NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Some People Are Alive, Yet Already Dead
Heavens above, Earth below.
Why is it so hard for me to court death?
At critical moments, there’s always someone betraying me. What’s going on?
Xiaocai, oh Xiaocai, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you actually want to save my life!
Is there anyone more malicious than you?
Ye Ning wanted to cry but had no tears.
Cai Xianggao certainly wouldn’t guess Ye Ning had the urge to strangle him.
Ye Ning’s series of “splendid” expressions were automatically understood by him as moved.
Cai Xianggao’s eyes moistened. Watching the rioting scholars, he made a fist gesture towards Ye Ning.
“Brother Ye, you’re not alone in this struggle!”
You are not alone!
Ye Ning: I damn well want to be alone!
“Enough!”
Just when chaos reigned outside.
In the Marquis’s estate, a stern shout was heard.
A middle-aged man in python robes walked out.
This man was the Mighty Marquis, and following him were dozens of elite guards.
These people were all recruited by him from the army, each one a ruthless killing machine.
They held large yellow crossbows, aimed ahead, and directly activated the mechanism.
Swish, swish, swish!
The crossbow bolts shot out.
But they weren’t aimed at people. They were aimed at the ground in front of the scholars.
The bolts deeply embedded into the ground, forming a dense barricade.
The scholars’ charge came to an abrupt halt.
They felt the threat of death.
“One more step, and you die!” the Mighty Marquis said indifferently.
He dared to give orders that the steward didn’t dare give.
This round of simultaneous shooting didn’t kill anyone. It was already charitable.
It was just that he was in a good mood today. If it were slightly worse, with just this round of shooting, at least a hundred or eighty people would die.
It’s still the same saying, being killed by the Mighty Marquis is dying in vain.
The emperor must consider the consequences of killing scholars.
But he didn’t need to. He could kill without consequences.
“We are not afraid to die, so what is there to fear?!”
The scholars’ blood didn’t cool down. Some felt fear and wanted to leave, while others were provoked.
“Then you can go forward!”
The Mighty Marquis sneered, but he didn’t even bother to look.
Behind him, bows were strung again.
Obviously, if the scholars didn’t know how to appreciate kindness, then what they were about to face would be a one-sided massacre.
“You mean well, I understand.” At this moment, Ye Ning stepped forward.
“But I’m here today to enforce the law, this is official business.
“Since it’s official business, it has nothing to do with you.
“Go back, study well, the future belongs to you.”
Ye Ning persuaded them, and he meant it sincerely.
After all, he was the one courting death, and he didn’t want to involve innocent people.
“But sir, he will kill you,” someone tearfully shouted.
“Some people are alive, yet already dead; some people are dead, yet forever alive.” Ye Ning smiled lightly.
Then his smile froze.
Because he felt a slight fever in his body.
This damn righteousness, why is it rising again?
Is it poisoned?
Or are you just blind?
Can’t you see that I’m pretending?
Why is righteousness rising continuously?
Wasn’t it said to be difficult to cultivate?
Ye Ning was full of doubts.
He suspected he was being targeted.
But fortunately, no matter how much righteousness rose, it couldn’t cause a stir.
The Confucian and Daoist paths were already blocked, and as long as the seal of the Holy Court remained, his strength would remain fixed at this level.
Even if righteousness accumulated more, it would be useless.
Ye Ning could only console himself.
But others were immersed in the profound meaning of his words.
“Some people are alive yet already dead!”
“Some people are dead, yet forever alive!”
This sentence wasn’t hard to understand.
Even the common people who hadn’t read books could feel the spirit conveyed in the words.
“Well said!”
“Even in death, a hero’s spirit remains, not ashamed among the world’s heroes.”
“If Sir Ye dies here today, he will become a saint in the books. As long as his legacy continues, his name will live forever!”
Everyone was moved.
Ye Ning’s fearless spirit in this dark age was like a torch.
Though faint, it was always there.
Every time one looked at it, there was a little more warmth in their hearts.
“I understand.” Wei Wentong’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down.
He remembered what Ye Ning had said to him before.
“You should thank me. If it weren’t for me coming in time, if you had swung that knife, you would have truly ruined yourself!”
Wei Wentong understood every word Ye Ning had said except for this sentence, which made him somewhat confused.
But at this moment, he suddenly realized.
“If I had swung that knife, it wouldn’t just have been about losing a life, it would have severed my conscience…”
Death didn’t count for much.
Like Ye Ning, even if he died, his noble image would forever remain in people’s hearts.
But if his heart died?
If that knife had truly struck, there would have been no turning back.
From then on, he would truly have been a walking corpse.
Some people are alive, yet already dead…
Wei Wentong smiled bitterly, feeling some relief and some sorrow.
Since when did I fall so low?
If it weren’t for Sir Ye, I would have truly committed an unforgivable mistake.
“Some people are dead, yet forever alive… Well said. But Sir Ye, what I need is you alive. There are already enough dead sages, but you, as a living hero, are what I need!” Ji Mingyue’s inner defenses broke again.
