Chapter 777: Tearing off the face

Several hours later, it was already midnight.

Li Qi sat atop a tall building in Chang'an, looking up at the sky.

This was the tallest building in Chang'an, located in the Upper Garden, where the Upper Flower Gods usually entertained guests. However, as a Fourth Rank, Li Qi was naturally considered a distinguished guest here.

This tall building had different Flower Gods operating every night, so different people gathered here every day, making it a place of pleasure and entertainment in Chang'an.

Tonight, the Flower Goddess here was Iron Begonia. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Li Qi actually knew this Flower Goddess.

She was once the enemy of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, but... at the last moment, she helped the Lingxiao Flower Goddess leave the Upper Garden (details in Chapter 377).

However, Li Qi did not go to listen to Iron Begonia's performance downstairs. He merely sat with Qiu Zhi in a small corner on the roof, overlooking the Upper Garden below.

Chang'an at night was extremely prosperous, and the Upper Garden was the most prosperous of all. Below the tall buildings were flower formations and wine pools, fragrant mountains and medicine seas, brothels and singing houses, countless in number, too many to list in detail.

Besides the pavilions, there were also various entertainment boats and painted pleasure boats, each with clanging gongs and drums, lively music, and dancing flags, their gold and jade gleaming against each other. Below, brocade stones wound around the paths, and treasure-laden ponds were adorned with willow-locked rainbow bridges and flowers entwining Phoenix boats. Pedestrians moved about everywhere, full of energy, laughing and playing.

However, unlike the lively scene in the Upper Garden, Li Qi remained silent here.

By now, some time had passed since they were in the Imperial Academy cafeteria.

Qiu Zhi seemed to feel a bit uneasy and said, "Young Master is so silent. Are you blaming me for clarifying the rules?"

"No, I just don't know what to say," Li Qi shook his head, continuing to gaze at the sky.

A few hours ago, in the Imperial Academy, the Peng Hai Cauldron did not allow Li Qi to reveal the final Dao opportunity.

Li Qi did not insist and chose to give up.

Qiu Zhi then tried to console him, saying, "Look on the bright side. The Peng Hai Cauldron awakened directly to the Fourth Rank, so it has not experienced dangers or troubles. People speak but do not know how to trust, preferring to lose their righteousness, spending without restraint, trusting the wrong people, procrastinating without ambition, being confused and willing to fail. You have already given it a start, letting it think for itself, which may not necessarily be a bad thing, right?"

Li Qi, however, ignored his words and asked, "You, the Human Dao, for the sake of rules, even obstruct a person's Dao path? What then is a person? An appendage of the rules?"

"Wrong. Rules exist for people. How could they obstruct people? It's just that, sometimes, there must be a choice. Guo Peng Hai wants to undertake this opportunity, then he must bear the corresponding Karma. Now is a time of many troubles, and this Karma may cause many repercussions," Qiu Zhi said calmly.

"If he is willing to take responsibility, then it is only natural for him to undertake this opportunity. If he cannot bear it, then giving up is understandable. All of this was Guo Peng Hai's own choice," Qiu Zhi said.

Seemingly feeling that this was not convincing enough, he immediately added, "Or... Young Master, do you think it's a better choice to let him directly undertake this kind of Karma without thinking clearly about anything?"

These words left Li Qi speechless.

He indeed found it difficult to refute this statement, but he still felt that giving up the opportunity to pursue the Dao for the sake of following rules was stifling human nature.

Perhaps this was the drawback of the Human Dao. People always have attachments and cannot be as free and uninhibited as a Shaman. Many Shamanes, such as Zhu Fengdan, have no attachments, living freely in this world as they please, practicing their Dao in their own preferred way.

But... is being free and uninhibited truly good?

Li Qi recalled Shen Shuibi and Li Shiwei; he too was a person bound by attachments...

Sigh.

Karma.

Li Qi raised his hand, and a thread appeared in his palm. With a gentle pull, a vast, intricate web of Karma spread out, with himself as the node.

But beneath his feet, the great array suppressing all of Chang'an activated the part beneath Li Qi's feet. An invisible force pressed down on Li Qi's shoulders, striking down his spell.

In Chang'an, those of Fifth Rank and above are not allowed to act arbitrarily, not even with simple spells.

Li Qi shook his head, not delving deeper, but instead stood up and said, "Alright, that's enough. I've stayed in Chang'an long enough, eaten what I wanted, and settled matters with old acquaintances. I shall take my leave."

"Let's go together. I also need to return to the border," Qiu Zhi stood up as well.

Li Qi nodded, then walked down.

