As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 408 Others' Laws, One's Own Path

"Lingling~"

The silver bells tinkled softly, their clear sound reaching my ears, seemingly relaxing my mind.

Mingchen poured himself a bowl of wine.

He sat on the roots of the old tree, holding a wine bowl in one hand and gently shaking a silver bell in the other, and said to the old tree with great interest, "Old man, don't you have anything you want to talk to me about?"

He wanted to learn magic when he was a child, but the old man brushed him off by saying, "Humans can't practice demon magic."

This old man is definitely not just a few thousand years old, but much older than the time he was fooled.

This is as ridiculous as a little fox claiming it only has a few hundred years of cultivation; perhaps theirs are dozens of times more.

Now that chaos has descended, cultivators have emerged.

Mingchen didn't believe that this guy, after so many years, had never seen a human cultivator or knew human magic.

All excuses.

From beginning to end, the old tree never wanted Mingchen to cultivate.

From beginning to end, he made Mingchen do things according to his own ideas.

That old man was very tight-lipped and didn't say anything more.

Let Mingchen enter the court and turn the world upside down.

Even now, with all sorts of cultivators and demons entering the world, the Immortal Venerable uses heaven and earth as a chessboard, and he remains calm and composed.

He didn't teach Mingchen magic, but Mingchen himself stirred up trouble in this mortal world and already possessed his own power, even enough to reach the top position in the world.

He has now grasped many messages that the old trees had never told him.

His apparent purpose in returning is to confirm whether the bell given to Ling Yu by the Immortal Elder is effective in saving her.

On a deeper level, he actually wanted to communicate with the old tree.

The withered branches rustled, but the old tree's voice remained calm: "What do you want to know?"

Mingchen gently shook the bell in his hand and asked the old tree, "This bell was given to me by an old Taoist priest who claims to be Xuan Yuan. Do you know him?"

The old tree's response was simple: "I recognize it."

“He said my wife is too bloodthirsty, has killed too many living beings, has too much malevolent energy, and carries too much resentment. If this is not resolved, her life will be in danger. Is that true?”

"Yes and no."

The old tree spoke in a weathered and calm voice, repeating Mingchen's question, but with a different tone.

Mingchen lowered his eyes, looked at the bell in his hand, and asked again, "He said this thing can cure the problem, is that true or not?"

"Yes and no."

The old man is like a broken record.

Mingchen even suspected he was getting dementia, so he frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

The night was quiet, and the full moon shone brightly, but the atmosphere remained silent for a moment.

After a while, a gentle breeze caressed his face, and the ancient tree's weathered voice echoed in Mingchen's heart, prompting him to ask an unrelated question: "You brat, do you believe me?"

Mingchen walked forward step by step, steadily climbing to the top.

He saw many landscapes and encountered information that ordinary people could never access in their entire lives.

The more you see, the more you doubt.

The world is a vast mystery, with countless hands waving their hands, placing pieces, and manipulating everything.

The view is different at different altitudes.

Perhaps the people you trusted as a child will turn out to be quite different when you grow up.

Good and evil may also be reversed.

The higher the level, the less important right and wrong become; what matters are the different camps and the choices each side makes.

The summit of a high mountain is destined to be lonely and desolate.

Perhaps he will believe in nothing but himself.

but……

"Hey~"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen chuckled lightly: "Old man, everything has its limits. How do you define belief, and how do you define disbelief?"

"In my view, belief and disbelief are not completely opposite extremes, but rather a range or limit."

"Oh?"

Mingchen's answer piqued Laoshu's interest.

He doesn't know how many years he has lived. He is rooted underground, communicating with all things, neither born nor dying, and knowing everything.

He had met many people, but he had never met anyone as special as Mingchen.

"In my eyes, everyone around me has a value."

"This value represents the maximum amount of money I can lend them."

Mingchen's eyes darted around, revealing a mercenary nature like that of a street businessman.

“They asked me to lend them this money, and I lent it to them; I gave them this share of trust.”

"If they don't betray my trust and continue to be on good terms with me, then this share will remain the same, or perhaps even increase a little."

“If they betrayed my trust, didn’t return the money, or betrayed me, then that share is worthless. I paid that price to buy back my trust.”

