Hidden Moth-Chapter 424 - 235: Never Depart from Life’s Fire

Li Xiuyuan added, "If Chang’an Residence could even let Zhong Jinghui go free, wouldn’t that mean they are unworthy as a person, and unworthy of practicing the techniques? What more can you expect from such people? What benefit do they bring to anyone or to the world?"

He Kao nodded instinctively, "What you say is right, but I still feel there’s something I haven’t quite grasped."

Gu Chun interjected, "Elder Li just mentioned that the laws of the authorities vary according to time and space. For instance, murder of the innocent might be sentenced to life imprisonment in one place, and ten years in another, but in both cases, the act remains the taking of innocent lives.

Your confusion lies not in whether Chang’an Residence should seek revenge, but whether he should take matters into his own hands and end a life? I can’t give you a direct answer, but I can tell you a story, a true one.

I have a Junior Brother with the same surname as you, He. His family was poor in his early years. Actually, everyone’s situation was harsh back then. His mother was seriously ill and his father borrowed heavily to pay for her treatment.

When his father was at the payment window in the hospital, it was a bit crowded, and his money was stolen, around less than two hundred, well, two hundred of over sixty years ago.

Because the treatment was delayed, his mother soon passed away, and his father felt terribly guilty, which led to a heavy heart that burdened him until his death as he never forgave himself.

The thief was later caught. They were part of a gang, with some responsible for crowding the line, some for stealing, and some for immediately transferring the stolen goods. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

This gang targeted hospitals because they knew the people lining up there had money on them. The police broke the case, caught the people, and handed down the sentences as necessary.

At that time, my Junior Brother He was fifteen. He later encountered my master at nineteen, broke through to the Third Realm at twenty-two, and at twenty-eight, my master, seeing he couldn’t progress and break the gate, advised him to travel in the world to seek stability before considering further cultivation.

Can you guess what happened next?"

He Kao: "Did he kill the thief for revenge?"

Gu Chun shook his head, "The leader of that small gang had already been released from prison, reoffended and imprisoned again, and was just released shortly before he returned home.

The accomplices held a banquet for him, and something unknown happened during the feast, leading to an internal fight with casualties and some injured who later died."

He Kao: "Did Master He do it?"

Gu Chun shook his head, "I don’t know, and I’ve never asked either."

He Kao scratched his head, "What about your master, what did he say about it?"

Gu Chun: "My master sighed upon hearing about this matter and said this child holds too many thoughts, never having mentioned this grudge. He also blamed himself for being negligent, that since he decided to take him as a disciple, he should have checked thoroughly beforehand."

He Kao: "How did the Magic Sect deal with it then?"

Gu Chun: "My master was the Sect Leader of the Heart Plate Sect at the time. If it were you, how would you have handled it?"

He Kao frowned, falling silent as if contemplating. Gu Chun nodded, "Right, right, right, my master handled it just like you would have."

He Kao: "Did Master He really do it?"

Gu Chun: "I truly don’t know, and he’s no longer alive, so there’s no place to ask. Now I only ask you, were those thieves undeserving of death?

The police have answers; police at different times and places would have different answers. What about you?"

He Kao thought to himself, "This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment act or a crime of greed, they formed a gang specifically to operate in places like that, they knew exactly what their victims would go through, this was killing for money.

If I were that Master He, I probably would have killed them too! Just would have done it more discreetly, not to trouble the police."

Gu Chun: "What if you weren’t my Junior Brother himself?

If you happened to be at that time, that place, and came across those people, saw what they were doing, but you weren’t there for medical reasons, nor were you taking a relative for treatment, you were just passing by, would you kill them?"

He Kao thought carefully before responding, "I wouldn’t directly kill them, nor could I, but I would stop them from stealing, catch them and hand them over to the authorities."

Gu Chun’s expression was meaningful, "Haven’t you already found your answer?"

Elder Gu didn’t directly give He Kao an answer, but told a story. He Kao understood it, but still felt there was something he hadn’t quite figured out, and he slightly frowned.

After a long silence, Jiang Daozhen poured a glass of wine and said, "As the ancient saying goes—’The chivalrous violate the law with force,’ Xiao Kao, are you pondering where the boundary lies?"

He Kao quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, yes, you’re right, that’s exactly the issue I have in mind."

He Kao knew that Chang’an Residence would kill Zhong Jinghui, but he chose not to interfere further, for he had already understood the reason, yet felt something was amiss after leaving.

The Ancestral Hall monitors and restrains the conduct of sorcerers across the land, so how should one deal with such a matter? He Kao’s actions today didn’t represent the Ancestral Hall but himself, and his final choice was—to not intervene!

What Elder Gu said was right, if he were Chang’an Residence, he certainly wouldn’t have let Zhong Jinghui go either.

Chang’an Residence was able to find Zhong Jinghui and take revenge because he endured all kinds of hardships, also because he was a sorcerer, if it were an ordinary person, it would have been nearly impossible.

Sorcerers, especially high-tier sorcerers, have ever-changing methods, if they decide to deal with ordinary people, the ordinary people almost have no way to defend themselves or resist, it would be terrifying if they used sorcery to commit crimes for money.

This is the reason for the existence of the Sect Rules and the Sect Hall Order, but the Ancestral Hall can only forbid sorcerers from committing evil deeds, it can’t forbid them from using techniques for self-defense.

This self-defense not only refers to protection when personally harmed, but also includes defending other rightful interests and retaliating against harmful acts, yet what are the boundaries of such acts?