Chapter 32: The Flies and the Worms
Jian was immediately lead outside by order of the queen who looked livid due to what her son asked. As an orphan he had never really known what the love of a parent was like, but he could imagine that she was extremely worried for her son.
The Zero King could kill Li Kuo at any moments, and both the disciples knew it. It was risky, but it was worth it. If he could complete the sutra by training with the Zero King himself, Li Kuo would phase through the realms like an otherworldly genius.
However now that he stood outside the palace, Jian didn't exactly know what to do. He wanted to visit the capital, but then again he also wanted to go the Inn and have a talk with the emperor. A young disciple like him had much to learn from an Emperor as brazen as Zhigang Wukong, one of Sun Wukong's descendant.
[ This is strange....From the data I've collected, the first name is the family name. So why is he Zhigang Wukong instead of Sun Zhigang ? ]
' Well Sun Wukong was mostly called Wukong and not sun. The Wukong part strikes much more fear and is easier to recognize. Many families possess the blood of Wukong, and they are the noble families of the Wukong Empire. Each family could rule the empire, but they actually give the position of emperor and empress to the two who shows the most talent in mastering the Monkey King abilities'
He finally decided to go to the inn, since he most likely had to wait until Li Kuo finished his business with his mother, and she wouldn't be convinced in a matter of hours. It would most likely take at least a day or two until she accepted to let him meet the Zero King.
Jian quickly found the inn by asking the merchants, but was shocked to find that it was a relatively...Low cost inn. It wasn't exactly what he expected an emperor to sleep in.
But it was the case, and he was there, the ruler of one of the strongest nation on the continent, the descendant of Sun Wukong, drinking himself to an early death, surrounded by the worst scums of the city.
The ruler was drinking and laughing, but immediately looked at Jian as soon as the boy entered the inn. He was still wearing his cloak with the hood on, so no one really paid any attention to him, but the ruler seemed to have predicted he would come right at this time.
Jian directly went to him, right as Zhigang tapped the shoulder of the man sitting to his right. The man looked at the approaching jian and smiled before moving a bit to give the boy a place to sit.
Jian sat down and before he could even speak, the ruler began to dish out orders at the men around him.
" Statue, go out and look around for anyone who potentially followed the boy. Gao Shen, go take a little drink for our guest. "
Jian looked in shock as the criminals went out to execute the orders without making a fuss. Statue was a tall and slim man with an incredibly creepy face due to his empty eyes and the smile that seemed to be etched on his face forever. Gao Shen on the other hand was the typical bandit, wearing a leather armour with iron pauldrons and metals plates the protect the legs and arms.
"You must be wondering why an emperor is commanding around thugs, huh ?" Zhigang said while still drinking and not even looking at Jian. Then again Jian wasn't there for most people, no around him looked at him and with his hood no one in the inn realized he was even there.
" I do...I thought rulers were like nobles. And nobles don't exactly hang out with scum." Jian said, before realizing the rest of the 'scums' were still around, however no one seemed to mind what he had just said.
" Well you know....It's incredible what you learn when you hang out with those type of people. I was once a noble, living a comfy life, unaware of all the suffering of the people, my people. I wandered the streets of this kingdom one day, I think it was three years ago.....Did you know what I learned by going in the less...Likeable parts of the capital ?" Zhigang said as he grabbed another cup and started to spill it on the ground.
" I saw blood being spilt, the blood of the people who fought in our place, days after days. It's quite funny how you never see the suffering when you're at the top of the mountain. But...."
He then stopped and left a little amount in the cup, before smiling at Jian.
" Not everyone gets crushed like that. Not everyone accept the situation. There are those who fight against. Those who want to live freely. Now those people aren't good, and even the main reason behind their fight isn't enough to justify their crimes.....But the flies and the worms of the continents won't ever get crushed no matter what, they will remain and breed even more. They could even topple nations if they wanted. You can either fight them....Or use them." He finished, as all the criminals around the table chuckled darkly. Jian started to see what was going on there. The worms and the flies, those were the names of two groups that striked fear in the heart of all the nobles on the continent. One was an organization of criminals that ruled over all criminal groups and organised attacks on important targets, it's only goal being the destruction of the system that shackles it. The other is a syndicate of slaves, servants and most importantly....Everyday folks. Those who wanted to have more to their name than what the nobles allowed them to have, which was not even the bare minimum.
