Morality

Li Xuanfeng and Xiao Yongling walked all the way down the mountain. They had ascended in haste earlier without examining their surroundings closely, but now, reaching the mountain foot, they found a small terrace where six lamp bases lay scattered askew. These lamp bases were ancient and dull gray, most already shattered across the ground. Evidently, treasures had once been inlaid upon them, drawing fierce contention and leaving behind numerous marks of battle. Reaching the terrace edge, the two rode the wind outward, venturing together into the sea of clouds. Xiao Yongling sighed softly: "This Qingsong Grotto-heaven was originally named the Mirage Mirror. It was established by the ancient immortal cultivator Yingze and represents the final lineage of the Qingsong orthodoxy. My ancestor once mentioned that this man possessed both the Greater Yin and Greater Yang within him, hence the name Yingze." "Back when he created this grotto-heaven, his cultivation had already reached the pinnacle. Seeking a path of transcendence, he attempted to forge a new way between the Greater Yin and Greater Yang... In the end, he fell, and nothing more was ever heard of him." Li Xuanfeng looked down at the sea of clouds beneath his feet, pondering for a few breaths. The question was on the tip of his tongue—he wanted to ask whether this immortal had been surnamed Lu—yet mindful of the Golden Core cultivators above, he dared not say too much. He merely asked, "Judging by the nature of this sea of clouds, there is a realm above and one below... If one takes a treasure above, wouldn't there be another below?" Xiao Yongling paused slightly and explained, "I had the same thought when I first entered. By chance, I came upon a small peak with no one around, atop which rested a jade slip. I took the spell and then doubled back beneath the sea of clouds, only to find the peak below was entirely bare." After parting with Xiao Yongling, Li Xuanfeng moved through the clouds. Suddenly, a sharp cry echoed from ahead: "Who goes there?!" Li Yuanjiao was startled to see a middle-aged man in white robes with a sword at his waist standing before him—none other than Li Xuanfeng! Li Xuanfeng pinched his sleeve, looking at him with slight confusion as he murmured, "Could it be... an illusion? It appears as though one plunges into the clouds, but in truth, one is turned back by a bewildering array, thus creating the sensation of traversing between two realms." When Li Yuanjiao had entered the grotto-heaven, he had dived straight into the sea of clouds, assuming he had reached the lower realm. Seeing Li Xuanfeng now, he said softly, "I will stay right here. Why don't you go down and see for yourself?" Li Xuanfeng nodded, rode the wind, and descended. Piercing through the gray sea of clouds, he soared on the wind, and beneath the sea of clouds, another Li Xuanfeng indeed rose up to meet him, looking up into the sky with shock! With a grim expression, Li Xuanfeng gave a slight nod and sank back into the sea of clouds. Li Yuanjiao watched him intently, and sure enough, saw him emerge once more from the clouds, turning around—the dharma sword he wore at his left hip remained hanging at his left hip. Just moments ago, everything that had transpired upon that mountain had played out beneath the cloud layer, point for point. Li Yuanjiao stared at him, shock slowly spreading across his face, his expression turning uneasy. Li Yuanjiao fell silent. He had thought that the figures conjured by the grotto-heaven would mirror left and right like the stars in the grotto-heaven, yet seeing it now, they were completely identical. Waiting for Li Xuanfeng to digest the shock filling his chest, he said in a low voice, "The constellations above and below are indeed completely reversed... Clearly they are not the same realm. Once one enters this grotto-heaven, a reflection of oneself is cast in the lower realm." The two tested it for a time, traversing the sea of clouds. Between the upper and lower figures, there was no difference whatsoever: when the one in the upper realm flew down, the one in the lower realm flew up. Had they not agreed beforehand, it would have been impossible to tell them apart. Li Xuanfeng remained silent for a good dozen breaths, staring at the sea of clouds somewhat disheartened. "So it is that we are all in this upper realm, each seeking our own fortunes, while the lower realm is merely a projection..." "The divine abilities of ancient cultivators are truly unfathomable!" "Yet... how are we to be certain that we ourselves are not the shadow cast by the grotto-heaven?" Li Yuanjiao shook his head and said softly, "Is this place the bottom? I explored back and forth several times, and in the end, returned to where I entered..." Standing amidst the sea of clouds earlier, Li Yuanjiao had not gone up to contend for the treasures in the hall. Instead, he had fixed his eyes on Yu Muxian's figure, taking in the formidable aura of the man beside him—Tang Shedu—and felt a heavy weight in his heart. Tang Shedu guarded Yu Muxian step for step. If one wanted to kill Yu Muxian, one would likely have to contend with Tang Shedu as well, and