326: Right or wrong

["Hahaha..." Elder Xue threw back his head and laughed, his voice shaking the surroundings:]

["If we go by your rhetoric... back when your grandfather was the Marshal of the Chu Dynasty, how many millions of enemy soldiers did he slay under his command?"]

["His gaze was like a blade, piercing straight at Chen Yu: "What wrong did those ordinary soldiers commit?"]

["According to what you say, shouldn't your Chen family lineage... also be 'subjected to the way of heaven'?"]

["Chen Yu's expression darkened, but he immediately returned to normal, instead laughing loudly: "Elder Xue, you are trying to cover up the truth and confusing right from wrong."]

["He paused and continued: "Let me ask you... are the national Laws of the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty still of any use?"]

["Naturally!" Elder Xue's tone was flat, yet brooked no doubt.]

["Good!" Chen Yu suddenly raised his voice, each word like a chisel, clearly heard throughout the field:]

["According to the first article of the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty's Laws—if the Son of Heaven breaks the Law, he is as guilty as a commoner."]

["Xue Yunhao listened to the framing of treacherous officials, harming the three loyal families of Li, Zhou, and Chen, resulting in the tragic deaths of over one thousand three hundred innocent people."]

["This is his first crime."]

["His voice paused slightly, his tone suddenly turning cold: "According to article one hundred and nine of the Law—"]

["Xue Yunhao condoned powerful officials in murdering thirty-six members of the Qi Family, and even forcibly abducted their daughter into the palace, torturing her to death."]

["This is his second crime..."]

["After listing several counts of crimes, his voice suddenly rose:"]

["As the ruler of a nation, Xue Yunhao did not think of governing the country and pacifying the people, but instead indulged in wine and women all day, neglecting state affairs."]

["This is his tenth crime."]

["And all of these... are evil deeds known to all the world with ironclad evidence."]

["Chen Yu looked up, his gaze like a blade, pressing Elder Xue: "According to the Laws of the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty, these combined crimes warrant—immediate execution."]

["What my father did was merely carry out the execution on behalf of the national Law, avenging thousands of wronged souls—"]

["How is that a violation of the immortal regulations?"]

["Hahaha—" Elder Xue threw back his head and laughed, but there was not a hint of warmth in his laughter: "Chen Yu, do not forget the immortal regulations of the Pavilion!"]

["Even if a mortal emperor has sins, it should be the Fengyun Pavilion that issues a mission and dispatches someone to handle it."]

["And your father... slaying Xue Yunhao is only one part of it."]

["His first crime is defying the Pavilion's regulations and taking action without authorization."]

["His second crime—his actions caused the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty to suddenly lose its monarch, leading to the collapse of the court and the outbreak of internal strife, causing hundreds of millions of civilians to be displaced with countless deaths and injuries."]

["Elder Xue's voice suddenly turned sharp: "If this matter had been carried out through a Pavilion mission, we would have naturally arranged for personnel to stabilize the court and soothe the turmoil. How could we allow the country to be overturned and the common people to suffer?!"]

["He looked around the field, each word like a hammer: "If Chen Yuntao's actions are still considered guiltless, then in the future, can the tens of millions of Disciples of our Fengyun Pavilion all follow suit?"]

["Is it enough to just say 'acting on behalf of the way of heaven' to ignore the immortal regulations and act willfully?!"]

["Elder Xue's words immediately stirred up a thousand waves among the spectating Disciples."]

["A noisy discussion broke out around the Zhu Xian Terrace:"]

["Elder Xue makes sense... Elder Chen was indeed impulsive this time."]

["Sigh, Elder Chen is good in every way, but he just can't stand any injustice."]

["I heard that Xue Yunhao relied on his niece being a Prodigy of our Pavilion to provoke Elder Chen many times, which led to his death."]

["Elder Xue is also pitiable; he just came out of seclusion only to learn of his younger brother's death. It's inevitable he'd be grief-stricken."]

["But it's also a fact that Elder Chen defied the immortal regulations and caused a great disaster... I'm afraid he won't escape punishment this time."]

["The Acting Pavilion Master has always been impartial and values the immortal regulations more than life itself. I wonder how she will decide..."]

["Listening to the diverse discussions around you, you asked Protector Qiao beside you in a low voice:"]

["Was that Xue Yunhao... truly as they say?"]

