Yinshan Record

Chapter 593 Human nature's schemes are hidden behind one's belly (Part 2)
On a bustling street outside the restaurant, Su Che, Ji Boyuan, and Xiao Feiyu stood together under the shade of a tree. The two Void Steps concealed their auras, while Su Che released his divine sense and slowly touched the accompanying Imperial Guards.

The aura, like that of a demon from hell, swept over him, causing the accompanying guards to change color. They respectfully bowed and then hurriedly retreated.

"The Middle Lands are such a hassle, there are these 'hanging boot ghosts' everywhere, even drinking wine is no fun."

Xiao Feiyu stretched lazily, clearly annoyed: "The people of the East China Sea are the most knowledgeable."

"I've heard that monsters often invade the East Sea. Is that true?"

"It's not just that there are frequent attacks from demonic beasts. Let me put it this way: the people of the East Sea are no different from cultivators. When demonic beasts attack a city, half of the city is razed to the ground, but the other half of the city continues to be a place of business as usual."

"Only a place like that could nurture a sword cultivator like Brother Xiao."

"Indeed, the sharpness of a sword comes from honing."

Xiao Feiyu lightly patted the sword behind him: "Brother Ji, I have heard that your sect is unparalleled in the world for its thunder magic. May I ask what this thunder magic is?"

"Our school takes thunder magic as its general principle. Thunder is no ordinary thunder, but rather the life force that runs through the nine laws of heaven and man. It is the pivot of yin and yang, the sum of creation. Thunder can encompass the vast void and can control life and death. In short, although it is called thunder, it cannot be judged by its name."

Ji Boyuan sighed softly. The Divine Firmament Dao reveres thunder magic, but this thunder magic is not the thunder and lightning that ordinary people understand. Rather, it is a kind of profound Dao intent that commands heaven and earth and governs the nine laws of heaven and man.

"Huang Tiandao also has the 'Supreme Six Dragons Returning to the Sun True Technique,' which encompasses the transformations of the nine methods and achieves boundless power."

Xiao Feiyu slowly said, "The Xuanmen people pursue the Great Dao and take the Nine Laws in harmony as their mission, encompassing heaven and earth. They are indeed extraordinary, but we sword cultivators are different."

"My sect master once said that among the nine methods of Heaven and Man, none is superior or inferior. Our sect's cultivation is based on spiritual insight and morality. Among them, spiritual insight is the blade, and morality is the sheath. Spiritual insight is the blade, used to cut through the barriers of Heaven and Earth with my spirit; morality is the sheath, used to hone this blade for the time of use. The reason why sword cultivators are sword cultivators, and not staff cultivators or knife cultivators, lies in this method of morality. When we use swords, is our weapon morality?"

"It seems Brother Xiao has gained some insight?"

Ji Boyuan looked at Xiao Feiyu and said.

"The conversation over drinks just now was just casual chatter, but the yellow talisman left by Brother Ji really piqued my interest."

"Hmm? Brother Xiao, you also have some knowledge of talismans?"

"Me? I know absolutely nothing about it, but at most I can tell that Brother Ji's talisman technique focuses on the interplay of reality and illusion. Turning water into wine is a mix of truth and falsehood."

Ji Boyuan chuckled. The yellow talisman was just something he'd casually made and stuck on the wine jar. It did indeed have the effect of turning water into "fine wine," but it didn't change its essence. The resulting water-wine, while possessing the sweetness and aroma of wine, was still water in essence.

It merely tastes like wine, smells like wine, and tastes like wine; it can fool the senses of sound, smell, taste, touch, and law, but it cannot deceive heaven and earth to change its true nature.

This is illusion, and also Taoist magic; it is precisely because some effort has been put into the methods of reality and illusion.

"What I care about are the changes that happened later."

"later?"

"The accountant, driven by greed, wanted to keep the yellow talisman for himself, while the waiter, though he got the gold, was still insatiable and probably wanted more. The troubles in their tavern have probably only just begun."

"That waiter is probably going to ask the accountant for more money, and he won't stop until he's squeezed every last penny out of him."

Ji Boyuan clapped his hands lightly.

“I’m afraid that accountant is planning to run away. After all, with Brother Ji’s yellow talisman, he can do business in the liquor industry anywhere,” Su Che added. “When that waiter can’t find the accountant, he will definitely be anxious. The accountant is also a cunning person. These two may fight to the death tonight.”

"The human heart is hell." Su Che smiled and looked at Ji Boyuan: "Brother Ji was just doing something on a whim, trying to do a good deed, but he couldn't resist the wickedness of human nature, everyone wanted to grab the biggest benefit."

So, it seems I gave you the wrong information?

Ji Boyuan laughed heartily, clearly not taking it to heart: "There's nothing inherently wrong in the world; it's just that fools create their own troubles. If they honestly returned all the talismans and gold, why would they bother with such worries?"

"But if we do that, all the benefits go to the employer who does nothing. Is that fair?"

Xiao Feiyu said, "Moreover..."

"Moreover, there are countless other people eyeing Brother Ji's talisman, such as some members of the Imperial Guard. They might think it was made by a master of the Divine Firmament Sect and is a rare and valuable item."

Suche added.

"Of course it's a rare find. If we can use Brother Ji's talisman to grasp some of the mysteries of the transformation of the true and illusory arts, then we'll have made a huge profit."

Xiao Feiyu clapped his hands gently.

"If some rogue cultivator takes this as an opportunity, he might wipe out the entire tavern. In a hundred years or so, he or someone else might take this talisman to the Shenxiao Dao, claiming that their ancestors had a marriage connection with Senior Brother Ji and asking for a favor. By then, Senior Brother Ji might have already attained immortality, forgotten about this matter, or be too busy to bother with it. They might actually find some benefit in it."

This swordsman from the East Sea Sword Palace shook his head.

"Even if Brother Ji has some suspicions, the matter of the tavern is already a fait accompli. The law of morality, though seemingly insignificant, is absolutely real."

Ji Boyuan chuckled: "Are you blaming me for going to all this trouble?"

"No, no."

Xiao Feiyu shook his head and said, "My palace master once said that the path of sword cultivation is not only about using morality as a sheath, but also about using morality as a blade, constantly reflecting inward. That's why I felt compelled to speak out at that moment."

"A sword of unparalleled sharpness is not so easy to obtain."

Su Che has been learning swordsmanship from Kong Kong'er these past few days, and has also gained some insights.

The reason why sword cultivators are sword cultivators, and not iron rod cultivators or pitchfork cultivators, is because of their pursuit of moral principles.

"However, rigidity leads to breakage, and flexibility to unleash one's potential. The nuances of this are truly difficult to grasp."

Xiao Feiyu shook his head and said, "Our path is truly three times more dangerous than that of the Xuanmen."

Upon hearing this, Su Che asked, "But I've heard that there are other paths within the Sword Palace now?"

"Indeed, some people want to abandon the laws of morality and still work on spiritual matters, but instead of morality, they work on the laws of creation, movement, and stillness. From breaking all laws with one sword to creating all laws with one sword, hehe, since all laws are created, does the sword itself still matter?"

Xiao Feiyu said listlessly, "But these things have nothing to do with us..."

"I would like to ask a few more questions, but I don't know if it would be presumptuous of me?"

Su Che asked cautiously, but Xiao Feiyu's eyes gave a very clear answer.

Excuse me, young man, your question is quite presumptuous.

(End of this chapter)