Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 244 Why didn't you avoid it?

Tinglanxuan, the study.

Chen Ye was processing some intelligence that Zhao Qi had just sent over.

Although the Xuanjing Division and the City Defense Battalion chose to quell the attack on Changle Street, he himself could not let it go so easily.

He has already instructed the noble sons of the Drunken Cloud Society to use their family connections to secretly and do their utmost to track down the whereabouts of the Nether Bone Sect members.

Although he knew these people were cautious and were outsiders, finding their hideout would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

But we should always give it a try.

Even if there's only the slightest clue, he'll uproot these scum who dared to touch his woman!

Just as he was deep in thought, a powerful yet unfamiliar aura appeared without warning above Tinglan Pavilion.

The aura was cold and stern, carrying an undisguised sense of scrutiny.

Chen Ye's gaze instantly sharpened.

Master!

And they came for me!

However, Chen Ye did not panic at all. Instead, he got up, pushed open the door of the study, and strolled into the courtyard.

He wanted to see who dared to so blatantly break into his residence.

At the same time, a purple figure appeared in the sky above the courtyard.

The figure landed silently, standing steadily in the open space in the center of the courtyard, stirring up a gentle breeze that fluttered the hem of her purple palace dress.

The person who came was a woman.

A woman who looked no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with exquisite features but an aloof and icy temperament.

She stood there quietly, yet possessed a powerful aura that seemed to be the center of this world.

Chen Ye's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

He sensed from this woman a righteous spirit that shared the same origin as Master Yan, yet was entirely different.

If we say that Master Yan's noble spirit is gentle and inclusive, like a spring breeze and rain.

Then the righteous spirit of the woman in front of me is fierce and sharp, like a sword drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed!

People from the academy?

Chen Ye made a judgment in an instant.

While he was sizing up the other person, the other person was also sizing him up.

Jing Zhaoning's gaze swept over Chen Ye as if it were a physical object.

The man before me was dressed in a moon-white casual robe. He was tall and handsome, with deep, unfathomable eyes.

Moreover, he showed no panic at all in the face of such an uninvited guest; on the contrary, he appeared unusually calm.

That's a commendable level of composure, but that's about it.

Jing Zhaoning didn't sense anything about him that made her think highly of him.

In particular, the subtle, almost imperceptible aura of entanglement with several women about him filled her with a deep-seated disgust.

How could such a dissolute young man win the favor of Senior Brother Yan?

Jing Zhaoning's heart was filled with doubt and confusion.

So she withdrew her gaze, her cool face expressionless, and went straight to the point, asking, "You are Chen Ye?"

Chen Ye understood that the other party had ill intentions.

However, he remained expressionless and simply nodded.

"It is I. May I ask what brings you here so suddenly?"

He didn't ask about the other person's identity, nor did he put on airs as the host.

In this situation of unequal power, any unnecessary words or actions could lead to trouble.

The wisest choice is to feign weakness and observe the situation.

"My name is Jing Zhaoning," the woman in purple announced, her voice still cool and indifferent.

"My senior brother is Master Yan."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye's heart stirred.

Master Yan's junior sister?

No wonder she exuded such a powerful aura of righteousness, and it even carried a familiar scent.

Chen Ye understood almost instantly.

The incident on Chang Le Street last night was likely orchestrated by this highly skilled person from the academy.

He then bowed respectfully, saying, "So it is Master Jing in person. I have been impolite."

"I wonder if you've come so late at night because of what happened on Chang Le Street last night?"

He took the initiative to bring up the topic, positioning himself as a junior and a seeker of knowledge.

However, Jing Zhaoning didn't seem to buy into his act.

She looked at Chen Ye's respectful and polite demeanor, a hint of mockery flashing in her cold eyes.

"You're quite clever. Since you've already guessed why I'm here, I won't beat around the bush with you."

Her gaze suddenly sharpened. "Why is Senior Brother Yan's copy of the Song of Righteousness in your hands?"

coming.

Chen Ye thought to himself.

This was her real purpose for coming: to demand an explanation.

“In response to Master Yan’s question,” Chen Ye replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “this item was specially given to me by Master Yan because he saw that I was inclined towards Confucianism and Taoism, so that I could understand the writings of the sages and cultivate my character.”

