Chapter 1618 IF Line: The True Meaning of Taking What Others Want (Fifth Viewing)

Today, Lao Dengwei Tower is destined to have a difficult time.

No sooner had he finished criticizing than his friend in the video delivered the finishing blow.

I signed a contract.

One sentence was enough to defeat both Wei Lou on and off screen.

His friend, still pressing on, feigned ignorance and blinked: "With this contract in hand, she's the lord, and I'm the subject. Isn't it only natural for me to call her 'lord'? Or has Your Majesty forgotten even this basic courtesy? Should your uncle teach you again?"

The moment the title "uncle" was uttered, everyone turned to look at Wei Lou. They had assumed that Wei Lou and his friend were simply friends, perhaps even classmates or childhood acquaintances, but they never imagined that the other person was of such a high generation—his uncle!

Wei Lou: "I have never acknowledged him."

Although they claim to be related by marriage, it's really a forced and contrived connection.

The two families are only somewhat related in their genealogies. My friend's generation is the same as his maternal cousin's, so by calculation, he's roughly a maternal cousin of Wei Lou. In terms of age, my friend is actually much younger than Wei Lou. If we're being precise, he's about the same age as Wei Cheng.

Wei Lou sighed, "The last time I received a letter from him was more than seventy years ago. He died of illness long ago."

At that time, he could only rush to see her one last time.

Normally, even if he couldn't live to Wei Lou's age, he shouldn't have died so soon. And this would bring up the old story of the Wu Kingdom's Gu calamity, which damaged his foundation back then. Tsk, it's all a mess, better not to mention it. Hearing this, no one dared to say anything more.

They can't say it, but Wei Lou in the picture is.

A casual assessment: [A temporary worker.]

Old Deng Weilou: "..."

Friend: [……]

Luo San, who was passing by, suffered an undeserved misfortune.

His friend took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kick Wei Lou into the pond and drown him: "Fine, fine, if you say it's temporary work, then it's temporary work. At least I have a title and status, unlike someone who did everything but didn't even get a name for himself; his life was worse than being a bed warmer."

Old Deng Weilou said sarcastically, "He died too late."

Gu Chi couldn't help but give this cross-time "colleague" a thumbs up. Such an insightful evaluation! He's a leader among us!

The visuals are not very humane.

Everyone clearly saw the white light flash from Wei Lou's sword as he angrily drew it, but the camera wouldn't show it, so they immediately shifted their gaze to Ji Mo Cong. Wei Cheng in the scene looked almost exactly the same as he did now.

Gong Xiyao was quite pleased with the flames in his eyes.

She liked it, so Wei Cheng gave it to her.

Gu Chi: "Lord Wei is quite patient with children."

Not only did Wei Cheng treat Gong Xiyao more than a hundred years ago, but he also showed patience and tolerance to Gong Yang Yongye's daughter, Wei Sheng, who was adopted by Wei Cheng and his nephew, and his classmates who came to visit her home with Wei Sheng more than a hundred years later. This was contrary to his image.

This person really likes children.

Wei Cheng said, "Children are children, and adults are adults."

He didn't like to show malice towards children until they grew up or even became enemies, because in his view children were innocent blank slates, and also represented new hope.

Who doesn't love new life, doesn't love hope?

Gu Chi, however, felt that something was amiss.

As I said before, he has an eye for spotting adultery.

Other children were also present in the scene, including some from the Gongxi clan, but Wei Cheng didn't show them the same patience and care. He was friendly, but lacked leniency.

The relatively ordinary scene didn't last long before the camera switched back to Wei Lou and his nephew. Wei Lou released a carrier pigeon used for communication, and as the uncle and nephew's conversation deepened, everyone heard about the culprit behind the Wu Kingdom's Gu calamity. Everyone watched the uncle and nephew with wary tension.

"Does King Ji Sunyin still intend to use that harmful substance?"

"Will the calamity of witchcraft unfold in another form?"

"I thought that with the intervention of the authorities, the outcome might be different."

Ji Sunyin comes from the Gongxi clan, which was chosen to remain in seclusion by their lord. He might be an expert in using Gu poison, but facing the five high priests under their lord, he should have no chance of winning. His actions would be harmful to both himself and others; surely he wouldn't be that foolish?

