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The disciples surrounded the man, stopping every few steps as they approached the foot of the Main Hall.
Lingfeng pondered for a moment, thinking that the trouble he caused ultimately had to be resolved by himself. Judging by the man's appearance and his face full of Killing Intent, he should be the Man Pillar.
In comparison, the Man Pillar's cultivation was not high, but daring to venture into the Demon Suppression Sect showed remarkable courage. Lingfeng immediately felt a sense of admiration. However, he realized that if the commotion at the foot of the mountain alarmed the Sect Leader and Azure Vine, it would be fine, but if it disturbed Fire Peak Master or Fire Serpent, it would be troublesome. Thus, Lingfeng hurried down the mountain.
As they reached the foot of the Main Hall, the disciples hesitated about whether to follow him up the mountain. They exchanged glances, and one person quietly said, "If we let this guy go up the mountain, wouldn't that mean we failed in our duty to guard? People will look down on us." This was Zhi Lian speaking. The responsibility of the disciples at the foot of the mountain was to protect the Demon Suppression Daoist Temple; if someone really intruded into the Main Hall, it would be a dereliction of duty.
"Isn't anyone going up to report?" Zhi Yu asked nearby.
Hearing this, Zhi Lian's face changed dramatically. He slapped his forehead in frustration and said, "This is the first time someone has intruded; I forgot to send someone to report!" These disciples focused on their cultivation aside from their duties. However, with the reputation of the Demon Suppression Sect here, no one had dared to intrude for hundreds of years, so they had completely forgotten about reporting.
"Forget it; it's too late to report now," Zhi Lian said again, a fierce expression appearing on his face. "Anyway, this guy is intruding; let's all go together. No matter how capable he is, we must subdue him!" With that, he raised his Bagua Sword and lunged at the Man Pillar.
The Man Pillar kept his head held high without showing any signs of fear. His face bore a fierce expression, but his eyes were filled with confusion. At that moment, as Zhi Lian thrust his sword forward, Man Qing not only did not stop but continued to walk forward. Zhi Lian felt a surge of fear and slowed down slightly; even holding the sword made him lose some strength. The Bagua Sword trembled weakly toward the old man's cane, posing no threat at all.
The Tip of the Sword reached just above Man Pillar's brow when he slowly extended his right hand and gently pinched the sword's edge with his index and middle fingers. Zhi Lian's Bagua Sword could no longer move.
Everyone was stunned. Zhi Lian was considered one of the more outstanding guardians among the disciples, yet this enemy had effortlessly restrained Zhi Lian's sword without exerting any effort. How could they not be shocked?
Man Pillar remained expressionless. With a slight increase in pressure from his right hand, a crisp sound echoed as the Tip of the Sword broke off from Bagua's blade.
Zhi Lian stood frozen in place, staring at the broken sword in his hand with his mouth agape and unable to speak.
Man Pillar seemingly did not want to harm these disciples; he loosened his grip on the Tip of the Sword, which fell to the ground. Ignoring everyone else, he stepped toward the mountain.
Just as the disciples were about to chase after him, they suddenly heard a child's voice shout firmly, "Stop!" The voice was clearly that of a child but resonated powerfully with echoes that lingered on.
The Man Pillar was slightly taken aback and instinctively looked up. He saw a child around ten years old standing on the tip of a tree, dressed in a blue robe; it was Lingfeng.
Lingfeng lightly jumped down to the ground, raising a cloud of dust beneath his feet, clearly indicating that his Lightness Skill was not very proficient.
"Step back!" Lingfeng waved his wide sleeves and spoke with feigned calmness.
"Yes, Shixu!" The disciples responded in unison with respect and then walked away.
The Man Pillar showed a look of doubt, probably unable to believe that such a child was a high-ranking figure of the Demon Suppression Sect. He thought that Lingfeng had returned to childhood due to his powerful magical abilities, so he clenched his fists and respectfully said, "I am the junior Man Pillar, here to investigate the cause of my master's death at Demon Suppression Mountain."
"Indeed, you came after all!" Lingfeng thought to himself. However, the fact that the Man Pillar referred to himself as a junior made Lingfeng feel somewhat proud; it seemed that the Man Pillar had misjudged him. Lingfeng coughed lightly twice, placed his hands behind his back, and said, "No need for pleasantries; just follow me!"
Without hesitation, the Man Pillar closely followed Lingfeng's footsteps.
Lingfeng led Man Pillar to an open area on the back mountain. The scenery here was beautiful, resembling a low gorge with dense trees and flourishing grasses. Various animals and birds soared in the sky, enjoying the gifts of nature.
This place used to be Azure Vine's private training ground when he was young but was later abandoned and generously given to Lingfeng. Lingfeng loved it immensely and often practiced martial arts here while contemplating life.
In the middle of the gorge stood a thatched cottage. Although somewhat dilapidated, it still provided shelter from wind and rain.
Lingfeng brought Man Pillar into the cottage, and they sat down in silence for several minutes.
