I, the transmigrated villain, please wait, gentle master.

Chapter 202 Crossing the River of Oblivion: A Shocking Kneeling Kiss (1)

This last time, of course, was from Baihu City. Before Mei Shiyu even entered the city, Lin Qiutan was already waiting for him, inviting him to climb the city tower to see the scenery. The sunset was beautiful, and the evening glow was also beautiful. It would be a pity to miss it, so it was not too late to leave after seeing it.

The two are somewhat similar, both in temperament and character. Lin Qiutan is one of the few "normal people" in Four Symbols City, a normal person with a conscience, feelings, and gentlemanly demeanor.

When he was selecting a furnace for Li Tingyun, he deliberately sent a mortal woman suffering from syphilis. Li Tingyun probably saw through his intentions, but he didn't get angry or make things difficult for her. He accepted the offer without hesitation. Although he still couldn't withdraw the order to search for a furnace, at least he didn't harm an innocent mortal woman.

Lin Qiutan was unaware of their temple master's past.

He lacks the ability to trace back to the source, but he has the ability to see the big picture from small details.

He keenly sensed that Li Tingyun had a strange "deliberate" feeling towards brothels and prostitutes. He deliberately paid attention to them, yet deliberately avoided them; he deliberately tried to understand them, yet deliberately refused them. It was contradictory, but also straightforward, and he had no secrets to hide.

Therefore, he guessed that Li Tingyun had been involved in such low-class professions and might have even received favors from someone in them.

And so, with a try-it-and-see attitude, he orchestrated the previous "accidental incident."

All coincidences in the world are, in a different way, inevitable; all coincidences in the world are, in a different way, unfortunate.

On the towering city wall, the air was crisp and clear, and the setting sun cast a thin layer of gold on the two of them.

Lin Qiu sighed and chatted with Mei Shiyu, "Do you know that Xia Changfeng has had a terrible time? The fire in Zhuque City was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. The sign he put up at the city gate displeased many fox demons and cat demons in Sixiang City. That day, trouble finally broke out. Some little demon was so audacious that he burned the sign, igniting the barrier. The city gate caught fire, and the innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire."

Speaking of "fish in the pond," he glanced at the person beside him—this was no ordinary fish, but the Palace Master's prized possession, who could not be harmed in the slightest. He had almost met with disaster on Xia Changfeng's territory, and no matter the reason, he was to blame.

"The Palace Master executed a large number of people, leaving none alive among the Seven Constellations of the Vermilion Bird, and wiping out all the cat demons and fox demons. He is used to solving problems with killing, even though this problem is still unresolved—who exactly ignited the barrier? We don't know, and it doesn't matter."

Lin Qiutan said, "This is his consistent style."

Mei Shiyu uttered two words: "...tyrant."

The summary is insightful.

“Yes, it would be nice if someone could ‘hold him back’ a little,” Lin Qiu sighed and asked with a smile, “What do you think?”

Mei Shiyu: "There is no such person. He has too fiery a temper and is unpredictable. Who can hold him back?"

Lin Qiu sighed, "I think so. It's both far away and right in front of us."

Mei Shiyu: "Do you really think you can do it? I advise you not to rush headlong into a fire like a moth to a flame."

Lin Qiu sighed: "..."

Her smile gradually faded, and she stared at him blankly for a second, then two seconds, choked by the cold wind, and turned her face away, coughing twice.

Then, turning to the point directly: "Immortal Mei, I can see that the Palace Master treats you differently from ordinary people. You hold a very special place in his heart. You are the only one who can 'bind' him. I really hope you stay by his side. Perhaps your existence will make Taiji Palace very different."

Mei Shiyu's expression was indescribable as she refused, saying, "Please don't make such jokes. They sound a bit... a bit creepy to me."

Lin Qiu sighed, understanding his situation: "It's normal for you to think this way. It's human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm."

“It’s best to stay away from someone as dangerous as the Palace Master; that’s what ‘avoiding harm’ means.”

