Section Four: In the Name of Seeking Guidance

“These words must never reach Junior Sister Linran’s ears, or I cannot imagine how deeply she would be hurt!” Ling Luo said, sweeping the fallen snow from the branches with a flick of his long sleeve. Suddenly, he had an idea. “When you graduate, why not come with me to Zheng City? I am marrying the Princess that year. We brothers might as well celebrate together—after all, you haven’t decided where to go yet.”

“If nothing unexpected happens, it will be so.”

“What unexpected thing could there be?”

“I fear the world may not be peaceful by then. Ever since the Black Wolf Army seized Guo City, Han was forced to mobilize troops for defense. Recently, I heard the Han army reached an agreement with the Black Wolf Army; now both sides only have three thousand soldiers each stationed at the border.”

Ling Luo nodded. “The Black Wolf Army consists of nomadic tribes, and now, instead of attacking Han, they’re working to dissolve hostility. It seems their ambition is far from modest. Originally, Han should have been their next target, but now that the two are friendly, do you think they intend to invade the State of Zheng? Yet, to bypass the weak and attack the strong is rather baffling…”

“Not necessarily. If the Black Wolf Army tried to take Han, they would surely fail; Zheng would not let such a tribal alliance rise as a major power. If the Black Wolf Army persuades Han and Chu to join forces against Zheng, it’s not impossible. Zheng lies at the heart of the Seven States—if it holds power, it can dominate the realm; if not, it risks being besieged from all sides. I suspect the Lord of Feixian Sect is eager to host the Divine Martial Tournament because the Black Wolf Army may well intend to make a move against Zheng. I’ve heard their foremost warrior is quite renowned?”

Ling Luo thought for a moment and nodded, “Kaar. Twenty years ago, he reportedly fought the Lord of Feixian Sect. Though defeated, he escaped injured after more than thirty rounds. Over the past decade, Kaar has diligently trained eight disciples, all said to be formidable. He himself has mastered the Vajra Palm of the Buddhist Sect to the tenth level, seeking to avenge his old humiliation and elevate the Black Wolf Army’s prestige. This Divine Martial Tournament gives him a fair chance to face the Lord of Feixian Sect—perhaps a way to delay the Black Wolf Army’s campaign.”

“Young fists are always feared. Though the Lord of Feixian Sect is deeply accomplished, he’s aged. Kaar is in his prime—do you think Master will intervene?”

“You worry in vain. First, the Lord of Feixian Sect is proud and would never shy from such a duel. Second, the Supreme Divine Skill of the Tenfold Sovereign is wondrous. I've only heard about it, never seen it myself, but they say that when mastered, even if the practitioner is eighty, upon facing an enemy, their power surges and their body regains the agility of youth. Of course, only a handful in Feixian Sect have reached such heights.”

Bu Jingxian was amazed, praising how such martial arts could exist—surely worthy of being called divine.

Soon, it was time for Ling Luo to instruct some junior disciples in martial techniques. He took his leave as usual. Bu Jingxian practiced alone at the rear cliff, though he knew peace would not last long. At this hour, the other disciples on the mountain were free to act as they pleased. Most would not continue practicing, but instead gathered in close groups to discuss techniques, spar for a while, and then chat idly until the evening lessons.

The mountain was rather dull at this time. Boredom led to seeking diversions. Those with private affairs found quiet places to whisper sweet nothings—Bu Jingxian often stumbled upon such scenes. Especially at night, when couples wandered the cliffs and woods, he found it amusing; these privileged youths cared little for the forest’s untidiness, spreading something on the ground and entwining themselves together.

Those with a broader circle of friends needn’t resort to such measures. They would coordinate to swap sleeping quarters at night, freeing up a quiet room, avoiding the mountain’s chill and the embarrassment of being discovered. Such people roamed the mountain in groups, chatting and passing the time.

They especially enjoyed encountering their Third Senior Brother—Bu Jingxian.

Some would even go out of their way to visit him, bringing gifts. These gifts were rather peculiar: raw eggs, and bones stripped of meat.

Bu Jingxian disliked these deliberate visits, and disliked the gifts even more.

Soon after Ling Luo left, several disciples from the Northern Spirit Sect who liked to visit Bu Jingxian arrived. A group of over twenty, both men and women. Almost all carried large baskets filled mostly with eggs; only a few bothered to bring leftover bones. Food was never scarce on Northern Spirit Mountain; the Elder never imposed restrictions. Cleaning was handled by hired laborers from the towns below, who were forbidden from speaking to any disciple—if they did, their tongues would be cut and they’d be sent back to town. They could only work at night when everyone rested; entering the training grounds by day would lead to expulsion at best, death at worst.