Realizing that sitting in silence was not productive, Lingfeng stood up and poured a cup of hot tea for Man Pillar. "This tea is our sect's Jade Dew Tea. From the moment the tea leaves are planted, our high-ranking figures use True Qi to apply a protective membrane to the planting ground, shielding it from ordinary rain while allowing sunlight to penetrate. This tea is nourished by morning dew; it absorbs the essence of the dew while retaining traditional tea fragrance. Moreover, this tea has effects of repelling insects, cooling down, and unblocking meridians."
Man Pillar picked up the teacup and took a symbolic sip, merely touching it with his lips as if he were savoring it.
Lingfeng smiled lightly, picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and closed his eyes in contentment. "Tea is inherently a noble beverage, and it offers different meanings to different people!"
Man Pillar glanced at Lingfeng and finally asked, "Oh? As someone inexperienced, please enlighten me!"
Hearing the term "senior," Lingfeng felt elated, even more so than when savoring tea. He continued, "For kind-hearted people, drinking tea is about the way of tea; it is a form of leisure and a manifestation of nature. When drinking tea, one can almost feel the essence of the earth, leaving a lasting aftertaste." Lingfeng paused before adding, "For evil people, drinking tea is merely a pastime to quench thirst, a form of hypocritical imitation."
Man Pillar looked at the tea in his cup, the fragrance wafting through the air, shrouded in mist. "Then may I ask, according to your perspective, which category do I belong to?"
Lingfeng smiled mysteriously. "You belong to neither of these two!"
"Neither?" Although unsure if Lingfeng was joking, Man Pillar regarded him as an ageless sage whose words were truth. Thus, he asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Lingfeng stroked his chin as if stroking a beard that wasn't there and settled for touching his smooth jaw. "You are currently at the crossroads between good and evil. Do you understand?"
Man Pillar shook his head, not grasping Lingfeng's meaning.
"It means you are standing on the boundary between good and bad. What you need to do is make two choices: one is to become a righteous person filled with justice; the other is to be an evil person who does no good. You seem to be at a loss about which path to take!"
Man Pillar furrowed his brows as he looked at Lingfeng and took a gentle sip of tea.
Noticing Man Pillar's silence, Lingfeng continued, "In fact, being a bad person is easy; being a good person is hard!"
Man Pillar pondered Lingfeng's words; his thoughts felt like tangled threads with no beginning or end. He had been satisfied for many years and had killed many people, but those he targeted were not good individuals—keeping them alive would only bring harm to others. Therefore, Man Pillar had never doubted Man Qing's words.
However, he understood the saying that those involved are often confused while bystanders see clearly. The Demon Suppression Sect was a well-known righteous faction that had eradicated countless evils threatening humanity over the years; this was undeniable.
Thinking about this, Man Pillar felt a bit shaken. He pondered Lingfeng's words and understood their meaning. He slowly said, "Then, according to your view, what kind of person is my master?"
Lingfeng gently placed the teacup on the wooden table and glanced at Man Pillar. "I shouldn't comment on others without reason, but since your master died here, we naturally need to give you an explanation. As for your master, I believe he was a good person in Demon Cultivation!" After hearing about Man Qing, Lingfeng noted that he initially practiced cultivation, later turned to Demon Cultivation, and ultimately fell into madness due to his impatience. If Man Qing had focused on his cultivation peacefully, he wouldn't have met such an end. Lingfeng casually shared these thoughts with Man Pillar and added a label of 'good person' to Man Qing, which seemed somewhat flattering.
Man Pillar was slightly taken aback and murmured, "A good person in Demon Cultivation?" He couldn't grasp the meaning behind it and thought for a while without understanding. He then clasped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me!"
"Do you know that Demon Cultivation is considered a shortcut in cultivation? The spells achieved through it are extremely powerful. However, while Demon Cultivation is easier, those with improper intentions either fall into madness or die because of it; demons are those who mistakenly enter the demonic realm. Your master was a good person, but in order to defeat my senior brother, he practiced both paths of cultivation simultaneously. The two methods conflicted with each other, and since your master's resolve was not strong enough, he had many flaws and naturally met his demise." Lingfeng finished speaking in one breath. In truth, he didn't know whether Man Qing was a good or bad person; however, since Man Qing was already dead, discussing his character seemed pointless. Since he had passed away, adding the title of 'good person' didn't matter much.
Man Pillar showed a pained expression; despite his efforts to suppress it, tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
Lingfeng was momentarily stunned and didn't know how to react. It was indeed awkward for a grown man to cry in front of him.
"Brother Zhu!" Lingfeng called out.
Man Pillar felt as if struck by lightning; he trembled violently as if he had misheard. The senior beside him actually called him 'big brother.' He hurriedly asked, "How does the senior know my name?"
Lingfeng was also startled by his own words and feared exposing himself. He quickly replied, "As the eldest disciple of Qing brother, how could I not know? At nearly seventeen years old, you have already reached Mid-Stage Fusion; you are truly outstanding among your peers."
Just then, a loud shout came from outside the door: "Man Pillar! Get out here and release my brother!"
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