Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 209 Living for Yourself, The Net

"The Laws of Heaven and Earth"

In the Qin state, inside the imperial prison, Han Fei's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Choosing between family and country and ideals is a difficult decision for him. Among the seven states, the place where he can best display his talents is not Han, but Qin.

Ying Zheng, the ruler of Qin, would be a strong supporter. With him around, his laws would definitely be able to create a glorious and unparalleled era.

But his true identity is that of the ninth prince of Korea. Helping an outsider to grow stronger and ultimately destroy his own country is an ending he can never accept.

When a person's ideals and beliefs conflict with those of their family and country, no one can remain indifferent, nor can anyone turn a blind eye.

"It seems the master has arrived too early."

After a moment of silence, Han Fei spoke again.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan shook his head.

"Is it too early?"

Han Fei suddenly smiled.

"If South Korea is destroyed and the master comes again, perhaps I will agree to your request."

The young man gave the ninth prince of Korea a deep look. At this moment, Han Fei seemed to no longer care so much about life and death.

"Since Ninth Young Master has witnessed his own death, he should know whether my arrival is sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei was taken aback.

The other person had previously said that they had seen the future. At first, he thought it was just a joke, but now he had a feeling that what they said might be true.

"Xiu Yuan, have you truly seen the future?"

The boy put his hands behind his back, his voice became deep, and then a short poem was recited.

"The King of Qin swept across the six kingdoms, his tiger-like gaze so majestic! He brandished his sword and parted the floating clouds, and all the feudal lords came to the west."

The poem's meaning is concise and to the point; he could understand it without Xiu Yuan having to explain it separately.

Will the world of these seven kingdoms ultimately belong to the Qin state?

Although he was unwilling to believe it, he had to admit that it was the most likely scenario at present.

"Qin, building upon the accumulated achievements of six generations, wielded its long-term strategies to govern the world. This was the mandate of heaven, not the result of one person's efforts; it's just a pity."

At this point, the boy hesitated and stopped talking.

Things haven't progressed to that point yet; it's all just talk.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei sighed softly and recounted the reigns of the Qin Dynasty: Duke Xiao of Qin, King Huiwen of Qin, King Wu of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, King Xiaowen of Qin, and King Zhuangxiang of Qin. All six of them were rulers who brought peace to the world and possessed great talent and ambition.

It is through the joint efforts of several generations that Qin has become the powerful state it is today.

"Now that the world belongs to Qin, why is Xiu Yuan acting as an envoy? I didn't agree even when he came to persuade me personally, let alone you?"

Upon hearing this, the boy gently raised his head.

“As I said before, I am not Ying Zheng’s advocate.”

Han Fei leaned against the wall. Hearing Xiu Yuan's words, he looked over again, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Was he not Ying Zheng's envoy? But he couldn't think of any other possibility besides that.

"Does Ninth Prince still remember a question I raised at Zilan Pavilion: Is this world truly the world of one person, or the world of all people?"

Han Fei was startled, as if he had guessed something.

If the state of Korea were destroyed and he lost his title as the Ninth Prince of Korea, would the answer to this question be different for him?

"The world belongs to all people."

"As things stand, this is simply impossible. Looking at the seven countries, none of them can accept this idea, not even South Korea."

The boy did not refute it. A change of mind is not something that can be achieved overnight; it often requires the passage of time or the influence of a major event.

The current seven kingdoms certainly do not have the foundation to generate such ideas, but that does not mean they will not in the future.

When the seven kingdoms were unified under Qin, the people of the world rose up in rebellion, plunging the land into chaos. All order was broken, and the victor became king and the loser became villain. By that time, was the world still incapable of embracing that ideology?

The future is uncertain. Perhaps with his involvement, the course of this history will change unexpectedly. If Ying Zheng intends to change things, I will do my best to help him.

Now, what he wants to do is leave more room for other possibilities for that uncertain future.

"Just because it doesn't exist now doesn't mean it won't exist in the future. As Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said in the Tao Te Ching, 'A whirlwind does not last all morning, nor does a sudden rain last all day.' Things do not remain in the status quo forever; everything is in a state of change."

