Chapter 60 Xia Wei-Reunion
As soon as she returned to Ye Jie, the ruthless Xia Wei seemed like a different person. She let down all her defenses and turned into the lonely and helpless girl again.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her body couldn't stop shaking slightly, as if she was experiencing great anxiety. The trembling passed through her body and was transmitted to Ye Jie.
Ye Jie reached out and gently patted her back. Although he said nothing, this intimate gesture was enough to ease the depression and anxiety in her heart.
After a while, she finally let go of Ye Jie. Just when she was about to say something, she saw Ye Jie's expression was cold and serious, and she couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry. She felt a sudden panic in her heart, as if she had done something wrong, and lowered her head deeply.
Ye Jie said: "Let me ask you, did you kill those people in Qingshi Town?"
Xia Wei murmured softly: "Yes..."
Ye Jie asked again: "Why?"
"Because they killed those babies, Xiaowei is doing justice for God!"
Xia Wei gritted her teeth, tears in her eyes, and turned her face unnaturally to the side, her fingers constantly fiddling with the corner of her clothes. Her heart seemed to be tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, and silent grievances continued to spread in her heart.
Whether she was fighting against a powerful enemy whose realm was far superior to hers, or slaughtering soldiers who were kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, Xia Wei's iron-hard heart never wavered. However, she, who was fearless, was easily defeated by Ye Jie and felt terrified.
She was afraid that her master would scold her, afraid that her master would not understand her anger, and even more afraid that her master would alienate her because of this evil act, and even sever the master-disciple relationship with her.
Thinking of this, Xia Wei felt bitter in her heart, and she tightly grasped the corner of Ye Jie's clothes, crying: "Master, Xiaowei knows she was wrong... Xiaowei only has you now, please don't abandon Xiaowei..."
"What are you talking about? When did I say I was going to leave you?" Ye Jie smiled helplessly and patted Xia Wei's little head.
Xia Wei opened her tear-filled eyes and asked tentatively, "Master, you...you don't blame Xiaowei?"
Ye Jie smiled and said, "That depends on what era I am in. If I were twenty years younger than I am now, I wouldn't blame you. I would only tell you that there is no absolute justice in the world, only different perspectives."
He added, "The Hengshan bandit Jiang Xin went about rescuing infants, yet he slaughtered innocents out of revenge, believing in his own righteousness. Commander Zhang Yong, to prevent the demon king's reincarnation and maintain world peace, was willing to bleed and execute infants, believing he was also righteous. You killed both of them, yet you believe you are the most righteous. After you, there will be self-proclaimed righteous people who will hunt you down. Isn't this so-called justice absurd? At that age, I would have laughed out loud at the fickleness of fate and the tricks of destiny."
Xia Wei stood on tiptoe, moving closer to Ye Jie, and then heard Ye Jie say:
"If I were forty years younger, I would have advised you, taught you how to measure the value of a life, and argued with you about whether killing one person to save ten thousand was feasible. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice a small number of people to save the majority. Killing to stop killing is also a benevolent way. At that age, I would neither agree nor disagree with what you did."
Ye Jie reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Xia Wei's pretty face. "If life can be measured by simple values, your value is undoubtedly above everyone else. One day, when you return to the immortal realm, you will be able to save the people of the world with a wave of your sleeves. Based on this, no matter how many people you kill now, no matter what your purpose is, as long as you can save more people in the future, it will be acceptable."
Xia Wei burst into laughter, and heard Ye Jie's familiar whisper again in her ears, but this time, the whisper was a bit harsh:
"If I were sixty years younger, I would rebuke your actions. I would tell you to prioritize the people of the world over all else. I would sever all ties with you and part ways. At that age, I believed nothing was more important than having a full stomach. If a dynasty could ensure that everyone, even mortals who weren't cultivators, could have enough to eat and no longer suffer from hunger, then that dynasty would be worth perpetuating."
After a pause, Ye Jie continued, "What the Guangwang Palace Master failed to do in the past, the current Li Tang has accomplished. For the continuation of the dynasty and for the people of the world, sacrificing a few infants should not be a big deal. On the contrary, you are the biggest destabilizing factor. Why do I think so? Because I died of starvation myself, and I understand the pain of hunger better than anyone else."
At the end, Ye Jie shook his head with a look of disappointment: "What a pity... What a pity..."
Xia Wei's heart trembled. The heart that had finally calmed down was now in her throat again. She asked hurriedly, "What's a pity?"
Ye Jie stroked his forehead and sighed, "It's a pity that I just turned three this year and don't understand anything!"
