Chapter 77: The Demon Seed First Appears, Hidden Within Devotion

After the "Anti-Heaven Bureau Interrogation Law" was passed, the reaction across the land was immense.

Some praised it.

Some were uneasy.

Most did not understand.

"If Sword Master Jiang can be impeached, who can still safely guard Heaven?"

"What is Du Ruobai, that he dares question the Sword Master?"

"If not for the Sword Master's great heart, this man should have been executed long ago."

These voices emerged rapidly among the common people.

At first, Jiang Che paid no attention.

It was not strange that the people revered and protected him, their emotions running wild.

But three days later, Du Ruobai was attacked outside the inn.

The attackers were not Heavenly Gate Remnants.

Nor were they Old Dynasty Remnants.

They were three young men who called themselves "Sword-Protecting Righteous Warriors."

They had no cultivation—they were ordinary civilians.

One came from Luo'an.

His family of five lost four to Blood Sacrifice; Jiang Che saved him.

Another came from the Western Desert, surviving only because the Council Hall aided the disaster victims.

The third was the son of a Han Zhou military household; his father died at White Bone Pass.

As they tried to assassinate Du Ruobai, they shouted:

"Whoever insults the Sword Master dies!"

Du Ruobai did not die.

Because Xie Tingxue happened to be nearby and blocked the Short Dagger.

But this incident chilled Jiang Che more than any Heavenly Gate assassination.

During interrogation, the three young men knelt before the hall, faces full of defiance.

The Luo'an youth shouted: "What is Du Ruobai? On what grounds does he impeach Young Master Jiang?"

The Western Desert youth also said: "Without the Sword Master, we would be dead! Such an ungrateful man deserves to be killed!"

The Han Zhou military household's son's eyes turned red:

"My father died for Young Master! Whoever dares question him insults my father!"

Jiang Che sat upon the dais, silent for a long time.

He finally saw Hei Xuan's Demon Seed.

Not from those who hated him.

But from those who loved him too much.

Loved to the point of not allowing others to question.

Revered to the point of not allowing others to doubt.

Turning Jiang Che from a man who could err, who could fear, who could be wounded, into an untouchable statue.

Hei Xuan was right.

Heroes are molded into clay idols.

Then others use those idols to crush people.

Jiang Che rose and walked to the three men.

The Luo'an youth cried out: "Young Master, I am not afraid of death! I cannot bear to see them mistreat you!"

Jiang Che looked at him.

"What is your name?"

"Zhao Sheng."

"From Luo'an?"

"Yes."

"Were you there on the day of the Altar?"

Zhao Sheng's eyes welled: "I was. Young Master saved me."

Jiang Che nodded.

"Then you should remember: when I asked the people of Luo'an if they wished it, the first to shout 'no' was not me."

Zhao Sheng froze.

Jiang Che continued: "I saved you so you could one day say 'no.'"

"Not so you could silence others for me."

Zhao Sheng turned pale.

Jiang Che turned to the Western Desert youth.

"And you?"

"Ma... Ma Qi."

"After the rains in the Western Desert, did you drink the water sent by the Council Hall?"

Ma Qi nodded.

Jiang Che said: "That water was not sent by me alone."

"There is Qin Su, there is Xiao Cheng'an, there is the Wan Tong Merchant Association, there are the clerks who died escorting grain along the road."

"If you remember only Jiang Che, then you have forgotten them."

Ma Qi lowered his head.

Jiang Che finally looked toward the son of the Han Zhou military household.

"What is your father's name?"

The youth choked up: "Liu Sandao."

Jiang Che's eyes shifted slightly.

He remembered this name.

In the battle at White Bone Pass, Liu Sandao held the rear; before dying, he slew three enemies.

Jiang Che crouched down.

"Your father died for me, and he died for Han Zhou, and he died for the common people behind us."

"He did not die so that you could use his death to kill someone who was impeaching according to the law."

The youth trembled all over and finally burst into tears.

Jiang Che stood up and said to the Chief Interrogation Law Officer:

"Pass sentence according to the law."

Zhao Sheng suddenly lifted his head: "Young Master!"

Jiang Che said: "You assassinated a representative of the Council Hall; your crime cannot be exempted."

"However, since no serious injuries were caused and there was no rebellious organization manipulating events, the punishment may be mitigated."

In the end, the three were sentenced to three years of hard labor, required to serve at Wenxin Hall and Yu Gu Yuan while studying the New Laws.

After the verdict was announced, controversy arose again among the populace.

Some said Jiang Che was too cold.

The benefactor who saved their lives had instead passed sentence on those he had saved.

Others said this was precisely what the New Laws meant.

Jiang Che offered no explanation.

He personally wrote a short proclamation to the world.

It was titled "Do Not Forbid Questions in My Name."

The text contained only a few paragraphs:

"Jiang Che is not a god."

"Jiang Che may be questioned."

"Anyone who kills, silences speech, or suppresses debate in the name of protecting Jiang Che is not protecting me."

"If there comes a day when the Human Realm permits only praise of me and forbids questioning me, then I beg you all to first smash the statues of Jiang Che."

After this article was posted, many people across the world fell silent.

Outside Wenxin Hall in Jinling, Jiangnan, someone actually removed the small statue of Jiang Che that had been erected not long before.

The people of Han Zhou had originally intended to build a Sword Master Shrine for Jiang Che at the city gate.

After Chen Shanhe learned of this, he personally went to stop them.

"The Young Master is still alive; why build a shrine?"

The people said: "We revere him."

Chen Shanhe sighed and said:

"If you revere him, then do not put him on a pedestal."

"Letting him sit down and drink a bowl of mutton soup is better than anything else."

Far away in the Upper Realm, Hei Xuan heard of this and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he laughed.

"Jiang Che, you are indeed difficult to deal with."

"You can smash your own statue."

"But what about others?"