Han Fei nodded.

That's true, since the future is inherently uncertain, and no one can be sure what will happen.

"So, this is a high-stakes gamble."

Immediately afterwards, Han Fei's brows furrowed tightly. These words, together with what Xiu Yuan had said before, had formed a closed loop, because the young man in front of him had said that he had seen the future, which meant that the opportunity he was talking about was in a future that had never happened.

"I once heard a saying: 'Even in darkness, one's heart yearns for the light.' Life is fleeting, like a flower in bloom. We cannot choose more, but at least we should live for ourselves once."

"For the Ninth Prince, the State of Han was a cage, a cage from which he could not escape. Therefore, after leaving Xiaoshengxianzhuang, the Prince chose the State of Han instead of the State of Qin, which was the most suitable for him."

"That is the most fundamental reason."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei clenched his fists tightly. Every event has a cause and effect, and no choice is made without a basis.

"However, in my opinion, Qin is not the best choice for the Ninth Prince. Reforming and strengthening the state is understandable, but it is different for some people."

"When a country's resources remain unchanged, reform will inevitably touch the interests of certain people, and these people are natural opponents. Therefore, reform is destined to result in deaths, not only the demise of enemies, but also the deaths of the reformers themselves."

"Since Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin state has grown rapidly in strength. However, these reforms have affected the interests of too many people. In the end, even the king could not protect him and he was brutally torn apart by five horses."

"Similarly, before Ying Zheng takes control of the overall situation, if the Ninth Prince comes to Qin to realize his ambitions, the final result will probably be no different from that of Shang Yang."

Han Fei was a student of Xunzi, who taught that human nature is inherently evil. He had a very profound understanding of the evil aspects of human nature, so he did not think that the young man in front of him was exaggerating.

From a certain perspective, the world is essentially a division of interests; if someone benefits, someone else will suffer.

The essence of reform is to distribute all resources equally, allowing those who have suffered losses to stand up. However, this approach will inevitably affect the interests of some people. Sometimes, those people may not care about petty gains, but what about huge gains? In the end, they may very well become a weapon of murder.

"This looks like a very interesting betting game!"

Han Fei touched his chin, but then shook his head.

"How can Xiuyuan guarantee that what he is doing is right?"

The boy shook his head. "I wouldn't dare."

"Just like I'm not sure if it will rain tomorrow, I can't guarantee that what I'm doing is right."

"I have heard that the Guigu School has a teaching method called 'Choice'."

Upon hearing the name Guigu, Han Fei thought of the white-haired young man now hiding in the quicksand—Wei Zhuang, who was one of the current successors of Guigu.

"Choice?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and continued, "That's right. If you choose to live, you will die; if you choose to win, you will lose. In this world, the winner lives and the loser dies."

"This generation of Guigu disciples, Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang, were also taught similar principles by Master Guigu."

The Guigu School does not value morality, nor does it distinguish between right and wrong; its choices are "in service of victory, or in other words, result-oriented."

"When faced with choices, a qualified successor of Guiguzi is calm, or even cold-blooded; they need to learn to accept trade-offs."

"Each choice, while constantly tempering them, also leads them down different paths. Different choices lead to different destinies."

Han Fei had heard of the Guigu school, but at this moment, he didn't quite understand what the young man in front of him was trying to say by bringing up Guigu.
"What does 'cultivating affinity' mean?"

The young man took a step forward and entered the cell. Looking at Han Fei in front of him, he said softly, "But is the definition of victory and defeat the same for everyone else? In another person's eyes, victory may not be defeat at all!"

"Making choices requires selection. Everyone has a different definition of victory and defeat. There is no right or wrong, so how can there be a distinction between correct and incorrect? For everyone, when faced with a situation, a decision needs to be made, whether it is right or wrong! A decision is necessary. I think this is what Master Guigu wants to teach."

"Because decision-making itself is a capability, victory or defeat is merely a formality. So today I have come, and before Korea is defeated and before you die, this is my decision."

Han Fei chuckled.