He quoted Yan Hui's original words verbatim.

"Inclining towards Confucianism and Taoism? Cultivating one's character and temperament?"

Upon hearing these eight words, Jing Zhaoning's sarcasm deepened.

"Chen Ye, do you think I'm a three-year-old child, so easily fooled?"

Her voice suddenly turned cold, and a powerful pressure erupted from her, pressing down on Chen Ye like a mountain!

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly, and even the wind stopped.

"How dare a dissolute man, whose life is filled with scandalous affairs and whose private life is utterly depraved, talk about Confucianism and Taoism?" Jing Zhaoning's voice was icy cold.

"Your residence is filled with malevolent energy, resentment and tangled emotions, clearly indicating that you are a man who toys with women's feelings! How is such behavior any different from that of a demonic practitioner who uses yin-yang cultivation to replenish his yang?"

"Our Confucian school upholds righteousness and emphasizes sincerity, rectifying the mind, investigating things, and extending knowledge. If you can't even cultivate your own personal morality, what right do you have to comprehend the writings of sages?"

Despite Jing Zhaoning's questioning and the powerful aura she exuded, Chen Ye's eyes remained calm.

His physical body may be nothing more than a sea of ​​condensed energy, but his soul, which comes from another world, is far more resilient than this woman could have imagined.

Moreover, while enduring this terrifying pressure, Chen Ye quietly activated his Heartstring Master talent.

In an instant, countless chaotic thoughts flooded his mind.

[This kid actually managed to stand firm under my oppressive aura? He does have some backbone.]

[Hmph, it's a pity that his cultivation is completely tainted by the evil aura of peach blossoms, his foundation is utterly corrupted, what use is he?]

What exactly did Senior Brother Yan see in him? Why would he give such a dissolute person a rubbing of the teacher's calligraphy? Has Senior Brother's heart also been blinded by this worldly corruption?

【No! Our Gongyang school upholds the principles of eliminating the corrupt and promoting the pure, cutting through the Gordian knot! These people who corrupt the Confucian tradition must be eliminated today! To set things right!】

Jing Zhaoning's heart was filled with contempt for Chen Ye, as well as an almost obsessive, fanatical adherence to the path she cultivated.

In her black-and-white world, the intense aura of passion and wickedness emanating from Chen Ye was equivalent to the demonic aura of a demonic sorcerer, both of which were filth that had to be cleansed.

But Chen Ye also keenly sensed a hint of confusion hidden beneath the fervor.

That is, she didn't understand why Master Yan would do that.

And that is the gap that can be utilized.

Chen Ye did not directly refute Jing Zhaoning's accusation that he was a playboy, because it was pointless.

After all, in the face of absolute prejudice, any explanation is pale.

Chen Ye chose a different approach.

"May I ask you, Master Jing?" Chen Ye spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from the immense pressure he was under, but his enunciation was exceptionally clear, "What is righteousness? What is evil?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Zhaoning's usually cold face revealed a disdainful sneer.

"Want to debate with me? Fine, then I'll tell you! Slaying demons and upholding justice is righteous! Indulging in desires and manipulating people's hearts is evil! Do I really need to teach you such a simple truth?" "Master is right." Chen Ye nodded, seemingly completely agreeing with her statement, then changed the subject: "Last night, a demon from the Demon Sect committed atrocities in the street, attempting to kidnap my wife. If I had killed him on the spot, would that have been righteous or evil?"

Jing Zhaoning frowned and said coldly, "It is naturally the right thing to do."

"Very well." A barely perceptible smile appeared on Chen Ye's lips. "Then let me ask you, Master: If a high-ranking official of the court secretly colludes with the Demonic Sect, plotting treason! And his wife, out of admiration for me, willingly abandons her husband, handing over the evidence to me so that I may bring him to justice, ultimately saving the court from a catastrophe and the people from a disaster! Master, is this matter righteous or evil?"

Upon hearing this question, Jing Zhaoning's breath hitched, and for the first time, a violent ripple appeared in her clear, cold eyes, which were like an icy pool.

Because this assumption is too tricky.

Is it right or wrong?

From the perspective of motivation, the woman's admiration was precisely the kind of illicit love affair that she despised most, and it was filthy and disgusting.

