This Isn't Compassion, This Is Looting a Burning House!

Now.

It was your turn.

Zhao Xuan's words fell.

The Western Sect Golden Letter beside the desk trembled faintly.

Its golden light did not fade.

Instead, it brightened slightly.

A phantom Lotus Throne floated above the letter.

It was faint.

Yet it sent a chill through the hearts of the immortals before the hall.

The Jade Emptiness talisman had already been glaring enough.

But that had at least come from the Pure and Serene One.

This Western Sect Golden Letter promised a seat upon the Lotus Throne.

If Long-Ears left.

Jade Emptiness would give him a path.

The Western Sect would give him a seat.

This was not a letter.

It was a price.

At last, a voice emerged from within the phantom Lotus Throne.

"Little Friend Zhao Xuan."

"Why be so angry?"

The voice was gentle.

And slow.

As if it truly wished to avoid harming their goodwill.

Holy Mother Guiling's gaze turned ice-cold.

"Little friend?"

"Are you worthy of calling my Senior Disciple Brother your little friend?"

Holy Mother Jinling drew her sword half an inch from its sheath.

Zhao Xuan did not move.

He merely looked at the phantom Lotus Throne.

"Speak."

The phantom Lotus Throne fell silent for a breath.

Then it said, "Chang'er Dingguang Xian harbors fear in his heart."

"The Investiture Great Calamity is approaching, and all living beings will suffer."

"My Western Sect saw that his Dao heart was unsettled and offered him a place of refuge."

"This is compassion."

"It is not meant to harm the Jie Sect."

Silence filled the space before the hall.

Several Outer Sect disciples slowly raised their heads.

The look in their eyes changed.

Compassion.

Again, compassion.

Giving Long-Ears a place of refuge.

It made the Western Sect sound as though it were saving him.

Holy Mother Guiling laughed in anger.

"Compassion?"

"You gave him a Lotus Throne."

"What did you expect him to give in return?"

The phantom Lotus Throne said softly, "The Western Sect does not force anyone."

"Those with affinity may come."

"Those without affinity may remain."

"If Long-Ears wishes to come, then he has affinity with the Western Sect."

At last, Zhao Xuan smiled.

Very faintly.

"Affinity."

Daoist Duobao's brows sank.

Zhao Gongming's gaze also turned cold.

They had heard those words too many times over the years.

When the Western Sect coveted a spiritual treasure, it called it affinity.

When it coveted a disciple, it called it affinity.

When it coveted providence, it called it affinity too.

It was as though the moment those two words were spoken, every debt could be written off.

Zhao Xuan looked at the phantom Lotus Throne.

"Long-Ears is one of the Seven Attendant Immortals of the Jie Sect."

"You offered him a seat upon the Lotus Throne."

"And you call that affinity?"

The phantom Lotus Throne said, "All living beings possess the heart to seek the Dao."

"Jie Sect disciples may also listen to the wondrous teachings of the Western Sect."

Zhao Xuan nodded.

"They may."

The phantom Lotus Throne paused.

Zhao Xuan said, "If Jie Sect disciples wish to hear the wondrous teachings of the Western Sect."

"Then come openly to Golden Turtle Island and ask."

"Say it before our master."

"Say it before the Ten Thousand Immortals of the Jie Sect."

"Do you dare?"

The phantom Lotus Throne did not answer.

Zhao Xuan said, "You do not."

"That is why you did not come to Golden Turtle Island."

"You went to find Long-Ears."

"You did not ask the Jie Sect."

"You asked him whether he wanted a Lotus Throne."

The golden light of the phantom Lotus Throne faltered slightly.

Zhao Xuan's voice remained calm.

"This is not compassion."

"It is poaching."

Holy Mother Guiling gave a cold laugh.

Holy Mother Jinling's sword slid another half inch free.

The phantom Lotus Throne was silent for a moment.

Its voice remained gentle.

"Little Friend Zhao Xuan, your words are too harsh."

"The Western Sect merely gave Long-Ears a way out."

"Under the Investiture Great Calamity, everyone wants to live."

"Long-Ears fears death."

"Is that wrong?"

Those words again.

Was it wrong to fear death?

The expressions of many Jie Sect disciples before the hall darkened.

Long-Ears had already used those words to suppress them once.

Now the Western Sect was using them again.

This time, no one wavered.

Zhao Xuan looked at the Lotus Throne.

"Fearing death."

"Is not wrong."

"Giving those who fear death a path."

"Is not wrong either."

The golden light of the phantom Lotus Throne eased.

Then Zhao Xuan's next words fell.

"But the path you offered."

"Why did it bypass the Jie Sect?"

Silence fell before the hall.

Zhao Xuan raised his hand.

The Western Sect Golden Letter slowly flew up.

It came to rest above the Investiture of the Gods Accountability Ledger.

"Write."

The General Ledger opened.

Its pages rustled softly.

