Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

Chapter 56 Annihilating Thousands of Japanese Pirates and Forging the Emperor's Banner!

This time, it's a sect.

At the entrance of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect, everyone was waiting for him.

Those fellow disciples who once despised, isolated, and insulted him are now standing respectfully in front of the mountain gate, waiting for his return.

The contempt and disgust that used to be on their faces were gone.

There is only one sense of awe.

Zhou Hu stepped forward, bowed deeply to Liang Ting, and said with utmost respect, "Junior Brother Liang... no, Senior Brother Liang!"

"We were blind before, unaware of your great talent, senior brother, and we have offended you greatly!"

"From this day forward, whatever you need me to do, Senior Brother, I will do it without hesitation, even at the cost of my life!"

The other senior brothers also stepped forward one after another, bowing and apologizing, just to express their heartfelt respect.

The leader of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect stood at the front of the crowd, looking at Liang Ting.

There was no longer any disappointment or regret in those eyes, only a sense of relief.

He stepped forward, reached out, and gently patted Liang Ting's shoulder.

"Good boy."

"Good boy."

His voice was choked with emotion.

"Your teacher... Your teacher is proud of you."

Liang Ting looked at the sect leader, at those tearful eyes.

For twenty years, he had fantasized about this moment countless times.

He had fantasized that his master could look at him like that, and say those words.

But after each fantasy, what awaited him was an even colder reality.

At this moment, my fantasy has come true.

He didn't know how to react.

He just stood there, motionless.

Then, he saw the figure at the edge of the crowd.

Petite, pale blue.

Gao Xiaomei.

She stood there, looking at Liang Ting.

There was no longer any fear in those big eyes.

There is only one form of worship.

Pure, fervent, like worshiping a hero.

She suddenly ran over to Liang Ting, looked up at him, and exclaimed in a clear voice, "Senior Brother Liang! You're so amazing!"

Liang Ting looked down at her.

Look at the light in those eyes.

That light was brighter and warmer than the tearful eyes in the illusion.

The light shone on his ugly face.

It made his face seem less ugly.

Liang Ting's lips twitched slightly.

This time, there was no twitching, no struggling.

It's a laugh.

A laugh that was extremely clumsy, extremely awkward, and almost unrecognizable as a laugh.

But it was definitely a laugh.

It was the first time he had smiled in twenty years.

The scene changes for the last time.

This time, it was an extremely quiet scene.

A desolate wilderness, overgrown with weeds and littered with jagged rocks.

The sky was covered with a hazy layer of gray clouds; there was no sunlight, no starlight, and no light at all.

A person is lying on the ground.

That person was Liang Ting.

He was covered in wounds, his breath was weak, and he was about to die.

There was no one around him.

There were no cheering crowds, no reverent senior brothers, no gratified master, and no adoring junior sisters.

There were no admiring glances, no warm words.

only-

Endless loneliness.

Liang Ting lay on the ground, gazing at the gray sky, his eyes as empty as two dry wells.

He's going to die.

But he never got what he truly wanted until the moment he died.

It was not truly seen by anyone.

It has not been truly recognized by anyone.

No one—

remember.

He died just like that.

To die meaninglessly, to die unknown to anyone, to die as if one had never existed.

A voice seemed to be demanding of him from within: "Is this what you wanted?"

"Is this the end result of you spending the last twenty years living on hatred?"

Liang Ting trembled all over.

That flame, which had been burning for twenty years, was now pulsating violently.

It's not a wavering.

It's not resonance.

It was fear.

The fear of that ending.

The fear of that self that no one remembers, no one knows, and whose death was meaningless.

He didn't want that.

When he didn't want to die, there was no one around him.

He didn't want to live his whole life without ever being truly seen by anyone.

He didn't want to—

To become that empty, meaningless version of yourself.

Liang Ting closed his eyes.

But that image, those empty eyes, still lingered in his mind, staring intently at him.

Just then.

A voice slowly rose from the void.

The voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to penetrate everything and reach the deepest part of people's hearts.

"Liang Ting".

Liang Ting suddenly opened his eyes.

He saw—

A small yellow paper figure floated in the void.

The little figure was no more than seven inches tall, and its entire body was covered with faint purple-gold patterns.

Those eyes, dotted with cinnabar, shone with a deep, unfathomable light, devoid of sorrow or joy.

But when that gaze fell on Liang Ting, he couldn't help but hold his breath.

The paper figure looked at him, and its voice rang out again.

He remained calm and composed, as if stating something utterly ordinary: "You saw it."

"Two endings."

Liang Ting opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But the paper figure didn't give him a chance to speak.

It continued, "In the first ending, you slaughtered everyone in the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect."

"Kill those senior brothers who insulted you, kill the master who picked you up from the mass grave, kill the only junior sister who spoke up for you."

"and then?"

"And then what do you get?"

"To gain fleeting pleasure, to gain eternal solitude, to gain nothing."

"An ending forgotten by everyone."

"He died alone."

"I've lived my whole life without ever being truly seen by anyone."

Liang Ting's body was trembling violently.

