Chapter 46: 46th Chapter Yi Taoist's Two Bottom Lines, The Suppressed Madness (Part 1)

To live, one must be flexible!Yi Taoist said so.

However, "Black Robe" did not respond to Yi Chen's words. He merely continued to stare at him with an indifferent gaze.

"So I leave?"

"You might not believe this, fellow Daoist, but I got involved accidentally and know nothing."

"I keep tight-lipped."

With a slight step back, Yi Chen put on a smiley face and continued to probe.

The previous domineering aura had disappeared without a trace, and he smiled harmlessly.

If he had a choice, he truly did not want to engage in a fierce battle with the awe-inspiring new "Black Robe" before him.

War is about preying on the weak and bullying the less powerful.

Combat must be measured by its benefits.

Only by preying on the weak and bullying the less powerful can one gain the greatest benefit with the least cost. Haven't you seen how proxy wars are fought?

If before the battle, one's benefit counts as 100, the cost of battle is -20, and the gains from battle are +5.

Then this battle is a losing transaction.

A weak state destroyed by a surviving one, a strong state perished alone, that's the reason, in the end, one bankrupts oneself.

Engage in too many losing deals, clash with anyone you encounter, and in fact, you're constantly bleeding yourself dry.

Taking history as a mirror, Yi Chen genuinely did not want to fight this battle.

The "Black Robe" before him, at first glance, was obviously not a pushover, and Yi Chen still didn't understand, even if he did kill the Black Robe, would he count as a person or an evil spirit? Would there be any Deep Red Points credited?

The risk was infinitely high, and the profit uncertain; that wasn't a good deal at all.

At that moment, "Black Robe" finally began to speak. His detached gaze meticulously swept over Yi Chen from top to bottom as if trying to see through him.

"Interesting, I never expected among the cultivators of the Pure Yang path, there would be a Taoist like you, with such flexible moral boundaries."

"How does the Taoist view the rumors about our Corpse God religion's founder, True Monarch Wan Hua?"

Yi Chen paused for a moment before cautiously saying, "The Corpse God path is sincere in its own way, with hearts steadfast toward the Dao; I hold utmost respect for that."

"Back then, True Monarch Wan Hua opened his sect widely to disciples. Although pooling the wisdom of many and commanding a grand momentum, it inevitably led to a mix of good and bad elements."

"Some bad apples, under the name of the sect, sought shortcuts without thorough understanding, and the more they pursued, the further astray and more wicked they became."

"Yes, that's the way it is."

"True Monarch's intention was good; it's a pity that people below twisted the teaching."

"Ha ha ha." Black Robe suddenly cackled neurotically, clapping loudly.

"Well said!"

"A talent like you, Taoist, should indeed join our Corpse God religion."

"I am willing to accept you as my disciple, into my fold, as the first Saint Heir of our religion. Mystical powers, marvelous methods, blessed lands, heaven-sent treasures, fine wines, and beauties, all at your beck and call."

"Taoist, are you willing?"

"Such a thing is absolutely impossible!" This time, the usually slippery Yi Chen answered decisively without a trace of hesitation.

Even the "Black Robe" person was taken aback by such a response.

It caught him completely by surprise.

Yet, what he did not know was,

Even though Yi Chen's moral standards were disgustingly low, he still had limits.

In his previous life, he was set on climbing the ladder at all costs, experiencing countless deceptions and betrayals, but he never cut the leeks of the poor...

The ones he schemed were also predators of the fame and fortune field.

Having sat at the gambling table meant accepting whatever fate dealt; he cut those leeks without any remorse.

That was his moral line.

In his former life, he too came from hardship; taking money from the poor was a sin. S~eaʀᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Taking from predators; that was fair game—poor skills on their part, and he felt completely justified.

This was also one of the reasons why he had not completely plundered the Evil Tiger Gang previously.

