IS Chapter 139

Chapter 139

At the mention of cultivation, these people quickly scattered like startled birds and beasts.

To avoid further complications, Ye Zhuo also intended to leave this troublesome place.

Li Yuan watched him looking at the green fruit in his hand.

“Is it too hot to handle?” Li Yuan chuckled.

It couldn’t exactly be called too hot, but accepting something without merit was unwarranted. In the end, it was merely a matter of people trying to kill him, him killing them, and then him practicing his sword.

“It wasn’t my intention, I don’t want to accept it,” Ye Zhuo said, tossing the fruit into Li Yuan’s arms, then turning to head towards Misty Green Peak.

Li Yuan took half a step back and walked alongside him, “It’s always said, judge by actions, not intentions. Doing good for the world, dispelling the clouds to see the sun, isn’t that ultimately a good thing?”

“You say I did a good thing because the people I killed were doing what you call ‘bad things’,” Ye Zhuo’s voice was indifferent, “If they hadn’t done bad things, and I had killed them, you would have said I did a bad thing.”

“That’s not right. If they were truly properly cultivating the Dao, they wouldn’t have run into your sword. The Second Palace Master Ye is mostly a reasonable person,” Li Yuan said, “Like me back then, I didn’t attack you for no reason, nor did I stir up trouble and harm the world, yet you drew your sword against me, that’s doing a bad thing.”

So many years after the fact, the matter was already set in stone, yet he was still beating the drum and crying injustice. Thinking about it carefully, his intentions were unfathomable.

Ye Zhuo: “Then the spiritual herbs that grow on the ground, the beasts that hide in the mountains, living without conflict, if people encounter them, pick them, kill them, is that also doing a bad thing?”

Li Yuan was pensive.

Until they approached the Cold Pool, and Misty Green Peak was in sight, Li Yuan was still pensive.

In truth, the world had no inherent good or evil, only the human heart made distinctions. Ye Zhuo was merely casually choking him with a retort, not genuinely asking a question.

Just as he was about to toss this dragon into the Cold Pool to cultivate, he suddenly heard Li Yuan say something out of the blue, “Because the world is different.”

Ye Zhuo looked at him.

He saw Li Yuan’s gaze burning as he looked at him.

“Speaking of good and evil, it’s all within the world,” Li Yuan said, “In ancient times, when heaven and earth first opened, the realms fought fiercely and rivers of blood flowed. No one spoke of good or evil, only of success or failure, because even life and death were uncertain. Now that the realms are stable, we speak of good and evil, morality. Because everyone has life, if there is no mortal danger, one should not harm another’s life. And being killed justifies killing.”

“But beyond life and death, there is also the struggle for profit, the contention for cultivation. So taking spiritual materials, picking immortal herbs, no one will say that this is bad. Because the world’s concept of good and evil has not yet reached that point.”

“If one day, all mortals are provided for, all cultivators take what they need, seeking only inner peace and not external objects, then people might feel that grass and trees have hearts, and beasts have spirits. On that day, picking immortal herbs and killing spiritual beasts will also become bad, things that should not be done. That kind of world would be better than the present, but we are not yet within it.”

Under the Yulan Magnolia Tree on the peak, Ye Zhuo raised his eyes, meeting Li Yuan’s gaze. This person was looking at him, as if wanting to wait for him to say something as well.

“So,” Ye Zhuo said, “You use the world’s good and evil to restrain yourself, to be a good dragon?”

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I will naturally abide by the world’s good and evil, but beyond that, there is also my own good and evil. I will do what I think is good, and I will not do what I think is bad. If someone thanks me for what I do, I will gladly accept it. Because I myself feel that I am following my own path and doing well,” Li Yuan said.

“Ye Zhuo, when the day comes that you have finished what you need to do, when your heart has some leeway, you can also try this. On that day, you might remember that you blocked the Upper Purity Mountain’s plan, protected the human realm, and prevented the ghost realm from invading, which was good. You defended the Micro-Snow Palace, repelled the Upper Purity Mountain, allowing many sects to breathe, which was also good. Maybe at that time, remembering the scene of them thanking you today, you will also feel that you are very good.” He weighed the green fruit, and then tossed the Sixth Palace Master’s gift into Ye Zhuo’s arms, “At that time, you will bathe and burn incense, and then eat this fruit, how about that?”

One fruit, and such a grand ceremony. Dragon Li Yuan always had some inexplicable notions. Ye Zhuo remained noncommittal.

Li Yuan leaned against the Yulan Magnolia Tree, the setting sun and remaining glow spread out before him. He looked at the tips of Ye Zhuo’s hair, a bit of floating light, like golden flowing brilliance. The slanting rays of the setting sun fell on this person’s profile. Originally without a single thing, perhaps he was truly unintentionally saving the world, but in truth, he had no intention of harming anyone.