Since everyone was unfamiliar with Ji Sunyin, their first reaction was that Ji Sunyin harbored ambitions to compete with Shen Tang, so it was normal to speculate in that direction.

Wei Cheng was displeased when he heard this.

"What do you young upstarts know? Even if we hold it again..." Even if we hold it again, Wei Cheng would most likely support Ji Sunyin's decision, but he would definitely be more careful then and ask the High Priest of the Gongxi Clan to come out of seclusion and oversee things in advance to prevent things from getting out of control.

"Hey, Lord Wei, you—"

Wei Cheng said, "You don't understand at all."

The chaos before the founding of Kangguo was indeed brutal, but it was nowhere near as brutal as what happened back then. At that time, the population was much larger, and when families were fighting amongst themselves, they didn't care how many people died; a city was massacred, and annihilation was done without hesitation. Men often didn't even have the chance to live as laborers, and women didn't receive any preferential treatment for survival because of their ability to bear children—it was all about killing!

It wasn't until the population declined sharply that things gradually came to a head.

Of course, it hasn't improved much.

For ordinary people living in that era, suffering was beyond description. Those with talent and strength abused it for personal gain, and scholars and warriors alike did not genuinely consider themselves part of the human race. At that time, there were even some unorthodox but widely supported views, including but not limited to the extermination of inferior, lower-class ordinary people to prevent them from wasting precious resources.

Some people argue that this treats ordinary people like livestock to be kept in captivity.

How can animals speak human language?

Even ordinary people can get themselves killed for speaking like ordinary people.

Why haven't these views gained support from most scholars and martial artists? It's not because these scholars and martial artists also have ordinary parents, siblings, and so on. Rather, over decades, they've discovered that dragons don't necessarily beget dragons, phoenixes don't necessarily beget phoenixes, and rats' children aren't necessarily only good at digging holes. It's that—rat children can become dragons and phoenixes, and dragon and phoenix children can remain mediocre rats. Their talents aren't due to being chosen by heaven, but purely due to good luck.

They were restrained and discreet.

But that doesn't stop them from doing things their own way.

When food was scarce, it was common to see people hunting and gathering vegetables everywhere.

"...You think we don't know the consequences? We know all too well, and we know how high the price will be. This is a decision we made after careful consideration. You see beauty and think the world should be a paradise, but what I saw back then, I only thought the world deserved to die!"

Therefore—

Yunda, that old man, is still too kind.

The flames in Wei Cheng's eyes gradually subsided.

The minds of many literary scholars and martial artists are often malfunctioning, and it's not entirely due to excessive radiation exposure; the real culprit is the state of the world.

Wei Cheng retorted firmly, "The fact that we were defeated does not mean that our actions back then were entirely without merit..."

The relaxed atmosphere had become noticeably more tense.

When everyone's attention was diverted by Wei Cheng, they turned their gaze back to Wei Lou and their master in the scene.

The Lord said: "You should establish order among the people."

Then came the task of calling in reinforcements.

The crowd stared at their lord, so full of vigor as he sat atop the motorcycle, momentarily lost in thought. Over the years, they had seen him so composed, reviewing memorials, handling state affairs, and mediating conflicts; they had almost forgotten the heroic figure of Shen Tang, once a dashing warrior. Now, that overwhelming familiarity captivated Chu Yao and the others, making them completely forget their earlier unpleasant argument. Wei Cheng also refrained from further debate.

To put it bluntly, the Wu Kingdom is already a thing of the past.

The chaotic era ended many years ago.

Even the near-death phantom pain that tormented his soul has passed.

Wei Lou hurried to catch up. The usually composed scholar was now somewhat disheveled, panting as he asked, "They're already deploying troops?"

[Does raiding a house require consulting the almanac?]

Yes, you don't need to consult the almanac before raiding someone's home.

All you need to know is the location of the target property.

The most excited person was Luo San. Even Luo San off-screen was energized, as the opportunity to make achievements and demonstrate his strength had arrived.

The audience off-screen was also intrigued by Shen Tang's presence.

But they never expected—

Shen Tang: [Who should we attack first?]

Everyone: "???"

No, it seems like the fight can't be won?

They were all so excited, and then they said it was over?

Luo San in the picture is trying his best to save her.

We can't afford to miss a battle that can prove his abilities!

