Chapter 149.1
Thus, the disciples of the Beggar Sect put the general down.
However, the general still felt an unbearable sense of shame within.
Although his rank wasnt very high, he was still a general, commanding a few hundred men!
Yet now, he had nearly been stripped of his trousers
If these people werent his old acquaintances and his brothers in adversity, he would have considered summoning his army to cut them down.
The general adjusted his trousers, his gaze complex as he looked at the disciples of the Beggar Sect before him and heaved a deep sigh, Follow me for now. Well discuss this matter further once we get back!
Half an hour later, they arrived at a mansion.
The mansion wasnt particularly large, but within this small frontier town, it was considered quite luxurious. Along the way inside, they saw several servants, all respectfully addressing the general as Master.
The disciples of the Beggar Sect felt as if they were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, full of wonder and amazement.
Er Danzi, is this your home? Its so luxurious!
I cant believe he lives in such a big house with so many servants to wait on him!
Er Danzi, youve really made something of yourself!
These were beggars who had seen the world, having laid eyes on many a luxurious residence of the empire, so the sight in itself did not astonish them.
However, the thought that this house actually belonged to their brother was astonishing!
You see, they used to be brothers in hardship!
They carried bags together, climbed through windows together, shared loot together, and even visited prostitutes together
Ahem, although they had no money for prostitutes at the time, they also climbed through the windows of brothels, watching a free action-packed show, so their camaraderie was solid as a rock!
Now, one has risen above the rest, while the other still lives in a hovel, feeling a sudden imbalance in his heart!
Why can he succeed, and I cannot?
At that moment, a somewhat delicate and pretty woman accompanied by two maids, walked over.
She first saw the group of beggar sect disciples and showed a look of surprise, then covered her nose and walked around them to approach the general. With a hint of reluctance, she asked, Youve returned. Who are these people
The general gently wrapped his arm around her waist and spoke tenderly, These are all my good brothers from the past. Have someone prepare a lavish meal to treat them right away!
But there are so many of them, how can we possibly manage?
Her tone was unmistakably filled with annoyance, making no attempt to hide it.
The general spoke loudly, Then go ask the restaurants outside to do it. Have the food delivered here when its ready; money is not an issue!
Fine, fine, Ill go arrange it! she said, leaving with a sway in her step, exuding charm.
The disciples of the Beggar Sect watched with longing as the figure walked away.
Er Danzi, is that your wife? Shes so beautiful!
Not only beautiful, but she also looks like shell bear children well, definitely capable of having a few chubby boys!
Er Danzi, how did you manage to marry such a fine woman?
That woman merely possessed the beauty of a modest family, with well-proportioned features and relatively fair skin.
Someone like an Emperor wouldnt give her a second glance, as all their maidservants shared such looks.
But in the eyes of these beggars, she was already considered a peerless beauty!
They all dream of marrying such a girl!
The thought of his own brother being able to marry such a wife while he remained a lonely bachelor once again stirred a sense of imbalance in his heart.
They had agreed from the beginning to be lifelong brothers; you would feed me, and I would warm your bed
But now youve gone behind my back and secretly taken a wife!
Have you forgotten our brotherly bond?
The general chuckled with a hint of pride, Indeed, this is my humble wife, whom I married at the beginning of this year! Shes pregnant, which makes her temper a bit difficult, please excuse her behavior!
F*ck! the disciples of the Beggar Sect were green with envy, their eyes practically glowing red.
Not only did he have a beautiful wife as lovely as flower, but they also had children!
Then they looked at the official robes he wore, the big and beautiful house before them, and the multitude of servants attending to his needs
It could be said that he had it all: money, power, and women!
For them, as beggars, this was the pinnacle of life!
At that moment, they truly wanted to stealthily draw their knives, slay the man before them, and take his place!
With money paving the way, it took less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn for the restaurant to deliver the fragrant and steaming dishes.
Due to the large number of people, the general hosted everyone in the hall.
The group of beggars began to eat, heartily filling their stomachs, their mouths greasy with oil, a full sense of happiness emerging spontaneously.
Only Elder Lai did not eat, instead sitting face to face with the general.
At this moment, Elder Lais expression was extremely complex, with anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment
Yet, it was also mixed with a hint of understanding.
In short, it was very complicated.
He downed a cup of wine in one gulp, then exhaled a breath laced with the aroma of alcohol and sighed, Tell me, whats going on here? Why are you an official in this place? Why do you have such a house, and why did you marry such a woman! Most importantly
The elders voice became stern: why did you betray our Beggar Sect?
Elder Lai, do we even need to talk about it? Havent you seen it for yourself? the general said with a bitter smile.
Elder Lai slammed his hand on the table, rising in anguished fury, Is this your reason for betrayal? For these powers and riches, you betray the Beggar Sect and disregard our brotherhood?
Isnt that enough?
The generals voice also rose, impassioned, Tell me, how many men in this world can resist such temptations? Which man doesnt want to rise above others? Which man doesnt want to be promoted and gain titles to secure a legacy for his wife and children? Which man doesnt want to enjoy wealth and splendor accompanied by a beautiful woman? and which man would want to be a beggar for his entire life?
Elder Lai, I just want to ask you one thing
The generals voice became sharp: Would you want your children to be beggars? Would you want your descendants to be beggars forever, living off the pity of others?
