Volume 2, Chapter 428: Are you willing to help me?
The three lists continued to emit golden light, and Ye Tingmu finally spoke.
"A long time ago, I said, who is the master of the world?"
"Not a king, not an emperor, nor a saint, but a human being. Human beings are the people. The character for human beings is composed of a left stroke and a right stroke, standing tall and upright."
"I also say that if there are no people, there is no country, and if there is no country, there is no ruler. If everything is nothing, how can there be a saint?"
"Those who love the people will always be loved by the people. The three people on this list have devoted their lives to serving the people, which is why we have such a prosperous era today."
"I am honoring only a small number of people today. I know there are many, many more people like them who are quietly contributing to this world."
"I hope that in the future, our descendants can be like them, like the words written in front of Zhulu Academy, and emulate their predecessors."
"Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity."
"Now please invite three people to come up to the stage to receive the awards."
His words still echoed for a long time after they fell. Hearing such words again at this moment shocked them.
Once upon a time, such words were printed in history books as the famous sayings of Ye Tingmu, King of Donghai, to warn the world.
Every time they read it, they were filled with emotion. Hearing these words today was an awakening.
At this moment they understood that the reason why the King of the East China Sea was called a god and became a belief in people's hearts was not because he was strong enough, but because he always maintained compassion and awe for the people of the world.
At this moment, the man in the scene no longer seemed so out of reach for them.
But it became even more majestic.
Amid the cheers and applause of the people, Chao Xiao, Wu Yanwang, and Chu Ze slowly walked onto the stage and came in front of Ye Tingmu.
Ye Tingmu's palm swept across the storage bag, and three imperial divine weapons, along with the essence and blood of the Immortal Emperor, appeared in front of him.
The three divine weapons floated forward and came in front of the three people.
He bowed to Xiao, held the magic weapon in his hand, and without saying much, stepped aside.
King Wu Yan knelt on his knees and bowed deeply to Ye Tingmu.
"Your Majesty, this old minister thanks you for your grace." His voice was hoarse. This most impartial and ruthless official in the East China Sea actually had tears in his eyes at this moment.
He cried, but not because of the imperial weapon, but because he couldn't help crying when he saw this young man.
He had always wanted to ensure that the people had enough food to eat and could live like human beings. He had worked hard for this for sixty years, using all possible means, but in the end he achieved nothing.
Until later, he met the young man in front of him. It was his appearance that changed his fate and gave him the opportunity to realize his dream.
He put himself in that position, and because of his support, he was able to do those things.
So he was grateful to him because it was he who created and made him what he is today.
It is also because of him that the East China Sea can be so prosperous today.
"Old Wu, get up."
King Wu Yan stood up and wiped his tears.
Next came Chu Ze. Chu Ze kept his head down. Although he was a saint, his hunched body always looked shaky.
He is similar to Chao Xiao. The way to becoming a saint is both based on luck. The only difference is that Chao Xiao relies on the country's luck. As long as the country is strong, he will be strong.
Chu Ze, on the other hand, became a saint through poverty, which was the other extreme of Chao Xiao.
For every bit less poverty in the world, he becomes a bit weaker and his life span is shortened.
But even so, he still went wherever there was poverty, and then used the power of a saint to open mountains and divert water, leading others out of poverty.
He once said that he was never afraid of death. He even hoped that he could die earlier because that would mean that there would be no poverty in this world and people would live a good life.
Maybe for others, it is all about fighting against the heavens, making their own path wider and stronger.
But he is different. He has been fighting with himself and blocking his own way. This is actually no different from suicide.
If there must be one, then it is that others commit suicide to escape, while he does it for the beliefs in his heart.
This is also the reason why Ye Tingmu listed him as a first-class merit recipient. At least in his opinion, this spirit of selflessness and dedication is worthy of him, no matter what wrong things he had done before.
Seeing him standing there with no intention of accepting the reward, Ye Tingmu frowned slightly.
"Chu Ze, why don't you answer it?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ze continued to lower his head and said in a deep voice: "I am a sinner. I do not deserve this achievement."
Even in front of the whole world, Chu Ze still did not try to cover up the crimes he had committed.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed for this, and hated himself for it countless times.
But he never avoided it. He didn't care whether others mentioned it or not, nor did he care whether he mentioned it or not.
Because he knows that the past can never be erased, and all he has to do is keep it in mind and remind himself at all times what is the right thing to do.
Ye Tingmu shook his head slightly.
"Let the past be the past. When you were young, you did commit an unforgivable crime, but God gave you a chance, and you took it."
"You have paid this debt for a thousand years. It is time to let it go."
"Take it and use it to continue to do what you want to do. With it, I believe you will do better."
Ye Tingmu had said this much. Chu Ze was silent for a moment and knelt down.
He had indeed paid off the debt for a thousand years, and logically, it should have been paid off, but in his opinion, it was still far from enough.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will definitely bring this magical weapon with me to continue to benefit the people and will never let Your Majesty down."
Ye Tingmu nodded solemnly.
At this point, all merits have been distributed.
At this moment, millions of people stood quietly, without any noise or exclamations.
Perhaps what Ye Tingmu said just now was too heavy, so they were still thinking about it.
Thinking about what Ye Tingmu said and trying to figure out his intentions.
After Ye Tingmu distributed the rewards to the three people, he walked to the front of the crowd and stood beside Zhou Heisan.
From this angle, he could see everyone at a glance, and of course everyone here could see him as well.
He took a deep breath, then spoke and stated the ultimate purpose of this trip.
"Someone once told me that the strong change the world, and the weak change themselves."
"I consider myself a strong person, so I want to change the world. Of course, I won't be alone on this road. I will go with other strong people."
"When I unified the East China Sea, I once said something outside Shanhaiguan: A thousand years from now, I will swing my sword to slash the heavens and rebuild the path to immortality. I will never forget these words."
"Now that the great millennium catastrophe is approaching, in two years, I will return here, raise my sword and slash the sky, creating a path to heaven, rebuilding the immortal path, and unifying the three worlds. I wonder if you are willing to help me?"
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