In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 474 Being able to do something doesn't mean it should be done.

The information Gu Shaoan discussed today was so extensive that even Zhang Sanfeng was somewhat alarmed, let alone Abbess Miejue.

Therefore, after recounting the events in detail, Gu Shaoan did not continue to communicate with the two of them much.

Furthermore, Gu Shaoan had only just returned to the mountain, and after exchanging a few more words, he left under the pretext of returning to the West Garden to find Zhou Zhiruo and the other two women.

After Gu Shaoan left the back mountain with the bundle he had prepared in Jiading Prefecture before returning to the mountain, Abbess Miejue and Zhang Sanfeng remained silent for a long time, their thoughts revolving around what Gu Shaoan had just said.

After a long silence, Abbess Miejue looked at Zhang Sanfeng and asked, "What do you think of what Shao'an just said?"

Zhang Sanfeng glanced at Miejue and said casually, "How can you watch it? Just sit and watch."

Seemingly knowing that this was not the time to bicker, Zhang Sanfeng paused for a moment before continuing, "From the incident at Bright Peak to the later events involving the Demon Master Pang Ban, the Azure Dragon Society, and this time at One Line Sky, it's clear that the kid does things after careful consideration."

"They even already knew about Xiang Yutian and the situation in the Divine Land, otherwise they wouldn't have given the 'Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique' to the old Taoist in advance."

"Moreover, he is your disciple, so naturally I trust him more than others."

"Since he has plans and arrangements for what to do next, let's do as he says!"

Hearing Zhang Sanfeng's words, Abbess Miejue looked at him with some surprise.

"Shao'an is my disciple, so it's fine for me to trust him. But when did you become so trusting of him?"

Zhang Sanfeng rolled his eyes, but instead of rebuking Abbess Miejue, he leisurely said, "As I get older, my perspective on things changes. When it comes to fighting, I might not be afraid, but when it comes to scheming and handling situations, few can match that kid's abilities."

"If I had this kid's strategic vision and ability to handle things when I was young, I wouldn't have been stuck on Wudang Mountain for decades."

"With such excellent examples before us, and with this lad helping us plan, why should this old Taoist bother with all this trouble?"

Gu Shaoan's current strength is not only comparable to a Celestial Realm martial artist, but he is also able to crush Celestial Realm martial artists like Ba Shiba and Xuan Mie who are at the Great Three Harmonies level.

With Gu Shaoan around, the Emei Sect, though a first-rate force, was practically no different from a top-tier force.

The current situation of the Emei Sect is very similar to that of the Wudang Sect decades ago.

Ultimately, the entire sect was supported by just one person.

However, due to their methods of handling affairs and Gu Shaoan's deliberate planning, the Emei Sect consistently displayed a tough stance. This resulted in a stark contrast between the Wudang and Emei Sects in their respective positions within the martial arts world after their rise in status.

Although his status was elevated, he did not follow the old path of the Wudang School.

This foresight alone made Zhang Sanfeng feel inferior.

Playing tricks is best left to those who are already cunning.

Upon hearing this, Abbess Miejue's lips curled up slightly.

On the other side, when Gu Shaoan returned to the West Garden, Zhou Zhiruo, Yang Yan, and Huang Xuemei were each sitting cross-legged in their respective training areas outside the courtyard, practicing their internal energy.

After not seeing each other for several months, Gu Shaoan could clearly sense that the auras within Zhou Zhiruo, Yang Yan, and Huang Xuemei had become much more solid.

Especially Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, the two women have now cultivated the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture" to the sixth level.

Given the two women's current state, in a few years, once they can reach the sixth level of the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture," their internal energy cultivation will be able to advance further and enter the realm of "Condensing Yuan and Forming Gang."

Seeing that the three women were cultivating, Gu Shaoan did not disturb them. Instead, he took a step and moved silently into the pavilion.

After placing the bundle on the table, I gazed into the distance, admiring the mountain scenery.

