Compassion was not a word that applied to Qingyi. She was more concerned with cause and effect. Even though Luo Yu had become a vengeful ghost, and knowing all the circumstances behind it, she still could not bring herself to strike. Perhaps one might say she was not truly of the righteous path.

She truly was not the sort of rigid orthodox practitioner who believed that all demons, monsters, ghosts, and spirits — without exception, regardless of origin — must be destroyed. She would also stand on the side of what others called evil.

By that measure, perhaps her cultivation was still insufficient.

The matter of Luo Yu — she did not intend to handle it, but she would not stand completely aside either. She only drew a suppression talisman for him, preventing him from harming any further innocents or causing more deaths. Beyond that, she did nothing else.

“You truly are not going to destroy me?” The vengeful ghost was greatly surprised. In times past, every Daoist who had come had struck out against him — he had escaped by a hair each time, but at great cost to his ghost power. With no choice, he had been forced to absorb even greater amounts of yang energy from mortals, and even devour other wandering souls, in order to bolster his own strength.

He harbored a deep obsession and resentment — until that resentment was resolved, he could not hope for reincarnation.

As things stood now, that resentment was only growing deeper. Because the pair who were by right his parents refused to acknowledge him, and had set their minds on destroying him.

“Some people are simply destined to have shallow ties with their kin — perhaps you were always like this. If you only entangle yourself with Luo Yu, then the day he dies because of you will be the karmic retribution between you two. One day, you may still have a chance to reincarnate. Only — do not hope for a good rebirth, for that is impossible, since you carry the sin of taking lives. In the future, you will certainly face the punishment of the eighteen levels of purgatory.” Qingyi’s expression toward him was no warmer either, as she said coldly: “But if you harm another person’s life again — then wait to have your soul scattered to the four winds. The one who destroys you then will not be me — it will be someone else. Of course, after today, perhaps someone else will come to destroy you regardless, since there are fellow practitioners who truly know only one definition of the righteous path.”

Unlike her — an eccentric, who could befriend a ghost. Ha.

The vengeful ghost looked at Madam Luo and laughed at himself, his eyes brimming with tragedy and desolation, then asked: “Then how many more years does Luo Yu have?”

“That depends on whose fortune holds out longer between you and him — and whether anyone will come to extend his life for him.”

The ghost’s murderous aura surged: “You practitioners of arts…” His words, under Qingyi’s glance, wisely shifted course: “If I could find out who that wicked practitioner is — hmph!”

As Qingyi was leaving through the Luo family’s gate, a figure blocked her path. The vengeful ghost immediately let out a sharp cry and rushed toward that person — only to be struck down by the golden talisman light surrounding the figure’s entire body, letting out a wretched scream as it drifted away unwillingly.

This was a person who looked exactly like the vengeful ghost. He was covered all over in protective amulets and talismans. Just now, struck by the yin wind, his already frail and pale complexion had gone a few shades greener.

Luo Yu — the child the Luo couple cherished.

Qingyi looked at him calmly. Her gaze settled on his face, her brow furrowing slightly. She said nothing.

Luo Yu looked at her, pressed his bloodless lips together, said nothing as well — and instead asked one question: “Immortal Master, are the living not more important than the dead?”

Was he coming to reproach her for refusing to act after hearing of it?

Qingyi smiled, and asked in return: “Who is the dead one here — do you truly not understand?”

Luo Yu’s face drained of all color. His frail body swayed as though it might collapse.

The Luo couple rushed out, encircling him in their arms, ordering people to fetch a physician. Feeling that his entire body was cold as ice, they also sent for monks and Daoists to perform rites at the home.

If they could not kill that vengeful ghost, they could at least make him too afraid to come near.

Qingyi had not destroyed the vengeful ghost. Instead, starting from Luo Yu, she followed the thread to track down the master practitioner who had performed the arts to seize the soul and steal the fate. She had expected some practitioner of evil arts — but in truth, the other party was a wholly legitimate, orthodox cultivator, and one held in considerable reverence and esteem.

The occult clans.