Every word the paper figure uttered was like a knife, precisely stabbing into the wound in his heart that had never healed.

But he couldn't refute it.

Because he saw it.

I saw that ending.

That self who died meaninglessly, unknown to anyone.

The paper figure continued, "In the second ending, you also killed many people."

"But the blood of those people did not stain your hands."

"The deaths of those people didn't bring you any infamy."

"Because the people you killed deserved to die."

"Because those you killed were Japanese pirates who wanted to trample this land and slaughter your compatriots."

"Because when you do these things, countless people are standing behind you—"6

"Those extraordinary individuals who fought alongside you, those people you protected, your master who can finally look you in the eye, and your junior sister who no longer fears you but instead admires you."

"They saw you."

"I can finally see you."

"See what you did, see the price you paid, see you."

"It is possible to become a hero."

Liang Ting was startled.

The paper figure's words struck him like a thunderbolt.

hero.

He never imagined that word would be associated with him.

How could someone like him be a hero?

How could someone like him, a bastard picked up from a mass grave, a monster despised by everyone, possibly be a hero?

But in that illusion, the kneeling figures of those people, the worshipful gazes, and the words "savior" and "guardian" were echoing repeatedly in his mind.

The paper figure's voice continued to echo in his ears: "Liang Ting."

"You hate."

"You've hated for twenty years, hated those who despised you, hated those who abandoned you, hated this world that never gave you a shred of warmth."

"This hatred is the force that has kept you alive until now."

"But have you ever thought about this—"

"Could this hatred be used elsewhere?"

Liang Ting suddenly looked up at the paper figure.

At this moment, light seemed to flow in those eyes dotted with cinnabar.

That light was not the compassion of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun.

It is not the majesty of the Thunder God.

Rather, it is a kind of—

Something deeper and more ineffable.

It means "to see".

That was the answer I gave after I actually saw him.

Those who despise you are nothing more than a few ants among countless others in this world.

"What will you gain by killing them?"

"You might get a moment of pleasure, but then what?"

"Then you'll find yourself even more empty."

"Because the target of hatred is gone, the hatred remains."

"The hatred remains, so who should you hate now?"

"But those Japanese pirates who are about to invade China..."

"They are the greatest evil in the world."

"They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities."

They will make countless people experience everything you have experienced.

"Abandoned, trampled upon, killed."

"Kill them, and let your hatred burn freely."

"Kill them, and your hands will not be stained with the blood of innocents."

"Kill them—"

—

The paper figure's voice paused slightly.

Then, it said, word by word, "You will be remembered."

"To be remembered by those you protected."

"Remember this land you protected."

"quilt--"

"May posterity remember this forever."

Liang Ting's pupils suddenly contracted!

remember!

May future generations remember this forever!

Wasn't that his deepest, most secret desire for the past twenty years?

Don't you long to be seen?

Don't you crave to be remembered?

Not a desire—

Can we leave even the slightest trace in this world to prove that we once existed?

The paper figure watched his reaction, its eyes, dotted with cinnabar, gleaming with a deep, mysterious light.

Its voice rang out again, this time deeper and more solemn than before: "Liang Ting."

"You saw both of those endings."

"How you choose is your own business."

"but-

'

It paused, and then the purple-gold patterns on the small paper figure suddenly blazed brightly: "My Daozi asked me to deliver a message to you."

Liang Ting was startled.

Daozi?

That legendary innate Daoist?

The paper figure's voice echoed slowly in the void: "You hate."

"Then let your hatred be worthwhile."

"You're strong."

"Then let's use our strength where it's needed."

You want to be seen—

'

"Then let everyone in the world have no choice but to see you."

"Let those Japanese pirates tremble with fear at the mere mention of your name."

"May this land you protected forever remember your name."

"So that future generations will remember the name Liang Ting—"

—

"It's not contempt, not disgust, not fear."

"But rather"

"Reverence."

Those two words struck Liang Ting like a thunderclap.

In awe.

It's not contempt.

It's not disgust.

It's not fear.

It is reverence!

That was something he had never dared to dream of in the past twenty years.

That was his deepest, most profound longing, which he could only fill with hatred for the past twenty years.

The paper figure's voice continued, "Of course, you can also choose another path."

"Kill those people, then forget them."

"A meaningless death, unknown to anyone."

"You choose."

The words fell.

The purple-gold light patterns around the paper figure slowly receded.

It floated in the void, waiting quietly.

We await Liang Ting's choice.

Liang Ting stood in the void, looking at the paper figure.

Watching the two illusions alternate repeatedly in his mind—

On one side were corpses scattered all over the ground, empty eyes, and deaths unknown to anyone.

On one side are the figures of thousands kneeling in worship, their eyes filled with adoration, and names that will be remembered forever.

That flame, which had been burning for twenty years, was now pulsating violently.

It's not a wavering.

It's not resonance.

It's not fear.

Instead, it was a burning flame that had finally found its direction.

Liang Ting slowly raised his head and looked at the paper figure.

The flame in those eyes still burned.

But at this moment, the light of the flames was completely different from before.

