Volume One: The Servants of Changshui County Chapter 102: A Drop in the Ocean

“Master, are we really going to let these people leave?”

After Zhong Zhengming and the others had departed, Elder Feng appeared in the master’s sitting room.

“Do you think they’ll actually get out?” the master said confidently.

“It’s as hard as reaching the heavens to escape, but what if they join the Flame Sect and turn against us?” Elder Feng worried aloud. “If that happens, I’m afraid the Sword-Leaving Manor will be swallowed whole by the Flame Sect.”

“It wouldn’t make a difference whether they’re here or not,” the master sighed. “The Sword-Leaving Manor is dwindling in numbers, now down to only forty or fifty people, and even fewer in the younger generation.”

“There haven’t been any newborn children these past years.”

“Even without these people, I believe we will eventually have to merge into the Flame Sect and become part of them. Otherwise, the Sword-Leaving Manor will be utterly destroyed with no descendants to carry on its legacy.”

When a race’s population becomes too few, extinction becomes all too easy.

Elder Feng felt as though he somewhat understood but still wasn’t entirely clear. “What do you mean, Master?”

“These people will definitely return. My father once said the Demon-Slaying Division is one of the strongest organizations in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and those within it have a certain pride. Since I have said this and even helped them, once they give up on escaping, they will join us at the Sword-Leaving Manor.”

“With a few more powerful individuals, even if we are absorbed by the Flame Sect, we might still retain a considerable degree of autonomy and protect ourselves from being bullied by them.”

The master had thought it through thoroughly.

At this point, it was unrealistic for the Sword-Leaving Manor to remain independent.

That was why they had allowed Lu Jiuzhang to enter the library and practice the manor’s techniques and martial arts—they saw no use in hoarding these things.

Since they planned to rely on the Flame Sect anyway, it was better to build good relations with Lu Jiuzhang and the others to gain extra support.

Otherwise, in the outside world, the library of any sect was a sacred place—how could outsiders be allowed to come and go at will?

“What about the Northern Blade Sect? Their strength surpasses even the Flame Sect. Why don’t we join them instead?” Elder Feng asked, puzzled.

“I considered that before, but the people of the Northern Blade Sect come and go without a trace. The last time I saw anyone from there was seven or eight years ago.”

“I suspect the Northern Blade Sect might have already been wiped out, with no descendants left alive.”

The master sighed.

The Northern Blade Sect was always stubborn and refused to accept outsiders.

Otherwise, in the current ruins world, the human factions would only be the Northern Blade Sect, without the Sword-Leaving Manor or the Flame Sect.

If they continue to be so obstinate, then the fate of the Northern Blade Sect might well be the future of the Sword-Leaving Manor.

If the two sects merged and infused fresh blood, perhaps their legacy could endure a little longer.

…

Time is endless in the mountains; worldly matters vanish like smoke.

Within the ruins, everyone’s sense of time had blurred.

Lu Jiuzhang wasn’t even sure how many days had passed.

Nor did he know what was happening outside.

Feng Wanqing arrived at the Sword-Leaving Manor’s main gate and reunited with Lu Jiuzhang and the others.

After this period of rest, she had mostly recovered.

Thanks to Zhong Zhengming’s elixirs and the big black dog’s saliva—which was a miraculous healing remedy.

However, no one told Feng Wanqing about the dog’s saliva, fearing she would be disgusted.

“Miss Feng, thank you for your help,” Zhong Zhengming said politely.

“Mr. Zhong, you’re too kind,” Feng Wanqing replied. “The journey to the core area is roughly several tens to hundreds of miles. Along the way, there are many ferocious beasts and members of the Flame Sect.”

“There are also numerous incomplete formations; one misstep could mean death.”

“We at the Sword-Leaving Manor have paid with our lives to carve out a relatively safe path.”

Hearing this, the big black dog suddenly asked, “Miss Feng, how much do you know about the monsters here?”

“Not much. The beasts are too powerful. Even within the territory controlled by the Sword-Leaving Manor, many monsters lurk. It’s said the Flame Sect was once the same, but they dispatched many strong warriors to guard their borders.”

“The Northern Blade Sect occupies a smaller area but possesses immense strength. Their domain likely has no monsters at all.”

In the end, the Sword-Leaving Manor was indeed the most pitiable.

“What about those martial techniques and methods? Where did you obtain them? Since the Sword-Leaving Manor is a small sect, it shouldn’t have so many techniques and martial arts, right?”

Lu Jiuzhang didn’t know much about the sect’s history, but Zhong Zhengming was very clear on the matter.

Small sects often had only one technique and a few martial arts manuals to establish themselves and attract followers.

Since the Sword-Leaving Manor had been established within Changshui County, it shouldn’t be very powerful.

“Those techniques were found within the ruins. They probably weren’t left behind by the great sect from tens of thousands of years ago,” Feng Wanqing explained. “The master once speculated that over the past thirty thousand years, although few sects entered the ruins, there were certainly more than just the Northern Blade Sect, the Flame Sect, and our Sword-Leaving Manor.”

“The master said our techniques were all picked up when we entered.”

“The sects that came before gradually disappeared. They might have once found fragments of the ruins sects’ legacy and began cultivating them. As for us, we obtained their incomplete techniques and practiced them.”

“The Flame Sect entered earlier than us. I feel these techniques were the ones they discarded because they had found better ones to cultivate.”

“We came in late, so even the worst techniques were far superior to ours, which is why we treasured them so much.”

That explanation made sense.

The earliest sects entering the ruins might have gained some inheritance from the ruins sects.

But those sects didn’t understand the profound techniques and could only modify them crudely to fit themselves.

Over time, many sects entered, continuously altering those techniques until they were passed down.

In truth, the current techniques and martial arts have drifted far from the original ruins sects’ practices.

There’s a saying: “a drop in the ocean.” The ruins sects’ techniques were the ocean; what remains now is but a drop—almost insignificant.

Hearing this, Lu Jiuzhang was tempted to visit the Flame Sect’s library.

They had entered earlier and likely acquired many fine treasures.

If only they could plunder the Flame Sect, it would be perfect.

Wait—Lu Jiuzhang suddenly remembered another sect: the Northern Blade Sect.

“Miss Feng, how long ago did the Northern Blade Sect enter?” Lu Jiuzhang asked.

“I’m not sure. They came before the Flame Sect, so I estimate at least eight or nine hundred, perhaps over a thousand years ago,” Feng Wanqing guessed.