Yuanshi withdrew his gaze and looked again at Kong Xuan among the top ten disciples.
"If rules trap people, what should be done?"
Being called on, Kong Xuan pondered for a moment.
He was weighing the boundary between "trapping" and "protecting."
From the principles he had come to understand during his years as the Phoenix Clan Leader—
If rules trapped people, then there was something wrong with the rules themselves.
But one could not overturn every rule simply because some were flawed. That was not breaking a deadlock; that was tearing down the house.
"Rules are meant to protect people. People made them, so people can change them."
Yuanshi approved of the answer inwardly. He said nothing more and merely nodded once.
Then he asked Xuan.
"Which matters more, rules or Variables?"
Xuan did not hesitate.
"Rules are the bones, Variables are the blood. Neither can be absent."
Several disciples nearby silently marveled.
Bones held up the body, while blood kept it alive. Rules and Variables were both indispensable. What a perfect analogy.
Yuanshi nodded and asked no more.
Farm Teachings Internal Channel:
"What did that look Saint Yuanshi gave the Sect Master just now mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? It meant, 'Look at the disciples you taught!'"
"The Sect Master lowered his head and drank tea."
"If even the Sect Master does not dare look at Master, we need to behave ourselves even more from now on."
Live Broadcast Jade Talisman:
[Yuanshi asked what rules were. One disciple said, "Rules are meant to be broken," but could not answer after being questioned.]
[Yuanshi did not blame him and told him to think it over again.]
[Kong Xuan answered, "Rules are meant to protect people, not trap them."]
[Xuan answered, "Rules are the bones, Variables are the blood."]
[Yuanshi nodded at