Long Chen was extremely annoyed by these trolls. He originally planned to keep a low profile, first observe the situation in the Vermilion Bird Empire, and then figure out how to give the betrothal gifts. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be sure of victory.
At this moment, being targeted by these mindless scholars, Long Chen's anger flared up instantly. He didn't care about anything else, just sat down on the stage, and looked at these guys:
"What do you mean 'frogs in a well' can't talk about the sea, how can summer insects talk about ice?" "If my hands are covered in blood, then what do you mean by eating chicken, duck, fish, and meat? Are you also covered in blood?" "
Sorry, I'm a vegetarian and don't get involved in meat." The scholar seemed prepared and sneered coldly.
"Eating vegetarian means you don't kill?" Lift your feet and take a look. Long Chen said disdainfully.
The man was stunned. Seeing everyone staring at him, he sneered, "Nonsense." "
But even as he said this, he still lifted one foot. His shoes were spotless, the soles as white as jade, flawless. Vermilion Bird City was truly spotless.
"And then?" Are you going to buy my shoes? Sorry, unless you have the status of a scholar, you'll never be qualified to wear these shoes in your lifetime. The scholar mocked.
"Idiot, can just one pair of shoes pull you up to the sky?" I'm talking about your other shoe. Long Chen said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the scholar switched legs and lifted the other foot. The sole was equally clean, except on the white sole was a tiny black dot. Looking closely, it was an ant the size of a grain of rice, crushed to death by him, its corpse stuck to the sole of his shoe.
"Now tell me, have you also been stained with blood?" Long Chen said.
"You... This was nothing but an accident! The scholar said angrily.
"Accident?" Accidents can take life at will. Since that chubby white man said, all living beings must be reasonable.
This ant is also a living being, with relatives, seven or eight aunts, perhaps with high wealth and status, three wives and four concubines, working hard, and possibly having hundreds of children and grandchildren.
And you, you crushed it with one foot and then said it was an accident and that's it? Do you know how heartbroken its parents, wife, and children are?
If you truly speak reasonably, you should pay a life for a life, apologizing with your life in front of everyone present! Otherwise, where is justice? "You all don't even reason, so who would listen to your reasoning?" Long Chen said.
"You..."
The scholar's face turned ashen with anger. Accidentally stepping on an ant, and now you have to pay for your life? Is he crazy?
"What do you mean, you?" Are you even reasonable? I'm trying to reason with you from the perspective of an ant, so why aren't you reasoning now? Long Chen said, looking puzzled.
The cultivators present all smiled. This Long Chen was so interesting—rare among cultivators with such a smooth tongue. Watching those scholars get embarrassed, they felt as refreshed as swallowing a bite of chilled honey in the scorching heat.
"Ants can't speak, so why should they reason?" Another scholar couldn't help but exclaim.
"What did you say?" Long Chen pretended not to hear.
"Ants can't speak, so why should they reason?" The scholar thought his voice was too low, so he shouted loudly.
"What did you say?"
"Ants can't speak, so why should they reason?" This time, the scholar shouted.
"What did you say?"
"I said ants can't speak, so why bother ...?" the scholar shouted loudly. Since he wasn't a cultivator, his voice became hoarse halfway through and he couldn't finish the rest of his sentence.
"If I can't hear what you're saying, that means I don't need to reason with you anymore, right?
You can't hear the ant's cry before dying, which means you don't need to reason with the ant.
Isn't this just a return to the previous question? When the power is not on the same level, reasoning is simply impossible.
You say ants can't speak, I say I can't hear your voice. The logic is the same—in plain terms, it's just burying one's ears and trying to see who's more shameless.
So, don't act all high and mighty. Seeing you all so proud makes me want to slap you in the face—not for anything else, just because it feels great. Long Chen shrugged, looking like he was going to waste it with you today—what could you do to him?
Long Chen's words sounded a bit like a scoundrel, but reason is logic. Long Chen kept using this trap to trap them firmly. If he couldn't get past it, he wouldn't be able to keep reasoning.
"Asking me to lose my life is simply unreasonable. You've killed so many living beings—what right do you have to criticize me?" The scholar shouted angrily.
"I didn't say anything about you, you were the one who criticized me first. I've killed living beings, and you've killed living beings too. Although the proportions are vastly different, in essence, there's no real difference. What's the point of calling someone a hundred steps wrong?" Long Chen said calmly.
The scholar's face immediately darkened. Everyone present looked grim. Long Chen was far too sinister. If this matter wasn't resolved, they wouldn't continue to reason with them. If that happened, they would lose all dignity.
"So, according to what you said, how should we resolve this kind of thing?" The scholar who had crushed the ants said coldly, then tossed the question back to Long Chen.
Long Chen chuckled and said, "I'm also someone who likes to reason with others. Asking you to pay for your life is indeed a bit much."
But if you keep its corpse safe, kneel and kowtow three times, then go back and wear mourning clothes, keeping vigil for forty-nine days—that shouldn't be too much, right?
If you agree, then let's let this matter go. Let's continue to reason properly, how about that?" "
You..."
The scholar was furious. According to imperial customs, only when a close family elder passes away is mourning clothes donned mourning clothes and kept vigil. Normally, relatives only keep vigil for seven days, and forty-nine days is only observed after a parent's death. After forty-nine days, mourning lasts three years.
Although Long Chen hadn't required him to observe mourning for three years, the seventy-seven forty-nine days of mourning was as generous as burying this ant as if it were his own parents—it was simply humiliating.
"Those who insult others must humiliate themselves; those who step on others must be trampled on. When you came up and sneered at me, it wasn't about reasoning—you wanted me to embarrass myself to show off your knowledge and nobility.
If you want to step on others' shoulders and raise your own height, you must be prepared to fall—to fall and fall like a dog eating poop.
I'm someone who never tolerates anyone's faults. If someone respects me an inch, I respect them a yard deep; if someone bites me, I'll slap them hard.
Anyway, since you're shameless, I don't need to save you any face. If you agree, we'll continue; if not, that's the end of the reasoning. Full screen is yours to decide. Long Chen looked at the group of scholars and said calmly.
From their eyes, Long Chen saw nothing but anger, but he didn't care at all. You upset me, I made you unhappy, and everyone was upset—only then was it fair.
"Alright, I agree!"
The scholar actually removed the ant from the sole of his shoe in front of everyone, and in front of everyone, kowtowed three times in a row, leaving everyone stunned.
While shocked, they also looked at the smiling Long Chen: this guy has probably completely offended the Confucius' Courtyard.