Chapter 782 - 226: Nuannuan Xue Rises, Six Kingdoms Stand, Path of Chivalry, Human Soul Bond

Chapter 782: Chapter 226: Nuannuan Xue Rises, Six Kingdoms Stand, Path of Chivalry, Human Soul Bond

He stood beneath a desolate mountain, gazing at a grave marked only by clothes and crowns, and at the words "Zhang Xiu buried here" inscribed on the sheer cliff, remaining silent.

Memories of the past surged forth, those were the days of his "acting chivalrous and righteous."

But those days ended with him burying himself.

"So, do I continue to live like this?"

On his journey, Li Yuan had witnessed much darkness.

At this moment, he understood a principle: relying solely on the blade does not solve problems.

He could kill one person or two, a hundred or a thousand people, but he couldn’t stop evil. And the people he killed, were they all wrong? The people he killed had families, were fathers to children, husbands to wives. Before committing evil and deserving death, that person might have tried other ways to make a living but failed, leading them down this path.

These people certainly deserved to die, and he undoubtedly could kill them all.

But once killed, would they not appear again?

Mere cutting down of the poison weeds growing on filthy soil, what’s the use?

Ordinary knights, with limited strength and life, could only care for the moment, for what is in front of them.

But Li Yuan was different.

If he wished to be a knight, he could not start with "for the moment and in front of him."

He had to truly change the soil that breeds the poison weeds, and only then would he feel that he was practicing the path of chivalry; otherwise, it was self-deception.

This time, he did not seek any mastery of cultivation skills, just having walked in the darkness too long, he wished to see the light.

Therefore, he did not want to deceive himself.

Thus, he stood at this place where he once buried himself, feeling lost.

Because he realized he simply could not practice his path of chivalry.

Others’ path of chivalry involves acts of bravery and righteousness, serving the country and the people, because that was all the capability they had.

But he was different.

Acting chivalrously and righteously, serving the country and the people could no longer be his goals.

It was like a billionaire who hoarded wealth, spending just a little bit to help the poor and feeling they were doing good; or casually throwing money around, not caring where it went, but feeling they were doing a good deed.

But is that truly goodness?

The previous Li Yuan acted chivalrously and righteously just like this.

And now, he wanted to be a true knight.

So...

Li Yuan found he could no longer draw his blade.

Because his reasons for drawing it were insufficient.

Fortunately, at this time, this continent was still relatively peaceful to him.

Therefore, he decided to spend time finding this reason, finding a way to make his heart settle peacefully.

He changed his appearance, donned a conical hat, and re-entered the chaotic land of Mianzhou, this place where real beggars and fake beggars roamed freely, the land that bred inhumane taboos like those of the Paradise Palace.

His conical hat covered his face.

But he had long mastered the Human World Transformation, already transformed his face to one he did not fear being exposed, yet he still covered it.

Why?

Because his conscience told him that everything he did... was insignificant.

He had the capacity to change things, yet hadn’t changed anything.

That was the guilt belonging to a knight.

Li Yuan wanted to see the light, so he temporarily pressed his chivalry truly into his heart, and thus... he felt guilty.

...

...

Time passed.

The seasons changed.

Xie Yu quietly and peacefully cultivated at Silver Creek Square.

Li Yuan, however, gripped his blade, walking through every part of Mianzhou Path.

He encountered many things.

He met a father who, to treat his daughter, resorted to evil, but the daughter remained unaware. When he raised his blade to cut down the man, the sickly girl lay on the ground hugging his legs, begging her father to flee.

He encountered families too poor to support themselves, unable to feed several children. Hence, the family had to sell a child because only by having one less mouth to feed and some extra money could they feed the remaining children. And the brokers selling the children swore they were only sending them to rich families to be servants, to have a better life.

Such situations... were countless...

More so were the cries and sorrows brought by these transactions.

Li Yuan immersed himself in a knight’s world, striking down evil wherever he encountered it.

But even after cutting down evil, more sadness followed.

He took out money, settling one family after another...

He did not lack money, nor strength.

Yet he couldn’t change any of this.

He considered visiting Gu Xuejian, the current Divine Wood Hall Master, asking them to implement policies to forcibly stop such evils.

But would that really work?

Only resulting in more fathers unable to treat their daughters, more starving corpses by the river, more graves in the wilderness...

And even would Gu Xuejian be able to stop those events from happening?

Maybe it would be effective for a little while at the beginning, but soon it would lead to feigned compliance.

Investigate?

How to investigate?

The Great Unity of Yin Yang is a paradise for Martial Artists but a hell for commoners unless everywhere is like Shanbao County.

But even Shanbao County only distributed resources evenly amidst poverty, only brought resources from afar through merchants, resulting in prosperity.

The most crucial point was the presence of Lady Yama and the rules of Rewarding Goodness and Punishing Evil, quelling all notions of evil.

...

...

In a fleeting moment.

Five years passed.

Winter.

A man wearing a conical hat, carrying a blade, walked.

The vast snow dyed his figure white.

He took deep steps, shallow steps in the snow, and as he passed, the footprints were engulfed by the snow.

Behind the man followed some women and children.