Chapter 0046

“By the way, why are you here?” The question pulled Tempest away from her conversation with Ventus.

“I wanted some peace and quiet to think things over. What about you? Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see if you are all right. You did go a little crazy back there.” Actually, Xing Zhi Hui did not want to come out here to comfort a crazy little girl, but Aria Se Jivock ordered her and Xing Zhi Hui did not want to fight with Aria Se Jivock.

She did not want to get involved with the plans Aria Se Jivock is concocting around this girl but the alternative is not something she wants to imagine.

Tempst became depressed. “I saw that thing deliberately push the other girl into the wolf’s jaws.” Even now, Tempest didn’t describe her as another human.

“I know.”

“Yet you do nothing. Why?”

“Luck, karma, fate, talent, determination, insight, will. These things all combine together to form a person’s destiny. A cultivator must seize the chance when opportunity arises or die trying. How can one become an immortal if they don’t strive for it?”

“Intervention is also a form of luck.” Tempest pointed out the obvious.

“So is inaction.”

“We meet each other at one point in time. Is it not fate?”

“Being lead by fate or defying it to grasp our own destiny, which path do you intend to take?”

“The path that benefit me the most.”

“Even if you are nothing more than a pawn?”

“A pawn can become a king.” Tempest thought about the game of chess in her world and realize a pawn can’t become a king. A pawn can become a queen, rook, bishop and knight, but not a king. Why can’t a pawn become a king? There are stories of the useless pawns becoming outstanding rulers all the time. Hollywood is good at taking their stories and sharing it on the silver screen.

Hmph.

In this game of chess called life, a pawn can become a king. It takes someone with enough daring, guts and intelligence to grasp the chance.

Tempest is a pawn now. She knows it. She doesn’t have the knowledge or the power to change her own destiny, but she will be the pawn that becomes a king.

“How many can make the change? Not many. Those who died are those pawns who tried to become a king.” Xing Zhi Hui grasp Tempest’s chin, so they can look eye to eye. “Tell me the truth, how are you coping?”

Instead of answering, Tempest posed a question of her own, “Is this what it means to become a cultivator? Killing anything and anyone for resources to become stronger? Are cultivators no worse than homicidal maniacs?”

Xing Zhi Hui stayed quiet in tactic agreement.

“Isn’t it wrong?” Tempest asked in desperation. “Where is the morality? The value of human life? Has the law of society broken down?”

The rules of the Cardinal Realm are too different from modern day Earth.

Earth has morals that are reflected in its law. It is wrong to kill someone. If someone tried to kill another person, the crime would be investigated and perpetrators will be judged by the law.

Admittedly, she did use the spirits to get her revenge, but they were bad people. She had righteous on her side. Those people deserve it. Betrayers must die!

“Then let pose the scenario to you. When a male lion takes over a pride, it kills the offspring of its predecessor. Is it evil?”

Tempest was taken back by the example. Then she seriously thought about the question. “Lions obey their instinct. The male lion kills off the children of the previous king of the pride to force the female lions to enter estrus again. If it didn’t, then it has to wait until the child is an adult before it can copulate with the female and it also raise another lion’s child in the interim. Before it can impregnate the females, another male lion might come and kill it like it did to the previous lion. Their every action is dictated by instinct. They have no choice to obey their instinct. As such, there is no malice against the baby lions, yet the intent is there. I can’t not say it is evil since it is in instinct to kill the children of other lions so it can sow the seed of its own progeny. I can’t say it’s good either since it is still murder. It simply is.”

“Can you not take the cultivation world as such? Killing one another is neither right nor wrong. That it simply is.”

“Then we’re not better than animals. Humans can learn. Humans can adapt. Humans can change. We infer the laws of the universe as we strive to immortality. An animal can’t do it. They live the life cycle nature intended for them.” Tempest tried her best to express her views but she can see the other side isn’t buying it.