All the nations tried to destroy those two groups, but with little to no success. However it was quite easy to imagine that some would try to actually use them. After all they poised a threat to ALL the nations, and as such Zhigang could be using them to attack all of his ennemies. No one would want to deal with them, after all they were monsters in the hearts of many. Zhigang however wasn't exactly what could be called a traditional noble.
" Ya see, Jian, I learned the hard way just how sad those folks' lives were. I lived in a palace with servants catering to my every needs. And I don't feel guilty over that, I never will...The mere fact that I am a descendant of Wukong and possess his abilities give me those privileges. But I want to give those people a chance to be privileged themselves. I am not dumb enough to give them privileges just like that...That would just destroy society. I want to give them something Men always wanted..."
Zhigang grabbed the cup once more and crushed it with his bare hands before the eyes of a shocked Jian. The cup was made out of obsidian, a metal nobles preferred over pretty anything due to it's resistance and it's just how common it was. Crushing an obsidian cup was not something a normal cultivator could do. If the rank wasn't enough to solidify the fact that Zhigang was strong, this act did it.
" Freedom. The possibility to be anything at anytime and through any means.....I care not for my fellow nobles. If they truly deserve all they have, they will easily come out of it unscathed...But I want to see it, with my own eyes. I want to do it, I want to be the one to bring a new era. An Era of absolute freedom....An Era of positive Chaos. " Zhigang said.
One would've wondered why exactly he revealed so much, but Jian already knew it. Zhigang knew that Jian had been a slave. The boy didn't know how the ruler could've known such a thing, but he clearly knew it. It was that fact alone, that made Zhigang so sure Jian would agree with his ideal.
Jian wanted to be free too. He didn't really care about anyone else though, but if everyone could get a shot at freedom, it was still good for him. The only thing that Jian wondered was what Zhigang could be planning. Because he didn't seem to have a lasting plan that would slowly give freedom to the normal folks and the enslaved ones.
" A bomb, Jian. This is what I'm planning to unleash on this continent. A bomb that will change everything. To make it so that everyone get a chance at life, you gotta change life itself. Change it in a way that would give equal opportunities to everyone....And that bomb has a name.....The treaty of birds. " Zhigang said.
Jian gasped and looked at Zhigang as if the man had grown a second head. He looked around and saw all the criminals nodding. He then looked at the emperor again and tried to calm himself down enough to ask something that had been on his mind ever since he had first heard of that treaty.
"Will it be possible ?! Will the leaders of the continent even sign it ?" Jian asked. What he didn't expect was for Zhigang to release a chilling breath and grip the table with such a tremendous amount of strengh cracks appeared all over it.
"Tell me Young Jian....Do you think they'll sign it if they have nothing to gain from it ? No they won't....But if they had something to lose in case they didn't sign it...Oh they will, trust me they will....A member of their family, a treasure they can't afford to lose, or even their entire nation.....If we were to take that from them....Would they agree ? "
Jian gulped, not even daring to look at the man in the eyes, as said man looked closer to a demon than a human at the moment.
"They....They will."
"Exactly.... They will ! They will crumble under the weight of their own responsabilities ! The treaty will be signed, even if force needs to be used for that. But Young Jian.....Do know this, you will be mixed up in that matter, whether you want it or not. You have once been friend with the key that will get me the means to get that damn treaty signed. And so I want you to find her, no matter where the hell she ended up. Even if she's on the other side of the world, I'll give you the assets to find her. Bring her back to me Young Jian, bring her back and I'll be able to bring a new era to our continent....Bring back the girl forsaken by death itself ! "