Grasping Evil

Life and Death, Truth and Falsehood, Karma and Samsara

“I am really thankful the Young Master is willing to share your thoughts. If I succeed in comprehending the Dao of Life and Death, I will certainly give Young Master lavish gifts as thanks in the future.” Tantai Weiyu wore a solemn expression and gently nodded at Ning Fan.

“I haven’t finished yet…”

“You still have more to share?” Weiyu asked, surprised.

“There is not only the Dao of Life and Death within wine, but also the Dao of Truth and Falsehood. Genuinely getting intoxicated while pretending to be sober or faking to be drunk while being truly conscious. Someone who leads a befuddled life as if he’s drunk and entranced is not truly intoxicated. Instead, they are conscious but they just act like they are in the state of intoxication… It’s just a pretense, a parallelism. They might appear to be intoxicated but they actually aren’t and the underlying principle in this situation is the Dao of Truth and Falsehood. If Mistress Weiyu successfully comprehends the Dao of Life and Death, you will be able to understand what is true and false. In the future, it won’t be difficult for you to attain the True Immortal Realm.”

“Truth… and falsehood!” Tantai Weiyu was deeply convinced.

It would still be acceptable and reasonable if the person who gave such a profound advice to her was an immortal emperor. However, the person whom she was listening to was just a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

The level of understanding of this particular Divine Transformation Realm cultivator was hardly comparable.

The power of understanding one possesses had nothing to with natural aptitude or intelligence. Instead, it was a cultivator’s understanding towards the great Dao and it was only related to one’s character. After all, the Heavenly Dao always reflected one’s heart.

The greatest asset that Ning Fan had was probably not his Yin Yang Transformation but his will to defy the heavens.

He was not smart in the first place. He was just an ordinary person. However, because of him being ordinary, he was able to get closer to the great Dao since the great Dao was simple and ordinary.

Tantai Weiyu had no idea of what to say next. If she attains the True Immortal Realm one day, the thing she would be the most thankful for would definitely be Ning Fan's advice.

She pondered for a while and then reached her hand out to her storage pouch, as if she had decided to take out something and give it to Ning Fan in order to express her gratitude.

But before she could take it out, Ning Fan continued speaking.

“Other than the Dao of Truth and Falsehood, there is still a deeper and more profound principle behind wine. Do you still want to hear it?”

“Yes! If Young Master is willing to lower yourself to teach me without sparing any detail, I am willing to repay your generosity. Mm. If anyone dares to disrespect Sister Suqiu when she ascends to the academy in the future, I will certainly help Young Master stand up for her and protect her!” Weiyu promised with an earnest tone.

Ning Fan nodded his head. He was obviously very satisfied with Weiyu’s assurance. His eyes then shone with seriousness and continued speaking.

“Above the principle of life and death, I saw the principle of truth and falsehood. On top of that principle, I saw the principle of karma. Being intoxicated is the effect of drinking whereas drinking is the cause of intoxication. Being sober is the effect of not drinking whereas not drinking is the reason why one can stay sober. Generally speaking, the karma in this world is something just like this. However, one will not be drunk every time they drink and not every cause can manifest the appropriate effect… For example, even if a woman glances back at her beloved everyday without fail for five hundred years in her previous life, it may not necessarily stir up his pity and affection. Even if she turns into a stone bridge and waits by the riverside for one thousand years, it may not necessarily be able to wait for his arrival. If Mistress Weiyu is able to see through karma someday, it won’t be surprising for you to become an immortal emperor.”

“Karma… Not being able to stir up his pity and affection even if a woman glances back at her beloved for five hundred years consecutively…” A feeling of sorrow suddenly filled her heart. It seemed like Tantai Weiyu had a sad past…

Indeed. How would a woman adopt the hobby of drinking if she did not have any stories to tell?

“Try guessing what I saw above the principle of karma…”

Ning Fan let out a faint sigh. Originally, he had no intention to continue sharing what he knew. However, when he noticed Tantai Weiyu’s depressed expression, he suddenly changed his mind and continued speaking, trying to divert her attention and diminish her sadness.

