264: Mr. and Mrs. Yang

[However, though the Great Dao is strict, there are still ways to circumvent it.]

[The depth and magnitude of the Karma incurred also follow discernible rules:]

[The Karma and sin accumulated from killing one person versus destroying an entire clan are as different as a stream is from a vast ocean.]

[Directly incurring it versus acting through leveraging power—the resulting mental imprint and threads of fate involved also differ vastly.]

[This is why that unfathomable Mahayana Cultivator, when forced by you to appear and resolve the matter that day, chose to personally strike and incur the direct Karma of 'killing you'.]

[He was not being soft-hearted, but deeply understood this Dao—]

[By severing it personally, the Karma is clearest and most direct, preventing greater, more unpredictable variables and backlash from arising later due to tangled, sprawling complications.]

[You slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. Since reaching Soul Transformation, you have developed a deeper reverence and clearer understanding of the invisible, intangible, yet omnipresent web of Karma.]

[It is precisely because of these recent profound insights regarding Karma and cultivation that your killing intent towards Prince Ji Heng is no longer as direct and intense as it was initially.]

[You are thinking more about how to resolve this 'cause' that has already been established, using a method that minimizes Karma and maximizes controllable variables.]

[Direct annihilation would certainly be satisfying, but you cannot predict what kind of chain reaction the death of a prince—especially one involving multiple factions—would trigger, ultimately resulting in an unmanageable 'effect'.]

[You couldn't help but sigh internally—]

[It turns out that when one's cultivation reaches a high level, the true struggle and deliberation are no longer about 'whether one can kill a person', but 'what one will become after killing them'.]

[Power grants you the ability to destroy, while wisdom and reverence for the Heavenly Dao teach you how to use that ability.]

[Sensing this Karma, your mind stirred slightly, and you quietly spread out your Divine Sense once more—soon finding Yu'er's figure.]

[In the depths of the unseen, you always felt that the Karma between you and this girl had not yet concluded.]

[But upon careful thought, this segment of Karma should have been concluded already.]

[It is precisely because of this that you have often paid attention to her situation recently.]

[The more you paid attention, the clearer a thought became—should you take her as a disciple?]

[Even you found this thought incredible.]

[After all, her Aptitude was truly... outrageous.]

[What truly moved you was the Heart-Nature that, despite the poor Aptitude, was as tenacious as wild grass and as firm as bedrock.]

[Since Yu'er was brought back to the mansion by Han Xue, her life has consisted only of arduous daily cultivation.]

[Without guidance from a renowned master, she relied entirely on an almost stubborn determination, starting from the crudest Qi Induction methods, grinding away bit by bit, advancing inch by inch.]

[You once saw her—cultivating Qi late into the night until her Meridians ached, biting on a cloth without making a sound; failing time and again to Break through the Bottleneck, she would simply wipe away the blood foam from the corner of her mouth and sit cross-legged to start again.]

[This tenacity and indomitability slightly touched your heart.]

[Perhaps it was because you lacked such traits!]

[But you ultimately suppressed this sudden impulse and continued to observe her every move.]

[Dawn,]

[You wandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys with Qin Han.]

[When you passed by Xuanwu Street, Qin Han stared at a fruit on a stall, drooling, and quickly jumped up and shouted, "Daddy, Daddy, I want to eat that one!"]

[You looked in the direction it pointed. A 'imperial lotus fruit' was displayed on a stall.]

[This 'imperial lotus fruit' is a companion fruit of the Yao Beast Emperor Python. It is not a particularly rare Spirit Fruit, but its taste is extremely delicious and sweet.]

[You walked over and looked at the stall owner—an aged couple, only possessing Late Stage Qi Refining cultivation.]

["How much is this imperial lotus fruit?" you asked.]

[The old man looked at you seriously and spoke softly, "It's not for sale for Spirit Stones; it can only be exchanged for one request."]

[You immediately grew curious and asked, "What request?"]

[Just then, a voice arrived—]

["I'll buy this imperial lotus fruit. I agree to any request you have."]

[You looked over at the sound. Two people were walking toward you.]