Xia Wei blinked, a hint of confusion in her beautiful eyes, and then she heard Ye Jie laugh:
"Just kidding. Actually, at my age, I've let go of everything. Beliefs and principles no longer matter. I don't care about justice or upholding justice. The only thing I pursue is happiness and contentment. If someone asks for help, I help them. If someone does evil, I kill them. Simple, isn't it?"
Ye Jie stared at Xia Wei, and saw a slight smile on her lips. Her bright eyes were filled with shimmering light, like stars in full bloom. He encouraged her,
"Not long ago, a friend of mine reincarnated. In her next life, she had the same appearance and name as this one. But without her past experiences and the unforgettable memories of this life, would she still be the same person? It's not an exaggeration to say she's dead. As the scriptures say: You only live once. While you're still alive, do what you believe in and what you want to do. Who knows if the next reincarnation you have will still be the same person you are now? So, next time you meet a bad person, don't hesitate..."
Ye Jie raised his hand, spread out his palm, and made a gesture of waving his hand:
"Use the Heart-Destroying Devil's Palm on him!"
Xia Wei pursed her lips and smiled softly. Seeing that her master had completely forgiven her, an lingering attachment appeared in her eyes, and a deep joy of being understood welled up in her heart. She raised her white hands and clapped hands with Ye Jie, making a snapping sound.
"Oh right..."
Ye Jie suddenly remembered something: "I saw you write the word 'Summer' in human blood in the military camp. What does that mean? Does it have any special meaning?"
Hearing this, Xia Wei stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, a hint of shyness on her pretty face:
"Actually, Xiaowei originally wanted to write 'Xia Wei acts on behalf of Heaven'... but, apart from 'Xia' and 'Tian', I don't know how to write the other characters..."
Ye Jie's eye twitched. After all this time, it turned out that this was what "xia tian" meant. It would be strange if there was no ambiguity if he could only write two characters out of six.
He bent his finger, tapped Xia Wei on the forehead, and scolded her, "Stupid disciple, how come you can't even write your own name? Didn't I just teach you a few days ago?"
Xia Wei tugged at Ye Jie's clothes and started to act coquettishly, "Master, I forgot... Besides, what's the point of knowing how to write? Real skill lies in defeating the enemy!"
"You... you should really learn to read." Ye Jie was helpless with her. "If you can't even read, even if you get the classics of the Heavenly Grade Martial Arts, I'm afraid you won't be able to learn it. What will you do then?"
Xia Wei didn't care and smiled at Ye Jie: "Don't we still have Master? Master will read it to Xiao Wei."
Ye Jie glanced at her and said, "Aren't you afraid that I might mispronounce the content of the technique, causing you to lose your breath and become possessed?"
Xia Wei pouted, "Master would never do that! Master... is the best to Xiao Wei."
As she spoke, she once again hugged Ye Jie without saying a word. The raging fire of hatred that had previously threatened to ignite the sky had finally calmed down. She seemed to have found support and belonging. What remained in her heart was only lingering peace of mind and attachment.
Ye Jie looked at her pretty face and found it hard to imagine that the cruel girl who slaughtered people and cut off their heads like cutting grass, like a Shura in the world, actually had such a gentle and weak side like a little lamb. Only in front of him would Xia Wei let down all her defenses in her heart. That was a scene that only he could appreciate.
After a while, Ye Jie patted her on the back and reminded her:
"However, the fact that you didn't leave your name in the barracks isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the way to find you, I met two people with extraordinary strength. They've already set their sights on you, so you'd better be careful..."
Ye Jie told Xia Wei about Shen Qingge and Li Fei'e, and told her to be more careful:
"The Immortal Master named Shen Qingge has the strength of a late fourth-order rank, one small realm higher than the River Patrol General. If you face her, you will undoubtedly die. However, from their conversation, it seems that Shen Qingge will not attack casually, and is only responsible for protecting the safety of the girl. The girl is younger than you, but more powerful than you. She has all kinds of innate magical powers and is probably the reincarnation of an immortal. Although she is only at the early third-order, her profound skills are enough to make her invincible in the Li Tang Kingdom. If you face her, your chances of winning are also worrying. You'd better leave here quickly and hide in the deep mountains and old forests where no one knows. I think the Xuansha Lei Ze is a good place."
Xia Wei listened to the intelligence about her powerful enemy, but simply shook her head, a determined light flashing in her eyes.
"Master, I can't leave. I have to stay here and prevent this tragedy from happening again. Xiaowei doesn't want to see any more babies sacrificed in vain because of a prophecy or the so-called reincarnation of the demon king. Xiaowei wants to change this world."
Ye Jie was startled, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. "It's difficult for ordinary people to remain unaffected by the world, let alone change it. But with you, it's really possible. No matter what you plan to do, I will support you."