She may be a woman, but she always felt she was no less than any man.
She wasn’t indecisive, nor did she have the emotional weaknesses of women.
She rarely let emotions influence her judgment, except for Ye Ning!
But can anyone blame her?
It’s all because Ye Ning was too outstanding!
Insignificant matters pale in comparison to matters of life and death.
The heroic spirit Ye Ning always showed, seeing death as home, was the most precious and touching thing in this world.
How could Ji Mingyue not be moved?
She didn’t want a dead Ye Ning. She needed a comrade who could walk with her to the end.
“Send the decree, let Ye Ning return to the mansion, and forbid any further investigation into this case!” Ji Mingyue issued a decree directly.
Liu Jin, holding the decree, marched out of the palace.
She decided to use imperial power to stop Ye Ning and end this turmoil.
Betrayal was on the way.
Ye Ning was clueless.
After persuading the scholars, he stood with his hands behind his back, staring straight at the Mighty Marquis.
The Mighty Marquis had a terrible reputation.
From every angle, he was definitely a villain.
But whether someone was evil or not, one couldn’t tell from appearances.
From the outside, the Mighty Marquis looked dignified, despite being in his fifties, his back was straight, and he exuded a fierce aura.
He was also a powerful martial artist.
When the Mighty Marquis met Ye Ning’s gaze, he nodded after a moment and said, “One person does what they should. Not bad, Mister Ye is indeed a remarkable person!”
He somewhat admired Ye Ning.
This kind of person, who sees death as home and insists on justice, might seem foolish, but one can’t help but admire them.
The Mighty Marquis also held this view.
But his thoughts, to Ye Ning, seemed absurd.
I’ve come to your doorstep ready to kill, and you’re not going to kill me directly?
Instead, you’re praising me? This doesn’t make sense!
Ye Ning, who had repeatedly courted death, keenly perceived this as a dangerous signal.
Frowning, he said, “What, Lord Marquis, don’t you plan to kill me?”
The Mighty Marquis shook his head and said, “Indeed, I don’t want to kill Mister Ye.”
“Great!” Cai Xianggao and the little mute both smiled.
The scholars and the common people also felt relieved.
Even Ji Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief at this moment.
But in Ye Ning’s heart, it felt as if ten thousand grass-mud horses were galloping past. “Everyone says that the Mighty Marquis is a great villain, lawless, indulgent, crazy, despicable…” Ye Ning rattled off a dozen or so insulting adjectives before pausing and saying, “If the Mighty Marquis doesn’t kill me, isn’t that very different from the rumors?”
“Hahaha…” The Mighty Marquis burst into laughter after being sprayed by Ye Ning.
Instead of getting angry, he found it amusing.
This made Ye Ning’s mouth twitch.
Isn’t this guy sick? Can’t he hear me cursing at him?
“The rumors are true. I am that kind of person, but I really don’t want to kill Mister Ye,” the Mighty Marquis said with a laugh.
Ye Ning’s heart sank.
He suspected that something was wrong.
How come he didn’t have the urge to kill anymore?
“I, the Mighty Marquis, am indeed that kind of person, but I really don’t want to kill Mister Ye,” the Mighty Marquis chuckled and continued, “Mister Ye, would you like to know why?”
Ye Ning nodded in frustration.
Of course, he wanted to know.
Why would this murderous maniac show mercy to me? What about me prompted your compassionate heart? Can’t I change it?
“Many years ago, I was just an ordinary noble in this capital, hardly considered noteworthy,” the Mighty Marquis began.
“It wasn’t until my daughter was born.
“Her talent was extraordinary, and she was noticed by the Qunyu Pavilion at a glance, who took her in as a disciple.”
The Mighty Marquis’s expression softened as he recalled the past.
He shared his story with Ye Ning.
In fact, he was not a talkative person because he felt that none of the ministers or generals in the Great Zhou Dynasty piqued his interest.
They were just a bunch of mediocre people!
But only Ye Ning made him feel like opening up.
So, along with so many others, Ye Ning heard about the Mighty Marquis’s process of becoming corrupted.
“At that time, I was just joyful, without any further thoughts.
“But on the night the news spread, I received thirteen priceless treasures!
“Mister Ye, have you heard of the pearls from the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Sea? They are priceless treasures that even His Majesty does not possess, but someone sent them to my house.”
Pointing to his chest, the Mighty Marquis’s eyes showed a hint of mockery.
“I, the Mighty Marquis, am just a minor marquis!
“Why should I have such treasures?
“I knew the meaning behind their gifts, so I didn’t dare to accept them. After a struggle, I returned these treasures.
“And then, Mister Ye, do you know what happened?”
The mockery in the Mighty Marquis’s eyes intensified.
Ye Ning fell silent. The others also fell silent.
“On that night, that very night!
“They sent gifts again, this time even better, more precious, and more numerous than before!
“Who can understand my feelings at that time?”
The Mighty Marquis scanned the crowd.