“What else could there be above the principle of karma?” Weiyu asked with an astonished expression. She felt that the maxim of such depth and profoundness was too much for her to understand.

“Being drunk as if you are living in a dream… Drinking is the cause of drunkenness while getting drunk is where the dream starts. Dreaming is the reason why you awaken and awakening is why one drinks again. If you look at it in reverse, you will find the effect… When you can clearly see cause and effect, it means that you have understood karma. When you are able to clearly see karma and identify which is which, then you have thoroughly seen through karma. Above the principle of karma is samsara. All things in this world are part of samsara. Nothing can escape from it. I am not your tree and you are not my fruit. There are some feelings that can’t be explained clearly in one’s entire life. Everything is just like the righteous and the devil paths.”

As Ning Fan finished speaking, he cupped his fists and walked out of the bamboo house.

He had seen through Tantai Weiyu’s thoughts. He even knew what she wanted to give him as a gift.

It was a set of fiendgod cultivation methods which was called Return from the Ocean of Lust. The function of this cultivation method was to nourish a man’s primordial yang.

This cultivation method neutralizes the latent danger which is residing within a man who had plucked countless women. The hidden danger would harm the man’s foundations when he abolishes his own dual cultivation method. With the help of this cultivation method, the male cultivator’s primordial yang would be gradually replenished after he does that.

Yes. It required abolishing his dual cultivation method! In order to practice the cultivation method from Weiyu, Ning Fan had to abolish his Yin Yang Transformation.

This cultivation method was the secret art of the Tantai Aristocratic Family. Thus, it was forbidden to give it to an outsider without much consideration. If Ning Fan accepts her cultivation method, he might cause her to be punished by her family members.

The reason why Weiyu intended to give him this cultivation method was doubtlessly because she hoped Ning Fan could abandon his devil cultivation method and return to the path of righteousness.

However, the final sentence Ning Fan uttered – ‘Everything is just like the righteous and the devil paths’, was actually reminding Weiyu that there were no differences between the cultivation methods of the righteous and devil paths in the first place. There was just no point being so stubborn in distinguishing the both of them.

It was not the fault of the Yin Yang Transformation. As a matter of fact, it was the user of the cultivation method who was at fault. As long as Ning Fan had no qualms about his own conduct, so what if he cultivated the Yin Yang Transformation and pluck all women beneath the heavens?!

It was an act of kindness from Tantai Weiyu but Ning Fan would never accept it.

“He has seen through everything…” Weiyu laughed bitterly while keeping the scroll of the cultivation method back into her storage pouch.

If Ning Fan returns at this point of time, she could probably help him enter the path of righteousness which would give him a better and brighter future.

It’s such a waste…

For no reason, Weiyu began to feel sorry for Ning Fan.

It was her first time being ‘subdued’ by a man like this…

“Are we going to meet again…?” Tantai Weiyu sighed. A disappointed feeling that she never had before filled her.

To think Tantai Weiyu would actually sigh for a male cultivator. This was just too rare. If this matter is spread, it would probably be more shocking than the news of Ning Fan defeating Ximen Ye.

In the Green Bamboo Palace, Ning Fan bade farewell to Cao Kang and left after giving him some pills.

Ning Fan had only met that man for the first time today. However, it seems that their predestined relationship will have to end here.

He took a step forward and vanished from the Green Bamboo Palace. In the next moment, he appeared above the surface of the sea. There was no island, no cultivators and living creatures around and only the sound of the sea waves could be heard.

Ning Fan gazed into the empty yet deserted ocean and remained silent.

Three days and three nights passed.

Finally, a gentleman in white robes appeared above the empty sea. His expression was cold and indifferent and his face was dead serious. Furthermore, he praised Ning Fan as soon as he appeared.

“Your ability to understand things is really strong. Your level of concentration is not bad too.”

The reason why this person complimented Ning Fan’s power of understanding was certainly because he had heard him speaking his comprehension of the Dao from the beginning until the end.

The reason why he complimented Ning Fan’s level of concentration was because Ning Fan was able to stand at his spot without moving or speaking until the gentleman appeared.

“Who are you, senior?”

