Human Nature

Li Yi was suddenly awakened by the commotion outside. He ended his cultivation session, got up, and walked into the courtyard. Looking up, he saw the sky filled with murderous cultivators.

"What's going on?" he asked Lin Han, who was in the courtyard.

Lin Han had been watching the sky for a while already.

He sighed and said to Li Yi: "Zhican Valley tried to drive out wolves and tigers, but ended up letting wolves into their house, and now they're being bitten by those wolves."

Li Yi listened carefully to the shouts of the cultivators in the sky. After a while, he realized they were seeking justice for cultivators who had died from poisoning in the morning.

So he didn't understand Lin Han's words. What wolves biting back? It seemed completely unrelated.

Frowning, he asked: "Aren't they just asking Zhican Valley for an explanation? Zhican Valley should give them one."

Lin Han looked at him, thinking his naivety wasn't a good thing.

"Their goal isn't to get an explanation. They want to rebel against Zhican Valley," Lin Han spoke more plainly, "Or rather, they're using justice as an excuse to extort benefits from Zhican Valley."

"What?!" Li Yi couldn't believe it at first. After thinking for a moment and understanding, he was shocked and exclaimed, "How dare they do such a thing?!!!"

In his subconscious mind, he thought of Zhican Valley as a father figure!

Even if Zhican Valley had countless faults, they still provided the pills needed for cultivation. One could show attitude or complain, but shouldn't rebel against authority or resort to violence.

"Ah!" Lin Han sighed upon hearing this, unclear whether he was lamenting the moral decay of the cultivation world or Li Yi's innocence. He continued, "Cultivators are all desperate outlaws who live by the blade, with no parents, no heaven, and no earth - why wouldn't they dare?"

"No..." Li Yi watched the terrifying formation in the sky and took out his life-bound magical weapon, a golden staff. He said angrily, "I must stop them. Though Zhican Valley is arrogant and irritating, they don't deserve this."

Lin Han quickly grabbed him and advised: "Senior Brother, are you going up there to die?

"Look at those people blinded by greed, with red eyes, seeing only Zhican Valley's pills. They'll kill anyone who tries to stop them. Once greedy desires are stirred up, only killing and wealth can quell them."

Li Yi finally heeded the advice and stopped. He asked Lin Han: "So we just watch them attack Zhican Valley and plunder their treasures?"

After a brief silence, Lin Han spoke: "We could join them."

"What?" Li Yi thought he had misheard. He turned and pointed his golden staff at Lin Han, unable to believe Lin Han was such a person. "Say that again."

Seeing his senior brother's golden staff, Lin Han chose to back down.

He said: "If Zhican Valley is smart enough, they'll give up some wealth to avoid disaster. They're wealthy anyway, losing a bit won't hurt them.

"It probably won't come to fighting.

"Let's wait and see how Zhican Valley handles this. This is their home base after all... Senior Brother, if you rush up there rashly, you might lose your life for nothing."

Li Yi took these words to heart. He tapped Lin Han's chest with his golden staff and lectured: "As cultivators, we must stay true to our hearts and keep our feet on the ground. Don't harbor evil thoughts. Only then can we go further on the path of cultivation."

Lin Han looked up at the dense crowd of cultivators in the sky, seeing that Zhican Valley had sent people up to negotiate with the justice-seekers. He asked quietly: "Stay true to our hearts? What if someone's true nature is evil? Wouldn't staying true to that heart mean embracing evil?"

"Hmm?" Li Yi was furious upon hearing this.

"Bang!"

He sent Lin Han flying with his staff, teaching him about senior brother's educational methods.

In the sky, Zhican Valley's Law Enforcement Elder led his people and shouted at the enraged cultivators: "Silence! Are you trying to rebel?!"

From among the cultivators, a well-built sword cultivator flew out. He bowed to the Law Enforcement Elder with his sword and respectfully said: "Sir, we're not rebelling, we just want an explanation."

This person was naturally Wu Lan from the Celestial Sword Sect. As the initiator, he temporarily acted as the leader of this group.

As for why he hadn't directly led this group to ransack Zhican Valley and was merely causing trouble, waiting for Zhican Valley's people to give them an "explanation," it was naturally because... he didn't want to burn all bridges yet.