He turned to look at the old tree's withered trunk, his eyes gleaming, his smile open and unrestrained, and laughed, "And you, old thing, the value of your head."

"It's my fate."

Mingchen was like an actuary, like a crazy gambler, with nothing but mercenary interests in his eyes.

The wine bowl in her hand tilted, and Ling Yu's favorite wine spilled onto the ground. She then threw the question at the old tree: "I'm willing to risk my life to trust you once. In your opinion... is that trust or distrust?"

Is this considered trust? Mingchen's trust in the old tree was so great that it bordered on his life.

Does that count as distrust?
Losing your life doesn't seem to be the end of the story in this world.

If Mingchen loses his life but still has a chance to regain his memories, he will take back all his trust.

This is Mingchen's value system for measuring human emotions.

Despite his seemingly cold and harsh demeanor, Mingchen is not as suspicious as a proud and aloof monarch who trusts no one.

On the contrary, he placed enough trust in many people.

He stubbornly believed in his own judgment, assigning value to everything, and at most, he would only pay that value. Even if these people betrayed him, he would accept it.

As Mingchen finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind arose, causing the old tree branches to rustle.

"Hehe...hahaha..."

Suddenly, a low, hoarse laugh rang in Mingchen's ears.

Perhaps the wine he brought was really intoxicating; this was the first time he had ever heard Old Tree laugh.

Mingchen teased, "What's wrong? Got drunk?"

"In the past twenty-odd years, this is the first time I've heard you speak a human word."

Mingchen: ...

Should I apologize?
He rang the bell toward the old tree: "You haven't answered my question yet."

The old tree still didn't answer his initial question, but instead asked, "Do you know why I don't teach you cultivation?"

Mingchen rolled his eyes at him with some displeasure: "Old man, don't always answer questions with questions!"

But after thinking about it, he still replied, "You want me to figure it out myself?"

Although the old man didn't teach him magic or special powers, he still climbed to the summit and gained the right to compete with those powerful individuals who had existed for thousands of years. "Cultivation is cultivating the mind."

The old tree repeated what he had said many times before.

"There are infinite possibilities in this world. Be unbound by any constraints, and after experiencing countless things, the path you discover for yourself is your true path."

"All roads have been paved by people. By following the paths of those who came before, you can only see the scenery that those who came before could see. Your understanding of this path will never be as profound as that of those who came before you."

"Now that you've entered officialdom, do you understand the basic principles of how the rules work? What will be the outcome if you trespass into someone else's arena and into rules set by others?"

There are too many mediocre people in this world. They will never have the opportunity or ability to create their own laws. Walking the path that others have walked is the best option.

But you're different!

All the methods that have been passed down in the world were created by our predecessors.

Learning from others' methods while abandoning one's own path, in the old tree's view, is putting the cart before the horse.

All laws in the world are inherited; they are other people's rules, other people's paths, shackles cast upon those with exceptional talent by the heavens, barriers on the path to heaven.

Both law and the Way originate from the heart and are highly subjective.

Even having the slightest thought about what belongs to others is tantamount to giving up on yourself.

You can only follow other people's rules, and they will never suit you.

If you enter someone else's path, you may climb to the pinnacle of this world, but you will never have the chance to ascend to heaven again.

The old tree has never learned from anyone else.

The five highest beings in this world—the three Dao Ancestors, the Lord of the Underworld, and the Buddha of the Other Shore—none of them learned the techniques and cultivation methods of others.

Instead, they want the world to learn their laws and follow their ideas.

Therefore, the old tree would say that if you learn his methods, you can at most only become him.

If you are mediocre and don't aspire to a higher future, you might as well follow the path he took, acquire more knowledge, integrate it, improve yourself, and make your path smoother.

But Mingchen is different.

He saw that Mingchen possessed extraordinary talent and had the opportunity to create his own path and rules.

So Lao Shu always made excuses, always letting Mingchen do whatever he wanted.

If he were given the method, it would seem that having someone guide him would shorten his path, but Mingchen's mind would be imprisoned, and he might never reach the heights he has achieved through his current crooked and haphazard wandering in his entire life.

"Oh? I see..."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen lowered his eyes and looked at his palm.

The Immortal Jade Record shone brilliantly, a sight only he could perceive.

