Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1331: Chapter 1330: This Storyline Is Getting More and More Offbeat

Looking at Fang Zheng bringing back another Butterfly Spirit, Lin Yueru was speechless.

”Brother Fang, why do you keep bringing back all sorts of strange things?”

”Is there a problem?”

Facing Lin Yueru’s complaint, Fang Zheng just shrugged his shoulders, not bothered.

”She is willing to follow me, and it’s safer for her by my side. What do you think will become of her if I don’t let her come?”

”This...”

”As the saying goes.”

Fang Zheng looked at Lin Yueru in front of him and lightly coughed.

”Humans are born from their mothers, yokai are born from theirs. When a yokai gains a human heart, it’s no longer a yokai but a human-yokai... cough, cough... got carried away. In any case, you know, after a yokai gains intelligence, their mind is still immature. They possess great power but know nothing about the power dynamics of this world. They still view everything from the perspective of their original form. Look at Aya, she is a butterfly. Have you ever seen a butterfly harm anyone? From her perspective, humans, with or without power, should be avoided. But what about the serpent demon couple? They haven’t harmed anyone, but they also clearly don’t care about human moral laws. You think their act of abducting a village girl is evil, but you should know, if a snake encounters a human, not biting them to death immediately is considered kind-hearted, isn’t it?”

”Uh...”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Lin Yueru found it hard to accept. After all, she was educated and raised in this era and was used to viewing issues from the perspective of people of this era. To her, Fang Zheng’s words were world-turning, yet she couldn’t deny Fang Zheng had a point.

”What is good? What is evil? It depends on whose perspective you view it from. For instance, a tiger eating a human is surely an evil tiger from a human perspective. But from the tiger’s perspective, humans are the same as rabbits, deer, horses, and cattle; if it can eat rabbits, deer, horses, and cattle, why not humans? If such a tiger gained intelligence, do you think it would consider itself evil? Just like when you eat beef, you might think you’re just dining, but to the cow, you are the evil beast that slays its family and consumes its blood and flesh, is that not the way it is?”

”Eh? This, this... isn’t this different?”

Hearing this, Lin Yueru was even more flabbergasted, hastily shaking her head.

”Why is it different?”

”Because... because...”

”Come with me.”

Seeing Lin Yueru’s worldviews crumble, Fang Zheng smiled slightly, then led Lin Yueru to the airship’s deck and looked down. Not far below the airship, a group of deer was grazing leisurely and joyfully.

”Roar—!!”

Then suddenly, a tiger roar sounded, and a tiger leaped from the bushes towards the deer, causing the herd to flee towards the forest’s depths. A young deer, newly born, couldn’t keep up, and the tiger pounced, striking the young deer’s head with a paw, splitting it open. Then the tiger bit its neck, and after a brief struggle, the young deer went silent.

”This poor young deer!”

Seeing this, Lin Yueru’s eyes were already red. Fang Zheng watched her with a smile.

”So, do you think this tiger is a villain?”

”Of course! This tiger is so cruel, not even sparing a young deer, it’s outrageous!”

”Hehe.”

Hearing Lin Yueru’s indignant reply, Fang Zheng chuckled.

”Let’s keep watching.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng stretched out his hand, quickly casting a projection spell, once again showing the tiger dragging the young deer’s corpse. Its eyes still wide open, appearing unwilling even in death.

Seeing this, Lin Yueru’s heart was nearly shattered.

”This tiger is just horrible! How heartbroken must the fawn’s mother be!”

Not long after Lin Yueru spoke, the tiger dragged the young deer’s corpse to a cave entrance, set it down, and softly called. Soon, a few tiger cubs emerged, rubbing affectionately against their mother, eagerly meowing. The mother tiger then tore open the young deer’s body, allowing the cubs to feast on the rare treat.

”Uh...”

Seeing this, Lin Yueru’s expression became more complex, while Fang Zheng chuckled.

”So, what do you think now?”

”But... uh... why must the tiger catch the young deer!”

”Because the young deer resists less, runs slower, making it easier to catch.”

”Just for this reason?”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s words, Lin Yueru clenched her teeth and stomped her foot hard.

”That’s too much!”

”Otherwise? Do you want the mother tiger to forsake the easier prey to chase adult deer? They run fast; she might not catch them. If she fails to hunt, she won’t have enough food to feed her cubs; they’ll starve. This is nature... This is the food chain. Survival of the fittest is an eternal truth. For tigers and deer, it’s not about good or evil. Tigers eat meat; no matter how kind, they won’t eat vegetables. Deer eat plants, but if people unwittingly approach, they’ll be kicked to death by deer. It’s not about good or evil; it’s about survival.”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s response, Lin Yueru’s eyes began to spin in circles.

”But, but Brother Fang, if what you say is true, then what is good and what is evil?”

Right now, Lin Yueru felt her values utterly crumbling, primarily because what she witnessed had shattered her simple, straightforward values. She was initially on the fawn’s side, but after seeing the cute tiger cubs, her resolve wavered.

Tigers must hunt to survive, but if deer can’t escape, they’ll be caught and eaten...

Seeing the thoroughly confused Lin Yueru, Fang Zheng didn’t say much more. This world’s situation was similar to the Main World’s, but in the Main World, most intelligent races coexist harmoniously. However, not so in this world, where humans don’t regard yokai as civilized beings—no matter if it’s a talking tiger, it’s just a beast to them.

The unequal status prevents peaceful coexistence.

Fang Zheng had no good solution. Yokai face issues among themselves too. Like when he saved the Butterfly Spirit; spiders eating butterflies is natural, even if both transformed...

The problem is Spider Demons aren’t as cute as Butterfly Spirits.

So beauty is justice, right!

”Celestial Immortal, such insight!”

Suddenly, from the side appeared Nie Xiaoqian, kneeling before Fang Zheng.

”Listening to Celestial Immortal’s words, Little Qian has been enlightened, gaining a new understanding of this world... I implore Celestial Immortal to take Little Qian as a disciple...”

”Uh...”

Facing Nie Xiaoqian kneeling before him, Fang Zheng scratched his head. Honestly, if following a typical plot, shouldn’t he now toss a Tao Te Ching her way and let Nie Xiaoqian train on her own?

But all of Fang Zheng’s abilities came from the West, not aligning with this place...

However, strictly speaking... Nie Xiaoqian... does fit the criteria.

Thinking this, Fang Zheng made up his mind, looked at Nie Xiaoqian kneeling before him, and said.

”Little Qian.”

”Yes.”

”Are you willing to form a contract with me and become a Magical Girl?”

Alright, this storyline really went off the rails...