From the top floor, he descended to the grand hall below. In the hall, Iron Begonia's performance had already ended. Now, a Seventh Rank Flower Goddess was performing as a guest, maintaining the excitement.

However, the scene was still very lively, with people constantly coming and going. After all, this was a Fifth Rank performance venue, and Iron Begonia's popularity was not low, at least much higher than that of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess back then.

Li Qi carefully made his way through the crowd. However, as he walked, he saw a young flower demon quietly approach and tug at Li Qi's clothes.

"Young Master... my Flower Goddess invites you," the flower demon whispered, handing over a token.

The token bore Iron Begonia's mark.

Li Qi smiled and said, "I won't go. Please tell your Flower Goddess that Lingxiao is doing well and there's no need to worry. It's just that with the war between humans and Shamanes, she is indeed a bit in danger in Baiyue, but such is life, there's nothing to be done."

With that, he did not accept the invitation but instead quickened his steps and left.

The little flower demon held the token, unsure of what to do, as she dared not truly stop Li Qi. After all, he was... a Fourth Rank Shaman.

If it were a Fourth Rank Human Dao cultivator, she would have dared to go up and pull him, but Shamanes were notoriously infamous...

In the Human Dao, everyone knew that Shamanes were actually impossible to judge by good or evil. They disliked following rules and could even kill at will.

Indeed, in the eyes of the Human Dao, Shamanes were far more evil than themselves.

The Human Dao's expansion and invasion into other domains were all done according to rules, with a set of principles to judge these actions. There were regulations on how to conduct invasions, how to resettle prisoners of war, and how to deal with civilians.

In other words, whether to kill, save, or release, the disposition was determined by rules, not by individuals. Personal good or evil could not affect the law, and rules served the majority, ensuring benefits for the Human Dao as a whole.

But Shamanes were different.

Shamanes killed and saved based on their own will.

This seemed terrifying in the eyes of the Human Dao.

The law could execute the death penalty; this was a matter of course. The law represented justice, and a death penalty after due process, evidence collection, confirmation, and trial was not problematic.

But if a person arbitrarily killed or saved others based on their own likes and dislikes, then in the eyes of the Human Dao... that person was synonymous with evil and terror.

Just as Shamanes saw the Human Dao.

The Human Dao in the eyes of Shaman Dao was equally terrifying.

Shamanes saw that the Human Dao, after screening in other domains, carried out mass, systematic, assembly-line-like slaughter, just like in a chicken farm where newly hatched male chicks are directly shredded.

The act of destroying worlds was like manufacturing parts on a factory assembly line, and the soldiers of the Human Dao were like craftsmen producing these parts.

In this process, no one bore the guilt; everyone was 'doing their job,' but the resulting slaughter was immeasurable.

This assembly-line slaughter made the Shamanes cringe and despise it to the extreme.

Both sides felt this way.

The Human Dao felt that Shaman Dao wantonly played with lives according to their own likes and dislikes, while Shaman Dao felt that the Human Dao's slaughter was even more malicious...

But how to put it.

Li Qi felt that neither of them were good people.

After all, while Shamanes had both good and bad individuals, the good ones, like Yunfang Great Shaman, could protect many world clusters to develop steadily and safeguard numerous lives.

If they encountered bad ones, such as some Gu Masters Li Qi had heard of, they would invade many worlds and turn entire worlds into Gu cauldrons to refine Gu for themselves.

There were also some Ghost Shamanes who, in order to cultivate great ghosts or vengeful spirits, would actively cast curses, plunging people into extreme despair, subjecting them to various torments. They would ultimately suffer the loss of loved ones, the death of their families, friends being implicated by themselves, becoming lone stars of misfortune, bringing bad luck to anyone they touched, and finally, abandoned by everyone, they would die without burial, transforming into vengeful spirits to be taken in by the Ghost Shaman and become part of a Spiritual Artifact.

In Li Qi's eyes, neither of these actions was a good thing.

Li Qi didn't want to argue right or wrong, but... at least there were good people among the Shamanes.

The high cohesion of the Human Dao meant that even if there were good people among them, they would be bound and swept up by the system and rules to join the Human Dao's endless expansion in other domains.

As for the countless lives in other domains...

Sigh, just living is suffering.

Immortals accidentally stepping on people, demons eating people, ghosts eating people, and even people eating people.

That's why Buddhism would say—

The world is a sea of suffering, and people float and sink within it, sinking into it, without hope, difficult to escape, and full of suffering.

Buddhism believes that only through one's own enlightenment can one break free from suffering.

The Human Dao, on the other hand, hopes to directly create a Universe where no one suffers.