It wasn't until an hour later, after the three women stopped cultivating, that they noticed Gu Shaoan in the pavilion.

Faced with the three women who had gathered around, Gu Shaoan could only recount what had happened outside over the past few months.

Although Gu Shaoan's explanation was simpler than when he faced Zhang Sanfeng and Abbess Miejue, all three women were exceptionally intelligent. Even though Gu Shaoan didn't say much, they could still imagine the danger of this narrow passage.

When they learned that Gu Shaoan had single-handedly killed Zhu Houzhao, Ba Shiba, and the others, the three women were still amazed by Gu Shaoan's strength.

After a long silence, Yang Yan finally spoke: "So, you're saying that all the Celestial Realm martial artists in the Great Wei Kingdom and the Great Yuan Kingdom have been killed by you alone, Senior Brother?"

In response to Yang Yan's question, Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "More or less!"

"Sigh~"

Having received confirmation from Gu Shaoan, not only Yang Yan, but also Zhou Zhiruo and Huang Xuemei standing nearby couldn't help but feel a chill.

Zhou Zhiruo asked, "Having killed so many experts at the Celestial Realm, won't that affect your reputation, Junior Brother?"

Before Gu Shaoan could speak, Yang Yan said quietly, "The martial artists of the Celestial Realm from both countries were all killed by Senior Brother alone, and only Shangguan Jin Hong knows about this. What impact could it have?"

At this moment, Huang Xue spoke up: "No strong person is without a leak. Those bald monks from Shaolin actually dared to attack you this time. Now you have killed three of Shaolin's Celestial Realm experts. If Shaolin finds out that you were the one who attacked them, it will be troublesome if they want to take revenge. Why don't you take this opportunity to eliminate Shaolin Temple?"

This is something Huang Xuemei doesn't understand.

Huang Xuemei knew that Gu Shaoan was by no means a soft-hearted person. Gu Shaoan's reaction when they dealt with the Round Moon Gate together was enough to show that.

Shaolin's reputation is too great, and as the leading force in the martial arts world of the Great Wei Kingdom, even though a master of the Celestial Realm was killed, its foundation remains.

Given enough time, decades or even centuries later, Shaolin will surely be able to cultivate new masters at the Celestial Realm.

Once these people discover the truth, they will inevitably harbor resentment towards Shang Emei and Gu Shaoan.

In Huang Xuemei's view, even if Gu Shaoan was unwilling to go on a killing spree, forcing Shaolin to disband would be a way to eliminate future troubles.

Hearing Huang Xuemei's words, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan also looked at Gu Shaoan.

Meeting the gazes of the three, Gu Shaoan shook his head.

"It's not as simple as you think."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan raised his hand to brush away a few pine needles from the stone table and explained, "With my current strength, and with Shaolin now having lost Xuanmie, Tonghai, and Dushan, and no celestial being in charge of the temple, it wouldn't be difficult for me to destroy Shaolin or even force them to disband."

Huang Xuemei asked, puzzled, "Then why not do it?"

Gu Shaoan glanced at her and said calmly, "Because just because you can do it doesn't mean you should."

Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan remained silent, listening quietly.

Gu Shaoan continued, "As you just said, there are no secrets in the world. Putting aside the matter of the First Line of Heaven, are there other people in Shaolin who know about it? Right now, there are only so many strong people in the Great Wei Kingdom, and there are very few people who can kill a Celestial Realm martial artist. As I continue to show my strength in the future, Shaolin will also connect the murderer with me."

“However, the deaths of Abbots Guoshan, Xuanmie, and Tonghai at my hands can be seen as a vendetta in the martial arts world. If Shaolin wants to cause trouble, it will only be a trouble within the martial arts world. Whether it's verbal attacks, secret revenge, or whatever, it will still revolve around the word 'martial arts world'.”

"But once Shaolin Temple is destroyed, the nature of the situation changes."

