It doesn't matter what the lord is.

I originally thought it would be the kind of top-grade tea offered as tribute, but it turned out to be extremely bitter, and it felt like soaking dried leaves.

"If you are not used to it, don't drink it."

I put down my teacup.

Qingyun said:

"You stimulated his acupuncture points through external force, paralyzing his body's original regulating function. Because he was angered by you, he drew his sword without considering the consequences. When the sword energy flowed through his body, it directly broke through his tendons. The combination of these two things made him break through by force. If it was the fourth level to the fifth level, it would be fine. The fifth level to the sixth level should have been the test of the [Self-Searching Tribulation], which is the evaluation of the Heavenly Dao. Because of what you did, his realm has risen, but the [Self-Searching Tribulation] has not been activated at all. In this process, you regarded yourself as the Heavenly Dao, and you forcibly judged that he was qualified to be promoted to the sixth level. But what should he do if he is promoted to the seventh level? Without experiencing the Self-Searching Tribulation, he has not been recognized by the Heavenly Dao. Unless you force him to reach the seventh level, he is destined to never climb to a higher peak in his life."

I remained silent as a sign of agreement.

Qingyun showed a mocking smile and said:

"Realms are something mysterious. No one can say for sure who can break through and who can't. A few years later, if he can't reach the seventh level, others will only suspect that he is incompetent, and no one will put the blame on you. When his realm starts to decline and someone sees the problem, you will be confident in dealing with the revenge of the Qiming Territory. Before the game, you kept provoking him with words, making him give up the quick victory and fight a protracted war with you, so that you would have enough time to complete your plan. You are so cunning, not like a 17-year-old boy at all. It's not an exaggeration to say that you are cunning and sly."

"No, no, you are the one..."

I humbly offered this title to him, but Qingyun seemed to ignore it completely. He glanced towards the door and asked:

"That maid outside the door, did you teach her the way of swordsmanship?"

I admitted it openly.

Qingyun put one hand on the table and said with a somewhat unhappy voice:

"You are covered in blood, as if you crawled out of a pile of corpses. But you don't seem to have killed anyone. Where did you learn this sword art? It is against the harmony of nature. It is best not to practice it."

I said:

"If learning swordsmanship is not for killing, then is it for saving people? Even if it is for saving people, it is essentially to stop killing by killing. The sword is originally a weapon. When practicing swordsmanship, one must be prepared to kill and also be prepared to be killed. I cannot agree with what you said, sir."

Qingyun replied:

"That's right. But those who learn swordsmanship cannot have their minds filled with killing and being killed. They cannot be confined to this small world and cannot be blinded by the blood mist. Some people learn swordsmanship to take revenge with their own hands, some learn swordsmanship to dominate the world, and some learn swordsmanship to protect their loved ones. It's not just about killing and being killed. Those who only know how to kill will eventually be swallowed by the word 'kill' and become evil spirits."

I asked:

"That's right. But what if this person regards killing as Zen and follows the Shura path?"

Qingyun's face changed, he glared at me with lightning-like eyes, and said coldly:

"Killing as Zen? No wonder she can't be suppressed. Is this how Zen sword is practiced? Practicing Zen is to comprehend the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, and to learn the righteousness of the world. Killing as Zen, doesn't it mean to regard killing as the only goal of life? One day she will not be tolerated by the way of heaven. Will you be able to protect her then?"

I said calmly:

"Sir, you are a master of the tenth level of swordsmanship, so you are not afraid of anything. But Alayya was born in a humble family and has been on the verge of death several times. After following me, she has seen a lot of human indifference and the fickleness of the world. In her eyes, if you want to survive, you have to step on the corpses of others. Sir, you have your own swordsmanship, and Alayya has her own swordsmanship. I don't think it's wrong for each of us to go our own way."

Qingyun's expression softened, and he held the teacup and said:

"But young people should still do more good and less evil."

I smiled and said:

"I've already done a good deed by sparing Norn's life."

Qingyun also smiled and said:

"A good deed? It's just for the sake of profit. Now you can't defeat Lord Qiming, so you use this subtle method to retaliate. If you really stood at the top of the world, you wouldn't care about his life, you would kill him lightly."

I shook my head:

"If I really stand at the top of the world, no one dares to mess with me, and I won't be interested in killing anyone. I, Lid, just want to live a peaceful life. As long as no one disturbs me, I don't bother to care about so many things."

Qingyun looked into my eyes and asked:

"Is this true?"

I nodded.

My intuition told me that if he thought I was lying, the bamboo sword would pierce my throat in the next moment.

He would kill me without hesitation.

Because in his eyes, I am something that cannot be controlled, and it is not an exaggeration to describe me as a monster.

But I didn't lie to him.

Finally, Qingyun took a sip of tea, raised his chin towards the door, and said to me:

"Let her in. I'll be half her master."

