Chapter 776 - 655: Token_2
In Li Ruofeng’s view, this contest won’t yield a definitive result.
Lin Ruoyun shook his head, saying, "I know what you’re worried about, Senior Brother. Isn’t there already a great judge right here?"
At this point, Lin Ruoyun turned his gaze to Qin An, indicating that Qin An should be the judge for this debate.
Li Ruofeng stood up, saying, "Let me say it again, I don’t want to waste time here. Junior Brother, if you don’t want to confront me, then leave Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple quickly."
Lin Ruoyun sneered, "What? Are you planning to go back on the promise we made to each other? If that’s the case, I have no objections."
"But as far as Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple is concerned, it will surely suffer losses. You’ve devoted so much over the years; you wouldn’t want any problems to arise now, would you?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ruofeng fell silent.
He knew very well how serious the issues involved were.
If he doesn’t agree today, then, in the eyes of other disciples of Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple, he appears to have the intention to retreat.
And there’s no wall in the world that doesn’t let the wind through; if this news spreads, it will undoubtedly be detrimental to the development of Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple.
Seeing Li Ruofeng fall silent, Lin Ruoyun flashed a confident smile.
He knew Li Ruofeng would surely agree; it was just a matter of time.
Qin An continued sipping his tea calmly, pondering how the two would proceed and what opportunity he could seize from their contest to obtain clues about the Sage’s remains.
After pondering for a moment, Li Ruofeng looked up and said, "Alright, go ahead and present your development ideas, and let Mr. Qin evaluate, how about that?"
Qin An thought for a moment, put down his teacup, and said, "Alright, I’ll be the judge. Rest assured, I’m always fair and won’t do anything unjust. Go ahead with your debate."
Li Ruofeng remained silent, turned to Lin Ruoyun, and said, "You’re already familiar with my development methods, so I won’t elaborate much. Now I want to see, what exactly is your development approach?"
Lin Ruoyun withdrew his hands and smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeves before calmly speaking, "Senior Brother, your approach seems outdated to me. All that conserving strength and diligent cultivation is merely the characteristic of a martial world force."
"But in my view, the key to Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple’s development is taking the initiative."
"Taking the initiative?"
As these four words emerged, Li Ruofeng frowned.
"What do you mean by taking the initiative?"
Lin Ruoyun said lightly, "Involve in the various affairs of the Daqian Kingdom, allowing Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple to grow through trials and tribulations. Only by experiencing blood and fire can there be tenacious growth."
"Senior Brother’s approach seems like treating all disciples as carefully tended flowers. No matter how fast or powerful their cultivation becomes, what good is it? Without the trial of blood and fire, it remains just a flower, albeit a more vibrant one."
Qin An rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
From their earlier conversation, he understood the difference in their development philosophies for Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple.
Li Ruofeng was cautious and advocated for self-development, keeping the temple’s disciples inside for rigorous training daily.
Lin Ruoyun, on the other hand, advocated practical training, meaning only through the terror of life-and-death combat could Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple’s strength truly grow.
Honestly, to Qin An, both models had their merits and weaknesses.
Li Ruofeng’s approach ensured disciples’ survival despite lacking real combat, allowing the temple to steadily improve.
While Lin Ruoyun’s method was intense, the benefits to the disciples were increasingly apparent over time.
Therefore, which is stronger or weaker, right or wrong, is quite hard to discern.
Without wasting words, Lin Ruoyun engaged in a debate with Li Ruofeng over their philosophies.
Qin An didn’t interrupt, but listened patiently.
The debate grew increasingly fierce, with a tense atmosphere as if swords were drawn.
Following a dull sound, Qin An turned his sight towards it.
Li Ruofeng flung a teacup to the ground, and as it shattered, the tea stained a dark color on the floor.
"Nonsense, utter nonsense!" Li Ruofeng stood up, showing anger on his face, and waved his sleeve, saying, "Junior Brother, if you maintain your opinion and I maintain mine, this is a never-ending debate. We might as well step outside for a fight to decide the winner!"
Qin An rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
He realized, indeed, as Li Ruofeng said, this matter seemed endless.
After all, both sides had their own ideas backed by their justification.
This was a highly subjective debate without any objective means to judge.
Therefore, as Li Ruofeng said, deciding a winner was nearly impossible.
Lin Ruoyun appeared calm, shaking his head slightly while looking at the shattered teacup on the ground, "Senior Brother, I know this is indeed a dead-end debate."
Li Ruofeng sneered, "If that’s the case, why did you propose it? Come to think of it, I don’t want to talk further. You and I should go outside and fight, to determine victory by strength, as we’ve always said."
Lin Ruoyun shook his head slightly, "Senior Brother, don’t you find it ridiculous? Wanting to decide Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple’s leader through a fight devoid of any skill."
"Even if you win, so what? It’s nothing more than a brute who only knows how to fight. You surely think there’s no other way to make a decision than this, if so, let me propose another method, how about it?"
Li Ruofeng frowned slightly, then sat back down, "Let’s hear it."
He felt Lin Ruoyun came prepared this time, with the previous debate merely as a setup.
Now, as Lin Ruoyun mentioned this, perhaps the time had come for Lin Ruoyun to reveal his true intentions.
After a brief pause, Lin Ruoyun’s gaze turned sharp, "In Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple, some surely disagree with your approach. They want to make a name for themselves and use combat to hone their skills. Why not let me leave and take those willing to go with me and establish a force of my own."
"Let’s set a period of ten years. In this decade, whoever develops their force better proves their philosophy is correct, thereby earning the position of Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple’s master."
Upon hearing this, a dead silence fell over the scene, with even a pin drop echoing.
Qin An squinted, showing a hint of realization, "I see, this was the plan all along."
Just now, Lin Ruoyun’s words revealed a simple notion, a split.
No matter the outcome of the fight, Lin Ruoyun’s approach clearly aims to separate a faction and establish a force solely his own.
Though the surface words seem noble.
But to those who understand the matter, it internally signifies a split.
Li Ruofeng, seated as the Temple Master, naturally grasped the meaning and sneered, "Lin Ruoyun, you’re regressing more and more. You want a split? Fine, if you wish for a split, I won’t agree, what will you do about it?"
Being the current Temple Master, he understood that if this truly happened, the already flourishing Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple would suffer a heavy blow and fall drastically.
He absolutely would not agree to this.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoyun displayed a determined look, took out a token from his bosom, and placed it on the table.
"This matter isn’t up to you, Senior Brother. Look at what this is?"