Volume 1, Chapter 157 – Martial Dao

Reincarnation’s tone was full of certainty. With this person’s strength, if he really harbored any improper designs toward Shi Lan, he could have captured her in silence with a single move, without leaving the slightest trace.

And this act of putting on the air of a reclusive master, pretending it was a chance encounter before taking in a genius disciple, was a method those peak experts loved to use.

That way, they could chalk the whole business of taking a disciple up to “fate,” both accepting a disciple and maintaining the so-called dignity of being a top expert, killing two birds with one stone.

This was all experience Reincarnation had gained from several of its previous hosts.

The old man before her, with his current behavior that practically screamed he was trying to act cool, looked like he might as well have the words “reclusive master” stamped across his face.

After hearing this, Shi Lan turned around and strode off without the slightest hesitation.

No matter who this old man was or what he was planning, Shi Lan didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

She lacked no cultivation arts, and external things like treasures and divine weapons would come sooner or later. As for background, she had Reincarnation behind her as backing. For now, she was quite safe and didn’t need to worry.

With these external conditions, Shi Lan had absolutely no reason to deal with a terrifying expert at the third stage of the Heaven-Man Realm or above. She had too many secrets on her. Any contact with such a powerhouse would only bring trouble.

The old man fishing by the riverside furrowed his brows ever so slightly, then slowly relaxed them.

Not bad. A steady temperament. Material that can be shaped.

Shi Lan had barely taken two steps when she stopped dead in her tracks.

That old man appeared in front of her again, and the distance between them had closed even further.

A martial artist of the Myriad Phenomena Realm could already brush against the power of space. For a Heaven-Man Realm powerhouse, changing the direction of her forward stride was as easy as breathing.

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Clearly, this old man had no intention of letting her leave.

“Senior, may I ask you to allow this junior to take her leave?” Unable to break free, Shi Lan simply stepped forward to greet him and spoke bluntly.

“Girl, this old man wants to ask you a question.” The old man said slowly.

“Can you not ask it?” Shi Lan hesitated for a moment.

The old man’s expression froze for a second, then instantly returned to calm. “No.”

“Then can I not answer?”

After a short silence, Shi Lan spoke again.

“Also no.”

“Then please ask, Senior.” Shi Lan lowered her gaze, giving up on struggling.

“What do you think the Martial Dao is?” The old man stared fixedly at the empty fishhook, his tone deep and meaningful.

“The Martial Dao is what lets you sit here in front of me and show off like this.”

Shi Lan silently muttered this in her heart. Outwardly, her expression didn’t change as she cupped her fists and said, “This junior’s strength is still shallow. I must ask Senior to enlighten me.”

“‘Martial’ is martial, and ‘Dao’ is Dao. People always like to lump the two together.”

The old man gave his fishing rod a light flick. The hook broke through the river’s surface and brought up a big fish nearly a foot long.

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The corner of Shi Lan’s eye twitched. She had seen it perfectly clearly: the fishhook had vanished in an instant, then suddenly appeared in the big fish’s mouth.

Cradling the fish in his palm, the old man removed the hook, then released it back into the river.

“What did you just see?”

He flicked the hook back into the water and narrowed his eyes again.

“Senior, is that the second question?” Shi Lan asked, a bit confused.

The old man coughed lightly. “You could say that.”

“You just caught a fish.”

Shi Lan spoke, then couldn’t help grumbling inwardly, “Can’t he just say what he means? Why does he have to talk in circles like this?”

“The life and death of that fish was decided with a single thought of mine. The life and death of every living creature in this entire river lies in the palm of my hand. That is ‘martial.’ As for ‘Dao’… even if I told you now, you wouldn’t be able to understand.”

Setting the fishing rod down, the old man said softly, “Martial lets you grasp the life and death of others. Dao determines the limits of your martial, determines whose life and death you can grasp.”

“You, at such a young age, have already stepped into the Earth Fiend Realm. Your martial is enough to decide the life and death of eighty percent of the living beings in the Chengtian Domain. But your Dao has only just begun.”

“Martial means different things in different times. When the Demon-Suppressing Army holds back the demon race, martial is protection. In the hands of some utterly deranged people, martial is nothing but a butcher’s knife.”

“If you look across the Vast Land of Shenzhou, martial stands for power, status, and the fundamental means of achieving one’s desires. That is why most people only cultivate martial strength and never seek the Dao, losing the greater for the lesser.”

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“But regardless, from ancient times to now, the word ‘martial’ has always represented struggle and conflict. Every martial technique someone created, no matter the reason, has at its core the purpose of defeating, or even killing, the opponent…”

Shi Lan quietly listened as the old man spoke at length, feeling as though she was faintly grasping something. For this old man, who truly seemed to be explaining the Martial Dao to her, she couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised.

“This old man knows it is hard for you to understand all at once. But since you and I are fated, you may come here again tomorrow. Then I will slowly dispel your doubts. Off you go for now.”

Halfway through his words, the old man suddenly cut himself off, waved his hand, picked up the empty fish basket, and vanished from where he sat.

Shi Lan had just been entering the right state of mind when the old man cut his explanation short, leaving her with a pang of regret. Her appetite had well and truly been whetted.

……

After returning to camp and cultivating for a day, at the same time the next day, Shi Lan once more came to the little riverside. The old man was still there, fishing by the water.

From Reincarnation, Shi Lan learned that the old man had already been here since before dawn.

Seeing Shi Lan arrive, the old man nodded with a smile and continued to expound to her his understanding of the Martial Dao.

Shi Lan listened very earnestly. She could feel that everything the old man said came from precious, hard-earned experience.

At sunset, when dusk dyed the sky, the old man concluded his teachings.

“Many thanks for Senior’s guidance.” Shi Lan cupped her fists in salute.

Over the course of the day, Shi Lan had asked the old man for his name, but he brushed her off every time. After trying two or three times, she gave up on asking.

The old man inclined his head slightly and said slowly, “Tomorrow, this old man will no longer be here.”

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“Then when will Senior come again?” Shi Lan froze for a moment, though in her heart she understood they were finally getting to the main point.

“I will not be coming again.” The old man shook his head slightly.

“Where is Senior going?”

“My destination is uncertain.” The old man looked at Shi Lan, a clear hint of expectation in his eyes.

“This junior respectfully sees Senior off. May Senior have a smooth journey.”

Shi Lan bowed again.

A flicker of surprise flashed through the old man’s eyes, and he couldn’t help saying, “Once this old man leaves, there may never be a day we meet again.”

“Please wait a moment, Senior.” Realization dawned on Shi Lan’s face. She turned and ran toward the camp.

The old man brushed away dust that did not exist on his clothes, withdrew the divine sense he had wrapped around Shi Lan, and smiled in satisfaction. His blatant hints had not been for nothing.

Shi Lan quickly returned, holding a large black banner with gold characters, which she offered to the old man.

“I am but a minor commander of a thousand under the Demon-Suppressing Army’s command, with no real foundation to my name. All I can offer is this military standard. I hope Senior will not disdain it. Please accept it as a keepsake.”

The old man’s eyes widened. He had thought Shi Lan had gone back to prepare some sort of apprenticeship gift. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she would prepare such a “special” present for him.