You! Elder Lais eyes bulged with shock.
He opened his mouth, wanting to curse the other person, but the words wouldnt come out.
Because what the other person said had hit him right in the heart!
Although he was now an elder of the Beggar Sect, out of the 20 million disciples, how many could become an elder?
Even though he had become an elder, who would want their descendants to be beggars forever, to beg for a living and endure the disdain of others?
At this moment, the surrounding disciples of the Beggar Sect silently put down their food, listening to the conversation between the two.
But but has our Beggar Sect ever wronged you? Is this how you repay us? Elder Lai said with a mix of sorrow for his misfortune and anger at his lack of fight.
The general spoke loudly, Indeed, the Beggar Sect has never treated me poorly, but the imperial court has given me too much!
A year and a half ago, when the imperial court was recruiting soldiers, they offered a very generous military salary, and there was the promise of promotion and nobility for those who distinguished themselves in service! I couldnt resist at that time, so I went to enlist! After more than a year of hard work, I have now become a minor general of the sixth rank, commanding hundreds of soldiers. I have a house, money, and women!
Elder Lai, let me ask you, if I had stayed in the Beggar Sect, do you think I could have everything I have now? Could you have allowed me to become an official, get rich, live in a big house, and marry a beautiful and good wife?
Under his questioning, Elder Lais gaze began to flicker, because he could not do that.
In the Beggar Sect, even if you reached the top, even if you became the leader, you could not live such a life.
Because that is determined by the nature of the Beggar Sect.
You must understand, the Beggar Sect commands the beggars of the entire land, and these are the foundation of the Sect.
If you became the leader of the Beggar Sect and lived every day in luxury, surrounded by fine clothes and sumptuous food, and had three wives and four concubines, how would the beggars of the world view you?
Its simply not conducive to unity!
Once the peoples hearts are scattered, the team becomes difficult to lead!
Elder Lai sat down in frustration, with many thoughts he wanted to express but found himself unable to articulate.
He poured himself several cups of wine in succession, drinking until his face turned red before he continued to ask, What about the others?
They have also gone to serve the court!
The general said calmly: Some have joined the army; others have gone to build roads and clear land or to mine and construct buildings! Those who have done well, like myself, have already become minor officials! Those who have fared less well are at least foremen now, managing dozens of people, and their lives are much more comfortable than before!
Elder Lai pounded the table forcefully, demanding, Why didnt you speak of this matter? How could you all just disappear on me?
Because we dared not speak!
The general said frankly. We are all disciples of the Beggar Sect and are very aware of its strength. We feared retribution from the sect, so we decided to sever ties with them!
By doing so, you wouldnt be able to find us, and thus you couldnt hold us accountable! We never expected that you would still come looking for us, and even track me down!
So why do you dare to speak now?
Because Great Xia has changed beyond recognition!
The generals tone was filled with unmistakable pride. Our Great Xia covers an area of 1.5 million square kilometers, with a population of over 18 million people, almost all of whom live and work in peace and contentment!
Our military strength has reached 2 million, with more than a dozen Innate masters. We win every battle and command respect from neighboring countries! Its not about Great Xia being called a dynasty; its about being worthy of a title dynasty!
And now, as an official of Great Xia, if you dare to lay a hand on me, you will inevitably be dealt with by the imperial court! The Beggar Sect may be powerful, but here in Great Xia, they would still be biting off more than they can chew!
You have grown bold enough to speak to me like that? Elder Lai bellowed in rage.
Not at all, not at all
The general waved his hands repeatedly, bowing his head respectfully as he said, Elder Lai, you are a highly respected elder in my eyes! My success in the Beggar Sect would not have been possible without your support! I shall punish myself with three drinks as an apology, please forgive me!
After finishing his words, he downed three cups of wine with a thump.
Elder Lais temper finally subsided, but his expression remained ugly.
The general spoke loudly, Elder Lai, although I have betrayed the Beggar Sect, I have never committed an act that would harm the Sect! I can swear on the child in my wifes womb!
Elder Lai didnt want to say a word and just kept pouring himself drink after drink with a clatter.
The general kept pace, matching his drinking to the others, drink for drink.
In the end, both of them were drunk.
The next day, Elder Lai got up very early and silently led the disciples of the Beggar Sect away.
The general secretly watched them leave, feeling a mix of reluctance and relief.
It felt as if the dark clouds that had been looming over his head had finally dispersed.
Elder Lai led the disciples of the Beggar Sect away from the city, moving on to the next one.
As for the matter of searching for their former brothers, they did not even mention it.
Since they already knew that these brothers had not perished but were actually living very well and that they were no longer of the same world,
If they were to rashly seek them out, they might even be scorned.
Its better not to meet, to forget each other in the rivers and lakes.
Now, they only had one thing to do, and that was to develop the Beggar Sect.
However, they also faced setbacks in this endeavor.
Because there were simply too few beggars; in an entire city, one could hardly scrape together a few, even fewer than the number of wealthy individuals.
Even if they were found, they were not willing to join the Beggar Sect.
In their words, if they were hungry, they would rather work on road construction, where not only could they fill their stomachs but also earn some money. Why would they want to be beggars?
Being a beggar has no future at all!
So, for several consecutive days, they still had little to show for their efforts.
***
Sponsored Chapter by Danny N
35/75
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