The old man's answer wasn't actually what Ye Dai had hoped for. Ye Dai had really wanted the old man to praise him for asking such a good question, commend his lofty ambitions and high vantage point, and finally encourage him to use that as motivation to keep striving.
Unfortunately, these were only the answers Ye Dai craved. In reality, the old man's response was miles away from what he'd been hoping to hear.
Yet Ye Dai didn't dare show even a hint of dissatisfaction. Instead, he put on a thoughtful expression, feigning deep contemplation for a moment before speaking. "Master, your words carry far-reaching insight. The heights from which you stand are still something I need to climb higher to truly grasp. It seems I need to devote more effort to understanding the broader trends of the world—and, even more importantly, aspire to become an extraordinary leader, continuing to strive toward the goal of unifying the Sixteen Kingdoms."
The old man hadn't answered the way he expected, but that didn't stop Ye Dai from talking up a storm and declaring his devotion.
The old man offered a faint smile, neither approving nor disapproving. He had answered one question; there was no need to say more.
Consort Dan maintained her graceful smile, though inwardly she was shaking her head. Ye Dai was being clever in his own way—but to no avail.
How could the old man's current perspective on things possibly be grasped by a young man like Ye Dai?
Consort Dan had actually understood the old man's words. For one, he was saying that the grand trend toward unifying the Sixteen Kingdoms hadn't truly taken shape yet. For another, he was hinting that Ye Dai himself lacked the extraordinary talent of a true hegemon.
Especially the final remark—without meeting both conditions, any talk was empty. This was essentially a warning to Ye Dai: keep your feet on the ground and don't reach for the sky.
Unfortunately, Ye Dai was completely absorbed in his own line of thinking and hadn't picked up on the underlying message at all.
What height have you even reached, and you're already talking about unifying the Sixteen Kingdoms? If your strength hasn't caught up to your ambitions, all you'll bring is ruin to your people and your kingdom.
"Ye Dai is still a bit too full of himself," Consort Dan sighed inwardly.
Her beautiful eyes turned toward Ye Rong. "Ye Rong, you placed second. Do you have a question to ask the old man?"
Ye Rong sat up straight and spoke solemnly. "Master, my question is, in a sense, the opposite of my elder brother's. I've been wondering—does a nation become strong through endless territorial expansion, or through the peace and prosperity of its people? Even the most powerful dynasty, if it wages war endlessly while its people suffer and its soldiers die by the tens of thousands on the front lines—what meaning does such militaristic strength hold?"
When Ye Rong posed his question, Ye Dai's expression turned cold.
This was clearly deliberate opposition. Ye Dai had asked about unifying the Sixteen Kingdoms. And Ye Rong's question was practically asking what good militaristic expansion even was!
No matter how you looked at it, this was a direct counter to Ye Dai's stance.
The old man's expression remained calm. He wasn't angered by the opposition between Ye Rong's question and Ye Dai's. After a moment of thought, he answered, "Soldiers are human beings too. For soldiers and generals fighting on the front lines, if they lack motivation, lack a clear purpose, and find no joy in what they do—then that war is meaningless. Expanding territory isn't necessarily a bad thing, just as ceasing all conflict isn't necessarily good. Whether something is good or bad depends on the true intention behind the war. If territorial expansion can lead to a better life for more people, then that war is just. My view is this: the goal of expanding borders is not the land itself, but ensuring more people can live in peace and prosperity. A leader who loses sight of that goal has lost their true direction."
Ye Rong listened with meticulous attention, nodding slightly before returning to his seat. These words would take time to absorb and digest.
"All right, now it's time for the grand prize's owner to ask his questions. According to the rules, the owner of the grand prize may ask two questions."
Consort Dan directed her gaze toward Jiang Chen.
She was a clever woman, and she knew perfectly well that the Nine Hua Jade Dew Wine couldn't possibly have been contributed by all three of them together.
In all likelihood, it was this mysterious young man who had produced it.
Consort Dan wasn't a woman easily given to curiosity, but in this moment, she was genuinely intrigued by Jiang Chen.
She wanted to know—what would this young man ask the old man? A question about martial arts? Or something else entirely?
Sensing Consort Dan's gaze, Jiang Chen offered a faint smile and tilted his body slightly, naturally positioning himself behind Ye Rong.
It wasn't that Jiang Chen was avoiding anything—he genuinely didn't want to draw attention. What he wanted most right now was to close his eyes, quiet his mind, and mentally rehearse his fight against a Spirit Realm expert.
Because his next battle would be against Xin Wudao's challenge. The lives of the Qiao Shan and Qiao Chuan brothers hung in the balance.
Under these circumstances, Jiang Chen had no interest whatsoever in involving himself in these affairs. He knew that if he stepped forward to ask a question, he'd inevitably be subjected to all sorts of speculation, gossip, and controversy.
He'd rather avoid such headaches entirely.
Tian Shao, seeing Jiang Chen's attitude, realized he was genuinely planning to pass rather than merely being polite. He turned to Ling Qianli. "Qianli, why don't you ask first?"
Ling Qianli would have liked to defer as well, but his devotion to the martial path was too deep for false modesty. He stepped forward.
"Esteemed elder, I am Ling Qianli, a disciple of the Qianlan Southern Palace. I would like to ask a question about the martial path. During my time in the True Qi Realm, I pursued the complete mastery of the Twelve Meridians True Qi. I spent three long years in meditation, yet I could never achieve it. I wish to ask the esteemed elder—is the full mastery of Twelve Meridians True Qi ultimately nothing but a mirage?"
The old man's eyes shot forth a piercing beam of light, like an invisible arrow piercing straight into Ling Qianli's heart.
"Aren't you already at the half-step Spirit Realm? And yet you still can't let go of your obsession with perfection? On the path of martial arts, there has never been such a thing as perfection. Perfection means there's no room left for improvement. You're fixated on perfection, and yet you don't realize you're missing the best opportunity to enter the Spirit Realm?"