"Actually, I also had my difficulties in coming here..."
Chong Ling, the Daoist, was about to explain when he suddenly felt it was inappropriate. Did he really need to explain these things to someone who wasn't even truly part of the Daoist Sect? It was a waste of words and unnecessary disturbance to his Heart Realm.
On the path of the Great Dao, since when was there room for pity?
He was a high-ranking Daoist from Bridge Connection, yet in this small Fufeng City, he almost lost his Heart Realm several times— with old Meng showing readiness to die and Hou Niao demonstrating the enforcement of laws. In this vast Mortal World, indeed, there were numerous remarkable and unusual occurrences.
"Just so you know, that old Meng after returning to the prison had already taken poison and died. The two of you had no connections, but ended up in a similar fate... Well, since he is already dead, you can now speak for yourself."
Hou Niao bowed deeply, "Thank you, Daoist, for making this possible."
Old Meng, having been a medicine farmer for decades, found it easy to give himself a chance for detachment. Among those present in the hall at that time, only Chong Ling had the ability to stop him; Hou Niao's bow was his way of thanking him for deliberately allowing it, giving old Meng a swift choice. Otherwise, given old Meng's actions, one couldn't imagine how much suffering he would have had to endure in prison, to the point where even seeking death wouldn't be possible.
Chong Ling waved his hand; he acted this way to find peace of mind—it was a consistent style of the Daoist, not out of pity, and certainly not for justice.
"You killed the son of the Wang family, ostensibly seeking justice through the law, but perhaps you were also attempting to escape and seize an opportunity in the thin line between life and death?"
Hou Niao's expression froze, his dark secrets that he thought were buried in his heart were exposed by the Daoist, leaving him feeling ashamed.
He was his own man; although he was naturally hateful of evil and disdained compromises, it didn't mean he was a fool; having his actions exposed by Chong Ling left him with few choices.
He could either humbly beg for his life, but Fufeng City would certainly not accommodate him, having his cultivation removed and seeking a living elsewhere, hiding for a lifetime, was not the life he wanted.
In Anhe Country, unlike mortals who would be executed by beheading in the autumn, low-rank cultivators like him who had made grave errors were instead used productively, sent to the front lines to troubleshoot problems with demons and ghosts. If he died, all would be settled; if he survived, naturally, he would find some opportunities, however tenuous these opportunities might be.
For those on the Daoist Path, reverting to the ordinary is truly worse than death; for him, making such a choice was not difficult.
Seeing him silent, Chong Ling, the Daoist, knew he had guessed his thoughts, but there was something he still didn't understand,
"If you intend to give your all on the Daoist Path, why didn't you decide sooner? Why put yourself in a situation now where you have no control? Let me tell you, truly going to the front lines to fight the mysterious demon beasts, your chances of survival are less than one in ten thousand!"
Hou Niao smiled bitterly, "Daoist, you might not fully understand my situation; since I started my cultivation, over five years, I spent all my family wealth just to make a slight progress in the path of cultivation. I've tried every possible method, but all was in vain."
"It's not an issue of resources, but of innate ability!
Therefore, inheriting my father's wish, I foremost wanted to contribute to local peace, with cultivation being secondary..."
Chong Ling smirked, "You come from a family active in criminal justice, but from my perspective, you are also on the path of a harsh official; excluding the circle does not include the square, sharp without being flexible, too rigid and easily broken; even with a heart full of justice, how far can you go?
Moreover, in my view, your actions are not of high moral integrity or impartiality; you merely revere the Dao of Causality, taking pleasure in rewards and revenge!"
Hou Niao, you have chosen the wrong path, which is why you are in your current predicament!"
Right or wrong, who can judge publicly?
Ever since he saw the disfigured and incomplete corpse of Meng QiaoLian on the Hebi Mountain two years ago, Hou Niao had never quelled the injustice in his heart. But his multiple investigations faced ignorance in the face of the massive privileged system, which was why he turned a blind eye to his revenge against old Meng.
He had his own thoughts, but first and foremost, he refused to disgrace the foundation upon which his reputation was built!
He was a stern official, and over the years, he had employed many methods that skirted the edges of the law, but he regretted nothing. In such a chaotic world, how else could one stop the wolves and jackals from prevailing if not by enforcing the law strictly?
Chong Ling, the Daoist, knew well the internal resistance of this young criminal investigator. There were too many such people in the world, who thought themselves right, believing they were on the correct path and not hesitating to spend their life proving it, yet the harsh reality would tell them that the cruelty of the world was not something their current naivety could handle.
If there had been a family or a sect behind him, such steadfastness might have lasted longer, but for a boy who had nothing, it was a path leading to death.
Moreover, he might not even be able to get past this immediate hurdle!
"What I need to tell you is, after this inspection, cultivators like you, who are unqualified and have made major mistakes, will not be sent to fight the Demon Beasts as before. You should know, the once-in-a-century Anhe prayer ritual is about to begin, and we are in need of sacrificers for the prayer," he said.
Upon hearing this, Hou Niao was stunned, and even though his mental fortitude was unusually strong, the news still struck him hard.
Ultimately, his level determined his insight; no matter how much he struggled, it was meaningless in the face of the Daoist system.
Chong Ling, the Daoist, felt quite satisfied within. He had finally managed not to crush this ant's spirit with absolute power, because otherwise, he would seem morally inferior, which he could not tolerate.
A person who entered the Daoist path by a fluke and hadn't truly entered the Daoist system did not deserve sympathy; moreover, the Daoist Sect did not need such excessively harsh and stubborn people.
"I will be staying here for several days. You are not an ordinary mortal, after all, so I allow you to go back and take care of your personal affairs during this time. Don't let your mind wander, you know the consequences," he said.
Hou Niao came out of his stupor, giving a bitter salute, "Thank you, Daoist, for granting me this opportunity."
He had no complaints. This Chong Ling Daoist, who appeared to be fair and impartial, had actually given him a chance; for example, the thunderous stab in the main hall of the Government Office. If Chong Ling had not intervened, he could not have succeeded!
This was the way the people of the Daoist Sect conducted themselves: they never told you directly what to do but left you room to make your own choices and then take responsibility for those choices.
The path was his choice; he couldn't blame anyone else. The only mistake was that he had forgotten about the once-in-a-century Anhe prayer ritual!
Having stayed in a small place like Fufeng City for too long, he completely lacked a comprehensive perspective, a true frog in the well, which was his own doing.
Slowly leaving the Government Office, those constables who used to fawn over him now wore faces of schadenfreude, standing at a distance pointing and whispering…
He did not blame these people for being opportunistic; this was the inevitable result of his harsh actions over the years. Now that the wall had fallen, everyone was pushing; what could be done?
Another person might reflect on their lifetime's deeds at this moment, wondering if they had been too rigid in their principles.
But he would not. In his view, his failure was only due to two reasons: one was that his strength was not strong enough, and the second was that he had not been ruthless enough!
On the street outside the Government Office, there were few pedestrians, the sky was overcast, and a light rain fell, matching his mood.
All paths dissipated, a comfortable place not a home. Night rain nurtures the leaves by the river; autumn wind reaches the smartweed flowers.
It has cooled...