BXBX NOVEL Chapter 217 - 216: Practice Leads to Real Knowledge
The Great Zhou law distinguishes very finely between illegalities and crimes, while other countries tend to merge the two concepts.
Illegalities pertain to the violation of civil laws and public security regulations.
Crimes pertain to the violation of criminal laws.
“But what’s the point of drinking if you are consciously pacing and decreasing its effects?”
“I didn’t ask you to reduce the effects of alcohol, but also not to vent your drunken rage!” The Minister of Personnel corrected Du Ping’s concept, “Also, have you been flying under the influence of alcohol again recently?”
“Indeed, by regulations, I have violated the one hundred sixty-fifth clause of the public security regulation, detention of fifteen days, when are you planning on detaining me?” Du Ping recited the legislation backwards fluidly. His understanding of the laws was beyond the ordinary, and he was more familiar with Great Zhou’s prison than any jailor.
Some eager learners even sought advice from Du Ping on legal matters and prison management.
The Great Zhou forbids flying under the influence as it could easily lead to inadequate control over the body during flight, resulting in a crash to the ground.
You could even end up crashing into someone else.
Du Ping often violated this regulation; he was all too familiar with it.
“Now it has been changed. His Majesty considers this conduct excessively reprehensible, hence, being inebriated before flight has been shifted from public security regulation to criminal law. In other words, you are not breaking the law, but committing a crime, according to the regulations, you must be jailed for six months.”
Du Ping was shocked, “When was it changed?”
“It was promulgated on the first of last month and implemented from the first of this month. You were flying under the influence on the second. If it wasn’t for your surprised expression, I would have thought you committed the crime deliberately at the right time.” The Minister of Personnel said bluntly. “I just like to drink, not breaking laws or committing crimes!”
“Hmm, who knows?”
Jiang Li thought that five hundred years would have been long enough for Du Ping to behave properly. Now it appears, this great cultivator who explored the laws with his own body, continues his string of wrongdoings without making a single change.
This clearly reflects his steadfast determination.
The Minister of Personnel was quite troubled by Du Ping. A Body Integration Realm cultivator obediently accepting punishment could indeed demonstrate that in front of the Great Zhou’s laws, cultivators and commoners are equals. But if he constantly moves in and out of the jail, wouldn’t it be problematic?
Treating jail as home hardly reflects the punitive aspect of the law, where does it put the dignity of Great Zhou’s law?
The biggest achievement of the Minister of Personnel is punishing a Body Integration Realm cultivator several hundred times.
His biggest stain, however, is punishing the same Body Integration Realm cultivator several hundred times.
The Minister of Personnel now wished to see Du Ping leave the Great Zhou.
Please give us of the Department of Personnel some reprieve.
Du Ping denied the Minister’s request and decidedly said, “As a citizen of the
Great Zhou in life and in death, there’s no possibility of me leaving. The Great
Zhou is my home, I love it.”
Du Ping violated each regulation in the public security law, from engaging prostitutes to gambling and participating in street fights.
The Minister of Personnel almost couldn’t believe it. A lofty Body Integration Realm cultivator actually suppressed his power levels to brawl with hooligans when drunk.
As a fellow Body Integration Realm cultivator, I’m embarrassed for you.
The Minister of Personnel considered Du Ping a disgrace to all Body Integration Realm cultivators.
The Minister even suggested to Ji Zhi that a new set of laws be enacted, called the Du Ping Laws, designed specifically to punish Du Ping. However, Ji Zhi rejected the proposal on the basis that there should be no law specific to any one person.
Now Du Ping, who no longer violates the public security regulation, started to advance towards criminal laws.
Please, dear God, send someone to take this calamity away.
“Du Ping?” Jiang Li appeared.
“Ja, Jiang Human Emperor?” Du Ping was overjoyed to see Jiang Li, as if he had seen his superior.
As cultivators of Nine Provinces, everyone strove to become the Human Emperor. If they could not become the Human Emperor, many cultivators aspired to join the Imperial Palace.