[The Western Sect Golden Letter entered Golden Turtle Island.]

[It promised a Lotus Throne seat to one of the Jie Sect's Seven Attendant Immortals.]

[Tongtian was not informed.]

[The Jie Sect was not informed.]

[It was secretly delivered to Long-Ears.]

As the five lines appeared.

The golden light of the phantom Lotus Throne finally became unstable.

"Little Friend Zhao Xuan."

"This matter has not come to pass."

"Long-Ears has not entered the Western Sect."

"Why record it so heavily?"

Zhao Xuan looked at it.

"It did not come to pass."

"Because my Jie Sect beheaded Long-Ears first."

"Not because your Western Sect did not reach out."

The phantom Lotus Throne had no reply.

Zhao Xuan said, "If a blade does not strike someone."

"Does that mean it is no longer a blade?"

"If a path is not taken."

"Does that mean it is no longer a path?"

"If Long-Ears did not enter the Western Sect."

"Does that mean you never promised him a Lotus Throne?"

Three questions fell in succession.

The phantom Lotus Throne fell completely silent.

The Outer Sect disciples before the hall looked at the golden letter.

Their gazes grew colder and colder.

At last, they understood.

Long-Ears had not suddenly found a way out.

Someone had been paving that road for him all along.

Jade Emptiness had given him one path.

The Western Sect had gained an entry.

He stood within the Jie Sect.

Yet outsiders had long since put a price on him.

Zhao Xuan picked up his brush.

And continued writing.

[This matter remained unresolved.]

[It was not the Western Sect that acted.]

[It was the Jie Sect that settled it first.]

The phantom of the Lotus Throne finally spoke.

Its voice was no longer quite so gentle.

"Zhao Xuan."

"Must you insist on making enemies of the Western Sect?"

Holy Mother Guiling stepped forward.

"It was your Western Sect that reached into Golden Turtle Island first!"

Zhao Xuan raised a hand.

Gui Ling stopped.

He looked at the phantom Lotus Throne.

"I am not making enemies with you."

"I am keeping accounts."

The phantom Lotus Throne said in a deep voice, "Accounts?"

"When has the Western Sect ever owed the Jie Sect anything?"

Zhao Xuan raised his eyes.

"It owes us from now on."

The moment those words fell.

The fingers of several Outer Sect disciples before the hall suddenly tensed.

Even Daoist Duobao looked up.

It owed them from now on.

This was not a verbal dispute.

It was pinning the hand the Western Sect had extended onto the ledger.

The phantom Lotus Throne finally stopped feigning compassion.

Its golden light dimmed slightly.

"The Western Sect is impoverished."

"And thirsts for worthy talent."

"If any Jie Sect disciple is willing to hear the Western Sect's wondrous teachings, they should not be regarded as betraying their sect."

Zhao Xuan said, "Whoever wishes to hear the teachings."

"Come forward yourself."

"Whoever wishes to leave the sect."

"Say it to our faces."

"Whoever wishes to enter the Western Sect."

"First settle all karmic ties with the Jie Sect."

He paused for a breath.

"If your Western Sect dares accept them face-to-face."

"Then my Jie Sect will settle matters face-to-face."

The phantom Lotus Throne fell silent.

Zhao Xuan said, "But you did not."

"You only dared secretly send golden invitations."

"You only dared, before the Investiture of the Gods began and while hearts were still unsettled, to first leave the Jie Sect's disciples a way out."

He looked at the Lotus Throne.

His voice was very soft.

"This is not called compassion."

"It is called exploiting a crisis."

Holy Mother Wudang closed her eyes.

Daoist Duobao looked at that golden invitation.

The fingers hidden in his sleeve slowly curled tight.

He recalled the future Zhao Xuan had spoken of.

Transforming Hu into Buddha.

Entering the Western Sect.

So the path truly would be offered ahead of time.

Zhao Xuan did not look at Duobao.

He lifted his brush and continued writing in the General Ledger.

[The Western Sect took advantage of the Investiture of the Gods not yet beginning to secretly promise Jie Sect disciples Lotus Thrones.]

[In name, compassion.]

[In truth, exploiting a crisis.]

The golden light of the phantom Lotus Throne shuddered.

"Zhao Xuan!"

Zhao Xuan looked up.

"Did I write it wrong?"

The phantom Lotus Throne did not answer at once.

Zhao Xuan said, "If you think it is wrong."

"Change it now."

Those words again.

Wrong.

Then change it.

But how could it be changed?

The golden invitation was real.

The Lotus Throne was real.

The secret delivery was real too.

So-called compassion could not conceal those three things.

The phantom Lotus Throne was silent for a long while.

At last, it said, "This matter can be brought back to the Western Sect for investigation."

Holy Mother Guiling sneered.

"Jade Emptiness just said they would investigate."

"Now you say the same."

"What?"

"Whenever a hand reaching into my Jie Sect is caught, does it always have to go back and investigate slowly?"