Da Qin: Conquer all heavens and all realms

The smile on Taoist Taiqing's face remained unchanged, but a barely perceptible gleam of light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind," he said slowly. "The Dao follows nature, and all things evolve naturally. In our Three Pure Realms, we do not fight or rob, we do not kill or attack. We only seek to live as long as heaven and earth, and coexist with the Great Dao. Where does the concept of 'submission' come from? Your Majesty's laws may be the ultimate principles of the human world, but they may not apply to the Great Dao of heaven and earth."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng became interested. "What do you mean?"

"For example, your majesty's laws state that anyone who kills must pay with their life, and anyone who injures another must pay with their crime. This is the principle of human relations, and there's nothing wrong with it," Taoist Taiqing said eloquently. "However, the laws of nature are constant, and the cycle of life and death is constant. A tiger eating a rabbit is not a sin; a comet hitting a star is not a sin. This is the law of nature, part of the great Dao. If your majesty's laws were used to judge a tiger or a comet, wouldn't that be contrary to the laws of nature?"

He paused, then continued, "What I, the Three Pure Ones, cultivate is this 'Natural Way.' We follow the will of Heaven, respond to the advantages of the Earth, and strive to become one with all things in the universe. In our world, there is no 'sin,' only 'consequence.'"

"All actions are part of the operation of the Great Dao. Your Majesty's laws are 'man-made laws,' while the Dao of the Three Pure Ones is 'natural laws.' How can man-made laws judge the natural Dao?"

These words were said very cleverly.

He did not directly oppose Ying Zheng, but elevated "law" and "Tao" to two different philosophical levels.

One is a man-made order, the other is the law of the universe. He tried to use this theory of "the law of the Tao is higher than the law of man" to set up an invisible barrier for the implementation of the laws of the Qin Dynasty.

This is what Li Si called "literary battle".

What we are competing for is not strength, but truth.

Ying Zheng listened quietly without refuting.

He just looked at Taoist Taiqing and said slowly: "What you said makes a lot of sense."

Taoist Taiqing was delighted, thinking that his words had worked.

However, Ying Zheng's next words made him feel like he was falling into an ice cave.

"But I want to tell you."

"When a tiger eats a rabbit, it is a result. However, if a tiger eats a human, it is a sin. When a comet hits a star, it is a result. However, if someone uses a comet as a weapon to attack another world, it is a sin."

"I do not question the fruits of nature. I will investigate the sins committed by man!"

"The 'Tao' you speak of is indulgence, indifference, and inaction. It's the bullying of the weak by the strong, the plundering of the foolish by the wise. All of this can be covered up by the phrase 'Tao is natural.'"

"And my 'law' is order, protection, and justice. It is to allow the weak to no longer fear bullying by the strong; it is to allow the ignorant to have the right to be educated; it is to allow every living being to pursue their own 'path' in a fair and just environment!"

"Your 'Tao' is the freedom enjoyed by a select few."

"My law is the peace of the majority!"

"Let me ask you, if someone, practicing your 'Way,' slaughtered an entire planet in the name of 'nature,' would you sit back and do nothing?"

Taoist Taiqing fell silent.

He couldn't answer.

Because his "Tao" truly cannot answer this question. If everything is based on "nature," then good and evil, right and wrong, and right and wrong will lose their meaning. That would be a chaotic, cruel, and hopeless world.

Ying Zheng stood up, walked down from the throne, walked towards the porthole step by step, and looked directly at Taoist Taiqing in the distance.

"My laws are not meant to constrain the Way, but to regulate people."

"Those who cultivate the 'Tao' are also 'human beings.' As long as they remain human, they must abide by human order and be bound by the law."

"You can pursue your own 'Tao,' but your 'Tao' cannot trample on the 'Fa' of others."

"This is my 'extra-legal law'!"

"I'll give you three hours to think about it."

"According to my law, the Three Pure Lands will be incorporated into the Great Qin. You may continue to seek enlightenment here. I will grant you the title of 'Protectors of the Dao' to protect the peace of this world."

"Still, if you go against my principles, I will see if your 'natural way' can stop my iron-blooded army!"

After he finished speaking, Ying Zheng turned around, returned to the throne, closed his eyes and rested, and said no more.

Taoist Taiqing stood in the void, the smile on his face long gone. He looked at the huge black flagship that exuded cold majesty, and a huge wave of emotion surged in his heart.

He had never thought that someone could explain the relationship between "Fa" and "Tao" so clearly and thoroughly.

Ying Zheng's words were like a sharp sword, piercing through the disguise of "detachment" in his heart and making him see the limitations of his own "Tao".

Yes, Tao follows nature, but humans are also a part of nature. Isn't human order also a manifestation of Tao?

He slowly turned around, transformed into a ray of white light, and returned to Sanqing Star.

He knew that he needed to have a good talk with his two junior brothers, Yuqing and Shangqing.

Three hours, very short.

But for the three Taoist masters of Sanqing Realm, it seemed like an era had passed.

Finally, when the three-hour deadline arrived, three figures appeared in front of the Qin fleet.

Taiqing, Yuqing and Shangqing, the three Taoist masters, stand side by side.

They looked at Ying Zheng and bowed deeply.

"The Three Pure Lands are willing to obey your majesty's laws and submit to the Great Qin."

"Your Majesty, please legislate for us."

The ultimate debate between "law" and "Tao" ended with Ying Zheng's complete victory.

The laws of the Qin Dynasty once again proved that it can not only judge the "reason" of the strong, but also convince the "Tao" of the great.

There is no more pure land in the heavens and all worlds.

The flag of the Qin Dynasty will be hoisted on a new territory.