Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 13 Sitting and talking

Chen Ye was truly surprised that Su Chunyi would ask this seemingly ordinary question so solemnly.

However, after a moment's thought, he understood Su Chunyi's intention.

This was no simple inquiry; it was clearly a "discussion on the Dao" between righteous cultivators.

Sitting down to discuss the Dao and see who shares the same ideals is the highest level of exchange among righteous cultivators.

Legend has it that when the Demonic Sect was at its peak, the leaders of the five major righteous sects gathered at Lingyun Peak, discussed the Dao for three days, and then swore a blood oath, forming a life-and-death alliance. They managed to secure a glimmer of hope for the righteous path in a desperate situation and survive that terrifying catastrophe.

Within a few years, chaos erupted within the Demonic Sect. The eighteen Demon Lords fought each other for power and profit, causing the Demonic Sect to decline from its peak, and the balance of power was instantly reversed.

In Chen Ye's view, the so-called discussion of the Way is actually a test of whether each other's values ​​are compatible. If they can understand each other's hearts, they can entrust their lives to each other, which is the proper way of doing things.

In contrast, the cultivators of the demonic sects could never be so righteous. The vast majority of demonic sect members are selfish and self-serving in their daily lives. Although not all of them are heartless killers, they will kill each other for cultivation resources, treating human life as worthless and devoid of any morality.

When faced with a life-or-death situation, how can we expect the demon lords to support each other and bravely advance?

Everyone was thinking, "It's better to die for your fellow Daoists than for me," so no one dared to be the first to charge into battle. Instead, they were suppressed by the righteous path's united hatred of the enemy, and in the end, the demonic sect collapsed and rapidly declined.

After this battle, the world knows the advantages of the righteous path and how precious like-minded people are.

When upright and kind people meditate and cultivate their qi, they may not be faster than evil people, but when it comes to the crucial moment, they can shout in unison, "Let's go together!" The internal strife and infighting within the sect will also decrease. The so-called unity and cooperation is something that the disorganized demonic sect cannot compare to.

However, this approach is not without its drawbacks.

Take the Qinghe Sword Sect for example. It is a renowned sect among the righteous sects, with strict rules and extremely high standards for selecting disciples. How many of them can dedicate their entire lives to upholding justice and helping the weak?

Therefore, even including all the fallen disciples, the Qinghe Sword Sect has fewer than a hundred members in total.

As time goes by, the stricter the standards become, the more difficult it is for sects to pass on their traditions. In recent years, many sects have had no choice but to relax their rules and restrictions, but some have lost their footing and quickly become heretical or even fall into demonic ways.

When Chen Ye heard these stories, he often felt emotional. Times change, the world changes, and even the heavens and earth change, let alone the human heart.

Master Mo Ci once mentioned that nowadays only a handful of sects still retain the tradition of "sitting and discussing the Dao".

Chen Ye had never witnessed a real "discussion on the Dao" before, but judging from Su Chunyi's posture, it seemed that there was some intention to discuss the Dao.

Logically speaking, Chen Ye should be racking his brains to figure out how to use clever rhetoric to convince Su Chunyi that he is a "fellow traveler," which would bring countless benefits.

But when Chen Ye met Su Chunyi's clear yet sharp eyes, he finally decided to tell the truth: "If you ask me what I really think, then I would say that when cause and effect are resolved, it is good; when entangled in a karmic entanglement, it is evil."

Su Chunyi looked puzzled and pressed for details, "Please explain in more detail, fellow Daoist."

Chen Ye thought for a moment and then continued, "When I first arrived in Cui County, I met Wang Sanqi. This scoundrel tried to extort money from me, but I taught him a lesson, and his evil deeds against me have already been punished."

"After that, I wanted to make a name for myself, so I collaborated with Wang Sanqi. He completed his performance, and I treated his father's illness. We were even."

"In my opinion, I gained fame, and Wang Sanqi saved my father. This cause and effect was resolved perfectly, and that is good."

