bookbashuk Chapter 102 Do you really have any dignity?
Chapter 102 Do you really have any dignity?
Chapter 102 Do you really have any dignity?
Faced with Bibi Dong's almost self-destructive remarks, the elders looked at each other, their eyes filled with even greater doubt.
"Your Holiness the Pope."
The Demon Bear Douluo, mustering his courage, asked, "Since conquering the world will ultimately benefit others and be meaningless to you, then why did you devise this Soul Hunting Operation? Why did you go to such lengths to seize this world?"
"Isn't this a contradiction?"
Bibi Dong did not answer the question directly, but slowly walked down the steps, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"The same problems I face, haven't you elders faced them as well?"
"The Qian family possesses the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, and their inheritance is terrifyingly stable. Every generation awakens with innate level 20 full soul power. No matter how trashy their descendants are, just loafing around and waiting to die, as long as they have resources, they are guaranteed to become a Title Douluo at the very least."
"That's their confidence, their capital for generations to come."
Bibi Dong pointed at the Demon Bear, then at the Ghost Leopard: "But what about you? And what about me?"
"We don't have that kind of special bloodline."
"You are indeed powerful now, a formidable force in your region. But who can guarantee that your sons and grandsons will possess your talents? Who knows what kind of people your descendants will be?"
"What will be the consequences if there is no one to carry on the family tradition?"
Bibi Dong's gaze fell on Tang Xiao: "Sect Leader Tang should know this better than anyone else."
"Back then, Tang Chen was an unparalleled hero. With just one man and one hammer, he could suppress the world and make everyone unable to raise their heads."
"But what was the result?"
"As soon as Tang Chen disappeared, Qian Xunji dared to attack the Haotian Sect. He was taking advantage of you and you didn't dare to say a word."
"If even the Haotian Sect is in such a state, what about you all?"
Bibi Dong turned around and looked at Demon Bear, Ghost Leopard, and the others: "Even if you are now following the Qian family to conquer the world, and gain more benefits and more profits, you will still be able to achieve your goals."
"But once you're gone, if your descendants are incompetent, they still won't be able to protect this family business. In that case, it will still be swallowed up by others, skin and bones."
"If it's just losing that glory, that's a minor matter."
Bibi Dong's lips curled into a chilling smile: "I fear only—that you'll be childless and exterminated, your entire family wiped out!"
"If everyone strives for the prosperity of thousands of families for generations to come, then they are loyal ministers who helped build the country and meritorious officials who helped establish it."
"But what has been the fate of these founding heroes throughout history?"
"When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked!"
"Merit can be a bargaining chip, but it can also be a death sentence!"
"Do you want to be the lackeys that get cooked?"
Upon hearing this, the elders felt a chill run down their spines and fell into a deathly silence.
Although these words were harsh, they were the stark truth. They were titled Douluo, not fools; they had seen this kind of "using and discarding" far too often.
But this made them even more confused.
Since everyone knows the ending is bad, what exactly does Bibi Dong want to do?
"I know what you're thinking."
Bibi Dong walked back to the center of the hall. "You're thinking, since this is a dead end, how do we break it?"
"To break the deadlock, we must first understand the root cause."
"I ask you, why can the emperors of the two great empires decide life and death with a single word? Why was the Golden Crocodile able to turn the Elders' Hall into his personal fiefdom?"
Bibi Dong asked and answered herself: "Because they possess absolute violence and highly centralized power."
"The power of life and death over everyone is in their hands. And this power is unchecked and unrestrained."
"People can do whatever they want."
"Just like Qian Xunji before, he saw a transformed soul beast, became greedy, and wanted to steal it. He could start a war and send countless people to their deaths."
"When the emperors of the two great empires want more land, power, and wealth, they will act impulsively and start a war."
"This is the current situation."
Bibi Dong spread her hands: "How can this situation be changed?"
"In fact, the very concept behind the existence of the Elders' Hall was the initial design concept that provided a reference: the checks and balances of power."
"The Elders' Hall is there to check and balance the Pope and prevent him from acting arbitrarily."
"But unfortunately," Bibi Dong shook her head, "this kind of power-based checks and balances is too fragile."
"It can easily be distorted or even rendered ineffective by excessive personal force. Just like when Golden Crocodile was around. He represented the High Priest, he represented absolute force, so the Elders' Hall became his backyard, and you became his echo chambers."
Bibi Dong looked at the Demon Bear and the others with sharp eyes: "Even now, I know perfectly well what's going on."
"If Qian Daoliu suddenly turns on you tomorrow and returns with the Golden Crocodile, even if you swear allegiance to me today, you'll instantly prove what it means to be a 'fence-sitter' and 'sway with the wind.'"
Demon Bear and the others lowered their heads awkwardly, not daring to refute.
"Therefore, this kind of coercion based solely on force is neither absolute nor reliable."
Bibi Dong changed the subject, "But have you thought about this?"
Why did Qian Daoliu back down yesterday?
