Chapter 529: What Is Rectitude and Integrity

Azhe's parents were buried together in one mound, while his grandfather had a separate one. Most of the other graves were arranged similarly. Offerings were placed equally at each grave, with none favored over others. With Jinxiu's help, Azhe placed lit sandalwood incense and candles in front of each grave, bowing before every single one.

"Uncle Chang, Aunt Chang, it's Azhe. I've come to see you on Ah Long's behalf..."

"Uncle Qian, I've come to see you on Ah Ni's behalf..."

"Uncle Li, Grandma Li... I've come to see you on Ah Gu's behalf..."

Azhe bowed at every grave, kowtowing a few times at each, before finally returning to the mounds of his parents and grandfather.

"Azhe, I've learned how to 'invite gods and send them off.' Let me help you send the essence of these offerings to the Underworld."

As Jinxiu spoke, she formed hand seals and cast a spell. Faint rays of light circled around the grave mounds. Azhe and Jiyuan could both see the sandalwood incense smoke swirling above more than a dozen graves.

"Inviting gods and sending them off" is a widely circulated magical technique, not limited to immortal cultivation or even to "gods." It has a very broad range of uses. Here, "gods" does not solely refer to deities, but also to various mystical entities. It is essentially a communication spell, known in immortal cultivation as "inviting laws and sending laws."

Of course, "inviting gods" in this type of magic is incomparable to "summoning gods." It's like ordinary people, surrounded by a crowd of fans, shouting for a celebrity to come over. Whether it works, and how much it works, entirely depends on the celebrity's will. However, for this specific purpose, it's quite convenient.

"Azhe, look, the incense smoke isn't dissipating immediately. That means someone in the Underworld is receiving it. Don't worry!"

Azhe's face clearly brightened upon hearing this, and he looked at Jiyuan, who nodded, confirming Jinxiu's words were true.

"That's wonderful! Are Mother, Father, and Grandfather really still there? Can I see them?"

"Of course you can! Mr. Ji is right here. Even without a sect master's token, they wouldn't dare block you."

Jinxiu subtly flattered Jiyuan. When she glanced back, she saw Jiyuan shaking his head with a smile, and her heart instantly filled with delight, feeling that her flattery had hit the mark.

Azhe's village was called Miaodong Village. It had been completely abandoned over two years ago after its inhabitants were massacred by soldiers and bandits. Even the surrounding farmlands remained uncultivated. Not just Miaodong Village, but two nearby villages were in similar states. This already remote area had become utterly desolate.

This time, Jiyuan did not fly. Instead, he traveled on the ground with Azhe and Jinxiu, finding this grounded approach more convenient for observing the world within this cave.

Naturally, ordinary people wouldn't have such stamina. Jiyuan couldn't genuinely have them walk slowly, so he subtly exerted his influence, allowing the trio to move with surprising speed when passing through unremarkable areas, almost as if they were flying without realizing it.

The other two villages they passed through were also eerily silent, filled with the lingering, putrid smell of decaying corpses. What followed was a long, desolate path through mountains and wilderness. It seemed as if there were no living people left in Azhe's homeland; apart from birds and beasts, Jiyuan and the two companions were the only living beings.

This feeling was very oppressive, at least for Azhe and Jinxiu. Azhe carried an emotional wound, while Jinxiu was somewhat shaken by the horrific sight of the villagers' plight, which also affected her state of mind. This caused the two, who had been chatting incessantly when flying, to become rather silent now.

"No matter where you are, looking back at history, conflict is an inescapable theme. Some conflicts are like arguments, while others have severe consequences, with grievances and animosities continuing to spread. As long as not everyone is a sage, this will never disappear. Even if people don't fight physically, resentment will persist. Therefore, we can only try our best to avoid such situations."

Jiyuan said, looking at Jinxiu.

"You've been cultivating on the mountain and have rarely seen the cruelty of the world. But if you think carefully, your sect's scriptures must have mentioned this long ago; it's just that you haven't yet reached the point of understanding it. In the future, if you have the chance, spend more time traveling below the mountains."

"Yes!"

Jinxiu quickly bowed to Jiyuan. While Azhe could treat Jiyuan like an elder, she, as a Nine Peaks Mountain disciple, would not dare. She knew how profound Mr. Ji was, and when listening to the teachings of such a master, proper etiquette must never be forgotten.

As if only now recovering from Jiyuan's previous words, Azhe continued walking, looking at Jiyuan and asking,

"Sir, you said conflicts will never disappear, only that we can try our best to avoid them. So, how can we avoid them?"

"A good question!"

With one hand behind his back, Jiyuan walked while his right hand made sweeping motions forward. In Azhe and Jinxiu's eyes, Mr. Ji drew many horizontal and vertical lines back and forth. Finally, a shimmering, glowing grid appeared before Mr. Ji, moving forward with their steps.

"What is this?"

"A chessboard."

Azhe and Jinxiu exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

"A chessboard?"

Could playing chess be the method?

Jiyuan gazed at the chessboard before him, narrowing his eyes as he spoke.

"Let me ask you, what is essential for a game of chess to take place?"