Su Chunyi's gaze never left Chen Ye. After listening quietly to his words, she remained silent for a long time before asking, "What about the others who were bullied by Wang Sanqi?" Chen Ye shook his head slightly and said slowly, "That's their karma. I only casually mentioned it when I asked Wang Sanqi to apologize and compensate those people. Whether they forgive him, choose revenge or endure it, is their own business."

"Once I have obtained what I seek, I will leave this place. Whether Wang Sanqi keeps his promise after this is none of my concern."

Su Chunyi frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "If what you say is true, how can the weak resolve their own karma? Can they only silently endure it?"

Chen Ye's lips curled up, as if he had expected Su Chunyi to ask such a question. He replied, "When one is successful, one should help the world; when one is unsuccessful, one should cultivate one's own virtue. How mortals resolve their karma is a question for immortals to ponder. When I transcend the mortal realm and ascend to the ranks of immortals, perhaps I can ensure that everyone in the world receives their karmic retribution."

There is no such thing as the cycle of reincarnation in this world. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; once it's over, everything is over.

This piqued Chen Ye's curiosity. If there were no reincarnation, what would a true immortal look like?
According to legend, immortals do exist, and there are quite a few of them. However, after they ascend to heaven, they disappear without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. Where did they go?

Whenever he looks up at the vast starry sky, Chen Ye can't help but fall into such deep thought, and his longing for the mysterious unknown above the stars grows stronger.

Su Chunyi stared wide-eyed as if she had heard something earth-shattering, asking in astonishment, "Make everyone in the world subject to karmic retribution? How is that even possible?"

Chen Ye, perhaps speaking too fluently, continued without thinking, "Let's settle accounts after death. If all mortals could gather together after death, their good and evil deeds in life would be reflected in a clear mirror, and then, based on those unresolved karmic debts, those who should be thrown into the oil cauldron would be thrown in, and those who should be reincarnated would be reincarnated. In this way, wouldn't everyone receive karmic retribution?"

Su Chunyi pressed on again: "Reincarnation? What does that mean?"

"It could be that I would be reborn as a human, or a livestock, or a flower, tree, or plant... Well, I was just saying it offhand. I'll think about the specifics when I become an immortal."

As soon as Chen Ye uttered those words, he immediately realized he was in trouble. Such a sensitive topic as the Six Paths of Reincarnation was not something that could be discussed casually.

In the eyes of cultivators in this world, reincarnation is almost the same as possession. If we go any further, Su Chun might shout, "You audacious demon, I can tell you're not human at first glance!"

Then, with a whoosh, a sword light flashed past, and he was decapitated and died on the spot.

Fortunately, Chen Ye was overthinking it. Su Chunyi was already in shock after hearing his wildly imaginative ideas.

"Purification of sins, settlement of karma, and reincarnation? Sir's ambition makes me feel ashamed. The entire Qinghe Sword Sect has racked our brains on how to save the people of the world, but even the sect leader has never had such a wonderful idea."

"Well, this isn't my original idea; I'm just copying what others have said."

Chen Ye looked slightly embarrassed. This was hardly his idea. The Six Paths of Reincarnation had undergone countless evolutions to become a logically rigorous system.

"I deeply admire your humility and sincerity."

Although he claimed that the theory of reincarnation was not his own original idea, Su Chunyi still treated Chen Ye differently, even changing how she addressed him.

Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He had probably passed the Dao debate and wouldn't be killed by this Miss Su with a single sword strike.

Su Chun blinked her bright eyes and looked at Chen Ye again with that innocent yet all-seeing gaze, and said sincerely, "I have a very important matter that I need your help with, sir."

Chen Ye looked doubtful and asked softly, "Ask me for help? Miss Su, you flatter me. With my cultivation level, what can I possibly do to help?"

Su Chunyi's expression was solemn as he slowly uttered a few words: "It is the matter of Cui County forcibly conscripting young boys and girls."

(End of this chapter)