Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 238 On Quicksand, Pointing the Way Forward

"The quicksand has been mobilized."

After seeing Master Ban and Xiang Liang leave, Qingxu and the others found a place to sit down in the courtyard.

Recalling what had happened on the way, Yan Lingji broke the silence with her voice.

"On the way, I encountered Wushuang and Canglangwang. Their target was Gai Nie and Tianming."

Qingxu had anticipated this matter, so his expression did not change much when he heard these words.

However, this news was not so friendly to Duanmu Rong and Yue'er.

Especially for Yue'er, with her father's killer in front of her, it was even more difficult for her to remain calm.

Of course, Yan Dan was not actually killed at this time; he had only faked his death to avoid the world, but Yue'er was unaware of this.

Seeing that Yue'er's expression was not good, Duanmu Rong seemed to have guessed something, so she reached out and pulled the little girl into her arms.

"Peerless."

Qingxu narrowed his eyes. He hadn't seen the burly man when he came to the medical manor, and he still hadn't now.

Those people in the courtyard just now, if not immediately obvious, were all clearly visible. Moreover, Wushuang was quite large, so even if he wanted to hide, he couldn't.

“I didn’t let him in. His fierce appearance might frighten Miss Yue’er.”

Yan Lingji covered her mouth and smiled. Wushuang was too big and would be too conspicuous at the Medical Manor. In addition, Wushuang had been in the Quicksand before, so she didn't let Wushuang come to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Master, quicksand"

After a while, Duanmu Rong looked at Qingxu. In her memory, although Qingxu did not like to meddle in other people's business, he was not opposed to the cause of eliminating evil and promoting good.

The Flowing Sands were notorious in the martial arts world and did not seem like a benevolent group. Upon hearing Yan Lingji's words, she couldn't help but have a new idea in mind: if Qingxu could take action, perhaps this menace of the Flowing Sands could be eliminated.

"Quicksand~~"

Qingxu was quick-witted. Seeing Duanmu Rong's expression, he guessed what she meant. However, in his opinion, Liusha was far from being a matter that required his personal intervention.

Firstly, with Honglian around, Quicksand wouldn't accept those unscrupulous assassination attempts. Secondly, he personally witnessed Quicksand's founding and was fully aware of its original purpose.

Han Fei's departure did cause some changes in the Quicksand organization, making it less rule-abiding in its actions, but overall, it was much better than the Empire's Net and Shadow Guard.

At least they won't target ordinary people. The martial arts world is vast, and the world is vast. He felt that such an organization was needed to balance the power of various sects.

Just like the military strategists, agriculturalists, Mohists, and Confucians of today, they all have their own rules for doing things, and killing is not an untouchable taboo for each of them.

Once their bottom line is crossed, murders occur frequently, much like the brawls in the six rural households, which often result in injuries and deaths.

It seems inappropriate for such a martial arts world to be preoccupied with whether or not the quicksand should be eliminated.

"The original owner of Quicksand was not Wei Zhuang."

When the topic turned to quicksand, Qingxu's tone became somewhat distant. Back then, he still admired that young man.

"Of the seven kingdoms, I want ninety-nine."

Such words are not something an ordinary person could say.

Upon hearing about what happened back then, Yan Lingji propped her chin up with one hand, as if she were also reminiscing.

"You may have heard of the person who founded it; he is the ninth prince of Korea, named Han Fei."

Upon hearing this name, Duanmu Rong and Yue'er, one older and one younger, were taken aback. They had indeed heard of this name before; those who are remembered in history are never ordinary people.

"I've heard my master and the people who come to the clinic talk about Han Fei. It seems that Ying Zheng values ​​him highly, and the laws that Ying Zheng is currently promoting seem to be based on this man."

Upon hearing Duanmu Rong's words, Yan Lingji's lips curled into a smile.

"Before Ying Zheng became the true king of Qin, he secretly went to Xinzheng, the capital of Han, to meet Han Fei."