Why is it that my cheap teacher, who was never taught by anyone, suddenly found the power in his own thinking?
Why was Mingchen able to borrow the magic after the people in the Immortal Jade Record left?

Everything seems to have been answered.

The withered trees rustled, and the old tree finally answered Mingchen's initial question: "Killing someone will steal their spirit, and stealing their spirit will bring them evil. Those who possess evil will be burdened with resentment and will never have peace. If their will is not firm, they will surely collapse and destroy themselves, harming others and themselves. This is true."

"This treasure can nourish the spirit, clear the mind, and contains a cultivation method that can connect the qi and guide the spirit, cleansing away the bloodshed. It may be a relic left behind by a powerful person who followed the path of killing, intended to protect those who come after him from going astray. It can indeed help your wife avoid calamity."

Mingchen's current strength and social class... were all forcibly elevated by the Immortal Jade Record. Those top-tier beings lacked information and understanding about him.

Ultimately, he was nothing more than a mortal man with a stronger body.

He had no magical powers, little life experience, and limited knowledge, so he needed the old tree to explain this matter to him.

The social class of Xuan Yuan is indeed not deceiving.

This bell can indeed help Ling Yu.

only……

"but……"

The old tree changed the subject and said to Mingchen, "As I said before, using this thing means you've entered someone else's path."

"Your wife may have even greater talents. The road ahead may be arduous and dangerous, and there may even be the risk of death, but if she succeeds, she will establish her own lineage. Her fierce aura will soar to the heavens, and her sharp edge will be fully revealed. Even immortals will avoid her. Are you sure you want to use this bell to cut off your wife's possibility of reaching a higher level?"

This bell can certainly protect Ling Yu, allowing her to avoid many detours and prevent her from being troubled by excessive killing intent, deep resentment, and harming herself and others.

However, this is tantamount to abandoning one's own path and choosing someone else's, thus cutting off Ling Yu's future.

She may go very far, but she will never be able to forge her own path.

However, if she doesn't use it, Ling Yu may face many risks and perish on the rugged road, just like the powerful person who left behind this bell.

This is why the old tree said "yes and no" earlier.

Xuan Yuan wasn't lying; he did give up this treasure to protect Ling Yu.

However, actuaries don't give away benefits for nothing.

Behind every benefit lies a trap, and there are always ulterior motives at play.

He didn't tell Mingchen this information.

Those in positions of power will erect numerous barriers to prevent those below from climbing upwards.

There are always a few individuals who manage to break through the loopholes in the rules and squeeze their way up.

The world always rewards those who find loopholes in the rules and break free from them.

If you've made it up, then you've made it up.

These people were Ling Yu, Ming Chen, and the like.

He didn't want Ling Yu to forge a new path through thorns and brambles, squeeze into the already crowded upper echelons, and divide up the resources.

"That's it..."

Mingchen lowered his eyes and quietly looked at the bell in his hand.

This is how those in power plan.

Xuan Yuan wasn't afraid that Ming Chen would find out his purpose.

Sometimes, even if you know what he's thinking, you might still consider his answer.

Even if it meant cutting off his future, Mingchen didn't want his wife to take any risks.

Similarly, if you ask Ling Yu this question, her answer might be the same.

She didn't want to think about all those other things; all she wanted was to live out the rest of her life peacefully with Mingchen after the war.

Power, talent, status, wealth... she didn't really care about any of these things.

But... if he really made that choice, Mingchen felt a little regretful.

He paused, then asked the old tree, "Old man, can't you erase the cultivation method hidden inside this bell?"

"That's certainly possible, but..."

"You little devil, cultivation is about cultivating your mind."

"Tricks are useless; they only concern yourself, not others."

"Your wife walks a path of violence that harms both herself and others, and she must undergo trials and tribulations to achieve her goals. She needs to experience and overcome all the hardships she must go through in order to grow. Just like Long Lian undergoing her tribulation, she must bear the wind and thunder herself and overcome that hurdle on her own in order to become a dragon."

"You're just fooling yourself; you're just burying your head in the sand..."

Cover your ears and steal the bell.

Mingchen shook the bell in his hand and couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

It would be fine if there were no other choice.

Unfortunately, he had a choice.

Those immortals who have lived for thousands of years are indeed not easy to deal with.

(End of this chapter)