Chapter 620 463 Morality_2

Tulong Jian glanced at him, and seeing the fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead, he lowered his head contemplatively. After they had flown for a while, he said softly,

"Senior... I have always kept the gratitude of that year in my heart, why not speak of it in detail?"

He paused, only to see Li Yuanjiao bow slightly and express his thanks. Tulong Jian continued to ask,

"May I know who it is?"

"After Li Yuanjiao finished speaking, Tulong Jian fell into a sudden silence, which lasted quite some time before he finally spoke,

"This man has more than one Zifu Spirit Instrument on him."

Li Yuanjiao's eyelids twitched, and he fell silent, gripping the sword in his hand, thinking to himself,

"The situation has become troublesome..."

Tulong Jian seemed hesitant, gazing intently for several moments before he said softly,

"Senior... why must we kill him?"

Li Yuanjiao outlined the enmity between the Yu Family and the Li Family briefly, and after hesitating for a moment, he added,

"My Li Family must advance further... whether it is for territory or connections... this man must die... If we cannot kill him, let him ascend to Zifu, and with my family's circumstances... there will never be another opportunity to prevail. Yu Muxian is ruthless and merciless, he will not hold back."

Tulong Jian pondered for a moment, his expression intriguing, and said softly,

"When all is said and done, it's still a conflict of interests, harming lives for the sake of gain."

Li Yuanjiao was silent for a moment, his voice a bit hoarse,

"That's right... Yu Muxian has been practicing in seclusion at Green Pond since he was eight years old, and there has never been any mention of him harming anyone..."

Li Yuanjiao's vision grew dim, his Immortal Foundation shook, and he felt a wave of fear, feeling powerless. The fine sweat on his face increased, and unable to help himself, he said,

"We are different from you; in this life... the most we have done is walk on thin ice. The deeds we perform are not always honorable... whether it is killing for wealth, killing for self-preservation, or killing for the family... some people shouldn't have to die."

"The number of people who have died at my hands is countless; I'm not afraid of death, nor do I claim to be righteous. I don't compare the severity of my actions. Speaking of which, my family on Wangyue Lake has also killed many people, including the innocent."

"The path of Taoism stretches afar; are all those who stand in the way necessarily wicked? It is never the case that simply being content with the dew of heaven and earth, and drifting with the Immortal Qi, brings peace and order... My family... is just struggling to survive."

Li Yuanjiao stood with his hands behind his back, the Green Peak at his side humming loudly. A cool breeze passed through Shengyang Mansion, and his expression gradually became tranquil. He said softly,

"I am not trying to justify myself; I am simply not a good person by nature. My family treats the common people and Loose Cultivators well, we do not practice with blood and Qi, and I seldom harm others without cause. But when it comes to matters that concern our future existence, I, Yuanjiao, cannot step back."

Tulong Jian looked at him blankly for a moment and replied,

"Senior, you have misunderstood me..."

He was silent for a few moments, as if he had something else to say, but then a heavy drumming sound arose from between heaven and earth.

"Boom!"

Both of them looked up to the sky, but amidst the vast array of stars, a streak of white light appeared, and a mist fell from above, and amidst the flickering starlight, a vague silhouette of a jade screen appeared.

The jade screen was covered with dense lines and names of various sizes inscribed on it, looking quite indistinct within the mist. Several streaks of light rose from the horizon, flying towards the jade screen.

"Boom!"

The second muffled drumming sound rang out, and Tulong Jian quickly said,

"Senior! The [Three Drums Screen] has descended, let us go and see it first, we can discuss this matter later!"

The two soared into the wind, and Tulong Jian gently caressed the black and red Token, his Spiritual Sense stirring slightly,

'What madness has possessed you! Why influence him with Divine Skills so recklessly!'

The Token stirred, a feeble Spiritual Sense transmitting,

'You are the mad one! Why would you want to offend Yu Muxian! I know you still think of those old favours, but influencing him to back off on his own accord, wouldn't that be for the best?'

'It's just that my power has waned... and this man's dao heart is firm... he has actually managed to break free on his own...'

Tulong Jian's Qi did not come from just one place, but at this moment he couldn't erupt in anger, so he could only fly up into the clouds sullenly and take a look into the distance.

