You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 542 - 540: Remove Six Out of Seven

Cha Shiyin was not trying to elevate his status or use empty threats; he truly had no interest in helping the Imperial Family.

The natural order is indifferent, the natural order is impartial, the natural order is selfless.

The long passage of time had already eroded Cha Shiyin's 'benevolence' to the point of being nearly diluted. Even though he still saw himself as a human, he could no longer regard other Brilliant Ones as his kin.

In his eyes, apart from the oath made a millennium ago and that distant obsession, nothing in the world was worth his concern. The Brilliant Ones were no different from the Barbarian Race, even if his impression of the Brilliant Ones was slightly better. However, a thick barrier known as 'time' had already erected itself between him and all mortals. There was no one in this world who could understand him.

Time is the remedy that soothes all wounds, but it is also the poison that wears down all emotions.

Honor and disgrace, compassion, passion, love, friendship, lust, a sense of justice, supreme power... these desires that mortals yearn for incessantly could not bind him in the slightest. Over two thousand years, Cha Shiyin had been an emperor, slaughtered pigs, worked as a greeter at the Red Dream Arena, leaned on a bamboo stick as a beggar, had soul-stirring romances, and once wasted decades of his life for the satisfaction of a heroic promise.

He had also been a chivalrous hero who fulfilled his promises with justice, a statesman concerned about the nation and its people, the husband of a virtuous wife, a teacher nurturing students; he had also been the leader of an underground gang, a mercenary merchant, a lustful ghost with many wives and concubines...

It's not that Cha Shiyin considered himself superior and thus became callous; rather, time made him superior, forcing him to become callous. If he were not callous, how could he face the deaths of countless friends and family; if he were not callous, how could he endure the countless separations of life and death, joy and sorrow; if he were not callous, how could he accept that he too was a piece of trash unable to change the world?

The reason Cha Shiyin cursed so freely just now was because he had already spent countless remorseful and painful nights a thousand years ago repeatedly cursing himself.

Indeed, these rulers are trash, are failures, but how is the immortal Cha Shiyin any less trash, any less of a failure, any less a coward clinging to life?

It's just that Cha Shiyin had long recognized the harshness of reality, accepting his own powerlessness.

He is a person who is immortal, a person who is indifferent, a person who is impartial, but ultimately he is a person, not the natural order, nor a god.

He cannot save everyone; justice is utterly pale before time, and compassion can only emit a whimper under the crushing weight of fate.

One thousand two hundred years ago, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace was mysteriously poisoned, infuriating the emperor, causing a million deaths, with the cries of grief and mourning filling Yanjing everywhere, while Cha Shiyin watched; seven hundred and eighty years ago, three factions wreaked havoc in the court, leading troops into the capital, tens of thousands of soldiers wantonly killed in Yanjing, and the people suffered abuse, while Cha Shiyin watched; four hundred and fifty years ago, the Demon Queen wreaked havoc in politics, a treacherous minister controlled the court, and the people were destitute and miserable, while Cha Shiyin watched.

It's not that he didn't want to save people, but he could only save a small portion; does that mean the majority should just die? Whether they live or die depends entirely on whether they are lucky enough to encounter Cha Shiyin?

Unfair.

Such unfairness.

Therefore, Cha Shiyin chose to detach himself, calmly observing human suffering, watching mortals receive the fair judgment of fate. Perhaps the first time he watched was due to lethargy, or dispiritedness, or a bad mood, but once Cha Shiyin chose the seat of a bystander, he could never leave it.

Because at that moment, he realized, this was the only fairness he could provide.

Because at that moment, he realized, he wasn't human at all.

He was just an alien draped in human skin, an unextinguished conscience of the natural order, a powerless deity, an observer traveling along the river of time. The long years had transformed him into a non-human entity, capable of watching any creature calmly as they march toward the fairest fate—death.

The speculations of Ming Jie Jin were just the tip of the iceberg, and a life worse than death was actually a sought-after pleasure for Cha Shiyin, whereas the truly cruel and sad part was that Cha Shiyin unconsciously accepted his own transformation, actively stepping into a lonely journey with no companions or end.

Returning to the present.

Since he chose to be a bystander back then, he now has no reason to intervene. To him, the people of Yanjing today are no more noble or important than those four hundred, seven hundred, or one thousand two hundred years ago.

Those people were all buried under the wheels of history, so what makes you worthy of my salvation? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Facing Cha Shiyin's unfathomable gaze, everyone looked at each other, and Ming Chaoyan cautiously raised her hand to ask, "Um, isn't the Sword Holder supposed to obey the Imperial Family?"

"In theory, the Outer District army shouldn't enter the capital without deployment orders either." Cha Shiyin chuckled, "Getting others to obey your commands is a lesson not even emperors have exhausted."

