Chapter 663 - 203: The Saint Bows
Since Chen Yan was thinking this way, he did not hide his doubts and spoke them openly.
Gu Jinjia listened, was silent for a moment, and slowly said, "Because Luo Shang came to me to confess his guilt and kneeled down to make a Heavenly Dao oath."
Chen Yan’s gaze sharpened.
"Regarding that incident back then, in terms of the battle situation, it was indeed as everyone knows now. The eighteen brothers led by Luo Shang fought to the death, stood in the ambush circle as bait to attract more of the Fierce Beast Race, and in the end achieved the greatest battle results.
But to attract the Fierce Beast Race, time needed to be delayed, and the longer the time was delayed, the more heavily the eighteen brothers would be injured or killed — time was exchanged with blood!
From the situation, it was indeed so at that time. Luo Shang’s sin was that he didn’t tell the real situation and plan to the eighteen brothers at the time, but tricked them into staying as bait.
The brothers were not part of the Town Army at Snow Cliff Pass; everyone was a Loose Cultivator. Loose Cultivators have no obligation to fight, no obligation to execute such tasks, and certainly no obligation to die! They didn’t take the military pay from the Immortal Platform, didn’t take the salary from the Commander’s Mansion, didn’t eat military rations, didn’t receive benefits — they had no obligation to die!"
Gu Jinjia said up to this point, gritting his teeth, said harshly: "Do you know what disgusts me most about this incident?"
"Luo Shang deceived everyone? Deceived them to stay as bait and die?"
"No! It’s not just deception!" Gu Jinjia said coldly, "Everyone I brought into the Brotherhood, up to Wang Chuyi, a total of 135 people, I can say with confidence, each and every one is a loyal good man — the only person I misjudged was Luo Shang!
At that time, if Luo Shang had been frank with those eighteen brothers, they were all outstanding good men, they would definitely agree to stay and execute this life-threatening task!
And indeed it was so, according to the accounts from the last four brothers who survived and returned, when the truth was discovered in the final battle situation, they were already in a desperate situation. But at that time, not a single brother who was alive became a deserter, none flinched in the face of danger, all fought to the last moment!
What disgusts me most is that he, Luo Shang, deceived everyone, didn’t tell the truth — it resulted in making it seem like he, Luo Shang, had the biggest overall perspective, and the Brotherhood members were selfish, that if the truth was revealed, my Brotherhood people would definitely retreat...
Those dozen brothers died on the battlefield yet had to bear the repulsive speculation that ’if Luo Shang hadn’t hidden the truth, they might surely have run away’.
This is what disgusts me most."
Chen Yan’s gaze was grim: "Why didn’t you kill him then?"
Gu Jinjia’s gaze was complex: "I... after finding out, I rushed into the camp of the Thunder Riders alone and dragged Luo Shang out."
This heir of the Gu Family’s direct line had eyes glint, and said softly: "At the time he knelt before me, confessed everything to me, didn’t hide anything, and explained that what he did was because he judged that only this way could the greatest battle results be achieved.
I was extremely angry at the time, wanted to kill him with a sword, and then, he asked me for one thing."
"Asked you... what?" Chen Yan frowned.
"Do you know Luo Shang’s background?" Gu Jinjia suddenly shook his head, looked at Chen Yan.
Chen Yan shook his head.
Gu Jinjia said slowly: "He was originally just a Loose Cultivator, had an older brother much older than him, raised him from a young age, taught him cultivation and martial arts. His brother, naturally also a Loose Cultivator, belonged to no sect or school, later went out to hunt the Fierce Beast Race at Snow Cliff Pass and eventually died outside the pass.
After his brother died, Luo Shang came to Snow Cliff Pass, also became a Loose Cultivator, he was not greedy for wealth, not fond of alcohol, didn’t like women, lived like a hermit, the only wish was to kill the Fierce Beast Race.
As long as he could kill the Fierce Beast Race, he would do anything — the hatred obsession had completely filled his mind.
He knelt before me at the time and begged me, said after his brother died, he swore an oath that in this life he must cut down a thousand Fierce Beast Race heads.
So he told me that one battle deceiving brothers to be bait, resulting in the deaths of more than ten brothers was his fault.
Just asked if he could live ten more years — he only begged for ten years.
In ten years’ time, as long as he chops off a thousand Fierce Beast Race heads, he would immediately return to the Brotherhood and commit suicide in front of the brothers’ spirit tablets.
If in ten years’ time, he hasn’t chopped off a thousand heads, but as soon as ten years are up, he would also return to the Brotherhood and commit suicide.
He made the Heavenly Dao oath in front of me."
Speaking of it, Gu Jinjia bitterly smiled: "At the time, I was confused in the head. For a while, didn’t know what to do.
This man, his mind had been broken by the obsession of revenge, became a person who used any means to reach his goal."
Chen Yan said nothing.
Gu Jinjia remained silent for a long time, then said softly: "That day, I still don’t know what happened, the sword was already against his neck but finally didn’t strike down.
My mind was a mess, and in the end, I agreed to him, granting him ten years’ life or a thousand Fierce Beast Race heads, as long as he fulfills one of the two conditions, he will return to confess and commit suicide."
Chen Yan felt...
It was really something!
He looked at Gu Jinjia, not knowing how to evaluate such a thing.
Just... felt as if someone stuffed a bunch of crap into his mouth.
"Why are you looking at me like that? What are you thinking?"
"I’m thinking... that Luo Shang, is a revenge-driven wretch — he wants to avenge his brother’s death, he himself dying a hundred or a thousand times is his own choice, but why use others’ lives to help him get revenge? Such a person, if not shamelessly wretched, then what?"