Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Black and White
It would be a lie to say the man wasn’t afraid of Lin Yun. Although he was old enough to be Lin Yun’s grandfather, age meant nothing on the Celestial Spirit Continent. All that mattered was strength.
Upon hearing this, the other Two-Stars Stewards behind him sneered. This old geezer had never been on their side. They had left him alone for two reasons: first, he was a long-serving member of the Flawless Palace, and second, he knew how to stay in his lane.
Just when everyone else thought Lin Yun would fly into a rage at the man’s words, Lin Yun, who had been silent all this time, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Haha! So, you think I’m a dead man?" Lin Yun looked at him and asked, laughing.
"Yes," the man said without hesitation. "Your Combat Power might be enough to kill a Three-Stars Steward, but can you kill an Elder?"
Lin Yun stared at him for several moments. The man looked to be in his sixties, his hair starting to turn white. Just as he thought Lin Yun was about to make a move, Lin Yun spoke.
"Let me ask you, did you know what Boss Tang and the others were doing?"
"I did."
"Then why didn’t you stop them?" Lin Yun pressed.
The man fell silent for a moment, a look of shame creeping across his face. He sighed helplessly. "And what was I supposed to use to stop them?"
"I’ve been a Two-Stars Steward for decades, and my cultivation has been stuck at the Mid-Stage of the Qi Sea Realm all this time. I know I have no more potential in this life. I have no strength, no authority... How could I possibly have stopped them?"
From the man’s eyes and expression, Lin Yun could tell he had a conscience. He was simply too cowardly. To survive, he had chosen to swallow his grievances, bow his head, and turn a blind eye.
"Don’t you realize that your inaction makes you no different from Boss Tang and his men?" Lin Yun said coolly. "You may not have harmed anyone yourself, but you stood by and watched them do as they pleased. That’s called abetting a villain."
Hearing Lin Yun’s words, the man lowered his head in shame. Lin Yun was right. He was simply too cowardly. He had thought that as long as he never personally harmed any servant disciples, his conscience would be clear. But was it?
He had personally witnessed Boss Tang’s gang mercilessly murder numerous servant disciples. And him? He had remained indifferent from start to finish, thinking only that it was enough not to participate, never once considering stepping in to stop them.
This world is filled with too much darkness and evil. You can’t just stand on the sidelines by choosing not to participate.
By the same token, Lin Yun’s actions today were a classic case of fighting violence with violence. The self-righteous would claim that violence is never the answer, that Lin Yun was also a murderer. Weren’t the lives of Boss Tang and his men still lives?
But when it came to right and wrong, black and white, who could truly say for sure?
It was true that Lin Yun had killed people, but didn’t they deserve to die? By killing them, he could ensure the servant disciples lived better lives and save countless others.
That’s why, in his heart, Lin Yun didn’t care in the slightest how others judged him. All he needed was to have a clear conscience. If he killed, he killed. This was a dog-eat-dog world; there was no absolute right or wrong, only strength.
Lin Yun paid the man no more mind. ’He’s too cowardly,’ Lin Yun thought, ’but compared to Boss Tang’s crew, he’s much better. At least he still has a shred of conscience left.’
"Who here has the best handwriting?" Lin Yun asked the crowd, his tone flat.
At his words, one of the Two-Stars Stewards stepped forward. Lin Yun then instructed the man to write something for him.
Taking out a brush, ink, and paper from his Space Ring, the man began to write under Lin Yun’s direction.
"Today, the servant disciple Lin Yun was bullied by the Fatty Kong brothers. When the two brothers attempted to take his life, Lin Yun was forced to defend himself, killing the Fatty Kong brothers and eight others, for a total of ten people."
"Afterward, Lin Yun took the initiative to report to the Three-Stars Steward, Boss Tang. To his surprise, Boss Tang ignored the facts, blindly covering for the Fatty Kong brothers’ crimes, and attempted to execute Lin Yun on the spot. Lin Yun fought back and, in the struggle, accidentally killed Boss Tang and a Two-Stars Steward... All of us here can testify to these events."
As Lin Yun dictated, the man wrote down his words verbatim. According to the document, Lin Yun had acted entirely in self-defense. To conclude, Lin Yun had everyone present sign their names to it.
If one were to believe Lin Yun’s version, he never intended to kill anyone. The stewards didn’t dare say anything, but inwardly they were scornful. ’He’s completely twisting the facts!’
Once everyone had signed their name and pressed a bloody thumbprint onto the paper, Lin Yun smiled faintly and put it away.
Lin Yun did this as a precaution. Although he believed Luo Feng wouldn’t punish him over such a trivial matter, it never hurt to be prepared.
"Alright," Lin Yun said, looking at the stewards. "If the Elders come asking, you all know what to say, don’t you?"
In response, they all thumped their chests and replied, "Don’t worry, Young Master Lin, we know what to do! Boss Tang and his men brought this all upon themselves. Young Master Lin was simply forced to defend himself."
A satisfied smile touched Lin Yun’s lips. This was the benefit of having strength. It might seem unreasonable, but it certainly saved a lot of trouble.
Besides, how much did reason really matter in this world? With many people, fists were far more useful—and convenient—than words.
The matter seemed to be settled, but just as the stewards finished speaking, an old man walked in.
He looked ancient, and one could tell at a glance that his days were numbered. Upon entering the main hall, his gaze fell on the bodies of Boss Tang and the Two-Stars Steward. His brow furrowed, and he turned to look at Lin Yun, who was sitting in the main seat.
"You little bastard!" he snarled. "How dare you murder a Steward of the Flawless Palace!"
Looking at the old man, Lin Yun guessed his identity. ’This must be the Elder in charge of the servant disciples.’
The group of Two-Stars Stewards hurriedly bowed to the old man, respectfully calling out, "Elder Wang."
The stewards were terrified of Elder Wang. After all, an Elder’s status was far above their own. Even though Elder Wang’s time was short, none of them dared to show him the slightest disrespect.
As they all bowed to Elder Wang, they said nothing about Lin Yun. By now, they knew Lin Yun was not to be trifled with either. Until the dust settled, none of them dared to get any more involved.
The old man ignored the stewards, his eyes fixed only on Lin Yun. Ever since he had taken charge of the servant disciples, nothing this serious had ever happened. A Three-Stars Steward had been killed on his watch, and the old man felt utterly disgraced.