their own strength was still insufficient. Two late Foundation Establishment cultivators, and who knew what protective treasures Yu Muxian possessed. "Things have become troublesome..." Li Xuanfeng asked softly, "Who is it?" "Yu Muxian of Yuanwu Peak." Li Xuanfeng paused slightly. Li Yuanjiao bowed in thanks, then continued, "If our Li family wishes to advance further in the future—whether for territory or connections—this man must be killed. If he cannot be killed and is allowed to attain the Purple Mansion, with our family's predicament, there will never be another day of hope. Yu Muxian is cold and ruthless; he will not show mercy." Li Xuanfeng pondered for a moment and said softly, "In the end, it is still a contest of interests, taking lives for the sake of gain." He paused, then added, "Indeed, Yu Muxian entered Qingchi at the age of nine and has always cultivated in seclusion. I have never heard of him harming anyone." Li Yuanjiao replied softly, "I am not making excuses. I was never a good person to begin with. Our family treats commoners and rogue cultivators kindly, never refining bloodqi for our cultivation, and I have rarely harmed others without cause. But when it truly comes to matters concerning our family's future survival, forgive Yuanjiao, for I cannot yield. "I know not how many have died by my hands. I do not fear death, nor do I ever claim to be of the righteous path, nor do I weigh heavy against light. In truth, our family has killed many at Lake Wangyue, and not a few among them were innocent. "The Dao path stretches endlessly. Can it be that everyone blocking the road is an utterly vile villain? Never has anyone been able to govern by doing nothing simply by sipping heavenly dew and drifting with immortal aura. In the end, our family is merely struggling to survive. "We are different from them. In this lifetime... what we have done most is tread on thin ice, and what we do is hardly glorious... Killing for wealth, killing for self-preservation, or killing for the clan... Some people did not deserve to die. "I have traveled across Jiangnan and the Eastern Sea, seeing many people and many things... In worldly disputes, first comes benefit, second comes emotion, and only third comes morality." Li Yuanjiao shook his head and murmured softly, "Does the world truly possess morality?" Meanwhile, Yu Muxian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the azure blade at his waist humming. A cool sensation washed through his Shengyang Mansion, and his expression gradually settled into calm, though his complexion remained somewhat pale. Tang Shedu glanced at him, noticed the fine cold sweat on his brow, and lowered his head thoughtfully. After they flew for a while, he asked softly, "What happened to you, Brother Yu?" Yu Muxian's worry was genuine. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a raspy voice, "I saw an enemy... already at late Foundation Establishment. I am somewhat worried about what lies ahead." He briefly recounted the feud between the Yu and Li families, hesitated a moment, and added, "Li Xuanfeng." Earlier, Yu Muxian's vision had dimmed to gray, his immortal foundation shaken, and a sense of dread had welled up within him, leaving him feeling utterly powerless. Cold sweat had drenched his face, and he had been unable to stop himself from crying out in his heart: 'So this is what you mean! Cultivating immortality—cultivators do nothing at all, yet are born guilty! As long as there remains any injustice or unfairness in the mortal world, it can all be blamed on my head! So what if it is this? So what if it is that? What does any of it have to do with me!' Elsewhere, Tu Longjian had charged straight into the summit hall, seized a treasure, and flown for a while through the sea of clouds. As he rode the wind, his hand brushed lightly over that black-and-red token, his spiritual sense stirring slightly. The token trembled, and a faint wisp of spiritual sense transmitted outward. Tu Longjian was seized by a surge of anger, yet this was hardly the moment to vent it. He could only fly gloomily into the clouds, gazing into the distance. Hesitating for several breaths, he stared at it and said softly, "Senior, you have misunderstood me. That man has Purple Mansion spirit artifacts on him, more than one! What madness possessed you? Why did you use a divine ability to influence him without cause?!" A cold sneer came from the token: "You are the mad one! Why go out of your way to offend that Yu Muxian? I know someone like you still clings to some debt of gratitude. Wasn't it just right for me to cast an art to make him back down before the difficulty? If anything, my strength has waned, and his dao heart was firm enough that he tore himself free by sheer force..." Tu Longjian fell silent for a moment, saying in disbelief, "Tulong has always kept Senior's kindness from back then in his heart. Why not speak plainly? Senior, why must you kill him?!" Dong! A deep, muffled drumbeat resonated between heaven and earth. Both looked toward the sky in unison, only to see a ray of white light ignite amidst the boundless stars. A sheet of cloud and mist drifted down, and