I looked on with eager eyes at Tianjianzi’s master, the leader of our Jian Sect, hoping he would forbid me from entering. The result, however, was deeply disappointing. I couldn't tell if he actually wanted me to go in or if he was simply unable to defy the crowd, but he remained silent.
My master could only look on, truly powerless. I saw him hesitate several times, wanting to speak, but he swallowed his words each time. It seems that in many situations, power dictates the right to speak; without it, one lacks even the courage to voice an opinion. This truly is the tragedy of the weak.
Seeing my master so conflicted, and knowing I had no way to escape, I decided to step forward myself. It would spare him the agony of a guilty conscience and save his dignity. I addressed them, saying it wasn't that I refused to go in, but that excavating the Earth Spirit Pearl had taken me half a year. Digging through all those layers of stone had been an exhausting task.
Chapter 392