Sitting and Discussing the Dao

Chen Ye truly did not expect Su Chunyi to ask such a seemingly plain question with such solemnity.

However, after a moment of contemplation, he understood her intention.

This was no simple inquiry; it was clearly a "discussion of the Dao" between righteous cultivators.

Sitting down to discuss the Dao to see who shares the same ideals is the highest form of exchange among righteous cultivators.

It is rumored that back when the Demonic Sect was at its peak, the leaders of the five great righteous sects gathered at Lingyun Peak to discuss the Dao for three days. Afterward, they swore a blood oath to form a life-and-death alliance, which managed to carve out a sliver of survival for the righteous path in a desperate situation, allowing them to endure that harrowing catastrophe.

A few years later, however, the Demonic Sect fell into internal chaos. Eighteen Demon Lords fought each other for power and profit, causing the sect to decline from its zenith, and the momentum of offense and defense reversed in an instant.

In Chen Ye's view, the so-called discussion of the Dao is actually a way to gauge whether one's values align. If hearts and minds are in sync, one can entrust their life to the other; this is the way of the righteous path.

Conversely, cultivators of the Demonic Sect could never achieve such righteousness. The vast majority of them are selfish and self-interested. While not every one of them is a deranged murderer, when it comes to seizing cultivation resources, they treat human life like ants, devoid of any moral principles.

When the moment of life and death arrives, how could one expect the Demon Lords to support each other and charge forward bravely?

Everyone harbors the mentality of "let the fellow Daoist die, not me," resulting in no one daring to be the first to charge into battle. Instead, they are suppressed by the righteous path's spirit of unity, leading to the internal collapse and rapid decline of the Demonic Sect.

After that campaign, the world understood where the advantage of the righteous path lies and how precious those with shared ideals truly are.

Honest and kind people may not necessarily practice qi faster than the wicked, but when a critical moment arrives, they can shout in unison to "fight side by side." Internal strife and attrition within the sect are also reduced, and this unity is something the scattered Demonic Sect cannot compare to.

However, acting in this way is not without its drawbacks.

Take the Qinghe Sword Sect, for example. It is a renowned major sect of the righteous path with strict rules and extremely high standards for selecting disciples. How many people can truly uphold the duty of rooting out the strong to help the weak and acting with chivalry for their entire lives?

Therefore, even counting all the fallen disciples, the Qinghe Sword Sect has fewer than a hundred members in total.

As time passes, the stricter the standards, the harder it is for a sect to pass on its legacy. In recent years, many sects have had to reluctantly relax their rules, but some failed to grasp the scale properly, quickly becoming heterodox or even falling into the demonic path.

Chen Ye often felt moved when hearing these stories. The world changes, time shifts, and even the heavens transform, let alone the human heart.

His master, Mo Ci, once mentioned that only a few sects still preserve the tradition of "sitting to discuss the Dao."

Chen Ye had never witnessed a true "discussion of the Dao," but judging by Su Chunyi's posture, this was likely a bit of that.

Logically, Chen Ye should be racking his brains right now, thinking of how to use exquisite rhetoric to convince Su Chunyi and make her believe he is a "like-minded person." If he succeeded, the benefits would be countless.

Yet, facing Su Chunyi's clear yet sharp eyes, he ultimately decided to speak the truth: "If you ask for my true heart, I would say that when cause and effect are settled, it is good; when karmic entanglements are messy and unclear, it is evil."

Su Chunyi's eyes held a trace of doubt as she pressed, "Please, Daoist, explain further."

Chen Ye thought for a moment and continued, "When I first arrived in Cui County, I met Wang Sanqi. This rascal tried to extort me, and after I taught him a lesson, the evil he directed at me was repaid.

"Later, to build my reputation, I cooperated with Wang Sanqi. He completed his performance, and I treated his elderly father; we owed each other nothing.

"In my view, I gained fame, and Wang Sanqi saved his father. This cause and effect was settled perfectly, so that is good."

Su Chunyi's gaze never left Chen Ye for a moment. After listening quietly to these words, she remained silent for a long time before asking, "What about the others who were bullied by Wang Sanqi?"