Tempest can understand. For a long time, the morality of humanity is based on might makes right, survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle. Even when humans establish a civilization, their morality isn’t fair either. The caste system in India, the slavery permitted in the Bible, polygamy in China and the Islamic religion, the double standards in the modern era are some of the examples where humans are not perfect.

Athena, the foundation that Tempest is created from is born and raised in America where the indoctrination of all man created equals is the norm. Granted, there were blatant segregation up until recent times (Hello anyone, Plessy v. Ferguson created the concept of separate but equals.) hate crimes, discrimination, religious fanatics going around killing anyone and everyone and all that but Athena was largely unaffected by it. She truly believes that good triumph over evil... eventually.

“Humans have to eat.” Xing Zhi Hui pointed out. Yes, humans can be everything Tempest said they can be, but ultimately, humans have to consume resources to survive. It is normal. It is also the reason why the dark side of humanity exists.

Maybe if humans are like plants that can live off sunlight, then the ideal world Tempest imagined will come into being.

“We can eat plants. No killing necessary.” A naive answer.

Xing Zhi Hui ignored it since it was leading the conversation to where she wanted to go, “Herbivores are eaten by carnivores. Is it evil?”

Herbivores are eaten by carnivores. It is the cycle of life. Again, it simply is.

“No.” Tempest timidly said as if she was being bullied by the devil. In a sense she is. A cultivators needs iron will, resolute courage and deep conviction in themselves when they walk on the path of immortality. The conversation is essentially corroding Tempest’s sense of self, the very foundation she needs to become an immortal.

“Then which do you want to be? A herbivore or a carnivore?”

“A carnivore.” Given the choice between eating or being eaten, Tempest would chose to eat.

Xing Zhi Hui was happy she accomplished the task Aria Se Jivock asked her to do. Even though she and Aria Se Jivock have a complicated relationship, she wasn’t Aria Se Jivock’s lackey.

Still.

Aria Se Jivock knows how to make her life a living hell if she failed any important task given to her. Yes the are friends. Friendship doesn’t cancel out the karma between them.

Xing Zhi Hui quickly urged the confused little girl back to camp.

Maybe because Xing Zhi Hui didn’t want to see Tempest’s depressed face. Maybe because the little girl looked worse than a soaked cat left out in the rain. Or maybe it was because Tempest looked so pathetic with her listless eyes and stooped posture that made Xing Zhi Hui try to cheer her up.

Let it be known, Xing Zhi Hui is an emotional dunce.

Xing Zhi Hui is an emotional dunce.

Truly, Xing Zhi Hui is an emotional dunce.

Her method of comforting left a lot to be desired.

“By the way, there are some plants that gain enlightenment and take on a human form, so human subsisting only on plant is not possible. You’d be depriving the right of an intelligent being to live.”

“Damn it.” Tempest thought to herself. She forgets the rules of this world aren’t the same as the rules that govern Earth. Pigs can fly and plants can become humans. What else is out there that can destroy her sense of reality?

“Also, immortals don’t need to eat.” That damn Xing Zhi Hui. What humans need to eat then go and throw the bomb that immortals don’t have to, destroying the definition of a living being and the very foundation of Tempest’s concept of what humanity is. Everyone thinks Aria is diabolical and vicious. They haven’t been on the receiving end of Xing Zhi Hui's world destroying conversations. Aria kills you. Xing Zhi Hui break the very foundation of your belief and leaves you worse than a rotten maggot on a dead body.

Tempest glared at the oblivious Xing Zhi Hui. If looks could kill…

There are eye techniques that can kill a cultivator. Ventus interjected. They’ve seen the glare often enough to know the meaning behind it.

“Oh hell. Why I am applying the rules, logic, principles and morals of Earth to this world where it doesn’t apply. I will just get knocked out and swept under the rug if I act like I was back on Earth.” Tempest sighed as she ruminates,“I’ve said it before; humans can learn, humans can adapt, humans can change. I have to take my own advice and adapt to the rules, logic, principles and morals of this world. It will be hard. It might break the foundation of who I am. But then again, I am not Athena; I am Tempest Arashi Kataigida.”