There was a brief moment where everyone was silent. So much so that one could hear a feather land softly on the floor. There were a few reasons for this, but the main one was that the question demonstrated a lack of understanding about the nature of the situation. Something that, for intensive purposes might as well be a failing of those who taught him. Which just so happened to be the reason why guest elder Yu was so rigid. The other reason why it was so terrible, well, Shi Dai Zhuang had asked someone, so high up the chain. And that same person happened to have been targeted and ambushed by the enemy, nearly dying in the process.
"Don't go too rough on him, Martial Nephew." Martial Beast spoke up first.
"Yes, don't hurt him." Flower Shadow added.
It was also around this time that a few others came into the hall. It was Shen Ao, Ning Qi Zhi, Wu Yi and Bustling World. The four of them seemed to be getting along quite famously as of late and were nearly inseparable.
"I agree with those two. Don't go too crazy with him." Bustling World mentioned as he and the others came in for a visit.
"Guest Elder Yu, one of your responsibilities in that new position I just assigned to you, is to detail exactly how important it is to fight this war. And how it is total war. Not even a single mortal can escape its effects. This isn't some skirmish over ideals. It is to defend our right to exist. The right to be free from the life of livestock." I explained, through grinding teeth.
"Of course Young Master Yang. I will not fail to do so now. The times are different. Before just a few months ago, we wouldn't even risk telling anyone about the enemy. Let alone the war that raged on for a million years." Guest Elder Yu replied, quickly. He was hoping his explanation would be helpful in limiting the punishment his disciple would receive.
"Good, now then. Shi Dai Zhuang. I will preface this explanation, if you can't comprehend the significance of this war, you will never be worthy of claiming a title for yourself. Do you understand?" I said with a deathly stare.
"Yes, Young Master, I only asked… Maybe it was the wrong way, but is there no way to negotiate?" Shi Dai Zhuang asked, causing a couple of others in the room to scowl.
I glanced at the two of them, which seemed to help hold them back from doing anything stupid. "You really shouldn't say anymore until you have more information. If you make another insulting comment like that… I doubt I'd have the will to prevent those two back there from… educating you themselves." I sighed, raising my hand.
In the center of the hall appeared a visual, on it were the memorial stones. Only the ones from Blue Sky Pass. The names filled every bit of space on the visual. However, there was something about this list that was hidden at first.
"These are the monuments made to remember all of those who have fallen over the course of this war. If that's not enough of a perspective, the names you see before you, all of them were high rank open heavens. Yet even with their immense strength, a strength looked up to as a shining beacon of the pinnacle of power, they were still all cut down. Their faces are long forgotten by time." I said, pointing out the significance. "This is also just a single section of the battlefield's losses. Furthermore, do you see the name there… I was there and saw that person before. Their death was recent." I explained further.
"The scale of this war truly is something else… Wait…" Guest Elder Yu said, looking at a name on the monument… "Master… So you really…" He continued, taking his seat with a slump. A maid servant went to help him.
"Each of these people had others that cared for them. And those they cared for. This war is terrible. And I agree it should end." I continued my explanation. "However," I said, changing the visual to play a small portion of what the ink clan does to humans, Xu Ding Ai had already buried her face into my chest. "This is what the ink clan does to us. Do you think we could ever negotiate with such a clan? I doubt you'd say yes. And even if we could, what would it be? Something like; Hey, let's not fight anymore. Have a few thousand sacrifices to appease your hunger, not such a great idea is it?" I continued, borderline irate.
"I… I didn't know… They really are a horrible enemy." Shi Dai Zhuang said, lowering his head, feeling the shame of his ignorance. He took a deep breath and looked up. "Please forgive me for my ignorance, we wouldn't benefit from negotiating with such an enemy. And it falls on the strong to protect those who can't do it themselves. That's why those stone monuments had so many heroes engraved upon them, each and every one of them understood the dangers and the responsibility… Great power always comes with great responsibility." He said, saluting as he bowed deeply.
"Good, you understand. It's not like we want to fight this war. We have no other choice. It is why we must continue to raise strong noble cultivators from within each following generation. In the event we fail in one generation, our race will continue to strive forward and live on, so long as there are those who will protect it." I nodded satisfied with Shi Dai Zhuang's response. "Now that we've finished that drastic issue… You should take your master to go get some rest. The news of his master might not sit well with him for a few days." I instructed.
"Right! Thank you for opening my eyes today, Lord Temporal Thunder." Shi Dai Zhuang said, and then helped his master up, to walk out.
It didn't take them long but it did feel surreal as the two of them left. Both having learned some things from their visit.
"Alright, I hope you came here to have good news for me, I could use a little light heartedness after that." I asked, relaxing again. My Dao Seal had started to go a little wild just before. So it was a good thing the issue was resolved.