However, judging from the outcome, overthrowing the traitors of the Demonic Sect and saving the people was the great righteousness she pursued.

A just outcome was achieved with evil motives.

How should we interpret this?

Chen Ye heard the intense struggle within her heart.

This...this is sophistry! How can using romantic entanglements as a pretext for committing shameful acts be equated with upholding justice?

[But if not for this, how could we obtain evidence of the treacherous minister's crimes? If we allow treacherous ministers to wreak havoc on the court for the sake of so-called pure moral principles, what use is this moral principle?]

Damn it! This guy has a sharp tongue!

Seeing Jing Zhaoning's ever-changing expression, Chen Ye pressed his advantage, his voice not loud, but every word piercing to the heart.

"In the Master's eyes, romantic entanglements are evil, impure energy, and stumbling blocks on the path of cultivation, and must be eliminated as soon as possible."

"But in Chen Ye's eyes, the human heart is like water, which can carry a boat but also capsize it. Therefore, the word 'emotion' itself is neither right nor wrong. When used for good, it is good; when used for evil, it is evil."

"To put it bluntly, what the Master cultivates is the ruthless path of killing and eliminating all injustice in the world, while what Chen Ye seeks is the path of manipulating people's hearts and achieving his goals with minimal cost, the path of compassionate power and strategy."

"Since we follow different paths, how can there be a distinction between right and wrong, superior and inferior?"

These words struck Jing Zhaoning like a thunderbolt, exploding in her mind.

Is it a matter of love, power, and strategy?
To control people's hearts?

This was a theory she had never heard of before, and it went against the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals that she had learned and believed in!

She always believed that all paths to the ultimate truth lead to the same goal, and that they should all be dignified, upright, and honorable.

But this man openly declared that he was on a path of manipulating people's hearts and playing with emotions, and even elevated it to the level of a "way" on par with his own!
This is a blatant provocation against her faith!
The oppressive aura emanating from Jing Zhaoning suddenly dissipated, and the stagnant air in the courtyard began to flow again.

Chen Ye immediately felt the pressure ease and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his words had successfully shaken the other party's resolve.

However, he ultimately underestimated the pride of a Confucian and Taoist master, as well as the fierce and resolute nature of the Gongyang School.

For Jing Zhaoning, having her Daoist heart shaken was not a matter of reflection, but a great disgrace!
She looked at Chen Ye, the mockery on her delicate face vanished, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

"What a masterful blend of compassion and political maneuvering!"

"Since you claim to be able to control people's hearts, then today I will let you see with your own eyes how fragile and vulnerable your self-deceiving fallacies are in the face of absolute power!"

"Today, I will destroy your filthy cultivation, tainted by lust and depravity, and see how you will still aspire to the Great Dao!"

The moment she finished speaking, she suddenly raised her right hand.

hum!
The air trembled violently, and a dazzling white light condensed in her palm, quickly transforming into a three-foot-long blade of light.

On that blade of light, a righteous and righteous aura flowed, yet it carried no gentleness whatsoever; it possessed only an extreme sharpness and killing intent, as if it could sever everything in the world, both tangible and intangible!
Then, Jing Zhaoning flicked her wrist, and the light blade formed from righteous energy, carrying unparalleled killing intent, slashed down.

The air was torn apart, emitting a sharp, mournful cry.

Even before the blade of light arrived, a clear crack had already appeared on the stone brick floor in the courtyard, caused by the pressure of the pure sharpness.

However, faced with this terrifying attack, Chen Ye neither dodged nor avoided it, and didn't even blink.

He stood there quietly, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his gaze as calm as still water, meeting the descending blade of light directly, and also meeting Jing Zhaoning's cold eyes.

There was no fear, no panic, and no pleading.

His extraordinary composure made it seem as if what was aimed at him was not a deadly blade of light, but a gentle breeze.

hum-

The light blade came to an abrupt halt three inches from Chen Ye's brow.

A violent burst of energy exploded outwards from him, causing his moon-white robes to flutter wildly and his black hair to dance incessantly, yet he did not move an inch.

Jing Zhaoning maintained her sword-wielding posture, the murderous determination in her eyes replaced by a deep sense of astonishment and confusion.

She had imagined all sorts of reactions from Chen Ye.

