Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 56: Good and evil, let’s leave it for now!
Chen Qiye sat down beside the two women. A subtle silence hung in the air, broken only by the gurgling sound of the river. Before he knew it, the night had deepened and he began to feel sleepy.

Bi Yao was the first one who couldn't hold on any longer. She nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice. After a while, she leaned on Chen Qiye's shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

"Qi Ye, what is good to you? What is evil?" Lu Xueqi looked at the sleeping Bi Yao, stood up and walked to the other side of Chen Qiye, took his arm and asked.

Chen Qiye was slightly startled, his gaze fixed on the gurgling river, shimmering with tiny silver glints in the moonlight, before he fell into a brief moment of contemplation. He gently adjusted his position, trying to make Bi Yao more comfortable, before slowly speaking, "How can good and evil in this world be so easily defined? Bi Yao, born into a demonic sect, is considered a demon by the righteous. Yet, she is inherently kind, yet she is spurned simply because of her identity. The righteous, while claiming to be righteous, commit the heinous act of burying innocent people alive. Good and evil often lie not in one's identity, but in the heart."

Lu Xueqi listened to Chen Qiye's words, leaning lightly on his shoulder. The teachings she had learned in Qingyun Sect emerged in her mind. Those black-and-white concepts seemed a little vague at this moment.

"Qi Ye, I have been taught by Qingyun Sect since I was a child, and I have always believed that good and evil cannot coexist, but now..." Lu Xueqi hesitated to speak, with a hint of confusion in her voice.

Chen Qiye gently grasped Lu Xueqi's hand and said softly, "Qi'er, I understand your confusion. But the path of cultivation shouldn't be constrained by rigid notions. As long as you have good intentions, even if you're in a demonic sect, it doesn't matter. If you harbor evil thoughts, even if you claim to be a righteous person, what's the difference between you and the devil?"

Lu Xueqi raised her head and stared at Chen Qiye. The moonlight shone on her face, reflecting the complex emotions in her eyes. There was both agreement with his words and the struggle of having her faith shaken for many years.

"Qiye, you are absolutely right, but I was raised by Qingyun Sect, and those teachings have long been deeply ingrained in me. It is too difficult for me to abandon them all at once."

Chen Qiye gently stroked her hair and said softly, "I never thought of asking you to completely abandon everything in Qingyun Sect. I just hope that we can have our own judgment and not be completely swayed by established rules."

At this time, Bi Yao murmured a few words in her sleep and rubbed against Chen Qiye's arms. Chen Qiye subconsciously tightened his arms to protect her tighter.

"Qi Ye, if one day in the future, Qingyun Sect and the Demon Sect clash again, how should we deal with it?" Lu Xueqi bit her lower lip and asked with difficulty, expressing her concerns.

Chen Qiye was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I don't want to see that day, but when that day comes, I, Chen Qiye, will only have the sword in my hand. I will use this sword to end the chaos and protect the safety of all living beings."

Lu Xueqi leaned on Chen Qiye's shoulder, listening to his words with a mixture of emotions. She knew that while Chen Qiye's ideas were good, when it came to the real conflict between good and evil, things were far from simple. Under the moonlight, the three figures were stretched out, swaying with the light and shadow of the flowing river.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xueqi also gradually fell asleep. Chen Qiye looked at the two sleeping people on his left and right, sighed softly, and murmured to himself: "All the karma has been brought upon me..."

After an unspecified amount of time, the sky gradually brightened, and the soft morning light filtered through the mottled branches, casting a soft glow upon the three of them. Bi Yao slowly awoke, finding herself nestled tightly in Chen Qiye's arms, her cheeks flushing slightly. She sat up quietly, not wanting to wake Chen Qiye and Lu Xueqi, who were still soundly asleep.

Bi Yao looked around. The mountain forest was peaceful and beautiful, and the fresh air was refreshing. She recalled Chen Qiye's comfort last night, and her heart was filled with warmth. Looking at Chen Qiye beside her, his face was calm. In the morning light, he looked like a beautiful painting. Bi Yao couldn't help but stare at him in a daze.

At this moment, Lu Xueqi slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze met Bi Yao's, and they both paused for a moment before looking away. The atmosphere remained awkward for a moment until Chen Qiye woke up and broke the silence.

Chen Qiye slowly stood up, looked at Lu Xueqi and whispered, "Qier, go find Shushu and Xiaofan first. After you find them, use this aura of mine to find me." As he spoke, Chen Qiye put his hand on his brow, and a glimmer of light condensed out, turning into a faint aura that merged into Lu Xueqi's body.

Lu Xueqi nodded slightly. She knew she had a mission to accomplish and couldn't let sentimentality derail her important work. She cast a deep glance at Chen Qiye, then glanced at Bi Yao, who looked at her with a complicated expression. She turned and flew off, her figure soaring like a meteor into the distance, disappearing at the edge of the forest.

After seeing Lu Xueqi leave, Bi Yao turned to look at Chen Qiye and said, "I think you, Chen Qiye, are also a talent. Why not join our Holy Church? I will recommend you to my father. He has always valued talents and will definitely make use of you."

Chen Qiye shook his head slightly: "I am in Qingyun, so naturally I will not switch to other sects."

When Bi Yao saw Chen Qiye's refusal, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. "Qiye, the Qingyun Sect has strict rules and regulations. Many doctrines will bind you. How can you be as free as in my Holy Sect? Wouldn't it be great if you joined?"

