ATPnovel #168 - Wife regrets
#168 - Wife regrets
The room fell silent immediately.
Everyone looked at Shao Hongbo on the sickbed.
Shao Hongbo's next words would determine the future direction of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect.
Shao Hongbo merely held Liang Jin's hand and then looked at everyone.
He tried his best to say in a weak voice:
"After I die... the position of sect leader..."
"Pass it to... the Great Virtuous Teacher."
Before Shao Hongbo could finish his words, the entire room erupted in an uproar.
Recently, although Shao Hongbo had shown some actions of friendly exchanges with the Taiping Dao, and had also vaguely revealed some information, giving everyone some psychological preparation.
However, when this decision was spoken, the high-level members of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect couldn't help but be greatly surprised.
For a moment, many people spoke up one after another:
"Sect Leader, how can this be?"
"The Great Virtuous Teacher is not a member of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect, how can the position of sect leader be passed to an outsider?"
"This violates the ancestral precepts of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect, please Sect Leader, take back your order!"
......
Everyone was talking at once, expressing their incomprehension about this matter.
Shao Hongbo ignored everyone's opinions and just glanced at Jiang Lengxue.
He saw Jiang Lengxue standing aside, only wiping away tears, and had no intention of participating in the discussion of this matter.
This made Shao Hongbo sigh.
Afterwards, he continued to speak:
"Ancestral precepts... are just dead rules..."
"I'm doing this... to... preserve the sect."
"There is already... no one in the sect who can shoulder... the entire sect..."
As soon as these words came out, the faces of the disciples of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect all showed dissatisfaction.
The sect leader hadn't even let them try, how could he be sure that they couldn't shoulder the heavy responsibility of the sect?
But Shao Hongbo had already made up his mind, he tremblingly took out the sect leader's seal from his chest and handed it to Liang Jin's palm:
"Great Virtuous Teacher, from now on... please treat everyone well..."
Liang Jin took the sect leader's seal and promised:
The sect leader was dying, and the sect leader's wife didn't care about worldly affairs.
At this time, they no longer cared about etiquette.
Seeing this, Shao Hongbo couldn't help but sigh again helplessly.
When a person is about to die, how could he not hope that everything could go smoothly before his death?
But things in the world often don't go as people wish.
Following that, Shao Hongbo stretched out his hand towards Jiang Lengxue again.
Liang Jin got up and made way, while Jiang Lengxue came to the bedside and held Shao Hongbo's hand.
He only heard Shao Hongbo say:
"After I die... you don't have to observe mourning for me..."
"You can find another good match... and remarry someone else..."
Speaking of this, Shao Hongbo glanced at Liang Jin.
Liang Jin's gaze also looked towards Jiang Lengxue.
Jiang Lengxue's expression was calm and indifferent, she only replied faintly:
"This concubine has already decided to observe mourning for her husband for three years."
"This determination is as firm as a rock and will never be changed!"
These words were obviously beyond Shao Hongbo's expectations.
Before, it was clearly agreed that Jiang Lengxue would marry Liang Jin after his death to assist Liang Jin in stabilizing the sect.
But he never expected that at this moment, Jiang Lengxue would actually say that she wanted to observe mourning for three years.
This was obviously Jiang Lengxue changing her mind.
She wasn't remarrying!
Or rather, she wasn't remarrying for the time being, and she wasn't marrying Liang Jin either.
The usually docile and obedient her actually showed her first act of disobedience before his death!
"Jiang Lengxue! How can you..."
Before Shao Hongbo could finish his words, his expression suddenly changed, and then he couldn't help but cough violently.
Seeing this, Liang Jin stretched out his hand and pressed it on Shao Hongbo's chest, using his inner strength to help him smooth his breathing.
Jiang Lengxue wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her voice was gentle, but her tone was full of determination:
"Husband, this concubine has obeyed you for more than ten years."
"But this time, this concubine wants to make her own decision!"
Hearing these words, Shao Hongbo was even more angered and trembled all over.
Being betrayed by anyone was far less surprising and uncomfortable than being betrayed by his wife.
At this time, Liang Jin said:
"Madam Shao is also a living person, she also has her own thoughts and considerations."
"Sect Leader Shao, there's no need to force it."
Liang Jin really didn't care.
If Jiang Lengxue was willing to marry him, then he would be willing to marry her.
But since Jiang Lengxue was unwilling to marry, then Liang Jin didn't care at all.
Originally, this marriage was just a means to seek greater benefits, and neither side had any feelings.
As for what Jiang Lengxue was really thinking.
He was too lazy to care.
Hearing these words, Shao Hongbo helplessly sighed again.
If he was still healthy, he would definitely forcibly coerce Jiang Lengxue.
But now, he was about to die.
He also had no ability to change everything.
He just didn't expect that at the time of his death, he would realize that many people were not what he usually thought they were.
Those high-level members of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect whom he had treated kindly would turn their faces and deny him in the blink of an eye.
His wife, whom he thought was always obedient to him, would also betray him at this time.
When he was young, Shao Hongbo once thought that he was omnipotent, and even felt that he could assist the Crown Prince in regaining the country at his peak.
However, as he grew old, his ambitions gradually faded and he began to tend towards the ordinary.
But he still thought that everything was under his control.
It wasn't until he was about to die that he realized that many things had actually slipped out of his control, he just hadn't realized it yet.
He couldn't grasp anything.
He came into the world with nothing, and in the end, he had to leave with nothing.
At this moment, Shao Hongbo only felt so tired.
His entire spirit suddenly dropped a lot again.
