Chapter 65: Pray

Yao Chen deeply felt the confusion in Xiao Yan's heart, but remained silent, not uttering a single word.

Since the moment Xiao Yan decided to go out for training, Yao Chen knew that this day would come sooner or later.

Xiao Yan would deeply understand that the true difficulty of pursuing the righteous path does not lie within himself, but in others.

There would always be some people who cannot be reasoned with, and resorting to violence only resolves the individuals causing problems, but not the problems themselves.

Xiao Yan stared lifelessly at the three headless corpses on the ground before turning his head and gazing calmly at the woman and the coachman on the carriage.

The woman remained unaffected by Xiao Yan's gaze, while the coachman displayed a face full of fear, his body involuntarily shrinking.

He was just an ordinary commoner who had never witnessed such a bloody and cruel scene. Even though the person who met such a fate was a bandit who had robbed him, the coachman couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust towards Xiao Yan deep in his heart.

It was not directed at Xiao Yan as a person but rather an instinctual fear of Xiao Yan's actions.

As he looked at the terrified coachman, Xiao Yan's eyes regained a glimmer of light. He lowered his head in a daze, staring at the Heavy Black Ruler embedded in the ground, soaked in blood. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, and gradually, his clearing mind began to silently reflect within his heart.

Is the righteous path that makes the weak fearful still considered righteous?

Xiao Yan slowly raised his head, looking at the fear in the coachman's eyes, and his inner thoughts became serious.

Why is he afraid?

Is it because I have been too cruel?

Xiao Yan speculated in his heart, but felt that something was amiss.

If it was because his methods were too brutal, then it should only elicit a sense of disgust.

After all, the three people he had killed were robbers who intended to take his money, and they might have even taken his life. The coachman should feel at least relieved, if not satisfied, with the outcome of those individuals meeting such a fate.

But why is he afraid of me?

Xiao Yan pondered for a long time but couldn't come to a conclusion.

In the end, he took a step forward and slowly spoke while looking at the coachman.

"May I ask-"

"Don't kill me!!!"

Before Xiao Yan could finish his sentence, the coachman anxiously covered his head and curled up, begging Xiao Yan for mercy.

In that instant, Xiao Yan's mind was struck by thunder, and he suddenly understood.

So, it's like this...

The coachman's fear was not directed at Xiao Yan as a person but rather the power he possessed.

The power to instantly kill three robbers who had oppressed him was something the coachman himself could never hope to resist.

Wanting to use power to guide bandits onto the righteous path would only make them admire power even more. Even if they submitted to his power, they would only be submitting to the power he possessed and not to Xiao Yan as a person or the principles he had spoken about.

From the very beginning, I had chosen the wrong path...

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, inwardly berating his own immaturity.

He had only focused on achieving the results of the righteous path, completely neglecting the importance of the path itself.

The righteous path must not be taken as a shortcut; otherwise, even if one attains the desired results, they would be nothing more than empty fame.

Having understood all this, Xiao Yan let out a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and smiled at the coachman.

"Sir coachman, everything is fine now. Are you injured?"

Upon hearing these words, the coachman slowly raised his head, gazing at Xiao Yan's kind face, and couldn't help but pause for a moment before instinctively replying.

"No- I'm not injured- not injured..."

"Is that so? That's good."

Xiao Yan's smile became extremely sunny, shining so brightly that the coachman momentarily overlooked the cruelty of the young man's recent actions.

"It's getting dark soon. You should hurry on your way. Traveling at night is dangerous."

Xiao Yan softly advised, relieving a significant portion of the coachman's fear, who then spoke up and asked Xiao Yan.

"Um- How about I give you a ride for a while? Consider it a thank you for your help."

"I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need to worry about me," Xiao Yan smiled and waved his hand. "I have other matters to attend to."

Since Xiao Yan declined, the coachman naturally wouldn't insist, especially considering Xiao Yan's strength. He shouldn't encounter any danger.

"Well, then, I'll be on my way. Take care of yourself."

"Hmm, be careful on the road."

As the coachman bid farewell to Xiao Yan with a smile, he pulled the reins and gradually moved away, driving the carriage steadily forward.

Xiao Yan turned around and looked at the three headless corpses on the ground. His eyes flickered with a gleam, and he then pulled out the Heavy Black Ruler from the ground and approached the roadside near the forest. He used the Heavy Black Ruler as a shovel and started digging the soil.

After a few minutes, Xiao Yan had dug three rectangular deep pits by the roadside. He then dragged each headless body into a separate pit and covered them with soil once again.

Once he completed these tasks, Xiao Yan found three roughly similar stones and placed them in front of each crude grave. He then clasped his hands together and began praying at the graves of the three individuals.

"Why bother with these unnecessary actions?"

A female voice suddenly rang in Xiao Yan's ears, startling him as he turned his head abruptly. He saw the woman who had been sitting in the carriage, cloaked from head to toe and silent throughout, now standing beside him.

When did she arrive?!

Xiao Yan was taken aback. Although he had been sincerely worshiping just now, he couldn't believe that someone had approached him without him noticing!

If that was the case, there was only one possibility.

This woman's strength far surpassed his own!

(You got it right~~~) Yao Chen's voice suddenly sounded in Xiao Yan's mind. (Based on my initial assessment, this woman should be a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level))

Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level)?!!

Xiao Yan was taken aback. Although he knew that there were several Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) in the Jia Ma Empire, it was his first time actually seeing one!

Quickly, Xiao Yan calmed down his shock and looked at the woman, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why did you come back? What about the coachman?"

"I was simply curious about you, about everything. As for the coachman, I let him go ahead," the woman answered softly, then asked, "Answer my question. Why do such unnecessary things?"

Upon hearing the woman's question, Xiao Yan fell silent for a while before speaking calmly.

"It's nothing. I just couldn't bear to leave them exposed in the wilderness."

Huh???

Xiao Yan's words left the woman full of question marks on her face.

Who made them exposed in the wilderness? Their heads were blasted away!

Although even without Xiao Yan, the woman would have killed these three bandits, she still felt that Xiao Yan, as the perpetrator, saying "couldn't bear it" was somewhat hypocritical.

"They were killed by you," the woman reminded him, to which Xiao Yan responded calmly.

"Yes, I killed them, I won't deny that fact. I would do the same if given another chance," Xiao Yan paused, then continued, "But what I said about not being able to bear it is also true. After death, apart from their bodies, they have nothing left. Regardless of whether they were good or evil, their bodies are the evidence of their existence, proof that they have had a journey in this world. If it can be preserved, then let's preserve it as much as possible. Even if nobody remembers, I only hope that in their next life, they can be remembered as someone worth remembering."

"..."

Listening to Xiao Yan's words, the woman fell silent.

She had never heard such a viewpoint before.

It seemed that this young man not only differed greatly from ordinary people in terms of strength but also in his thinking.

At this moment, the woman's curiosity about Xiao Yan grew even stronger.

Then, the woman removed her cloak, revealing her stunning beauty, and said, "I'm Yun Zhi. What's your name?"

Looking at the woman's exquisite appearance, Xiao Yan, who had already been tempered by Yao Chen's peerless beauty, remained unfazed and answered slowly, "I am... Xiao Yan."

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