Chapter 37: Some Things Must Be Done |
The impact of Wang Wei's Ninth Trial lasted for more than a month. Throughout the Dao Opening Sect, many disciples kept discussing the mighty prowess of their Young Sect Master and they all had a happy smile on their face, as they looked forward to a better future.
They all hoped that their sect could have a new Great Emperor.
Meanwhile, in the Wang Family Mountain, Wang Wei has been pondering what he learned throughout all the Nine Trials.
After passing each trial, he became a better person, a more qualified cultivator. The trial that affected him the most has to be the Fifth Trial.
In that Trial, Wang Wei almost lost himself. In order to acquire power, he was willing to do absolutely anything: he had no bottom-line whatsoever. He was even willing to kill his own mother...
Although he woke up at the last minute, he still had a lingering fear when he thought about how close he came to losing himself to power and becoming its slave.
During this trial, Wang Wei's greatest fear since coming to this world manifested. He truly feared that during his journey to the Throne of Emperor, the cultivating world would slowly change him and turn him into a greedy and heartless monster that lust for power.
After all, despite all the changes that has happened to Wang Wei the past ten years, his essence is still a modern man who lived in a society of law and order.
He has not truly blended into this world yet. In fact, today, he is going to take another step to modify his way of thinking, and also to prepare for his future.
Wang Ju walks into the room, bows and salutes: "Young Master."
"Did you get what I asked for?" answers Wang Wei directly.
"Yes, just like you ask for. Ten heinous criminals from the mortal world are locked in the basement. Each of them have committed horrendous crimes like rape, murder of children, and even cannibalisms."
After hearing Wang Ju's words, Wang Wei nods in satisfaction and orders: "You can leave now."
Wang Ju slightly bows to him and proceeds to leave without asking any question. One of her training as a Head Maid and Information Agent is to never ask the Superior any question.
Things that she should know will be told to her. Things that she should not know, she does not dare to ask. That's the motto of every properly trained maid. If one day she ever crosses any of these two rules, she knows what awaits her is only death.
After seeing his head maid leave, Wang Wei was even more satisfied with her. The Wang family trained her properly, and Wang Ju is actually quite capable.
After taking a few breaths to calm down, Wang Wei journeys toward the basement. Today, he is going to do something to prepare for his future; he is going to take another major step toward his future.
Today, he is going to personally see blood: he is going to kill.
Although Wang Wei has committed many acts of mass genocide during the Pagoda Trial, however, things are actually different in real life. In the trials, he could internalize his actions by telling himself that this world is in fact just a mere dream, a very realistic illusion.
That his actions had no real consequences, that the people in the illusion were nothing but npcs in a game. As such, he did not really feel anything when he killed someone.
However, reality is different from the illusion world of the Pagoda. This time, he is going to take an actual life.
As a person born in modern society with normal ethical views, how could he easily kill someone and shrunk it like it was nothing.
Wang Wei remembers reading about the protagonists from the novels in his past life. Every time they first kill someone, they act as if it was nothing. It was as if what they had just done is comparable to daily drinking of water.
These protagonists usually defend themselves by saying that the world is the law of the jungle, big fish preys on little fish.
Although they are indeed right, the world of cultivation is indeed brutal, however, these protagonists just got into the world and they could immediately change their mindset like that.
To Wang Wei, most of these protagonists were actually already mentally unstable. The world did not change them, not it just reveals their already insane or problematic mentality. The law and order of modern society are just shackles to these protagonists.
However, Wang Wei is different. He was a normal human being with normal ethical views. Although he always has been a person of great determination, in many ways, he is still a normal person.
Wang Wei continues to walk steadily toward the basement. Today, he must kill these prisoners. And it is not because of his moral views that evil must be eradicated.
No, it was because his mentality needs to change.
After spending so much time in this world, Wang Wei has realized that he is different from the children of this world.
All the children of the same age as him have the mindset that killing is not morally wrong, but a way to display might and heroism. They grew up hearing tales of their father and ancestors fighting and slaughtering countless cultivators. And these parents instilled the idea that one day, they will do the same too.
As a result of this, killing for these children is nothing at all. Wang Wei once watched a 5 years old kill a servant for making a mistake. Although he tried to stop it, it was already too late--the servant was already dead by the time he arrived.
It was at that moment that he realized how different his mindset was from everyone else. Unfortunately for him, in this world, his mindset is considered wrong and dangerous.
As a person who hopes to one day walk the Path of Emperor, being compassionate is the last trait that he needs. The Throne of Emperor is one made of blood and bones of countless cultivators.
Knowing all of these, Wang Wei has long prepared to slowly set his mindset in the right place--instead of directly being thrown into a situation in which he has to face his flaws unprepared.
Wang Wei slowly enters the basement. Inside lies ten men wearing tattered linen cloth with iron chains bidding both their hands and feet. A cloth is used to forcibly close their mouth and prevents them from speaking.
Wang Wei slowly looks at each of them. From their facial expression, he could see the great fear and dread in their eyes; it was the fear of death approaching them, yet being totally powerless to prevent it.
In fact, not all of them are actually afraid. From the subtle soul fluctuation that Wang Wei could perceive, a few of them were actually quite calm and a cunning gleam of light could be seen deep in their eyes.
Wang Wei could tell that these criminals were actually trying to find a slight chance of survival. The fear that they have displayed on their face is nothing but a farce to disarm him; a way for them to try to get him to either have sympathy for them or lower his guard.
Wang Wei ignores all of the looks that these prisoners were given him. He walks to a table in the room and picks up a long knife. Then, proceeds toward the first prisoner and stands in front of him.
Wang Wei looks at the prisoner while his hand holding the saber tremor slightly. A great amount of dread suddenly overcomes him. He hesitates. This is a life that he was about to take.
No matter how sinful said life was, it is still a life. What right does he have to take it away? If he does take their lives, would he be any better than them?
While Wang Wei was dealing with this ethical and philosophical dilemma, the prisoners started to have hope; they hoped that this Young Master would have sympathy for them and let them spend the rest of their lives in prison.
It took a total of 30 minutes for Wang Wei to make a decision. He looks at the first prisoner, with trembling hands, screams out loud and stabs him repeatedly.
Wang Wei did not know how many times he stabbed the poor bastard. After the first stab, he had immediately lost consciousness. All he could rely on was instinct.
When he woke up, his robe was full of blood.
He sat on the floor with a dead body and nine horrified prisoners. He started to think about what he has just done.
Soon, the realization that had taken a life dawned on him. He asked himself: "Did he regret it?". The answer is of course yes. It is true that these people are in fact quite wicked and deserve death. However, no matter what excuse he could come up with, a life is a life.
Afterward, Wang Wei asked himself: "If he was given the chance to re-do it again, would he still make the same choice?"
The answer he came up with is still yes. He is a person destined to walk the Path of the Emperor. In the future, the amount of lives that will end on his own hand will be incalculable.
What he had just done was just the first step in order to adapt. It is true that the act of killing someone is actually quite the horrible feeling.
Unfortunately, he will have to get used to this feeling until he can completely ignore it or he becomes numb to it.
After realizing all of this, Wang Wei had a feeling that something of great importance was taken away from. And he knew that he would never be able to take it back.
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