Azhe frowned, and Jinxiu pondered deeply. Although Jinxiu was a cultivator, her heart rate subtly quickened. This felt very much like a profound master imparting wisdom, and any guidance from Mr. Ji would undoubtedly be immensely beneficial.

After some thought, both had some answers and spoke up directly.

"The pieces and the board?" "The players, and their skill?"

Jiyuan smiled.

"You are both correct, but the most important thing... is the rules of the game!"

Jiyuan looked around this heavenly grotto.

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Sages understand human nature and establish rules to constrain it. Those in power use the principles of sages, refining them into laws and statutes, enforcing them with deterrents to govern the populace. Although driven by self-interest, this also serves to protect the common people. Rules apply not only to humanity but to all things; even this very world operates by them."

As he spoke, Jiyuan stretched out his hand and virtually tapped forward, marking "star points" on the chessboard. Then, faint chess paths appeared before the entire board gradually faded, its luminescence dissolving before their eyes.

Azhe watched in a daze, then suddenly asked again.

"But we clearly have a country and rules. Why were the villagers still massacred? Why do other countries attack us?"

"Well, perhaps the rules weren't properly maintained, or they were flawed from the start, or perhaps... the scope of these rules was too narrow!"

As he answered their questions, the trio had unknowingly covered vast distances. By the time Azhe and Jinxiu realized it, the path beneath their feet was no longer overgrown and desolate. In the distance, lush green farmlands had appeared. At this point, Jiyuan's pace finally slowed.

After walking for about another quarter of an hour, the trio finally saw other living people. It was an old farmer busy weeding his field, dressed in coarse cloth and wearing a straw hat. A hoe rested on his shoulder as he bent down, pulling weeds out by the roots, one by one, and tossing them to the roadside.

Jiyuan could sense that Azhe, upon seeing living people, let out a soft sigh of relief.

The old farmer straightened up and saw the three people passing by on the roadside. Noticing their neat and decent attire, which suggested they were not from a poor family, he didn't speak. However, he couldn't help but wonder how these seemingly delicate individuals had arrived, and weren't they afraid of being robbed in these troubled times?

The old farmer remained silent, but Jiyuan stopped and spoke.

"Excuse me, old man, is Beiling Commandery City up ahead?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Beyond Beishan Ridge is the commandery city. But these are troubled times. If you're crossing Beishan Ridge, you three should wait in a nearby town for a while. It's better to travel with a larger group."

The old farmer glanced at the road behind Jiyuan and the others, seeing no carriages or horses accompanying them. Then he looked ahead, where the road stretched into the distance.

"Um, where are the three of you from?"

Azhe, slightly agitated, immediately replied.

"We came from south of the mountains. There are a few villages there. My home is Miaodong Village, old man, have you heard of it? Have you seen or heard of anyone from that area escaping and coming here?"

Azhe's tone carried obvious anticipation. Sister Jinxiu had told him earlier that when encountering war and disaster, it wasn't necessarily just their five companions who had escaped. If they could hide, others could too. Perhaps some people had fled to other places instead of entering Qingtian Mountain.

"South of the mountains?"

This region was near the Qingtian Mountain Range. Even excluding the Qingtian Mountains themselves, the populated areas were separated by many hills, with villagers sparsely scattered. "Vast land, sparse population" accurately described this place. However, locals were aware of certain place names and roads. The old farmer subconsciously looked south, then noticed the heavily overcast sky, and as if realizing something, his body trembled slightly, and his expression changed.

"Uh... no, I haven't seen anyone like that... I, I still have work to do, still have work to do."

With that, he buried his head in his farm work, moving much faster. He moved away from the roadside, his body almost disappearing among the crops in the field.

"Old man..."

Azhe wanted to say more, but Jiyuan shook his head at him.

"Please, old man, carry on with your work. We'll take our leave!"

Jiyuan gave a slight bow and quickly walked away with the two in the direction of Beishan Ridge.

When the sound of footsteps faded, the old farmer, who had been busy weeding, carefully straightened up from among the crops. However, he couldn't see Jiyuan and the two companions either in front or behind him. Only by straining his eyes could he discern three small dots in the distance on the northern road.

The old farmer stared blankly for a moment, then his body suddenly shivered a few times, feeling chills constantly running down his spine.

"Oh dear, I need to go home early today!"

Everyone from south of the mountains had long since died. Where could these three people from south of the mountains have come from? It was like seeing ghosts in broad daylight.

With such unsettling thoughts, the old farmer pulled a few more weeds, quickly glanced over the field, then walked onto the field path, put on his straw sandals, shouldered his hoe, and hurriedly left.

"Mr. Ji, that old man seemed quite afraid of us, didn't he?"

Jinxiu's cultivation was too shallow to perceive spiritual aura, but she could still tell that the old farmer's attitude towards them had changed.

"Yes, he took us for ghosts, so naturally, he couldn't get away from us fast enough."

Jiyuan looked at Azhe and said.

"Azhe, when you speak to people later, to avoid trouble, if you must mention anything about the area south of the mountains, say that you fled as refugees and escaped disaster."

"Understood."