Sword Shatters Stars

Chapter 194 Are you willing?
Lin Xiufeng recalled his and Lin Qiru's wishes and was moved. Not wanting the patrol team to have too high expectations, he said:

"Negotiations are probably still a long way off; the Tianwu Group isn't going to agree so easily."

One of the patrol members quickly said:
"What's there to be afraid of taking so long! The leader is already negotiating, it'll be settled sooner or later. When that happens, it shouldn't be too difficult for us to go back to Tianlan Star to see our families, right?"

"That's right! It definitely won't be difficult. We've never done anything bad to harm others for our own benefit since we came in, and we've never colluded with people like Fan Tian. We only entered the Heavenly Martial Realm on impulse after arguing with our parents, so it's impossible that we don't meet the requirements!"

"Before my college entrance exam, I was afraid of failing and letting my parents down, so I impulsively hid in the Heavenly Martial Realm. I regret it so much! I don't know why I was so stupid back then..."

"Don't tell me you were young back then. I'm a mother of two now. I argued with my husband about taking care of the kids, and in a fit of anger, I ran into the Heavenly Martial Realm, thinking I'd make him experience the pain of raising two kids alone. Wasn't that even more foolish than you guys?"

The patrol team members, their thoughts stirred, began to chatter amongst themselves.

Seeing that they couldn't stop, the captain had no choice but to shout to stop:
"Stop talking! Keep patrolling, are you blocking people's way?"

The patrol teams quickly smiled and apologized, making way for them, and then added:
"Just shout if you need anything! There are many patrol teams in the village, they'll definitely help our own people!"

"Got it. Thanks." Lin Xiufeng replied, pulling Lin Qiru along as they moved with the crowd.

These wishes to return to the Blue Star are actually no different from his and Lin Qiru's.

Even after leaving the village, Lin Xiufeng often thought back and suddenly realized that he shouldn't have just used the anti-heaven leader as a tool to achieve his own goals.

Within the anti-heaven organization, there are many who, like them, yearn to return to Tianlan Star, even if it's just to visit their families.

These wishes are not excessive.

Especially those who came in not to do evil, but to share the power of the mutated beasts with the crowd, or to try their luck with the crowd.

These people did not know Lin Xiufei, nor did they know Lin Qiru.

But they were willing to believe them simply because Lin Xiufeng was their leader.

Then shouldn't he just be thinking about him and Lin Qiru?
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xiufeng and Lin Qiru ran on the water.

Continue on to the next location on the mutated beast distribution map.

They had been away from Guwang Volcano for a month, and every two weeks they would make a point of passing through a village called Fantian to let the organization know they were safe and sound.

Unexpectedly, the two then saw the figure of the King of Snakes flying in mid-air.

Renxing also saw the signal of the celestial power light cluster that they launched when Meteor Chasing the Moon exploded, and then landed.

"We just passed through a village five days ago, what are Mei Xiaoxiao and the others doing now?"

The willful person said helplessly:

"I'm annoyed too, okay! I'm busy in the deep sea, and I see Thor's purple lightning!"

"Fang Yuan was forced to find me, and I was forced to come to you!"

"The Blue Star has given us management regulations for the exit of the Heavenly Martial Realm. Somehow the news leaked, and both those who oppose Heaven and those who defy Heaven are talking about it."

Lin Xiufeng said irritably, "What's there to discuss about a first draft? We might have to go through a dozen more rounds of talks before we can even finalize it."

He said, quite irritably, "I'm being willful."

"That's not what people think!"

Fang Yuan said it was very likely that the deputy commander was deliberately spreading the information to sabotage the operation.

"I'm just afraid you'll run away."

"Anyway, that's the situation now. Everyone's afraid that you'll only care about getting back to Tianlan Star, secretly agree to the Tianwu Group's management rules, and then run away."

Lin Xiufeng was furious and retorted:
"Am I this kind of person?"

Startled by his impulsiveness, she asked him very seriously:

"Are you serious? You've changed your mind? Are you really going to give up the chance to return to Tianlan Star with Lin Qiru immediately just to benefit those who rebel against Heaven?"

