Chapter 78: The Statue-Smashing Turmoil: Faith Is Not a Shackle

After "Do Not Forbid Questions in My Name" spread, a wave of statue-smashing swept across the regions.

In some places, the common people had already spontaneously built statues of Jiang Che.

Near Han Zhou, Luo'an, White Bone Pass, the East Sea Fishing Village, the Western Desert Oasis, and the Southern Border Green Bamboo Well, people all worshipped him.

They bore no malice.

It was simply gratitude.

Yet Jiang Che's words, "I beg you all to smash the statues of Jiang Che first," left many at a loss.

Smash them?

They could not bear to.

Not smash them?

Then they feared going against Jiang Che's true intent.

The first to act was Luo'an.

The elder who had first shouted "unwilling" personally leaned on his staff and went to the small shrine.

The clay statue inside the shrine had been molded with money pooled by the common people.

Jiang Che stood holding a sword before the Altar, imposing and majestic.

The elder gazed at it for a long time.

Then, he raised his wooden staff and knocked the sword from the clay statue's hand.

Bystanders gasped in shock.

The elder said:

"The sword need not be worshipped."

"But the person must be remembered."

He did not smash the entire statue.

Instead, he had the clay statue altered.

No longer was it the Sword Master standing high above all.

It became the image of Jiang Che lifting up the people of Luo'an.

Beside it was carved a line of text:

"He asked us if we were willing."

The Western Desert made changes as well.

The statue of Jiang Che originally by the Green Oasis was altered, upon Xiao Cheng'an's suggestion, into three Sealing Nails and a Poplar tree.

The stele inscription read:

"The rain was not bestowed by one person alone."

"It was won through the shared struggle of the many."

Beside the Southern Border Green Bamboo Well, the Wu Clan did not smash the small wooden statue within the Bamboo Forest.

Grandma Luo said:

"That Jiang Che forbade us from kneeling does not mean we cannot remember."

So they moved the small wooden statue down from the Altar and placed it beside the path in the Bamboo Forest.

Like a passerby.

White Bone Pass was the most difficult.

The Zhenbei Old Soldiers carried the heaviest emotions.

Some were unwilling.

"The Young Master led us to retake White Bone Pass; what is wrong with building a statue?"

Chen Shanhe stood atop the pass, silent for a long time.

Finally, he ordered many statues of nameless soldiers to be added beside Jiang Che's statue.

Ordinary soldiers, one by one, holding blades, carrying banners, pushing carts, and aiding the wounded.

Jiang Che's statue was not placed at the highest point.

But in the middle of the ranks.

Chen Shanhe said:

"This is right."

"The Young Master never won alone."

This wave of statue-smashing ultimately transformed into a movement of statue-altering.

People learned to shift their reverence for Jiang Che from kneeling before divine images to remembering stories.

In some places, "Question Steles" were even established.

The steles bore carvings of Jiang Che's achievements, as well as matters open to inquiry.

"Is the Guardian of the Nation Sword Master's emergency authority too great?"

"Are the Anti-Heaven Bureau's funds and grain transparent?"

"Do the Local Assembly Halls truly listen to the people's voices?"

These questions, carved beside Jiang Che's statue, appeared extremely incongruous.

But upon hearing of this, Jiang Che laughed for a long time.

Xie Tingxue asked, "Do you not find it awkward?"

Jiang Che replied, "It is very good."

"In what way is it good?"

"Better than incense."

Xie Tingxue looked at him and suddenly said, "Aren't you really afraid future generations will forget you?"

Jiang Che was silent for a moment.

"I was."

"And now?"

Jiang Che thought for a moment.

"If later generations no longer need to remember Jiang Che, they can also not kneel."

"Then being forgotten is fine too."

Xie Tingxue was quiet for a moment, then said, "That's hard."

"Yeah."

Jiang Che smiled and said, "So let's just have Lin Xiaoman write it better."

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoman was sneezing uncontrollably in the History Camp of the Capital City.

After the statue-smashing turmoil, Hei Xuan's Demon Seed had been stripped away by more than half.

But it was not dead.

Because faith can be changed into memory.

And it can also be changed back into worship by people.

This was destined to be a long war.

That same month, the Council Hall passed a new decree:

"No living-person shrines may be built in the Human Realm."

"Record Steles, Hero Soul Steles, and Question Steles may be built."

"Whenever merits are recorded, the names of all involved must be inscribed together."

Once this decree came out, some sects were displeased.

Because they were used to building life shrines for living sect masters.

Jiang Che's attitude was very simple:

"Start by forbidding me."

"Then extend it to everyone."

That sentence shut many mouths.

However, just as the Human Realm was busy smashing statues and changing steles, a strange thing came from the Northern Border.

Beside the Sword Vein at Tian Duan Cliff, a nameless stone stele had newly appeared.

There were no words on the stele.

Only a single Wooden Sword mark.

Chen Shanhe sent someone to deliver a rubbing of it.

The instant Jiang Che saw the Wooden Sword mark, his heart gave a sudden jolt.

That was the Sword Intent of his predecessor.

The Sword Spirit.

Hadn't he long since dispersed?

That night, Jiang Che dreamed of the Broken Temple.

At the Broken Temple's gate, a swordsman in blue stood with his back to him, a wine gourd in his hand.

Jiang Che hurried forward.

"Senior!"

The blue-clad swordsman did not turn back, only raised a hand and pointed at the sky.

"Don't be so busy bickering with Hei Xuan."

"That bunch up in Heaven is about to open the second Gate."

Jiang Che's mind gave a jolt.

"Where?"

The blue-clad swordsman's figure gradually dispersed.

Leaving only two words:

"Kunlun."