Sensing the depth in the old woman's eyes, Li Nianlong paused and nodded, "Changchang and Xixi are both very beautiful girls. I won't deny having other thoughts about them. But who can guarantee they are solely devoted to their partner? Even if one's body doesn't stray, the mind might. The difference between a good person and a bad person is that a good person only thinks about it but doesn't act on it, while a bad person does. Although I don't see myself as a good person, I definitely don't consider myself a bad person."
Looking into Li Nianlong's clear eyes, the old woman nodded with a smile, "You are very honest. Let me ask you this: if both Changchang and Xixi were willing to marry you, who would you choose?"
Yuechang and Yuexi exchanged glances, seeing a hint of tension and expectation in each other's eyes before they both looked at Li Nianlong, waiting for his answer.
Li Nianlong shook his head, "I wouldn't choose either."
"Why not?" Yuexi and Yuechang asked in unison.
"Isn't it obvious?" Li Nianlong looked at them, smiling slightly, "You both are my most treasured sisters. If I had to make a choice as Master suggested, choosing one would make the other suffer, which I can't bear. So, I'd rather choose neither."
"Big brother..." The sisters were touched but also a bit frustrated.
"If you choose one, at least one person will be happy. But if you choose neither, neither will be happy. Can't you see this simple logic?" the old woman asked.
"I see it," Li Nianlong said, gently patting Yuexi's head with a warm gaze, "But as Confucius said: 'Do not worry about scarcity, but about uneven distribution.' I'd rather have everyone unhappy than have one person unhappy."
"Big brother..." The Yue sisters were increasingly moved, and the old woman also seemed quite pleased. She then sighed, "Although your way of thinking is too negative, emotions are inherently irrational. Nianlong, you are quite remarkable."
"Thank you for the compliment, Master," Li Nianlong smiled slightly, then straightened his face and asked, "Master, why do you want to stop me?" Knowing that the old woman had some mysterious abilities, Li Nianlong had to treat her cautiously.
"Yeah, Master," the Yue sisters were also puzzled. Yuexi asked, "Big brother has a blood feud with Long Zongheng. Why not let him take his revenge? Did Long Zongheng ask us to protect him?"
"That's impossible," the old woman shook her head. "The palace is heavily guarded, and with Long Jingtian protecting him, why would Long Zongheng ask us to protect him?"
"That's true," Yuexi thought the same and then asked, "Then why, Master, do you stop big brother?"
Yuechang and Li Nianlong also looked at her, wanting to know her reasoning.
The old woman looked deeply at Li Nianlong and recited a poem meaningfully, "Beans are boiled to make soup, and bean stalks are used as fuel. Born from the same root, why torment each other so urgently?"
Li Nianlong felt a tumultuous wave of emotion and clenched his fists tightly, veins popping, his eyes sharp as he stared at the old woman, "How do you know!?"
The old woman smiled faintly, "This old woman has an ability, but let's not talk about that."
An ability?
Li Nianlong suddenly remembered that the Yue sisters were superhumans, so the old woman must be one too. Given her previous revelations, Li Nianlong's eyes widened, "Master, could your ability be..."
"Buddha said: 'It is inexpressible, it is inexpressible,'" the old woman interrupted Li Nianlong in time, "This old woman wants to live a few more years!"
Live a few more years?
Li Nianlong thought: It's true then!
At this moment, he thought of one of the most famous people in history: Michel de Nostredame.
This name might be unfamiliar to many, but his other name is universally known: Nostradamus, the author of "The Prophecies."
Looking at the old woman, Li Nianlong nodded, "I understand."
"You are very wise," the old woman said, pleased that Li Nianlong caught on quickly. "So let me ask you another question. Since you won't choose either, would you choose both?"
"If the marriage laws in China were amended," Li Nianlong said calmly, "In this era, we must follow the rules."
"Don't you think that rules are just cages to constrain the weak?" the old woman looked at him, "If you stand outside the cage, the rules are meaningless to you."
"If everyone wants to stand outside the cage, the world will end," Li Nianlong shook his head, "I don't claim to be a person of high moral character, but I at least understand that this world needs rules to restrain people from committing crimes. With rules, people can work peacefully, knowing what they should and shouldn't do. A chaotic world is terrifying. Look at the modern-day Africa; it gives us a clear warning. Peace is hard-won. Whoever tries to destroy it should be eliminated!"
