Martial Saint with Passives

"Hmph!"

He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

"The empire is in turmoil. In the north, the rebel army of the True Mother Sect grows more rampant, spreading like wildfire. In the Western Realm, the Great Yan Kingdom watches like a hungry tiger, their wolfish ambition plain for all to see! And the soldiers of my Great Chu, to protect our homes and our country, are fighting and dying on the front lines!"

"But what about these so-called people of the Martial World?"

He spun around abruptly, his abyss-like eyes burning with furious flames of anger and contempt!

"Not only do they have no thought of resisting foreign invaders or sharing the nation’s burdens, they have not a single shred of loyalty to the country! Instead, they occupy the finest Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands, consume the most precious Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, and shut themselves away to live out their self-satisfied, peaceful lives! To this nation, which is teetering on the brink of collapse, they are nothing but a pack of freeloading... burdens! Parasites!"

"When the country was prosperous and the people were at peace, the Court tolerated them, and that was fine. But now the nation is in peril, beset by dangers from within and without. And this pack of parasites thinks they can remain aloof, acting as if they’re some otherworldly masters?!"

"Dream on!"

He practically spat out the last two words, his voice laced with a bone-deep coldness!

Overwhelmed by the terrifying, murderous aura radiating from him, Long Xiang instinctively lowered his head, not daring to reply.

He knew the Lord General’s loathing for these Jianghu Sects was bone-deep.

Qin Fuhu looked at him, the fire in his eyes gradually subsiding, replaced by a deeper, more formidable ruthlessness—the coldness of a warlord.

"A pity... His Majesty still harbors unrealistic fantasies about these Jianghu ruffians. He thinks they can be recruited to resist our foreign enemies, and so he hesitates to move against the Martial World... His Majesty... is muddled!"

Such words were utterly treasonous!

Long Xiang trembled in fear, burying his head even lower as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Qin Fuhu seemed to realize he had misspoken. After a moment of silence, he continued, his tone carrying an unquestionable finality:

"The nation is unstable. It is a minister’s shame when his sovereign is troubled. Since we cannot count on the Imperial Court, then I, Qin Fuhu, must do something for this country!"

"And I will start by putting the Cangzhou Martial World to the knife!"

"However, the powers of the Martial World are deeply entrenched and have been established for a thousand years; to touch one part is to move the whole. If we use the army to purge them directly, not only will the casualties be heavy, but we would also unite the entire Martial World against us, which would be... undesirable. Therefore, we must first make them fall into chaos and cut off their own limbs. Only then can we... logically step in and clean up the mess!"

Upon hearing this, Long Xiang’s eyes blazed with fanatical adoration. He dropped to one knee and declared in a deep voice, "My lord is brilliant!"

Qin Fuhu waved his hand, signaling for him to rise, and turned his gaze back to the massive map.

"What of the battles outside?"

Long Xiang’s expression grew grim as he reported, "Reporting to my lord, the situation is... not optimistic. An urgent report came from the northern front half a month ago. The rebel army has completely conquered Qingzhou, and their vanguard is pointing straight at the heart of the Central Plains. As for the Western Realm, our scouts report that the Great Yan Kingdom has amassed an army of 300,000 on the border. I fear... a new war is imminent!"

After listening, Qin Fuhu remained silent for a long time.

The study once again fell into a deathly silence.

He reached out, his broad palm slowly, inch by inch, tracing over the territory on the map that represented Qingzhou—a land already lost.

It was as if he could feel the blood that was currently flowing across that land.

After a long while, a whisper finally escaped from deep in his throat, as if suppressed by a colossal weight, filled with endless exhaustion and resolve:

"This empire... is sick."

"Sick to the core."

"Someone... has to be the strongest medicine."

...

After Jiang Che finished his seclusion, he wasn’t in a hurry to dive back into the tedious cultivation of "Refining Spirit."

The legacy of True Master Bai Yi taught him that the path of the Martial Dao required a balance of tension and release.

Blind penance was inferior to worldly enlightenment.

He spent a few days with his younger sister, Jiang Ling, occasionally giving her pointers on her Fist Technique or taking walks with her along the scenic mountain streams in the Sect, enjoying a rare moment of peace in these chaotic times.

On this day, he was in the courtyard, training his Shadow Iron Eagle, "Xiaohei," in the art of concealment.

A disciple from the Internal Affairs Hall suddenly hurried over, respectfully handing him a summons.

"Chief Jiang, Elder Jin has ordered you and the other courtyard chiefs to report immediately to the Internal Affairs Hall for a meeting."

Jiang Che took the summons and nodded.

When he arrived at the Internal Affairs Hall, he found the spacious main hall was already crowded.

Elder Jin and the other elders in charge had not yet arrived. Those present were the core elite disciples from each courtyard.

Gu Qingxuan, still dressed in her green robes, stood silently by the window, clutching her sword.

Her cold gaze watched the clouds drift by outside, making her seem like a beautiful ice sculpture.

Fang Muye was also there. He looked much calmer than he had during their last duel.

Although his face was still devoid of smiles, the bone-deep pride he once had seemed to have been worn away, replaced by a more restrained and complex emotion.

Shi Poyue of Thunder Shock Courtyard and Wang Zhenhai of Panyue Courtyard both grinned cheerfully upon seeing Jiang Che, clasping their fists in greeting from afar.

In addition, Eldest Brother Xiao Mingqian and several other respected senior disciples from the various courtyards were also present.

The moment Jiang Che entered, the hall, which had been filled with the low chatter of disciples in small groups, fell instantly silent.

Every single person’s gaze locked onto him.