He tapped the table lightly, the sound was not loud.

"Shaolin is now seen by the world as the orthodox Buddhist sect and one of the most prestigious sects in the Great Wei Jianghu. Even if Emei and Shaolin are at odds, they are ultimately both reputable sects, flying the same banner."

"If I were to tear this flag to shreds in public, what do you think the martial arts world would think? What do you think the world would think?"

Gu Shaoan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "They won't care that Shaolin attacked first, nor will they care about the whole story or the cause of the incident. They will only see the result of Shaolin being destroyed by us."

"They are both righteous, but they show no mercy when they fight. They destroy other sects. It is inevitable that they will arouse people's fear."

"At that time, Emei's reputation will be ruined."

Zhou Zhiruo said in a low voice, "But if Shaolin recovers in the future, won't they still seek revenge?"

“That’s why I said it’s not a simple matter of killing or not killing.” Gu Shaoan continued, “There are over ten thousand Shaolin disciples. They have cultivated the land for over a thousand years. The fertile fields, land deeds, business establishments, and incense offerings at the foot of the mountain, as well as the temple’s treasury, martial arts manuals, weapons, and medicinal herbs, are all incredibly wealthy.”

"Within the Scripture Pavilion, there are seventy-two unique skills, all of which are superior martial arts. There are also top-tier martial arts such as the Marrow Cleansing Classic and the Tendon Changing Classic. How many people in the world could resist such temptation?"

"If Shaolin is destroyed, who will take over these things? Who dares to take over? Who can handle it?"

"What will become of the tens of thousands of monks? Should we really let them scatter among the common people? Some of them already possess martial skills; without the constraints of their precepts, they might become outlaws, join powerful families, or be used as weapons. All of these things are possible. If the martial world and the region descend into chaos, who will be held responsible for the deaths?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuemei, Zhou Zhiruo, and Yang Yan all showed slight changes in their expressions, clearly realizing the problem.

Taking in the expressions of the three women, Gu Shaoan continued, "These things, with just a little guidance, are the easiest for people to exploit. When the time comes, as long as someone gives a push, the bloodshed in a certain place, the annihilation of a certain sect, the collapse of a certain family, will all be attributed to the Emei Sect and me."

"It will be harmful to me and the reputation of the Emei Sect."

The pavilion was quiet for a moment, with only the sound of the wind passing through the pine forest.

Huang Xuemei said, "But if that's the case, Shaolin will still be a problem."

Gu Shaoan nodded: "I know, so Shaolin either doesn't deal with it, or it has to change its approach and deal with it like boiling a frog in lukewarm water."

"The more renowned Shaolin Temple is, the more it fears its reputation collapsing; the larger its territory, the less it can withstand attacks from both the imperial court and the martial arts world at the same time."

“I secretly broke its tip, so that it was no longer under the protection of the celestial beings. Afterwards, the court can use laws, ordination certificates, land tax deeds, and monastic registers to tighten control little by little.”

“Using the name of the imperial court to restrict, using rules to deplete, and using time to hollow out Shaolin, in a few years or a dozen years, the so-called ancient temple with a thousand-year history will become a mere shell of its former self.”

After listening to Gu Shaoan's words, Huang Xuemei murmured in thought, "Shaolin controls so much land and incense, and is also a bellwether for monks and nuns all over the world. For the imperial court, Shaolin is now a piece of fat meat."

“Solving the problem of Shaolin will not only eliminate a malignant tumor, but also replenish the national treasury.”

"The decline or even destruction of Shaolin afterward will not involve the Emei Sect or you. It is indeed a good method."

Gu Shaoan said, "Every place has its own rules. While killing is the simplest solution, relying too much on one's own strength is a bad approach."

"If you can achieve your goal without bloodshed, why make yourself covered in mud?"

After thinking it over carefully, the three women had to admit that Gu Shaoan's method was indeed more reliable.

(End of this chapter)