Ideal (Two-in-One)

Xu Yuan broke off a branch about the thickness of a thumb from a dead tree and walked straight into the dark cave passage.

The soft footsteps echoed in the darkness. After an unknown amount of time, Xu Yuan's bloodshot eyes spotted a faint blue-white light at the end of the passageway.

As they walked closer, the blue and white light gradually became brighter, accompanied by rhythmic fluctuations of Source Qi.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan instinctively stopped in his tracks.

It seems that manipulating the array patterns here is not as easy as he imagined, and the work of Xu Xinyao and others is still not over.

After a slight hesitation, Xu Yuan still stepped forward, but he concealed the sound of his footsteps.

At the end of the passageway, at the cone-shaped entrance to the cave, Xu Yuan saw everything inside.

The light emanated from the array patterns on the ground. The girl in blue sat cross-legged in the center of the array with her eyes closed. Strange tools and materials floated around her, and mysterious blue array patterns were rapidly being engraved on the ground.

These newly engraved array patterns intertwine with the original white array patterns on the ground, forming a dazzling sea of light interwoven with blue and white.

Standing at the cave entrance for a while, Xu Yuan gradually realized that the blue array patterns seemed to be constantly eroding and replacing the original white array patterns.

Is this breaking through the formation?

After watching for a while and confirming that the other party couldn't resolve the issue anytime soon, Xu Yuan walked back a short distance and sat down against the inner wall of the passageway.

He won't understand it if I keep watching, so I might as well take a break now.

Although he still possessed cultivation, the two days and two nights without sleep had already given Xu Yuan a faint sense of palpitations, similar to the feeling he had experienced in the morning after pulling an all-nighter in his previous life.

Accompanied by bursts of blinding light, drowsiness, like an endless tide, began to creep over Xu Yuan.

Before long, Xu Yuan caught a familiar scent of lavender, as if it were both far away and right in front of him.

suddenly,

Xu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes. At this moment, everything around him was silent, and the blue and white light he had been using before going to sleep had returned to darkness.

In the hazy state of just waking up, Xu Yuan moved his body and found that something seemed to be covering him.

A flash of crimson light crossed his eyes, and everything in the darkness became clear.

This is a mink coat; the style looks familiar. The lavender scent I smelled earlier must be from this.

With a soft hum, Xu Yuan glanced to the side and, sure enough, saw a quiet girl in blue beside him.

It's Xu Xinyao.

The Fourth Sister's cultivation was slightly stronger than Xu Yuan's, but she couldn't endure two days and nights without sleep.

However, she still didn't sleep, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, her eyes lowered as if she were lost in thought.

Hearing a slight noise beside her, she immediately looked towards Xu Yuan.

Their gazes met in the dimly lit passageway.

They looked at each other for two breaths.

Xu Yuan tossed the mink coat he was wearing back to her and casually asked:

"It worked?"

Xu Xinyao silently accepted the coat, nodded gently, and said in a very soft voice:

"Um"

How are you feeling?

"."

There was no reply.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan snorted softly, let out a long breath, and then asked:

How much time has passed now?

"About seven hours."

"Looks like I slept for quite a long time."

Xu Yuan murmured softly, then looked at her lowered eyes and asked, "Little Four, in three days, how many of the 400,000 people in Shengshan County are still alive?"

"."

There was no reply.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled softly twice, "What, are you going to keep quiet about everything related to Shengshan County?"

"Half."

Her voice was a little hoarse. "Half is left."

"."

The passageway fell silent for a moment.

Although Xu Yuan had some guesses based on Xu Xinyao's behavior, he was still somewhat surprised that Shengshan County had fallen so quickly.

That's too fast.

He originally thought that with the help of the City Protection Array, Colonel Wang could hold out for at least ten days.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan raised his hand and rubbed his temples, which were swollen from sleeping for so long.

If he hadn't heard news of his Fourth Sister in Huanglong Market, given that his father had issued a transfer order from the Imperial Capital, he probably would have arrived just in time to collect her body within ten days.

Seeing her downcast expression, Xu Yuan said softly:

"Two hundred thousand died, but conversely, you also saved two hundred thousand. That's pretty good."

"Third Brother."

"Colonel Wang is truly grateful to you. If he knew that you were the one who resolved this matter, he would send you over now. With his publicity, the people of Shengshan County would probably erect another shrine in your honor."

"Third Brother."

"Luckily, you have some brains and know that you need to come back to Shengshan County to check on the formation before it's finished. But if I hadn't found you, given your leisurely travel pace, this mess would most likely have been pinned on you—no, on our Prime Minister's Estate."