"But have you ever thought that doing the opposite, getting closer to him, and extracting benefits from him might not be a bad thing?"

Mei Shiyu looked at him in surprise: "What...what exactly are you trying to say?"

Lin Qiu sighed and said frankly, "What I want to say is, since we're here, let's make the best of it. Every harmful thing has its benefit, every yin has its yang. How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? 'Seeking the tiger's skin' is also a way of survival."

“The Immortal Venerable is a righteous person and would certainly not want to collude with the Taiji Palace. However, the Palace Master does not want to let you go. You might as well stay by his side and take advantage of his ‘special’ treatment of you to do what you want.”

"For example, stop his group of demons and monsters from causing trouble outside; or, cooperate with your immortal allies to plot against him from the inside; or, do everything you can to sow discord so that he cuts off his own arm and kills his own people."

"How far you can go depends entirely on your abilities. Don't you know that stabbing someone in the back and attacking them from behind is the real skill?"

"No, no!" Mei Shiyu shook her head hurriedly and deliberately stood a little further away, sighing to Lin Qiu, "These are not things I want to do! I can't do such things! Even if he is Li Tingyun, I will not, and could not, treat him like this."

Lin Qiutan insisted on approaching him and questioned, "Why? He is the greatest threat to the cultivation world. Everyone in the world is hoping for his death. The sins he has committed deserve an even more painful price to pay. Don't you pride yourself on upholding the righteous path? Why are you unwilling to eliminate this scourge for the sake of the world? Even if you use some dirty and despicable means, as long as it can eradicate evil, nothing is too much."

Mei Shiyu didn't fall into his trap. Instead, she asked, "Then why are you saying such things to me? Aren't you the city lord of White Tiger City? Aren't you Li Tingyun's subordinate? Why are you instigating others to get close to him, deceive him, and betray him? Could it be that you've already betrayed him? What you're talking about is actually what you're risking your life to do?"

"You overestimate me, hahaha..." Lin Qiu sighed as if he was amused by him. "If I really stabbed the Palace Master in the back, wouldn't he turn around and strip me of my tiger skin to use as a cushion? Besides, in the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are futile."

“I would never betray him completely. However, it is inevitable that I will have some selfish thoughts at times.”

"This selfish motive may very well go against the Palace Master's will. Occasionally, one might outwardly comply while inwardly resisting for personal gain..."

After saying so much in one breath, Lin Qiu was a little overwhelmed. He made a "wait a minute" gesture, turned his back, pounded his chest hard, coughed a few times, spat out some bloody phlegm, bent over, and supported himself on his knees to catch his breath before he felt a little better.

"Are you... alright?" Mei Shiyu had wanted to ask him for a long time.

"What illness do you have? I had a very skilled doctor... I used to have such a friend, but I may not have him now... I heard that you are also very proficient in alchemy. Is there no way for you to heal yourself?"

Lin Qiu sighed and said, "There's nothing I can do. This isn't an illness, but some kind of 'curse'."

Mei Shiyu asked him, "Who cursed you?"

"No one. It's not a curse placed on me by anyone; it's a curse I was born with. Calling it 'divine retribution' would be a more apt description."

Lin Qiu sighed and avoided the topic: "Let's continue with our previous conversation. Where were we?"

Mei Shiyu: "You said you also have your own selfish motives, and that you might even go against Li Tingyun's will for your own selfish reasons, occasionally acting out of compliance but secretly resisting... That doesn't sound good. No matter how you look at it, it's a kind of 'betrayal.' Although... but..."

Mei Shiyu couldn't continue speaking, because as he spoke, it sounded like he was defending Li Tingyun.

If Li Tingyun is a virtuous man, then his subordinates' "outward compliance but inward disobedience" is a betrayal of their master's benevolent and noble will, tantamount to abandoning good and promoting evil, abandoning the light and turning to darkness. In such a case, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are treacherous and two-faced.

