Chapter 50

Ximen Shuai said, "The thousand-year-old fox demon submitted herself to repay a favor, which is righteous. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord sent disciples and even risked going beyond the border to capture people for the thousand-year-old fox demon, which is emotional. The thousand-year-old fox demon killed many mortals to survive, which is deserving of death. This is my stance. If you are a disciple of an evil sect, this matter is unrelated to you. If you are a disciple of the Zitong Sect, you should prioritize the orders of your sect. If you are a disciple of the righteous path or the demon sect, and you encounter such an evil person, you must eliminate them."

"Oh?" Lin Fan pondered.

Ximen Shuai continued, "The Yunqing Sect occupies the blessed land of Yunqing Mountain, while evil people can only survive in the desolate wilderness. Are we, cultivators, being fair? You say you are righteous, and he is evil, but he believes in the survival of the fittest and the supremacy of the strong, which he considers the natural order. Our demon sect defies heaven and achieves success, and it's not without precedent."

Lin Fan shook his head. "I'm a bit confused."

Ximen Shuai said, "Why be so clear? Are you a disciple of the Yunqing Sect?"

"Yes!"

"Is the Yunqing Sect on the righteous path?"

"Yes!"

"Does the Yunqing Sect not tolerate evil people harming the common people?"

"Yes!" This rule actually appeared after the great battle of the evil sects. At the time, there was much debate. Some people thought that the lives of common people were none of their business, while others believed that protecting the weak and eliminating the strong was their duty. This was different from the invasion of the evil sects, which threatened everyone's interests. In the end, the Yunqing Sect established a rule: they would not interfere in civilian disputes, but if evil people harmed the common people, they must step in. Wars between continents were not their concern, but if cultivators were to slaughter ordinary people, they would intervene. Many sects held this attitude, such as Leishan in the Southern Continent, Zixiao in the Central Continent, and the demon sect in the Western Continent.

Ximen Shuai said, "Then it's simple. If you kill the thousand-year-old fox demon, it will be a perfect resolution. However, this is not the will of heaven; it is what you, as a disciple of the Yunqing Sect, should do."

Lin Fan countered, "The will of heaven? What is the will of heaven?"

"Ha ha, if I knew the answer, I would have already reclaimed the demon sect." Ximen Shuai looked at Lin Fan with interest. "Now, let's discuss this: after we force the thousand-year-old fox demon to give us what we want, should we kill her? If we kill her, it's a breach of trust. If we don't kill her, it's being overly merciful, and who knows how many more people will become her ingredients."

Spicy chicken threads... Why are these questions so difficult? Lin Fan was frustrated. No matter what he chose, it seemed wrong. He just wanted to be a good person, but no matter what he chose, he would be a bad person. A man of integrity cannot stand without trust, but letting the fox demon go would be aiding evil.

Ximen Shuai waited for Lin Fan to think for a while and then said, "Alright, stop thinking. I'm glad I didn't misjudge you. At least you didn't consider the fox demon's skin. In a certain county in the Central Continent, there was a county magistrate who was very capable, and the county was prosperous and the people wealthy. However, the county magistrate was also corrupt. When the court discovered this, they reported it to the emperor, and an imperial envoy arrived. The people of the county tried to exonerate the magistrate. Now, according to the law and propriety, the magistrate should not remain in office. But emotionally, he had transformed a poor and desolate county into a wealthy one, which was a great achievement. With the people's support, the envoy found it difficult to make a decision and reported back to the emperor."

Lin Fan asked curiously, "What happened then?"

"Good question. Interestingly, at the time, the crown princes of the Western and Eastern Continents were guests in the Central Continent. The emperor of the Central Continent asked for their opinions. The Western Continent is governed by the Legalist school, which does not allow for sentiment. According to the law, the official should be executed. The Eastern Continent is governed by the Confucian school, which believes in reasoning and emotional appeal. They thought that the people's support was valuable, and the merits and demerits could offset each other, so they suggested letting the official continue in office to observe his future conduct. The Central Continent follows the Mohist philosophy of universal love and equality. The emperor of the Central Continent believed that merits should be rewarded and faults punished. In the end, the county magistrate was executed according to the laws of the Central Continent as punishment, and after his death, a temple was built for him, and he was granted the emperor's surname and a title to reward his contributions."

Lin Fan nodded thoughtfully. "The Mohist, Confucian, and Legalist schools are all correct. It mainly depends on how you view it."

"What is your decision?"

"Stand by trust. After this matter is resolved, if there is an opportunity, I will eliminate the fox demon."

"Excellent! You righteous people talk a lot, but it's all theoretical. You need to let your disciples see the world; many things are not black and white." Ximen Shuai said, "Since you have no evil intentions, shall we proceed?"

Lin Fan shook his head. "Not good."

"Why not?"

"The CuiLv Valley is a hundred miles from the Zitong Sect's headquarters, guarded by only one direct disciple. The thousand-year-old fox demon is not only a target for the righteous path but also has the skin of a thousand-year-old fox, which some evil sect disciples might covet. Since you know the fox demon's cultivation has greatly diminished to less than two hundred years, how could the nearby evil sects not know?"

That made sense. Thousand-year-old demons and spirit beasts are rare and essential for creating spatial bags. Ximen Shuai asked, "What do you think?"

"Let's test the waters first."

...

Lin Fan and Ximen Shuai landed in the air near the CuiLv Valley and waited. Ziyè immediately greeted them. "This is the CuiLv Valley. Leave immediately."

Lin Fan said, "I have an order from the sect leader to deliver a letter to the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord."

"The sect leader left yesterday."

"Ah." Lin Fan was surprised. "What... What should we do? We asked the disciples at the headquarters yesterday, and they said the Demon Lord was in the CuiLv Valley. Sister, is there any way to contact him?"

Ziyè shook her head. "We can only send a message to the Demon Lord to come here quickly. We cannot relay the message."

Lin Fan said, "This is urgent. Our cultivation is shallow, and the Demon Lord's is profound. It will take more than a moment to travel to and from the CuiLv Valley."

"Hmph, do you think our sect leader is at your beck and call?"

Lin Fan smiled apologetically. "That's not what I meant. It's just that this matter is important. If Sister can help, I would be grateful. Otherwise, I will face punishment, and it will be a serious issue if I delay the sect leader's affairs."

Important? Ziyè shook her head. "Our communication is for defending against external enemies. Once an enemy invades, the CuiLv Screen will activate and can hold for an hour, giving the Demon Lord enough time to arrive and defend. It can only be used in life-or-death situations. You should return to the headquarters. Our sect leader is benevolent and will speak on your behalf to your sect leader to avoid punishment."

"It seems we have no choice. Thank you, Sister." Lin Fan and Ximen Shuai bid farewell and left.

It turns out there was such a magical treasure. Ximen Shuai, being smart and well-informed, immediately understood. The CuiLv Screen must be a treasure of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. Since the fox demon had merged with him, she could also control it. Once an external enemy invaded, the CuiLv Screen would activate, and the Demon Lord would sense it and come to defend the valley. Hmph, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord is quite loyal. Using the CuiLv Screen in the CuiLv Valley is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Such a treasure should be kept at the headquarters to defend against sudden attacks.

"Hey, we tested the waters, now what?" Ximen Shuai was a bit helpless. The main target was the fox demon, and although her cultivation had greatly diminished, she wasn't easy to capture. Once the CuiLv Screen activated, they couldn't break through.

Lin Fan said, "Light the beacon to summon the feudal lords."

"Light the beacon to summon the feudal lords?" Ximen Shuai asked.

...