"Third Brother!" Xu Xinyao clenched her fists, her gentle voice tinged with a sob.

"."

Xu Yuan calmly looked at Little Four beside him, offering no words of comfort, and said, word by word:

Now you know why I hit you?

Xu Xinyao said in a low voice:

"Know."

"Why?" Xu Yuan pressed.

Xu Xinyao replied in a low voice:

"If only I had been more careful and finished setting up the formation before leaving..."

"No, you're in such a hurry to go to Jingjiang Prefecture to see me, don't try to pin the blame on your brother."

Xu Xinyao's face turned pale. "That's not what I meant."

I know that's not what you meant.

Xu Yuan leaned his head against the cold stone wall and said, "Actually, I think you should be glad you left early. If you had finished the formation before leaving, you wouldn't have returned to Shengshan County. The Myriad Wanxiang Sect would probably have to spend a long time researching and modifying your Illusion Mist Array, maybe a few months, maybe a year. By then, I definitely wouldn't be staying in Shengshan County anymore. If it becomes like that, then Shengshan County will truly be beyond saving."

After a pause, Xu Yuan casually glanced in the direction of Shengshan County:

"Did you learn this Illusion Mist Array from that old man Jiang He?"

"I figured it out myself."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan raised his hand and patted Little Four's slender shoulder:

"Indeed, very impressive. If the Wanxiang Sect Ghost Mist, the Demon Beast will rush over to deliver it every Spring Tide, completely saving the Wanxiang Sect the trouble of catching nutrients for the Ghost Mist. It's simply amazing."

Her Third Brother's words pierced her wounds like a sharp sword. Xu Xinyao hugged her shoulders, her delicate body trembling slightly.

"I... I just wanted to help them."

Xu Yuan extended his index finger and tapped her forehead:

"Your initial intention to save them was good, but you were just used this time. That's not why I hit you. Your father spent his whole life trying to change this world, but you were playing house with a bunch of scoundrels from various sects. That's why I hit you earlier."

"No."

"What?"

Xu Xinyao looked up at Xu Yuan, her gentle eyes filled with determination:

"This is not child's play; Father's methods will kill many, many people."

Xu Yuan sighed, "Can you stop being so naive? How many people can you save by traveling the world? A million? You could save tens of millions at most with your entire life's work, but how many people die unnatural deaths every year in the entire Great Yan? I believe you've seen that, haven't you? If you want to know, your father won't stop you from finding out. Little Four, you're not stupid, on the contrary, you're very smart. I believe you can see what caused this situation."

Xu Xinyao sniffed. "I'm trying to change these things."

Xu Yuan glanced at her:

"Using your childish tricks?"

"This is not child's play!"

"."

A brief silence,

Xu Yuan rubbed his cheek and let out a long sigh, "Fine, this isn't child's play. If you think Father's method is wrong, then tell me what your method is?"

Xu Xinyao's chest heaved slightly as she quickly whispered:

"I've been to many places, Great Ying Continent is a peaceful place."

"Great Ying Continent?"

Xu Yuan murmured a word to interrupt, then asked:

"You want to extend the Great Ying Continent model to the entire Great Yan world?"

Xu Xinyao nodded:

"Similar, but not entirely copied."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan smiled:

"Judging from the situation in Shengshan County, your methods for helping the people are not bad. You know how to use interests to bind them, instead of naively thinking about relying on the sect's inner goodwill. But why do you start to have unrealistic ideas when it comes to this kind of thing?"

"The peace and tranquility within the Great Ying Continent is largely due to the annual tribute from the Great Ying Continent Heavenly Master Sect. This provides the local government with sufficient funds to eliminate demons and carry out other beneficial projects for the people. This prosperity is entirely built upon the sect's whim."

Xu Xinyao shook her head and replied:

"Third Brother, as you saw before, those people following me are all disciples of high-ranking members of the sect. They have been traveling and are all kind-hearted. If our Prime Minister's Estate supports them to take power, it can greatly resolve the current situation. Moreover, it doesn't have to be just this method. We can also replicate the situation in Jiangnan and use mutual benefits to firmly bind the sect and the local people together."

"."

Xu Yuan listened carefully, pondered for a moment, and then raised two fingers:

"Two questions."

"Third Brother, please ask." Xu Xinyao nodded slightly.

Xu Yuan withdrew one finger:

"First, I may not doubt your judgment in judging people, but have you considered that people can change?"