However, the reality is that Li Tingyun is an unscrupulous and morally corrupt individual, bloodthirsty and ruthless—a truly despicable villain. Even if you are loyal to him and treat him as your master, he doesn't respect you. In his bloodlust, he might even take you down with him.

Who could wholeheartedly trust, rely on, and obey such a cold and aloof person?

The righteous will find many supporters, while the unrighteous will find few. Isn't this the very principle?

Lin Qiu sighed and said, "Betrayal is too strong a word. The Immortal Venerable should not know that the four of us have long ago signed a life-and-death contract with the Palace Master, entrusting our lives and property to him."

"The life-and-death contract, as the Immortal Venerable should know, can only be signed voluntarily, not under duress. Therefore, each of us is completely convinced of the Palace Master's authority, and logically speaking, we would not betray him."

"However, life and death are one thing, loyalty is another, and selfishness is yet another. When one's own selfishness far outweighs life and death, does so-called 'loyalty' still matter?"

"Everyone has something they are willing to risk their lives for. I would call it an obsession, a long-cherished wish, or a desire. In any case, it is something that makes people willing to risk their lives."

"The importance of this thing cannot even compare to one's own life. As for everything else... nothing else matters."

Mei Shiyu asked, "And what is your personal selfishness?"

He was a bit abrupt.

Whether or not to answer is entirely up to the other party; he was just asking casually.

Lin Qiutan certainly wouldn't answer him. "Well, that's a secret. But I can tell you what Xia Changfeng's 'selfish motives' are. He's making it too obvious. Not only did I notice it, but even that brainless piranha felt that something was off about him."

"This isn't a good idea..." Mei Shiyu always felt that talking about others behind their backs was very immoral.

"It's okay. Life is nothing more than laughing at others and being laughed at by others. Just take it as a joke."

Lin Qiu sighed and reminded him, "It's too windy here. Let's sit by the wall and talk. We have a lot to say, and just thinking about it makes me tired. If I have to stop for no reason, please forgive me and let me rest for a while before continuing."

After saying that, he sat down at the foot of the wall with its jagged crenellations, where it was sheltered from the wind, and patted the spot next to him, inviting Mei Shiyu to sit down as well.

White Tiger City is inlaid with gold and jade everywhere. The bricks used to build the city walls are all made of stone-encased jade, which is uncarved raw jade. You can sell any piece you dig up for money. Mei Shiyu walked over and sat down next to him, keeping a distance of one person. The ground was not dirty at all. Sitting in such a place, one would only feel that it was a waste of resources, that money was being squandered like dirt and treasures were being treated like mud. He silently muttered "sin".

"Does the Immortal Venerable truly believe that the real culprit who caused the fire in Vermilion Bird City cannot be found?" Lin Qiu sighed and revealed the truth: "Actually, it was done by a fox. The Immortal Venerable also recognizes this fox; he is a nine-tailed fox named Si Wuxie..."

Speaking of this person, he is truly remarkable. He was born a demon, but once served as a ghost messenger in the underworld. Later, his true identity was revealed, and he became the biological son of the Yunlan Sect Master. After Yun Songhe's death, he was recognized by the Yun family and is now one of the leaders of the immortal sects.

Yunlan Sect is a typical cultivation clan. They are notorious for being wary of, harsh on, and ostracizing outsiders. After Yun Songhe's death, they preferred to have Si Wuxie recognized as an ancestor rather than appoint a virtuous and capable person because they supported the primogeniture system, which was "the rule of our ancestors."

It sounds absurd. Everyone's cultivating immortality, why bother with clan traditions? Everyone's cultivating immortality, why talk about lineage? Everyone's cultivating immortality, why care about blood relations? Shouldn't it be that whoever has the greatest ability sets the rules, and whoever has the strongest fist represents the truth?! Implementing a clan system in the cultivation world is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—it'll be doomed sooner or later!

However, such an outrageous thing does exist in reality.

Its existence has its reasons.

