The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2183 Begging for Forgiveness

The Maoshan Sect did not have horse-drawn carriages; they traveled all the way here.

Master Yichen said that the disciples of Maoshan are all cultivators, so naturally they would not use such "worldly things" as it would affect the effectiveness of their cultivation.

Feng Jiuxiao admired him sincerely.

A true cultivator must at least be able to uphold the principles of "abstinence"!
Taoists endure austerity not out of self-inflicted suffering, but as a fundamental path to cultivation. Its core lies in eliminating falsehoods and preserving truth, cultivating both nature and life, using austerity as a furnace to refine acquired desires and return to innate simplicity.

Taoism takes the Tao Te Ching as its foundation and advocates "embracing simplicity and embracing the uncarved block, reducing selfishness and desires." "Uncarved block" refers to uncarved wood, and "undyed" refers to undyed silk. A simple and austere life is the practice of "simplicity" and "undying." Only when people stay away from sensual pleasures, wealth, fame, and profit can they break free from the enslavement of the senses, as "the five colors blind the eye, the five sounds deafen the ear, and the five flavors dull the palate," and allow their minds to return to clarity.

Austerity is not a punishment, but a practice that strips away external distractions and allows one's inner true nature to naturally manifest.

Furthermore, a life of austerity is not an isolated practice, but a necessary prerequisite for internal alchemy cultivation!
The different manifestations at different stages of spiritual practice are as follows:

The first stage, "Foundation Building," involves a period of austerity and hardship. Its purpose is to reduce desires, calm the mind, and prevent the loss of vital energy. The classical basis for this is the *Qingjing Jing* (Classic of Purity and Tranquility): "If one can always maintain purity and tranquility, all things in heaven and earth will return to their source."

Second, the "Refining Essence into Qi" stage. The purpose of this stage is to make people eat a light diet, practice fasting and moderation, and help the internal circulation of Qi! Classical basis - "Yunji Qiqian" records "Sansu Yunfa" which guides Qi with intention and requires focused mind!

The third stage, "Refining Qi into Spirit," is a period of austerity and hardship. Its purpose is to break free from attachment to self, so that the mind is free from hindrance and one can see one's true nature. Classical basis: Master Changchun said, "Always keep the mind clear and pure, so that one's nature is not obscured."

Fourth, the "Refining the Spirit and Returning to Emptiness" stage, which allows one to transcend the physical body and unite with the Dao! Classical basis: "Preserve the true nature and do not let material things burden your actions."

In conclusion, fasting, meditation, and guided breathing exercises are all effective only when performed on a simple and austere basis!
A simple diet is essential for "qi sinking to the dantian" (lower abdomen).
Only when the mind is free from distractions can one "roam freely in the vast emptiness"!
As for the Zhengyi sect, it does not force people to become monks or nuns, and allows marriage, childbirth, and the consumption of meat. Its "auspiciousness" is reflected in "moderation" rather than "abstinence."
It does not discuss the Tao through formalities, but emphasizes "fasting of the mind" and "sitting in oblivion";
During religious ceremonies, one observes a vegetarian diet; in daily life, one follows human relationships.

Cultivation is found in "walking, standing, sitting, and lying down," as the Tao Te Ching says: "The Tao is in excrement and urine."
Using talismans to help the world and establishing oneself through virtue, a life of hardship is a clear awareness of desires, not a complete denial of life.

In conclusion, austerity is the solemn commitment of a spiritual practitioner to use their physical body as a sacred space!

Feng Jiuxiao has joked more than once that he is just an ordinary person, and there are some things he can't escape! He told Pang Shiwu that he can endure hardship, but he is not a cultivator and there is no need for him to live a life of hardship! When he has no money, he will live a life of no money; when he has money, he will live a life of money. He will be content with his lot and act according to his own nature!

Out of courtesy, Feng Jiuxiao naturally invited Daoist Yichen to ride in the car for a chat. However, Daoist Yichen said that he was not rigid and would not mind riding in the car if there were no fellow disciples traveling with him. But as the person in charge of this trip, and as a teacher, how could he leave his disciples behind and ride in the car alone to "enjoy" the experience? He had to set an example and take the lead!

Feng Jiuxiao naturally wouldn't force the issue, since Daoist Yichen's words made sense!
The Huashan Sect has no cultivators; like Feng Jiuxiao, they are all mortals. Moreover, the group includes many female disciples, so naturally, three carriages are needed. Many people privately remarked that the Huashan Sect is indeed extravagant, worthy of being one of the eight major sects!

Pang Shiwu, Zeng Yong, and Bigwof drove three carriages, Wang Sheng and Duanmu Yan drove two carriages, Han Yuan drove one carriage (Bai Lian Zun Zhe and others rode in it), Lü Qi drove one carriage (Helian Rongguang, Zhang Deyi, Ouyang Zhong, and Deng Ba squeezed together), plus the three carriages from the Huashan Sect, a total of ten carriages traveled like a long dragon in front, followed closely by a dozen or so Maoshan Sect disciples, the procession of dozens of people making a grand journey along the frozen lake to Haixin Mountain!

