Chapter 23: Debating the Mohists

This was no mere meeting; it was a confrontation, a pointed interrogation meant to strip away all pretense.

Ying Shu’s sword had already been drawn half an inch, its cold blade catching the light. She kept her eyes locked on every move Mo Chen made. Should he pose any threat to Zhao Zheng, she would be upon him in an instant.

"Reverence? Hahaha." Zhao Zheng threw his head back and laughed, though the sound was laced with biting mockery. "Master Mo, you speak incessantly of 'Heaven’s judgment.' Your Mohist school claims to possess peerless mechanical arts, with city defenses that no force under heaven dares to challenge. Tell me then, for whom is such defensive weaponry intended?"

"Naturally, it is to protect the innocent populace, to spare them from the ravages of war and the slaughters of the wicked," Mo Chen replied coldly, though his eyes flickered.

"A fine claim to 'protecting the innocent'." Zhao Zheng stepped forward, staring directly into Mo Chen’s eyes. "Then let me ask you this: if a state were to equip itself with your Mohist defensive gear, building walls as impenetrable as iron, while an enemy army a hundred times its size launched a relentless day-and-night assault, leaving the ramparts stained with blood and the dead piled high—to whose account should that tally be charged? Yours, or their own?"

"That... that is naturally their own burden." Mo Chen frowned; this young man was remarkably sharp-tongued.

Zhao Zheng smiled with disdain. "Do the men of the enemy state not fall within the scope of your Mohist 'universal love'? When they are slaughtered by your machines, impaled on your caltrops, or reduced to charred corpses by your boiling oil—are their lives not lives? Is their blood not blood? Why is it that when I use fire to halt the enemy at my borders and annihilate their fighting strength, it is labeled a 'judgment from Heaven,' yet when your Mohist school assists in holding a city, killing tens of thousands of invaders, you can sit here in this elegant pavilion, pointing your fingers at me and lecturing on the heartlessness of the Dao?"

As Zhao Zheng’s voice trailed off, a deathly silence descended upon the pavilion. Mo Chen’s face twitched, his complexion shifting from green to pale, then to purple. He opened his mouth several times, but not a single word escaped.

"Nothing to say?" Zhao Zheng sneered. "War has never known a 'heartless' or 'merciful' Dao. Whoever wins—they are the Dao."

"Well said! Truly well said."

Just as the last of Zhao Zheng’s words faded, a resonant, aged voice pierced the air. The three in the pavilion looked up abruptly to see an elderly man, draped in black robes with hair and beard as white as snow, leaning on a cane as he approached.

"The Sage of Guigu; the school of Vertical and Horizontal truly lives up to its reputation," the old man praised slowly.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Mo Chen hurriedly stood, bowing deeply with profound respect. "Greetings, Elder Master."

So, this old man was the previous leader of the Mohist school. Zhao Zheng suppressed his surprise and bowed. "Greetings, Elder Master."

Zhao Zheng offered a polite salute; he was an elder, after all, and the proper respect was due. The Elder Master waved a hand kindly at Zhao Zheng. "You have traveled far and are a guest of honor. It is Mo Chen who has been rude." Turning back to Mo Chen, his expression suddenly sharpened. "Mo Chen, why have you not yet offered your apologies to the Master of Guigu?"

Mo Chen’s chest heaved; despite his deep reluctance, he gritted his teeth, took a breath, and bowed to Zhao Zheng. "Master of Guigu, I have offended you. Please forgive me."

"It is of no consequence. As they say, we only get to know one another through a clash." Zhao Zheng laughed heartily, though his mind was clear as a mirror.

This was clearly the trump card. What else could he do? Apologize? What was there to apologize for? It was obvious the old man had stepped in to provide a graceful exit for Mo Chen before he lost further face.

"I previously doubted Lu Buwei’s claim that he had found a perfect successor, but having seen you today, young man, I believe you would thrive even within the Mohist ranks!" The Elder Master looked Zhao Zheng up and down, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.

