Under One Person: Please Call Me Golden Flash

Chapter 403 The Lost One

After hearing Wu Chengzhen's words, Zhao Zhen did not speak, but only gave her a deep look.

"Senior Brother Wu, in your mind, is Master Zuo the kind of ruthless person who would kill his own disciple for the sake of the continuation of the Three Ones?"

Zhao Zhen's words were like a thunderclap, instantly waking Wu Chengzhen, who was on the verge of going mad.

Yes, how could Master do such a thing?
"Don't you understand? The reason why Master Zuo entrusted me with the Triple Rebirth Technique was simply to leave a spark for the Sanyi Sect."

No one knows a son better than his father, and no one knows a disciple better than his master. How could Master Zuo, as your master, not understand your obsession with the Triple Throne back then, Brother Wu?
Even so, the Left Sect Leader ultimately passed the position to you. Why?

Wu Chengzhen didn't speak, but lowered her head in shame.

"Because of his doting on his disciples, Master Zuo constantly harbored a sense of侥幸 (a sense of侥幸, a feeling of getting away with something).

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, he hopes that Senior Brother Wu can truly shoulder the responsibility of the Sanyi Sect, instead of focusing all his energy on using Wugensheng to help him break through to the third level.

As his master, Master Zuo believed even on his deathbed that Brother Wu could overcome this ordeal.

In his view, only Senior Brother Wu could support the entire Sanyi Sect after his death!
However, as the sect leader, he also had to prepare for the worst.

Master Zuo never said that I should clean up his own house, and I, Zhao Zhen, am not qualified to do so.

The reason he entrusted me with this Triple Rebirth Technique was because he was worried that one day, you, Wu Chengzhen, might bring annihilation to the Sanyi Sect because of your own obsession, just like back then.

As long as this legacy remains in my hands, the flame of the Trinity remains, and so does hope.

Zhao Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating power, echoing in the quiet room.

Wu Chengzhen was rooted to the spot by this pointed question. The madness and resentment in her eyes deflated quickly like a punctured balloon, leaving only bewilderment and deeper pain.

"Master, he..."

Wu Chengzhen murmured, her hunched body seeming to shrink even further, and turbid tears silently slid down from her sunken eyes, leaving winding traces on her face etched with the wrinkles of time.

He remembered his master holding his hand before his death. In his eyes was not disappointment, but deep worry and reluctance, a sense of helplessness knowing that the road ahead was fraught with danger but no longer able to shelter his disciple from the wind and rain.

The words, “Chengzhen, Sanchong… is not the only path…” still echo in my ears. But back then, blinded by my obsession, I only heard the first half of the denial, ignoring the deeper meaning and expectation in the second half.

"Brother Wu..."

As Zhao Zhen watched him struggle in pain, she softened her voice, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pity.

"The Left Sect Master entrusted the Triple Rebirth to me not because he didn't trust you, but precisely because he knew you too well, cherished you too much, and felt too sorry for the Triple Sect."

He fears that you might go astray in pursuit of that elusive 'Triple Perfection,' that you might follow in his footsteps, and that you might ultimately lead the Trinity Sect to utter ruin.

He entrusted this flame to an 'outsider' like me, not to embarrass you, but to leave himself and the Sanyi Sect a way out in the worst-case scenario, so that their lineage would not be completely cut off.

This painstaking effort, this immense trust and entrustment… can't you understand it even now?

Zhao Zhen gently placed the scroll bearing Zuo Ruotong's handwriting on the old wooden table in front of Wu Chengzhen.

The ancient scroll exudes the vicissitudes of time, as if carrying the lingering aura of Zuo Ruotong.

"The Triple Rebirth Technique is right here."

Zhao Zhen tapped the scroll with his finger.

"It has never been a cage to confine you, nor is it a dream that requires you to sacrifice everything, even the future of the Trinity Sect, to pursue. It is a legacy, a responsibility. You have taken the position of Sect Leader, and you have shouldered the burden of the Trinity Sect."

Therefore, you should naturally be in charge of keeping the key to this inheritance.

As for the matter of how I took it upon myself to use the Quanxing Sect to cripple your reverse-life cultivation back in Zhenjiang Ancient Town back then..."

As she spoke, Zhao Zhen slowly closed her eyes.

"Brother Wu, as I said, I came to the Sanyi Sect today to gather karmic connections."

If you still can't let go of what happened back then, then today, you can also choose to cripple my cultivation.

Upon hearing this, not only Wu Chengzhen, but also Li Muxuan standing beside her, had their pupils shrink instantly.

What a clever way to collect favors! What a shrewd Zhao Zhen!
He was actually willing to go to such lengths for a mere "connection"?!

Looking at Zhao Zhen, who seemed to have completely let down his guard, Wu Chengzhen's hands began to tremble violently, like the last withered leaf in the autumn wind.

He didn't look at Zhao Zhen, but stared intently at the scroll on the table, as if it wasn't a martial arts manual, but rather the eyes of his master, Zuo Ruotong, that could see through people's hearts.

Decades of resentment, bitterness, grievances, fear, and despair at the loss of power surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, no longer directed at anyone, but washing over his own already battered soul.

"Master...this disciple...this disciple was foolish!"

The next instant, a heart-wrenching cry, as if squeezed from the deepest part of her soul, burst forth from Wu Chengzhen's throat.

He could no longer hold on, and his whole body slid off the chair, kneeling heavily on the ground. Facing the scroll, or perhaps facing his mentor in the void, he banged his head on the ground and wept bitterly.

The cries were old and hoarse, filled with endless regret and belated realization.

Decades of inner demons were shattered at this moment by Zhao Zhen's calm words and the weighty scroll.

Li Muxuan stood aside, silently watching this scene, his eyes also welling up with tears.

He knew that the knot in Wu Cheng's heart was finally beginning to loosen today.

He looked at Zhao Zhen, his eyes filled with complex respect.

This Golden Thunder Lord not only possesses extraordinary cultivation, but his ability to understand people's hearts and resolve their obsessions is also truly admirable.

Zhao Zhen slowly opened his eyes, but did not go to help Wu Chengzhen. He simply watched him vent his emotions.

Some pain must be cried out, and some guilt must be borne alone.

Just as he climbed the mountain today, isn't Wu Chengzhen now also a "lost" person like himself?
After a long while, Wu Chengzhen's crying gradually subsided, leaving only low sobs.

He raised his head, tears streaming down his face, but his eyes were no longer cloudy. Although they were still bloodshot, they revealed an unprecedented clarity and a sense of relief after exhaustion.

With trembling hands, he reached out and picked up the scroll on the table with utmost slowness and care, as if he were holding a long-lost child or his master's weighty expectations.

He pressed the scroll tightly to his chest, bowed deeply to Zhao Zhen, and slammed his forehead heavily onto the floor.

“Junior Brother Zhao…”

(End of this chapter)