After the exhausting physical training, Tianlong wanted nothing more than to go back to his home and take a bath.
It was already morning and except for a few children, most people had already awakened.
While the two were going back, he saw many of his classmates. All of the children that he was acquainted with, smiled and waved at him.
However, the older generation looked at the pair with mixed expressions. Many of them greeted his father, towards whom Dingxing nodded and cupped his fists. Then there were others, who whispered among themselves while some of them even looked at them with weird glances.
Even though Tianlong was used to such gazes, it didn't mean he liked them. It was especially so because the one who was subjected to the gazes wasn't only him.
Yun Dingxing sensed his son's emotions and patted his shoulder.
"No matter where you go, people are always unwelcoming towards someone who's not from their kind. It's a natural behaviour among all races, be it the humans or demons."
"I guess it's just like how dogs are territorial and chase down other dogs, not from that area" Tianlong replied.
"Heh, that's way to look at it." Yun Dingxing chuckled at the notion. "Keeping aside our feelings, let's try to look at this objectively. When society wasn't as developed as now and people used to live in secluded tribes, it was natural for them to be unwelcoming towards an outsider who may steal their resources or introduce new diseases.
"This basic instinct is rooted within every person since ancient times. It's a double-edged sword. In times of war, it'll give birth to unity among the race while times of peace, it may give birth to xenophobia or racial discrimination."
"Is that the reason why you can't take us to your clan?"
The sudden question caught him off-guard. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "The situation at my clan is complicated. Your mother being a human is just one of the factor. Those old fogies are always scheming behind each other's back. I want nothing to do with that mess."
"Besides, your mother's clan is far better than the other clans. If you read about the history before the establishment of the Holy Suzaku country, you'll find that the relations between demons and humans were extremely bloody. Although there is still tension among the races, it'll silently dissolve if no one provokes the other."
Looking at his son, his gaze was full of warmth. The love of a father was of a different kind than of a mother.
"To a demon, their spirit is the most important thing. Once you lose your spirit of freedom and get chained down by things like fame and power, you'll never progress. Our spirit is what differentiates us from mere beasts."
Tianlong took a deep breath and seriously nodded. He would forever remember those words.
"Like fame and power, is love also a type of shackle?"
Yun Dingxing's eyes glistened when he heard his question. "Why are you asking this question? …is there someone you fancy? Let me guess, it's that little girl Qingxue…"
"Dad!"
"Hahahaha..." Yun Dingxing threw back his head and gave a burst of uproarious laughter.
"Aiya~ isn't it sir Dingxing? I didn't know that you have come back~ " It was the surprised voice of a female.
Following the voice, they saw a was a beautiful middle-aged female standing outside her residence.
"Sigh, I almost forgot how popular I'm among the ladies." Saying this, he went up to greet her.
Seeing this scene, he felt that he got a chance to get back at his father.
"I'm telling this to mother…"
"Wait!"
…
Reaching his residence in a playful mood, he quickly took a shower and freshened himself up.
Under the shade of a willow tree, Long Qianmei was seated with two blades before her.
The morning sun illuminated her visage and the contrast between light and shadow made for unique imagery. Due to her high cultivation base, she looked as if she was still in her late teens or early twenties. Her beauty wasn't alluring but was rather something that would give others a fresh feeling.
Unfortunately, a few strands of her hair had turned white and her face had a pale sickly It was the cause of heartache for all of them.
"The obsidian gold armaments that you are wearing, are always absorbing spiritual energy to make themself heavier. They can only retain a small portion of spiritual energy that they attract and dissipate the rest. As such, your body is always surrounded by thicker spiritual energy than the surroundings. It's an excellent treasure for body refining." She saw through his new equipment with a single glance.
Tianlong seated himself in front of her.
His expression was serious, and there was no playfulness on his face.
Currently, she was his teacher. He had to behave like a student, not a child.
Qiang!
She unsheathed one of the blades kept in front of her. It was as long as an adult's arm. The blade had a single sharp edge while its back was slightly thicker. There was a circular guard at the end of it with a flowery design.
Her long fingers ran across the blade as she checked its sharpness. "Tell me the mindset that every swordsman should possess. I don't want textbook answers, just your own view."
Tianlong closed his eyes as he pondered her question.
Long Qianmei patiently waited for his answer. The entire time, her eyes were fixated on the blade.
When her fingers ran across the sharp edge of the blade, the weapon seemed to tremble in fear.
"The sword is a tool for killing not decoration. Even if one uses it to defend themselves, it'll come at the price of the opponent's life."
"While mastering it, one must be at peace with death, both their own and someone else's."
Her expression was cold but inwardly she was praising him.
"The sword is a tool of killing, but it's also much more than that. It's a philosophy on how to live one's life." Her eyes were serious and lacked the usual affection.
"The sword is wielded by both body and mind. Thus, if you wish to attain any success in your swordsmanship, your mind needs to be as sharp as the sword.