"Besides, the relationship between the Sword Holder lineage and the Imperial Family is equal. Unless the Holy Sword hangs empty, the Sword Holder lineage will not appear before the Imperial Family. As I recall, the last contact between the Sword Holder lineage and the Imperial Family... was five hundred years ago."

"So, are you waiting for us to say something interesting before you're willing to die?"

Everyone looked shocked at Ming Yueyan, but Ming Yueyan was unperturbed, coldly saying, "The quest for the sword and the struggle for the throne were your ideas, right? Even though Sister Shuangli said you wanted to protect us by holding the quest for the sword and struggle for the throne, in my view, the intent to protect isn't absent, but the real reason for organizing the quest was because you found it 'interesting,' wasn't it?"

"As expected of the Lunatic Moon Banquet." Cha Shiyin laughed, "Your insight is indeed outstanding."

"Lunatic Moon Banquet?" Everyone blinked.

Ming Yueyan was confused: "You've... read my books?"

"I have collected all of your works without exception, even acquiring a few for the library at Baixiang, and the borrowing rate is quite good too." Cha Shiyin said, "Your writing is elegant, emotions subtle, and the plot hits just the right spots. You could be the most surprising author of recent years—if you chose to write more popular fiction, you'd likely become a famous literary giant."

The sisters couldn't help but laugh, some because they knew Ming Yueyan wrote risque novels, and others simply because they found her pen name funny.

Ming Yueyan felt utterly despondent; she had unintentionally exposed her flamboyant and wild pen name in front of several elder figures of importance. Even if they hadn't read it, a little investigation afterward would surely reveal she had authored novels like "Collection of Celebrities"!

What is social death? This is social death!

"You are right; the main reason I held the quest for the sword and the struggle for the throne was indeed because I found it interesting."

Cha Shiyin leaned back against his chair, calmly saying, "Watching you young people study, fall in love, and squander your youth on campus is indeed a gratifying thing."

"But not everything can be gratifying, can be interesting." Ming Taolang bravely met Cha Shiyin's gaze: "We are no longer children."

"Growing up doesn't mean having to sacrifice."

"But growing up means taking on more responsibility." Ming Qingyun said, rubbing a leopard cat's head, "I'm also scared, I also want to continue going to school tomorrow, fooling around with my classmates, chat with the scabbard... but if I need to contribute my strength, after much hesitation, I'm afraid I would still resolutely accept my fate."

"No one is born to save others."

"But nor should the innocent be expected to accept trampling by fate." Ming Dailan took a deep breath and asked loudly, "Sword Holder, why are you unwilling to save Yanjing? Do you hate the ordinary people in Yanjing?"

"No, I don't hate them." Cha Shiyin glanced at Ling Jiangli and the others, "I don't even detest the incompetent among you. Incompetence is not a derogatory term; it's merely a neutral judgment, not enough to rouse my aversion."

"Then—"

"The absence of dislike is a long way from affection." Ming Shuiyun said, "You truly have no reason to save those strangers you've never met, so you seek a reason to save from us."

"Correct answer." Cha Shiyin smiled, "Then we should proceed to the main topic—first, who among you is willing to take on this mess and become the Empress of Flames in a time of chaos?"

There was no response.

"Then let me ask the other way around—who's unwilling?"

No one responded.

"Neither advancing nor retreating, to be honest, this loses points. But this is, after all, a decision that affects your entire life, so I understand your hesitation." Tea Shiyin gently caressed the Holy Sword Radiance and asked, "Then let me help you make the decision."

"The Peach Wave Palace can only reside within the Imperial Court, submerged in a sea of memorials day after day, engulfed by endless state affairs. Every move will affect countless people's destinies; is this the life you think is joyful? Interesting?"

Ming Taolang was slightly taken aback and remained silent.

"Although we're no longer children, having fun is still our primary principle of action. You're not a bird that can live in a cage of four walls; you have a destiny more suited to you," Tea Shiyin smiled.

"The Dailan Palace, if you become the emperor, then it'll be your turn to protect that brat Mie Tangya. The struggles for power, scheming, deceit—these political battles can easily age a person. Don't believe it? Look at the appearance difference between the principal and the Chief Minister."

Ming Dailan subconsciously glanced at Cha Huan and Ling Jiangli. Cha Huan proudly raised her head, and although Ling Jiangli remained expressionless, she was scared enough to quickly shake her head.

"Being a carefree and happy beautiful girl who doesn't want to work hard is a great ambition; please continue to hold on to it," Tea Shiyin raised his eyebrows, "and you indeed have the capital to be carefree. Trust Mie Tangya, he won't let you frown before he dies."

"The Qingyun Palace, Yanjing is not a good place to raise wildcats. I think Feng Lv gave you this little cat because he knew about your gentle and unassuming nature, so that it would fiercely bite those villains who dare to bully you."