After saying that, Qingyun sighed and added:

"Young people are full of vigor and vitality. There are many things they fight for and many things they are unwilling to let go of. Don't waste your life by taking the wrong path. When you want to turn back, you will find that you have fallen deeper and deeper..."

I called Alayya in and asked her to pay her respects to Qingyun as a disciple.

Normally, he should kneel down, but I helped him stand up halfway through. People say that you have to be a half-master, and of course the etiquette here is to do half, otherwise you will suffer a lot.

Qingyun didn't mind. He took out two folded papers from his pocket. The papers had already turned yellow. He held them between two fingers and handed them to Alayya, saying:

"Since I started practicing swordplay, I only know three swords. Among these three swords, I can only teach you two, so I can only be half your master. These two swords, one is called [Opening the Mountain], and the other is called [Breaking the Sea]. They are all written here. Lide is very good at judging people. You are not the most talented in swordsmanship, but you must have gone the furthest. These two swords are given to you. It is up to you whether you learn them or not, and how much you learn is up to your ability. You don't need to declare to others that you are my disciple, and don't say that I taught you swordsmanship... That's it."

43. Analyze calmly and think about it

Alayya took it carefully and put it in her pocket.

She bowed deeply to Qingyun again, and Qingyun looked at her with a complicated expression.

How should I put it? It was like the look of someone who saw cabbage being eaten by a pig...

After the apprenticeship, Qingyun prepared some herbs and asked Alayya to apply them on my wound. The sequelae of excessive bleeding began to appear, and my eyes went dark and my head was dizzy. Alayya helped me apply the medicine, which made me gasp in pain. What the hell, is this called herbal medicine? It can't be mint leaves or something like that to trick me.

After applying the medicine, Qingyun stood up, as if he was going to see the guest off.

He was not willing to exchange pleasantries with us, but I was curious about a question and couldn't help but ask him:

"Uncle Qingyun, I heard that you practice Zen swordsmanship, which is a sword technique that you have mastered after understanding the way of heaven and earth. According to my understanding, after enlightenment, you should travel around the world and transcend the mundane world. Why do you stay in the capital and confine yourself to this small palace garden?"

Qingyun stared at me blankly for a long while before he said with emotion:

"It's like a prison made of lines... It's true. I lost something and wanted to find it back, but I found that I couldn't find it. I can only watch silently from this nearest place. You are different from me. Life is short, so don't leave any regrets."

Actually, I didn’t quite understand what he was referring to, but I was deeply touched by the last sentence.

I bowed slightly to him and said:

"I would like to be taught."

Qingyun closed the door, and Alayya helped me leave.

After leaving the garden, Alayya suddenly said:

"Master, did you smell the fragrance just now?"

I looked at her puzzled.

Alaia said softly:

"There seemed to be some incense used by women in the room just now, but there was only a single bed."

I scratched my head and said:

"Who cares? Maybe this weird old man lives alone, has been single for a long time, and has no girlfriend, so he might start to develop some weird habits. Or maybe in such a big palace, with the maids coming and going, they might develop some feelings for him. He's a master of the tenth level of swordsmanship, and there are only three of them in the world. Who wouldn't be tempted?"

Alayya laughed.

Because I was seriously injured, Alayya had no intention of looking at the sword manual Qingyun gave her, and carried me back to the bedroom of the Lingwu Lord. When I got back, I found that Bai Huang was waiting for me at the door. When she saw me, she ran over and asked:

"Is everything okay?"

I said, trying hard:

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not that good. I beat that Norn down in just a few hits."

I wanted to show her my muscles, but I ended up pulling the wound, and it hurt so much that I grimaced in pain.

Bai Huang smiled and said:

"What? Don't lie to me. It's spread everywhere. It's said that Norn had a breakthrough in swordsmanship tonight and reached the sixth level. He was afraid that he would kill you with one sword, so he changed his tactics in a hurry. Unexpectedly, he hurt himself and luckily let you win. The other city lords are talking about this, saying that you are really lucky to encounter such a thing."

"Luck is also part of strength, you know."

I coughed twice and said to Bai Huang:

"Please help me send some medicinal herbs to Norn later. Pick out some precious medicines that are only used when upgrading from the sixth level to the seventh level. Just say that he was able to advance in the battle because of his strength. Although I won, I really admire him in my heart. So I will send him some spiritual medicines, and I hope he can reach the seventh level as soon as possible."

Bai Huang said with an unhappy look:

"Send him medicinal herbs, why?"

I relayed the king's words to her. Bai Huang was so angry that she kept saying:

"How can this be? You obviously won. It's fine if he doesn't apologize, but he wants us to pay for his medical treatment. No, I can't swallow this. Whether it's strength or luck, a winner is a winner. Your Majesty is too partial to him, it's as if he has a grudge against you."

He does have a grudge against me...

