553: Chapter 553 Literary Debate

[Kuang Tianyou took a step closer, looked at you, and waved his hand: "Please enlighten me."]

[Your expression remained indifferent: "How do you want to conduct this battle of words?"]

[Kuang Tianyou smiled: "I will pose a question. If you can answer it, you win."]

["Since we are talking about fairness, shouldn't we each pose a question?" You smiled calmly.]

[The corners of Kuang Tianyou's mouth curled up: "Fine. Listen to the question."]

[He paused, his voice rising a few notches.]

["As everyone knows, Cheng Rongrong is a Prodigy of our Fengyun Pavilion, while you are but an ordinary person. Thus, the question is—please prove how you are worthy of Cheng Rongrong?"]

[The surroundings immediately fell silent.]

[This question was too malicious.]

[No matter how you answered, you would be trying to prove yourself.]

[But once you began to self-justify, you would fall into his trap.]

[You looked at him, not rushing to answer.]

[After a pause, you smiled: "Whether I am worthy of Cheng Rongrong—is that for you all to decide, or for Cheng Rongrong to decide?"]

[Kuang Tianyou was taken aback: "Naturally... everyone has the right to judge."]

["Who is 'everyone'?" Your gaze swept across the surroundings, "You? Emperor Xiao Rui? Fang Chen? Or these guests?"]

[Kuang Tianyou opened his mouth, speechless.]

["What is the standard by which you judge me?"]

["Talent, strength, background, future prospects..." Kuang Tianyou counted them off on his fingers.]

["Then do you think Cheng Rongrong uses your set of standards when choosing a Dao Companion?"]

[Kuang Tianyou was stunned.]

[You looked at him with a calm expression: "You say I am unworthy. Then I would like to ask—what kind of person do you think is worthy of Cheng Rongrong?"]

[Kuang Tianyou hesitated for a moment: "At least... at least they must be a Spirit Transformation Cultivator."]

["A Spirit Transformation Cultivator is worthy?"]

["Then of course they must also have background, have a future..."]

["Hahaha..." You laughed out loud, "Status? Background? Future? Those are your standards, not Cheng Rongrong's. By what right do you use your standards to dictate Cheng Rongrong's choice?"]

[You looked at him, your voice not loud, yet perfectly clear: "Whether I am worthy of Cheng Rongrong is not for you to decide. It is for her to decide."]

[After a pause, your calm gaze swept over everyone present as you stated placidly: "Since Rongrong chose me, then her choice is the answer."]

[Kuang Tianyou's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to say a single word.]

[The courtyard was so quiet that only the sound of the wind remained.]

[Cheng Rongrong walked closer, tightly clutching your arm, and said softly: "That's right. As long as I have chosen him, he is worthy."]

[Murong Zhaozhao lowered her head, biting her lip.]

[Emperor Xiao Rui stood to the side, his face ashen, yet unable to utter a single word.]

[You looked at Kuang Tianyou, your voice very light: "I didn't expect you to ask such a stupid question about an already established fact. It truly is eye-opening."]

[Kuang Tianyou's whole body shook, trembling with rage.]

[The logic trap he was so proud of had actually been dismantled by you in just a few words—]

[Wasn't Cheng Rongrong's choice itself the answer?]

[It was too ridiculous.]

[The surrounding guests began to whisper among themselves.]

["Indeed, Cheng Rongrong chose him herself, so what's all this about being worthy or not?"]

["The ancients said to follow the one you marry, for better or worse. She chose him, and that is her Dao. What right do outsiders have to gossip?"]

["Worthiness is a matter between two people. Outsiders look at conditions, but they look at the heart. Can conditions be more important than the heart?"]

["Where is there 'worthy' or 'unworthy' in this world? There is only 'willing' or 'unwilling'. Since she is willing, then he is worthy."]

[An old man stroked his beard and spoke slowly: "I have lived for eighty years and seen too many marriages between 'well-matched' families that ended in chaos. I have also seen couples who seemed mismatched to outsiders, yet remained devoted to each other for a lifetime."]

[Another woman chimed in: "Exactly! This young couple is living their lives; who do you think you are, an outsider, coming here to point fingers?"]

["If it were me, I'd have chased them out with a broom long ago."]

["Hahaha..."]

[Laughter spread through the courtyard.]

[Kuang Tianyou was shaking with anger, his voice cracking: "You... you glib-tongued man!"]

[Emperor Xiao Rui took a deep breath and whispered a reminder: "Don't panic, there's still one more question. As long as you answer it, it's not a loss."]

[Kuang Tianyou took a deep breath and looked at you again: "Fine, you pose your question."]

["Heh." You let out a cold laugh, your expression turning icy, "You come to disrupt my wedding, claiming it's for Cheng Rongrong's own good, but you know full well what's in your hearts."]

["So my question is—does what you are doing count as 'evil'?"]

[Kuang Tianyou was stunned.]

[Emperor Xiao Rui was also stunned.]

[Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.]

[After a brief silence, Kuang Tianyou's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said: "We are doing this for the good of Fengyun Pavilion, for Senior Sister Cheng's good. This is certainly not evil!"]

["Hahaha..." You laughed out loud, a laugh devoid of any warmth, "You can't even distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong."]

[You looked at him, speaking one word at a time.]

["As everyone knows, evil is divided into three grades."]

["Great Evil is the slaughter of cities and clans, the indiscriminate killing of the innocent. It is certain high-ranking cultivation families slaughtering hundreds of millions of living beings, not even sparing infants in their swaddling clothes."]

["Middle Evil is using one's power to bully others, the strong oppressing the weak."]

["Such people are like you, Kuang Tianyou, Emperor Xiao Rui, and Fang Chen."]

["You rely on your status, background, and strength, presuming you can represent others, and come here to question an ordinary person like me—saying I am unworthy."]

[You paused and continued: "Lesser Evil is speaking malicious words and stirring up trouble."]

["Just as you are doing now, coming to my wedding to say I am not worthy of Cheng Rongrong."]

[Your voice was neither high nor low, yet it was like nails, driven one by one into the ears of everyone present.]

["This knife draws no blood, but it cuts the heart. It cuts Cheng Rongrong's heart, it cuts my parents' hearts, and it cuts the hearts of everyone here who truly wishes us well."]

[You looked at Kuang Tianyou, your gaze as cold as river water in winter.]

["If it weren't for the immortal regulations of Fengyun Pavilion, you probably would have just broken down the door directly, wouldn't you?"]

["The immortal regulations of Fengyun Pavilion clearly state—Disciples of the pavilion shall not use their strength to bully the weak, shall not use their status to oppress others, and shall not disrupt the order of the secular mortal world."]

["Which of these have you not violated by what you did today?"]

["Those who commit minor violations of the immortal regulations shall be confined to the Secluded Pavilion to reflect on their mistakes."]

["Those who violate the fundamental principles shall have their cultivation base stripped and be permanently expelled from the sect."]

["Those whose sins are monstrous shall be bound and taken to the Zhu Xian Terrace, where the sword draws heavenly punishment, and the Divine Soul is utterly extinguished."]

[The more than one thousand immortal regulations of Fengyun Pavilion were drafted line by line by Chen Yuanyuan; you were clear on every single one.]

[Not killing them did not mean you would let them go.]

[Letting the immortal regulations deal with them both upheld the rules and served as a warning to certain people.]