[One of them was a youth dressed luxuriously, with a slightly round face, walking over with a cheerful grin. Beside him was a girl with a playful appearance, skipping along with a smile.]

[Coincidentally, you knew these two: the Twelfth Prince Ji Changchu and the Sixteenth Princess Ji Fu.]

[As soon as Princess Ji Fu approached, she saw the adorable Qin Han on your shoulder, and her eyes immediately lit up: "Wow, you're so cute! I love you!"]

[As she spoke, Princess Ji Fu couldn't resist raising her hand to touch Qin Han.]

[Qin Han, wearing a serious expression, swatted her hand away and said coldly, "Buzz off. We are not compatible!"]

[Princess Ji Fu seemed completely unfazed, growing even more excited. She looked at you and asked, "Are you selling this little Spirit Pet?"]

[Before you could reply, Qin Han shouted angrily, "Daddy, hit her!"]

[You smiled and rubbed Qin Han's head, "Not selling."]

[Naturally, you had no interest in attacking Princess Ji Fu—she was merely a spoiled princess; aside from being willful, self-important, and somewhat unintelligent, she didn't seem to harbor any other malicious intentions.]

[Princess Ji Fu pouted, looking disappointed.]

[Ji Changchu, standing nearby, comforted Princess Ji Fu: "Don't worry, little sister. I'll help you find one later."]

[Princess Ji Fu immediately beamed, "Big Brother is the best."]

[Ji Changchu then looked at the stall owner: "What condition do you require in exchange for this imperial lotus fruit?"]

[The stall owner couple exchanged glances, a look of grim determination flashing in their eyes.]

[The old man took a deep breath, his voice filled with sorrow: "Help me kill a person. His name is Yang Kun."]

["Yang Kun?" Ji Changchu frowned, "Is that Yang Kun, the adopted son of Venerable Zhiyuan of the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency?"]

["That's right," the old woman interjected, "It's him."]

["Why do you want to kill him?" Princess Ji Fu asked curiously.]

[The old man's voice was hoarse and cold as he slowly recounted the entire story.]

[It turned out the old man's surname was Yang, and he was just an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator.]

[Seeing that he only had Late Stage Qi Refining cultivation, one knew his Family's foundation was shallow. Small Qi Refining Families like this were as numerous as ox hair in the Tianyu Immortal Dynasty, completely unremarkable.]

[By chance, the couple adopted an orphan who possessed High Grade Heavenly Spiritual Root Aptitude, naming him Yang Kun.]

[Because of his excellent Aptitude, the old couple treated him as their own, even favoring him over their biological son.]

[They poured all their resources and efforts into Yang Kun, only hoping he could successfully achieve Foundation Establishment and lead the Yang Family out of the lower ranks and to the next level.]

[However, reality dealt them the cruelest blow.]

[Not long ago, Yang Kun finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment.]

[But after the Breakthrough, he completely changed his demeanor.]

[Yang Kun not only murdered the old couple's biological son but also attempted to kill the old couple who raised him.]

[If the old couple hadn't relied on a life-saving trump card they had treasured for years—the "light evasion talisman"—to narrowly escape, they would already be ghosts beneath the spring.]

[It was also fortunate that Yang Kun had just achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm, and his Realm was unstable, which granted them a sliver of hope.]

[The old couple, grief-stricken over the loss of their beloved son and the ruin of their Family, went to the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency to accuse Yang Kun of patricide and seizing their assets.]

[But they never expected that Yang Kun's High Grade Heavenly Spiritual Root Aptitude would be spotted immediately by Venerable Zhiyuan, the Commander of the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency.]

[Ultimately, Yang Kun was not only spared punishment but was immediately taken as an adopted son by Venerable Zhiyuan, soaring to prominence ever since.]

[Their complaint found no avenue, and they were crushed by power instead.]

[With nowhere left to turn, the old couple brought out the long-treasured "imperial lotus fruit" to seek an Opportunity for revenge.]

[What was even more ironic—this "imperial lotus fruit" was originally a gift the old couple had prepared for Yang Kun.]