I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 212: Chapter 148: Seeking Only a Clear Conscience

"The human-like mushroom has survived, but I don’t know if it will mutate later on."

"Even if it looks more and more like a Human now, it is, in essence, not Human."

"In the worst-case scenario, it will continuously devour your wife’s life force, and eventually, both of them will die."

"But if you kill the human-like mushroom right now, your wife will also die."

"It’s even possible that another ’Cotton Shedding’ outbreak will occur wherever the human-like mushroom is."

"Therefore, you must leave this place and live in seclusion somewhere remote and uninhabited."

"Understand?"

This was what Zheng Xiu had said to the man.

At that moment, the "despondent" Cuihua seemed to come back to life. Holding her child and her husband’s hand, she bid farewell to Zheng Xiu and Ruchen without a single lingering attachment.

They didn’t dare to stay.

The residents of Jingtang Town were so intimidated by Zheng Xiu that they didn’t dare approach. The husband knew that once Zheng Xiu and Ruchen left, Cuihua and her child would be burned alive.

He had been unwilling to acknowledge the human-like mushroom as his child, but when it first opened its mouth and said the word "Mama," his heart softened for some reason.

"Benefactor, your kindness is immense. This humble one can never repay you in this lifetime. Please accept my bow! May Heaven protect you, and may a good person like you have a lifetime of peace!"

Having experienced such dramatic ups and downs, the man was now at peace. He knelt in the street, in front of his collapsed house, and kowtowed three heavy times to Zheng Xiu.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The couple decided to leave and never look back.

Their house had been burned down, so they had nothing to feel sentimental about.

Before parting, the man told Zheng Xiu that his wife, Cuihua, had been the concubine of a wealthy merchant in Zhaozhou in her youth. She had given birth to a son who later died from a severe illness, and she was never able to conceive again. The loss of her child became a constant source of grief for Cuihua. Eventually, because she couldn’t produce an heir for the merchant, she was cast out.

The man had met Cuihua in Zhaozhou back then. She was seen as a "fallen woman" and was the subject of much gossip. To find some peace of mind, the man brought Cuihua to Jingtang Town to live in seclusion.

With this pregnancy, another "Cotton Shedding" outbreak had occurred in Jingtang Town. After all the twists and turns, the man had come to a realization. He felt it must be the will of Heaven that this child survived. No matter what it grew up to be, even if it wasn’t Human, the man decided to respect Cuihua’s wishes and raise this human-like mushroom to adulthood.

Zheng Xiu and Ruchen stood side by side, watching the family of three—empty-handed, supporting one another—as their figures receded into the sunset. They were lost in thought, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Brother Zheng, this Little Monk was wrong."

Ruchen sighed.

Zheng Xiu asked, "What did you do wrong?"

Ruchen gave a bitter smile. "This Little Monk initially believed that killing the Cotton Shedding was a good deed. But I never expected that killing it would cause the infected pregnant women to die suddenly as well, which was an evil act. Then, when the human-like mushroom survived, this Little Monk’s heart softened. I couldn’t bear to kill it and let it go free. This seems like a kind act, but if the human-like mushroom commits evil in the future and kills more people, then my action will have become a malicious one. So, no matter what, this Little Monk was wrong."

The self-blame in Ruchen’s voice was palpable.

Zheng Xiu chuckled. "I didn’t expect this outcome either, at first. Good and evil are hard to distinguish; black and white are hard to tell apart. No wonder the custom here for hundreds of years has been to use the ’Purification Ceremony’ to deal with ’Cotton Shedding.’ The ancients must have already known this. But Huahua, everything has two sides, just as this world is divided into the Common World and the Darkness. You can’t judge it by ordinary logic. If we had let them burn all those pregnant women alive at the start, you couldn’t have borne it, and neither could I. Now, those women couldn’t be saved, so the result is the same. The only difference is that because we intervened, someone survived. So, you’re not entirely correct."

Ruchen frowned. "So this Little Monk wasn’t wrong?"

Zheng Xiu shook his head. "You were wrong. Wrong is wrong."

Ruchen’s brow furrowed. "Then..."

Zheng Xiu said, "You just have to have a clear conscience."

Ruchen asked, "What if the human-like mushroom commits evil again?"

Zheng Xiu sighed softly. "That would be another matter entirely."

Ruchen nodded. "What Brother Zheng says makes sense."

Zheng Xiu smiled faintly. "Besides, I was the one who killed the Cotton Shedding, and I was the one who let the human-like mushroom go. What does it have to do with you?"

Ruchen was stunned.

He never would have thought Zheng Xiu would take all the responsibility for this matter on himself.

