Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Peace is Built Upon the Sword’s Edge

Yang Chan left the mountain with the others from the Cyan Yuan Sect, all riding Cyan Melody Horses.

Cyan Melody Horses were a breed from Qing State, well-suited for traversing mountains and forests. They had excellent stamina and could be ridden for long periods, making them ideal for long journeys.

Although Yang Chan had never ridden a horse before, mastering it wasn’t difficult for him.

Those who had grasped Power possessed physical conditioning and reflexes far superior to ordinary people. As long as they got the hang of horse riding, they could learn quickly.

Though it was uncomfortable at first, leading to some minor aches and pains, they would quickly get used to it.

Yang Chan was, moreover, an External Refining Expert. With his accomplished Cultivation in both the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill and the Turtle Breath Body Cultivation Skill, his recovery power far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Any symptoms of discomfort vanished shortly after appearing, and he recovered completely. The entire process was remarkably fast.

Compared to Yang Chan, most of the other Official Disciples, like Shu Yu, were not in good shape. This was due to both their inexperience with riding and the long hours of travel.

These physical discomforts didn’t concern Yang Chan much. It was what he saw and heard on the journey that truly gave him pause.

’It’s a good thing I never left the mountain before,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, my corpse might be lying among those on the road.’

Although a heavy rain had recently fallen in Qing State, the prolonged drought that preceded it had still made it impossible for many commoners to survive.

Crushed between the high taxes of the Qing State Government Office and the oppression of local powers, all while facing the natural disaster of a great drought, many people simply couldn’t survive.

Even if they tried to flee their homes, they still had to contend with rampant bandits and ferocious beasts in the mountains and forests. The journey was fraught with danger.

For the common folk, survival was truly a monumental struggle.

In stark contrast were the local magnates, gangs, and Government Office officials. They were all fat and prosperous, yet they continued their exploitation without any restraint, treating the common people as less than human.

When Yang Chan saw this, a flicker of pity crossed his heart, but he didn’t play the part of a Holy Mother. He knew that in a world like this, only the ruthless survived for long.

’I don’t have the power to change this world,’ he thought. ’So, my only choice is to become a part of it and ensure I’m not one of the oppressed.’

The Cyan Yuan Sect held great prestige within Qing State. Whenever they passed through a county town, the corpulent officials and local magnates would all greet them with fawning smiles, a clear sign of the Sect’s power and influence in the state.

In a way, they were the local kings. This wasn’t an exception; it was the norm.

This was the case in most of the Thirty-Two States of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, and it was a primary reason for the chaos plaguing the Imperial Dynasty.

The Imperial Court had lost its grip on the local regions, a fact that was especially true for those far from the Imperial Dynasty’s Capital City.

These territories were controlled by sects, powerful families, and gangs. The local government offices actively cooperated with these forces to oppress the common people.

This situation was all too common. An official with a conscience would find it hard to last. If they were too principled, they might even end up “accidentally” killed by mountain bandits, their bodies never to be found.

To get “revenge,” these same local powers would then force the common folk to make donations, gathering men to launch a campaign to “exterminate the bandits.” Schemes like this were endless.

In the end, the only officials left were those who colluded with these local powers.

The closer these local powers were to the Cyan Yuan Sect, the more certain it was that they were one of its Affiliated Forces. They received the Sect’s protection and, in turn, paid a hefty annual tribute.

It was a system of tribute flowing up the chain of command, with the lion’s share of the wealth naturally ending up in the hands of the Cyan Yuan Sect, the Overlord Level power of Qing State.

If any of the Affiliated Forces refused to pay tribute, they would inevitably face all sorts of trouble. If they went so far as to pledge allegiance to a rival sect, the Cyan Yuan Sect would dispatch disciples to annihilate them directly.

This was the law of the jungle in its most direct form. The more chaotic the times, the more this held true.

In times of chaos, might makes right. In times of peace, law holds sway.

Peace is built on the edge of a sword.

Such was the case in Qing State. The Cyan Yuan Sect was the strongest power in the state; even the Government Office had to defer to them, to say nothing of the lesser local forces.

Back at the Sect, Yang Chan and the others had not been told their destination. This was a security measure, intended to prevent enemies from setting up an ambush based on their route.

The Cyan Yuan Sect had already lost an Elder of the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level to such a trap and could not afford any more significant losses.

After all, Yang Chan’s group included one Inner Refining Elder, two Intermediate Pharmacists, and six Basic Level Pharmacists.

There were also twenty Elite Disciples and a number of Basic Level disciples.

Yang Chan was counted among that latter group.

If he were to reveal his External Cultivation or his identity as a Pharmacist, he would be properly counted, a distinction that was in itself a symbol of status.

Along the way, they did run into some foolish bandits who didn’t know any better. The bandits were cut down before they could even finish their threats, and their entire encampment was subsequently wiped from existence.

In the end, Yang Chan even received an ingot of silver for his trouble, a pleasant surprise.

Such reckless bandit groups were usually newly established or poorly informed. Otherwise, they would never have dared to try and rob the Cyan Yuan Sect.

It was simply courting death.

Although Yang Chan didn’t participate in the fighting, he stared intently, watching as the Cyan Yuan Sect Disciples cut down the bandits one by one. They were powerless to resist. The sight unsettled him, but he forced himself to watch it all.

’In these chaotic times, killing is unavoidable.’

’If I don’t kill, others will kill me.’

Most of the bandits were killed by the Official Disciples who were on their first mission outside the Sect. Yang Chan and the other Pharmacist’s Assistants, however, were not required to participate.

A Pharmacist’s Assistant’s main role was to provide support from the rear. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t participate directly in combat. The Official Disciples, however, were a different matter; they were all expected to fight.

Now that they had drawn blood, they wouldn’t hesitate when the time came to fight disciples from enemy sects.

It was simply the bandits’ bad luck to run into them. If they hadn’t, the Elder leading the group would have found some other villainous group for the Official Disciples to practice on and temper their courage.

Yang Chan had overheard the Elite Disciples talking about this. It was apparently standard procedure.

Though he hadn’t personally acted, Yang Chan’s mindset grew colder. ’I have to adapt to this era, and fast.’

’Life in the Cyan Yuan Sect has its dangers, but compared to the outside world, there are far fewer threats.’

’Out here, simply dressing well or walking with confidence could be enough to get you killed. In the blink of an eye, any evil impulse could be unleashed, and someone would strike.’

Yang Chan noticed that the other Pharmacist’s Assistants who had left the mountain with the Pharmacists had also grown much quieter. Their initial excitement had faded, replaced by silence. Only now were they beginning to truly understand the dangers of this mission. It wasn’t as simple as the triumphant reports sent back to the Sect made it seem.

Every triumphant report was paid for with the blood of countless people. These annihilated bandits weren’t even worthy of a mention in those reports.

During breaks in their journey, Yang Chan would practice with his Flying Claw and cultivate his Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship. He wasn’t an exception; most of the disciples did the same.

With this new awareness of the danger, they naturally placed more importance on their Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship and other life-saving techniques. They took the time to practice and familiarize themselves with these skills, hoping they would prove useful at a critical moment.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep