Hearing the question, Pan Long's heart jolted. He guessed what lay behind it and replied, "If a relative of mine were murdered, of course I would report it to the authorities."
"Report it to the authorities?!" the man cried, astonishment filling his voice. "From the way your aura circulates, you count as an expert in the mortal world. If someone killed your family, shouldn't you kill the murderer yourself?"
"The court has its laws," Pan Long replied. "Right and wrong must be judged according to those laws. We practice martial arts to protect ourselves, not to use our skills to fight for dominance, much less disregard right and wrong."
The man's strong brows drew together. "Are you saying that taking revenge yourself means disregarding right and wrong?"
Before Pan Long could answer, the woman spoke. "Brother, don't make things difficult for him. He's merely cautious and afraid of trouble."
The man nodded and said grimly, "How much room is there for right and wrong when my family is dead? I'll take revenge! Whether my enemy was acting as a hero or is held in the highest esteem... what does that have to do with me? I only want blood repaid with blood!"
Pan Long did not answer. He did not want to answer that question.
Emotionally, he actually agreed with them. If someone killed his family, why would he care about right and wrong? Why distinguish the good from the wicked?
Their life would come first!
The sages had said to repay kindness with kindness and resentment with fairness. They stressed that one must not pursue a private vendetta: even if someone bore you a grudge, you should still treat them fairly and impartially. What did that look like? Recommend your own kin when they were worthy, and do not