Among the clouds, quite a few figures had already taken their places. Several old acquaintances stood in the mist, silently watching the jade wall, quietly waiting. Tulong Jian whispered to Li Yuanjiao behind him,

"This is a chance for everyone... Please wait a moment, senior."

The two stood in the sky for a while, and the misty fog on that cloud slowly dissipated, revealing a jade bi densely engraved with ancient seal characters, all of them names of cultivation techniques.

Within the clouds, the scene was extremely splendid, as nearly everyone from the entire Cave Heaven was hidden in these clouds. Various Taoist robes and vestment robes, colorful and bright, and magical artifacts and spiritual objects, each radiated their own light, all performing spells, focusing intently.

"Thud!"

The third drum sound finally rang out, and no one moved. In front of the jade bi, two figures emerged.

One figure was tall and slim, dressed in a white robe, the style of which was very ancient, his hair flowing down, trailing in two white streamers, his face obscured in haze, making it hard to see clearly. Behind his head, a halo of gold and white light circled, evidently no ordinary person.

The other figure appeared to be a youth, sitting on the edge of a cloud with his legs dangling, leaning against the three-drum wall, holding a jade pot in one hand, slowly tilting it towards his mouth, his face equally indistinct, his other hand resting on his knee.

The youth spoke softly,

"Junior has always been puzzled about one thing and wonders if senior could provide an answer."

The standing figure nodded slightly, and the youth said quietly,

"Is there really such a thing as morality in the world?"

"I have traveled across South River and the East Sea, seen many people and things... Disputes in the world, first come from greed, second from emotions, and only third from morality."

He asked,

"Regardless of whether they are good or bad, to kill them in order to aid one's cultivation, can it be called moral?"

The figure in white shook his head affirmatively, and the youth laughed softly, before continuing,

"If it's wrong to kill people for cultivation, then is it moral to kill people for treasures?"

The figure in white shook his head slightly, and the youth went on,

"Then, to fight and harm others for other people's Taoist lineage and treasures, can it be called moral?"

"If harming and killing others for the sake of robbing possessions goes against morality, then forcing others into servitude is immoral, and levying lands, collecting salaries are likewise acts of plunder! Low buying, high selling, and deceiving others for money also violate morality!"

The youth's voice was light,

"Then, in this case, I would ask senior, since people began to live together, have those in high positions ever had morality? Have the followers ever had morality?"

The person in white shook his head gently,

"It's precisely because of the greed in people's hearts that we, endowed with the power of heaven and earth, must take action to rectify the world's wrongs, correct people's behavior, and maintain our own morality... cultivate in the world to right the path of the world."

The youth straightened up, staring at him, his voice growing colder,

"If we go by what senior says, Wei Country is still practicing Mingyang, not to mention the three wives and four concubines, but also creating that set of emperor's hierarchy, centralizing power, and establishing the rules of respect and veneration, completely disregarding the principle of ruling by doing nothing! Do the cultivators in today's world have any morality?"

He let out a cold laugh,

"This is what you mean, cultivate, cultivate, cultivators do nothing and are born sinners! As long as there's any injustice in the world, it's all blamed on me, how can it be? How can it be? What does it have to do with me!"

His tone was chilly, and though he called the other 'senior,' there was little reverence in his voice. He seemed audacious, while the person in white spoke softly,

"In the times of ancient antiquity, men and women intermingled without shame in their nakedness, and coupling was also moral. In the remote ancient times, when the world lacked order, those with the ability to acquire spiritual treasures were moral. Now that emperors and officials rule the world, respecting the parent figure is also morality. Morality, like the fruit of the Way, changes, and is not a dead thing."

"Oh?"

The youth laughed heartily, uncontrollably, as the figure in white watched quietly until the youth reined in his laughter and responded,

"So 'morality' for senior is like the dandelion fluff in the wind, changeable whenever! All you do is look up to heaven, and whatever the heavenly tribulation says goes. Being led by the nose like an ox plowing the field, directed wherever it's pointed!"

He spoke with an ominous tone,

"Remember well, senior, that one day, killing for cultivation might also become moral! After all, the sin is not mine, the sin belongs to the times, to the heavens!"