The human heart is inscrutable; great goodness may be great evil.

Chen Chang'an had long recognized that Li Jingyun was a man of ample kindness but insufficient ruthlessness.

If he failed to grasp the meaning of this "ruthlessness," the path he wished to tread would prove exceedingly difficult.

It might even lead to the tragic end he now faced.

To change the evils of this world, kindness alone was far from enough—he needed to be ruthless as well.

Kindness wasn’t solely taught; sometimes, it had to be instilled through fear.

Only by combining the two could he achieve what he sought to accomplish.

Though Li Jingyun had treasured that single word as his most precious possession, he never truly understood the meaning behind the character Chen Chang'an had given him—not even until his death.

Nor did he expect that this very word would cost him his life.

"Grandfather always said it wasn’t any treasure, just a single word. But they refused to believe him," Li Tang said.

"They were convinced he was hoarding the true treasure for himself."

"So much so that on his birthday, they turned against him."

"At that moment, Grandfather’s heart turned to ash. He never imagined that saving all of them would lead to the ruin of his own family."

"And that word? I burned it before his grave."

"The treasure they so desperately sought never existed."

"I changed my name, took the few remaining descendants of the Li family into hiding—but in the end, they still found us."

"Now, the entire Li family… only he and I remain."

Hearing Li Tang’s words, Chen Chang'an sighed helplessly.

When he had written that word, he’d hoped Li Jingyun would come to understand its meaning. Some truths couldn’t be taught; they had to be realized. Only then could one truly grasp them.

Yet in the end, it had cost Li Jingyun his life.

"Perhaps it was simply his fate," Chen Chang'an murmured.

"Human nature is flawed. The kinder you are to others, the more they take for granted."

"They’ll even convince themselves that everything you do is owed to them. But the moment you defy their expectations, they’ll despise you."

"They won’t remember what you’ve done for them—only what you haven’t."

"Grateful people exist, but they are not the majority."

At this, Chen Chang'an turned to the young boy beside him and asked, "Do you wish to be a good man?"

"I do. I want to fulfill what our ancestor could not," the boy replied.

"But I don’t want to become someone like him."

Chen Chang'an chuckled. This kid was interesting.

"Then tell me, how would you do it?"

The boy fell silent, deep in thought. More than anything, he was pondering that single word.

Ruthlessness.

Why had their ancestor failed to comprehend it? Why had Chen Chang'an, their grandmaster, given him such a word?

Ruthlessness.

What did it truly mean to be ruthless?

"Kill."

After a long pause, the boy uttered a single word: "Kill."

Hearing this, Li Tang stiffened, his eyes clouded with confusion.

If the boy wished to be a good man, to carry on their ancestor’s unfinished work… why choose killing?

"You’re sharper than Li Jingyun. At such a young age, you’ve already understood," Chen Chang'an remarked with a faint smile.

"Grandmaster Chang'an, what do you mean?" Li Tang asked, bewildered.

"Let him explain it to you."

"Go on. Why ‘kill’?"

The boy nodded and spoke firmly:

"If all the wicked are dead, wouldn’t the world be good?"

"Redemption has never been the only path, nor is it the true path one must walk."

"Some can be redeemed, but others cannot."

"One must not treat all as equals."

"If redemption fails, then kill. The world loses a fraction of evil and gains a fraction of good."

"Kill enough, and goodness multiplies."

"Moreover, those who harbor wicked intentions will think twice—weighing whether their lives matter more than their malice."

"This is a world of survival, where the strong prey on the weak. Slaughter is the surest cure for the root of sin."

"To become a saint, one must first forsake saintly ideals."

"Plunge yourself into the abyss, and the world shall bask in light."

"Great good is great evil!"

Li Qiye's words resonated deeply with Chen Chang'an. Great good is great evil.

To think this youth, so young in years, had already grasped such profound truths. A rare talent indeed.

Had Li Jingyun understood this, perhaps his fate would have been different.

Li Jingyun possessed a heart of purity, yes, and a noble aspiration for universal benevolence.

Yet what he lacked was ruthlessness—the resolve to march into hell if it meant cleansing the world.

"With you born into the Li family, Li Jingyun may rest in peace beneath the springs."

"But this path... it will be arduous beyond measure."

"A single misstep, and you’ll fall into eternal damnation."

"Aren’t you afraid?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"My only fear is dying before my dao is fulfilled."

"Good!"

Chen Chang'an found himself growing fonder of Li Qiye by the minute. This boy had spirit.

Far more intriguing than that fool Li Jingyun.

"What do the two of you plan next?" Chen Chang'an inquired.

"I... in this broken state, I doubt I can accomplish much."

"Ancestor Chang'an, perhaps let Qiye follow you instead."

Li Tang knew his limits. Merely surviving was thanks to Chen Chang'an’s intervention.

Keeping Li Qiye by his side would only waste the boy’s potential.

Li Tang wasn’t one for grand philosophies—his comprehension had always been mediocre, and his enthusiasm for righteousness tepid at best.

Back then, he’d merely trailed behind Li Jingyun, doing as he was told.

He’d never imagined reaching the Supreme Realm, let alone living this long.

"Grandfather, Ancestor Chang'an... I—I want to annihilate the Hall of Benevolence first. To avenge our ancestor."

Annihilate the Hall of Benevolence?

Though founded by Li Jingyun, the Hall was no minor force. For Li Qiye alone to crush it now was impossible.

Han Liming, once Li Jingyun’s most prized disciple, had been groomed as the Hall’s successor.

A man of cunning and hidden ambition, Han Liming had deceived Li Jingyun utterly.

His purpose in joining the Hall was never to further its grand vision of universal kindness.

Power—that was his aim. Power to seize everything he desired.

Now, though his cultivation hadn’t reached unparalleled heights, he stood at the peak of the Supreme Realm’s ninth tier.

Under his rule, the Hall of Benevolence had long since shed its former guise.

Li Qiye wanted to destroy the Benevolent Hall for two reasons: first, to avenge his ancestor Li Jingyun, and second, because he couldn’t bear to see the hall his ancestor had painstakingly built become a den of thieves and scoundrels.

"Do you know what your current level of cultivation is?" Chen Chang'an asked, looking at Li Qiye.

"Grandfather never taught me cultivation. I have no cultivation at all."

To hide his identity and evade the Benevolent Hall’s pursuit, Li Tang had never allowed Li Qiye to cultivate.

This was the only way to ensure no one would easily suspect Li Qiye’s true origins.

But this approach had its pros and cons. In situations like today, faced with enemies, Li Qiye had no ability to fight back—not even a chance to escape.

Had he been allowed to cultivate from childhood, he might have had a sliver of hope for survival.

"With no cultivation at all, wanting to destroy the Benevolent Hall is… an admirable ambition, but utterly impossible."

"If you want to annihilate the Benevolent Hall, you must first cultivate, continuously breaking through your limits."

"Only when your strength is sufficient can you accomplish what you desire."

"Li Jingyun was too impatient. His power was insufficient, yet he sought to defy the heavens—and in the end, this was his fate."

"Still, having a goal is better than none at all."

Hearing Chen Chang'an’s words, Li Qiye nodded solemnly. He understood perfectly well that in his current state, destroying the Benevolent Hall was an impossibility.

"Junior Li Qiye humbly requests Ancestor Chang'an to teach me cultivation."

Without wasting words, Li Qiye dropped to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly before Chen Chang'an.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Chang'an lifted Li Qiye back to his feet, leaving the young man staring at him in stunned silence.

"Ancestor Chang'an, do you… find me unworthy?" Li Qiye asked nervously.