I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

872  Chapter 873: Leaving the Master's Teachings, The Path of Betraying the Master!

Hiss!

Li Xiaobai gasped in the cool air after stepping outside; the landscape he saw seemed like an extension of the one upon entering, diving deeper, and he even heard Beichen Feng's inner emotions.

Looking around, the few Law Enforcers who had been waiting at the door were wearing expressions of utter bewilderment, clearly not having seen the meaning within the script or heard the previous sigh.

What does it mean to be a monster if one deviates from the teachings?

Could it be that this Confucianism Master was implying that he himself was a monster?

How could a scholar be a monster?

Li Xiaobai was filled with doubts. From the moment he had walked in, many questions had arisen in his mind: for instance, Beichen Feng never turned around to face others, coupled with the eerie couplet at the entrance, he always felt that this person exuded mystery and carried some great secret.

"Is there only one type of meaning within this couplet?"

Li Xiaobai turned to the people beside him and asked.

"Of course, a piece of calligraphy treasure naturally has only one meaning. However, sometimes there are exceptionally gifted individuals who immerse themselves more than once, witnessing the Helmsman create a brand-new path where there was none. Sect Master Li was just immersed in it again, and it must be said that the Sect Master possesses the temperament of a scholar."

The leading Law Enforcer chuckled, seeing no doubt in it. To him, being deeply moved by the Helmsman's conveyed meaning was the normal reaction; being too calm would be abnormal!

09:50

"Yes, I saw it again when I stepped out just now; the Helmsman's conception is truly captivating, and admiration is all there is."

Li Xiaobai also laughed.

"Ha ha, Sect Master Li truly is a man of great fortune. Please proceed to the Law Enforcement Hall inside for registration and to receive your Identity Token."

The group left laughing and talking.

What they didn't see was that, somehow, the dilapidated thatched hut behind them had once again condensed into frost, with a ghostly mist wafting about.

Inside the hut, where the light was dim, an elderly figure still sat firmly on the cushion, his ancient demeanor unchanging. The scripture in his hand unfolded on its own, tendrils of black energy wafted about it. The script was densely packed with the single character for "Confucian scholar," each varying in size and form as if endowed with life, unpredictably contorting and twisting into something utterly ferocious.

If Li Xiaobai had been there, he would have recognized that this menacing black aura shared its roots with the evil aura of Evil Cultivators from the Immortal Spirit Continent from years ago, both eerie and chilling.

The old man's voice, which had been as gentle as a spring breeze, suddenly turned hoarse, murmuring to himself.

"Master, you taught me to deviate from the scriptures, to not be bound by them or distracted by the thoughts of the world; yet it seems we have both strayed. After a thousand years, I have lost my Confucian core. I wonder, Master, whether you can still write a Confucian character filled with immense righteousness like in the old days?"

"A thousand years a cycle, those people from back then seem to have reappeared. The script stays the same, but Li Xiaobai is an uncertainty. I no longer wish to live merely to survive; the teachings from a thousand years ago I have always questioned. Today, I must confirm them myself, to protect him and to deviate from the teachings and the path of my master!"

…

Inside the Law Enforcement Hall, Li Xiaobai followed several people to collect his Identity Token. The place was still a thatched cottage, only larger now, with few cultivators coming and going as most of the Law Enforcers were out year-round, only appearing here when they needed to hand over assignments. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Old man Edward has been awaiting you for some time now."

A very fat, round elder with a baby-like plump face and small mustaches that made him look both shrewd and ruthless cheerfully stated.

"Ahem, I am Li Xiaobai. It is a pleasure to meet you,"

said Li Xiaobai, nodding. He suddenly felt speechless inside. The Elder's name was indeed unique; whoever chose it truly was a genius.

Edward took out a bamboo slip and handed it to him; the front was blank, while the back had the large characters "Li Xiaobai" written on it.

"This is the Identity Token of the Enforcement Team from the Eastern Continent, personally crafted by the Helmsman. Its construction differs from those of the other three continents. During the assignment of missions, targets will appear on the front of the bamboo slip. Then, after completion, you can come to the Enforcement Team to hand over and receive your reward," Edward explained.

"The distribution of missions is entirely up to the Enforcement Team. Sect Master Li cannot choose. However, you can be assured that the Enforcement Team won't send a Peak Master to a mission that cannot be completed. I am very much looking forward to seeing how you perform," he added with a chuckle.

Edward smiled, his already small eyes squinting together, making him appear quite comical.

Li Xiaobai put away the token, "Now that the procedures are all handled, I shall take my leave first."

"There's one more thing. I heard that during the assessment, Sect Master Li captured hundreds of thousands of cultivators. Now, not only within the territories of the three great dynasties but also under many sects of the Blade Sect, all are left empty. Now that the assessment has ended, can these cultivators be released?" Edward said, chuckling.

"They will be released, of course, but not now. I will take them to the Second Peak of the Sword Sect to undergo labor reformation, to cleanse their hearts and reform their ways. This way, they will no longer partake in wars and conflicts—an eternal solution, is it not delightful?" Li Xiaobai stated indifferently. Wanting him to release them? Absolutely not. Why should he release those captured with his abilities?

"Er... What about these sects then?" the rotund elder asked, somewhat at a loss for words.

"These sects will be taken over by my Sword Sect. If the elder has any objections, he can go and consult the Helmsman," Li Xiaobai stated calmly.

"Understood, but please remember, joining the Enforcement Team does not mean you can recklessly slaughter everywhere. On the contrary, if you abuse the name of the Enforcement Team to kill the innocent without restraint, the consequences will be very severe. We, as Law Enforcers, must be more cautious and prudent," the old man reminded him again.

"This is naturally known to me; the elder need not worry," Li Xiaobai answered.

"Then I shall respectfully send off Sect Master Li," Edward said, his pudgy face twitching as he squeezed out a polite smile.

Li Xiaobai did not wish to stay long, turning around and leaving. There was a strange and uncomfortable aura throughout this sub-branch.

Once out of the small world, the passage disappeared, and the scenery transformed back to a desolate mountain top, empty and deserted.

"With hundreds of thousands of cultivators in my hands, what mission can't be accomplished? Whoever needs to be captured, I can manage it immediately," Li Xiaobai muttered to himself as he examined the bamboo slip in his hand.

"Let's head back to the Sword Sect first. If the Sect Master can break through to the Saint Realm and awe the masses, I wouldn't need to work this hard," he mused.

"Moreover, the ancient swords in the Sword Tomb are still waiting for me!"

Atop the mountain, the young man, embracing his longsword, standing on golden chariot wheels, transformed into a flash of golden light and vanished without a trace.