'His mind has been shaken and his whole perception of the world around him is slowly being shattered.'
'How sturdy is his willpower?'
'Beyond the veil of a labeled super genius, then what are we left with, eh, Bei Moi?'
Zhao Wei smiled faintly as he studied Bei Moi's face. A face that currently showed no arrogance nor assured confidence but one that showed confusion, fear, disorientation, and a mirror of existential self-questioning.
Bei Moi's eyes were unfocused and his handsome face twisted in agony and defeat as he shouldered a gargantuan pressure akin to a hundred mountains.
That was how he perceived Zhao Wei's strong grip on his shoulder.
"Who am I?"
"Why am I weak?"
"How could I be overpowered by someone younger and inferior than me?"
"How is he so strong?"
"T-This isn't true!"
"I am the number one genius with no equal!"
Zhao Wei sighed in pity as he observed the sorry excuse of the so-called genius.
"The world is huge, friend, vaster than we could ever imagine," Zhao Wei said in a low tone as he lifted his eyes to the gloomy skies.
"Super genius with no equal? What is that? Honor?"
"That's stupid and something that only a frog in a well could say."
Bei Moi wanted to retaliate with harsh words of his own but a single downward glance from Zhao Wei made him throw away whatever freedom of speech he had left.
The amendments didn't matter in a lawless cultivation society where a higher order of strength denied all sorts of expressions and freedom.
"I dare not blow my own trumpet of being more exceptional and brilliant than everyone. I dare not say I have no equal when I have yet to wield almighty power."
"Friend, I am also a frog in a well somehow." Zhao Wei chuckled lightly, his unpredictable attitude creating confusion among those who heard his words.
Bei Moi was the most confused.
"You are a genius of your generation. Why not embrace superiority and exercise perfection over everyone?"
"Superb enviable talent? Why shouldn't I feel honored and wallow in praise?"
Zhao Wei ceased his overbearing play and sighed.
There was a slight burning pain in his eyes that extended all the way to his optic nerves and it was annoying, to say the least.
"We all have various flawed reasoning ingrained in our beings. Yours is severe. You lack one aspect of a bonafide genius and that is 'Humility'."
"Haha, I am not one to talk to you about humility as I am also an arrogant run-of-the-mill 'genius'."
"You may have been lauded as a super genius but that only applies to Cloud Country. How many countries like Cloud Country are there? How many Great Countries are there? How many continents? What about beyond the seas and the clouds?"
"We know nothing of the unknown and instead of wallowing in self-satisfaction, we should contemplate on our inferiority and lower our pride to better understand the world around us."
"Why are you talking as if you have seen whatever you are talking about when you are just a bumpkin from the same country as I?" Bei Moi asked the question that was plaguing everyone's mind.
"Ha, as you have said I am a bumpkin but what separates me from you lot is that I am…a THINKER!" Zhao Wei explained comfortably, not at all offended by Bei Moi's straightforward words.
"What?" Bei Moi was affected by Zhao Wei's strong conviction about certain matters.
"I like to think, to speculate about many things. Have you ever asked yourself about your purpose in life?"
"My purpose?" The question echoed in every youth's mind.
"What is the purpose of my existence?" Bei Moi became lost in those words, Zhao Wei's words constantly ringing inside his brain.
"What is your purpose then?" Bei Moi reiterated Zhao Wei's words back to him.
"My purpose… I don't know."
"Y-You don't know?" Bei Moi hid his annoyance.
But a few seconds later, Zhao Wei continued with an easy-going smile.
"I am still searching and I have yet to understand it myself."
So he is just like…us? A collective thought ran through everyone's minds.
"And you wanna know the reason why I was able to triumph over you?" Zhao Wei posed the question that had been disturbing Bei Moi's mind when he was realistically supposed to be better.
He had a few Holy Martial Arts in his arsenal of techniques that were vastly superior to Zhao Wei's.
So why?
Why was he defeated and played with by his opponent?
Wasn't he stronger than most Ninth Rankers?