Du Ping was no exception.
“Human Emperor.” The Minister of Personnel paid respects to Jiang Li.
The Minister of Personnel was Ji Zhi’s confidant. Jiang Li had encountered him numerous times when seeking Ji Zhi.
“Are all these your criminal records?” Jiang Li walked towards the three piles of case files towering over him. As he began perusing them, he felt Du Ping’s life could be summed up in one sentence.
He spent his early life toiling in training so he could waste his later years in jail.
The Minister reminded Jiang Li, “About five hundred years ago, Du Ping’s case files only made up one and a half piles.” “You have quite a few offenses.” Jiang Li sighed.
“That shows I abide by the law.” Du Ping explained.
Jiang Li was speechless, indeed, after Du Ping committed offenses, he obediently took his punishment. The sanctions were also legally stipulated, so one could say that he was obedient to the law.
“Most of your offenses are due to drinking.”
“My cultivation technique revolves around alcohol. Without drinking, I can’t cultivate.”
Du Ping’s issue wasn’t a serious one. Among Body Integration Realm cultivators, he barely counts as being morally upstanding.
Those who commit minor offenses aren’t entirely unwanted. For instance, the two leaders Ma Zhuo, who had been arrested in Dayong before for selling unhealthy books. If they lived in the Great Zhou, the number of times they’d enter prison might not be less than Du Ping.
However, Jiang Li still wanted a normal Body Integration Realm cultivator.
He thought that within the Imperial Palace there was only himself and General Liu who were normal among all Body Integration Realm cultivators.
“If you could control your alcohol without offending the law or committing a crime, I would consider allowing you to join the Imperial Palace,” Jiang Li loosened his grip slightly, “Not having new offences or crimes on your record for the next fifty years.”
Du Ping gritted his teeth: “Okay!”
Fifty years isn’t a long time for a Body Integration Realm cultivator. Worst case scenario, he will retreat from the world and meditate for fifty years.
“Those fifty years of retreat don’t count.” Jiang Li reminded him.
The Minister chimed in, “The Human Emperor worries too much. Even during his retreat, Du Ping can get drunk and offend the law. You could refer to the 127th volume of Du Ping’s case file.”
Jiang Li found the case file referred to by the Minister. According to it, during his retreat, Du Ping experienced alcohol withdrawal, wandered off in his sleep, experiencing astral travel for thousands of miles, end up in a bar drinking, and then left with an air of nonchalance to continue his retreat, without paying with Spirit Stones.
The bottle of alcohol wasn’t expensive, so it didn’t reach the level of criminal law. Otherwise, the Minister would definitely have punished him with charges of theft.
Although it didn’t constitute a theft, it was still an act of theft, so he was penalized according to the public security regulation.
Jiang Li thought that Du Ping will probably never leave this jail in his lifetime.
After Jiang Li left, Du Ping leaned over to write a letter. The Minister curiously asked, “What are you writing?”
“I feel there are some areas where the Great Zhou law student needs modifying. The punishment for flying when drunk is too harsh. It doesn’t conform to the principle of crimes fitting the corresponding punishment. I’m writing to the court to express my suggestion, proposing to replace it with probation, or to reduce the sentence.”
Great Zhou welcomes its citizens to provide their opinions and suggestions on its laws.
The Minister of Personnel was silent. Du Ping’s extensive law-breaking history had given him a profound understanding of the law. Many a time he wrote to the court, pointing out errors in the laws.
Great Zhou had even considered granting him a banner, to commend his contributions in the field of law.
“Here, this is done.” Du Ping handed the letter to the Minister.
The letter contained ten thousand words. The Minister flipped through it and found it well-written, easy to understand and accessible. Whether viewed from the theory of four key elements, or the three-stages theory, it all made sense.
He felt that Du Ping’s understanding of the law was ingrained in him. Those unaware would think that this was written by a law student from Great Zhou Imperial Academy.
Does this count as, ‘paper talks are shallow, one needs to practice to understand truly’?
Practice makes perfect?