In truth, if one were to trace the rights and wrongs of the "Cotton Shedding incident" in Jingtang Town, it would be difficult to make a clear judgment. Neither Zheng Xiu nor Ruchen were callous people; they couldn’t just stand by and watch pregnant women be burned alive. Since they had interfered, they had to resolve the Cotton Shedding issue. The survival of the human-like mushroom was an accident, and its heart-to-heart connection with Cuihua was even more unexpected. In that moment, the tiny human-like mushroom gave Zheng Xiu the feeling that it was "developing a Human heart."

Zheng Xiu couldn’t predict the consequences of letting the human-like mushroom and the couple go, either.

But, to eradicate it completely, root and stem?

Who could bring themselves to do it?

The two of them walked toward the Purifying Witch Family’s home.

Zheng Xiu calmed himself and said as they walked, "In any case, the matter is finally resolved. I hope that Elder Purifying Witch keeps his promise and prepares the supplies. We’ll head up the mountain tonight. Any delay could lead to complications."

"Alright!"

Ruchen, his heart still heavy, also tried his best to cast aside the unpleasantness from this incident. He found himself admiring Machoman Zheng Shan more and more. The man acted with such open integrity—right was right, wrong was wrong. He was responsible, decisive, never hesitated, and bravely accepted the consequences.

’Brother Zheng truly is handsome and mightier than any other,’

Ruchen silently worshipped him in his heart.

The townspeople voluntarily parted to form a path. They watched the couple leave, the Anger on their faces now less intense than before.

Zheng Xiu and Ruchen strode through the crowd. He observed everyone’s expressions and quickly understood.

The people of Jingtang Town didn’t care whether the "Cotton Shedding" was dead or not, but rather whether it was still in Jingtang. As long as Cuihua and her husband took the "human-like mushroom" far away from Jingtang Town, where they went and where else in the world a Cotton Shedding outbreak might occur had absolutely nothing to do with them.

Having figured this out, Zheng Xiu silently lamented "human nature." This lament wasn’t about right or wrong, good or evil, but simply a true facet of humanity.

Suddenly, Zheng Xiu stopped in his tracks.

Ruchen, who had been staring at Zheng Xiu’s broad back and letting his mind wander, didn’t notice in time and bumped right into him. Instantly, he felt as if he had run into an iron plate.

Ruchen clutched his nose in pain and mumbled, "Brother Zheng, what’s wrong?"

Zheng Xiu’s face was filled with shock. "Something’s not right."

Ruchen asked, "What’s not right?"

Zheng Xiu whipped his head around, his expression almost savage. "Everything is wrong! There’s something wrong with that Purifying Witch! How could I not have noticed!"

As he spoke, Zheng Xiu quickened his pace toward the Purifying Witch Family’s home, shouting an explanation as he went, "Fuck, that kid’s act was too natural! So natural I didn’t even think to doubt it!"

"What is it? Brother Zheng!"

Ruchen hurried to catch up, moving like the wind, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him.

"The lock on the gate!" Zheng Xiu roared. "That lock was fastened from the outside! That courtyard has clearly been uninhabited for years, so how did the Elder Purifying Witch get out of the house? Don’t tell me a little rundown shack has a secret passage?"

Upon hearing this, Ruchen had a sudden realization.

When they arrived at the gate of the Purifying Witch Family’s home, they saw the sixteenth-generation Purifying Witch, Xiaozhao, waiting there. At his feet were two large bundles, bulging as if stuffed full.

Seeing the two of them rushing over from a distance, kicking up a high cloud of dust, Xiaozhao actually waved at them cheerfully.

"You two heroes! Grandpa heard you killed the Cotton Shedding! The things you wanted are all ready!"

BAM!

Zheng Xiu struck with lightning speed, grabbing Xiaozhao by the neck, lifting him up, and pinning him against the wall.

Of course, though he looked ferocious, he wasn’t using lethal force.

"Speak! Who are you people!"

Xiaozhao’s face was filled with terror. He kicked his feet frantically and stammered, "I’m Xiaozhao! I’m Xiaozhao, the sixteenth-generation Purifying Witch of Jingtang Town!"

"Where’s your grandfather! Is he a man or a ghost! Where did he come from!"

"Grandpa is just... Grandpa!"

"Where is he!"

"Grandpa left, Grandpa left... He’s gone!"

Xiaozhao’s expression and tone didn’t seem fake. With a flicker of thought, Zheng Xiu set the boy down, stood before the courtyard gate, and gazed at the front door of the house.

Sure enough, the bronze lock was fastened from the outside.

After being set down, Xiaozhao clutched his neck, coughing dryly, still shaken.

As the Mighty Man and Ruchen walked silently toward the dilapidated house,

Xiaozhao suddenly giggled behind them and said,

"My grandpa left a message for you."

Zheng Xiu turned back.

"Grandpa said,"

Xiaozhao’s voice suddenly grew hoarse, mimicking an old man’s tone.

"Do you... have any regrets?"