Chapter 156 | The Mahayana Cultivator Who Can’t Learn Magic

Setis raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling a bit surprised... yet somehow finding it entirely expected.

Hui, on the other hand, seemed to recall many past events she preferred not to remember, and her expression grew somewhat complicated.

“That guy was different from everyone else right from the moment he started cultivating.”

“When others fought over spirit stones, he talked about rules—insisting on earning them himself.”

“When others went to seek vengeance on their enemies, he would first ask if they could sit down and talk things out.”

“While others were busy killing and robbing for treasures everywhere, he was busy brewing tea and reading books.”

“In short, if he could talk his way out of something, he would never use his fists. Even if he did fight, he tried his best not to harm lives. Unless absolutely necessary, he basically never killed anyone.”

Setis felt that what Hui was saying sounded a bit surreal... but on second thought, it did indeed match Li Yuan's style.

Hui let out a soft snort and said disdainfully,

“But don't think his easygoing nature means he's a pushover. Ever since that freak burst onto the scene, he single-handedly warped the entire culture of Kyushu.”

Setis's eyes widened slightly.

“Warped? In what way?”

“Relying on his fists, he led the Dao Sect and the Heavenly Secret Pavilion to force all the other major sects, royal families, noble clans, demon race, and rogue cultivator factions of Kyushu to bow to him.”

“Then, he established a unified world in Kyushu.”

“A few years later, he came up with some Unified Law, established the Cultivator Inspection Bureau, and introduced the notion that cultivators should face the same legal consequences as ordinary citizens. He was always mumbling strange things like 'all men are born equal' and so on.”

Speaking up to this point, Hui's expression became somewhat odd, yet it also carried a hint of admiration.

“Back then, many old fogies thought he had lost his mind. Cultivators killing a mortal or two for whatever reason used to be the most normal thing in the world, yet he stubbornly refused to let it slide.”

“If cultivators used their strength to oppress others, he intervened.”

“If sect disciples robbed people, he intervened as well.”

“As for other serious crimes like robbery and murder, absolutely no one could escape. Those who deserved death were executed, and those who deserved prison were locked up. In short—as long as you violated the laws clearly stated in the Unified Law, everyone was treated equally.”

“Regardless of strength, identity, or status... everyone was dealt with according to the law.”

“Of course, there were plenty of people who refused to comply, so he would personally pay them a visit to reason with them.”

Hearing this, Setis couldn't help but ask:

“Reason with them? Would they actually listen?”

Hui glanced at her.

“He'd start by reasoning. If they didn't understand, it was fine—he also knew a bit of martial arts.”

“...”

That was indeed very Li Yuan.

Hui continued:

“In short, during the era when he suppressed the world, Kyushu welcomed its longest period of peace in history, which was also the period of the most rapid growth in overall strength.”

“Under his leadership, cultivators and mortals achieved almost complete peaceful coexistence. Barely anyone was killed for no reason anymore, and scenes of cultivators oppressing mortals became extremely rare.”

“Of course, there were still many who resented him.”

“But since they couldn't beat him, they had to hold it in. Those who couldn't hold it in and dared to commit crimes would face the law-enforcing cultivators of the Inspection Bureau. If even that failed, he would personally step in.”

“In any case, no one back then could survive a single move against him.”

Setis listened with a look of utter disbelief.

She tried to reconcile the Li Yuan who gently brewed tea in the teahouse with the man Hui described, who suppressed the entire world with nothing but his fists.

Comparing them over and over, it didn't seem... wait, it actually didn't seem contradictory at all? Their styles of doing things could be said to be completely different, but if she really pictured him in either role, it felt perfectly natural.

If it were him... he really seemed capable of doing such things.

Hui let out a long sigh and looked at Setis helplessly.

“So do you understand now? On the path of cultivation, strength is everything. Unless, of course, you run into a kind-hearted freak like him.”

After listening, Setis nodded unconsciously. But halfway through, she suddenly shook her head vigorously.

Hui's brow furrowed in slight displeasure, feeling like she had wasted her breath.

“What is it now?”

Setis looked at her with a strange expression and asked curiously,

“But didn't I just happen to run into Li Yuan? Speaking of which, wasn't he the one who brought me here in the first place?”

Hui froze, her mouth hanging slightly open as the realization hit her... Wait, she was actually right?

The more Setis thought about it, the more she felt Hui was right. Wasn't Li Yuan right here? Why did she have to torment herself with the law of the jungle from Kyushu?

“Didn't you just say, 'unless you run into a kind-hearted freak'... doesn't that mean I've already found one?”

She counted on her fingers, continuing in a serious, deadpan manner:

“As for backers, aren't you and Li Yuan my backers? Besides, this isn't Kyushu. Why do I still have to cultivate in fear every single day? Don't I have you guys?”

Hui opened her mouth, wanting to sternly refute this hedonistic mindset, but found that Setis's logic was so sound she couldn't find a single loophole to argue against.

The lecture she had prepared suddenly got stuck in her throat, rendering her words pale and powerless.

On second thought, she really wasn't wrong.

This wasn't Kyushu, and the person backing her was Li Yuan.

In the entire Ogu Continent, who could find a backer more formidable than Li Yuan? Plus, she also had the King of the Demon Race on her side.

With this setup, let alone here, even if they returned to Kyushu one day, she could walk with her head held high anywhere she went—for the simple reason that... no one was stronger than Li Yuan.

Hui fell silent. Although it was the truth, she still felt like something was off, yet she couldn't put her finger on it.

Seeing her silence, Setis grew a bit bolder and struck while the iron was hot:

“So, me just wanting to go home for one day to visit really isn't too much to ask, is it?”

Hui glanced at her and suddenly stood up.

Setis thought she had finally relented, and her eyes lit up, thinking she had succeeded.

Instead, Hui merely gave her a flat look, turned around, and walked out of the cottage.

“Wash the dishes after you eat, then continue your breathing exercises.”

Setis's face fell instantly, and she grumbled defiantly:

“You haven't answered me yet.”

Without looking back, Hui knew she was in the wrong but refused to yield, so she simply said:

“I don't want to talk to you right now.”

“...”

Watching the white fox's departing figure, she felt both annoyed and amused.

What was this? Giving the silent treatment just because she lost the argument?

But seeing that Hui had already stepped outside, she could only look down at the bowl and chopsticks on the table.

When under someone else's roof, one had to bow one's head... Setis sighed softly, resigning herself to cleaning up.

Although she hadn't succeeded in getting a day off, her mood tonight was much better than before.

She understood her situation much better now—for instance... there was a high probability she wouldn't have to undergo the brutally inhumane, grueling cultivation Hui had previously described...