“Yun.” That gentleman only uttered a single word but it instantly made Ning Fan’s expression change.

Ning Fan could not see through this gentleman’s cultivation base. The amount of pressure he gave him could rival Emperor Moksha!

This word immediately made Ning Fan recall the message he got from Lu Qing before he left the Lost World Palace.

“Pass my test and you’ll gain the token of a revered being. - Yun”

Ning Fan’s eyes were solemn.

This white-robed gentleman was obviously the Void Fragmentation Realm old monster who came from the Rain Palace to test me!

Almost at the same moment, Ning Fan shook his Cauldron Ring and took out an ancient pouch.

He had cast aside the pouch to the deepest corner of the enormous space within the Cauldron Ring and had kept it there for a very long time.

Within the storage pouch was the strongest trump card that Ning Fan had so far – the rogue devil[1]!

Ning Fan had once thought that he might be able to control the rogue devil with some effort using different types of methods once he attains the Peak Divine Transformation Realm.

But honestly, he did not have one hundred percent confidence that he would surely be able to do so with his current cultivation realm.

Opening the storage pouch at the Peak Divine Transformation Realm was no doubt a gamble.

If he manages to control the rogue devil, he would then have the strength to dominate the entire Rain World.

If he fails, however, he would die right there and then. Everything he went through and all of his effort in Dao cultivation would be gone.

He would never make such a dangerous bet unless he found an opportunity that was worth gambling his life for.

However, when he met this white-robed gentleman, he had the urge to make the bet without any hesitation.

If this gentleman harbors malicious intent against him, he would open the pouch and unleash the rogue devil to fight against him!

Even if it would cost him his life, he would also want to make the latter perish together with him!

“It seems like there’s something incredible inside your little pouch.” The white-robed gentleman nodded his head but shook his head a second later.

“If I want to take your life, you would have died long ago. Five days ago, I arrived at the Lost World Tower and left a piece of jade… You should know what that means.”

The meaning of his words was obvious without even any explanation.

Five days ago, Ning Fan was still asleep and he still needed Bei Xiaoman’s care.

During that time, he had no way to protect himself or formations for self-preservation. If the white-robed gentleman wanted to kill him, it would be a piece of cake.

Since he did not kill Ning Fan that time, then he would not kill him now. At the very least, Ning Fan knew how this worked.

He kept the pouch containing the rogue devil and stared coldly at the white-robed gentleman. Then, he cupped his fists and asked.

“May I be so bold as to ask how Senior plans to test me?”

“You know a lot about wine, don’t you?”

“Just a little.” Ning Fan did not sound modest but he did not act arrogantly too.

“I overheard your conversation previously. You really seem to have some knowledge about wine. However, I don’t like talking rubbish. I only look at a single benchmark to find out whether or not you truly know about wine and that is how much you can drink!”

Yun Tianjue patted his storage pouch and a ray of sword light shot out from within. It transformed into a ship with the shape of a sword.

He descended to the ship and lifted the sail. After that, he touched his storage pouch again. Bottles of spiritual wine piled up like a mountain. All of them were from the Green Bamboo Palace.

When Ning Fan was having a deep conversation with Weiyu, he had actually emptied out all the wine cellars of the Green Bamboo Palace!

“Have a drink with me.”

“Can I assume that this is Senior’s test for me?”

“You can think whatever you like.”

Ning Fan landed on the sword ship and sat in a meditative posture just like Yun Tianjue. Both of them began to drink together. However, the atmosphere remained silent as if they had no common topic to talk about.

However, when they sat facing each other and drank, there was no element of contrast at all.

Suddenly, the furrow between Yun Tianjue’s brows became deeper. He could not understand why he, an antisocial and solitary person, would decide to drink wine with an unfamiliar junior.

However, he did not reject this feeling.

“If you become drunk, you will fail the test.” Yun Tianjue uttered indifferently.

“I won’t become drunk!” Ning Fan smiled confidently. That smile made Yun Tianjue feel a bit stunned.

He seemed to have seen that smile before on a woman’s face. He was very familiar with him yet he could not remember where he had seen it.

Who was it…?