A small town-level gang, with the leader and the core members mostly killed by his lightning-fast hands, how much could the ordinary gang members and a few mid to low-level cadres have?

Those mixed up in gangs live for today, not tomorrow, spending money extravagantly, hardly saving any.

Joining a gang either means indulging in gluttony, prostitution, gambling, and drinking, or being forced by life's circumstances, needing to provide for the family.

This isn't a third-rate pulp novel; those involved in shady dealings aren't out gallivanting with all their belongings every day, nor do martial arts masters carry their practice manuals for fear of their enemies benefiting from their death.

Fairy tales are all lies, the rich cling to life, but it is the lower-middle class, the beasts of burden, who would rather lose their life than their wealth, clever as a shrew with many dens.

After all, Zhou Shuren once said, you can cheat me of my feelings, but not of my money—that's unacceptable.

How much money can a common person earn in a lifetime? Being cheated of feelings can be grudgingly accepted, but losing money is a fate worse than death.

That night, Yi Chen experienced it.

Under the Pareto principle, the upper echelons took most of the profits, leaving the majority of the ordinary gang members of the Evil Tiger Gang impoverished, not exactly penniless, but certainly destitute to the point of heart-wrenching poverty.

Yi Chen truly had no time to waste scraping oil from a mosquito's leg, nor the leisure to torture them one by one, so he simply ended them decisively.

The money they protected with their lives would be left for their families then.

After all, the Taoist doesn't prey on the poor.

Because he has plenty of ways to make money.

And showing gratitude is his second bottom line.

Looking back ten years, when he first transmigrated here, drifting aimlessly, weak-bodied, even reduced to competing with stray dogs for food—damn it, he never even won once, ultimately fainting in a snow pit. If it weren't for his master Bai Yunzi, the grass over his grave would be three meters tall by now.

It was Bai Yunzi who pulled him up from that low point, the tall old man provided him with warmth and comfort beyond compare.

He gave him food, taught him to practice martial arts, treated him as his own without asking for anything in return, only giving.

Although Bai Yunzi was both pedantic and a Holy Mother, he was beyond reproach when it came to Yi Chen.

You throw a peach to me, I give back a precious gem in return.

Yi Chen's principles may be flexible and sway, but he still has a line he will not cross.

"Refuse?"

"Do you know what you're losing?"

The smile on 'Black Robe's' face disappeared.

"As a man in this world, there are things to do and things not to do."

"Although the Taoist is not exactly a good person, he would never commit the disgraceful acts of ingratitude and betrayal of his vows."

Yi Chen's face no longer bore any frivolous expression, he was incredibly serious, speaking deliberately.

Between life and death lies great terror, but there is something more terrifying than death itself.

That is the soul drifting aimlessly, flitting with the wind, subject to any direction!

If the soul has no anchor, no principles, ready to take on any form at any time, then who are you, and what defines you?

Even beasts have the right to choose to survive.

But as a human being, living is not just about surviving, there must be perseverance, something more noble than life itself.

The Taoist likes to keep accounts, avoids loss-making deals, yet there are things in the world that can't be judged solely by the gain or loss of profit.

"Hahaha, I thought the little Taoist was a talent."

"Turns out he's just another naive fool."

"Stubborn and obstinate, lacking the sense to advance or retreat, not recognizing the signs of the times."

'Black Robe' grew cold, clenched a fist with one hand, and struck Yi Chen in the stomach with a blow that came with a speed he simply couldn't react to.

The moment the punch hit Yi Chen, it was as if he saw the dump truck that brought him to this world.

Thump!

The immense force hit him, the tremendous impact causing his internal organs to churn tumultuously; he slid across the ground for over ten meters.

"Do you submit?"

'Black Robe' asked coldly.

Yi Chen's mouth oozed a trace of fresh blood, but he still held his head high. Slowly getting up, his spine remained perfectly straight, like a divine sword pointing straight up to the sky.

"Old man, I still don't submit!"