He understood Xiu Yuan's words; the other party had laid everything out in the open, whether he wanted to know it, didn't want to know it, or didn't even know it.

Today's invitation is a decision for him, and whether he accepts or not has nothing to do with this decision. It's not that everything will necessarily have a result. In this world, there are many things that are destined not to have a clear outcome.

"This is the Qin Dynasty's imperial prison."

“I am still someone the King of Qin is paying close attention to. He will not let me leave. Even the Grandmaster is on the King of Qin's list of people he is paying close attention to.”

The boy suddenly smiled.

"I know he won't let you leave, but when did I ever say that taking you away required their permission?"

Upon hearing this, Han Fei's expression suddenly turned strange.

"You're planning a prison break??"

Xiu Yuan slowly walked to Han Fei's side and gently patted his shoulder. Han Fei felt a cool sensation enter his meridians.

"I'll collect your body."

Han Fei's lips twitched; he suddenly couldn't understand what the other person meant anymore.

"Some people don't want you to continue living."

Han Fei sat back on the bed, his eyes flickering slightly.

He actually knew the person Xiu Yuan was talking about; he had just seen him.

An ambitious person is destined to be unable to tolerate someone more capable than himself; this is what is meant by "How can one allow another to sleep soundly beside one's bed?"

In fact, he already knew this was the case when he entered Qin, and he had witnessed his own death over the long course of time.

"Lee Si."

Xiu Yuan stared at the person in front of him, his calm gaze now showing a hint of composure. Han Fei was a smart man, so he laid everything out in front of him.

"Is Ninth Young Master willing to take a gamble with me?"

Han Fei looked up and met Xiu Yuan's calm eyes. In the depths of those still eyes, he saw a burning passion. He knew that this young man was serious, for the somewhat vague future he spoke of.

Han Fei sighed softly.

"The laws of Heaven and Earth shall be followed without fail."

The boy replied, "We use techniques to identify wickedness, and we use punishment to stop punishment."

Han Fei and Xiu Yuan exchanged a smile. This time, Xiu Yuan didn't say anything more. He took a step and disappeared from the spot.

Watching the boy's departing figure, Han Fei's eyes flickered once more.

He had to admit that he was ultimately tempted by the future the other party described.

His method took a different approach, following the same path as the Confucian path of seeking the Way. He also wanted to see how far his method could go.
As long as South Korea exists, he is destined not to have such thoughts.

The other party seemed to have seen through his intentions, so he didn't press the matter further. Finally, it was the other party who reminded him that in the Qin state, not everyone wanted to live well; many people wished they were dead.

Among these people was his junior brother, but Li Si was wrong about one thing: besides being a prince of the state of Han, he was also a scholar.

Scholars have their own integrity; not everyone is like him, willing to pay any price for power and status.

When exactly will the opportune moment that Xiu Yuan spoke of occur?

"The world has never belonged to one person alone, has it?"

After a while, Han Fei shook the wine pot in his hand. After drinking the fine wine, his eyes became somewhat hazy. In his mind's eye, he seemed to see the young man from the Taoist Heavenly Sect, who seemed to be playing a very big game of chess.

And the opponent is none other than the mighty Heavenly Dao, and what he wants to do may be something that the Heavenly Dao cannot tolerate.

"He really is a madman, no wonder he's from the Taoist Heavenly Sect."

Outside the prison, Xiu Yuan's figure emerged from the depths of an alley, then he turned to look in the direction of the prison.

"Han Fei, when the shackles are broken, what will you choose?"

"Who is it??"

Suddenly, a voice broke Xiu Yuan's thoughts. Two figures emerged from the shadows, dressed in black robes and wearing bamboo hats, each carrying a short dagger.

Upon seeing the two people's attire, Xiu Yuan gently shook his head.

Whether it was his bad luck or the bad luck of the two of them, he only appeared in the city once before being noticed by these two assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

"The people from the Net?"

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's words, the two paused, seemingly not expecting him to reveal their identities so easily.

"superior!!"

At the command of the man in black on the left, the two men moved swiftly and thrust their short daggers at him.

(End of this chapter)