An existence in Great Dan that commanded even more fear and respect than the powerful noble families — three degrees of veneration more. They cultivated the Dao, but the path they walked was one entangled with the power and influence of the secular world and the official court. To obtain the occult clans’ assistance, there were people who had spent virtually everything they had.

The people who came from the great occult clan families commanded respect and courtesy from all within Great Dan — from the powerful nobility at the top down to commoners at the bottom — and were received as honored guests.

They all cultivated the Dao. They all studied the same five arts of the occult path. The Daoists who cultivated in temples and shrines mostly survived on plain tea and simple food, relying on the incense offerings of the temple to fill their bellies or add a little dignity to the place. The occult clans, however, enjoyed abundant material resources and flourishing cultivation conditions.

And in recent years, the conduct of the occult clans had grown increasingly contrary to the principles of the Daoist path. Before, Qingyi had spent all her time cultivating on Cang Mountain — deaf and blind to what went on beyond — and had known nothing of this. After coming to know Feng Ya, she had gradually heard of many things.

Now, with the Luo family matter, she had been given an even broader view.

So-called righteous practitioners — yet they practiced arts that damaged the harmony of heaven. Truly contemptible.

Such a wicked practitioner, so full of sins — how could he be allowed to keep a whole body of power and go on harming people? Especially one so thoroughly steeped in murderous karmic debt?

“You — how dare you — I am the Elder Patron of the Rong Family of the occult clans! How dare you oppose the Rong Family — you cannot kill me!” That person stared at Qingyi in shock and terror — she was not yet of age, yet she was intending to strip him of his entire cultivation.

“I am not killing you. This is nothing more than acting on behalf of heaven.” Qingyi gave a light smile. Her hand condensed with a Daoist resonance containing the power of shattering elements and devouring energy — like a heavy hammer, it struck squarely at his dan tian.

“No, you cannot — ah…” The elder let out a wretched scream. His eyes filled with terror as he felt a fierce, rampaging force invade his meridians — everywhere it passed, meridians shattered and spiritual power poured out.

At his dan tian, it was as though fire had set in, burning away at the dan tian energy sea bit by bit — never again able to gather true energy.

And most devastating of all — his spirit-soul convulsed violently, as though tens of thousands of hands were ripping it apart in a frenzy. The ghosts of those who had died at his hands transformed into skeletal figures that gnawed and tore at him.

In an instant, he was collapsed on the ground like a dead dog, the cultivation of a lifetime entirely scattered, clinging to life by a thread, only a pair of eyes blood-red, staring at Qingyi with a look that wished to cut her into ten thousand pieces.

Qingyi did not move.

Suddenly, a thunder talisman came crashing down onto this person — with a boom, he was blasted to dust. Even his spirit-soul was shredded into wisps of smoke by the purple lightning and righteous energy of the talisman.

Soul and spirit scattered entirely.

Qingyi’s pupils contracted sharply. She looked toward the one who had come: “Master — you!”

“If you don’t kill the snake, it will come back to bite you.” The National Preceptor walked slowly forward, came to stand beside her, and calmly withdrew his gaze from the still-smoldering thunder-fire. He said: “Either practice letting go, and allow karmic retribution to run its natural course — or eliminate the threat completely. Since you chose to act, you should not have left behind a person who harbors enmity toward you, pointlessly adding an enemy to yourself.”

“Master — I had already stripped him of all cultivation. There was absolutely no possibility of him becoming a threat!” Qingyi frowned and said: “If I were afraid of even a person with no cultivation whatsoever, how would I ever face the demons, evil spirits, and wicked practitioners of this world in the days to come?”

“By leaving him alive, you give him a chance to retaliate against you. To show mercy to an enemy is to be cruel to yourself. A’Qing — a compassionate heart will ultimately ruin you.” The National Preceptor looked at her and said: “You have now achieved Foundation Establishment — one could say you have completed your apprenticeship. You are clever and your comprehension is high — your master has nothing more to teach you. There is only one last lesson: do not easily trust others, especially enemies. Extinguish threats completely while they are still in the cradle — that is the true righteous path.”

Qingyi gazed at him with piercing intensity: “Even if that person is Master yourself?”

The National Preceptor paused, the corner of his lips curving upward: “Yes.”