Ming Qingyun nodded slightly and said, "I'm indeed unsuitable... I withdraw."

Tea Shiyin looked at Ming Yueyan.

"The Yueyan Palace, the Water of Mutation with a thousand faces was probably taken by the Sea Barbarians."

At the mention of the thousand-faced corpse, Ming Yueyan couldn't help but redden around the eyes, rubbed her eyes, and asked, "What do you want to say?"

"Although it was unintended, the Holy Sword's mark connected you and the thousand faces, and also imprinted an almost undetectable mark on the Water of Mutation. This means that although the Water of Mutation can take many forms, through the connection with the Holy Sword's mark, you might be able to identify the Sea Barbarians who have used the Water of Mutation among the crowd—"

"I will recover the Water of Mutation," Ming Yueyan said, "His relic absolutely cannot be taken by those Barbarians."

"That's good. If the Radiance people get the Water of Mutation, at most, they'll commit crimes to swindle money or women. However, if the Barbarians obtain it, they might steal Radiance's latest technology or even infiltrate the human upper echelons, selling out the nation to the Barbarians... Even if you don't recover it, the line of the Sword Holder will send someone to recover it."

Tea Shiyin looked at Ming Chaoyan: "The Chaoyan Palace, don't force yourself, close your eyes and take a nap. You're still growing, and there's nothing for you to do here."

Ming Chaoyan nodded as if relieved and leaned against a nearby bookshelf, closing her eyes. In no time, her breathing became steady—staying up all night last night really exhausted her, being just fifteen.

"With that, only the Shuangli Palace favored by the Imperial Family, and the Shuiyun Palace with the highest points remain."

Tea Shiyin lowered his eyelids: "To be honest, I can accept whoever among you rises to the supreme position... Shuangli Palace, are you interested in creating a miracle and saving the world?"

"Ah?" Ming Shuangli seemed to have been lost in thought, raising her head as if waking from a dream, but soon lowered it, uncertain about what she was contemplating.

Tea Shiyin hadn't said anything yet. Instead, it was Ling Jiangli and other court ministers who showed varying expressions, but since the Empress Dowager said nothing, they could only hold it in.

Tea Shiyin was not anxious; he quietly waited for Ming Shuangli's response. Several minutes passed before Ming Shuangli whispered, "If no one wields the Holy Sword Radiance, what will happen?"

"The army from the five districts will invade the capital, initially with perhaps few casualties, and the army from the Outer Districts might not harm anyone, giving the impression they are just here to administer justice," Ling Jiangli said calmly. "But ultimately, they are not here for charity, but to seize power, lay claim to the throne, and soon will fight among themselves."

"Once they start fighting, their peaceful masks will fall. Soldiers won't distinguish whether you're an enemy or a civilian, or whether this is a private home or an enemy fortification. Yanjing will be set ablaze, countless civilians will be mowed down like grass by the blade, flourishing streets turning into battlefields, ponds soaked with corpses."

"Those from the Outer District won't cherish this thousand-year-old capital, nor will they show mercy to their compatriots living here. To prevent the Imperial Family's revival, they will first raise their blades against the royalty..."

"Enough, Chief Minister Ling." Tea Shiyin said: "Is it fun scaring a child?"

Ling Jiangli did not argue back and stayed silent on the side.

"If no one raises the Holy Sword, will Yanjing become very miserable?" Ming Shuangli murmured.

Tea Shiyin: "Yes."

"Will the Imperial Court be destroyed?"

"Yes."

"Will the Imperial Family be... massacred?"

"Yes."

"Will the Capital District turn into a war zone?"

"Yes."

"Will the world henceforth be uneasy?"

"For twenty years, it will not be at peace."

Ming Shuangli clenched the mask in her hand tightly, her expression exceptionally conflicted and pained, "I, I..."

She bit her lip and bowed her head heavily: "I'm sorry!"

Tea Shiyin shook his head: "No one needs to apologize for not being brave enough."

"It's not that I'm not brave, I, I just..." Ming Shuangli stammered, unable to speak, looking as if she was finding it hard to articulate.

Tea Shiyin, feeling something, looked at Cha Huan. The old principal said, "Niruo wore the mask of madness for too long, suffered too much torment without the ability to resist, and although he was rescued, his spirit was too deeply corroded by the mask of madness, half-insane, half-awake. Only when the Shuangli Palace stays by his side will he settle down and regain his sanity."

"Living for one person may require more courage than sacrificing for many," Tea Shiyin said calmly, "One doesn't live to see people they don't even know applaud them. There aren't many people you love in this world, and there are also few who love you."

Ming Shuangli, still somewhat conflicted, but with determination in her eyes, gently nodded.

"With this, the pressure is entirely on you, Shuiyun Palace."

Tea Shiyin looked at Ming Shuiyun: "Apart from you, there are no other candidates."