"No—" Lin Xiufeng said angrily, "In your eyes, that's the kind of person I am? Huh?"

The capricious person said, quite perplexingly:

"Fang Yuan and I aren't going back, we've already said that. Since you don't need to consider us, you certainly don't need to care about those who rebel!"

"Are you kidding me? You haven't suddenly developed a sense of responsibility as a leader, have you?"

Lin Xiufeng didn't know what to say, because upon reflection, that was exactly what he had initially considered.

However, that doesn't mean he'll agree to those conditions!
Lin Xiufeng could only insist, "How could I possibly agree to such conditions from the Heavenly Martial Group! Isn't that bullying?"

He nodded in agreement and said:
"It's an insult! It's blatantly saying: 'Lin Xiufeng, you can gain back the right to live on Tianlan Star by betraying Fantian.'"

Finally, he added:
"So what do we do now? Rumors are spreading everywhere that you'll agree to the conditions and return to Tianlan Star."

"There's a lot of anxiety within the organization. Fang Yuan asked me to find you and get your thoughts."

"He said if you don't want to deal with Fantian, then agree to his conditions and go back to Tianlan Star."

"If you don't agree now, Tianlanxing might deliberately make things difficult for you later."

"If you want to manage the rebels, he suggests you go back to base and stay there. Don't let the rumors affect the morale of the two organizations."

Lin Xiufeng chuckled:

"So, to reassure everyone that we won't betray them, I have to stay at the base, let them see us every day, and put their minds at ease?"

"Do we deserve to be imprisoned at the base?"

"I don't care about them, I'm free."

"If I try to manage them, will I only suffer the consequences?"

Renxing laughed, then thought for a moment and said seriously:

"Isn't that how people are? With responsibility comes constraints."

“My parents aren’t really bad people; they’re just selfish and don’t want to be restricted by responsibility from being free.”

"So when they are hindered by us, when they are forced to spend money and time to solve problems for us, they will take it out on us and beat and scold us."

"Like you, if you don't have a sense of responsibility and become a complete scumbag, wouldn't you be able to scumbag me and a lot of other women? Why don't you do that?"

Lin Xiufeng quickly raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Stop, stop, stop—don't confuse me, these are two different things."

"What two different things are there?" Renxing smiled and said:
"In the end, it all boils down to three words: 'you are willing.' You take on as much responsibility as you are willing to take on for what you are willing to do."

Lin Xiufeng remained silent... His sudden change of style was quite surprising!
But... what they call willfulness is right, that's just how it is.

He is willing.

So, at this critical juncture, is he willing to take on the responsibility of being the leader of the rebellion and thus bind himself?

Lin Qiru watched and listened the whole time, and seeing Lin Xiufeng's silence, she knew his feelings.

If Lin Xiufeng were unwilling, she would have made a decision long ago.

So Lin Qiru said softly:

"The Tianwu Group's conditions are so unfair. If you don't want to agree, I can go back to the base and check on the fields."

Lin Xiufeng sighed, knowing that Lin Qiru was giving him a reason to make a decision.

To the uninformed, it would likely be interpreted as Lin Xiufeng making a decision because of Lin Qiru.

Actually, Lin Qiru saw through Lin Xiufeng's thoughts and gave him a way out.

"Let's go back. I'll just be stupid for once and get myself into this mess!"

Lin Xiufeng gave a bitter smile, but in his heart, he was actually thinking about those few people in the patrol team who he had been thinking about a lot lately.

Their trust in the organization, and in him, a leader they had never met.

Most importantly, there are many others like the patrol team who rebel against Tianzhong, just like Lin Xiufeng and Lin Qiru—

They share the same wish.

A wish that is not excessive.

As for Lin Xiufeng, as long as he is willing to stay in the Dream Continent for a little longer, he can fulfill the wishes of these people.

Lin Xiufeng wanted to do this, even though it was a bit unlike what he would have done in the past.

But he was willing to go through the extra trouble for it.

Lin Xiufeng didn't know if this meant she had grown up or had become confused.

(End of this chapter)