Chapter 1012: Reconciliation
Those words were quite logical. For a moment, neither Qi Xuansu, Ke Qingqing, nor Han Yongfeng could find a way to refute them.
Han Yongfeng shot a quick glance at Qi Xuansu, afraid the remark might anger him. But Qi Xuansu showed no sign of displeasure and simply asked, “When those below act lawlessly, the Sages above might not be aware.”
The Daoist clearly found Qi Xuansu’s question a little naive and struggled to stifle a laugh. He bowed his head and said, “If a young emperor was raised in the inner palace by women, unaware of the world and deceived by his ministers, that’d be believable.
But these Sages have climbed from the bottom. They’re all seasoned masters capable of predicting the future. Young master, do you really think that they’re completely ignorant?”
Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. “You seem quite familiar with the Daoist Order. You even know the Sages once had humble beginnings. So if they are aware, do you think that they do not wish to intervene or that they dare not intervene?”
The Daoist finally let out a chuckle. “You must be from the Central Plains, young master. You’re nothing like a Poluo native. In my opinion, there’s nothing they need to fear, so I don’t think it’s a matter of courage. They simply don’t want to bother.”
Ke Qingqing looked at Qi Xuansu and noticed how grave his expression had become. The lighthearted air he had when they first disembarked from the flying ship was entirely gone. A faint chill stirred in her heart.
Qi Xuansu did not return her gaze. Instead, he looked toward Han Yongfeng. “Old Han, you’ve spent more time in the local regions. What’s your view?”
Han Yongfeng was momentarily taken aback. He had not expected to be asked, but he answered promptly, “I think the Sages did experience the lower ranks, but that was long ago. After being up there for so long, they start to assume too much, and their grasp of worldly affairs becomes vague, and their judgments are no longer precise. Unless they see it with their own eyes, they rarely think that deeply about it.”
Qi Xuansu chuckled lightly. “Self-deception, then? As long as they don’t see it themselves, it doesn’t exist.”
There was a trace of mockery in his tone, and Han Yongfeng’s face immediately grew solemn.
Qi Xuansu continued, “That reminds me of a joke. There was once a great philanthropist who declared that no poor people were allowed within 10 kilometers of his residence. So his underlings drove every beggar out of the area. That was the so-called philanthropist’s compassion.”