The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 166: Emotions; The Nature!

Emotions; The Nature! . . .

Wan Zheng-Hao\'s eyes widened as he processed Cha-Eun Xiao\'s audacious proposal. "You... Monarch, are you truly capable of such a feat?"

With a hint of impatience, Cha-Eun Xiao responded, "First, we need to establish our own intelligence network. All Ling-Bao Hall branches should function as a unified intelligence network. Second, we must allocate a substantial sum to create our own assassination department and ensure it achieves early success. Third, don\'t hesitate to invest in charitable endeavors; the returns will far exceed your expectations. Lastly, and most crucially, we must establish an execution department."

He spoke resolutely, "We won\'t show mercy to the wicked. I won\'t be lenient." Gazing out at the night sky through the window, he continued, "Since I\'m destined to remain in this world for a period, I might as well fulfill what needs to be done."

Wan Zheng-Hao nodded, determined. "Yes, I\'ll get right on it."

"I don\'t care about the specifics. I want everything done discreetly. Ling-Bao Hall will continue to operate as an auction house," Cha-Eun Xiao explained calmly. "You\'re experienced; I trust you know what to do."

Wan Zheng-Hao assured him, "You can count on me."

"In addition, our assassination department doesn\'t require many members because every cultivator in the world can become our assassins," Cha-Eun Xiao stated nonchalantly. "Post some bounties."

"We can call it..." He pondered for a moment. "The Life and Death Board."

"The Life and Death Board," Wan Zheng-Hao repeated, his eyes lighting up. "I understand."

"Our goal with the board is to challenge the House of Chaotic Storms," Cha-Eun Xiao declared. "But remember, if anyone posts a bounty on our board and later turns out to be targeting innocent lives, both the poster and the one who claims the reward should be added to our board and hunted down by other assassins."

Wan Zheng-Hao\'s expression twitched.

[Is it even possible to oppose the House of Chaotic Storms?]

"Everything must be conducted covertly," Cha-Eun Xiao insisted. "I only want to know the results, not the details."

Wan Zheng-Hao\'s face darkened, revealing his unease. He was now working for someone who focused solely on outcomes, leaving all other responsibilities to him. On the plus side, his authority within Ling-Bao Hall remained intact, but he would undoubtedly have to oversee an increasing number of tasks.

"After the auction... your slimming dan beads will be ready," Cha-Eun Xiao casually mentioned, dangling a tempting carrot.

Wan Zheng-Hao\'s eyes lit up with delight. "Oh!"

Considering his massive 500-kilogram frame, it was no surprise that he welcomed the prospect of slimming down. Cha-Eun Xiao couldn\'t help but feel a tinge of disgust as he observed Wan Zheng-Hao\'s ample girth. With a hasty excuse, he departed, leaving behind a gratified Wan Zheng-Hao.

Wan Zheng-Hao could now boast that he had compelled the Xiao Monarch to leave with nothing more than a mere shake of his corpulent body—a feat that would secure his place in history.

...

Meanwhile, within the House of Cha, decisions of a different kind were taking shape.

Song Jue had briefly left the bed and wandered around the house, his face etched with worry. He returned to the bedside, his concern palpable. "Xiao Xiao, do you think we might have taken things too far? The king and all the officials are here, and something feels amiss. The kingdom may be on the brink of collapse..."

Gazing at the room filled with an abundance of presents, he continued with a furrowed brow, "I sense that the kingdom is in dire straits."

Cha-Eun Xiao rolled his eyes in response, his tone resolute. "There are times for emergencies and times for regular matters. Currently, we have tasks that must be carried out. Our priority is to ensure our own safety. Afterward, we can strategize on how to exact vengeance on those villains. If we hadn\'t made a substantial commotion this time, would the king have been so ruthless to his loyal officials? Your question should be the least of our concerns. I understand that the kingdom may eventually fall, but has it fallen yet?"

Song Jue heaved a sigh and appeared somewhat disheartened. "I followed my elder brother here to the Land of Han-Yang. I\'ve lived through days of swords, spears, horses, and battlefields." He gazed out of the window, his eyes tinged with melancholy. "Although I\'m not a native of this world, I served in the army for some time. I\'ve made substantial contributions to this kingdom and developed emotions for it. As a soldier, I feel a deep sense of responsibility."

Cha-Eun Xiao felt a pang of unease as he observed Song Jue\'s emotions. While he was a seasoned individual, his time in this world had been relatively short, and he lacked a deep connection to the concept of a homeland.

He had never truly cared about the affairs of this kingdom.

Yet, as he looked at Song Jue, he couldn\'t shake the feeling that he might have been hasty in his actions this time, perhaps even reckless.

"What does a homeland mean?" The two words echoed within his heart, their significance still eluding him.

Song Jue remained immersed in a sense of melancholy. Observing his companion, Cha-Eun Xiao\'s thoughts drifted to the day when the Hua-yang Army had set off. Despite the soldiers\' awareness that they might perish far from their homeland, they had displayed bravery and eagerness.

Suddenly, a revelation struck him.

"Protection."

"Guardianship."

"Responsibility."

These words resounded within his heart, and he sensed a surge of motivation from his dantian—a sudden expansion of purple qi.