Shen Tang did not disappoint him and took out two copper coins.

Please select your enemy.

Kang Shi said, "Should we say it was good luck or bad luck?"

I was lucky to be the first one selected.

I was unlucky to be the first one chosen.

"...Although the first battle was somewhat rushed, Lord Wei should be able to stop it." As observers, they could all see that Wei Lou's attitude had softened considerably. It seemed that he was considering the bigger picture and would genuinely plan for his lord this time, so there was no need to worry.

The next breath—

He's putting his mind at ease too soon.

Scouts are unnecessary, and battle plans are unnecessary.

A thousand troops can be defeated with a single arrow!

Gu Chi played the straight man.

"What you all don't know is that the enemy's flower symbolizes 'first come, first served.'"

The lucky yet unlucky enemy was completely overwhelmed.

No one was worried about the outcome of the battle.

Rank 20 Marquises are rare now, and even rarer a hundred years ago. It's unknown if anyone has even broken through to that level. Even if they have, it's unlikely they'd appear here. The enemy doesn't have any Rank 20 Marquises, but their lord is a Marquis.

She was the first to attack the camp, and her advantage lay in leading the charge.

How could we possibly lose this round?

Another theory suggests that the biggest reason for the victory was not the lord's strength, but the absence of Kang Jishou by his side.

This also allowed everyone to witness the fighting prowess of the Gongxi clan.

Despite their small number and limited experience, they are still considered elite.

It's perfectly adequate for the early stages of starting a business.

"...With such strength, how did they get wiped out back then?"

Everyone's gaze was drawn more or less to the two brothers.

Gong Xichou glared back angrily.

"What are you looking at?"

"I just feel... that his death back then was suspicious."

Gong Xichou lowered his eyelids and said irritably, "What's so strange about it? First of all, the old priest Ji Moxing was appointed in a time of crisis, and he himself had damaged his foundation due to an accident. The high priests after him were all... in short, none of them were reliable. Back then, the enemy army seized the initiative through a sneak attack, and the old priest couldn't take care of them at all. Without the high priest's assistance, the clansmen were no different from ordinary people. They could only rely on a few brave warriors and scholars to buy time. How could they be a match for those despicable villains?"

Gong Xiqiu felt he also had some responsibility in this matter.

His killing also had an impact on his clan.

The enemy used him as a hostage, which made the clansmen hesitant and restrained. The new clan territory was not as hidden and safe as the old one. In addition, the clan suffered a great loss of vitality due to the Wu Kingdom's Gu calamity, and some of the young and strong warriors also died. All these reasons combined made the situation as bad as it could get.

Such an outcome was almost inevitable.

Everyone: "..."

The person who raised the question bowed to Gong Xichou and his brother to apologize.

He didn't mean to reopen old wounds.

Unlike the annihilation of the clan outside the scene, the Gongxi clan inside the scene fought a swift and decisive battle, and their combat style, different from the familiar system, made the audience watch with great interest. Looking at the familiar person, Gongxi Chou whispered to Ji Moqiu, "Big brother, it's Atai."

The Gongxi people, regardless of gender, do not appear old.

The woman in the picture is not much different from Gong Xiqiu in his childhood memories, except that she is more mature and gentle. As the head of the family, she is both loving and strict with Gong Xiqiu.

Ji Moqiu: "Mm."

The battle did not last long.

The scene shifts, and Shen Tang is now behaving like a bandit dividing up the spoils.

The crowd also saw the "red meat" inside the boxes that looked quite similar to beef, and couldn't help but sigh with sympathy and pity.

However, they did not notice the conversation between Wei Lou and Ji Mo Cong.

No, some people noticed it too.

How could a person not understand themselves?

Old Deng Weilou was quietly looking at himself in the picture, and he could see through his inner struggle, relief and fall at this moment.

Adhering to the principle that since they were already here, Shen Tang did not intend to stop after attacking just one camp; of course, he wanted to hunt bigger prey.

Wei Lou in the picture sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

This family can't function without his brain.

We can't expect Shen Tang and his group to be good at negotiating and lobbying.

He can do it, he goes!

The scene doesn't show how Wei Lou tricked the person into becoming crippled, but it gives Shen Tang's current assessment of Wei Lou—a temporary worker who is a bit talkative, has a somewhat stubborn personality, but is capable of doing the work.

