si-mexico Chapter 25 An Exploration of Human Nature
Chapter 25 An Exploration of Human Nature
Today, Lao Xiao received a consultation from the master of an old Taoist priest in a group of four. The master said, "Benefactor, may I ask you something?" Lao Xiao said, "Master, please speak freely. I will help if I can." Regarding those spirit objects we talked about last time, can they be taken away now?
Old Xiao said, "Hey, I was just about to tell you about this when I got back tonight. You can come and pick it up tomorrow morning."
The founder has tagged me in the group. Ouyang boy, Ouyang boy, send me the stuff.
Ouyang said, "Okay, I'll bring these things up first thing tomorrow morning."
The patriarch then asked Old Xiao, "Old Xiao, could you possibly get some of these Spirit Rice and Spirit Noodle seeds? To be honest, an old friend of mine named Xuanyuan, the Taoist priest Xuanyuan, wants some. He has a disciple who is currently serving in our country's special forces, and he wants some to help them improve their physical fitness. Being in such a high-level organization, living on the edge, isn't easy, but they're doing it for the country, standing at the forefront of national righteousness. I hope you can give the seeds to the country. Perhaps you have a somewhat one-sided understanding of Taoists; everyone says that in prosperous times they stay in the mountains to cultivate, and in chaotic times they descend to save people. But in this matter, we hope to serve the people. We cultivators are too few; if the world really descends into chaos, how many can we save? Only when the country is strong and prosperous can the people live in peace and prosperity. Therefore, I suggest giving the Spirit Rice and Spirit Noodle seeds to the highest leader, believing that he can build a better country. Have your fellow cultivators consider it."
Old Xiao said, “Grandmaster, I understand what you mean by this. I will forward your suggestion verbatim to my friend who is cultivating. After he replies, I will also relay his words to you verbatim. As for whether he has handed it over, I still need to ask. After all, this thing is not mine, it belongs to him. And I don’t know where he got it from. I hope you will not try to find out about our friend through other means. This friend is relatively sensitive; he has been isolated from the world for too long.”
When Lao Xiao finished speaking, the group was very quiet, extremely quiet. Finally, Ouyang said, "Lao Xiao, don't worry. Since your first transaction, we haven't thought about investigating, and even in this second transaction, we haven't thought about investigating your friend. This is the most basic principle for us cultivators; everyone needs to be respectful."
After the conversation in the group ended, Lao Xiao forwarded the old Taoist's master's words to Lin Yue verbatim, hoping to get a clear reply from Lin Yue.
Lin Yue relayed the old Taoist's words to the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron Elder and the remnant soul Xue Yang through their souls, telling them the Elder's words verbatim. The Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron Elder spoke first: "Lin Yue, in our realm of immortals and demons, in the world I came from, an ordinary person like you possessing great treasures could be easily silenced or robbed. Despite your low profile, I believe that if those above wanted to investigate you, it would be very easy. But why did these Taoists adhere to basic principles and not harm you? Perhaps they all have a bottom line, or perhaps their cultivation has reached a certain level. In this peaceful world, everyone still retains a sliver of humanity."
Lin Yue replied to the old man, "I never imagined I would possess these things. Let's go back in time. From the appearance of the remnant soul Xueyang in my mind, to my accidental encounter with the little willow tree spirit and the rat spirit, to finding you, sir, the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron, to the Sumeru Ring you gave me from your battlefield of gods and demons, and then to the hard work of planting after I acquired this Sumeru Ring. When I met the remnant soul Xueyang, it was the lowest point in my life. I was facing debt collection from the bank, and I had spent 10 years raising children without any independent experience or strength, living a mediocre life at home like a nanny. These 10..." Over the years, I've worked on and off for several years, but mainly focused on raising my children. I haven't seen much of the world, I don't understand it very well, and I'm troubled by human nature. Because of this human nature, this society, this peaceful society, many people's very core values are rotten. It's hard to say whether it's good or bad; there are too many people blinded by self-interest. I don't know if sharing this information will have any impact on the current political situation. I don't want to participate in any organization or faction within the current political team, and I don't even want to have any contact with those powerful families. You can call me closed-minded, you can call me ignorant, or even say I'm just a grain of sand in the dust.
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "Lin Yue, I know your troubles. Because your cultivation is not high enough, any powerful family or force in society could nip you in the bud, take the lives of your entire family, or even silently harvest your souls."
Lin Yue said, "Grandpa of the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron, I know you and the remnant soul Xueyang have always needed me to lie low and improve my cultivation. But my cultivation improvement takes time. Look, the bank has been harassing me for three months, sending all sorts of threatening text messages and threats. Do you think I didn't want to pay? I desperately wanted to pay. At that time, I was truly pushed to the edge, even having suicidal thoughts. I was very resistant, and didn't even want to answer their calls. Because answering their calls would affect my Dao heart in cultivation. But the bank's collection efforts continued, and I still hadn't paid. Those three..." Those past few months have been incredibly painful. Even now, thinking back on them brings me immense suffering. The constant debt collection calls, the endless harassment—listening to those calls could kill. Now, even though I possess so much, I still lack a sense of security. On the surface, this country is peaceful and orderly, but in reality, there are always some people, some corrupt officials, who disregard the lives of ordinary people, using their power and methods to harm others, all for profit. I've always kept a low profile, maintaining my current lifestyle, not wanting to sell what I own, because I truly lack the ability to protect it; I simply don't have the power.