At this moment, in an ordinary tent on the shore, Ye Shang, the leader of the Golden Saber Sect, was looking out through the crack in the curtain, feeling a mix of emotions!

One wrong step leads to another!
He couldn't help but sigh!

The disciple surnamed Rao standing nearby asked, "Sect Master, why are you sighing again?"

Ye Shang said with a bitter smile, "I've squandered the immense wealth that was within my grasp. What a pity!"

The disciple seemed to understand: "Is the sect leader referring to Young Master Feng's estrangement from you?"

Alienation? That's a good word! This kid has potential!
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Ye Shang's eyes. "Yes!"

"Sect Master, please don't worry!" the disciple surnamed Rao said confidently. "Getting Young Master Feng to give you another job is a piece of cake!"

Ye Shang's body trembled, his eyes flashing: "What did you say? A piece of cake?" He looked at the cunning disciple surnamed Rao in front of him, who was nicknamed "Little Rascal" by others, and the flame of hope that had been extinguished in his heart was rekindled!
Xiao Nao chuckled, "What kind of person does the sect leader think Young Master Feng is? Is he broad-minded or petty? Is he magnanimous or vindictive?"

Ye Shang pondered for a while before saying, "I might not be magnanimous, but he's definitely not the kind of person who holds grudges! If he were, I would have died eight hundred times over! Actually, I'm Young Master Feng's contracted slave, as you all know, and after the battle in Shanghai, he signed me again out of anger!" He said self-deprecatingly, "I might be the only person who has been signed a blood contract twice."

Xiao Nao chuckled and said, "Sect Leader, how could you forget? Zhou Meng of the Beggars' Sect and Luo Xinghe of the White Horse Gang were both signed twice! If Liu Zhenfeng of the West River Sect hadn't died and his son Liu Shuai hadn't taken over as sect leader, the West River Sect leader would have been signed twice this time too!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! I saw it clearly at the time, there's absolutely no mistake! So the fact that the sect leader was signed twice doesn't mean that Young Master Feng was particularly angry with the sect leader, it only means that Young Master Feng was indeed very angry at the time, and he didn't know his own strength, and his targets were indiscriminate! Even I was signed with a blood pact by him from a distance!"

Ye Shang was taken aback, then laughed and said, "I almost forgot! Young Master Feng acted so quickly back then, I thought only me and a few others around me were signed! Go on!"

"Alright, Sect Master, let's go through this properly from the beginning. What do you think is the reason Young Master Feng is distancing himself from or ignoring us? Is it because we didn't step up at the crucial moment, right?"

"Yeah! What other reason could there be? I didn't badmouth him behind his back!"

"Does the sect leader think that Young Master Feng is very disappointed in us and will never forgive us or pay any attention to us again, is that right?"

"Of course! Do you think he'll forgive us?"

"Then why won't he forgive us?"

Would you forgive someone who betrayed you?

"That's right, Sect Master, let's proceed according to your suggestion! When a contracted slave is determined to have betrayed his or her master, the master usually won't forgive the slave, right?"

"Correct!"

"There are countless rumors in the martial arts world about masters executing their slaves, but have there ever been any exceptions? Are there any precedents of slaves who betrayed their masters and ended up unharmed?"

Ye Shang thought for a moment, "In all these years, I've never heard of such a precedent! Forgiving a traitor is impossible!"

"If a contractual master were to actually forgive a contractual slave who betrayed him, then you can only regretfully tell that master is clearly playing with fire! Letting go of a contractual slave who betrayed him is absolutely like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, digging his own grave!" Xiao Nao said, "That's impossible! The sect leader has already signed two blood contracts, why is he still unharmed?"

Yes, as a contract slave, the moment you betray your contract master, you are destined to die!

But why didn't Ye Shang die?
Ye Shang suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "That's because I didn't betray Young Master Feng!" Now that he thought about it, he felt that he might not have really betrayed him! He was just blinded by greed and followed the crowd at the time!

Xiao Nao shook his head and laughed, "Sect Master, you're just deceiving yourself! A contracted slave who doesn't obey his master's orders is also a traitor!" What is a master, and what is a slave? Issuing orders makes one a master! Unconditionally obeying makes one a slave! Obeying orders is a contracted slave's duty! Resisting orders is treason! It's courting death!

Ye Shang simply followed the crowd and did not obey Feng Jiuxiao's orders!

Upon hearing Xiao Nao's statement, "Disobeying orders is betrayal, it's courting death," Ye Shang's face turned ashen. She smiled bitterly and said, "Then tell me, why didn't he kill me? Was it just because he was merciful? Soft-hearted?"

