Chapter 177 — Knowing and Doing in Equal Measure
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Are you not afraid I came to kill you? " "If the Imperial Preceptor wished to kill me, alarm would be of no use. " Shen Mu said, "If you do not kill me, the Heaven-Sage Cult will not rebel.
If you kill me, the Heaven-Sage Cult will surely rebel.
My life is not so precious as the Heaven-Sage Cult, and the Imperial Preceptor would not stoop to killing me. So I have no need to be alarmed. " The Imperial Preceptor smiled slightly.
"Do not be so certain. Wisdom is a fine thing, but if you are too sure of yourself, you may guess wrong. Still, what you said just now did indeed move my heart.
You said the Heaven-Sage Cult will not rebel — may I hear the reason?
" Shen Mu said, "Our principles are the same. There is no need to rebel.
" The Imperial Preceptor said, "I have heard that the first thing you did upon becoming Cult Master was to establish the three hundred and sixty-first hall and found a school?
" Shen Mu nodded. "I am imitating the Imperial Preceptor, reforming the Heaven-Sage Cult.
" "The Heaven-Sage Cult was originally a nation wearing the name of a sect. If you imitate me and reform the Heaven-Sage Cult, will it not become a state within my Jingping?
" The Imperial Preceptor said, "In times of peace you will not rise in rebellion, but if the world falls into chaos, why should you not seize the moment, rise up, and claim the orthodox succession? " "The reason my Heaven-Sage Cult does not rebel in this turmoil is not that we do not wish to claim orthodoxy, but that the Jingping of today is itself a Heaven-Sage Cult on a vast scale.
" Shen Mu smiled.
"Why should we rebel against ourselves?
" "Then when will you rebel? " The Imperial Preceptor's interest was roused, and he asked. Shen Mu said gravely, "When the Imperial Preceptor betrays the principles of the Heaven-Sage Cult, no longer walks the way of the sages, and Jingping is no longer the Heaven-Sage Cult — then my Heaven-Sage Cult will surely rebel.
" The Imperial Preceptor glanced at him and praised him: "What a great boldness you have.
" Shen Mu said, "It is not boldness, but that I must speak the truth, for a lie cannot hide itself from the Imperial Preceptor. " The Imperial Preceptor paced slowly to the well in the courtyard and said, neither hurried nor slow, "You come from the Desolate Wastes and have no roots at all in the Heaven-Sage Cult.
I originally meant to take you in hand and let you borrow my strength to establish yourself within the Heaven-Sage Cult. Now I have abandoned that idea. " Shen Mu walked to his side, and heard the Imperial Preceptor continue: "A man like you is exceedingly dangerous. Men who possess principles are often exceedingly dangerous, exceedingly troublesome, and very hard to persuade.
And to persuade a man is the most exhausting of tasks; killing him is easier. To persuade a whole sect is more exhausting still; wiping out the whole clan is easier. The Daoist sects and the Great Thunderclap Temple alike have their own principles and are hard to persuade. So too is the Heaven-Sage Cult. " He was silent a moment, then said, "Fortunately, the principles of the Heaven-Sage Cult do not conflict with Jingping. " Shen Mu asked curiously, "If the Imperial Preceptor will not move against the Heaven-Sage Cult for the time being, what of the Daoist sects and the Great Thunderclap Temple? " "That depends on what they do.
" The Imperial Preceptor said earnestly, "We shall see whether they can achieve the unity of knowing and doing.
If they can carry their principles through and achieve the unity of knowing and doing, I will use every power and every means to destroy them. If they cannot, surviving will not be difficult.
" Shen Mu's heart gave a slight shudder.
He asked, "And what are the Imperial Preceptor's own principles? " The Imperial Preceptor shook his head. "I need not tell you. Do not look at what I say; look at what I do.
My principles will be embodied in what I do — that is the unity of knowing and doing.