CHAPTER 1027: CHAPTER 812: IN THE MARTIAL WORLD, JUDGE THE HEART NOT THE DEEDS

On each of the six floors, there are nine staircases, with nine jars of wine placed on each. Though the jars aren’t very large, each contains a full two jin of sorghum wine.

Jiang Dali and Xiao Feng, one drinking from top to bottom, the other from bottom to top, their fierce and novel way of drinking attracted more and more onlookers. Even the cooks and firemen from the kitchen came out to watch, making everyone exclaim in thrill, marveling at the sight, and giving a thumbs-up while calling them "heavy drinkers".

The two are not concerned with appearances, grabbing the wine jars, thrusting their chests forward and gulping it down with their necks upturned. It was as if they were competing with each other, one drinking faster than the other. By the time they met on the third floor stairway, neither showed any sign of drunkenness, and they burst into familiar laughter.

"Hahaha, good wine, good wine!"

Xiao Feng’s tiger eyes burned warmly as he looked at Jiang Dali appearing above him. With a piercing gaze, he grabbed the wine jar at his feet and drained it, exhaled a breath of wine, raised his hand, and said, "It’s been a long time, yet your drinking capacity and boldness are undiminished. Rumor has it your martial arts have advanced too. I heard on my way here that you visited the Emperor’s Foot Peak at Cihang Jingzhai. Is it true?"

"Oh?"

Jiang Dali’s heart stirred, and he too grabbed a jar, drank it, nodded, and slowly smiled, "Indeed it’s true. Cihang Jingzhai, revered in the Martial World for years as a Holy Land, is rarely offended, much less visited by someone looking for trouble, like me.

To be frank, what I’ve done has categorized me as a Demon in the Martial World, just that most people fear me slightly, so there’s not yet been any loud criticism.

But in time, the situation might be quite different. Brother Xiao, after hearing what I’ve said, are you still willing to finish this drink with me?"

Xiao Feng’s face grew solemn, his eyes flashing brightly, and he snorted heavily, "Are you looking down on me with these words?

Not to mention your great favor to me, we’ve shared life and death so many times. Of your character, I am very clear. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have traveled a thousand miles from the grasslands to meet you.

Our friendship is about the heart, not appearances, and if about appearances, only asks for no shame to our hearts!

As long as what you do is upright, and you’re true to yourself, why explain to others? In matters of this world, if you really want to clearly define righteousness and villainy, it’s not so easily done. As long as what you do lives up to your conscience, then it’s right."

"Hahaha."

Jiang Dali laughed and nodded, "It’s rare Brother Xiao, after staying on the grassland for a time, can reach such understanding. If you had this insight during the Beggar Gang Assembly, how could you have been schemed against by the wicked?

You are right, like the softest part of a person is the hair, and the hardest is the teeth. Yet the teeth are most easily damaged, most easily fall out, and when a person dies and the whole body decays, the hair remains good.

The most fragile part of a person is the eyes, yet each day you’re using them from morning to night and they’re not tired. But if you use your mouth to talk nonstop, your hands to work nonstop, your feet to walk nonstop, you’d be exhausted to death. So actually, the line between fragility and hardness isn’t absolutely clear, same with righteousness and villainy, it’s all about the path you walk, and that’s the Martial World path."

Xiao Feng’s tiger eyes sparkled, seriously clasping fists, "You are absolutely right. Just like you called me from the grassland to help you stop the Three Kingdoms war, to me, fighting on the battlefield is what a great man should do."

At this, the two looked at each other, laughed heartily, and continued to drink from their wine jars.

All onlooking Martial World people and Players seeing such a scene, listening to their frank and open conversation, were captivated by their boldness and fresh unique perspectives, echoing the words revealed in their conversation in their minds.

"It’s about the heart, not appearances; if about appearances, only asks for no shame to the heart!"

"As long as what you do lives up to your conscience, then it’s right."

Many Martial World people and Players who once condemned the Black Wind Village Chief for his ruthless acts were gradually led to ponder deeply by these words.