Chen Qiye's eyes were gentle yet firm as he looked off into the distance and said, "Qingyun Sect has been kind to me, and I cannot betray them. But I also understand that the distinction between good and evil shouldn't be a shackle that holds people captive. I'm leaving too, so let's say goodbye for now."

After saying this, Qiu Shui Wuhen slowly emerged, and Chen Qiye tapped his toes lightly, landing steadily on the sword. He turned around and gave Bi Yao a deep look, his eyes filled with both apology and a hint of reluctance.

"Qi Ye, are you really not going to reconsider this?" Bi Yao shouted anxiously, her voice full of unwillingness.

Chen Qiye smiled bitterly and shook his head without saying anything else. He activated his spiritual power and Qiu Shui Wuhen instantly turned into a stream of light and rushed in one direction.

After watching Chen Qiye disappear from her sight on his sword, Bi Yao suddenly felt empty inside, completely drained of energy. She slowly sat down, her gaze wandering, and before she knew it, a layer of mist had formed in her eyes. A gentle breeze rustled her hair, but Bi Yao was oblivious. "Why won't he agree?"

She couldn't understand. In her opinion, the Holy Church was the place where Chen Qiye could realize his ambitions without any constraints, but Chen Qiye could never let go of the kindness of Qingyun Sect.

A single, glistening teardrop slid down her cheek, landing on the ground beneath her feet before disappearing in an instant. An unknown amount of time passed before a tall, dark figure suddenly appeared behind Biyao, enveloping her. Although it was still daytime, the sky seemed to have darkened.

Bi Yao slowly turned her head and stared blankly at the person behind her. After a long while, she sobbed, "Dad!..." As she spoke, she threw herself into the arms of the person who came after her and burst into tears.

The visitor was stunned for a moment. He had never expected Bi Yao to behave like this. He didn't even know how long ago she last behaved like this.

The Ghost King patted Bi Yao's back gently. When her crying subsided, he said softly, "Yao'er, if anyone bullied you, tell me and I will take care of it for you."

Bi Yao raised her tear-stained face and sobbed as she recounted the story of Chen Qiye's refusal to join the Holy Church.

After hearing this, the Ghost King frowned slightly, and a complex look flashed in his eyes. He felt distressed that his daughter's feelings were rejected, but he also became more curious and concerned about the young man Chen Qiye.

"Don't be sad, Yao'er. There are many good men in this world. There's no need to be so sad over this one Chen Qiye." The Ghost King tried to comfort her gently, but Bi Yao shook her head stubbornly. "Dad, I've never met anyone as unique as him. His views on good and evil are surprisingly similar to the teachings of the Holy Church. He's just been constrained by the rules of the Qingyun Sect."

The Ghost King nodded thoughtfully. He thought to himself that if he could recruit Chen Qiye into the Holy Church, perhaps it would bring new vitality to the Holy Church. However, this young man was so loyal that it would be difficult to impress him.

Elsewhere, after leaving Kongsang Mountain, Chen Qiye randomly found a forest and used his spiritual energy to repair his injuries. The spiritual energy in Kongsang Mountain was too complex, and recovery there was too slow. The spiritual energy he absorbed was less than two-thirds of what he would have absorbed elsewhere.

After resting in the wilderness for a night, Chen Qiye arrived at the official road, but the weather today was obviously not kind to him.

The sun was blazing brightly as Chen Qiye walked north along the official road. Sweat quickly soaked his clothes. The trees on both sides of the road drooped their branches listlessly, and even the cicadas' chirping seemed weak.

After a while, a tea stall set up under a large tree attracted Chen Qiye's attention, and he quickly walked towards it. A few pedestrians were already sitting in front of the stall, sipping tea in big gulps.

Chen Qiye had just sat down in front of the tea stall. The stall owner, a simple and honest middle-aged man, saw him coming and quickly and enthusiastically handed him a bowl of freshly brewed tea: "Sir, please have some tea to quench your thirst!"

Chen Qiye took it and drank it all in one gulp. The warm tea slid down his throat, dispelling some of the heat.

At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out beside Chen Qiye: "Boss, give me a bowl of tea."

Chen Qiye was slightly stunned and turned to look at the person who came. He saw that the person was a middle-aged man wearing a gray Confucian robe. He looked elegant and had a sense of majesty without anger. He had a light purple jade pendant on his waist, which was obviously not an ordinary item.

After taking a deep breath, Chen Qiye ordered another cup of tea and drank it quietly. After a while, the other customers also paid their bills and left, and only Chen Qiye and the middle-aged man were left at the tea stall.

"Little brother." The middle-aged man took the initiative to speak, his voice low but somewhat gentle. "I think you look kind, little brother, so I'd like to come over and chat for a while. Do you mind?"

Chen Qiye nodded slightly and responded politely: "Senior, you are too polite. Please take a seat."

The middle-aged man slowly sat down opposite Chen Qiye and looked at him with interest: "Little brother, what's your name?"

"My name is Chen Qiye. May I ask your name, senior?" Chen Qiye asked calmly.

"Chen Qiye... is a good name." The middle-aged man nodded and said with a slight smile: "My last name is Wan, and my courtesy name is Renwang."

"Mr. Wan, I've long heard of your name." Chen Qiye nodded slightly, looking at the person who came, and confirmed what he was thinking in his heart.

(End of this chapter)