“??相较于‘称呼’这种小事，你想好怎么构建你的‘秩序’了吗？”


    抱阳子大师话锋一转，状似不经意的问道，但郑清明确感觉到，其他三个机构的代表听到这个问题后，表情明显认真了几分。


    “还没有明...


    “baoyangzimaster‘swordshungintheair,andzhengqingmingcouldn‘thelpbutfesenseofunease.thequestionseemedsimpleenough,buttherewasanundercurrenttoitthathecouldn‘tquitegrasp.


    thefourrepresentativesfromthedifferentinstitutionshadbeenseatedaroundrgewoodentableforhours,discussingvariousaspectsoftheirrespectiveorganizations.theconversationhadflowedeffortlesslyatfirst,witheachsidepresentingtheiruniqueperspectivesonhowtomaintainorderanddisciplinewithintheirwalls.however,asthediscussionworeon,zhengqingmingbegantonoticeasubtleshiftintheatmosphere.


    eachrepresentativeseemedtobecarefullyweighingtheirwords,choosingtheirresponseswithprecision.itwasasiftheywereallwaitingforsomething-orsomeone-tomakeamove.theairwasthickwithanticipation,andzhengqingmingfoundhimselfwonderingwhatexactlybaoyangzimasterwasgettingatwithhisseeminglyinnocuousquestion.


    “i...ihaven‘tquitethoughtthatfaraheadyet,“zhengqingmingadmitted,tryingtoydowntheimportanceofbaoyangzimaster‘squery.


    theoldman‘seyesnarrowedslightly,hisgazepiercingthroughtheveilofcasualconversation.“youshouldhave,“hereplied,hisvoicelowandmeasured.“forifyoudon‘tunderstandthestructureofyourown‘秩序‘,thenhowcanyouhopetomaintainit?“


    zhengqingmingfeltashiverrundownhisspineasbaoyangzimaster‘swordsstruckachorddeepwithinhim.heknewthathehadonlyscratchedthesurfaceofwhatitmeanttobuildandmaintainanorder,hatwasnotjustasimplematterofdisciplineandobedience.


    asheponderedtheoldman‘squestion,zhengqingmingcaughttheattentionofhisfellowrepresentatives.theywereallstaringatbaoyangzimasterwithvaryingdegreesofcuriosityandsuspicion.someseemedintriguedbytheoldman‘swords,whileotherslookedliketheyweresizinghimupforpotentialthreats.


    zhengqingmingfeltasurgeofuneaseasherealizedthateveryoneinthisroomwaswaitingforsomething-orsomeone.thequestiononbaoyangzimaster‘slipshadsparkedachainreaction,hatthreatenedtoupsetthedelicatebnceofpowerwithinthesefourinstitutions.


    “whatdoyoumeanby‘秩序‘?“zhengqingmingasked,tryingtosteertheconversationbackontrack.


    baoyangzimastersmiledenigmatically,hiseyesglintinginthedimlightoftheroom.“ah,myyoungfriend,“hesaid,hisvoicedrippingwithmystery.“thatisaquestionforanothertime.“


    theoldman‘swordshungintheairlikeachallenge,leavingzhengqingmingfeelingunsettledanduncertainaboutwhayahead.asthediscussioncontinued,hecouldn‘tshakeoffthefeelingthattheywereallbeingleddownapathfromwhichtherewasnoreturn.


    baoyangzimaster‘snextquestioncutthroughtheconversationlikeahotknifethroughbutter,“??相较于‘称呼’这种小事，你想好怎么构建你的‘秩序’了吗？”


    zhengqingmingfelthisheartskipabeatasherealizedthatbaoyangzimasterwasnotjustaskingaboutthestructureoftheirrespectiveinstitutions,butalsoabouthisownthoughtsandfeelings.itwasasiftheoldmanhadsomehowmanagedtouncoveradeepwellofemotionswithinhim,hathehadn‘tevenbeenawareofhimself.


    inthatmoment,zhengqingmingfeltlikehewasstandingattheedgeofaprecipice,staringintoanabyssofuncertainty.heknewthathecouldn‘tjustsitbackanddonothing,buthealsodidn‘tknowwhattherightcourseofactionwas.


    thequestionseemedsimpleenough,butitwashathadthepotentialtoupendeverythingzhengqingmingthoughtheknewabouthimselfandhisceintheworld.ashelookedaroundthetable,hesawhisfellowrepresentativesstaringbackathimwithamixtureofcuriosityandsuspicion.theywereallwaitingforsomething-orsomeone-tomakeamove.


    theairwasthickwithtensionasbaoyangzimaster‘swordshunginthebnce,leavingzhengqingmingfeelinglikehewastrappedinawebofuncertaintyfromwhichtherewasnoescape.