“Before that day, I thought that military achievements would bring me immediate fame, and I thought that a scholar’s accomplishments would come from governing the world. But after that day, my thoughts changed. It turned out that those things I could only hope for didn’t require much effort at all. All I needed was a talented daughter, and others would voluntarily send them to my home!
“I haven’t changed, it’s this world that has changed!
“Many things, I don’t want, but others will come and offer them in my name. Many things, I don’t do, but others will guess my thoughts and do them for me.
“You tell me, what can I do?”
The Mighty Marquis sighed.
As time passed, he finally realized that concepts like loyalty and righteousness, and achievements, were all meaningless.
In this twisted era, as long as one could attach themselves to the thighs of the immortals, they could rise above others.
He attached himself to the thighs of the immortals, and others would come to attach themselves to him.
His small Marquis Mansion didn’t need careful management. It would become a behemoth on its own!
Magical, right?
But that’s reality!
Ye Ning listened, finding the story uninteresting.
What did the Mighty Marquis want to say? Did he want to say that he became what he is now because he had reasons?
Nonsense!
Staring at him, Ye Ning said, “Even so, Lord Marquis, you can refuse. Refuse once, and when they bring gifts, you can refuse a second and third time. Then they’ll know you’re not on the same side as them.
“The reason Lord Marquis said so much is to say that you’re not wrong, that it’s this dislocated world that forces you to become corrupted.
“But I think flies don’t bite seamless eggs. There are always people in this world who aren’t moved by money, power, or status. It all depends on whether they can maintain their integrity.”
Hearing this, the Mighty Marquis pondered for a moment and said, “If someone had told me this before today, I wouldn’t have believed it, but after meeting Mister Ye, I believe it!”
Ye Ning: “…”
The Mighty Marquis continued, “My ancestors’ titles and achievements were earned through military exploits, so I also admire true heroes and real warriors.
“Unfortunately, the world is full of corrupt people. Only Mister Ye makes me admire him. I don’t want to kill someone like you.
“And most importantly, even if I don’t kill you, the Feather Transformation Sect will. Mister Ye wouldn’t be unaware, right? You’re already on the Feather Transformation Sect’s hit list.”
The Mighty Marquis’s mind was actually quite simple.
Ye Ning had indeed caused him to have some admiration, awakening the only remaining trace of bravado belonging to a soldier deep within the heart of him, a man of ten evils.
This was one thing.
The second was that Ye Ning was actually already a dead man.
Everyone knew that the Feather Transformation Sect wouldn’t let him go.
The Mighty Marquis had no need to be angry with someone who was about to die.
There was also the third.
Actually, his third was the most important.
Who was the person Ye Ning was trying to arrest?
He’s just the steward of the Marquis’ residence!
At best, he was a dog raised by the Marquis.
Throwing away this dog, he still had millions of dogs, it does not hurt at all.
If it was his son instead, then he wouldn’t have been so kind.
“Li San, tell me, what heartless thing have you done to provoke Lord Ye to raise an army to arrest you!” The Mighty Marquis pointed his finger at the steward and said indifferently.
He actually didn’t care what the steward had done at all, just like he didn’t care if the steward lived or died.
It was just a dog.
If Ye Ning wanted it, just give it to him.
Ye Ning’s entire body swooned.
This is not okay…
We made it this far, and you actually don’t have a killing heart anymore?
Ye Ning couldn’t accept it.
The one who couldn’t accept it the most was Li San.
He had just been complacent, and in an instant, he had actually been abandoned by his master.
His face steeply turned pale.
His legs went limp and he directly knelt down.
“Marquis, I, I don’t know!”
Actually, it wasn’t that he didn’t know.
Rather, he had done so many bad things that he couldn’t think of them for a moment.
Cai Xianggao pulled the charcoal seller forward and asked.
“Do you recognize him?”
Li San looked up and said decisively, “Don’t know.”
Cai Xianggao frowned and drank.
“It’s this time and you still dare to lie?”
The Mighty Marquis’ gaze turned cold as well.
Li San shivered in fear and kowtowed vigorously, at this moment he was more pitiful than a dog.
“Heaven and earth are kind, I really don’t know!”
This appearance was not a fake.
The old man stepped forward and cried.
“That day it was clearly you who robbed my charcoal, and you actually said you didn’t know!”
What?
Robbed the charcoal?
The Mighty Marquis’s brows were deeply furrowed.
Li San also froze, and he took a closer look at the charcoal seller.
“Just, just for this?”
He remembered that day when it was snowing and cold. There was no charcoal prepared at home, and he happened to see someone pulling a cart by.
Without saying a word, he grabbed it in passing.
It was such a trivial matter.
The moment he turned his head, he forgot about it.
He only felt incomparably wronged and stared blankly at Ye Ning.
”You’re making such a big fuss over this little shit?
I’ve done far too many bad things, and it turns out that you’re only here for the most insignificant one of them.
Li San was truly aggrieved.
If he put his life on the line because of this, it would be a great loss.
“Just for a cart of charcoal?”Mighty Marquis’ expression changed, his eyes, steeply dangerous.
“Lord Ye, this Marquis needs an explanation!”