"The grand dao of swordsmanship, it's vast and profound. There are many sword fanatics who in their pursuit of dao, severed their emotions and turned into a slave to their swords."
Speaking up to this, her voice became silent. She looked at the sword for a moment, after which she heaved a sigh.
"The sabre, scimitar, cutlass, claymore, katana, etc all come under the classification of swords. Their different structures give them speciality in a unique area. However, all of their attacks can be classified into fourteen basic movements, namely: stab, flick, cleave, wave, jab, pierce, hack, parry, curve, smear, sweep, raise, intercept, and sheath."
As she spoke, she stood up and performed all the sword stances. Her simple movements carried immense grace and seemed to fuse with the world.
Tianlong looked at the scene with a mesmerised expression. The simple display of stances seemed to have turned into a beautiful dance.
Upon finishing her display, she regained her composure. "I have trained you in many weapons before. Dabbling in so many areas has made you a beginner in all of them but in reality, it has also restricted your growth in any specific area."
Saying this, she passed the blade in her hand to Tianlong and took a wooden ruler for herself.
"From now on, you'll practice the sword until you can perceive it as an extension of your body."
Seeing the ruler in her hand, Tianlong shuddered in fear. He remembered the extreme pain while getting struck by this during the previous practice sessions.
"Now take your stance and get ready. This time, both of us will only use stab on each other" With that, she attacked.
"Be mindful of the surroundings!"
"Keep your footwork natural. Once you get accuracy and fluidity, speed will come naturally."
"Now stab!"
"Remember what I said, the sword is part of your body. Now try again!"
Tianlong continued to practice the stabbing motion again and again. Long Qianmei corrected his stance and the strength used in every motion.
She would make him attack her after every few moves but he would be beaten back effortlessly.
In a short while, Tianlong stabbed thousands of times but she still wasn't satisfied with his movements and made him practice continuously.
…
Due to the lingering effects of the refreshment pills, he wasn't feeling as fatigued as before. However, his entire body was numb due to the strikes of the ruler. It reminded him of all the openings he had left behind. Interestingly, there were no bruises on his body despite all the numbing pain.
Lying down on the grass, he tried to ignore the pain and focus on the different sword stances that his mother had performed.
"Mom, wouldn't it be better to practice swordsmanship once I enter the Qi Condensation? After all, cultivators have better senses and motor skills. It should be far easier for them to learn the same things that I'm struggling with."
Qianmei smiled at her son's question and answered, "It's only logical for you to think that way. Say, have you heard people talking about things like solidifying the foundation?"
Nodding his head, he said, "Yes. In simple terms, it means that one must properly grasp the basic concepts before moving to advance topics. Otherwise, one's progress will be limited and eventually come to a stop."
"Correct! The same goes in the case of cultivation too. Whenever you transition to a new level, your strength will build upon your previous level as a foundation.
"That's why the difference between cultivators grows more and more at higher stages. So, instead of being obsessed with the cultivation base, one should focus more on a stable and deep foundation. I broke through Yin-Yang Cleansing and Jade Core realm only when I wasn't able to progress any further in the previous realm."
"As I said before, the stage before entering cultivation is called Qi Sensing or Body tempering stage. It's not a cultivation realm per se but rather the strengthening of the mortal body and mind. So, the more you can stay build your foundation in this realm, the better your strength when you become a cultivator."
There was a deep look on her face as she faced Tianlong.
"Honestly speaking, I would've liked it if you went to the mortal world and challenged all of their swordsmen. Once you're unbeatable among them, your foundation should be rock solid and you'll barely have any opponents when you become a cultivator.
"Sadly, if you use this method… you'll become a middle-aged man by the time you meet the requirements. Your peers will far surpass you and you'll become the subject of their ridicule. More importantly, you'll lose this golden period of cultivation.
"So, the next best thing we can do is train your mind and physique while keeping you in contact with little spiritual energy. This will undoubtedly slow down your progress in becoming a cultivator, but you'll immediately notice the effects once you become one…
"So, don't get agitated when you see others among your peer reaching Qi Condensation realm by surrounding themselves with spirit stones and other treasures. You are being continuously bathed by the spiritual energy dissipated from the obsidian gold. While this won't make up for the spirit stones others are using, your cultivation speed will at least seem average."
"Your father once said to me that cultivation isn't a competition but rather a journey. If you run, you'll miss the beautiful scenery and if you slack off then you'll be stuck with the current view. The best way to proceed is to walk forward slow and steady so that you can enjoy the present while also looking forward to the future."
"But mom, what about the enemies? I'm sure they won't let you have peace."
She smiled and said, "If you are cultivating, it's only natural to encounter enemies. Even while dealing with them, you must keep your inner peace. Use your trickery, backstabbing, strength, skill or whatever you have to slay them. Even if you fail in the end, you'll have no regrets."
"But isn't backstabbing and trickery considered dishonourable and goes against the code of swordsman?"
"Yes, it does. But it also keeps you alive. Honour or life, whichever you want to keep, it's up to you to decide."