Bat Prince, roaming the heavens

Yuan Suiyun genuinely advised Li Xunhuan not to enter the pass.

After all, he had only three purposes in this world: Li Xunhuan's unerring flying dagger, the "Lianhua Baojian" in Lin Shiyin's possession, and the ancient version of the "Yijinjing" stolen from Shaolin Temple.

As long as Li Xunhuan teaches him the Little Li Flying Dagger here, it doesn't matter whether he enters the pass or not.

And as he said, when the dragon goes out, it brings wind and rain; when the protagonist goes out, it brings bloodshed and chaos.

As the chosen one of this world, Li Xunhuan, once he steps into the Central Plains, is like a magnet, attracting countless conspiracies and killings.

If Li Xunhuan hadn't been involved, the bloodshed that was about to happen, caused by the Golden Silk Armor, would have been reduced by at least half.

Lin Xian'er was able to successfully obtain the Golden Silk Armor and, according to her original script, bring the shocking deception of "Plum Blossom Thief" to a perfect close.

By then, the so-called respected elders of the martial arts world in the Central Plains will reap the rewards of their reputations, while Lin Xian'er will gain practical benefits behind the scenes—a win-win situation.

Long Xiaoyun will not be crippled in martial arts, and Long Xiaoyun will not betray his brothers out of jealousy and fear, ultimately ending up despised by everyone.

It was a win-win situation for everyone.

If it were the original story, even Bai Tianyu from beyond the Great Wall might have been able to escape the Plum Blossom Temple massacre because of Li Xunhuan's presence.

Thinking about this, Yuan Suiyun inexplicably understood Long Xiaoyun; his brother really shouldn't have gone back...

Li Xunhuan had no idea what would happen after he entered the pass; at this moment, all he could do was smile bitterly.

"Young brother, you flatter me. I am but a humble wandering swordsman; how dare I compare myself to a divine dragon? Would that be presumptuous?"

Li Xunhuan was a scholar, a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, not one of those roughnecks in the martial arts world with nicknames like "Dragon in the Clouds" or "Dragon on Land." He had a greater reverence for imperial power and the court.

"It has been ten years since I left the pass, and it is time for me to go back and visit," Li Xunhuan said, a hint of tenderness appearing in his eyes.

"I was just saying it casually, Brother Li, please don't take it to heart." Yuan Suiyun picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and knowing that Li Xunhuan was determined, he did not try to persuade him further.

At this moment, a burly man with a bushy beard came up behind Li Xunhuan. It was Tie Chuanjia, who claimed to be Li Xunhuan's servant.

"The main room on the south side has been vacated and cleaned. Young Master can rest at any time," Tie Chuanjia said respectfully.

Tie Chuanjia possessed exceptional martial arts skills, earning him the nickname "Ironclad Vajra." He suffered a great calamity in his youth and was taken in by Li Xunhuan's father at Li Garden.

Grateful for the kindness shown to him, he willingly became a servant, addressing Li's father as "Master" and Li Xunhuan as "Young Master."

For ten years, he has served Li Xunhuan faithfully and never abandoned him.

"Brother," Yuan Suiyun raised his hand, gesturing to Tie Chuanjia, "please sit down and have a drink as well."

"I am but a servant, so I will not disturb the young master and this gentleman's enjoyment," Tie Chuanjia said in a gruff voice, refusing Yuan Suiyun's offer.

His voice was deep, like a stone hitting the ground, carrying a deliberate aloofness. His towering figure stood behind Li Xunhuan, motionless, like a guardian deity.

"Brother Li, a question has suddenly come to mind. May I ask you for your guidance?" Yuan Suiyun said with a smile.

"I dare not accept such praise, please speak, young brother." Li Xunhuan paused slightly as he reached for the wine cup.

Yuan Suiyun asked, "If someone does bad things with the intention of doing good, is he a good person or a bad person?"

