"He spoke with such absolute correctness that his opponent was left with no room for objection. What a joke, to try and reason with someone like that. You truly are strange, to think some people care about how powerful you are. They only care about how much benefit you can bring them in this world."
"The more you let them gain, the more polite and accommodating they will be towards you. Everyone is constantly pursuing their own interests. I, Fan, am no different. I simply don't say it out loud. Some things, when spoken, make others feel you only care about profit and disregard everything else."
"So, what I think in my heart, others already understand very well. Why bother stating it so clearly? A vague approach is often the best choice. With a naturally calm smile, he found the other's attitude to be quite impolite and unnatural."
"To pursue these interests, everyone is constantly fighting and killing each other. I, Fan, detest this state of life and desperately wish to change it, but I find myself powerless. Such a change requires immense sacrifice, and I simply cannot alter this situation. I can only reluctantly accept it. Those who demand things will not let Ye Tiancheng go."
"They constantly push the boundaries of others' patience in order to maximize their profits. Many times, these fellows are always stirring up trouble. They hope for the greatest possible distribution of benefits, which leads them to engage in incomprehensible, wicked battles to ensure a more maximized allocation of profits."
"Your maximized percentage allocation is what they desire. These fellows are truly ambitious; everyone knows what they want, but no one can stop them. For if the water is too clear, there are no fish. Heaven made them act this way to be mere spectators. When they cannot maximize their own profits, they will fight amongst themselves, killing each other."
"This is also what Heaven is pleased to see. Heaven enjoys toying with others, which is why Ye Tiancheng wants to eliminate Heaven and have a new Heaven take its place, one that he controls, to make the world a little fairer."
"Your thoughts are truly too wicked. Do you really believe you can change all of this? It's too laughable, too tragic. You simply cannot change it; you are incapable of achieving it. Because in this world, the majority of people have already chosen to believe, or perhaps to give up. No matter how you pursue it, in the end, you will find it has nothing to do with you, and you will soon feel that such things have no common ground for cooperation with you."
The old man in red continuously tried to persuade him, hoping he would change his ways, lest he lose everything in this world and forfeit many things he wished to pursue. Some things, once lost, can never be regained.
"This is truly quite terrifying."
Ye Tiancheng's heart was filled with immense anger because he did not want to be rendered penniless. What he constantly desired was the power he sought. In the process of obtaining this power, he had to constantly pursue others and turn them into his possessions.
"What I mean is, if one day you can bring the Jade Emperor to justice, can you truly make this world fair? This world is one where evil and justice coexist. Once that balance is broken, even the current semblance of fairness will disappear. Therefore, the most unfortunate will be the powerless common people. If they cannot adapt to this world, even their existing material security and mental state will vanish. A single thread pulled can unravel the whole tapestry. If you lack the ability, do not act rashly, or this world will become even worse."
In the end, he realized his ideas were too naive and overly demanding. He could do nothing, becoming a truly laughable figure. Therefore, he absolutely did not want Ye Tiancheng to end up in the same state as him, gaining nothing in the end.
When you truly desire the world's care, that is when the world truly belongs to you. What you genuinely seek might one day vanish without a trace, leaving you utterly helpless.
"This world is truly quite endearing."
Whether Ye Tiancheng could act according to his inner state, inspiring awe, or whether many changes were merely a shift in his own pursuits, remained to be seen.
This change in pursuit was, in most cases, due to his own laughable actions. If you did not engage in these laughable practices, you would become even more prosperous. Time always changes according to the past atmosphere.
Because they were accustomed to this trajectory of operation, it also made it difficult for you to challenge and change this trajectory. In the end, you would be powerless to alter these things. In reality, these things had surpassed human imagination.
"Those who can truly change these things are very powerful figures. Whether you choose to believe it or not, in the end, you can only change yourself."
Speaking of these matters, the old man in red was very worried about Ye Tiancheng. His situation was similar to his own past.
Because he, too, had once wanted to be a powerful person like Ye Tiancheng. But in the end, he discovered that the more he wanted to change the world, the worse he made it.
It was better to conform to the world's development and quietly observe its changes. Blindly attempting to change the world would ultimately leave it in a state of chaos, far worse than before.
"I know what you are saying, and I certainly understand your words. It's just that I am unwilling to accept it. This is reality. Every living person must strive with all their might to pursue what they desire, regardless of what the future holds. It has nothing to do with me, right?"
He spoke with a complete lack of responsibility. You want to change the world, make it chaotic, and then shamelessly claim it has nothing to do with you. This is truly laughable.
"If one day you truly possess the ability to do so, then speak. Otherwise, if the Jade Emperor learns of these thoughts, he will deceive you. Tomorrow, he will attack you. At that time, you will face much more troublesome opponents, not low-level adversaries like the Black and White Impermanence." The one worried about his thoughts naturally spoke these words with deep concern, but few were willing to listen. After all, everyone's thoughts were imbued with their strongest convictions.
The reason for thinking about these matters was entirely because, on a certain day, they had completely become someone else. They would not easily change themselves unless they truly needed to and had a sudden awakening. Since there was no immediate crisis, Ye Tiancheng naturally would not heed the old man's words, as he considered the old man's words to be merely laughable reasoning.
Seeing his stubbornness, the old man in red did not know what else to say. However, there was one more thing he needed to tell Ye Tiancheng: the Black and White Impermanence would launch a large-scale attack on him in the near future, and he should be prepared. Upon hearing this, Ye Tiancheng's expression tightened. He then calmly said, "This is truly regrettable. No matter what happens, one must persist in their dreams."
"The ability to truly persist in one's dreams is quite boring. In this boring world, the most laughable thing is that no one takes you seriously. Unless you yourself consider yourself important." The old man in red was very worried that Ye Tiancheng would follow his old path. If he were to fall into eternal damnation, it would be truly tragic.
"There is no other way but to choose this path. I know what you want to tell me, but for me, since this is a path of no return, I might as well walk it. It doesn't matter if I die, it doesn't matter if I live, it doesn't matter if I am killed by others. To make such a choice naturally involves great sacrifice, because I will inevitably challenge others' interests. Challenging others' interests means disturbing their arrangements, and naturally, I will engage in a life-or-death struggle with them. Others will not willingly give me the benefits they possess. Such a battle is a fight to the death."
Ye Tiancheng's most immediate thought was how to eliminate the opponent.
However, such a thought was indeed a naive choice.
No matter what choice he made, in the end, he would be unable to fulfill it. This was truly quite disappointing.
"No matter how you pursue your dreams, in the end, your dreams will be shrouded in dark clouds. To succeed, you must rely on the strong. And the strong you speak of, it seems you have found their ultimate form. There is no need for me to say more; you understand. Further words would be meaningless and without value. I believe you know the meaning and implication of what I say. At the very least, saying too much is also without much existing significance."
At this moment, hearing Shen Shi speak to Ye Tiancheng, Ye Tiancheng still hoped to become a capable person, at least to be able to remain calm and composed when facing immense pressure, rather than trembling like a weakling hidden in a corner.