I Will Teach You How to Hunt Gods-Chapter 536 - 133: The Helpless Hero

"In my view, Third Sister is an 'ordinary person' with an ordinary personality and ordinary pursuits and ideals."

Old Jin once again fell into silence.

After a long while, he gently nodded and sighed, "You're right."

"Everyone has their own ambitions. Even for me, I am ultimately an 'outsider' to Third Sister. I don't share the Tang surname, nor did I give her life. I just lent her a hand during her difficult times."

"In some literary works, it's often said that 'a little kindness should be repaid in vast amounts,' but in reality, things are far more complex than those works. She does indeed thank me, but in her heart, I could never be as important as her parents and family. After all, blood ties are irreplaceable..."

"The Third Sister is actually quite a pitiful child. She indeed has talent, but because her parents are illegitimate children of their respective families and have almost no status within their clans, she receives very few resources and has always been overlooked."

"Her greatest ambition is to make a name for herself and achieve a higher social status in Nest City, because only then can her parents... those illegitimate children stand tall in their family, and she won't have to endure humiliation anymore."

At this point, Old Jin sighed softly.

"Girl, you probably wouldn't know, the first time I met Tang Jin, that child was only 10 years old, barefoot, having run out from home, all messy and dirty, and she hadn't eaten for days."

"Actually, such children are not uncommon in the lower levels of Nest City. Kids from poor families go hungry to some extent... but the problem is that she was born into the Tang Family. She has witnessed the luxury of those around her and the glory of the family. Even though she is one of them, she is subjected to unjust treatment."

"It is precisely this contrast that fueled her ambition to constantly climb upward. So, honestly, from the beginning, I foresaw that she wouldn't be standing on the same side as us."

"But out of pity, you still took her as your disciple?" Yun You asked softly.

"Yes."

Old Jin nodded and murmured, "And I believe she is not bad at heart."

"Perhaps one day, she will wake up and realize whether what she did in the past was right or wrong..."

"Getting back to the topic of Eldest."

He paused slightly.

"Wuji's background is similar to mine, both being the only sons of fallen families. Although their families declined, following the ancestral rules to inherit the family business would still grant them a life without worry about food and clothing. Not to mention, at the age of 17, Wuji became an Apprentice Death God, which should, under normal circumstances, revitalize the family."

"But how can young people in their teens or twenties be so easily obedient? Wuji didn't listen to his family's arrangements at all, choosing to leave home straight away and meet me, who was a bit downfallen and decadent at the time."

"Even though there is more than a fifty-year age gap between Wuji and I, under the influence of alcohol, we quickly became acquainted."

"I asked him what he thought was the most valuable ideal in life? Without hesitation, he answered — to uphold justice, like those in martial arts dramas, unbound by the rules and laws of the mortal world, traveling the world, and helping those in need."

"I told him that his thinking was good but limited. There are too many people in need to be saved, and one or two knights alone cannot save them all, so we must change our approach — shattering the old order of Nest City and addressing the root causes of all worldly tragedies."

"From that day on, Wuji became my first student after the corporate war."

"He and I fought battles across the lands, enduring countless difficult years together. As a result, our relationship evolved from just teacher and student to comrades and best friends."

"But over time... he slowly became disappointed or even weary of some of my ideas."

Yun You was slightly taken aback and instinctively asked, "Why is that?"

"Because we were always killing people, not saving them."

Old Jin sighed.

"We killed the corrupt members of the council, we punished the unruly petty officials and evil cops, we destroyed one group of exploitative nobility and gangs after another, not hesitating to let our hands be stained with blood."

"But in the end, Wuji felt that nothing had changed."

"The council members couldn't be eliminated entirely; kill one, and another steps up immediately. It was the same with the petty officials and evil cops, individuals once imbued with justice who quickly get assimilated once in power."

"The nobles and gangs are like wild grass in spring, impossible to eradicate completely. Destroy one family, and others will quickly take over their assets, continuing to oppress the suffering populace."

"In Wuji's eyes, our actions were meaningless, instead resulting in more deaths, even unintentionally shedding innocent blood along the way."

"During this period, Wuji was labeled as the 'Hero of Chaos.'"

"You see, clearly, our original intent was to make the world a better place and to uphold justice, but in the end, we became the 'villains' in people's eyes, ridiculed and scorned wherever we went."

"Eventually, Wuji could no longer continue. He didn't betray me but couldn't bring himself to believe in my ideals any longer..."

"He left the group to become a free and unfettered 'knight,' roaming the world, drawing his sword to assist with injustices he encountered. But if he didn't encounter any, he would simply enjoy himself or muddle through his life."

"So in my view, Wuji is indeed a knight but also in avoidance... avoiding the ideals we once shared, avoiding his responsibilities as a 'hero.'

Yun You could see that Old Jin had high expectations for his eldest disciple.

But in the end, Jiang Wuji didn't live up to these expectations. In Old Jin's words, he "willingly degenerated" and was purely "lazying around."

Old Jin felt angered by his lack of effort, pained but ultimately did not force Jiang Wuji to continue killing.

Perhaps, in Old Jin's eyes, realizing ideals can never rely on coercion...

Speaking of which, to Yun You, she doesn't particularly care about Old Jin's ideals or methods.

Her positioning for herself has always been just a "tool person."

Old Jin did her a favor, so under such circumstances, if he needed her to kill, she would kill; if he needed her to complete tasks, after some bargaining, she would still go and do them. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Yun You doesn't care about those flashy things, or rather, her mind cannot accommodate so many ideals right now. Her life goals are only revenge and aiding her comrades and Old Jin.

That's all.

As for other things like improving miner benefits or building schools for workers' families... those are just from the heart, things she "wants to do," not to fulfill some lofty ideals.

The little girl's thoughts have always been quite pure, and she feels this purity is good, at least without having to think about various odd things.

Observing the thoughtful expression on the girl's face, Old Jin seemed to understand her thoughts but said nothing, merely smiling softly and ruffling Yun You's hair, a hint of admiration flickering in his eyes.

"Purity is sometimes a rare quality."

"It might seem valueless or insignificant, but for those of us who need to 'act against the great tide,' it is the most crucial spirit because it means having no distractions, meaning you won't be swayed from your goal by trivial matters or other rumors."

"Among all the students I currently take in, only you, girl, and Old Second possess this spirit."

"Speaking of Old Second, let's talk about Old Second."

Old Jin grinned.

Yun You noticed that her master really favored the second brother. Whenever he mentioned that earnest farmer, his normally placid face would always express a slight smile and satisfaction.

Perhaps... in Old Jin's heart, the Heaven and Earth Hero Chen Zaikun is the ideal successor in his eyes.

"Your Second Brother Chen Zaikun is, as you said, a 'good person.'

"His talent is among the worst of all my students, but in my view, he is indeed one of my best students."

"Because he truly inherited my spirit—a spirit of universal love, accepting and honoring all, regardless of who they are."

"But at the same time..."

Suddenly, Old Jin shifted his tone and sighed.

"This is also what worries me the most about him."

"His purity has been slightly compromised here, so now, in my eyes, he is not as pure as you, girl."