His firm speech made the Yue sisters' eyes sparkle, and the old woman was very satisfied but also troubled: This child is a guardian of morality, which complicates things.
Watching the Yue sisters and Li Nianlong being close, the old woman sighed inwardly: I won't interfere anymore. The children will find their own way. Let them be!
"Nianlong..." the old woman said softly, "Think about what I said carefully and don't regret it."
After a moment of silence, Li Nianlong's eyes became determined, "I won't regret it! Never!"
"Sigh!" The old woman sighed deeply, "As you wish!" She stood up with her cane and walked out.
"Master, are you leaving?" The Yue sisters immediately stood up to see her off.
"Hehe..." Looking at the two girls, the old woman smiled meaningfully, "I won't say anything more. I'll leave you with a parting word for your chosen futures: First, delay breeds disaster; second, if you believe, don't look back."
"Master..." The Yue sisters seemed thoughtful.
The old woman patted their hands, "Take care."
As the old woman left, Li Nianlong and the Yue sisters felt uneasy. Yuechang yawned and rubbed her eyes, "Big brother, I'm sorry. I can't hold on anymore."
"Go to sleep!" Li Nianlong urged, "Get some good rest."
"Mm," Yuechang nodded, rubbing her eyes as she walked to the bedroom.
Once Yuechang was gone, Yuexi laughed and jumped onto Li Nianlong's lap, lying down with her head on his thigh, purring contentedly, "Now big brother is all mine. No one to compete with me. This is great!"
"You little rascal," Li Nianlong laughed, stroking Yuexi's hair with a gentle gaze, "You're just a little kitten who never grows up."
"Hehe, I only want to be big brother's kitten," Yuexi's words might have been casual, but they touched Li Nianlong deeply. He gently stroked her hair, enjoying the moment of peace.
"Xixi."
"Mm?" Yuexi turned and lay on her back, looking up at Li Nianlong's face.
His finger traced her cheek lightly. Li Nianlong asked softly, "Since you could assassinate the head of the Liu family, can you assassinate Long Zongheng?"
"Big brother..." Yuexi's eyes widened as she sat up, "Don't do anything rash. The cost of assassinating the Crown Prince of China is too high. Even if someone could pay the price, no one would dare take the job—not out of fear, but lack of ability."
"Not even you and Changchang?" Li Nianlong looked at her, "If you had a nuclear bomb, could you detonate it in the palace?"
"That's impossible," Yuexi shook her head, "We dared to assassinate the head of the Liu family because the Liu family isn't known for its military strength. Besides, Tianfu... you know, it's full of rivers and mountains. Before taking the job, we had already scouted Liu Manor. It's surrounded by water, which helped Changchang use her abilities. She brought me in through the water, and we could retreat safely. But the palace is different. Its defense is unmatched by the Liu family. Moreover..."
Yuexi looked at Li Nianlong and asked softly, "The power of a nuclear bomb is too great. All the members of the Long family would die. Without a suitable leader in a crisis, wouldn't China fall into chaos? Can you bear to see that outcome?"
Li Nianlong shook his head repeatedly, "I just want to kill Long Zongheng, not harm innocents. If a nuclear bomb is out, how about a regular bomb? I only ask if you can detonate a bomb in the palace."
Yuexi paused before answering, "No."
"Why?"
"Because the Long family has contributed greatly to the nation, and Long Zongheng is the Crown Prince. Their safety affects the entire country's fate," Yuexi explained, looking at Li Nianlong. "Big brother, do what you must, but Changchang and I truly can't do it. Master said there's a law of cause and effect in this world. Our assassination of the Liu family head was already wrong. When we returned to Longcheng, Master donated our entire one billion reward to charity to cleanse our sins. It took us a
long time to become innocent again. If we assassinate Long Zongheng, we won't meet a good end."
"..." Li Nianlong was speechless, surprised to hear Yuexi mention 'the law of cause and effect.' This resonated with the system's encouragement to kill villains.
Harming good people deducted experience points, harming neutral people gave none, harming villains granted experience, and harming the worst granted double.
People always said there's a divine presence three feet above. One should do good deeds and avoid evil, or face retribution. Li Nianlong hadn't believed this before, but since acquiring the system, he believed everything, including seeing people's morality.
Since entering, he'd noticed the Yue sisters' aura had changed from tinged with red to yellow-white, indicating they had washed away their sins and gained much merit, almost purified.
He had been puzzled by their sudden change, but now he understood.