Talking of Murder Under the Moon

"Kill people?"

Gu Shao'an was a little confused.

It seemed he hadn't expected Zhou Zhiruo to be sitting here alone, lost in thought late at night, because of this problem.

"In the evening, I heard Eldest Senior Sister say that the reason Master brought us along for this bandit suppression was to take us to kill people, and only by killing could we build courage," Zhou Zhiruo said.

Zhou Zhiruo's voice was very soft, even giving a timid impression.

Gu Shao'an could clearly feel the confusion and fear in Zhou Zhiruo's tone.

Gu Shao'an frowned slightly.

Judging from what Miejue had said during the day, it was indeed possible that they were brought along for this bandit suppression to gain experience.

However, from Gu Shao'an's understanding of Miejue, she was extremely upright in her actions.

She wouldn't go so far as to force children of only eleven or twelve years old to kill people.

Especially since these two children were Miejue's own disciples.

Therefore, in Gu Shao'an's opinion, the most Miejue would do by bringing them down the mountain this time was to use the opportunity to let them both act and try to face enemies firsthand.

It was absolutely impossible for them to have blood on their hands and their minds tainted at such a young age.

Naturally, for Ding Minjun to say such a thing to Zhou Zhiruo was a bit excessive.

Thinking of this, Gu Shao'an spoke, "Senior Sister, don't worry! We only recently joined Master's sect. Considering our strength, status, and age, why would Master let us kill people?"

"I imagine these words were just Second Senior Sister trying to scare you."

Zhou Zhiruo turned her head, her large eyes staring at Gu Shao'an, her tone carrying a hint of anticipation, "Really?"

Hearing this, Gu Shao'an smiled and replied, "Of course. We are both young and our minds are not yet set. Master is kind-hearted, how could she let us do such things prematurely? Senior Sister need not worry about this."

Although Gu Shao'an was the junior disciple, in the month since he joined, not only Miejue, but also Zhao Jingxuan and Bei Jinyi had praised him constantly.

Even Ding Minjun, who was usually sharp-tongued and unforgiving, couldn't find any fault with Gu Shao'an.

Not to mention Zhou Zhiruo.

In Zhou Zhiruo's heart, although Gu Shao'an was her junior disciple, he was learned, diligent, and hardworking, understanding far more than she did.

Since Gu Shao'an said it, things were bound to be as he said.

With that, Zhou Zhiruo felt a sense of relief, and the worries weighing on her heart diminished considerably at this moment.

Perhaps it was because the night wind was a bit cool, Zhou Zhiruo, whose foundation in inner force was still rather weak, couldn't help but move closer to Gu Shao'an.

After resting her shoulder against Gu Shao'an's shoulder, Zhou Zhiruo looked up at the sky again.

After a long while, Zhou Zhiruo spoke again, "Junior Disciple, do you think, in the future, we will also have to kill people?"

Sticking the wooden sword into the ground beside him, Gu Shao'an thought for a moment before honestly replying, "The martial world is dangerous. Sometimes, even if we don't want to provoke trouble, trouble will still find us. Fighting and killing are inevitable in the future."

Zhou Zhiruo asked, "What about injuring but not killing?"

Gu Shao'an shook his head, "If you don't kill a snake, it will come back with a stick. We injure someone but don't kill them, thinking we've shown mercy, but whether others will appreciate it is another matter."

"Perhaps these people we let go will harbor ill intentions, hide in the shadows, and wait for an opportunity to retaliate."

"At that time, can Senior Sister guarantee that those people will show us mercy?"

Zhou Zhiruo thought for a moment, then sighed, "Probably not."

Women mature early, and although Zhou Zhiruo was kind, she was not foolish.

Since those people would choose to retaliate, they naturally wouldn't give up easily.

Afterward, seeing that Zhou Zhiruo was still frowning, Gu Shao'an pondered for a moment before speaking again.

"Senior Sister, what kind of people do you think we'll encounter in the martial world?"

Zhou Zhiruo appeared to be thinking, then said, "Eldest Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister have both said that our Emei Sect is a righteous sect and has some fame in the martial world."

"Friends from reputable sects will usually give our Emei Sect some respect."

"Since that's the case, those who fight us are naturally not good people."

Gu Shao'an nodded, "Exactly! Since they are not good people, if we keep them alive, they will continue to do evil and harm others."

"Senior Sister mentioned her background earlier. Let me use Senior Sister as an example, Junior Disciple."

"If the villains who killed Uncle Zhou had met a righteous expert like Master a few days ago, but that person had shown mercy and let these villains go, it would have led to these people flowing to where Senior Sister lived and killing Uncle Zhou."

"Senior Sister, do you think it was good or bad for that righteous expert to show mercy?"

"This..."

Faced with Gu Shao'an's question, Zhou Zhiruo was stunned on the spot, her thoughts in a complete mess, unsure how to respond.

Seeing that Zhou Zhiruo couldn't answer, Gu Shao'an continued, "Senior Sister is right, our Emei Sect is a righteous sect and only targets villains."

"And we must eliminate evil completely. Showing mercy to villains is allowing them to continue doing evil. Our good intentions become their utter ruin."

"But if we act directly and prevent them from continuing to do evil, we can prevent what happened to Senior Sister Zhou from happening to others again."

"Since this is the case, killing those who deserve to be killed is doing good, and letting those who deserve to be killed live is doing evil. Why should we be so conflicted?"

"If Senior Sister truly minds this, she can first determine if the other party is good or evil, and then decide whether to kill them, provided she ensures her own safety."

"But once the decision is made, no mercy should be shown, lest we nurture a tiger that will bring future trouble."

Gu Shao'an's words were plain and direct, yet reasoned and well-founded.

Pondering Gu Shao'an's recent remarks, Zhou Zhiruo's expression showed deep thought.

It was clear she had taken his words to heart.

As Zhou Zhiruo was still very young, all Gu Shao'an could do now was plant a seed in her heart.

When the time truly came to kill, Zhou Zhiruo would be able to accept it more readily.

As for what Gu Shao'an had just said, it was merely his advice to Zhou Zhiruo, not to himself.

The martial world was perilous, and for martial artists, many situations were decided by life and death alone, not right or wrong.

The line between good and bad people was sometimes clear, and sometimes blurred.

In the end, regardless of what was said, the outcome would still be measured by strength.

Therefore, for Gu Shao'an, strength was the ultimate truth.

As long as one was powerful, what did it matter if they didn't eat beef?

At this moment, Zhou Zhiruo asked, "If I don't want to kill someone, can I cripple their martial arts or cut off their limbs, ensuring that after I release them, they won't be able to cause harm?"

Gu Shao'an: "??????"

Gu Shao'an really wanted to ask Zhou Zhiruo if she even knew what she was saying.

Caught off guard by Zhou Zhiruo's sudden, off-topic train of thought, Gu Shao'an, after regaining his composure, shook his head and said, "If it's already reached that point, Senior Sister might as well give them a quick end."

Hearing this, Zhou Zhiruo, also snapping back to reality, stuck out her tongue and said, "That's true!"

Whether it was a sudden deviation in her thinking or Gu Shao'an's words giving her new ideas, Zhou Zhiruo's furrowed brow eased considerably.

The change in her mood made the night mountain wind feel a bit more lively.

Turning her head, she looked at Gu Shao'an's face beside her, still carrying a hint of childishness but already showing a touch of handsomeness, bathed in the dreamlike moonlight, and Zhou Zhiruo smiled gently.

"It's really great having a junior brother!"