He might panic and try to escape, or he might try to intimidate me by threatening to use the Xuanjing Division or his sister's name, or he might even kneel down and beg for mercy.

But she never expected that Chen Ye would face death so calmly and peacefully.

This kind of courage and composure is something that an ordinary spoiled brat would never possess.

"Why not avoid it?"

Jing Zhaoning finally spoke, her voice still cold, but the chilling killing intent had largely dissipated.

Chen Ye smiled slightly.

He certainly didn't avoid it.

Because the moment Jing Zhaoning made her move, he had already clearly heard her true thoughts through his Heartstring Master talent.

[Hmph, you smooth-talking charlatan! I'll use my deadly move to force you to stay calm! If you reveal your true colors and panic, it proves your character is fickle and your Dao heart unstable. Crippled you, it will be doing justice for Heaven!]

If you really have the guts to take this head-on, then I...

Jing Zhaoning was actually conflicted at that moment.

She wanted to use this attack to expose Chen Ye's pretense, but she also harbored a faint expectation that she herself was unaware of, hoping that Chen Ye could prove that he was not as bad as she imagined.

Therefore, Chen Ye bet that Jing Zhaoning's Dao heart would not allow her to actually kill a court official who had not shown any evil or resistance.

Of course, Chen Ye wouldn't reveal these internal struggles.

He looked at Jing Zhaoning with a perfectly composed expression and slowly said, "Because I believe that Master Jing of the Academy is following the path of upholding justice and would never indiscriminately kill an unarmed official of the Great Chen Dynasty who is devoted to the country."

He didn't say he wasn't afraid of death, but instead threw the question back at him, binding his life to the principles that Jing Zhaoning upheld.

If you kill me, you will be going against your own principles.

Upon hearing this, Jing Zhaoning's breath hitched, and her cold eyes stared intently at Chen Ye, as if trying to see right through him.

This man is too clever, and he knows too well how to manipulate people's hearts.

He always manages to pinpoint weaknesses and then use the simplest words to put himself in an invincible position.

Chen Ye didn't give her a chance to continue thinking or refuting. He knew that to deal with a stubborn person like Jing Zhaoning, he had to strike while the iron was hot and completely shake her perception.

He activated his silver tongue, making his voice even more persuasive, and continued, "Master, I admit that our paths are different."

"The path you cultivate is like a raging fire and thunder, which emphasizes purifying the world and eliminating all evil! This requires a pure and flawless Dao heart that sees only black and white. Therefore, in your eyes, romantic entanglements are filth and human nature is sophistry."

"But I'm different."

His gaze deepened, as if containing endless stars. "Chen Ye is in the imperial court, facing not monstrous demons with blue faces and fangs, but monsters and ghouls wearing the masks of sages. To deal with them, righteousness alone is not enough; we also need methods and strategies."

"The Master slays the demonic body, while Chen Ye annihilates the treacherous heart. Our paths are different, but isn't our ultimate goal to restore a bright and clear world to this land?"

These words struck Jing Zhaoning's heart like a resounding bell.

What is being punished is the heart of deceit...

Returning a bright and clear world to the world...

She had to admit that although Chen Ye's words sounded like he was justifying his dissolute behavior, they also subtly resonated with some profound truths that she had never thought about deeply before.

Just as she was feeling agitated, a barely perceptible thought was silently implanted into the depths of her soul by Chen Ye through his Heartstring Master talent.

Although this person is cunning, there is some truth to what he says. Senior Brother Yan values ​​him, perhaps for a deeper reason.

This thought, like a seed, quietly took root in Jing Zhaoning's Dao heart, which had become cracked due to wavering.

Then her gaze toward Chen Ye became increasingly complicated.

hum!
The light blade that had been hovering between Chen Ye's eyebrows suddenly turned into specks of white light and dissipated into the air.

Jing Zhaoning withdrew her hand, and the immense pressure emanating from her body receded like a tide.

“Heresy!”

"But I will spare your life for now!"

She coldly uttered those words, seemingly trying to persuade Chen Ye, or perhaps trying to persuade herself.

Then, without glancing at Chen Ye again, Jing Zhaoning suddenly flicked her sleeves and soared into the sky, disappearing into the heavens in a few flashes.

(End of this chapter)