It felt as though a previously concealed door had swung open within Cha-Eun Xiao. A profound sense of relaxation and enlightenment washed over him, creating a profound shift in his understanding.

In the boundless expanse of the spiritual realm, four golden and radiant words appeared, suspended in ethereal space.

Cha-Eun Xiao\'s physical form trembled as he gazed upon these words, his comprehension deepening. He finally grasped the elusive concept that had eluded him, the very reason why he had failed to break through to the Daoyuan Grade in his previous life.

The four words were simple yet carried profound meaning: "Sentiments of the nature."

He stood there, thunderstruck by the clarity these words brought.

"So, this is it. This is the true essence of natural law," Cha-Eun Xiao murmured, taking a deep breath.

Within the depths of his consciousness, a somber voice echoed, as though resonating through the ages.

"Sentiments... of... the... nature..." The voice possessed a unique quality, a cadence that seemed to mirror the birth of the universe itself.

The voice continued, "It is said that if nature were to possess emotions, it too would age; if the moon harbored hatred, it would never wane. Yet such notions are mistaken. Nature, the entire cosmos, continues to age. It observes the suffering of mankind, and in that observation, it suffers as well."

"The laws of nature come with rules and responsibilities. The sun and moon have their duties, as do the grass and the trees. Likewise, man bears his own responsibilities."

"A man\'s stance in the world can only be upright when he shoulders his responsibilities. He should never betray his homeland. The path of cultivation stands in defiance of the natural order. If a man lacks the courage to shoulder responsibility in this world, how can he hope to embark on the path of cultivation?"

Cha-Eun Xiao listened intently, feeling a flush of embarrassment causing him to break into a cold sweat.

"Mankind possesses seven emotions, while nature adheres to a single criterion. Why this dichotomy? The seven emotions and six desires are intrinsic to human nature. Nature\'s singular criterion is the ultimate rule—a rule governed by sentiments that know no bounds."

The voice seemed to wane, as if it were on the verge of vanishing forever.

Cha-Eun Xiao couldn\'t discern the voice\'s origin or its method of manifestation.

"Happiness, anger, sadness, fear, love, antipathy, and hatred—these constitute the seven emotions of humanity. All of them are rooted in love, for love is the underlying force behind human emotions. People find happiness in love, anger in love, sadness in love, frustration in love, hatred in love, fear in love, and, ultimately, love in love."

"Seven emotions stemming from love. Love begets the six desires. Love for mankind is sublime; love for one\'s homeland is fundamental."

"Your body belongs to something, your heart belongs to something, and you, yourself, belong to something. That something is your home. All heroes are bound to their homes. This is what sets them apart as heroes in the first place."

The voice persisted, its words reverberating through the soul of Cha-Eun Xiao, who lay silently on his bed, engrossed in the profound teachings.

Unbeknownst to Cha-Eun Xiao, Song Jue, thinking his companion had fallen asleep, departed quietly, leaving him to contemplate these newfound insights.

As the voice continued to impart its wisdom, Cha-Eun Xiao found himself traversing the boundaries of the universe, transcending the limitations that had once confined his understanding. Concepts that had eluded him in his previous life were now becoming clear, one by one.

Love.

The single word held immeasurable power. Cha-Eun Xiao realized that it was love that drove people to extremes, causing them to lose themselves in the maelstrom of emotions. When those they cherished were harmed, anger surged forth. Loss of a beloved person or thing led to profound sadness. The instinctual love for life itself brought about the fear of death.

It all boiled down to love.

Yet as these revelations unfolded, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn\'t help but question his own existence.

"But... did I experience love in my previous life? I lived a solitary existence, often mocking those entangled in worldly affairs. While it may seem glamorous, the loneliness was, in truth, a heavy burden to bear. I dedicated myself to mastering the Pure Yang Martial Art, a path that left no room for romantic entanglements. As an orphan, I never knew the love of family. I never loved anyone. Without love, how could I ever bear any responsibility? What was there for me to protect?"

The realization of his past actions weighed heavily on his heart. The pursuit of a lofty position, a goal he had once aspired to, now appeared as a cruel joke.

Cha-Eun Xiao\'s inner world trembled with self-reflection.

"In my previous life, it turns out I was nothing more than a failure... I had nothing to call my own. No, that\'s not entirely true..."

His thoughts wandered back to the image of a beautiful girl in a white dress from his past life. The sorrowful look in her eyes and the glistening tears that fell like pearls haunted his memory.

"Such a genuine and beautiful love was waiting for me, yet I failed to recognize its worth. I brushed it aside as if it were inconsequential. How I reproach myself for that now."

Overwhelmed by sentiment, Cha-Eun Xiao whispered within the confines of his own mind, "If fate grants me the chance to meet you in this life, I won\'t disappoint you. The very moment I lay eyes on you, I will hold you close, embracing the love that once eluded me."

In an instant, the mental images shifted, transporting him to a time in his childhood when he was a vulnerable target, bullied and begging in the midst of a bustling crowd along seemingly endless streets. The pain of those memories surged to the forefront of his consciousness, leaving him with one lingering question.

"Why did my parents abandon me? Why?"