“I guess you're interested in something completely different than my dull story,” said May, when they had already moved a good distance away from the rest. May looked around, wondering if Niu Pin was somewhere nearby.

  Sung Haoyu sat down on an oval rock in the garden, covered with moss. He had lost the cheerful smile he had been displaying with the rest of the group and had become more serious. He pointed to the rock next to him, suggesting that May sit down as well. However, she remained unshaken, standing straight and watching him closely.

  Seeing her unwillingness to sit down, he finally spoke. “I'm curious about this story, but I'm actually interested in something else right now.”

  “I'm sorry, Sung, but if I may... I'm not particularly interested in your family disputes, so I'd rather not get involved.” She answered him honestly. She didn't want to give him false hope.

  “Oh, really?” He asked, looking at her searchingly. “But you're already involved. You promised to help Nadine, didn't you? Her attempts to cure Xuan Haoyu are widely known to everyone, so it wasn't difficult to find out that you were trying to help her.”

  “I don’t intend to get involved in this more than I have to,” she replied indifferently, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not helping her out of the goodness of my heart.”

  “Oh...?”

  “But don’t expect to be able to convince me to change my mind,” May said. “I will do what I must.”

  Sung Haoyu stared at her intensely. The silence stretched on for a long moment. It was quite uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything about it. That's why they remained in that state for a few long moments.

  “I see. I won't be able to persuade you. I can see it written on your face...” he said, shaking his head. “However, I take it she didn't tell you what kind of person it is you intend to heal?”

  Who am I going to heal? What does he mean by that?

  May gave him a questioning look, but he only offered a mysterious smile. Finally, she grew tired of waiting and asked, “What are you getting at? I’m healing Xuan Haoyu. I heard she was the strongest in your clan.”

  He shook his head. May noticed a certain sadness in his expression that was not immediately apparent. It was hidden beneath his usual confident demeanor.

  “I don't doubt you know her name, but I meant what kind of person she was,” he replied with a smile. However, she could see more clearly than ever that this smile was only meant to hide what he really felt.

  However, it was not the time for his psychoanalysis. Despite everything, he still wanted something from her. She decided to analyze his words. May wondered if this was some strategy to discourage her from attempting the cure.

  Still, she found it slightly interesting that he was even trying; it meant he must believe she was actually capable of doing it. Most people attributed most of the Fleming Company's success to Hua Tang. The fact that he took May seriously suggested that he was well aware of what most people were missing.

  “I don’t know what kind of person she was, how could I?” May countered. “But you know... regardless of who someone is, a doctor shouldn't worry about who they are healing; they should just do it.”

  “Even if they were saving the world's greatest evil-doer?” he countered.

  May fell into a moment of reflection. She could see exactly where this conversation was heading.

  “So, you’re claiming I’m trying to save an evil person?” May replied. “Why should I believe you?”

  “You don’t have to. But if you insist on this, you should probably be aware of the consequences of your actions,” he replied, his gaze turning hollow. “Xuan Haoyu took pride in her kill count and the atrocities she committed.”

  She found his argument strange, to say the least. She hadn't expected to be persuaded in this way.

  “Wasn’t she a soldier?” May argued. “I don't know much about the military, but in war, killing is normal.”

  May knew that the current peace was only a brief chapter of recent history. For the majority of its existence, the Sect had been at war with most of its neighbors.

  It might be morally dubious, but she would have been more surprised if Xuan hadn’t killed anyone. Death was commonplace in war. If she were to be negative toward every person who killed someone, she would have to be against almost all cultivators.

  “I’m not talking about simple killings born of wartime necessity,” he replied in a lowered voice. “I’m talking about children slaughtered for sport in front of their mothers, about poisoning rivers that fed entire cities, about giving soldiers permission to 'amuse' themselves with village women...”

  May fell silent as she listened to his words. “And the Sect would allow such actions?”

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  He shrugged. “Officially, no. But as long as you are strong enough, anything can be forgiven, especially during a war.”

  “And no one opposed her?” May asked, surprised, trying to determine if there was even a grain of truth in his words. After a moment, she realized she finally had a real ability to detect the truth. “If she was as evil as you say, wouldn't there be at least one righteous person who would have stood against her?”

  “Oh, but of course there were! Back then, she had the reputation of being the biggest piece of trash! Why do you think... someone poisoned her?” he replied with a smile. “It was revenge for one of her countless crimes.”

  May deactivated [Dim Eye of Truth]. She had verified his words as true. It surprised her slightly; she had thought it was just a bluff, but he was telling the truth.

  “And now Nadine wants to heal someone like that...” she said quietly.

