Chapter 31: Wei Shiyan, the Shameless Righteous Man
The instant the ship owner and his men prepared to resist, a terrifying aura erupted.
It wasn't just a ripple of qi. It was a crushing, unparalleled pressure, sweeping across the deck like the tide of a primordial beast awakening from slumber.
Everyone froze. Their bodies stiffened, their hearts quivered. Even the spiritual artifacts some tried to summon trembled and refused to respond, as though bowing to that unseen majesty.
Wei Shiyan stood at the center of it all. Hands behind his back, chin slightly lifted, his robes fluttering without wind. His eyes glimmered faintly, carrying a sharpness that could pierce through heaven and earth.
With that aura suppressing everything, silence dominated the ship.
Then he spoke.
"I truly did not have the thought of borrowing from you all."
His voice was calm, steady, but filled with unshakable dominance. Every syllable carried weight, echoing in the hearts of those present.
"But…" Wei Shiyan tilted his head, his expression shamelessly righteous. "When I saw that young man robbing the purple-robed youth, none of you said a thing. No one moved. No one objected. So naturally, I thought robbing must be allowed on this ship."
Gasps rang out.
He continued leisurely, as though explaining something that made perfect sense.
"Of course, my appetite is larger than most. Since robbing is permitted, why limit myself to a single target? Why not simply kidnap and rob the entire ship?"
"..."
Everyone was struck dumb.
That… was his logic?
How could such shamelessness exist in this world?
The crowd exchanged glances, their expressions filled with disbelief. Their inner voices screamed in unison: How in the heavens can that be considered logic?!
Yet before anyone could recover, Wei Shiyan moved.
With a flick of his sleeve, a powerful suction force swept through the ship. Storage pouches, spirit crystals, herbs, treasures, even defensive charms—all were pulled away as if plucked by an invisible hand.
Resistance? Useless.
Struggling? Futile.
His eyes gleamed like stars, scanning the ship. Under his gaze, not a single object could be hidden. It was as though he saw through the deepest corners of their storage rings and hearts alike.
To Wei Shiyan, this was not robbery.
This was borrowing.
After all, he fully intended to return… someday.
But there were exceptions.
The items taken from the purple-robed youth, as well as the group led by the courageous young maiden in white, were quietly restored. No one saw when or how it happened. Even the maiden herself, checking her storage pouch afterward, could not detect the method.
Wei Shiyan had used an obscure spatial technique, one so subtle and profound that even experts far above the ship's crew would struggle to trace it.
Why return theirs?
Because he was moved.
The purple-robed youth, though almost beaten and humiliated, had endured with clenched fists. The maiden in white, though clearly outmatched, had stepped forward in defense of another. Her courage, her willingness to intervene despite her weakness, touched something deep within Wei Shiyan's heart.
Thus, while he swept the rest of the ship clean, he secretly left their dignity intact.
By the time the last treasure was drawn in, the deck looked desolate. Cultivators stared in despair at their empty hands, their eyes filled with disbelief and bitterness.
Wei Shiyan, on the other hand, was all smiles.
"Many thanks for your cooperation. Truly, you are all magnanimous people, willing to lend a hand in my cultivation journey."
He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled toward the edge of the ship.
Moments later, a cloud materialized beneath his feet. With a single step, he rose skyward, leaving the ship behind.
Wei Shiyan drifted away leisurely, humming to himself, heading toward the distant region of the Fifty Blissful Peaks.
His mood was excellent.
Little did he know…
This seemingly shameless act had already sown the seeds of profound change.
On the deck, silence lingered long after Wei Shiyan vanished into the horizon.
Among the stunned crowd, one pair of eyes blazed the brightest.
The purple-robed youth, whose belongings had quietly returned, clenched his fists. His pupils glowed faintly—an ominous, crimson-red light that flickered with determination.
No one noticed it.
But deep within his heart, an oath was made.
"That… That is the kind of man I want to become." His voice was low, but filled with fervor. "Unrestrained. Walking the heavens freely. Doing as I wish, without fear of judgment."
At that very moment, a seed of rebellion sprouted within his dao heart. He vowed to carve his path with no chains, no shackles, no bowing to the so-called order of the world.
If Wei Shiyan was shameless… then he too would learn shamelessness.
If Wei Shiyan broke rules… then he too would trample rules beneath his feet.
Even if it meant walking against the heavens.
On another side of the ship, the maiden in white stood still, her eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.
Her storage pouch was untouched. Not only untouched—she realized, after a moment, that even certain medicinal pills she had being looking for long ago to heal their patriarch who was her father had mysteriously appeared within.
An impossible return and logic.
A gift… in secret.
Her heart trembled violently.
All her life, she had walked the path of restraint, of discipline, of righteousness dictated by sect and clan. But what had it earned her?
She had watched injustice unfold countless times, powerless to stop it. She had suppressed her own heart, following rules that never favored the weak.
Yet in this moment, after witnessing Wei Shiyan's domineering act and feeling his subtle kindness, something inside her shifted.
Her dao heart quivered, reshaping itself.
Perhaps… this is the path that truly suits me.
Not blind obedience.
Not false righteousness.
But a path forged with courage—courage to act as her heart desired, no matter what others said.
The maiden's grip on her sword hilt tightened.
Her eyes, once clear and calm, now flickered with a sharpness that had never been there before.
Meanwhile, as the ship continued its slow voyage, whispers began spreading among the passengers.
Some cursed Wei Shiyan's name.
Some trembled in fear.
And yet… among a few, admiration sprouted like wildfire.
To dominate so thoroughly. To rob openly yet still appear righteous. To sweep away everything with shameless confidence.
Was that not… a kind of greatness?
Unknown to Wei Shiyan himself, seeds of reverence had already taken root in the hearts of certain cultivators on that ship.
They would remember his name.
They would follow his path.
And without him even realizing it, they had already begun to regard him as a mentor… even a master.
Far ahead, on his drifting cloud, Wei Shiyan stretched lazily and laughed.
"The Fifty Blissful Peaks, eh? I wonder what treasures await me there."
His eyes gleamed faintly.
But in the shadows of fate, forces were already stirring. His actions, seemingly reckless and self-indulgent, had shifted destinies. The purple-robed youth. The maiden in white. The nameless few who now regarded him as master.
Threads of karma began weaving tightly around him.
The world… was no longer the same.
And in the distance, far beyond the horizon, a pair of ancient eyes suddenly opened, locking onto the direction of the Fifty Blissful Peaks…