[A.B.P.P.E.] Bk 2 - Chapter 65 - Zhong Da Thinks Once More

“Jun,” Yin Hu said to pause her. She turned around with sweat beading down her forehead. “Da Ruis? You have something to say?”

The old ghost flinched. “I… No, Patriarch.”

Yin Hu frowned. He needed them to be good advisers to Jun and Shui when he wasn’t around. Having them go mute just because it would likely go against what he wanted even though it may be a better course of action would only limit what they could offer his girls. He couldn’t have them be ‘Yes Men’ that did the exact bootlicking he wanted to get away from.

“Speak your mind.”

“We…” Da Ruis paused to gather himself. He looked around the camp as his eyes hardened and resolve found itself into his chest. “We should be letting the entire universe know who we are! What clan we claim. Who our glorious Patriarch is and the power that comes from being associated with such a being. Not become isolationists. We must flaunt our power or what is the point of having it? Let every sect, clan, and all other organizations know that we reign supreme. 

Any that dare deny us this deserve to be destroyed in a fit of flames and Dao. To never again be mentioned in the annals of history!”

Yin Hu and the rest of the party sat there stunned as Da Ruis went on for the next ten minutes on a long tirade. 

Screaming the virtues of why they should be the typical cultivation sect with all of the boasting, young masters, and generation clearing duties that fell upon them to make sure their reign of terror and control never ended. He made it sound like this was all planned and perpetuated exactly as it was to keep the status quo. Showing that it worked and we shouldn’t be trying to reinvent the wheel when it came to this stuff. 

Everything Yin Hu had worked to dodge ever since he had arrived into the cultivation setting. 

He and the girls hadn’t run away from the Silver Mountain Gang and the Dark Palace Gate, going thousands of miles through empty forests and experiencing all of these latest horrors just to turn into what they had escaped from. 

The old ghost wants to build the perfect breeding ground for young masters that kill nine generations of someone who sneezed a bit too loud in their presence. 

Yin Hu could imagine Shui standing in the scorched ash and ruins of an entire city of hundreds of thousands of people just because someone wouldn’t give her a toy, dress she wanted extra badly, or some commoner kid beating her in a game she should have won. 

Da Ruis would watch on with a satisfied smile as she committed atrocities. 

Worse yet, Yin Hu noticed even Rong nodding along. He agreed with this sentiment which seemed very off-brand for the innocent looking child he kept as his primary form. 

Yin Hu recognized that he had to put an end to this as soon as possible. Turning his clan into whatever this was would be the biggest regret he would hold. Not only ruining his girls’ development, but corrupting the very foundation by which everything was built upon. Nothing above would be as great as it could be when such miasma filled its base and structure. 

He reached deep into his Ancient Being Persona and locked eyes with everyone. They all noticed and seemed to grow smaller. “I need not be bothered with the matter of mortals–”

Da Ruis and Rong shared a look Yin Hu intentionally ignored. 

“–I’ve heard your arguments, understood them well, and have come to a final conclusion by which we will act. This Hu Clan is not isolationist, but we shall not flaunt our power. We do not oppress those under us and those weaker than us. There is no reason good enough unless it is just and honorable. No killing nine generations. No ending entire lineages. No deposing mortal kings and emperors.”

The old ghost deflated but otherwise nodded silently. Even Rong and the couple seemed to want to interject in favor of Da Ruis but held their tongues now that he came to a final resolution on the matter at hand. 

It was strange seeing them all so worked up about this subject. 

Something about cultivating and turning people into murder-hobos for some reason.

“Good,” Yin Hu said once everyone settled down. “Go on, Jun. Continue where you left off.”

“Umm… Well, I was about to ask for suggestions and potential solutions to Mr. Cupcake, the dragons, and maybe even Rong if necessary. Though it needs to fit what you want, Master.” Jun scratched her head. 

She would need a lot more experience before she was ready to lead thousands of disciples into battle. 

Yin Hu made a mental note to get her to do more things like this. 

Comfort is born from repetition after all. 

The discussion continued back and forth between all the members of the party. Even Shui joined in at some point with off the cuff and ridiculous ideas that lightened the darkening mood of the party the longer the conversation lasted. Yet, no matter how long it continued, no one was able to come up with something that sounded remotely possible and kept true to their semi-isolationist Hu Clan. 

Yin Hu watched for an entire hour as they couldn’t agree on the very first steps.

Huh… this whole delegation thing is more of a headache than I initially thought. Might need to change it into single leadership that makes advised decisions rather than whatever this is right now. 

It didn’t escape him that Zhong Da had been quiet the entire time. His wife had participated, yet he hadn’t said a single word. 

Yin Hu turned to him. “Zhong Da?”

The man jumped in his spot, startled. “Y-Yes, Patriarch?”

“You never gave your opinion on the matter at hand. You’re as much a member of this clan as everyone else is here.”

Zhong Da blinked for a few seconds and considered what Yin Hu said. “Are you sure you want me to participate? Me and my wife only joined not so long ago.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Well,” the man used the prosthetic arm to rub his chin for a few moments. “...my opinion is… nothing at all.”

Everyone stopped to look at him with confused expressions. Not having a single thought on the matter one way or the other, especially after all the reactions, seemed fake and forced. Was this a political ploy? Yin Hu wondered if he missed factions forming within his clan, yet that couldn't have been possible. Everyone was too busy running for their lives and being saved by him to start scheming against each other. 

“What do you mean? Explain,” Yin Hu said. 

“They never asked you what you wanted to do. Nothing that reaches consensus at any point would matter unless you want it to, and quite frankly…” he waved at everyone. “This setting where everyone has a voice is not only foreign to me, but clearly ineffective without a powerful organizer. Not saying Lady Jun is a bad leader, but she has no power except what you allow her. Hence, she has no power at all. Maybe one day in the future she will become a tyrant force that could lead something like this, but that time isn’t now or any time soon.

I think it would be different once we establish ourselves and distance creates the necessary gap from you to create a vacuum of power for her to step into. One she would take on because of her lineage connecting her to you. But until you are either out of the picture of all decision making, or retire completely, this whole meeting is worthless. So I ask again, what do you want to happen?”