Yang Tiansheng thought for a moment and sighed lightly, "I hope Li can hold out..."
Yang Yinghao furrowed his brow and said softly, "Hard to say!"
Yang Tiansheng looked at his father in surprise, "When those two bastards join forces, at most they can only match Li, right?"
Yang Yinghao’s brow remained furrowed, "That depends on how far Prince Ning is willing to go... As I know it, Duan Yu that scoundrel has long since sided with Prince Ning. If he takes action, Li Changjiang won’t be able to withstand it!"
"’Reaper’ Duan Yu?"
Yang Tiansheng’s eyes suddenly widened, "Isn’t that guy a lone wolf? When did he side with Prince Ning? Why haven’t I heard a whisper about this?"
Yang Yinghao glanced at him, "If you could spend half the effort you put into being a spectator on the important affairs of the sect, you wouldn’t be blindly following others, drifting along with the current!"
Yang Tiansheng gave a sheepish laugh, "Dad, you know me, I just want to live a carefree and joyful life, revolting and such is just too troublesome, and besides... I really don’t think that by rebelling against the Zhao Family, the people will be able to live better lives!"
Yang Yinghao glared and rebuked in a low voice, "Nonsense, how dare a wet-behind-the-ears boy like you carelessly speak about the sect’s teachings?"
Yang Tiansheng closed his mouth but then spoke again with a hint of defiance, "Look at you, you’re getting worked up again!"
Yang Yinghao couldn’t be bothered to argue with this rebellious youngster... though he privately thought that the boy was making sense.
The Ming Sect has a long and varied history, with numerous branches and mixed members.
Some people call them the Devil Sect.
Some people call them rebels.
Others call them righteous bandits...
To say they are wrong is not entirely wrong.
To say they are right is also not wrong.
The Ming Sect indeed has all kinds of people.
There are those who commit heinous murders.
There are those rebels who never change their original purpose.
And there are the chivalrous heroes who do righteousness and protect the weak.
But essentially, all these people are born and bred members of the Ming Sect.
Centuries-old legacy issues have accumulated to such an extent, that not even Yang Yinghao, the Bright Right Emissary of the Ming Sect, nor even the successive Sect Hierarchs, have been able to clean up the sect and manage its affairs.
Take, for instance, those murderous fiends: when the Ming Sect is in trouble, they truly do put their lives on the line, with some lineage passing from generation to generation, each one dying for the protection of the sect.
Then there are the rebels, whose craft has been passed down generation to generation since the founding of the Ming Sect, a practice inscribed in the teachings of the sect. The structure of the entire Ming Sect is built around insurrection.
Which group should be cleaned out?
Eliminate any of them, and the Ming Sect would crumble!
And for these elders, who have been branded by the Ming Sect generation upon generation, once they lose the shade of this great tree, they would perish either at the hands of their enemies or under the imperial court’s siege!
So... they muddle along, what else can they do?
It is precisely because the Ming Sect is so mixed, with all kinds of people.
This is why the imperial court’s attitude towards the Ming Sect has always been changeable, sometimes cloudy, sometimes clear, kept at arm’s length, hinging on the rise and fall of national strength.
When national strength is robust, the court naturally pursues and attacks the Ming Sect vigorously.
When the national strength is barely holding on, the court’s stance toward the Ming Sect shifts to a mix of enticement and suppression.
And when the national strength can no longer continue, the court’s stance toward the Ming Sect turns more towards appeasement and alliance.
The Ming Sect has long grown accustomed to the court’s attitude, which changes faster than flipping through a book.
When national strength is strong, they don’t need to be attacked, for they would disappear of their own accord.
When national strength is stable, there’s a push-and-pull of talking while fighting.
When national strength starts to decline, sorry, they have to raise their banners and rebel...
This is why the Ming Sect is well-known for their rebellion, yet their members can still walk openly and honorably in the martial arts world.
It’s a scoundrel’s game with everyone on equal footing, with no one to accuse the other of heartlessness and disloyalty!
And now, it happens to be a time when Wei’s national strength is in flux.
Previously, as Wei’s national strength took a downturn, Ming Sect’s rebel forces began to emerge.
Shen Fa had previously gone to suppress the Ming Sect rebels, only to be disfigured by the Ming Sect’s hermit, Bai Mujiu.
After the great victory at the borders, Wei’s national strength started to recover.
The Ming Sect rebels who had made their presence known then went into hiding again.
Yang Yinghao and his son, Yang Tiansheng, from the Yang Family of Fengyang, belong to the chivalrous and righteous branch of the Ming Sect.
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They know very well where the Ming Sect is rebelling but rarely participate, being spectators enjoying the spectacle.
And Yang Yinghao’s ascent to the high rank of the Bright Right Emissary of the Ming Sect was due not only to his personal martial prowess but also to the Ming Sect’s attitude toward the imperial court.
When it comes to negotiations, they can’t get a rebel leader to talk to the court, can they?
Of course, they need a respectable figure to handle talks with the court.
...
The inaugural ceremony of the Jujing Gang heated up with the arrival of the Yang family father and son, along with the entourage from Yunmeng Villa!
Regardless of whether it’s the orthodox or the unorthodox path, both have big names and are giants in their right!
With Dong Ping, another giant of repute hosting the event, and though he hasn’t appeared yet, everyone sure is that the Master of Lianhuan Fort, ’Across-the-River Dragon’ Li Changjiang, will come...
Seeing four such giants come together for a grand occasion was a spectacle that the martial arts world rarely witnessed in years!
Although there was no sight of flashing blades and sword shadows yet.
The hearts of Yang Tiansheng and other onlookers were already soaring with excitement.
As the banquet reached its climax, a flushed with drink Dong Ping climbed onto the high platform, showing off the Qi Sea experts he had gathered recently, calling them out one by one to dazzle the audience.
Following each renowned Qi Sea master’s entrance, whose names are widely recognized in the Jiangnan region, and greeted with rounds of applause and cheers, the atmosphere at the banquet was boiling to its peak.
Just as the parade of Qi Sea masters had concluded, and Dong Ping, red-faced, climbed onto the high platform with a bowl of wine in hand, ready to deliver a grateful acceptance speech...