Xu Xinyao said without hesitation:

"They were all handpicked by me. After spending so much time with them, I know their personalities inside and out. Along the way, even if it meant sacrificing their own interests, they would still do things that we considered meaningful. The dozen or so people who took their leave to return to their sect earlier are also secretly searching for people similar to us."

Looking at the light in her beautiful eyes, Xu Yuan's eyes held a complex expression:

"Let me ask you a different question. Did you ever imagine I would change so much?"

"."

A hint of hesitation flashed in Xu Xinyao's beautiful eyes, and she said softly:

"I've thought about it."

Xu Yuan said in a low voice:

"It's not that I've thought about it, it's that I'm hoping for it, isn't it?"

"."

silence.

Xu Yuan sighed and said softly:

"Little Four, even without using me as an example, this won't work."

"You may be full of enthusiasm and want to change things now, but what about later?"

"Just because things are unchanged now doesn't mean they won't change in the future. Given the current state of the world, your plan will have to last at least ten, twenty, or even fifty years. That's too long. Throughout history, so many wise rulers worked diligently in their early years, but in the end, they all began to indulge in pleasure."

"Reality is far more complex than I can describe; many things cannot be explained in just a few words."

"Even if everything goes smoothly, once these people you mentioned actually come to power, can you stay by their side and influence them forever? Decades of separation mean that family, friends, and disciples—this whole group of people will constantly influence their decisions. How can you be sure that decades from now they will still be the same people you know now?"

"."

Xu Xinyao remained silent for a long time before retorting in a low voice:

"What about Father? Hasn't Father changed?"

Xu Yuan shook his head:

"Although my father has worked tirelessly for the world for decades, the reasons that support him in continuing to do these things now may be completely different from his original intentions decades ago."

"My mother most likely died because of this, and my second brother probably did too. And this is just our family. The number of friends and subordinates my father made in his life who died will only be much greater. These are the reasons why he continued this matter."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan extended his second finger:

"As for your suggestion of using interests to bind the people and sects together, like in Jiangnan..."

With a sigh, Xu Yuan continued:

"It is indeed very safe and prosperous over there, but do you know what? The price of this prosperity is the exhaustion of the imperial court. The local government in Jiangnan has been almost hollowed out by these sects, and it's practically become their stronghold. The people who attacked me earlier were related to the Heavenly Imperial Sect in Jiangnan. In the end, even knowing this, Father just found a group of scapegoats with differing political views to kill. One of the reasons is that the imperial court's reach over there is almost gone."

After he finished speaking, there was a long silence.

In the dimly lit passageway, Xu Yuan looked at the girl beside him:

Are you still holding onto what you believe in?

Her cloud-like hair parted, her long black strands cascading down her chest, and Xu Xinyao spoke softly:

"But how will you know it won't work if you don't try?"

"."

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes turning slightly cold:

"Xu Xinyao, I've already phrased things very tactfully."

"Third Brother, I know, but..."

"You know nothing!"

Xu Yuan interrupted, his voice stern:

"Pursuing ideals requires being down-to-earth."

"Do you think all local sects are like our Prime Minister's Estate? Father gives an order and the people below start working. Their sects aren't a one-man show at all. Various Lineage forces that have been operating for hundreds or thousands of years are deeply entrenched within them. Below the sect are aristocratic Aristocratic Clan, and within those Aristocratic Clan are direct and collateral branches. Further subdivided, within the direct branches, there might be struggles between the first, second, and third branches. If you want to establish a one-man show, you'd have to climb all the way up and eliminate them all, and even then, the slightest mistake could provoke a backlash. Do you think anyone has that kind of ability?"

"In terms of methods alone, among the people I know, only my father has them, but do you think any of your 'friends' are like my father?"

"If you don't believe me, take our Prime Minister's Estate as an example. Our family is simple. My mother's collateral relatives have been dealt with by my father and are no longer of any use, so they don't count. My second brother is also gone. Now it's just you, me, and Xu Changge. If you take me out, it's just you and Xu Changge. Do you really think you can win over Xu Changge?!"

Xu Xinyao's beautiful eyes were slightly misty. "Third Brother, I didn't want to compete."

In the dimly lit passageway, Xu Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air, looked into her eyes, and said, word by word:

Xu Xinyao,

Although you didn't say much, I can roughly understand what you're thinking.

"You can continue to pursue your ideals in your own way, or you can continue to do what you think is right."

"But if you dare to betray our family because of these things, Xu Changge may not be willing to lay a hand on you, but I will."

I had an exam today, so I'm a little late.

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