Seated Discussion on the Dao

Chen Ye truly hadn't expected Su Chunyi to ask such an apparently ordinary question with such solemnity.

But after a little thought, he understood what Su Chunyi was getting at.

This wasn't a simple inquiry at all. It was clearly a "discussion of the Dao" between righteous cultivators.

To sit and discuss the Dao, and see who shared one's ideals—this was the highest form of discourse among righteous cultivators.

It was said that in the old days, when the demonic sects flourished, the leaders of the five great righteous sects gathered at Lingyun Peak. They discussed the Dao for three days, then swore a blood oath and formed an alliance unto death. In the very depths of despair, they won the righteous path a sliver of hope and endured that harrowing catastrophe.

A few years later, however, the demonic sects fell into chaos from within. Eighteen Demon Venerables fought one another for power and profit, and from that point on, the demonic forces declined from their height. The tide of battle turned in an instant.

As Chen Ye saw it, a discussion of the Dao was really a test of whether two people's outlooks on life aligned. If they understood one another, they could entrust each other with their lives. That was how the righteous path behaved.

By contrast, demonic cultivators simply couldn't act with such noble selflessness. Most of them were selfish by nature. Not every last one was a raving murderer, but when it came to seizing cultivation resources, they treated human lives like ants and had no regard for honor or justice.

When faced with life and death, how could anyone expect the Demon Venerables to support one another and charge bravely forward?

Everyone was thinking, "Let my fellow cultivator die, as long as I don't." In the end, no one dared to lead the charge. Instead, they were crushed by the righteous path's united fury. The demonic forces collapsed from within and rapidly declined.

After that battle, the world understood where the righteous path's advantage lay—and just how precious it was to find people who shared one's ideals.

Honest and kind people might not cultivate qi any faster than villains, but when the moment came, they could shout, "Shoulder to shoulder—let's hit them together!" Infighting and waste within their sects also lessened. Such unity was something the demonic sects, scattered like loose sand, could never match.

Still, this way of doing things wasn't without its drawbacks.

Take the Qinghe Sword Sect, for example. It was a renowned great sect of the righteous path, with strict rules and extremely high standards for accepting disciples. How many could truly spend their whole lives upholding the weak and championing justice?

That was why, even counting all the disciples who had fallen, the Qinghe Sword Sect had fewer than a hundred members in total.

Time stretched on, and the stricter the standards, the harder it became to pass on a sect's legacy. In recent years, many sects had reluctantly loosened their restrictions, but some had failed to find the right measure. Before long, they became unorthodox sects, or even fell to the demonic path.

Whenever Chen Ye heard these stories, he often found himself sighing. The sea changed into mulberry fields, the times shifted, and even heaven and earth transformed—not to mention the human heart.

His master, Mo Ci, had once mentioned that only a handful of sects still kept the tradition of "sitting and discussing the Dao."

Chen Ye had never seen a true "discussion of the Dao" before. Judging by Su Chunyi's manner, this was probably what she had in mind.

By rights, Chen Ye should now rack his brains for clever words that would convince Su Chunyi and make her recognize him as "one of her own." The benefits would surely be endless.

But meeting Su Chunyi's clear, keen gaze, Chen Ye finally decided to speak honestly. "If you're asking what I truly believe, then I'd say that when a cause and effect is settled, that is good. When a wicked bond is left to fester, that is evil."

Confusion showed in Su Chunyi's eyes. She pressed him for more. "Please, fellow cultivator, explain."

Chen Ye thought for a moment, then continued. "When I first came to Cui County, I ran into Wang Sanqi. That rogue tried to extort me, so I taught him a lesson. The evil he did to me had already earned its retribution.

"After that, I wanted to make a name for myself, so I worked with Wang Sanqi. He put on his performance, and I treated his elderly father's illness. We owed each other nothing.

"In my view, I gained a reputation, and Wang Sanqi saved his father. That cause and effect was settled perfectly. That was good."

Su Chunyi never took her eyes off Chen Ye as she listened in silence. Only after a long while did she ask, "What about the other people Wang Sanqi bullied?"