"My current strength, while not bad, is absolutely no match for that old man. So why did Qian Daoliu still reluctantly accept it? Why did he still kick Qian Xunji out of the family register?"
"Is it because I'm acting out of a sense of righteousness? Or is it because that old man suddenly had a change of heart?"
Bibi Dong scoffed, "Neither."
"Simply because—I grasped the key to overturning the table."
"I showed him my resolve: either listen to me, or we're all finished!"
"This is called—a bargaining chip that leads to mutual destruction!"
"Qian Daoliu had no choice but to back down because he couldn't afford to lose, he dared not lose."
"so."
Bibi Dong looked at everyone and said, word by word, "If you want to truly control power, if you want to protect your life and interests in the face of the strong, you must have the awareness to be willing to overturn the table and perish together with them at any time!"
"Does anyone else have one?"
Bibi Dong sneered, her gaze sweeping contemptuously over the entire room: "Obviously, you don't."
"You only want to survive, you only want to hold onto your own little piece of land. So you will always be pawns, always have to act according to other people's wishes."
Inside the main hall, Bibi Dong's sarcastic and all-knowing voice still echoed, like the sharpest whip, lashing the faces of the elders again and again.
The Demon Bear, the Ghost Leopard, the Porcupine Pufferfish, the Serpent Spear, and even Tang Xiao and Yue Guan Ghostly Spirit were all silent at this moment.
Yes.
Flip the table? Die together? Destroy everything?
It's easier said than done.
Which one of you here doesn't have a family to support? Which one of you hasn't enjoyed wealth and luxury? They've worked so hard to cultivate to the level of Title Douluo and stand at the pinnacle of the continent. Who would be willing to gamble everything they have, or even the lives of their entire family, on that one in ten thousand chance?
The lesser of two evils.
Even if you have to be a dog, even if you have to be subservient to others, at least you can still eke out a living, at least you can still keep your current wealth.
It's better than actually fighting to the death with a peerless expert like Qian Daoliu and ending up with nothing, or even losing your family and friends.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, which seemed to accept her weakness and even take it for granted, Bibi Dong's contempt deepened. But then, she sighed, her voice tinged with sorrow: "I know that too."
"These things can't be forced."
"Human nature is to seek advantage and avoid harm. Everyone has a way out, everyone is weighing the pros and cons, and everyone is thinking about how to protect themselves."
"There's nothing shameful about it."
Bibi Dong walked back to the main seat, slowly sat down, and her gaze became deep: "But have you all thought about this?"
"How did the Spirit Hall, once revered by thousands and representing the glory of Soul Masters, become what it is today?"
"Why has the Elders' Hall, which was supposed to check and balance the Pope and uphold justice, become a dictatorship of the Golden Crocodile and the private property of certain individuals?"
Bibi Dong pointed at everyone present: "Isn't it because of everyone's gradual compromises?"
"Isn't it because everyone's thinking, 'Just bear with it and it'll pass,' that he's the son of the Grand Elder, someone we can't afford to offend?"
"Does anyone still remember what the Spirit Hall was originally?"
"Those were the first group of Soul Masters who left the deep mountains a thousand years ago. For survival, for dignity, and to avoid being bullied in this dog-eat-dog world, they spontaneously gathered together to keep warm."
"Back then, Soul Masters were not seen by the world as ruthless killing machines, nor as high and mighty noble lords."
"It is a respected profession, a profession of guardianship, a profession of pioneering."
"It is because of the efforts of so many generations of Soul Masters in the past that the Spirit Hall has such a foundation today."
"They did not think of using violence to rule over everything, nor did they think of becoming emperors."
"But what about now?"
Bibi Dong slammed her hand on the armrest, her eyes turning icy: "Right now, Qian Daoliu is powerful; he's a peerless Douluo. So no one dares to contradict Qian Xunji when he does something disgusting; everyone has to cover it up."
"Because that's his son."
"Yesterday, it was Qian Xunji who took a fancy to Tang Hao's wife and made trouble for the Haotian Sect, and you didn't dare to say a word."
"What about tomorrow?"
Bibi Dong stared at Demon Bear Douluo, her tone icy: "What if some descendant of the Qian family has taken a fancy to one of your family heirlooms? Or—what if—someone has taken a fancy to a beautiful wife? Or someone's exceptionally talented daughter?"
"Are we all going to treat each other like yesterday, just because they are from the Qian family, and because we can't afford to offend Qian Daoliu, so we have to hand them over? And even have to smile and say it's a good thing?"
"It is said that Title Douluos have the dignity of Title Douluos, and are the strongest people standing at the top of the continent."
Bibi Dong straightened up, surveyed the entire scene, her voice filled with sorrow and mockery: "But you are all here in the Spirit Hall, in the Elder Hall, under the shadow of the Qian family—"
"Ask yourselves honestly."
"Do you really have any dignity?"
"Or are they just a bunch of high-ranking servants disguised as Title Douluo?"