In the conflict between Cihang Jingzhai and the Black Wind Village Chief, can Cihang Jingzhai truly represent righteousness, and the Black Wind Village Chief be categorized as villainy?

What truly is righteousness, and what is villainy? Who defines it?

Is it ridiculous to demand a bandit leader pursue righteousness?

Cihang Jingzhai has several times helped vassal states establish order, ending wars, that’s righteousness.

The Black Wind Village Chief has saved the Song Country in times of danger, and quelled the Ming Country turmoil, that too is righteousness.

Cihang Jingzhai has few evil deeds spread throughout the world.

The Black Wind Village Chief has many evil acts spread, like forcibly abducting or even killing sect leaders, but these Martial World grudges are pursuits of interest, if you don’t compete there’d be no conflict. If it rises to the level of righteousness and villainy, who should define it?

Many people thought this, already feeling conflicted and wanting to smack their own heads.

Some people have realized.

When foolishly trying to impose their values on a bandit leader to pursue so-called righteousness, what the bandit actually does has already impressed them, regardless of laughable and vague righteousness or villainy.

The reason for such demands is that the bandit leader is exceptional, so exceptional that he’s done things many Heroes in the Martial World or Emperors in the Temples couldn’t achieve. This won the affection and support of numerous Players, leading to various value-based expectations.

As crowds passionately reflected, a dragon’s roar suddenly erupted from the direction of the tavern.

Jiang Dali, the Black Wind Village Chief, and Xiao Feng, at the last jar of wine, suddenly grasped for it, leading to a contest.

Both unleashed a palm strike, their Golden Dragon Qi clashing, the air resounding with thunder as the jar spun above the Qi force, yet falling into neither’s grasp.

Jiang Dali’s palm emitted remote palm power, opposing Xiao Feng’s Dragon Subduing Palm, using only eighty percent strength, he faintly smiled, "Brother Xiao stayed in the grassland for so long, living the peaceful life once desired. Who knew your power not only did not fall, but increased."

Xiao Feng felt the gradual palm power from Jiang Dali confronting his own, resembling the momentum gathering of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, but with distinct force techniques. The palm powers came in waves like tides, soon making his stagnated palm power falter, about to invade his body, so he excitedly shouted and laughed, then bent his back suddenly.

At the instant Jiang Dali’s palm’s explosive force came anew, Xiao Feng abruptly freed himself, like an Arhat flipping in Arhat Fist, stretching and flexing his body in extreme postures to evade, and then struck again.

Divine Dragon Tail!

Rising roar!!

The dozen or so wine jars on the stairway were simultaneously drawn up by the violent Qi force, merging into Xiao Feng’s encircling strike. They collided, shattered, forming a turbid dragon-shaped Qi, fiercely rushing Jiang Dali.

"Good!"

Jiang Dali’s eyes lit, he suddenly clenched a fist, the Mighty God Fist punched out. A majestic and dignified Dragon Energy blended into the massive Fist Mark, splendid and direct, transforming the decayed into the miraculous full of fantastical flair.

Bang!!!

Their palm power and fist force collided fiercely.

The surging astonishing True Qi surged within both, not something an ordinary person could withstand.

Xiao Feng first entered a Vajra Body state, his whole body enveloped in radiant golden glow. Jiang Dali’s invading True Qi dispersed throughout his body, then diffused from his limbs, lacking capacity for any major harm.

He knew the benefactor was testing his progress, unwilling to be underestimated, using just a touch of rebounding force, exerted himself fully without reservation, suddenly grasping with the Dragon Capturing Hand at the airborne wine jar.

But at that moment, a more astonishing absorptive force erupted from Jiang Dali’s hand.

His palm emitted a trace of purple light, twisting the surrounding air, Xiao Feng only felt his inner True Qi as if about to be drawn out, his entire being seemingly absorbed, tiger eyes froze.

"Absorption Skill?!"

...

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(This Chapter is a bit short! Sigh! Hopeless! Couldn’t write more, I’m ashamed! I’ll reflect, must write more.)