["Protector Qiao sighed softly: "Indeed. Xue Yunhao was originally an idle prince with mediocre talent and virtue. After ascending the throne, he became even more muddled and debauched. The people's grievances have existed for a long time."]

["Then why did Xue Yuntao let his brother be the emperor?" you followed up curiously.]

["You might not know," Protector Qiao lowered her voice, "since Xue Yuntao entered the Pavilion, he has been in seclusion almost year-round. He only learned of the changes in the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty over these years upon emerging from seclusion this time."]

["You nodded slightly."]

["It seemed that Xue Miaoyun, Xue Yuntao, and the others were all unaware of the subsequent Chaos in the Xue Clan Imperial Dynasty because they had not emerged from seclusion."]

["For people like them who were so obsessed with the Dao, being in seclusion for over a decade was quite normal."]

["That Elder Xue could step into the Golden Core stage in just over twenty years showed the strength of his will and the diligence of his efforts."]

["Not just him; back then, those top Martial Artists of the Tianhuang Continent, once they stepped onto the immortal path, almost all of them were this fully committed and focused."]

["You felt a bit of admiration for their perseverance."]

["At the same time, you couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief—fortunately, you didn't have to personally adjudicate such a thorny matter."]

["Both the Chen and Xue families were people you trusted and valued. No matter which side you favored, it would inevitably hurt the relationship."]

["At this moment, you felt a bit of curiosity—wanting to see how Chen Yuanyuan would actually handle such a dilemma."]

["Enough!"]

["On the Zhu Xian Terrace, Chen Yuntao suddenly spoke."]

["As soon as he spoke, the discussions around the Zhu Xian Terrace abruptly fell silent."]

["Thousands of Disciples, Elders, and Chen Yuanyuan in the center of the terrace—everyone's eyes were focused on him, and the air seemed to freeze."]

["Chen Yuntao said calmly: "Elder Xue, Chen Yu, your argument is meaningless. It only touches the surface of the immortal regulations but does not explore their essence."]

["Today, let me ask: What is the Heavenly Dao? What is the Human Dao?"]

["If the Heavenly Dao is the Law of the world, and the Human Dao is human justice, which of the two is higher?"]

["Elder Xue, you take the immortal regulations as iron rules and view them as the foundation of order."]

["Chen Yu, you take the Heavenly Dao as supreme and call for acting on behalf of heaven."]

["But the Heavenly Dao is inconstant, and the Human Dao is easily changed—if the Heavenly Dao destined Xue Yunhao's death, why did no one act on behalf of his sins?"]

["If the Human Dao thirsts for justice, why do the immortal regulations instead become shackles?"]

["I killed him only for my own heart, unrelated to the Heavenly Dao, and unrelated to the Human Dao."]

["Trading my one life for one scourge."]

["I think it's worth it!"]

["So you need not argue for me anymore; I am willing to admit my guilt and bow my head."]

["Elder Xue sneered, but his eyes were grave: "These words are profound, yet they avoid the substance."]

["The immortal regulations were created to maintain the balance between Cultivators and ordinary people."]

["The Heavenly Dao is ethereal, and the Human Dao is Chaos—if there were no immortal regulations as an anchor, a Cultivator could trigger a catastrophe for all living beings in a single thought, just as you did. You ask which is higher?"]

["I answer... naturally, order is higher than Chaos."]

["The immortal regulations are like a boat, and the Heavenly Dao is like the sea; if the boat does not travel the sea, it rots, and if the sea does not carry the boat, it capsizes."]

["You broke the boat to enter the sea, instead causing hundreds of millions of living beings to drown. This is not the Heavenly Dao, but a man-made disaster!"]

["Have you not heard: the mortal world is the foundation of immortality; without the mortal, there is no immortal. If an immortal seed is cut down today, it is to sever the lineage of ten thousand generations and end the path of all living beings."]

["This is not killing a person, but murdering the future of our immortal path."]

["Qin Han, on your shoulder, crossed his arms and nodded repeatedly, looking as if he deeply agreed:"]

["Right, right, right, this old man is absolutely right, this is a man-made disaster!"]

["And that Chen-something-tao, hasn't he already admitted his guilt? What's everyone still arguing about? Can't we just kill him and be done with it?"]

["It tilted its head to look at you, its face full of a 'please praise me' expression:"]

["Daddy, do you think I'm right?"]

["How have I learned the principles you've taught me over the years?"]

["Your face turned slightly pale, and you didn't even give it a look."]