Yeah, and they even complained that Wei Lou was stingy.

Old Deng Wei Lou: "...How dare you, you brat, insult me!"

Ji Mo Cong: [This is also for His Highness's safety.]

Wei Cheng nodded: "Cong Jun is a wise man."

In chaotic times, turning your back on someone is a basic tactic.

The unlucky fellow who was tricked out by Wei Lou was immediately ambushed by Shen Tang's troops and became a prisoner in one fell swoop. As everyone knows, being a prisoner under Shen Tang is like being a free ox or horse, forced to work.

As for why they were beaten by Shen Tang?

That can only be attributed to fate; heaven is punishing you!

Shen Tang spoke with such conviction.

Once in infrastructure mode, Shen Tang would become completely absorbed in it, behaving obediently and quietly, just like the perfect child. Wei Lou and the others also enjoyed a period of leisure, only occasionally hearing Shen Tang's somewhat crude and barbaric scatological remarks.

For example, she would present facts and reason to persuade everyone to accept her reasons for planning the city this way: "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. According to your logic, everyone dies eventually, so should we commit suicide before we die of old age? No matter how much food a person eats, it will eventually turn into excrement and urine, so should we skip eating rice and vegetables and just eat excrement and drink urine? Don't rush to achieve everything perfectly in one step."

Wei Lou: [...Don't speak so rudely.]

Shen Tang: [I'd like to.]

Wei Lou: […Has Shen Jun considered the future?]

Off-screen, Lao Deng Wei Lou subconsciously sat up straight. He and Wei Lou in the scene were the same person, so he naturally knew what the other wanted to ask at this moment. However, he felt that "himself" and Shen Tang's friendship had not reached that point yet. Given "himself's" caution, how could he easily open up to the "evil god" in "his" eyes?

No, no, no, that shouldn't be done.

But things didn't go as he wished in his youth.

The young lord did not shy away from his question.

But he didn't give the answer he was looking for.

Her answer not only shocked Wei Lou in the scene, but also shocked everyone watching. Neither the amnesiac Shen Tang nor their lord ever imagined that their achievements would last for ten thousand years, nor that the Kang Kingdom they had painstakingly built would endure forever.

The world is constantly in flux, marked by periods of unity and division.

[What is united for a long time will eventually divide; what is divided for a long time will eventually unite.]

Old Deng Weilou suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at Shen Tang's mouth opening and closing in the picture, and muttered, "Even you can't do it?"

Greed is limitless, but worldly resources are finite.

[If left unchecked and unrestrained, greed will drive people to devour the living space of others. When most people in this world have no way to survive, even if you are a god or Buddha sitting in a shrine, you will be pushed down, your clay body trampled underfoot, your golden body melted in the furnace.]

Finally, she asked—

【My lord, you speak of continuing for ten thousand years—whose ten thousand years are you referring to? You wouldn't be thinking of finding a reliable and benevolent ruler, letting him/her sit on a high throne, managing the world in perfect order, with all civil and military officials working diligently, frugally, and wholeheartedly for the public good? And then, having the benevolent ruler father benevolent offspring, and having the civil and military officials also father the next generation of officials?】

These words were clearly meant for the young man, Wei Lou.

However, the people present felt that it was addressed to them.

For a long time, and even now, many people still tend to think along these lines—they don't trust others, they trust their acquaintances more than strangers, they trust their own bloodline more, and they are also...more greedy.

Humans have seven emotions and six desires, and they also have selfish desires.

If the amnesiac ruler in the picture is so clear, how much more so must the ruler who has been on the throne for many years know all along?

For a moment, everyone was filled with mixed emotions.

They had their own selfish motives, but they also genuinely hoped that Kangguo would last forever.

Under his rule, the common people can live in peace and stability for ten thousand years.

Wei Lou in the picture has become their mouth double.

Ask them the questions they most want to know.

【Why? 】

Why?

They also wanted to know what the Lord was thinking.

Shen Tang's answer was straightforward and frank.

When it's time to die, die with dignity.

In this world, what we have in abundance is that fortunes change like a wheel.

She also anticipates, or rather sees, a future where ordinary people are the protagonists and dominate the world.

Has Shen Jun ever considered what might happen one day...?

What have you thought about?