“Actually, you have your own true heart,” Li Yuan said softly, “You asked me about killing spiritual beasts, picking medicinal herbs. Actually, if you had no demands and no worries, you would also be someone who doesn’t pluck flowers he sees.”

As he spoke, Ye Zhuo had already taken the first bite of the fruit. Who knew how much this person had actually heard, anyway, he was always impossible to reason with. This person actually understood everything, not needing anyone to teach him.

He just wanted to let Ye Zhuo know what he was thinking in his heart.

“As for the matter between you and me, you won, so you plucked my scale. I had my scale plucked, so I will come to the human world to kill you again. I accept it, and you accept it. It seems there is no need to say anything more.”

He then saw that after Ye Zhuo took that first bite, he silently stopped.

“…”

Li Yuan reached out and took the fruit back. Round and round it went, and in the end, it was still up to him to eat it. This was the Sixth Palace Master’s taste.

Ye Zhuo’s gaze fell on Li Yuan, quietly scrutinizing him.

Suddenly, he laughed softly.

“What are you laughing at?”

“People speak of good and evil, sages and rulers speak of benevolence and virtue,” Ye Zhuo said, “Dragon Li Yuan, you can also be considered half a sage.”

“Oh?” Li Yuan asked, “Are you praising me or scolding me?”

“The former.”

Li Yuan was dubious.

“What about the other half?”

“The other half, must wait until a lifetime of constancy, until the coffin is sealed to make a final judgment.”

“So you humans are too troublesome,” Li Yuan said, “I am a dragon. Being a sage, doing it for a moment is enough.”

“Which moment?”

Li Yuan smiled slightly, “Naturally, it was the moment you praised me just now.”

Dragon Li Yuan’s words had become increasingly full of Zen lately. He wasn’t a weasel, still wanting to be conferred a title. Ye Zhuo looked past him towards the front. The mountain ranges of Green Mountains stretched and undulated in the boundless sea of clouds.

In truth, he rarely truly looked at Green Mountains. His cultivation was still insufficient; he didn’t have the leisure to appreciate the scenery. But standing here, all around was quiet, and he actually thought of its scenery in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in sunny, cloudy, rainy, and snowy weather.

Actually, Ye Zhuo didn’t know what he was thinking at this moment.

“Reluctant to part?” Li Yuan said, “When you reach the Immortal Realm, you might as well find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and establish a sect. Perhaps someday they will ascend and gather again to form the Micro-Snow Palace. Remember to put a Spirit Pool for me.”

Ye Zhuo shook his head slightly. What he was thinking about didn’t seem to be this.

Perhaps the human world was like morning dew, floating clouds interfering with karmic bonds, eventually turning to dust.

The setting sun sank, leaving only layers of golden-red remnants on top of the sea of clouds. The evening breeze blew over, then suddenly fell silent.

Until Li Yuan said, “Ye Zhuo?”

“Why did you come to the human world?” Ye Zhuo suddenly asked him.

Rare, for Ye Zhuo to ask someone about where they came from. So Li Yuan thought seriously about it, but there was nothing to think about.

He said, “On a whim.”

At that time, he was wandering the four seas, perhaps in the Dragon Realm, perhaps going to other realms, when he happened to hear a senior of the Dragon Race say that the East Sea was connected to another world, so he came to the human world.

In short, at the time, it was just on a whim.

Perhaps on a whim, he would never have come to the human world. Then who would Ye Zhuo have gone to harm? Never mind.

Li Yuan: “Then why did you go to the East Sea?”

“To comprehend the heavenly sea.”

“The human world has four seas.”

“Because the East Sea,” Ye Zhuo looked at him quietly, “Maybe has dragons.”

Actually, he also rarely thought about things from the past, like ten years ago, when he opened his eyes and met a pair of burning, clear golden eyes that day. He looked up and saw the dragon’s horns.

Also, on a whim.

Li Yuan raised his hand, touching his cheek, his fingertip stroking the corner of his eye: “Ye Zhuo.”

“Today in the human world, you killed the human world’s Dao protector,” he said, “That was a very good sword, I have been watching. In the East Sea, your sword was still an unfinished sword, today in the sky, it seems to be a sword about to be completed. I saw it and felt admiration and awe, my sword is the same.”

Ye Zhuo didn’t speak.

“Do you have something you want to say to me?” Li Yuan said.

Ye Zhuo closed his eyes. Just like one day Li Yuan looked at him, and he reached out and covered Li Yuan’s eyes.

“My heart is unsettled,” he said, “I want to go into seclusion.”