Chen Ye shook his head slightly and said slowly, "That is their own cause and effect. I only mentioned in passing that Wang Sanqi should compensate and apologize to them. Whether those people forgive him, or choose to retaliate or endure, is entirely their own business.

"Once I obtain what I seek, I will leave this place. Whether Wang Sanqi keeps his word in the future has nothing to do with me."

Su Chunyi frowned slightly, puzzled, "If we follow your words, Daoist, how are the weak supposed to settle their own cause and effect? Can they only endure in silence?"

The corners of Chen Ye's mouth turned up, as if he had expected Su Chunyi to ask this. He replied, "When one is capable, they should benefit the world; when one is poor, they should cultivate their own virtue. How the cause and effect of mortals is settled is a question for immortals to ponder. Once I transcend the mundane and join the ranks of the immortals, perhaps I can ensure everyone in the world receives their karmic retribution."

In this world, there is no concept of the six paths of reincarnation; when a person dies, it is like a lamp going out, and that is the end of it.

This actually made Chen Ye quite curious: if there is no reincarnation, what do true immortals look like?

Rumors say that immortals do exist and in significant numbers, but after they ascend, they are like clay oxen entering the sea, with no news ever heard again. Where exactly do they go?

Whenever he looked up at the vast starry sky, Chen Ye would involuntarily fall into such deep thought, yearning all the more for the mysterious unknown beyond the stars.

Su Chunyi looked as if she had heard something shocking. Her eyes widened as she asked in astonishment, "Ensure everyone in the world receives karmic retribution? How could that be done?"

Perhaps because he was on a roll, Chen Ye continued without thinking, "By settling the accounts after death, of course. If all mortals could be gathered in one place after death, their good and evil deeds during life reflected clearly in a mirror, and then, based on their unsettled cause and effect, those who deserve to be boiled in oil go to the oil pot, and those who deserve to be reborn are reincarnated—wouldn't that mean everyone receives their karmic retribution?"

Su Chunyi pressed again, "Reincarnated? What does that mean?"

"It means being reborn as a human, or livestock, or perhaps flowers, trees, or grass... Uh, I was just speaking off the cuff. I'll think about the specifics once I become an immortal."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Ye cursed inwardly. The six paths of reincarnation were a sensitive topic; it was not something to be discussed casually.

In the eyes of the cultivators of this world, reincarnation is akin to soul-snatching. If he kept talking, he feared Su Chunyi might shout, "Bold demon! I can tell at a glance that you are not human!"

Then, with a flash of sword light, he would be decapitated and die on the spot.

Fortunately, Chen Ye was overthinking. After hearing his wild and imaginative thoughts, Su Chunyi was already lost in shock.

"Settling sins, resolving cause and effect, reincarnation and rebirth? Your grand ambition, sir, truly makes me feel ashamed. Everyone in my Qinghe Sword Sect has racked their brains trying to save the people of the world, yet even our sect leader has never had such a miraculous idea."

"Uh, this isn't exactly my original invention. I'm just repeating what others have said."

Chen Ye felt slightly embarrassed. This wasn't his idea at all; the six paths of reincarnation had undergone countless evolutions before becoming a logically rigorous system.

"You are humble and sincere, sir. I am deeply impressed."

Although he claimed the theory of reincarnation was not his own, Su Chunyi still looked at Chen Ye with newfound respect, even changing the way she addressed him.

Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He had likely passed the "discussion of the Dao" test and probably wouldn't be stabbed to death by this Miss Su.

Su Chunyi blinked her bright, lively eyes and looked at Chen Ye again with that innocent yet seemingly all-seeing gaze, saying earnestly, "I have a major matter that I must ask for your help with, sir."

Chen Ye looked suspicious and asked softly, "Ask for my help? Miss Su, you are too kind. With my level of cultivation, what could I possibly help with?"

Su Chunyi's expression turned grave as she slowly uttered a few words: "It is precisely about the forced conscription of young boys and girls in Cui County."