I didn't say much on this topic. I wanted to tell Bai Huang about the current situation, but Bai Huang and He Ji didn't dare to enter the Lingwu Lord's room. We had no choice but to go to Bai Huang's room together. Bai Huang arranged for me to sit on the bed, and he stood in front and asked:

"What's going on in the capital right now? It feels so chaotic. It's like a mess, and the atmosphere is so weird."

I smiled and said:

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to you slowly and you'll understand. Ahem... But before that, I'm a little thirsty..."

Bai Huang immediately poured a glass of water and ran over to feed me. But she probably had no experience in taking care of people before, so she basically poured the water directly into my mouth, choking me and making me cough.

"Tell me quickly!"

Bai Huang urged.

I took a breath, suppressed the smile on my face, and said to Bai Huang:

"The situation in the capital is complicated, and the forces are inseparable. At first glance, it seems to be a mess. But the more this is the case, the more you have to unravel the mystery and analyze it one by one. Many things in the world seem to be nonsensical, but everyone involved is acting for their own benefit. As long as you trace the source and see what they want, it will not be difficult to figure out the development of the matter."

Bai Huang is quite suitable as the supporting role. At this moment, she turned into a little fan girl, making “hmm” sounds beside the actor non-stop.

I said to her:

"Let's talk about the king first. He is smart and decisive, but stubborn and cares a lot about his reputation. It's impossible to hide the fact that there were 300,000 disaster victims in Tianyue Mountain. The king is neither blind nor deaf. He has his own eyes and ears. The Jinyiwei has the power of supervision, and they dare not say more. He must know everything that happened on a mountain not far from the king. He knew about it a long time ago."

Bai Huang was shocked:

"He knew?! Then why didn't he check?"

I said calmly:

"Do you still remember the cause of the incident at Tianyue Mountain?"

Bai Huang pondered for a moment, understood something, and asked me:

"Repairing a palace?"

Wrapped in bandages, I put my right leg on top of my left leg and analyzed it to her:

"The king wanted to build a palace in Tianyue Mountain, so he had to requisition the land of these residents. Then the relevant subsidies were embezzled, leaving 300,000 people homeless. The money was certainly taken away by some people in the court, but the cause of the incident was the king's willful behavior. When I came here, I found that the palace in the royal capital was too beautiful. It must have taken generations of people to build it countless times to reach such a scale. Not only that, there is also a palace carried by dragons. You have seen it, and the cost is absolutely terrifying. The national strength of Yongtian Kingdom has not increased significantly in recent years. On the contrary, many people in the territory can't even get enough food, and the land governed by the royal family is the same. Under such circumstances, building a palace on a large scale is itself very problematic."

Bai Huang nodded and said:

"I see... Many people don't have enough to eat, but he still insists on wasting money. This expense was unnecessary, and he knows it well. Now that something has happened, these 300,000 homeless victims are like a slap in his face, no wonder he is so secretive about it. And he pretends to be ignorant... Bah."

44. Speak of the devil

Bai Huang spat lightly, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face, obviously extremely contemptuous of the king's actions.

I continued:

"Knowing the king's thoughts, it is not difficult to guess what others think. The two princes, King Chao said that all the mistakes were the fault of the subordinates, while King Xi said that he would thoroughly investigate the ministers in the court. It seems that King Chao is covering up and King Xi is upholding justice, but in fact, it is not the case. King Chao maintained the face of the royal family, while King Xi had some ideas of starting a struggle. On this point, King Xi must have left a very bad impression on the king."

Bai Huang deeply agreed with this.

I raised a finger and said to Bai Huang:

"As for the ministers, it's easier to understand. From the previous details, we can see that the struggle between the two princes, King Chao and King Xi, has become increasingly intense, and the ministers must have taken sides. In their view, it doesn't matter how many people die. The most important thing is whether this incident can become a sharp blade that stabs the other party's heart. And what about the city lords? They have been in the capital for such a long time and visited so many ministers. Are they just going to stand by and watch? The weaker the royal family, the more beneficial it is to each family's territory, so the city lords are happy to fan the flames behind the scenes. Kaia, Noren, and even my brother Li Yi, basically stood on the side of the murderer behind the Tianyue Mountain incident, so they frequently made trouble for us, hoping that we could keep our tails between our legs and shut up honestly."

Bai Huang put his hands on his waist and cursed:

"I was wondering why those bastards always cause trouble for us. It turns out they are planning to strike first! Do you think I will be afraid of them if they show me a bit of power? You are dreaming. I am fearless and I am not afraid of anything. How could I be scared by these low-class guys?"

I thought to myself, my dear, no one is bothering you, right? Aren’t they all targeting me?

First, Kaiya and Liyi came to mess with me, trying to force me to live in a doghouse outside. Because I entered the Lingwu Lord's house, they had no choice but to leave. Later, at the banquet, Kaiya persuaded Norn to taunt me. The king took sides and insisted that we duel, and even proposed that we fight to the death.

I'm being targeted to death, but you, the instigator, are unscathed.