Xiao Nao said, "Of course it's fair to say he's merciful! To put it bluntly, almost everyone here has signed a blood pact with Young Master Feng. He could wipe us all out in an instant with a single thought!"

"Then why didn't Feng Jiuxiao kill everyone?"

"That's because killing everyone wouldn't help, and it would only damage his reputation. Sect leader, many people didn't go to help him that day, it wasn't just our family! He's not really angry about us!"

"How could that be? He's angry at everyone, including us!"

"Sect Master, he's angry about the situation, not the people! Everyone's apathy and indifference are what truly enrage him! Of course, there are different levels among these people! Some are exhausted after the battle and are willing but unable to help! Others are in the prime of their lives and clearly have the capacity to provide support, yet they choose not to!"

Those who have the means to help but choose not to should be removed! As for us, we want to help, but we lack the ability! Although in the end, none of us intervened, the nature of the situation is completely different!

One option is, "I could help you, but I just won't." That'll make you furious!

One is that I want to help you, but my abilities don't allow it, so I can't help you. Please forgive me!

Neither side seemed to be helping, but their situations were completely different!

Xiao Nao pressed his advantage: "If Young Master Feng is really angry, even if he doesn't kill everyone, he can easily use his mind to make everyone kneel on the ground for three days and three nights without being able to move, as punishment! He is known as the Little Demon Lord by the Demonic Sect, so doing such a thing would be no problem for him!"

A burning desire rose in Ye Shang's eyes. "So, he's actually already let it go?"

Xiao Nao said, "Sect Leader, what kind of person do you think he is? How could he possibly keep such things to himself every day? If that were really the case, he could have easily used the zombies to teach us a lesson just now!"

Ye Shang thought to herself: That's right! As long as Feng Jiuxiao wants it, there's nothing Pang Shiwu and the others can't do! They only need to gently guide the martial arts heroes towards this side, and the tide of living corpses will immediately engulf everyone! Even if the living corpses can't completely tear the heroes to shreds, at least chaos and a miserable state are inevitable! It'll be easy for some people to die!
"So you mean we still have a chance to get Young Master Feng's forgiveness?"

"Of course there's hope! First, we didn't stab Young Master Feng in the back—the real kind of stabbing; second, we didn't betray Young Master Feng's secrets; and third, we didn't harm Young Master Feng's other interests. The sect leader only made a minor mistake, and Young Master Feng will definitely forgive him! We're different from some people. Quite a few people have even cursed Young Master Feng, accusing him of colluding with the Demonic Sect. Just now, someone was even saying behind his back that he had an improper relationship with a demoness from the Demonic Sect, but we didn't! When the time comes, sect leader, you should just openly admit your mistake, and Young Master Feng will definitely forgive you!"

Ye Shang was already smitten!

This little coward truly lives up to his name! He's a real coward! He's incredibly cunning!
But what you said makes a lot of sense!

Ye Shang said, "Then what do we do now? They've already set off!"

Xiao Nao said, "Follow them from a distance."

Ye Shang asked, "He won't be angry, will he?"

Xiao Nao comforted him, "If you were going to be angry, you would have been! It's alright! Think about it, Sect Leader, Daoist Yichen didn't go up there back then, so why was the Maoshan Sect allowed to go and eat meat?"

"What?"

"It's because of the reason I mentioned that I'm willing but unable to help!"

Ye Shang was somewhat skeptical. "Master Yichen has a reputation, after all. Young Master Feng can believe him if he says he's willing but unable. But if I tell him that I'm also willing but unable, will he believe me?"

"meeting."

"What if he asks: 'Why didn't you say so sooner?'"

"Sect Master, are you testing me or deliberately making things difficult for me? Do I need to teach you the rest?"

He had already made quite a splash by "instructing" the sect leader, and many of his fellow disciples were already looking at him with unfriendly eyes. He knew he should stop while he was ahead, so he smiled and asked Ye Shang a question in return, trying to cool things down.

Ye Shang said, "You little coward, you're being mysterious at this crucial moment? Hurry up! What's your answer?"

Xiao Nao laughed and said, "Just say that you were afraid to face the young master at first, but after thinking it over, you felt that you had to speak your mind. Finally, you figured it out and decided to go all out. You would rather be whipped dozens of times by the young master than not tell the truth. Please forgive me, young master."

Ye Shang immediately shouted, "Good! Not bad! Alright, everyone, get ready to go!" He suddenly shouted, "Who's outside?"

Someone was eavesdropping outside!
But then someone outside laughed and said, "Brother Ye, don't be angry! It's me!"

"Me too!"

The curtain was lifted and three people entered one after another: Zhou Meng from the Beggars' Sect, Luo Xinghe from the White Horse Gang, and Liu Shuai from the West River Sect!

The four had a very good relationship. Although Liu Shuai had only recently taken over as the gang leader, he had known these people since childhood, so they were very familiar with each other. This time, they even traveled together.

"Let's discuss how to ask for forgiveness!"