Thus, these visitors cared little for the abundance of eggs, nor for leaving the cliff strewn with mess.

From afar, a girl with a crisp voice called out loudly, “Third Senior Brother, we’ve come to see you again! Are you here?” Another girl, sounding gentle, laughed, “Third Senior Brother is always so sparing with his words, never deigning to speak to useless juniors like us. What’s the point in calling?”

The rest burst into laughter.

“Sister, you should be careful. Third Senior Brother is not what he used to be—he’s the rightful heir to Feixian Sect, the husband of the eldest daughter of Lord Zhengxi of Zheng. If you show him such disrespect, aren’t you afraid Zheng Linran will come looking for trouble?”

The girl laughed again, “Oh dear, oh dear! We come in earnest to visit and seek guidance—what’s there to fear?”

The others laughed again.

Talking among themselves, they reached the cliff where Bu Jingxian sat. Seeing him as always, cross-legged and meditating, practicing diligently. Even though they were used to this scene, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“See how hard Third Senior Brother works! We must learn from him and practice diligently. Everyone, be serious—no fooling around. Take out your eggs and seek guidance; let’s practice our hidden weapons technique!” As he spoke, he grabbed three raw eggs in his hand and flung them at Bu Jingxian on the cliff.

Bu Jingxian couldn’t be bothered to look at them. He lowered his head, drew his belly in, and shifted slightly. All three eggs flew past him off the cliff.

They had their pretexts—even obvious mockery and playful tone had justification. Seeking guidance in hidden weapon techniques, at most the Elder would scold them; it never amounted to the crime of fighting among brothers. They would never attack him directly: the rules forbade it, and it would dirty their hands. If Bu Jingxian lost his temper and struck first, he would be guilty of fighting among peers, not them.

They were all children of nobility; bullying never required brute force, nor harming with blades. Their methods were cold and subtle; if you couldn’t be colder, if you acted impulsively, you’d suffer.

In the beginning, suffering such humiliation, Bu Jingxian was covered in broken yolks and egg whites, his body bruised by bones. Were he not naturally cold of temperament, he would never have endured it. After repeated encounters, the anger within him grew heavier, and he knew if it continued, he’d eventually lose control. But the consequences of rage were clear—would the master who refused to teach him martial arts forgive his offense? More likely, he’d welcome the chance to drive him out…

Endless endurance was not a solution. Yet he couldn’t harbor murderous intent. Why did the Elder dislike him? Bu Jingxian had pondered this for a long time. In the end, he believed it was because he was too calculating; if trouble arose, the Elder would not easily resolve it.

He could only adjust his own mood and perspective.

Eventually, he treated these incidents as exercises in agility and awareness, and thus no longer grew angry. With time, fewer disciples could hit him.

“Senior Brother truly grows more skilled each day—more nimble than a monkey in a street circus. We are impressed! Everyone, don’t hold back or hide your skills; do your best, so Senior Brother can judge our abilities and guide us!” After speaking, the others laughed again, each grabbing several eggs or bones and hurling them at Bu Jingxian.

For a moment, eggs rained down in a dense shower, yet these youths had some skill—none broke in midair by colliding.

At first, Bu Jingxian always relied on evasion and blocking, but found it lacked training effect. If real hidden weapons flew faster, and if poisoned, they could not be touched. So he tried sweeping with branches, but that felt unrealistic, so he reverted to dodging bare-handed. After mastering the Soul Technique to the fifth level, his punches generated gusts, so he switched to using fist force.

He had witnessed Ling Luo’s divine martial arts using wind, and while imprisoned, he had pondered and practiced with water as tangible wind. He realized that Ling Luo’s seemingly casual movements were actually infused with strong internal energy, creating a storm by mixing wind and inner force.

He began to learn to manipulate and apply such spinning energy, gradually understanding its subtleties. Now, in practice, his punches and palms moved air into wind, causing the eggs to veer off course. With several rounds, his skill grew; a single strike could shatter a cluster of eggs together. As he grew proficient, he tried channeling force through other parts of his body, forming air currents to deflect eggs.

Thus, he stopped caring whether he was hit, focusing instead on mastering the spin force more quickly and effectively. Still, some eggs struck him, as he couldn’t guard against all with only slight movements, and soon he was soaked.

“Don’t hurry, Senior Brother. Try our newly learned combined volley technique—Waves of the Sea!”