Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 136 False Righteousness and Evil Deeds
Old Daoist Songfeng breathed a long sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said with lingering fear, "That was close...that was close...Luckily I ran into Chen Feng by chance!"

He was originally a constable in Changyuan County. His elderly mother had been possessed by an evil spirit, and I, a Taoist priest, performed a ritual to exorcise it, so we had some mutual ties... I never expected him to become a military officer!

Qi Yun gazed thoughtfully in the direction the cavalry had gone, and slowly said, "I have long lived in seclusion in the mountains and have not set foot in the mortal world for many years. I did not know that the world... has become so turbulent."
What was the actual outcome of the war between the Northern Chen and the Great Qian dynasties?

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Songfeng's face immediately fell with worry, and he sighed, "Alas, Taoist priest, you are unaware of this."

About three years ago, the Northern Chen broke the alliance and launched an unjust invasion of the south.

At first, our dynasty was unprepared, suffering defeat after defeat, losing cities and territories, with routs of soldiers. I heard that several northern prefectures have already fallen to the enemy, and the people have been massacred, leaving nine out of ten houses empty… It has truly been a catastrophe!

He paused, then continued, "Later, thanks to the blessing of Heaven, a general named Yue Qing was appointed to a critical mission. It is said that he was originally a junior officer in the border army, but he was extremely skilled in military tactics. He rallied the remaining troops from the rout and retrained them into a 'Beiwei Army,' which held the Tongchuan River line and managed to hold off the Northern Chen army and stabilize the situation."

After that, both sides had their victories and defeats, and the war remained deadlocked for more than three years... The people of the land suffered greatly; taxes and corvée labor were as heavy as mountains, all able-bodied men were conscripted, fields lay barren, and corpses littered the land... Alas!

The old Taoist sighed heavily, his voice filled with helplessness and sorrow: "Our Liangzhou is located in the southeast, and it was originally quite peaceful, not directly affected by the war."

But now it seems that they will not be able to escape this calamity.

Even a county constable like Chen Feng has been conscripted into the army. With this forced conscription, who knows how many more families will be torn apart, and how many more will be destroyed!

Qi Yun listened quietly, his expression calm, but his gaze grew increasingly profound.

He nodded and said softly, "Bandits pass by like a comb, soldiers pass by like a fine brush."

The imperial court, powerless to protect its people, resorts to such cruel methods to exploit the land and conscript laborers. The people of Liangzhou are likely to experience the taste of 'national subjugation' far too soon.

Even though he possessed the Daoist arts, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness in the face of the surging tide of the times, the war in the country, and the struggles of hundreds of millions of people.

This is not a calamity caused by a single demon or ghost, but a catastrophe for humanity, involving a karmic connection far beyond imagination.

The two continued walking in silence.

The official road winds around a low hill, and ahead, at a slightly lower elevation, comes a village of about a hundred households—Liujiaji.

However, the scene before them made them stop in their tracks once again.

Dust billowed at the village entrance, where the cavalry had dispersed, partially blocking the village's entrance and exit.

Chickens and dogs were running wild in the village, and cries, shouts, and horse neighs mingled together, echoing from afar and sending chills down one's spine.

Standing atop the hill, one can see a desolate scene in the village's open space.

The ruthless soldiers were roughly dragging young men out of farmers' homes, ignoring their struggles and cries, and binding them together with ropes.

There were elderly men and women with white hair kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to the officer on horseback, their foreheads covered in dirt.

A woman, holding her child, cried her heart out, trying to hold back her husband who was about to be taken away, but was rudely pushed away by the soldiers and fell to the ground.

Even worse, soldiers broke into farmers' granaries and forcibly seized the meager grain rations they had, loading them into carts...

A gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevailed, and countless lives were lost.

Chen Feng was also present. His face was grave. Facing Duo Qin, who was kneeling and begging, he opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but in the end he just turned his face away and clenched his fists.

This portrait of a chaotic world is like a series of cold needles piercing the viewer's eyes.