Both Wei Lou members stared intently at Shen Tang, their sharp gazes brooking no lie or concealment: [Even gods are no longer aloof and unapproachable?]

Shen Tang's assessment: [A pile of clay sculptures. When you kneel at their feet, they are high above you, but when you stand up, you can look down upon them. If you want, you can even step on their heads. It all depends on where you place them.]

She said again—

[The identity of a god was bestowed upon this clay sculpture by you, my lord.]

It's over, there's no hope.

Upon hearing this, Lao Dengweilou had this idea in his mind.

He knew what would happen next without even thinking.

At this moment, God gained another believer whom she might not care about. This believer's faith was not as pure as the others, because he did not believe in gods. But he believed in her, nothing more.

only--

Winking at a blind man is destined to be a tragedy.

Shen Tang exclaimed in shock and anger: "No, he's sculpting me out of clay?"

Gu Chi, who was well-versed in the meaning of clay sculpting: "..."

Is the term "clay sculpture" appropriate here?

For a moment, Gu Chi even felt a little sorry for Wei Jun.

"So clueless about romance, so clueless about romance."

"What a waste of feelings."

Everyone nodded in agreement: "What a waste, what a waste."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Wei Lou's reaction.

Strangely enough, the King of Wei did not fly into a rage or feel ashamed.

Ji Sunyin: [Why do I feel like some kind of god is stealing my partner?]

The scene shifts to Ji Sunyin and his subordinates. Everyone is on high alert, ready to keep an eye on this potential enemy for their lord. But the more they listen, the more something seems amiss. What letter did Wei Lou write to him that prompted such a reaction from Ji Sunyin? This future ruler of the Wu Kingdom doesn't seem like a particularly ruthless person. Perhaps the ending will be good?

"Who poached his girlfriend?"

"Who else could the 'god' that the King of Ji Sun is talking about be?"

"So, the lord is secretly trying to win over his generals?"

"Perhaps it's the same way they treated Duke Qin back then?"

Zhao Feng's goodwill towards his lord was cultivated during the time his lord managed Wu Xian's loan of people, which gave him the opportunity to become one of his own.

Who could it be?

Everyone has their own guesses.

Some speculate it's Qin You, others it's Yun Da.

Before anyone could guess the outcome, the general actually thought that Ji Sunyin was going to send him to make friends with Qin Jin, leaving everyone speechless.

"Wow, this guy really dares to think of such things!"

"If such a good thing were true, King Ji Sun himself would have taken the plunge."

Wei Cheng warned, "Do not be disrespectful to the former lord."

Gongxi Chou ignored him and retorted, "Tsk, he's not wrong. Ji Sunyin was one of the candidates for high priest. Wasn't his life's work all about serving the gods? Besides, Mama doesn't even think much of him. What are you daydreaming about?"

With him and his elder brother setting such a high bar, everyone else looks like a piece of trash!

While everyone was arguing, Wei Lou in the scene threw a grenade.

They were bombed until they were covered in dust and dirt.

[My wise ruler, what has happened?]

Everyone: "???"

No, from whom did this gentle and tender phrase "wise ruler" come?

"This Lord Wei is a fake!"

"Oh no! Someone has switched the beams and pillars, plotting against the Lord!"

Wei Lou: "..."

He could tell at a glance whether it was him or not.

Old Deng scoffed, "What's wrong with calling someone a 'wise ruler'?"

Is it really worth making such a fuss about?

Everyone: "..."

Someone exclaimed, "Look at that child—"

What does it mean to look after children?

Many people then noticed a seven or eight-year-old child shivering from the cold next to Shen Tang. The child was thin and pitiful. However, that wasn't the point. The point was that the child's appearance was somewhat similar to Lin Feng's when he was young, and her name—

The wind, the wind blowing through the forest.

The red veins in the eyes of the main character in the picture have not faded.

I hope that in the future you will possess both virtue and wisdom.

Watching this scene from outside the frame, Lin Feng couldn't help but recall the moment when her master named her. She vaguely felt that this child, who shared the same name and resembled her, was connected to her.

"Do you think this might belong to Minister Lin...?"

"Past life?"

|ω`)

I need to add some more to this chapter, otherwise I won't be able to finish it by tomorrow _(:з」∠)_

Finally finished, about two thousand words (this part is free, (`) love you)

(End of this chapter)