Li Xunhuan stared intently at Yuan Suiyun with his emerald green eyes for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Young man, are you testing me? The Analects says: 'The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit.' Mencius also said: 'Why speak of profit? There is only benevolence and righteousness.' If a person does bad things in order to do good things, is his true intention benevolence and righteousness or self-interest?"

He paused, then continued, "This question has been debated by the ancients for thousands of years. Some advocate judging by intention, while others advocate judging by actions. In my view, intention and actions are inherently one and inseparable. If someone does bad things in order to do more good things, then their original intention may be good. But if they do so at the cost of harming innocent people in order to achieve this good purpose, then their actions have deviated from the right path. If the heart is not upright, the actions will also be not upright; if the actions are not upright, it is difficult for the heart to be upright either."

Li Xunhuan quoted extensively from classical texts and spoke eloquently, truly living up to his title of Tan Hua (third-place scholar in the imperial examinations).

"Brother Li's insightful remarks are truly enlightening." Yuan Suiyun cupped his hands in greeting. "According to Brother Li's theory, if someone appears charitable in public but robs and plunders in private, that person is likely not a good person."

"Of course." Li Xunhuan nodded without hesitation.

Ding Baiyun, standing to the side, felt that the conversation between the two was too disjointed and couldn't understand what Yuan Suiyun was trying to express at all.

This young master's thinking is truly unpredictable and utterly whimsical.

But Tie Chuanjia's expression changed, and his breathing became a little rapid.

Yuan Suiyun instantly caught Tie Chuanjia's reaction and continued, "If someone were willing to risk their life to protect the reputation of such a bad person out of loyalty, what kind of person do you think that person would be, Brother Li?"

"This man values ​​loyalty over life; he is a rare righteous man." Li Xunhuan pondered for a moment and slowly said, "But if he is protecting a bad person, then his loyalty is misplaced. Loyalty is valuable, but one must not ignore right and wrong."

"Brother Tie, do you think Brother Li's words are correct?" Yuan Suiyun suddenly looked up at Tie Chuanjia.

Tie Chuanjia's face was already deathly pale, and his towering body was swaying precariously.

He certainly understood the meaning behind Yuan Suiyun's words.

Tie Chuanjia was the one who lived in anonymity for more than ten years, risking his life to protect the reputation of Boss Weng after his death.

Li Xunhuan glanced back and saw Tie Chuanjia's current state, immediately realizing that the person Yuan Suiyun was referring to was Tie Chuanjia.

Tie Chuanjia remained silent, and Yuan Suiyun didn't press him further, continuing to speak to himself: "This man truly cannot distinguish right from wrong. To protect his friend's reputation, he willingly endured being wronged for over ten years, and even went so far as to hide his identity and travel to distant lands, causing others to search for him painstakingly for over ten years, wasting their precious youth. Is the reputation of a dead man truly more important than the more than ten years of time of eight living people?"

Upon hearing this, Tie Chuanjia closed his eyes in anguish.

"Brother Li, do you think those people who relentlessly pursue their friends for over a decade are loyal enough?" Yuan Suiyun turned to Li Xunhuan.

"Of course." Li Xunhuan rubbed his nose and smiled wryly. "If this isn't loyalty, then no one in the martial arts world cares about loyalty."

"If that person really died protecting his friend's reputation, what would those righteous people do when they learned the truth?" Yuan Suiyun asked again.

"I suppose they won't survive either," Li Xunhuan said softly, his voice slightly hoarse.

Tie Chuanjia, this eight-foot-tall man who seemed to be cast in iron, actually took two steps back, making a loud clatter as he bumped into the wooden stool behind him.

A pair of large, fan-like hands clenched tightly, the knuckles making a harsh grinding sound from the excessive force.

"Brother Tie, sit down and have a drink too," Yuan Suiyun invited again with a smile.

This time, Tie Chuanjia did not refuse.

He grabbed the wine jug in front of Li Xunhuan, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.