In the Yunlan Clan, patriarchal authority reigns supreme. It is considered normal for a man to have eight or nine concubines, while having only one wife might be ridiculed. As a result, the Yun clan is extremely large, with enough members in the main branch and collateral branches to spare no extra power for outsiders.

In a large family like theirs, where everyone is related, if the power transition isn't handled properly, it's bound to cause chaos. All the extended family members want to put their sons in the position of clan leader—how do you choose? Who should you choose? Choosing anyone will lead to problems!

Let's take inspiration from human royalty and establish strict rules: sons succeed fathers, brothers succeed brothers, no one other than the eldest son has the right to inherit, and all those who are not related by blood are out of the running.

Despite its rigid rules, the system is stable and has proven its advantages through the testing of dynasties throughout history. To some extent, it has prevented illegitimate sons from vying for the throne, thus avoiding many problems.

After all, the standard for virtue and ability is not fixed, but the birth of a legitimate son or a concubine is absolute. In this way, the ambitions of most people who covet the position are directly cut off.

This system is best suited for aristocratic families like the Yunlan Sect, whose kinship ties are inextricably intertwined.

Ultimately, it all boils down to one thing: don't overestimate the cultivation world.

Sometimes, they are no different from ordinary people.

Human relationships and social interactions make up eight or nine out of ten parts of the story, while grudges and feuds permeate every corner.

After all, very few people can become immortals.

Most of it is about being a good person.

Mei Shiyu had a rather deep impression of Si Wuxie. This person was not much different from his lecherous father, who was also a dissolute and unrestrained person.

Because Mei Xianzun had been relentlessly pestered by him for some time, she had a very bad impression of him, even worse than her impression of Li Tingyun. Li Tingyun was frightening, while Si Wuxie was disgusting.

Mei Shiyu got goosebumps all over just thinking about that fox.

Lin Qiu sighed, "The Palace Master also dislikes this fox. So he once sent Xia Changfeng to teach him a lesson... But no one would have guessed that Xia Changfeng and Si Wuxie... their relationship is a bit ambiguous..."

Mei Shiyu sighed, “What exactly does ‘unclear’ mean? Are they friends, confidants, brothers, or enemies? Please be more explicit, otherwise I really don’t understand. Relationships between people always give me a headache.”

Lin Qiu sighed and said, "Oh, I forgot, you seem to cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness, and you're a stone, right? No wonder you can't understand my hints. But I can't explain it to you any more clearly, because between the two of them, there's a mix of grudges and affections. You could say they're enemies, but there's also affection between them; you could say they're benefactors, but there's also resentment between them."

Their relationship is inherently complicated; how can it be defined by a single sentence?

Lin Qiu continued, "As far as I know, Xia Changfeng lived with Si Wuxie when he was a child. Si Wuxie raised him to adulthood, but he took away his Vermilion Bird Heart and has not returned it to this day."

"The Vermilion Bird Heart is like a blazing flame, containing powerful energy. Si Wuxie himself cannot resist the burning of the Southern Bright Fire, so he became entangled with Immortal Mei and set his sights on your Ice Spirit Root."

“If your realm and cultivation were not far above his, he would probably have already taken ruthless measures to seize your spiritual root.”

"He is a hypocrite, two-faced, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Whether the Immortal Venerable believes him or not, Si Wuxie is that kind of person."

Mei Shiyu: "...It's even more 'disgusting' now."

Lin Qiu sighed, "Perhaps even the Palace Master found him disgusting, which is why he sent someone else to deal with him..."

The situation was as follows:

Upon hearing that a cunning fox was constantly bothering Mei Shiyu, Li Tingyun flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table. Suddenly, Xia Changfeng jumped up, even more furious than him, and volunteered: "I'll go! I'll beat him to a pulp! That shameless old fox!"

Lin Qiu witnessed the whole thing and came to two conclusions: Li Tingyun and Mei Shiyu had a problem, and Xia Changfeng and Si Wuxie were not on good terms.