within the shimmering starlight, a jade wall faintly rose into view. Tu Longjian hurriedly said, "Senior! The Three Drums Wall has descended! Let us go take a look first. We can speak of this matter later!" Dong! The second muffled drumbeat sounded. Tu Longjian added quickly, "This is an opportunity for everyone... Senior, please wait a moment." The jade wall was covered in dense patterns, carved with names large and small, appearing hazy within the clouds and mist. Several streaks of flowing light rose from the horizon, flying toward the jade wall one after another. The cloud tops grew exceedingly lively. Virtually everyone in the grotto-heaven was now concealed amidst these clouds. Robes and vestments of every description formed a riot of color, while dharma artifacts and spiritual treasures each radiated brilliant light. All stood pinching incantation gestures, watching with rapt attention. The cultivators stood in the air for a while. As the hazy mist above that patch of clouds slowly cleared, they saw a jade wall carved with dense characters, all written in ancient seal script. As far as the eye could see, they were all names of cultivation methods. Dong! The third drumbeat finally sounded. At that moment, no one moved. Before that jade wall, two figures unexpectedly materialized. One had a tall, slender frame, clad in white robes of an ancient cut that draped all the way down, with two white sashes trailing behind. His face was a blur, impossible to make out, while ring upon ring of golden and white halos floated behind his head—at a glance, clearly no ordinary figure. The other appeared to be a youth, sitting on the edge of the clouds with his legs dangling, his back resting against the wall. One hand held a jade flask, slowly tipping it toward his mouth, his face likewise hazy and indistinct, while his other hand rested on his knee. The youth said softly, "Junior has always had one matter he could not fathom. I wonder if Senior might resolve it for me." The standing figure nodded slightly. The youth asked in a light voice, "Regardless of whether one is a good person or an evil one, if one kills them to aid one's own cultivation, may that be called moral?" The white-robed figure shook his head decisively. The youth chuckled and continued, "If so, then let me ask Senior: since humanity first gathered to dwell together, when have those above ever possessed morality? Have those who obey ever possessed morality?" The white-robed figure shook his head slightly. The youth continued, "In primeval antiquity, men and women lived together without distinction, feeling no shame in going unclothed, and coupling was also moral. In ancient times, heaven and earth had no order, and for spiritual treasures to go to the capable was likewise moral. Today, emperors and officials govern the world, and sovereign and father are also moral. Morality shifts like dao fruits; it is no dead, unchanging thing. "If we go by Senior's words, the State of Wei today still cultivates Mingyang, keeping three wives and four concubines, concocting a whole system of imperial hierarchy, concentrating universal power in a single person, establishing a ladder of reverence from top to bottom—where is there any trace of governing by doing nothing? When have the cultivators of this world ever possessed morality?" The white-robed figure said softly, "It is precisely because the human heart is greedy and covetous that we, having received the power of heaven and earth, must step forward to right the ways of the world, to correct mortal men, and to preserve our own morality... To enter the mortal world and cultivate is to right the ways of the world." The youth burst into loud laughter, rocking back and forth uncontrollably. The white-robed man merely watched him in silence until the youth reined in his laughter and replied: "So Senior's morality is like willow catkins in the wind, shifting with every breeze! You merely stare up at heaven with longing eyes, taking whatever the heavenly tribulations say as truth, led by the nose by those two reins like an old ox plowing a field—turning wherever you are pointed!" His tone was icy cold. Though he addressed him as Senior, there was little reverence in his manner, showing boundless audacity. The white-robed man said softly, "Oh?" The youth continued: "If killing or harming others to seize their possessions goes against morality, is compelling people into bondage as maids and slaves moral? If forcing people into servitude is immoral, then leasing out farmland and collecting rent and stipends is likewise an act of forcible plunder! Buying low and selling high, swindling vast sums of gold, is equally a breach of morality! "If killing to cultivate is forbidden, may killing to seize treasures be called moral? May harming and taking lives to rob others of their orthodoxies and dharma treasures be called moral? "Senior had best remember this: perhaps one day, killing to cultivate will also be called moral! After all, the guilt lies not with me, but with the times—with Heaven!" The white-robed figure shook his head gently. The youth's voice drifted faintly: "Does the world truly possess morality?"