"The Ninth Prince of Korea was an extraordinary figure. If he hadn't disappeared, the empire's unification might not have progressed as quickly as it has now."

"There's another thing. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang knew each other from the very beginning. They both came from Guigu Valley and were fellow disciples, but also rivals. Guigu Valley has a very unique rule: to become a true Master Guigu, one must defeat one's fellow disciples."

"The two of them, one vertical and the other horizontal, are rivals arranged by fate. They are bound to fight, and the victor will become the new generation of Master Guigu."

Upon hearing this, a hint of understanding appeared in Duanmu Rong's eyes. The quicksand's aggressive approach was not entirely illogical if it was solely due to the empire's hiring.

Now that she's heard about this other layer of relationship, she understands a lot more.

Then, Qingxu put down his teacup and spoke again: "The world is far more complicated than you imagine. You should know what happened in Shouying City of Chu back then. There is no absolute good or evil in this world."

"When Han Fei first founded Liusha, he intended to use it as a springboard to control the state of Han, implement his own ideas, and realize his ideals."

"Use techniques to detect treachery, and use punishment to stop further punishment."

“In times of chaos, severe punishments should be used to regulate people’s behavior. It is better to judge a person’s right or wrong by law than by a person’s subjective judgment.”

"Different people will arrive at different conclusions when they look at the same thing."

"Just like the wolf eating the sheep, from the sheep's perspective, the wolf is evil because the other party is an aggressor who kills indiscriminately; but from the wolf's perspective, it is more like an ordinary thing. It is a carnivore, and if it does not eat sheep, it will starve to death. So in its view, hunting is an instinctive habit, without good or evil."

"Furthermore, from our human perspective, wolves eating sheep is an evil act because sheep are raised with great effort by people, while wolves destroy and plunder, causing losses to people's interests. Therefore, in the eyes of most people, wolves are the evil party."

"Extending this to daily life, everyone is protecting their own interests. When the interests of both sides conflict, right and wrong will emerge. Both sides hold their own opinions, believing that they are not wrong and that what they are doing is right. At this time, a powerful thing is needed to distinguish right from wrong."

"And Han Fei's law is precisely such a thing. He used the power of law to define the right and wrong of a matter, and also to regulate a person's behavior."

"Turning endless debates into empathy allows people to have a clearer understanding of right and wrong, and this kind of power has a huge driving effect on world stability and social progress."

"That's why Ying Zheng traveled thousands of miles to Xinzheng to see Han Fei. He wanted to use Han Fei's power to forge a sword for the Son of Heaven and unify the world." Regarding the relationship between Ying Zheng and Han Fei, Qingxu had privately considered why Ying Zheng cared so much about this person, and why the Legalist school was better able to adapt to this chaotic world and allow the Qin state to truly achieve the great cause of unification.

The underlying principles cannot be explained in just a few words, but at their core, they all involve two words—fairness.

Human society has pursued something for thousands of years, and even in the end, it seems that these two words have not been fully realized; only relative fairness has been achieved.

The three girls present were not fools. Even the youngest one, Yue'er, could discern many things at her age.

She had already made up her mind whether Qingxu's words were right or wrong.

"The Quicksand played a significant role in Han Fei's efforts. Back then, the great general of Han was Ji Wuye, who held absolute power in Han and acted extremely cruelly, frequently disregarding human life. Later, through the efforts of Han Fei and the Quicksand, they successfully brought him down, along with the infamous Nightfall organization."

Qingxu remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"It's just a pity that Han Fei disappeared in Qin, and the quicksand lost its soul, becoming what it is now."

Duanmu Rong's gaze flickered slightly.

"In that case, it is a bit of a pity."

She is a doctor, and what she hopes to see most is peace and stability in the world, and that everyone is healthy, rather than living in misery.

It is indeed rare for Han Fei to have such ambition.

However, Ying Zheng implemented the same laws as Han Fei, but in the end the empire became like this. She couldn't understand it. If this is what happens when the law reaches its end, then was the path that Han Fei planned right or wrong?

