The Feeling of Coming Home (Continued)

The old man hurriedly said, "Hand me over to the police..."

"Detain you for a few days, then release you to harm others?" Murong Qing interrupted impatiently, closing her eyes and making a decision. "I don't like those torturous methods, but now I think these methods were created for a reason. A blade has two sides; it can hurt people, but it can also protect them. The saying 'the wicked need the wicked to grind them down' isn't wrong."

The frozen woman panicked and said, "You want to resort to vigilante justice? That's illegal. We've done wrong, and we should be punished by law. That's how people who uphold justice behave."

"The law represents order, not justice. Besides, when have I ever given you the impression that I believe in the 'supreme power of the law'? The law is merely a set of rules made by certain people. If the law can stop evil, I will abide by their rules; if it cannot, then of course I will follow my own rules."

Murong Qing is not Legalist School; he has believed in Mohist School thought since childhood. The idea that "the law is supreme" and "criminals should be handed over to the court for trial" is nonsense in the eyes of Mohist.

If the courts can judge criminals and give them the punishment they deserve, then there's nothing wrong with handing things over to the courts. If they can't, then don't blame the heroes for acting on behalf of heaven.

The Mohist never had the concept that "the government is the master," and naturally, they would not regard the laws formulated by the government as truth.

Murong Qing squatted down and placed her hand on the old man's knee.

"What... what do you want to do? Injuring someone is a crime, it's a crime that lands you in jail! You're so young, do you want to be branded a juvenile delinquent and looked down upon by others? You're young, you have a bright future ahead of you, you shouldn't sacrifice your future for a bad person like me."

The old man was terrified and quickly tried to persuade them, fearing that the other party would break his legs.

"Grandpa, have you ever heard of rheumatism? Seeing how nimble you are, I suppose you've never had it. But I think it's better for someone as active as you to stay home and rest; it's better for both yourself and others."

Murong Qing controlled her Glacier True Qi, condensing it into thin, hair-like ice needles, which she then pierced into her opponent's knee.

This is a torture method from the "Glacier Divine Art" called Bone-Clinging Cold Needle. It is specifically used to control unruly and rebellious individuals. By infiltrating the opponent's acupoints with extremely cold air, one can manipulate the cold air at will, making the opponent wish they were dead.

However, with Murong Qing's current cultivation level, she simply cannot do such a thing. The cold energy she injects will not even affect her daily life. Only when she uses her True Qi to flow through this acupoint will the cold energy cause a backlash. At that time, it will not only numb the muscles and joints, but also be accompanied by a stinging pain like being pricked by needles.

Of course, this method is not ineffective. If the old man himself cultivates fire-attribute Internal Cultivation and reaches level seven, he can dispel the cold energy through gentle, persistent effort. If he relies on someone else, he would need to reach at least level eleven, since the location of acupoints is extremely hidden, and even the person himself may not be able to find them accurately, let alone someone else.

Moreover, with the help of others, there's always the possibility of something unexpected happening. Given the old man's age, after all this trouble, it's unlikely he'll fully recover. If any hidden dangers remain, even his daily life might be affected.

After injecting the Bone-Clinging Cold Needle into the old man's knee, Murong Qing then used it on the rustic woman.

Given the latter's age, a full recovery is possible. However, Murong Qing couldn't bring herself to torture the other party so severely just because they might continue to do evil in the future.

Whether these two people committed the same evil deeds is merely her speculation; there is currently no evidence to prove it. The guilt cannot be pinned on them simply because they may have committed crimes.

"You two may not feel anything unusual now, but if you try to circulate your True Qi, you'll understand what I've done to you... I know that if you're willing to find someone to cure your illness, you can get rid of the cold energy I left behind sooner or later, but at least it will waste a lot of your time, preventing you from harming others. I hope you can repent and reform in the future."

The last sentence was addressed to the woman. The old man was so old, Murong Qing didn't think this lesson could change his values. But the woman still had a long life and an infinite future to look forward to.

After finishing these tasks, Murong Qing clapped her hands and returned to the private room.

Si Ming glanced at it and said, "You've been in a fight? So the commotion in the carriage just now was related to you? I was going to go out and check it out, but it was over in no time. Judging from your expression, you won very easily?"

"I ran into two petty thieves and taught them a lesson."

Murong Qing looked at her palm, savoring the battle just now, and smiled, "Now I'm incredibly glad I accepted your invitation. I've gained so much from this experience... Although it might sound a bit formal, I still want to say thank you."

Si Ming paused for a moment, touched his nose, and said, "It feels a little strange that you're thanking me so formally, but your progress is obvious to all, so I'll humbly accept your thanks."

Perhaps in terms of martial arts, Murong Qing's progress is not as good as Si Ming's, but she has grown a lot in terms of mentality and has become much more mature in her dealings with people. This is something she could hardly have imagined two months ago.

From this perspective, Si Ming, who was responsible for guiding and escorting her, played the role of a "caring grandfather." He not only brought Murong Qing side quests with generous rewards, but also frequently provided guidance and inspiration along the way, helping her grow and allowing her to enjoy the treatment of a protagonist.

"I'm home!"

Looking at the old walls of the orphanage, Si Ming felt a strange sense of peace. He hadn't been back for two months and had actually missed it quite a bit.

Just as he was about to push open the gate and enter the courtyard, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound behind him. He quickly turned around and grabbed it with his hand, only to see an arrow trembling incessantly in his palm, like a struggling fish.

The arrowhead has been removed and replaced with something resembling a piece of chalk. It won't hurt if it hits someone, but it will leave a white mark.

Si Ming looked up and saw a person standing under the street lamp ahead. It was Liu Qingqing, holding a short bow in her hand. She was obviously the murderer.

"It's you. Your archery skills aren't very good; you've only practiced for two months and you're still..."

Before he could finish speaking, an arrow fell from the sky, arcing through the air and striking his bald forehead with a crisp sound.

Si Ming wiped the white powder off his head, surprised. "You're using a feint!"

Liu Qingqing walked over and said, "This move is called Soundless Arrow. It's basically impossible to detect, but because you can't use too much force, it's useless against someone who has practiced Iron Head Skill."

Si Ming noticed the other person's gaze and felt somewhat helpless, but there was nothing he could do. Changes in appearance were obviously easier to notice than changes in cultivation level, and his bald head was just too eye-catching. It was hard not to attract attention. Even strangers would immediately focus their eyes on his head when they saw him, let alone acquaintances.

"This isn't Iron Head Skill; I've practiced other martial arts. My hair will grow back quickly."

Liu Qingqing ignored Si Ming's explanation and touched his bald head as she approached.

"Are you just getting a feel for it?" Si Ming asked with a resigned expression.

"I just think you seem to have grown a lot taller... That's right, you've grown six centimeters." Liu Qingqing looked at her palm and said in a very certain tone.

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but I do feel like I've grown taller."

Si Ming felt that it was most likely the effect of nuclear radiation, which promoted his physical development. After all, he was currently in puberty, the period when his body was growing the fastest.

Of course, it's generally impossible for a teenager to grow three centimeters a month during puberty; otherwise, growing thirty-six centimeters a year would be too frightening.

How's your archery training going?

"So-so. The instructor said I have some talent in archery, but only slightly better than the average person. If I'm willing to spend time practicing, I can master certain skills and become a substitute for the competition team."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No, I had already anticipated this result. If I had no expectations, I wouldn't be disappointed. Besides, I'm not very good at other techniques, but the only one I've been praised by the master as a once-in-a-century genius in the Soundless Arrow. I don't know whether I should be happy or not."