The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 72: Ink World, Don’t Look Back

Guangfasi, Mingjingtang.

After killing someone, Wang Lang was so angry that he went crazy and seriously injured himself. He said that after he had dealt with his family affairs, he would voluntarily go to jail, seal his own magic power, and work in a mine for a year, as a way to give an explanation to the laws of the court.

The trial is drawing to a close.

At this point, Hai Fengming did not pursue Wang Lang's crime any further. The contention of a hundred schools of thought in Daxuan was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Although the conflicts have been somewhat eased through seeking common ground while reserving differences under the mediation of the Divine Dynasty, there are still fierce disputes in some areas, with completely different opinions and each pursuing its own path. The law has its own legal principles and Confucianism has its own theories, so the laws are not too rigid.

People like Wang Lang seized this loophole.

Hai Fengming could not force him any further. It was too unreasonable and would easily backfire. He was already satisfied that Wang Sheng could die to apologize for his crime. Moreover, in this world, the strong are respected and legal justice is based on fists.

Wang Lang leaves.

Many spectators dispersed.

He stood up and moved while practicing Qi on the spot.

Hai Fengming performed the legalist etiquette to Xuanxu and said kindly: "It is easy to cultivate magical power, but it is difficult to change one's original mind. This time, it is thanks to Master Xuanming's words that I was awakened and regained my original intention. Please convey my gratitude to Master Xuanming after returning to the mountain. I will personally climb the mountain to thank you tomorrow."

"Your Excellency's words are too kind. Walking in the mountains and forests, Confucian scholars see wisdom, Taoists see the Way, and Dharma practitioners see the Dharma. In terms of understanding the Dharma, Senior Brother is far inferior to you. This time, it was just a coincidence that I gave you an introduction. If you can gain something, it is because of your original intention..."

Xuanxu returns the favor and tells the truth.

Even though he respected his senior brother and thought the sixteen characters were good, he would not go against his will and think that his senior brother had a deeper understanding of legal theory than Mr. Hai. As he said, it was just a drop in the ocean.

After Xuanxu left, Hai Fengming waved his sleeves in front of the desk, and sixteen large words flew off the paper and flew in one direction.

Outside the Guangfasi Gate, Xuanxu, Chang'anzi and three others had just stepped out of the gate when they heard shouting and the crowd became a commotion.

After going down the stairs and looking curiously, I saw sixteen large characters given by Senior Brother Xuanming slowly protruding on the outer wall of the Guangfasi. They were arranged in vertical rows, four characters in each row, a total of four lines, which were particularly eye-catching.

In the dead of night, the light of Dharma blooms, interweaving with the principles of Dharma, and permeating with an awe-inspiring sense of righteousness. Even more strange visions appear, transforming into contradictions.

Obey the law and use the law as your shield.

If you break the law and discipline, the law will become a contradiction.

One is hard and the other is gentle, both can protect the people.

"Master Hai is so courageous!"

The elder of the Chu clan next to him praised.

These sixteen characters were engraved on the wall to announce to the world and demonstrate his determination. Hai Fengming is worthy of being a cultivator in the Saint Embryo Realm.

"After this incident, as long as Lord Hai can get through the difficulties, with him in charge, the atmosphere and public security of Fengyang County will be completely renewed, and the people will be blessed."

Xuanxu smiled.

The elders of the Chu clan agreed.

The two talked for a while, and Xuanxu politely declined Chu's invitation. He gave Chang'anzi and the other three some instructions, then walked out of Fengyang County, rode away on a crane, came in the morning sun, and returned under the bright moon.

The elders left.

The younger generation of the Chu family and four people including Chang'anzi met at Xiankelai to taste wine and celebrate. Of course, Chu Yunfei hosted the party.

---

Guangfasi, in front of a house.

Hai Fengming took off his official uniform and changed into casual clothes. He walked to the door and hesitated until a voice came from the courtyard: "Why are you hesitating outside the door? Come in quickly, are you waiting for me to invite you in person?"

Shaking his head and smiling bitterly, Hai Fengming took a deep breath, pushed open the gate, stepped in, and saw the ink painting:

There is a pavilion, an inkstone lake, three houses, and a huge black plum tree standing tall. Its trunk is as thick as a millstone, and its crown is like a canopy, covering half of the courtyard. There are thousands of black plum flowers on the tree, and under the tree, a handsome young man in ink robe is writing on the table.

Hai Fengming crossed his hands, palms facing each other, and performed the etiquette of a disciple of the Fa School. He said respectfully, "Junior greets you, senior. I came here specially to apologize."

Waving his hand carelessly, letting Hai Fengming stand up, the young man asked without even looking up, "You enforce the law and serve the people, what's wrong with that? I sent you a message to let Wang Sheng go, but it was just a friendly reminder because I was afraid that you might offend the Wang family.

Letting go is tactful, pursuing is upright. The former is good for official career, the latter is good for the road, there is no question of which is better. Since you changed your mind at the last minute, it means you have thought it through and made a choice, then continue on the path you think is right, don't look back, otherwise, the original intention you regained at the risk of losing will collapse in an instant. "

Hai Fengming bowed again to express his gratitude. The man still did not look up, concentrating on his painting, and began to chase people away: "If you have nothing else to do, please do not disturb me while I am painting."

Hai Fengming said yes, turned and left. As he stepped out of the courtyard gate, the man's gentle voice came into his ears.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. The Wang family has been passed down for thousands of years. There are some who are truly upright, but there are also those who are vindictive. Since I have promised your master to take care of you, I will protect you in Fengyang County and focus on your practice and duties. You don't have to worry about anything else."

