Chapter 278 (2): No Second in Martial Arts; Fist Beyond the Heavens
The master and disciple, Pei Bei and Cao Ci, slowly walked along the great wall. Cao Ci glanced back in the direction of the thatched cottages and said with serious expression, "Even though his foundation at the third tier is still quite far behind my foundation at the third tier, I feel like Chen Ping'an still has the chance to follow behind me."
The martial goddess smiled and said, "This is very high praise."
"Master, what do you think?" Cao Ci asked.
Pei Bei shook her head lightly and replied, "It doesn't matter what I think. This depends on how you and Chen Ping'an develop in the future. This depends on your cultivation speed, the sturdiness of your foundation at each tier, and eventually the level of your Martial Dao. Of course, who can live for longer is also critically important."
Cao Ci nodded and asked, "Master, if there aren't any big accidents, approximately how long can you live for?" Folloow current novÊls on nov/3lb((in).(co/m)
Pei Bei's voice was calm as she answered this question pertaining to her life and death, saying, "Ordinary martial artists at the 10th tier can live until around 300 years old if they minimize the depletion of their vital energy and participate in fewer life-and-death battles where they suffer severe wounds with difficult-to-remove side-effects. I can live for approximately 200 years longer than that. However, this extra 200 years will allow me to do many more things."
Cao Ci sighed with emotion and lamented, "At the end of the day, Qi refiners still enjoy a longer lifespan than us."
Pei Bei didn't comment on this. Instead. she asked, "Do you have any other thoughts about Chen Ping'an?"
"No," Cao Ci replied with a shake of his head.
"You can leave the Great Duan Empire before you advance to the seventh tier, but you're definitely not allowed to travel to any other continent," Pei Bei warned.
"I understand."
Cao Ci didn't mind this at all. When it came to the Martial Dao, his true opponent was none other than himself.
The tall martial goddess from Middle Earth Divine Continent couldn't help but chuckle. She reached over and stroked Cao Ci's head.
"Master, don't treat me like a child all the time," Cao Ci said in exasperation.
Before walking down the great wall, Pei Bei glanced back at the thatched cottages, then quickly looked away. A sneaky smile appeared on her face.
Pure martial artists in the same generation as Cao Ci would most likely feel very aggrieved.
Those who respected and revered him could only gaze up at a tall mountain. They could only gaze up at him for their entire lives.
Those who envied and felt jealous of him could only stare at the dust he left behind, and those who detested him and felt hostility toward him could only fume in helplessness.
Pei Bei was very eager to see her disciple's ultimate height.
After all, there was no second when it came to martial arts!
————
Chen Ping'an had already stayed on the city wall for almost ten days. Ning Yao visited today, and she told Chen Ping'an that an important guest was visiting her clan and that she needed to be present.
Chen Ping'an continued to practice walking meditation along the city wall. After walking for several kilometers, he discovered a little girl dressed in a loose black robe standing in front of him. Her hair was tied into adorable twin braids, and she seemed to be just standing there and nodding off. She swayed back and forth, and it looked like she might plummet down the great wall at any moment.
Chen Ping'an was extremely alarmed by what he saw, and he was just about to reach over to stabilize the reckless little girl. However, his two long journeys had allowed him to mature quite a bit. Colorful Garment Nation, Stalactite Mountain, and the Sword Qi Great Wall were all vastly different from each other.
Thus, Chen Ping'an simply called out and pretended that he was asking her something. Speaking poorly and awkwardly in the local dialect of the Sword Qi Great Wall that Ning Yao had taught him, he asked, "Do you know who the old man in the thatched cottage is?"
The little girl ignored Chen Ping'an and continued to wobble back and forth on the parapet.
Chen Ping'an came to a stop at a distance that he felt was reasonable. He then observed the little girl and discovered a snot bubble hanging from her nose. Sure enough, she was asleep.
However, his left shoulder was suddenly smacked by someone, and when he looked over, he discovered that Ning Yao was already sitting next to him.
She brought some food to the city wall this time, and she left it in the small thatched cottage nearby. She grabbed a pot of wine, and Chen Ping'an handed her his Sword Nurturing Gourd. Ning Yao helped refill the gourd.
When the pot was emptied, Ning Yao casually tossed it off the great wall. It wouldn't make any sound when it crashed into the ground. After all, it was only a small pot and not Lord Hidden Official.
Ning Yao drank a mouthful of wine and started to zone out.
Thus, Chen Ping'an accompanied her and also started to zone out.
"In reality, whether one is reasonable or not has nothing to do with whether they'll enjoy a good life or not," Ning Yao said softly.
Ning Yao pointed at the city and continued, "Over in that place, there are people who are far too talented. No one can do anything about them as long as they stay within the rules, even when they wantonly kill innocent people. When they arrive on the battlefield to the south of the great wall, these people will still be renowned and revered heroes.
"When their sword qi soars into the heavens, and when they cut through the swarming demon army with peerless might, even those who resent them will have no option but to admit that things would indeed be very different without these talented sword cultivators."
Ning Yao swirled the wine gourd and said, "I've been to many places in Majestic World, and I've come across all kinds of people during my journeys. Some people are able to enjoy a lifetime of prosperity and wealth simply because they reincarnated into the right place. They don't need to worry about food or clothes, yet they still sit there all day long and complain about how boring their life is. They like to grumble about how difficult they have it."
She returned the Sword Nurturing Gourd to Chen Ping'an and asked, "These nonsensical matters are quite boring, aren't they?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and replied, "It's alright. Everyone has their own principles and their own way of living. They're not necessarily wrong just because their values don't align with ours. I'll be fine as long as liking to speak reason doesn't guarantee a bad life."
"How unfortunate. Liking to speak reason does genuinely lead to a difficult life," Ning Yao said with a huff.
"Huh?"
Chen Ping'an started to carefully contemplate this matter.
Ning Yao turned around and looked at the earnestly thinking young boy. She couldn't help but chuckle and say, "I was only joking. Did you really believe me?"
Chen Ping'an drank a mouthful of wine and asked, "There's something weighing on your mind?"
Ning Yao nodded and replied, "Someone wants to buy my clan's Dragon Slaying Platform, but I'm not willing to sell it. However, they're offering an astronomical sum, and they're also speaking about righteousness, generational friendships, and anything they can think of. Listening to them is quite annoying."
Chen Ping'an didn't say anything to console Ning Yao. Instead, he gently grabbed her hand.
Ning Yao suddenly smiled for some reason, and she continued, "However, whenever I think about your pitiful childhood when you would go hungry and secretly cry in Clay Vase Alley with tears and snot flowing down your face, I feel like these matters aren't so important anymore."
Chen Ping'an smiled and looked into the distance. A gust of wind brushed over him, and it no longer brought him agonizing pain like it had when he had first arrived at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Right now, this gust of wind felt like the gentle breeze blowing through the mountains and forests in his hometown. "Is that so?" he said in a gentle voice.
In the end, Ning Yao leaned on Chen Ping'an's shoulder and slept soundly until the next morning.
Chen Ping'an sat there unmoving as he silently guarded the night.
He had once come across a very moving line of poetry.
Someone had engraved these characters onto the clay statue of a deity in the immortal tomb back in his hometown.
Chen Ping'an hoped that the author was anyone but Ma Kuxuan from Apricot Blossom Alley.
"Ever since childhood, I've been alone and looking after the stars of yore.[1]"
1. Paek Hak-rim's poem, 'Lonely.' ☜