Then did this mean that a mere Seventh Rank Martial Master was able to contend against a Ninth Ranker?
How shocking was that?!
Bei Moi nodded hesitantly, dreading to hear about the obvious.
Zhao Wei seemed to consider how to answer Bei Moi.
"I guess I am just built differently and my ambitions are greater than even me which, in itself, sounds so damn ridiculous."
"Talent and potential matter but aren't the deciding factors of a future powerhouse. Just like how a journey has different paths, everyone has their own suitable path to follow to reach their goals. People can experience growth in numerous ways. It's all about adaptability and having a dynamic mind instead of being fixated on a singular aspect."
Zhao Wei's words seemed to spread far and wide even beyond the confines of the Sky Guards Battalion. To one particular existence.
A being that Zhao Wei had just noticed whose sole interest was on the current transpiration of matters.
He didn't seem angry about the circumstances of his most prized core disciple.
He only showed a slight frown as his face showed numerous changes with each passing second.
He had been forced to avail himself after being given some unbelievable news by his outer disciple, Third Guard.
His core disciple, Bei Moi, had been overpowered squarely by another disciple from the Sky Guards Battalion!
Bei Moi couldn't resist and had been forced to his knees with just a single hand!
How could he, Lord Guanjun, believe it?
The news had forced him to leave his seclusion which was only a few days from reaching its end.
But after seeing firsthand the way Bei Moi kneeled before a 14-year-old youth whose halo shone more resplendent and eclipsed his, Lord Guanjun immediately understood something.
In the world, there still existed individuals more monstrous than even Bei Moi.
If that was the youth's battle prowess, then what about his potential? His talent?
And why did it feel that his words were solely meant for him?
Was it just a coincidence? Or was he just overthinking?
Lord Guanjun showed a slight smile.
"We will see what promise you hold, young man. Talent and potential are everything in this universe." Lord Guanjun then gazed at the sky with reminiscence and a few moments later, he sighed before disappearing from the tall tree he was standing on.
Becoming one with the surroundings, huh?
Meanwhile, a barely discernible knowing grin formed on Zhao Wei's lips.
Various thoughts ran through his mind as he caught the enigmatic figure of Lord Guanjun from his peripheral vision while maintaining a 'healthy' conversation with Bei Moi.
"Are you going to continue kneeling? You should never willingly kneel before anyone." Zhao Wei scolded Bei Moi.
What a chameleon!
You are the one who forced me on my knees and now you are speaking as if I kneeled by myself!
What sort of injustice was that?
Why do I have to suffer through this bastard's evilness?
"Y-Your hand is still holding me down!" Bei Moi gritted his teeth in suppressed anger.
His arm hurt like hell, it's just a pity he lacked an aspirin, hehe, as if there were any.
Zhao Wei was now being a troll.
"Oh, I was still holding you. I forgot about that." Zhao Wei removed his hold from Bei Moi's shoulder with an innocent expression on his face.
He then turned his back to Bei Moi who was slowly supporting himself off the ground.
'So stupid of him to turn his back to the enemy. But something I have come to understand about this bastard…is his deviousness.'
'You want me to enter your web; continue dreaming on. I have to thank you for wizening me up.'
Bei Moi held his right dislocated shoulder and *CRACK*, managed to put everything in place.
His face remained passive even with the throbbing pain assaulting his entire arm.
"What do I call you?" Zhao Wei inquired but Bei Moi swore he could visualize that shitty smile on his sagely face.
"I am…Bei Moi."
"I go by the name, Zhao Wei, the wife beater. Aren't we friends now, eh, Bei Moi?"
"Fuck off!" Bei Moi grumbled with venom.
And what followed next was a hilarious burst of laughter from Zhao Wei.
'Are you going to fall into despair or rise like a dragon from this humiliation and defeat?'
And thus, the complicated relationship between Zhao Wei and Bei Moi began!
Was it the start of a peculiar friendship or rivalry?
Was Bei Moi going to alter his flawed reasoning?
***
Enjoy!
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