It is no longer the hatred that destroys everything.

It is not a desire to be seen, but a longing to be seen.

The desire to be remembered.

The desire to leave a mark on this world.

The paper figure looked at him, and in those eyes dotted with cinnabar, a very faint smile finally appeared.

That smile was neither mockery nor pity.

It is not a recognition, but an endorsement.

Then, the paper figure's voice rang out for the last time: "Liang Ting."

"Remember what you saw today."

"Remember those two endings."

"Remember one—"

"How you choose is your own business."

"My Michiko is just someone you can see."

The words fell.

The golden light surrounding the paper figure suddenly surged!

The light, like a blazing sun, illuminated the entire void!

Liang Ting subconsciously closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the illusion had completely vanished.

He was still standing on the training ground.

Zhou Hu remained in his lunging posture, hovering in mid-air.

The senior students remained motionless, their expressions still filled with resentment, like clay or wooden sculptures.

The complex expression on Master's face remained frozen in that moment.

Gao Xiaomei's tearful eyes remained fixed on the moment she was pushed away.

The firelight remained still, the night wind remained frozen, and time remained stagnant.

Everything was exactly the same as before.

But Liang Ting knew—

Not the same.

Everything is different now.

He looked down at his hands.

On those hands, the mechanical ropes swayed slightly, and the talismans shimmered with a dark red light.

Those hands could have torn everyone in front of them apart in an instant.

But now—

He looked at the hands, the mechanical ropes, and the talismans.

That flame that has been burning for twenty years is still burning.

But at this moment, the direction of the flames has changed.

No longer burning inwards towards oneself.

Instead, it extends outwards.

Burn it on the places that need to be burned.

Liang Ting slowly raised his head and looked into the void.

There, a tiny yellow paper figure floats quietly.

Its eyes, dotted with cinnabar, were now looking at him.

That gaze remained as deep and unchanging as ever, devoid of both joy and sorrow.

But Liang Ting knew—

Behind that gaze, there was a pair of eyes watching him.

Look at his choice.

Watch his path.

Liang Ting remained silent for a long time.

Then, he nodded slightly.

The movement was extremely light, so light that it was almost imperceptible.

But the paper figure saw it.

The last glimmer of light in those eyes, dotted with vermilion, finally faded away.

It has fulfilled its mission.

Everything that needed to be said has been said.

He saw everything he was supposed to see.

The rest—

This is Liang Ting's own path.

The golden light surrounding the paper figure began to slowly recede.

Before leaving the base of the Ink Tendon Soft Bone Sect, it took one last look at Liang Ting.

In that glance, the last trace of consciousness of the divine thought that Li Yuan had entrusted to it was not an explanation, not an instruction, not anything superfluous.

Just one glance.

That one glance seemed to say, "Let's go."

"Ahead lies the path you seek."

In an instant!

The little yellow paper figure transformed into a dazzling golden light and vanished from Liang Ting's sight in an instant.

The golden light dissipated.

On the training ground, everything remained frozen in time.

Liang Ting stood there alone, motionless.

His gaze fell on the direction in which the paper figure had vanished.

a long time.

Then-

He slowly turned around.

Look at those figures frozen in time.

He looked at Zhou Hu.

He looked at his fellow students.

He looked at his master.

at last-

He looked at Gao Xiaomei.

That petite face, those tearful eyes, were frozen in that moment.

Liang Ting looked at that face, at those eyes.

For the first time in twenty years, he did not look away.

He remembered it because of the light in those eyes.

That was the only time someone stood up for him and spoke up for him.

That was the only time someone looked at his light with that kind of gaze.

He didn't want that light to turn into fear.

He didn't want her to see him walking towards her with those eyes.

Liang Ting took a deep breath.

Then-

He raised his hand.

It was not an attack.

Instead, he gently took a small item that he had carried with him for many years from his own body.

It was a talisman made using mechanical arts.

It was the first piece he secretly made when he first started learning the craft.

He kept it and didn't give it to anyone.

At this moment, Liang Ting gently placed the amulet on the ground.

It was placed not far from Gao Xiaomei.

Then, he straightened up.

I glanced at her one last time.

There were so many things in that one glance that even he himself couldn't explain.

But Liang Ting knew one thing—

He didn't want to scare her.

He didn't want her to look at him with those eyes.

He turned and strode away.

Facing out of the mountain gate.

Towards that wider world.

He chose the one that led to the two possible outcomes.

The firelight remained still, and the night wind remained frozen.

But where Liang Ting walked, the frozen space and time seemed to tremble slightly.

It was as if something had finally begun to flow.

The small amulet lay quietly on the ground.

The moonlight shone on it, giving it a faint glow.

The night wind remained still, and the firelight remained stagnant.

Only Liang Ting's figure strode away.

Facing north.

Towards those who deserve to die.

Towards the path he finally chose.

In the void, the last wisp of golden light completely dissipated.

But that gaze seemed to linger there.

Watching that departing figure.

Looking at the amulet lying on the ground.

Looking into those tearful eyes.

Watching the cause and effect finally begin to flow.