He had his own considerations and hadn't followed Qin Ran's advice to directly revolt. He just wanted benefits.

To get benefits, one didn't have to completely fall out with Zhican Valley. His current method could work... as long as Zhican Valley offered sufficient benefits, everything could be discussed, and they would immediately back down and actively help Zhican Valley prepare for war.

"Who are you? What explanation do you want?!" However, the Law Enforcement Elder didn't give him face. The Elder carried an intimidating aura of authority and killing intent. He glared at Wu Lan quite menacingly and demanded, "Since when does Zhican Valley need your approval for its actions? Do you know your place?"

This was Zhican Valley - arrogant and overbearing!

"It's over!" Down in a courtyard, Lin Han hadn't gotten up from the ground yet. Hearing the Law Enforcement Elder's words, he immediately knew trouble was coming.

Wu Lan had some self-control. Still smiling, he properly replied to the Law Enforcement Elder: "I am Wu Lan of the Celestial Sword Sect, here to seek justice for the seven fellow cultivators who died wrongfully from consuming Zhican Valley's pills."

He looked back at the five or six hundred cultivators behind him and continued, "We want to know whether Zhican Valley intentionally poisoned us, or if there was a management issue that mixed poisoned pills with spiritual pills, or if enemies had infiltrated Zhican Valley and poisoned us. Please give us an explanation so our deceased friends can rest in peace."

Lin Han covered his face and sighed upon hearing this.

If you want benefits, just ask for them directly! Why insist on pushing the blame to Zhican Valley and making them admit fault? How could Zhican Valley admit to that? Sure enough, the Law Enforcement Elder's thick eyebrows rose as he coldly shouted: "Zhican Valley's pills absolutely cannot have problems! And Zhican Valley isn't a place where just anyone can enter.

"It must be their improper method of taking the pills; either their constitution wasn't suitable, or they took other pills that had conflicting properties!

"If you choose to take our Zhican Valley's pills, you must accept the risks!"

Zhican Valley couldn't be wrong.

The fault could only lie with the dead!

Lin Han remained lying on the ground and said to Li Yi: "Bloodshed is now inevitable."

In the sky, as soon as the Elder spoke these words, the crowd erupted, especially the sects whose disciples had been poisoned to death. Someone jumped out and cursed: "Old dog! What did you say!"

"You go too far!"

"What a joke, we poisoned ourselves? Why don't you go tell your mother to give birth to herself?"

The Law Enforcement Elder faced the thousand pointing fingers with cold contempt, remaining composed as he continued:

"If you think Zhican Valley's pills have problems, then don't take them. Don't take them ever again! If you think there's something wrong with Zhican Valley, then leave. Never deal with Zhican Valley again!

"Let's see how you cultivate in this Land of Immortal Legacy without Zhican Valley's pills?!"

Zhican Valley was indeed powerful, and cultivation would be very difficult without their pills, but... his words now seemed deliberately provocative, as if afraid the fight wouldn't break out.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, there was a chorus of "clang clang clang" as countless swords were drawn simultaneously.

"What are you doing?" He continued to berate coldly, "This is Zhican Valley, we make the rules here, not you. Do you really think you can threaten Zhican Valley with just your numbers?"

How could a group of murderous cultivators tolerate such humiliation?

"Kill him!" Someone suddenly shouted.

But...

After this shout, no one moved. In fact, at this moment, all the angry and noisy people fell silent; even the entire Zhican Valley fell silent.

Because at this moment, the cultivators of Zhican Valley noticed something unusual.

Whether it was Zhican Valley's law enforcement team or the external forces wanting to rebel, everyone in mid-air uniformly looked down...

Zhican Valley was a place of birdsong and fragrant flowers, full of vitality, like an immortal paradise.

If Zhican Valley were to be compared to a colorful painting, then at this moment, those looking down from mid-air would see patches of gray spots appearing one after another on this beautiful, vibrant canvas.

Color represents life, while gray represents death.

That deathly aura spread throughout Zhican Valley, instilling a primal, soul-deep fear in every living being.