gnovel Chapter 18 Like a Saint Descending to Earth
Chapter 18 Like a Saint Descending to Earth
Liu Wu was taken aback, not expecting Li Sheng to ask a question in return.
He thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "It's not a matter of belief or disbelief. My father served in the army and saw a lot of things. He said there are no gods in the world, and it's better to rely on yourself than on others. But when the talisman masters of the Taiping Dao were distributing medicine to save people in the village, my father didn't stop them. He even said, 'People do good deeds, so we should remember them.'"
"So you neither reject it nor firmly believe in it?"
"Probably."
Li Sheng nodded and turned around.
Liu Wu's gaze fell on Li Sheng's chest, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
Only then did he notice the scar on Li Sheng's left chest.
The scar, the size of a fist, radiates outwards, like a rising sun.
He had seen many wounds—his father's, his own, and those of his prey.
But he had never seen such wounds on a living person.
With injuries like that, no one would have a chance of survival.
Do you understand?
Li Sheng's voice was calm.
Liu Wu opened his mouth, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
"Brother Sheng, you..."
"I did die once."
Li Sheng handed the fish to Li Feng, who was standing beside him, and then pointed to his chest, saying, "That day, the county sergeant's spear pierced through here and came out through my back. I fell into the mud and water, and my blood soaked the soil beneath me."
His tone was so calm, as if he were talking about someone else.
"Then I went to the Yellow Heaven and met Zhonghuang Taiyi. The gods said that my mission was not yet complete, so they sent me back."
Liu Wu stood still, motionless.
He tried to say something, but his lips moved several times without him being able to utter a single word.
Just then, a gap suddenly appeared in the clouds, and golden sunlight poured down from the gap, forming clearly visible beams of light that fell directly on Li Sheng.
A beam of light shone down from the sky, enveloping Li Sheng as if he were the only one shining in the world.
Liu Wu was stunned.
He watched as the beam of light struck Li Sheng, and watched him stand in the light, his face calm.
The scene was so sacred that his mind went blank, leaving only one thought.
Sheng Ge wasn't lying.
He really did go to Huangtian.
The beam of light lasted only a few breaths before the clouds closed again and everything returned to normal.
But Liu Wu felt as if a very, very long time had passed.
He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then clasped his hands and bowed.
"Brother Sheng, I, Liu Wu, was blind to your greatness back then."
"fine,"
Li Sheng reached out to help him.
"Aren't we all brothers?"
Liu Wu was helped up, still looking somewhat dazed.
He composed himself and asked again, "Brother Sheng, there's something else I don't understand."
"explain."
"Since you, Brother Sheng, have received divine revelation and traveled to the Yellow Heaven, what... is your opinion of the Yellow Turban rebels?"
Liu Wu wasn't stupid. Since Li Sheng had organized a local militia, it was naturally to resist the Taiping Dao and the Yellow Turban Army that were stirring up trouble. He couldn't possibly lead everyone in a rebellion, could he?
Li Sheng did not answer immediately.
He gazed into the distance, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"The Yellow Turbans are the Yellow Turbans, and the Yellow Heaven is the Yellow Heaven."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke was meaningful.
"The Great Teacher has been spreading his teachings for over twenty years and has saved countless lives; this cannot be denied by anyone. I believe in the Way of Great Peace, in the Yellow Heaven's governance of the world, and in the possibility that everyone can enter into a state of great peace."
He paused, then changed the subject.
"But I've also heard that in some places, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, they burned, killed, and looted, no different from bandits. If that's true, then what's the difference between them and the powerful officials who oppress the people?"
Liu Wu's heart skipped a beat.
"They wave the banner of the Yellow Heaven, but they do not do peaceful things. Even if such a person believes in the Way of Peace, even if he wears a yellow turban, I, Li Sheng, will not forgive him."
Li Sheng turned his head and looked at Liu Wu.
"The Yellow Heaven is not a flag that allows anyone to do whatever they want. The Yellow Heaven means that everyone in the world has land to cultivate, clothes to wear, and food to eat, without the exploitation of powerful figures or the oppression of officials. Anyone who violates this is not a member of the Yellow Heaven, even if they also believe in peace!"
These words struck Liu Wu's heart like a hammer blow.
He stared blankly at Li Sheng, suddenly realizing that for the past two weeks, he had only been looking at Li Sheng's outward appearance.
Only now has he truly glimpsed his inner self, where fire, light, and molten iron are surging forth.
"Brother Sheng,"
Liu Wu's voice sounded a little strained.
"Been taught a lesson."
Looking at Liu Wu's deep expression, Li Sheng looked at him with amusement.
"Oh? Then tell me, what do you know?"
"What I understand is that believing in the Way of Peace doesn't necessarily mean following the Yellow Turban Army. We should still fight the bandits who deserve to be fought and save the people who deserve to be saved."
Li Sheng patted him on the shoulder and smiled slightly.
"Alright, stop standing here and go back."
"yes!"
After Liu Wu left, Li Sheng picked up the clothes he had thrown aside and put them on. Standing by the pond, watching Liu Wu's departing figure, he was thinking about something else.
Liu Wu had just mentioned that Sun Jian had led his troops westward, and he already knew about this news.
More than a thousand elite soldiers.
He had no idea how many of them were Sun Jian's private soldiers and how many were recruited from the county.
But he knew one thing: Sun Jian was no ordinary man.
The name "Tiger of Jiangdong" has resonated throughout history.
This tiger is not yet fully grown, but its fangs are already showing.
He led over a thousand men to Yingchuan to suppress the main force of the Yellow Turbans, and he would soon distinguish himself.
And what about yourself?
He had a hundred men under his command, but only about ten were truly capable fighters. His weapons consisted of only a few dozen spears, fewer than twenty sets of leather armor, and the only bows and arrows he possessed were the few that had been passed down in Liu Wu's family.
With such limited resources, let alone attacking a county town, they would suffer heavy losses even if they encountered a regular army from a prefecture or state.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
He has never been an impatient person.
You have to walk one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time.
What he needs to do now is not to rush into raising the flag and rebelling, but to put down deep roots and lay a solid foundation.
The pond needs to be dug, the local militia needs to be trained, and the people's hearts need to be united.
As for when the uprising will begin...
Li Sheng looked up at the sky.
The clouds in the sky had all dispersed, revealing a dusky yellow sky.
He withdrew his gaze, turned around and walked back, with Li Feng following behind him carrying the fish.
On his way home, Li Sheng stopped by to visit his injured brother.
More than a month has passed, and he is now able to walk with difficulty.
But these days, he could only watch helplessly as Li Sheng and the others worked together.
As for his family's spring plowing, Li Sheng naturally took care of it.
After comforting his disheartened brother, Li Sheng returned home.
"Brother Sheng! The thing you asked me to find out has been settled!"
When Liu Lu saw Li Sheng return, he waved from afar.
"How is it?"
Li Sheng asked.
Liu Lu walked closer and lowered his voice.
"I've inquired in several villages to the north, and the situation is similar. The government is conscripting laborers and levying taxes, causing immense suffering to the people. Many families have already run out of food and have gone out to find other ways to survive."