The old Taoist priest, Songfeng, trembled slightly, his face filled with immense sorrow and unbearable pain. He subconsciously looked at Qi Yun beside him, his voice trembling with confusion. "Master Qi... we Taoists often speak of compassion and helping the souls of the dead... but faced with such... such a horrific human tragedy, with the government in power and the people suffering... what should we do? What can we do?"

He seemed to be asking Qi Yun, or perhaps questioning his own Dao heart, muttering to himself: "If the court does not collect grain and soldiers in this way, there will be no grain and no soldiers, the front line will collapse, the Northern Chen cavalry will march south, and then the country will be destroyed and the family will perish. When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"

Perhaps... perhaps it could save more people? But... but how is this behavior any different from that of robbers?

This forces ordinary people to lose their homes and lives. Is this...is this the right thing to do?
Which is more important, the greater good of the nation or the survival of a single family and citizen?

The old man's tone was full of contradiction and pain; this problem deeply troubled him.

Qi Yun silently watched the tragic scene below the mountain, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool.

The cries of the people below the mountain and the shouts of the soldiers could be faintly heard on the wind.

He kept thinking about this on the way, and finally, he had an answer.

Qi Yun spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a chilling coldness that cuts to the bone.

"I would not pluck a single hair to benefit the world, nor would I take a single hair to harm the world."

Even if the whole world offered themselves to him, he would not accept it.

If everyone does not harm the slightest thing, and no one seeks to benefit the world, then the world will be at peace.

He paused, then continued, his tone becoming increasingly sharp: "The very existence of a nation lies in protecting its people and enabling them to live and work in peace and contentment."

The taxes that ordinary people pay to support the imperial army on a daily basis already include the cost of 'protection'!
The people have long since fulfilled their obligations. But officials, in times of peace, are rampant with corruption, plundering the people's wealth for their own enrichment, and treating the people like cattle and horses; when war breaks out, they are powerless to defend against the enemy, and instead push the people they have exploited to the front lines again, making them sacrifice their flesh and blood to prolong their lives for them!
Such behavior neither protects the country nor brings peace to the people; how is it different from that of beasts?

How can we talk about righteousness then!

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Songfeng said with deep concern, "What you say is indeed reasonable. However... however, if this is truly the case, with no one to join the army and no one to pay taxes, the Northern Chen cavalry will trample the land and slaughter the people, leaving the common people in an even more miserable state. Weighing these two evils... it seems..."

"Choosing between two evils?" Qi Yun sneered, interrupting him, a glint of lightning flashing in his eyes.

"This question itself is a false one!"
It's like asking someone whether they'd rather be slowly roasted to death or beheaded quickly.

The core issue isn't about choosing how to die, but rather—by what right does the person who lit the fire and raised the knife decide my life or death?!

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharpness that pierced through the fog: "Heaven's way is ruthless yet impartial, never belittling any living being!"
Who has the right to assert that the survival of a nation is necessarily more important than the joys and sorrows of countless individuals?

Who can say for sure that sacrificing these specific individuals will necessarily bring about so-called 'peace and tranquility'?
This is using lofty but empty principles to commit real and evil deeds!
In essence, it's nothing more than those in power using other people's money to maintain their own authority!

Qi Yun's words were like a thunderclap, resounding in the heart of the old Taoist Songfeng, and further clarifying his own Taoist beliefs.

At this point, his eyes were brimming with murderous intent, and his aura turned icy cold.

"We cultivators slay demons when we encounter them, and guide ghosts when we encounter them."

The evil in the world before us, cloaked in official robes and wielding military orders, is even more wicked than demons, sucking the marrow from the bones and driving people to ruin and death!
How can we stand idly by and let them do as they please simply because it's called a 'national crisis'?!

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest Songfeng turned pale with shock and exclaimed, "Taoist priest, you...you don't mean to!"

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Yun's figure blurred, and he swooped down from the hill like a giant crane!
He lightly touched the grass, trees, and rocks on the hillside with his toes, his figure swift and unpredictable, heading straight for Liujiaji, where cries of despair echoed down the mountain! Only the old Taoist priest Songfeng remained in place, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

(End of this chapter)