Hai Fengming's heart was stirred. He turned around, saluted, and continued forward, crossing the ink bridge. The moment he stepped off the bridge, the void began to ripple slightly, and a light flashed. He walked out of an ink painting and returned to reality from the painting.

In the private room of Xiangyun Pavilion on the second floor of Xiankelai, after three cups of wine, Chang'anzi asked Chu Yunfei why he stopped him in court.

After drinking a glass of wine, the Chu family's genius explained, "You have lived in the mountains for a long time, and you are also a disciple of a sect. You don't know the rules of the noble families down the mountain. The children of noble families are very careful about their reputations, and they won't show up easily on some matters. Even if they have to put their names on the list to appease people, they won't be the main person. If Wang Sheng wasn't greedy, I'm afraid it would be difficult to kill him.

Speaking of which, we have to thank Master Xuanming. If he hadn't sent out the sixteen words and strengthened Master Hai's faith, I'm afraid Wang Sheng would have really escaped death. At that time, the Wang family would have made some efforts and would most likely only suffer for a few years."

After thinking for a while, he added: "The Wang clan elders are really cruel!"

---

Some were happy and some were sad. When the younger generation was celebrating, some members of the Wang family were crying and shouting.

A mansion that appears to cover hundreds of acres but is actually hundreds of miles wide is located in the west of the county town. It has magnificent buildings, gurgling water, rolling bamboo forests, overlapping mountains, beautiful scenery, and an elegant layout. It is clearly blessed with the art of space. This is where the Wang family is.

Inside the evergreen pine and cypress ancestral hall, the lights were on as bright as day. Wang Lang led a group of clan elders to kneel in front of the tablet, above which was faintly lingering the light of incense.

In the courtyard where Wang Sheng's lineage was, there were curses, cries, complaints and pleas for mercy. These sounds could not be concealed from the spiritual perception of the elders, but they were all indifferent and waited silently.

There was an ink jar in front of the ancestral hall, emitting a peculiar ink fragrance. At this moment, the ink in the jar swirled and flew up, condensing into the word "废" in the air. When the word fell, it split into two.

A word "discarded" fell on the family tree, and the whole book emitted a faint light and turned automatically, coming to Wang Sheng's lineage. Within three generations, the names on it disappeared one after another, and the dense handwriting suddenly became few and far between. Even the spirit tablets enshrined in the niche reacted, either falling or cracking.

The word "useless" fell on the current head of the Wang family who was kneeling at the end. With a shrill scream, his cultivation was destroyed, his hair turned white in an instant, and his whole body exuded a decayed aura. He was about to die.

Without turning around, Wang Lang sighed and waved his hand gently. Immediately, guards came in and took the useless patriarch away. He had no sympathy for this junior. He believed that it was the father's fault if he did not educate his son. He didn't even know that his own son had done such a deadly thing, which showed his incompetence.

Moreover, if he had not given birth to so many children, exacerbating the conflicts within the family, Wang Sheng would not have taken such a risk.

In the ancestral hall, ink rose from the vat again and condensed into the Chinese character "襬" in the air. Wang Lang led the elders in paying their respects, "We will remember the instructions of our ancestors and must rectify our family and restore our family tradition."

The word "饬" then disappeared.

When the aura that enveloped the ancestral hall disappeared, the elders of the Wang family breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Lang stood up and sat upright on a chair nearby.

"Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. This time Wang Sheng has brought trouble to our family's reputation. It will probably take a lot of thought and effort to revive it. Fortunately, the plan has been completed, Qingming and others are sensible, and our Wang family has not been branded as the mastermind, otherwise, things would be even more difficult to handle."

An elder beside him spoke up, and another elder snorted coldly, "Fortunately, my brother took action in time and personally killed that unworthy descendant. My Wang family can still publicize our reputation of sacrificing relatives for the sake of justice and having a strict family tradition, and save some reputation from falling from grace."

The other elders nodded, all thinking that Wang Sheng's death was not a pity. Moreover, they had already reached a tacit understanding in private that the main thing was not to be named as the mastermind. As for Wang Sheng's life or death, they did not care. Some elders even thought that his death was not a pity.

"To save the reputation of our Wang family, we need to strictly discipline our clansmen, and in addition to being charitable and helping the poor, we also need to comfort the relatives and friends of the victims. But what should we do about the Chu family and the Seeking Truth Temple?"

The rest are easy to solve.

But the elders have mixed feelings towards these two families.

Wang Lang opened his eyes, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Send expensive gifts to both families. Since the fault lies with my Wang family, let the great scholar in my family come personally and deliver the gifts with great fanfare. The Chu family has a good relationship with the Qiuzhen Temple, so the apology must be of equal value, without any difference."

During the eye contact, the Wang clan elders understood, and one of them added: "Also, send Hai Fengming a plaque with the inscription of the Living Blue Sky to show that our Wang clan supports the Great Mysterious Law. It must cause a sensation, and I will personally deliver it."

Wang Lang agreed, thought for a moment and continued, "Wang Sheng has been doing this under our noses for so many years. He was able to hide it from the world. There must be something fishy going on. Maybe someone is secretly plotting to use him to murder Wang. We must investigate, starting with the missing old man."

As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful aura rose from him.

---

The sound of cranes calling.

Xuanxu returned to the mountain overnight.

Zangdao Peak, Daoyuan.

Xuanming sensed the return of this cheap junior fellow apprentice, but he did not show up to ask for details. Right now he was in the process of circulating his Qi around his body and was at a critical moment.

(End of this chapter)