Everyone could feel that Shao Hongbo was surrounded by death.
Perhaps, he had reached his final moment.
It was then that Shao Hongbo spoke with difficulty:
“Great Virtuous Teacher… please stay…”
“Everyone… get out!”
Inside the room, everyone bowed to Shao Hongbo and then left.
Jiang Lengxue couldn't help but take one last doubtful look at Shao Hongbo as she left.
She originally thought that as his wife, she would be the one to stay by her husband's side and see him through his final moments.
But as it turned out, in her husband's final moments, he left a stranger he hadn't known for long by his side, and didn't want his wife to stay.
Jiang Lengxue's eyes were filled with tears; she knew that Shao Hongbo was angry with her.
She had indeed gone back on her word.
But she really didn't want her life to be constantly arranged by Shao Hongbo like this.
She also wanted to live a life that belonged to her.
Nor did she believe that Liang Jin could give her the life she wanted.
So she felt sad that her decision had angered her husband.
But she didn't regret it.
Jiang Lengxue also walked out of the room.
The entire room was now only occupied by Shao Hongbo and Liang Jin.
Shao Hongbo tightly grasped Liang Jin's hand and said helplessly:
“Great Virtuous Teacher… I am ashamed of you…”
“The promised matter… couldn’t be fulfilled…”
Liang Jin was calm and composed, and smiled slightly:
“Sect Leader Shao, there’s no need to mind it.”
“I really don’t have the slightest bit of resentment about these things.”
“At this moment, I also hope that you can calm down and no longer be entangled in the affairs before you.”
“If you still have any unfulfilled wishes, you can tell me.”
An endless look of desolation appeared on Shao Hongbo's decaying face.
He originally thought that what he cared about most before his death was not being able to see the restoration of Great Yu.
However, when the time really came, he discovered that this matter was not as important to him as he had always thought.
What he really cared about was something that he thought he had long forgotten.
As he was about to die, this matter was particularly clear in his mind.
“The person I am most ashamed of in my life… is none other than… my senior brother.”
“If I hadn’t invited strong reinforcements for my own selfish desires… the position of Sect Leader… should have belonged to Senior Brother…”
“I also don’t know… where Senior Brother is now… whether he is still alive… and whether he is doing well?”
“If I hadn’t competed with Senior Brother in the first place, and had chosen to let Senior Brother succeed as Sect Leader… I’m afraid… the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect wouldn’t have declined to this point… and would still be… a famous and great sect.”
Shao Hongbo's eyes stared blankly at the roof, but they were not focused.
When Liang Jin heard this, he knew what Shao Hongbo was talking about.
His avatar on Dragon Transformation Island had seen Shao Hongbo's detailed information.
Shao Hongbo did indeed have a senior brother, and he had also been the senior disciple of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect.
After the death of the previous Sect Leader of the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect, the position of Sect Leader should have been passed on to the senior disciple.
However, Shao Hongbo invited the experts of the Great Yu Crown Prince to help him seize the position of Sect Leader.
It is said that on that day, the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect suffered many casualties.
Afterward, the senior disciple led a group of elite disciples to break away from the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect and chose to leave.
After the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect split, it quickly declined and eventually became an insignificant sect.
Liang Jin didn't expect that Shao Hongbo's biggest concern at the point of death wasn't his wife, but his senior brother.
Shao Hongbo's eyes began to focus, and he was obviously much more awake.
He turned his head slightly and looked at Liang Jin:
“Great Virtuous Teacher, please do not underestimate the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect.”
“The Scarlet Fire Sword Sect was once a great sect, standing in the martial arts world with a terrestrial martial art called 《Scarlet Fire Burning Heaven Sword Art》.”
“After I succeeded as Sect Leader, all I got was only half of the 《Scarlet Fire Burning Heaven Sword Art》 secret manual.”
“I will now hand over the 《Scarlet Fire Burning Heaven Sword Art》 secret manual to you.”
“If one day you can find the other half of the secret manual, then you will definitely be able to revitalize the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect!”
His voice became less weak at this moment, his face flushed, and his spirit seemed to be much better.
But Liang Jin knew that this was just Shao Hongbo's final burst of energy.
Liang Jin now understood that this Shao Hongbo had secretly held back.
The real good stuff had always been hidden by him.
Liang Jin really didn't have a terrestrial sword art secret manual.
If he could really get it, then coupled with the 《Overlord Unarmoring Skill》, its power would definitely be amazing.
Shao Hongbo took out a secret manual and handed it to Liang Jin.
This secret manual was old and simple, and it was not known how many generations it had been passed down.
Liang Jin originally thought that this secret manual had been torn in half vertically from the middle, so at least he could practice the first half.
But when he took it in his hand and looked at it, this secret manual was actually torn in half horizontally.
Even if it was half of it, it was impossible to practice.
Although it was a terrestrial secret manual, it was useless to get it.
“Is there any whereabouts of the other half of the secret manual?”
Liang Jin asked.
Shao Hongbo replied:
“The other half of the secret manual was taken away by Senior Brother.”
“I hated him for this for a long time.”
“But now I only feel guilty towards Senior Brother.”
“The facts have already proven that I am ambitious but lack talent. I have been the Sect Leader and led the Scarlet Fire Sword Sect for decades, but not only have I failed to revitalize the sect, but I have also allowed the sect to decline day by day.”
“Even myself, living to be over ninety years old, can only reach the Fifth Grade.”
Speaking of this, Shao Hongbo grabbed Liang Jin tightly:
“If one day you can find my senior brother, please convey my apology to him…”