"You flatter me, Elder Master." Zhao Zheng’s lips twitched. This old fox was no simple character either.

The Elder Master shifted the topic, sighing, "To defeat the State of Wei three times—this is perhaps the greatest setback they have suffered since the days of Wu Qi."

Zhao Zheng shook his head calmly. "Wei has a million armored soldiers. A loss of sixty thousand is not enough to break them."

The Elder Master’s eyes sparkled with worldly insight. "But this battle is enough to grant the State of Qin a vital moment to catch its breath. The tides of the world have already quietly shifted. I fear that from this day forward, nothing will be able to block the Great Qin’s eastward expansion."

Zhao Zheng knew well that for Qin’s rise, only Shang Yang was missing. Once the reforms were successful, it would be like a tiger gaining wings. The rise of Great Qin would be unstoppable.

The Elder Master gazed up at the sky, his voice low. "I see a star in the east, the star of the Chancellor, growing dim, while at the same time, a vastly different star of the General begins to rise... Young man, your era has begun."

The East? The Chancellor’s star? Who could he mean? Zhao Zheng scanned his memory of history, but found a blank slate.

"Mo Chen, you must foster a good relationship with the Master of Guigu," the Elder Master said, turning to the current leader with a meaningful tone.

Mo Chen bowed respectfully. "I shall obey the Elder Master’s command."

"Very well. I shall leave you young people to your conversation." The Elder Master looked at Zhao Zheng one last time, then turned and walked slowly away, his figure disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

As soon as he was gone, the rigid look of respect on Mo Chen’s face collapsed, and he offered Zhao Zheng a wry smile. "As expected of the Guigu school; your eloquence is truly remarkable!" He rubbed his temples, looking speechless. "Truth be told... I only wanted to test you at first. I never expected you to leave me with no room to maneuver."

Mo Chen had simply wanted to test the strength of the man who had burned sixty thousand Wei troops, only to find himself cornered. He was genuinely impressed by Zhao Zheng’s debating prowess.

Zhao Zheng was momentarily taken aback; he hadn't expected that to be the intention. Had he gone too hard? Still, the real masters of rhetoric from Guigu hadn't even emerged yet. Those two were the true masters of debate, who could turn the six states upside down with nothing but their tongues. What was he doing?

"As the saying goes, we only get to know one another through a clash," Zhao Zheng said with a somewhat sheepish smile.

Mo Chen said earnestly, "If you ever have need of me in the future, do not hesitate to ask. I will not refuse."

"I am not one to stand on ceremony." Zhao Zheng’s face lit up, and he seized the opportunity immediately. "There are indeed some things I need the help of the Mohist school to create."

"What are they?" Mo Chen’s mouth twitched. He really didn't stand on ceremony. Still, a strange sense of anticipation welled up within him; whatever this boy brought forth would likely be extraordinary.

"I haven't designed the blueprints yet; I will send them to you in a few days," Zhao Zheng said, shrugging helplessly.

It couldn't be helped. In this era, drawing was extremely difficult, usually done on silk or bamboo slips. But the designs Zhao Zheng had in mind were complex and could not be rendered on such materials. He would have to make some simple paper first, draw them out, and then send them to Mo Chen.

Mo Chen pondered for a moment, then took a simple, pitch-black token from his robes and handed it to Zhao Zheng. "This token is a sign of our Mohist order. We have a branch in the city of Yueyang in your State of Qin. Once you have finished the blueprints, you can take this token directly to our branch. The disciples there will convey the message, and I will come to see you."

"Good." Zhao Zheng accepted the token happily, his heart soaring. This trip had certainly been worth it! With the help of the Mohists, many of his plans would be far easier to realize.

As they parted, Mo Chen’s expression grew serious once more. "The Battle of Black Dragon Gorge has shaken all the states. I expect many are beginning to take a keen interest in you."

"Sigh... it couldn't be helped." Zhao Zheng could only offer a bitter smile. After the destruction of sixty thousand Wei troops at Black Dragon Gorge, he knew that staying under the radar would be difficult from now on.