up and fight with their lives on the line boldly. There’s the understanding of mutual non-interference between government and martial artists, where officials don't meddle in martial matters, and martial artists don't interfere with official affairs. After all, the concept of mutual non-interference is based on the notion that state law and the code of the martial world are distinct. "The Unrestrained One should not have engaged in such lawless conduct." Even if governmental tyranny was an issue, destroying the Forbidden City and massacring palace personnel should not have transpired. The Emperor should have been shown respect and submitted opinions formally. No matter how formidable one might be, if a martial skill had reached divine heights, making one unstoppable by armies; they should have demonstrated to the world that they are a subject beneath the Emperor, a citizen abiding by the national law. "Or they should have accepted the Emperor's authority and ascended to the position of Prime Minister. How could they irresponsibly destroy the lynchpin binding the nation and the barrier preventing chaos, before whimsically departing?" It might have been better if the Unrestrained One had taken the throne. Then, a law that the strongest ascended as Emperor could have been established in the world, and naturally, a code of submitting and following the powerful would have solidified as national law. But now all this is impossible. Even if another supreme master emerges to threaten the Emperor into seizing the throne, martial artists will not recognize them. Because the Unrestrained One refused to become Emperor. Unrestrained One's refusal to take the throne turned the act into a righteous one for correcting the officials' misconduct. Now, if another Unrestrained One were to usurp with force, it would merely become an evil act for personal power. This is not unlike the pretense under which Chu, Liu, and Sun once set the world ablaze with power struggles. When the Unrestrained One held the Emperor by the throat and climbed atop the roof of the Imperial Palace Hall, it was as if a fissure appeared upon the foundations of the world, signaling its eventual collapse. And by refusing to become Emperor, when the world falls into disarray in the future, no path forward remains, with no recourse but war. This was the deed of the Unrestrained One. "If you speak of the virtuous among the martial world, then I shall speak of the wicked therein. And how long do you think this virtue, which you mention, will endure? A single Unrestrained One is all it takes for the world to plunge into war. How do we know that a Unrestrained One who craves power won't appear? Do you propose that the world's survival simply rests upon individual virtue and that we should merely watch?” The past misdeeds of the Imperial Palace flashed through Qing’s mind. From the Emperor's standpoint, it might have been the best course of action. A desperate attempt to grasp legitimacy, it would have been disastrous to straightforwardly amass a punitive force against the martial world, as it could splinter the Zhongyuan into factions, leading to inevitable bloodshed. It would mark the onset of a world war Zhongyuan style (as Zhongyuan views itself as the entire world). Moreover, Qing inadvertently leaked this to the Murim Alliance. In response, the Murim Alliance prepared for war, stating they wouldn't stand idle if the officials interfered. Ah, it’s all because of that old man, the Great Celestial Martial Emperor. Suddenly, the Emperor's task, which seemed neither a sinful nor a virtuous act, became clearer to Qing. Ah, perhaps that's it. Just by existing steadfastly, he prevents calamity. Though much blood has been spilled due to the Emperor's actions, perhaps this serves to prevent even more extensive bloodshed. Yet, a misdeed is a misdeed. However, as it suppresses chaos, it can't solely be deemed evil. Perhaps, it could even be considered a virtuous act for the greater good. But inherently, they were dreadful attempts that could never truly be termed as virtuous. Thus, they remain neither. Actions that are neither virtuous nor wicked. enN1WnIzcFhHMVJuR0JvdkNPc013emEvRVlCbm0zb0NZYUR4S28yTm9PTDFFeWw4SCtzR3pabDljS2FHbkJ6dg Of course, Qing didn’t grasp exactly how these numbers of virtue and sin operated. Or perhaps, as the master of all worldly things and the one responsible for all, the mix of minor misdeeds and virtues offset each other. Yet, the Emperor's demeanor, his calm tone when declaring the need to erase the martial world. Had there been any trace of animosity, it might have felt different. But the Emperor's expression resembled that of someone discussing business, simply stating facts without any remorse. "Now you understand, it seems." Trying to manage her expression under tension, yet Qing’s thoughts were easily perceived. Why was this? Because the Emperor was Yeon Sul's father? But was it because both the princess and Qing were expressing similar looks, as her mother pointed out that Qing's every action mirrored Yeon Sul's? But how could this be? Sometimes mannerisms follow the body rather than memory— Momentarily, Qing was lost in thought. A voice like thunder snapped Qing out of her reverie. "As a member of the Heavenly Dynasty, fulfill your duty. If the complaint comes from a preeminent young master of the martial world like yourself, there's no need to start with the Murim Alliance. Begin with handling the unorthodox faction and the demonic masters. Once the unorthodox faction is dismantled, the remaining parts will be easily managed."