Chen Ye gave a slight shake of his head and replied in an unhurried voice, "That is their cause and effect. I only casually suggested that Wang Sanqi compensate those people and apologize. Whether they forgive him, choose revenge, or endure in silence—that is their own affair.

"Once I obtain what I came for, I'll leave this place. Whether Wang Sanqi keeps his promise afterward will have nothing more to do with me."

Su Chunyi's brows drew together slightly. "If I understand you, then how are the weak supposed to settle their own cause and effect? Must they simply endure in silence?"

Chen Ye's lips curled upward, as though he had expected Su Chunyi to ask this. He replied, "When prosperous, help all under heaven; when poor, keep your own integrity. How ordinary people settle their cause and effect is something immortals ought to consider. Once I transcend the mortal world, attain sainthood, and take my place among the immortals, perhaps I'll be able to make sure everyone under heaven receives the retribution they deserve."

In this world, there was no such thing as the Six Paths of Reincarnation. When a person died, it was like a lamp going out: everything ended.

That left Chen Ye full of curiosity. Without reincarnation, what were real immortals like?

According to the stories, immortals truly existed, and there were quite a few of them. But once they ascended, they vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea, never to be heard from again. Where had they gone?

Whenever he gazed up at the vast starry sky, Chen Ye couldn't help falling into such thoughts. The mysterious unknown beyond the stars filled him with ever-growing longing.

Su Chunyi stared wide-eyed, as if she'd just heard something earth-shattering. "Make sure everyone under heaven receives the retribution they deserve? How could that be done?"

Perhaps Chen Ye had gotten carried away, because he answered without a second thought. "Settle the accounts after they die. If all ordinary people could gather in one place after death, with a bright mirror showing every good and evil deed they'd committed in life, then those whose cause and effect remained unsettled could be sent to the boiling oil, while others could be reincarnated. Wouldn't that make sure everyone received the retribution they deserved?"

Su Chunyi pressed him again. "Reincarnated? What does that mean?"

"To be born again as a human, or a beast, or even a flower or tree... Er, I was just saying whatever came to mind. I'll work out the details after I become an immortal."

As soon as the words left Chen Ye's mouth, he knew he'd blundered. The Six Paths of Reincarnation were such a sensitive topic—he couldn't just talk about them carelessly.

To cultivators in this world, reincarnation was nearly the same as possessing another's body. If he kept going, he feared Su Chunyi would shout, "You audacious fiend! I can tell at a glance that you're no human!"

Then a streak of sword light would flash by, and he'd lose his head and die on the spot.

Fortunately, Chen Ye had worried for nothing. After hearing his wild imaginings, Su Chunyi had already fallen into shock.

"Settling the accounts for one's sins, resolving cause and effect, and being reborn through reincarnation? Sir, your ambition is so great that it puts me to shame. Everyone in the Qinghe Sword Sect has pondered how to save the people under heaven. Even our sect leader has never come up with such an extraordinary idea."

"Er, this wasn't entirely my own invention. I was only borrowing the wisdom of others."

Chen Ye felt a little awkward. This idea wasn't his at all. The Six Paths of Reincarnation had evolved through countless iterations before becoming a system with such airtight logic.

"Sir, your humility and sincerity are truly admirable."

Though Chen Ye had said the idea of reincarnation wasn't his own, Su Chunyi still regarded him in a new light. She even changed the way she addressed him.

Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He'd probably passed this discussion of the Dao. At least he wouldn't be run through by Miss Su's sword.

Su Chunyi blinked her bright eyes and looked at Chen Ye again with that innocent gaze that seemed to see through everything. She said earnestly, "There's an important matter I'd like to ask for your help with, sir."

Chen Ye looked puzzled and asked tentatively, "You want me to help? Miss Su, you're giving me too much credit. What could I possibly do with my level of cultivation?"

Su Chunyi's expression turned grave. She slowly uttered a few words. "It's the matter of Cui County forcibly conscripting boys and girls."