Chapter 109: Goal of a Peaceful Life

Lu Yang was somewhat surprised by her question.

He glanced at Song Fuyao before asking, "What do you mean by that?"

Song Fuyao leaned against the iron bars, studying him with a thoughtful expression.

"You are clearly very young. From what I’ve learned over the past few months, you also have considerable talent and background."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"Your grandfather is one of the Prison Wardens, and you seem to have connections with the Prison Supervisor as well. With your age and talent, even if you don’t want to pursue an official career, you could join a major sect and cultivate properly."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke.

"Yet, you chose to work in the Imperial Prison. You’re spending your days looking after prisoners, checking records, and listening to people like me curse you. What exactly are you trying to achieve?"

Lu Yang looked at her.

For the first time since they had met, he examined her seriously rather than treating her as a troublesome prisoner whose greatest talent was finding new ways to insult him.

Beneath that explosive temper, Song Fuyao was considerably more perceptive than he had initially assumed.

After all, Lu Yang was young, possessed decent cultivation talent, and had a grandfather with considerable influence within the Imperial Capital.

Even if he did not want to become an official, he had other options.

He could join a cultivation sect, associate himself with a powerful family, or seek opportunities within one of the various factions of Great Qian.

Any of these paths could potentially offer him better cultivation resources and greater opportunities for advancement.

Compared to them, working as an ordinary prison guard was hardly an impressive choice.

The salary was modest, the duties were tedious, and there was little fame to be gained from the position.

Although there was a chance he would be able to join the higher Heavenly Prison and even the Heavenly Guards, he could also choose to join a major Essence Gathering Realm sect directly.

Yet, Lu Yang seemed perfectly content with just that.

He had never complained about his work, nor had he displayed any obvious desire to climb higher.

He simply performed his duties, cultivated in his spare time, and lived his life.

Song Fuyao found this difficult to understand.

Lu Yang considered her question for a moment before answering casually.

"Why would I leave?"

Song Fuyao blinked in confusion, "What?"

"I have food, clothing, money, and a place to cultivate. My family is doing well, and I don’t have to worry about someone trying to kill me every other day."

Lu Yang took another sip of fruit wine as he said.

"Besides, the Imperial Prison is quite peaceful most of the time. I can cultivate quietly without involving myself in the bloodshed outside. What more could I ask for?"

Song Fuyao stared at him in surprise.

She had expected some complicated explanation, perhaps involving his family’s arrangements or some long term ambition that he did not wish to reveal.

Instead, he gave her such a simple answer.

For a moment, she truly did not know what to say.

Then, she frowned slightly, asking doubtfully.

"Don’t you have any ambitions?"

Lu Yang looked at her and asked back.

"Ambitions?"

"Of course!" Song Fuyao’s voice rose slightly.

"A person only lives once! If you spend your entire life hiding in a place like this, what will you have achieved when you grow old? You won’t have made a name for yourself, won’t have explored the world, and won’t have experienced anything worth remembering!"

She gripped the iron bars tightly, as if she genuinely could not understand Lu Yang’s thought process.

"With your background and talent, you could accomplish so much more. Why would you willingly settle for such an ordinary life?"

Lu Yang fell silent.

A person only lives once.

He repeated those words in his mind.

If only that was true.

For an ordinary person, perhaps a lifetime was all they would ever receive.

They were born, grew up, lived through countless ordinary days, and eventually died. Whatever they achieved during that period became the entirety of their existence.

But Lu Yang... he was different.

He had already lived through three lifetimes and was on his fourth.

He had experienced glory and obscurity, gained power and lost it, watched people he cared about grow old, and witnessed others die before their time.

He had once possessed strength that ordinary bottom tier cultivators could scarcely imagine, and he had also experienced the helplessness of being unable to protect everything that mattered to him.

In his previous lives, he had pursued different things.

Sometimes it was strength, sometimes it was a future he believed he could build, and sometimes, he just continued walking forward because there was nothing else he knew how to do.

Now, he wanted something different.

He wanted to live.

Not just survive until the end of his lifespan, but experience a life in which he did not have to constantly fight against the world, a life where he could cultivate at his own pace, protect his family, and enjoy the ordinary things he had once overlooked.

Was that really so insignificant?

Lu Yang lowered his cup slightly.

"Just because a person lives only once doesn’t mean they should throw their life away for a moment of glory."

Song Fuyao fell silent.

Lu Yang continued speaking in an unhurried voice.

"If you have the ability to live peacefully, why must you deliberately put yourself in danger just to prove that you can accomplish something?"

He glanced at the fruit wine in his hand.

"Besides, what exactly counts as accomplishing something?"

Song Fuyao opened her mouth but did not immediately answer.

Lu Yang did not wait for her response and continued.

"Some people become famous cultivators, some become powerful officials, and some establish sects, conquer territories, or leave their names in history books."

He paused briefly, a hint of emotion flashing past his eyes.

"But there are also people who spend their entire lives taking care of their families, raising their children, and ensuring that the people around them can live peacefully."

His expression was calm as he asked.

"Are their lives any less significant?"

Song Fuyao stared at him as Lu Yang shook his head.

"Is a life spent quietly and peacefully worth less than a life filled with adventures and achievements? I don’t think so."

For several moments, Song Fuyao just looked at him.

She had never expected such an answer from an ordinary prison guard.

Most cultivators she had encountered were obsessed with strength and advancement.

They spoke about opportunities, ambitions, inheritances, and the importance of seizing every chance to improve themselves.

Even those who claimed to value peace often treated it as something that could only be enjoyed after they had acquired enough power.

First, they would become strong, then, they would establish themselves. After that, they would secure their positions and protect their interests. And once everything had been accomplished, they would finally have time to enjoy life.

Yet, how many people actually reached that point?

There was always another realm to pursue, another enemy to overcome, or another opportunity that seemed too valuable to abandon.

The road of cultivation was long, so impossibly long.

Sometimes, the longer a person walked along it, the more difficult it became to remember why they had started in the first place.

Song Fuyao lowered her head.

For a moment, she seemed to be thinking about something.

Lu Yang did not disturb her, simply leaning back against his chair and taking another sip of fruit wine.

After a while, a quiet voice came from behind the iron bars.

"...You’re just trying to sway me with profound insights."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow at these words.

Song Fuyao immediately looked up, her expression returning to its usual suspicion.

"As expected of a dog official with countless schemes in mind! You think a few words about the meaning of life will make me obedient?"

Lu Yang looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"I wouldn’t dare."

"You!" Song Fuyao glared at him.