第十九章 秩序的结构

    “??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‘thelpbutfeelasenseofunease.Thequestionseemedsimpleenough,buttherewasanundercurrenttoitthathecouldn‘tquitegrasp.
    Thefourrepresentativesfromthedifferentinstitutionshadbeenseatedaroundalargewoodentableforhours,discussingvariousaspectsoftheirrespectiveorganizations.Theconversationhadflowedeffortlesslyatfirst,witheachsidepresentingtheiruniqueperspectivesonhowtomaintainorderanddisciplinewithintheirwalls.However,asthediscussionworeon,ZhengQingmingbegantonoticeasubtleshiftintheatmosphere.
    Eachrepresentativeseemedtobecarefullyweighingtheirwords,choosingtheirresponseswithprecision.Itwasasiftheywereallwaitingforsomething-orsomeone-tomakeamove.Theairwasthickwithanticipation,andZhengQingmingfoundhimselfwonderingwhatexactlyBaoYangziMasterwasgettingatwithhisseeminglyinnocuousquestion.
    “I...Ihaven‘tquitethoughtthatfaraheadyet,“ZhengQingmingadmitted,tryingtoplaydowntheimportanceofBaoYangziMaster‘squery.
    Theoldman‘seyesnarrowedslightly,hisgazepiercingthroughtheveilofcasualconversation.“Youshouldhave,“hereplied,hisvoicelowandmeasured.“Forifyoudon‘tunderstandthestructureofyourown‘秩序‘,thenhowcanyouhopetomaintainit?“
    ZhengQingmingfeltashiverrundownhisspineasBaoYangziMaster‘swordsstruckachorddeepwithinhim.Heknewthathehadonlyscratchedthesurfaceofwhatitmeanttobuildandmaintainanorder,onethatwasnotjustasimplematterofdisciplineandobedience.
    Asheponderedtheoldman‘squestion,ZhengQingmingcaughttheattentionofhisfellowrepresentatives.TheywereallstaringatBaoYangziMasterwithvaryingdegreesofcuriosityandsuspicion.Someseemedintriguedbytheoldman‘swords,whileotherslookedliketheyweresizinghimupforpotentialthreats.
    ZhengQingmingfeltasurgeofuneaseasherealizedthateveryoneinthisroomwaswaitingforsomething-orsomeone.ThequestiononBaoYangziMaster‘slipshadsparkedachainreaction,onethatthreatenedtoupsetthedelicatebalanceofpowerwithinthesefourinstitutions.
    “Whatdoyoumeanby‘秩序‘?“ZhengQingmingasked,tryingtosteertheconversationbackontrack.
    BaoYangziMastersmiledenigmatically,hiseyesglintinginthedimlightoftheroom.“Ah,myyoungfriend,“hesaid,hisvoicedrippingwithmystery.“Thatisaquestionforanothertime.“
    Theoldman‘swordshungintheairlikeachallenge,leavingZhengQingmingfeelingunsettledanduncertainaboutwhatlayahead.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,onethathehadn‘tevenbeenawareofhimself.
    Inthatmoment,ZhengQingmingfeltlikehewasstandingattheedgeofaprecipice,staringintoanabyssofuncertainty.Heknewthathecouldn‘tjustsitbackanddonothing,buthealsodidn‘tknowwhattherightcourseofactionwas.
    Thequestionseemedsimpleenough,butitwasonethathadthepotentialtoupendeverythingZhengQingmingthoughtheknewabouthimselfandhisplaceintheworld.Ashelookedaroundthetable,hesawhisfellowrepresentativesstaringbackathimwithamixtureofcuriosityandsuspicion.Theywereallwaitingforsomething-orsomeone-tomakeamove.
    TheairwasthickwithtensionasBaoYangziMaster‘swordshunginthebalance,leavingZhengQingmingfeelinglikehewastrappedinawebofuncertaintyfromwhichtherewasnoescape.