Both the Fiery Cloud Immortal Cauldron and the remnant soul Snow Sun suddenly fell silent. Lin Yue was like a three-year-old child, carrying gold bricks and ingots through bustling markets; she was a piece of fat meat! No matter which forces in society knew that she was being watched by any power, family, or political clan, she might face mortal danger, and fear was ever-present in her heart.
Lin Yue continued, "During my year of cultivation, I've gone from a clueless stay-at-home mom, completely disconnected from society and raising a child, to now... Look, even with Remnant Soul Snow Sun and Old Man Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron, I only have one or two friends. Perhaps our whole family could disappear from this society without anyone noticing. How much have our parents cared about us? Can they use their limited understanding as rural folks to seek justice for us? They'd probably just be given some money and that would be the end of it. It's nothing more than parents burying their children. But have you ever thought about it? My children are still young. I want them to grow up happily and healthily. If they have the opportunity to study..." With these abilities, I can propel them to new heights. If they lack the talent for studying, I hope they remain safe and healthy. But if others knew I possessed these abilities, do you think I would be safe? Even if I joined some special national organizations and received state protection, you know, look at those important scientists—aren't they the same? They die suddenly in accidents, and all sorts of bizarre things happen. Sudden accidents? How many accidents are there? It's nothing more than others wanting you to have an accident. You're hindering others from making money, you're infringing on their interests. Without the ability to protect myself, I probably wouldn't want to deal in spirit rice, spirit noodles, or even spirit objects anymore. I just want to survive, that's enough.
Lin Yue thought to herself, "I'm just a stay-at-home mom nearing 40. I've never been successful in the workplace, and I don't have the sharp mind to scheme like those smart people. Since I lack both intelligence and strength, I'll just have to play it safe. Play it safe, and maybe everything will pass eventually." As for whether it will actually pass, she doubted it. She simply wanted to live a peaceful and healthy life in this world, within her means and while protecting herself.
Lin Yue replied to Lao Xiao on WeChat, saying: "Lao Xiao, if they continue to pursue this matter, we will stop selling the spirit rice and spirit noodles, and we will stop selling any spirit items. If the three of them don't investigate me or target me, then these two batches of items will be sold to you every year, and we will only accept cash and gold. Lao Xiao, I'm not that great, nor do I have a smart brain. What I have now is unworthy of my position, and I don't want my whole family to lose their lives because of these things. Just say it directly in the group: there will only be these two items, two batches, every year, and it won't be available after that. Also, if they disturb your life or mine, we will never sell again. I just want to live an ordinary life, to be an ordinary person. I've never thought about becoming rich and powerful, nor have I ever thought about fighting for any benefits. I just want to live a peaceful life."
When Lao Xiao forwarded Lin Yue's message to their group chat verbatim, all three of them sighed deeply after seeing it. They all knew that this friend, a practitioner, was deeply dissatisfied with many things in the outside world, disillusioned with the existing order of the country, and felt insecure. She preferred to remain hidden rather than hand over her responsibilities to the relevant authorities, which showed just how disappointed she was with society. This was the reason why Ouyang Xiaozhi entered Taoism to escape reality. Weren't they also the reason they retreated to the deep mountains and forests to cultivate, rarely caring about the world below even as it was turned upside down?
Having realized her own thoughts, Lin Yue put all the other cash she had outside into her spatial storage and rarely took it out unless absolutely necessary. The profits from the hot pot restaurant's collaboration with Lao Xiao were basically enough to cover her family's basic expenses, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Lin Yue returned to a regular life. On weekends, she would take her three children to the park. They had never left Chengdu. At most, they would stroll around their home area. She hadn't considered taking the children out to see anything grand; she simply wanted to cultivate some of their interests. For example, playing tennis—before, they didn't have the money, but now they did, so they enrolled the children in classes. They also learned swimming, tennis, and Tai Chi, enriching their extracurricular lives. As for grades, she didn't really value them that much. She focused more on cultivating her children's character and moral qualities.
Gong Yong remained unchanged, treating Lin Yue with indifference. Lin Yue didn't deposit much of the hotpot restaurant's profits into the bank; she mostly used the money for her child and personal expenses. She herself became even more diligent, practicing her exercises regularly every day, and even added a set of Tai Chi. She hoped to improve her health, ensure her child's well-being, and, most importantly, be able to protect her family in case of danger.
The van Ouyang was driving had its rear seats removed, and all the chickens, ducks, rabbits, and eggs (both chicken and duck) that had been in Lao Xiao's small warehouse were taken away. As for how they divided it, it followed the old ratio of 6:2:2, with the old Taoist's master receiving the largest share, and the remainder split privately between the old Taoist and Ouyang. Because Ouyang had always been the one paying for it, the old Taoist and his master only passed on more of their Taoist magic and techniques to Ouyang; financially, Ouyang had always been the one providing the purchase funds.