The Divine Beings and Shaman Dao believe that all of this should naturally exist and does not need to be deliberately changed; those who suffer will eventually find their own way out.

The Demonic Dao and True Dragons don't care about this so-called suffering; in fact, they themselves are part of this suffering.

While thinking about these things, Li Qi had already arrived in the Southern Border.

Outside the Southern Border, Li Qi walked into the wilderness.

"Then, General Qiu, farewell. The next time we meet will be on the battlefield, and I will not hold back," Li Qi said with a smile.

"Young Master, take care. However... I have one last word to give to Young Master," Qiu Zhi cupped his hands and said solemnly.

"I'm all ears," Li Qi immediately focused his attention.

He then solemnly said to Li Qi, "Young Master has seen the magnificent sight of Chang'an and should remember Young Master's youth, those humble days. At that time, perhaps there was already a clear premonition of the subtle signs within. Shamanes delight in heavenly warnings, diligently reflecting and cultivating themselves to pray for eternal life for heaven. However, how long can a kingdom last by begging heaven and earth? Look at the various Baiyue countries; their founding monarchs of previous generations had no merit for the people and no virtue for the country. How could they have a chance of victory?"

"Seizing this opportunity, I advise Young Master that warfare does not succeed because of heaven or earth, but only because of people. The Human Dao Supreme expelled the barbarians to the outside, reclaimed the Central Plains, re-established the moral order, and re-established the world. Since the creation of heaven and earth, the Supreme's Karma is unprecedented. What the Shamanes are doing is merely a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Li Qi listened, then shook his head, "If that's all you have to say, then I can only tell you... we'll see the truth on the battlefield."

Qiu Zhi, however, said, "Then... this very moment is the battlefield."

"Oh? It seems General Qiu has endured for a long time. In another domain? Or right here?" Li Qi turned to look at Qiu Zhi, and a Dharma Idol suddenly rose behind him.

This time, the Dharma Idol was not as grand and magnificent as it was in other domains. It was only two to three miles tall, with four arms and two bodies. The left side of the body was entwined with Demonic Qi, and the right side was suffused with Buddhist light. Dao Orthodoxy's Yin and Yang revolved below, while the Human Dao and Spirit Dao provided restraint. The inner body spirits thus confronted the person, maintaining balance, and the most important 'natural' permeated the entire Dharma Idol.

As of now, the situation within Li Qi's Dharma Idol was no longer a 'Human-Shaman confrontation.' Shaman Dao had already harmoniously filled the entire Dharma Idol.

Whether it was Buddhism or Demonic Dao, or humans and Divine Beings, or even Dao Orthodoxy and the Spirit Dao as mediators, all of these were in a 'natural state.'

Li Qi did not deliberately adjust their states, unlike when he was in the Seventh Rank, where he carefully controlled the proportion of these Dao Orthodoxy within his body, maintaining a precise and subtle balance.

Now, Li Qi didn't need so much. He merely maintained nature itself, and thus these Dao Orthodoxy... all existed within his body. They were all just natural byproducts and could not occupy the main position in his body.

This was his current cultivation. To control a river, one doesn't need to precisely manipulate every drop of water; one only needs to dig a riverbed, and all the water will obediently follow the riverbed.

Li Qi used to think about precisely controlling every drop of water, but now he had long abandoned that approach, which also increased the limit of the Magic Power he could control by tens of millions of times.

As Li Qi's Dharma Idol appeared, Qiu Zhi also spoke.

"Let's do it here. It's a bit more challenging," he said softly.

As he spoke, behind Qiu Zhi, military Qi bloomed, and a scroll depicting a battlefield slowly unfurled.

Banners fluttered in the north wind, and frost and sleet chased the southern geese.

Innumerable soldiers were seen, their bodies mangled by weapons, and on the battlefield, there were bloody clouds and a realm of gore and fat.

The vast, fierce wilderness was as if created by heaven. Stopping his horse and looking around, the climate was entangled, and the autumn sky was imposing.

The yellow sun was about to set, how many weapons there were! In daylight, along the roadsides, battle bones piled up.

Looking up, the ground was crimson and green, all covered in battle blood.

Qiu Zhi's Dharma Idol had no human form, but was a painting. This painting was lifelike, almost forming a real scene, replacing the real world and becoming a new reality.

Qiu Zhi took two steps and drew a rusty long spear from the painting.

"Come, Young Master, let me see the capabilities of Shaman God Mountain."

"The capabilities of Shaman God Mountain or the Tang Nation court are not determined by the victory or defeat of you and me. However... I'm wondering, if I kill you here, does that mean I win?" Li Qi tilted his head, and the oppressive feeling of his Dharma Idol intensified.