"Master, since Han Fei's laws were correct and Ying Zheng implemented them, why is the empire in its current state?"

After a while, Duanmu Rong asked softly.

Qingxu raised his head and looked up at the sky.

"No law is always right, not even Han Fei's laws. The correctness of a law depends on the time and place."

"For example, theft is a crime, and under normal circumstances, this crime is always established. But what if there are extreme conditions? If a person has not eaten for dozens of days and is on the verge of life and death, how should one decide whether to steal a piece of food to fill their stomach? If they don't take it, they will die, but taking it violates the law. In this situation, do you think they should take it or not?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them turned pale.

People in the martial arts world are still somewhat unfamiliar with the law. They value chivalry and follow general moral principles, and there is almost no clear definition of right and wrong.

For example, if a murderer saves you, people in the martial arts world would generally think of repaying the debt of gratitude, rather than reporting him to the imperial court.

This is the nature of people in the martial arts world. If this had happened to someone who abides by the law, they might have made a different choice.

There is always a difference between the reality and the ideal, especially in extreme cases. It is meaningless to discuss right and wrong without considering the facts.

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

"Ying Zheng did not take the wrong path, but he overlooked the fact that conquering the world and governing the world are two different paths. The harsh laws of the chaotic times are naturally no longer suitable for the present."

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Rong nodded subconsciously.

The reasoning wasn't difficult; it was easy to understand. However, she was completely baffled by the details. Right and wrong seemed to require a more nuanced distinction, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

But the current laws of the Qin state are based on this one-size-fits-all approach.

"As for the current situation in the world, besides the imperial laws, it is also due to the nobles of various countries who are unwilling to become ordinary people."

As he spoke of these things, a hint of sarcasm appeared in Qingxu's eyes.

"Fairness~~"

Even Qin Shi Huang, or any other figure who appeared briefly in the long river of time, ultimately did not seem to cross this threshold.

Humans are not saints after all, but human beings, people with emotions and desires, experiencing joy and sorrow, likes and dislikes, and naturally being influenced by other things.

As for the Confucian idea of ​​dividing people into different classes, he found it less satisfying than the peasant saying, "Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special destiny?"

However, he didn't mention any of this: changing mindsets is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Unless all existing ideas in the world can be destroyed, it might be possible to reshape new ideas.

But this will probably take even longer.

Recalling what Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong had done, Qingxu suddenly said, "In this respect, you have done very well, far better than those Confucian scholars in my opinion."

"People are born, grow old, get sick and die. In the face of life and death, everyone is equal. When you treat and save people, you do not turn them away for this or that reason. This is respect for life, unlike the Confucianism that follows ancient rites and divides people into different classes. People are born equal, so how can there be a class? In my opinion, it is just a different division of labor in society."

"Imagine if there were no farmers or hunters in the world, wouldn't everyone starve to death on the streets, while they are the peasants that those big shots look down upon?"

"If a country has no people and only a king, what power does the person sitting on the throne have? And who bestows that power upon him?"

His casual words, however, struck me like a thunderbolt, revealing another hidden layer of the world.

Just then, Master Ban, Xiang Liang, Fan Zeng, and the others who had just finished their discussion and returned to the courtyard heard Qingxu's astonishing remarks.

Their first reaction was that it was somewhat absurd, after all, these were things they had become accustomed to in this era, but after a while, they felt a strange unease.

A principle is a principle; just because others haven't mentioned it doesn't mean it's not a principle.

Although Qingxu's two statements are somewhat extreme, they do demonstrate that his reasoning is correct.

"Power is a poison that can corrupt a person's mind and cause them to unconsciously sink into depravity. If we want a country to truly achieve long-term stability and security, we need to find a new path. Otherwise, with constant gatherings and separations, the world will probably never escape this vicious cycle."

Fan Zeng clenched his fists slightly.

"The master's words reveal the truth behind dynastic changes; I, Fan, am truly impressed."

(End of this chapter)