Sundering Nature-Volume 9 Chapter 7

Original and most updated translations are from volare. Please don't read elsewhere and stop supporting theft.

TL: Zhao

Editing: Krisaia

"But sometimes there is someone who behaves without righteousness, and moves against rationality, who mistakes evil for ability, and inflicts injury on others, who exercises power but not compassion, who is cruel, irrational, and self-willed, who does not distinguish right from wrong, and turns his back on those whom he should befriend, who has no feeling for favors received, but is tireless in remembering resentment…" Li Yiming recited a verse from the Tractate of the Most High One on Actions and Consequences.

Li Yiming wandered through the streets, until he reached the entrance to an office building. He went up the stairs all the way to the rooftop. As he gazed at the city below him painted with a myriad of colorful lights, he was reminded of that time where he stood on the same rooftop over a year ago, when he was at his lowest point in life.

'The rules of this world…' Li Yiming chuckled at Mr. Kong's words. He crossed over the protective fence and sat at the edge of the roof with his feet dangling in the air.

'The last time I was here because of love… And now I'm here because I question the path I have chosen to walk down in life…' Li Yiming began to question his own beliefs. He remembered hearing Bai Ze's judgment on human nature. Although he did not refute her statement at that time, he did not agree with her.

Growing up, Li Yiming had put his trust in the goodness of others. The world was rife with kind people, and it was natural for those more privileged to show compassion for the less fortunate. These beliefs motivated his positive, uplooking attitude, and he still believed in them even after becoming a guardian.

However, Li Yiming's firm beliefs were now shaken. He could no longer tell whether the so-called "goodness" was some kind of social construct, or worse, merely propaganda spread by the rich and powerful to keep the poor and miserable from seeing the dire truth.

'Helping the elderly turns into a scam… Perhaps it's better to be completely selfish? What of gratitude? What of all the things I've been taught? Were they all lies?'

Despite being forced to do Heaven's Laws' biddings, Li Yiming obeyed what he believed were higher principles. When confronted with massacring innocents or defying the Heavens, he chose the latter. However, after witnessing the ramifications of the collapse of Heaven's Laws, and the freedom that the guardians had gained as a result, a seed of doubt had been planted within his heart.

From his perch, Li Yimig could observe nearly the entire city in minute details. Far away, he saw a racily-dressed woman stripping off her clothes, revealing her breasts in front of many cameras flashes. Between them hung a jade pendant which was likely the subject for some kind of erotic commercial.

In another corner of the city, a man walked out of a Mahjong casino with a flushed face. After feeling his overly-thick wallet, he put his hands together and prayed to the sky, showing his gratitude for fortune favoring him on that day.

'Pointing at heaven or earth that they may witness their evil designs, and calling upon spirits to witness their degrading deeds…' Li Yiming closed his eyes, but he could not close his heart to the sinful acts he saw.

Li Yiming sat still throughout the night, hoping for the warmth of the dawning sun to give him a sense of comfort. When it finally came, he took a deep breath and walked back down the stairs.

Ptui!

As Li Yiming came out of the building, he was greeted by a spitting noise and hot liquid on the corners of his pants

It was a small boy, no older than five or six, who had just bought fresh soy milk. The boy began laughing, as his prank on Li Yiming had the desired effect.

"Stop it!" A middle-aged woman brushed the boy's head and glanced at Li Yiming, unconcerned with what her son had just done.

Li Yiming shook his head and continued walking forward, only to see another jet of soy milk flying toward his pants.

"Hurry up and drink your soy milk while it's still hot. We'll be late for kindergarten." The woman said indulgently.

"You shouldn't be doing that." Li Yiming could no longer hold it in.

"You've dirtied my pants. You need to apologize," Li Yiming said with a soft voice as he stared into the eyes of the young boy.

The kid, who had not expected such a serious reaction from Li Yiming, hid himself behind his mother.

"What are you doing? He's just a boy! Why are you being so serious?" The woman tapped her son's shoulder to reassure him and then complained to Li Yiming.

"He soiled my pants, so he should apologize for it. This has nothing to do with age," Li Yiming said, refusing to back down out of principle.

"Alright, alright. What an embarrassment of an adult. You want money, don't you?" The woman said with a disgusted voice and reached out for her bag.

The boy, upon seeing that his mother was standing up for him, spat out another mouthful of soy milk at Li Yiming.

"You little…!" Li Yiming could no longer repress his anger. He could not believe that he had been risking his life for these people, and that Liu Meng had gone missing because of them.

Li Yiming's sudden shout shocked the mother and the son and attracted the attention of everyone around.

"What's wrong with you? I told you that I'm going to pay you. Are you crazy?" The mother scolded angrily.

"What is it? What's going on?" An anxious voice was heard as a man quickly rushed to the scene and picked up the boy.

"Our baby dirtied his pants. I told him I was going to pay, this guy's crazy!" The woman explained — her husband's return seemed to have given her even more courage.

"Are you dumb or what? He's just a boy, what do you want?" The father rushed toward Li Yiming and shouted aggressively, staring down at Li Yiming and flexing his muscles.

Li Yiming suddenly remembered his experience over a year ago where a young boy at the bus station nearly had the young woman killed.

"That's right. Are you one as well?" Li Yiming asked.

"You…"

Li Yiming interrupted the man by picking up a small pot containing hot soy milk and pouring it over the man's head.

The man fell to the ground, screaming in agony. Li Yiming looked at his wife and son, who first froze in shock, and then began shaking in terror.

"Sorry for dirtying your clothes. I'll pay for it." Li Yiming said as he threw down a few banknotes on the floor.

Li Yiming turned around and left the scene. The pedestrians all backed away, intimidated.

'I'm not sure if the people… the animals here are worth saving at all…'

Before long, Li Yiming arrived at the entrance to a shopping mall, where he saw a familiar face.

"What's your problem?" The young man looked up when he saw Li Yiming.

"You stole five hundred yuan from me yesterday," Li Yiming said as he stared at the young man who pickpocketed him.

"Did you drink too much?" The young man grew tense for a moment as he recognized Li Yiming and feigned ignorance. He looked around and saw three of his friends approaching and turned around.

"Ugh!" The man grunted as Li Yiming clasped his neck.

"Bastard!" One man suddenly rushed out of the crowd.

Li Yiming shoved the young man toward the newcomer and the two fell down to the ground. He then turned around and wrapped his fingers around the wrist of another attacker, who was armed with a dagger. With a slight snap, a crack followed by a cry of pain was heard. Li Yiming then pulled the attacker over and delivered a knee blow to his face.

The man was sent flying with a splash of blood.

Not pausing for a single moment, Li Yiming delivered a powerful kick to the side.

Another crack was heard as another attacker carrying a dagger had his ribs broken.

"Five hundred," Li Yiming repeated as he looked at the thief.

"Wait and you'll see, you asshole…" The man did not seem to understand the predicament he was in.

Crack!

Li Yiming stepped on the man's knee.