"The ones who cause an avalanche and create a catastrophe will inevitably try to shirk responsibility and pin the blame on others. It’s their instinct. There’s a deeply sinister motive hidden in that saying, one that most people miss because they are too good-natured."
"Oh? I didn’t see it either," Zhou Chunfeng said curiously.
"The other layer of meaning is this: when the avalanche comes, everyone, no matter who they are, is just another snowflake. It’s one thing for us common folk to be a snowflake, but are you telling me that the people who hoard power and wealth also get to be just ’ordinary snowflakes’ in that moment? The viciousness of that saying is how it deliberately whitewashes the sins of the powerful. It makes people ignore the cause of the avalanche, give up on holding the true culprits accountable, and stop caring about the disaster itself. Instead, they turn and blame the innocent, forcing them to take responsibility for a catastrophe they didn’t create," Li Qingxian sneered.
"You... your words may be crude, but your reasoning is sound. So, what did your grandfather have to say about it?" Zhou Chunfeng chuckled.
Li Qingxian frowned, thinking for a long while before speaking. "My grandfather’s take was very abstruse. Father admired it, but he didn’t entirely agree. Grandfather said that what we call ’encountering an unbeatable enemy’ is just a surface-level phenomenon. The deeper cause is that the people who wield the nation’s power believe too strongly in the ’finite.’ They stagnate as a result. The difficulties they encounter later will inevitably surpass the finite things they believe in, becoming unsolvable. That’s when the nation collapses. But if they pursued the infinite, the nation would constantly advance and never fall. The only reason I remember his words so clearly is that I couldn’t make heads or tails of them at the time. I thought he was just spouting nonsense. But as I’ve mulled it over through the years, I’ve come to realize just how insightful he was."
"Tell me how you understand it," Zhou Chunfeng said.
Li Qingxian considered this, then said, "For example, a General believes in his own strength—that’s finite. Scholars believe the Scriptures of All Saints can govern a nation—that’s finite. The Emperor believes in his own power—that’s finite. The common people believe in a wise sovereign, but a wise sovereign is still human, and humans are finite. My grandfather said there’s nothing inherently wrong with the finite. In ancient times, for instance, the world might not see major changes for centuries. As long as you lived a decent life and trusted that farming would put food on the table, you were fine. The problem is, the world is constantly changing, and the Human Race is bound to encounter things that ’transcend the finite.’"
"Give me an example," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"For instance, Qii Country believed its strength was immense, but then the Demon Race’s power surpassed theirs, leading to Qii’s utter defeat. Or take the Emperor of the Old Dynasty. He was finite, but he believed he could control the entire world. In the end, rebellions erupted across the land, and outside tribes invaded. Martial prowess is finite. Even being a Super Grade is finite. The very Divine Spirits that humanity believes in... they are finite, too," Li Qingxian said.
"Those Evil Sects boast that Divine Spirits are omnipotent," Zhou Chunfeng remarked.
"Whether Divine Spirits are finite or infinite is something we can’t prove. The real question is this: Is the power and are the benefits I receive from a Divine Spirit finite or infinite? Is the help a Divine Spirit provides us finite or infinite? The power that ultimately becomes our own—is it finite or infinite? The answer is obvious: it’s finite. Therefore, everyone who believes in Divine Spirits is, in reality, believing in the finite. It’s precisely because they believe too much in their own limitations, and too little in themselves, that they place their hopes in Divine Spirits."
Li Qingxian paused in thought before continuing, "You could even say most of us believe in the finite. Let me give you the simplest example: almost all elderly people reminisce about the past, denigrate the present, and resist new things. Even many young people are quick to oppose new things. This is a classic case of believing in the ’finite past’ rather than the ’relatively infinite future.’"
"That’s a good way of putting it." Zhou Chunfeng was lost in thought for a long time before asking, "Then what, in that case, is truly infinite?"
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. "Grandfather never went into detail, and I didn’t understand it back then. But I’ve been pondering this matter since I was a child—for more than a decade. I wouldn’t dare say I’ve completely figured out the ’infinite,’ but I think I’m getting closer to understanding it."
"Let’s hear it," Zhou Chunfeng said, gazing at Li Qingxian with a broad smile.
"One form is the Great Way, and the Greater Way that lies behind it. To constantly pursue that Greater Way is to pursue the infinite. The ’Great Way’ I’m talking about is the fundamental law governing all things. The other form is the future. Not some vague, empty future, but a future that contains the Human Race. As long as the Human Race continues to proliferate, to grow, and to pursue the Great Way—as long as we are not wiped out—humanity possesses a form of infinitude."
"An interesting theory," Zhou Chunfeng murmured, once again lost in thought.
「A full quarter hour passed.」 Zhou Chunfeng finally asked, "Why didn’t Gangfeng agree?"
Li Qingxian hesitated for a moment. "Father said that if everyone chased the infinite instead of staying grounded, the nation would fall. There was an island nation to the west where the most brilliant minds pursued some kind of utopian city-state. In the end, they were annihilated by the Horse Demons from even further west."
"That is true. How did your grandfather counter that?"
"My grandfather said he was tired and went to bed."
Zhou Chunfeng couldn’t help but chuckle. "You’ve been thinking about this for over a decade. Have you reached any conclusion?"
Li Qingxian said, "I’ve wracked my brain over it to the point of breaking, and I still couldn’t decide who was right and who was wrong. Then, I had a sudden thought. What if they were both right, but neither was completely right? Do you think it’s possible that the reason the Human Race and its nations decline isn’t the pursuit of the finite, nor the pursuit of the infinite, but a failure to properly balance the two? Is it possible that the Human Race can pursue both, and that by balancing them, we could become invincible? Think about it. The world isn’t just black and white; it’s filled with countless colors. So why do we, the Human Race, always insist that what we believe is right and what others believe is wrong? Could it be that everyone is right, just not completely right? It’s like we each hold one piece of a puzzle, but no one has the complete picture."
Zhou Chunfeng was silent, deep in thought.
Li Qingxian continued, "Shouldn’t we allow different people to do different things? Those who prefer the finite can have their warm homes with a spouse and children, or they can farm the land and work to support themselves. Those who prefer the infinite can dream and contemplate, venture out on adventures, seek a more powerful Great Way, and try to change the world and the future. We should also allow a single person to do both. These paths aren’t inherently in conflict, but we humans arbitrarily decide that they are, that one must be right and the other wrong. And that is what leads to this world’s endless internal strife, suffering, contradictions, tragedies, and disasters."
Zhou Chunfeng stared quietly at Li Qingxian as if seeing him for the first time.
Zhou Henn was silent.
Zhou Chunfeng asked, "Did you really think of all this yourself?"
Li Qingxian shook his head. "Half of it came from my father, my grandfather, books, and the notes of other Fate Masters. The other half is what I slowly came to realize after facing a life-and-death crisis. That last part isn’t a conclusion, just my own speculation."
"Do you want to pursue the finite or the infinite?"
"I’m an adult. Of course, I want it all. But... it’s enough to have people with great wisdom like you and Zhao Yishan pursuing the infinite. As for me, I’d be content just to find a safe and peaceful place, with a loving family and a warm home."
"And where in this world is it safe?"
Li Qingxian was stunned for a moment.
"Yes... where is it safe?" Li Qingxian gazed out the window, bewildered, his eyes reflecting the first signs of autumn.