All Heavens: A Role-Playing System Starting from Tianlong

As Zhang Cheng flipped through the illustrations on the scroll, he continued speaking:

"It's about 'being able' and 'not being able'. If I want to drink, I can drink; if I want to save someone, I can save someone; if I want to kill someone, I can kill them."

This is not because I am compassionate or bloodthirsty. It is because I deserve the right to choose.

Ku Rong had only intended to glean insights into Zhang Cheng's character from his pursuit of martial arts. He never expected to hear such a statement.

"In that case, if you possessed the power to do anything you desired, what would you intend to do?"

Zhang Cheng thought for a moment, then closed the scroll and held it in his hand.

The master asked me what I would do after gaining such power.

He smiled and said, "To be honest, I have thought about it."

I lack the ability to govern the entire country. Even if I were only allowed to manage a single prefecture or county, I'm afraid chaos would break out every few days.

But the world is vast, and there are always clever people. As long as we find them, we can always come up with a reasonable solution.

What I can do is give these people a world where they can think things through in peace.

Anyone who wants to start a war, I'll drag him out and let him fight on the front lines. Wherever he wants to attack, I'll let him be the first to charge in; however many people he wants to kill, I'll let him do it himself.

If he can kill, then he has guts; but if he can't, then don't blame me for being ruthless.

Ku Rong slowly spoke: "Does the benefactor mean to intimidate all nations with the power of one person?"

"Pretty much," Zhang Cheng nodded. "As long as I don't die at the hands of my enemies, I think I can live for a hundred or two hundred years without any problem. With that much time, I'm sure I'll find a better way."

"I understand your thoughts, benefactor. However, there are three questions I wonder if you have considered."

Zhang Cheng raised an eyebrow: "Please speak, Master."

"Firstly, you say you want to find the person who started the war and let him fight on the front lines. That's a quick and easy way. But how will you determine who the 'person who started the war' is?"

When two countries are at war, each has its own version of events. Today you capture the other side's king, tomorrow the other side's general will say, "We were acting in self-defense," and the day after tomorrow the strategist will say, "We were forced into this situation."

If you only listen to one side of the story, wouldn't you become a tool used by someone else to kill you?

Zhang Cheng didn't speak, but listened quietly.

"Secondly. You wish to intimidate all nations with your own strength. But no matter how strong you are, you are still just one person."

When you are in the Song Dynasty, the Western Xia rises in rebellion; when you are in the Western Xia, the Tibetan Empire raises an army. Even if you possess extraordinary abilities, how many places can you possibly protect?

When you are exhausted from running around, that's when those warmongers will start to stir.

Thirdly, and most importantly—if you truly demonstrate the strength to be "one man against a nation," and harbor such hostility towards monarchs, how do you think they will treat you?

They'll feel like you're a sword hanging over their heads, ready to fall at any moment. Because of this, they'll fear you, hate you, and try every possible way to get rid of you.

At that point, the benefactor will no longer be "intimidating the nations," but rather "an enemy of the nations."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ku Rong suddenly stood up slowly and turned to face Zhang Cheng directly.

The old monk's left side of his face was rosy and smooth, like a baby's; the right side, however, was like a skeleton, with no muscle except for a yellowish-brown skin, resembling half a skull.

"Master, what is this...?" Zhang Cheng looked at the other person with some surprise.

He knew that Ku Rong looked like this, but he didn't expect the other party to suddenly turn around.

After all, the other person had been sitting facing the wall in meditation for decades, practicing a kind of silent meditation. Now that he has stood up, all those decades of meditation have been in vain.

The old monk turned around, put his hands together in a Buddhist gesture of respect to Zhang Cheng.

"I deeply respect your desire to stop the wars in the world with your own strength."

This old monk has sat here in meditation for decades, cultivating 'withering'. Today, rising from this position signifies relinquishing these decades of effort.

This old monk dares to ask, in exchange for decades of cultivation, that you listen to a few words from me.

Zhang Cheng solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and bow: "Master, please speak."

Ku Rong nodded slightly. "I admire your good intentions, benefactor. However, there are still many hidden dangers on this path. If you blindly move forward without being aware of the risks, you may invite disaster upon yourself."

With your abilities, you might as well start with what you can do—small acts of kindness accumulate into great acts of kindness.

Zhang Cheng nodded.

"Furthermore," Kurong continued, "to achieve your great wish, you seem to have acted without any restraint. But may I ask a question: is the process truly unimportant?"

There are indeed wise rulers in this world who sweep away chaos and bring peace to the land. But many more, however, use the name of righteousness to carry out wars, ultimately only to end up with turbulent times and widespread suffering.

"You wish to intimidate all nations with your own power, but how many lives will be lost in the process? How many innocent people will become stepping stones on your path to your 'great aspiration'?"

Seeing that Zhang Cheng did not answer, the old monk bowed again and said, "I was worried that you would be aiding and abetting evil by coming to borrow the Sword Sutra today."

"But after hearing your words, I am relieved. You have this intention, and no matter what the future holds, at least for now, I believe that borrowing scriptures today is an act of kindness, not an aid to evil."

He paused, then said, "Later, I will have Benyin inform Zhengming to give you a token. In the future, if you encounter any difficulties within Dali, just show it to the government. The disciples of the Duan family will do their utmost to help you."

……

After a while, Zhang Cheng, who had just received a moral education lesson from Ku Rong, pushed open the door and left the room.

He told Benyin at the door, "Master Kurong wants to see you. He has something to say to you." Then he left Tianlong Temple alone and returned to Dali City.

He had already memorized all the contents of the Six Meridians Divine Sword Manual, so there was nothing left for him to do here.

Zhang Cheng was actually a little unconvinced by Ku Rong's words.

After all, he knew that there was such a thing as a "life-and-death talisman" in this world. Once that thing was planted, no matter who you were, you would have to obey obediently if you didn't want to die.

But no matter what, the old monk meant well.

He then reciprocated by informing Kumārajīva that he was about to arrive in Dali to request the sword manual. He also told Kumārajīva that if he needed anything, he could send someone to inform him.

Don't be fooled by how easily Zhang Cheng obtained the sword manual; it was because he had Duan Yanqing's help and Duan Zhengchun's son-in-law status that allowed him to learn the sword manual—a case of keeping the benefits within the family.

The monk Kurong was deeply prejudiced against sectarianism; if it were Kumārajīva, things wouldn't be so easy.

He was quite curious to see if the old monk, having come fully prepared, could still force Tianlong Temple to destroy the scriptures, just as in the original story.

Moreover, Tianlong Temple now has Duan Yanqing as a powerful ally. I'll just go and join in the fun, giving Tianlong Temple a bit of glory...

Tsk, that's interesting to think about.

That said, I should visit Tibet sometime. If the Tantric Buddhism there is as I've stereotyped, then choosing that side should probably help me make a lot of progress in my role-playing.