  “Not just her... You see, Xuan is the true leader of the clan. My father... he’s just a substitute,” he said bitterly. “If she were to wake up, his status would vanish.”

  Everything suddenly made sense. It was the missing piece of the puzzle.

  “And Nadine thinks that by doing this, she’ll be able to become her successor?” May asked. “Does she really think someone like that will be grateful enough to make her their heir?”

  “Xuan had no children and never will. She’s a horrible person, but she always repays a debt. That’s why so many people from the clan have tried to heal her,” he replied grimly, staring at the sky. “Even before the poisoning, she was searching for a successor. So, it’s not a stretch to say that the person who heals her will become her heir.”

  May pondered this for a moment. While this cleared up some of her doubts, it gave birth to even more. She had many questions.

  “Is your father not able to become the leader permanently? After all, this woman has been in a coma for over two decades,” she asked. After such a long time, the clan should have already given up hope for a miraculous recovery.

  “It’s not that simple. My father has many enemies in the clan, and it requires unanimity.”

  May nodded; she didn't know much about such matters, so she figured it made some sense.

  “Fine, let’s assume that by some miracle Xuan is healed,” May said. “You’ve seen her condition, haven't you? Even in that case, she won't be able to rule the clan. She’s a bag of bones!”

  The boy just shook his head. “From the stories I’ve heard, if she truly wakes up, she will regain all her strength in a matter of moments. She’s a monster. Apparently, Xuan was only one step away from becoming a Sect Elder. The natural vitality of such people is no joke.”

  Huh, interesting. He had said something very similar to what Nadine had told me, May thought.

  “I understand, you've certainly clarified a few things for me,” May replied after a moment's thought. “However, I'm not saying for sure that I won't be the one to heal her, or at least contribute to her recovery.

  First and foremost, she needed information about Senlin and Wang Wang. And it just so happened that she knew of no other way to find out where they were currently located.

  “I said all this just so you would be aware of it,” he said, standing up. “And so that you wouldn’t be able to say ‘but I didn’t know!’ after you help her. Everything that happens will be a consequence of your actions.”

  With that, he left, leaving her alone.

  Huh. Not a bad strategy. Certainly better than threatening me.

  May sighed and sat down in the same place he had been sitting earlier. The conversation had ruined her good mood.

  “Niu Pin, come out of hiding,” she said into the void. She knew he was hiding somewhere among the dense bushes and surrounding thickets. He had many places to hide in this area. It occurred to her that it was the perfect place for an assassin.

  As she expected, she soon felt someone's presence behind her. She turned around and saw her bodyguard. He really could appear out of nowhere. She had never really thought about it before, but now she was a little interested. May thought that she would be interested in such a technique. Hiding with such a large two-meter body, which was a mountain of muscles, would not have been possible without incredible ability.

  He might be willing to teach me something, even though he was hired as a bodyguard rather than a teacher.

  However, she quickly dismissed these unnecessary thoughts. She had other problems on her mind at the moment. Such trifles could wait for a more peaceful time. She looked seriously at the tall man who was looking at her with indifference.

  “Did you hear our conversation?” She asked in a calm voice.

  “Yes.” He answered briefly. He didn't move a muscle.

  “And what do you think?”

  He didn't answer, which slightly irritated May. “Are you speechless?”

  “I just don't have an answer that would satisfy you,” he replied.

  “Your answer is not meant to satisfy me,” she replied with a hint of frustration in her voice. “Were his words about these atrocities exaggerated?”

  “I am no saint myself,” Niu Pin replied with a slight bitterness in his voice. “I've killed many people, but... The boy wasn't mistaken. Xuan certainly did more than she should have. But then again, war has its own rules.”

  May rolled her eyes. She didn't expect him to try to justify her actions. She had never been to war herself, but she doubted that even then she would try to justify such acts, even against enemies, let alone civilians.

  “I understand that well, and I even sympathize. I don't judge anyone for killing someone, because I have blood on my hands myself, but when you take a life, you should do so with respect. War does not justify the slightest brutality in killing mortals.”

  “Brutality certainly sends a good message to our enemies,” he said with a shrug.

  May raised one eyebrow.

  “So you agree with her actions?” she asked.

  He didn't answer. She stared at him blankly. But it didn't matter. Regardless of the intensity of her eyes, his lips were unable to answer her question. Ironically, this explained more than anything he could have said.

  What about the so-called rule of law within the sects? Integrity, chivalry, justice? These virtues were reserved only for members of a given sect. They were empty words with no substance. Yet this raised a certain question. What, in fact, was the difference between an evil sect and a righteous one? Probably only appearances and name.

  May just snorted at the silence and walked away.

  Well, he was right, and I was wrong. His answer really didn't satisfy me.