Martial World Is Good . . .
"Everybody praises the martial world, but where does it truly reside, could you kindly direct me there?"
"In the mountains, in the woods, in the waters, where does one discover this 'good' martial world?"
"Youths claim the martial world is splendid, but how many are genuinely mature?"
"It is said that one can bear and wield a sword, but how many comprehend the sin and blood concealed within the blade?"
"Young men assert that the martial world is splendid. A hero always wins a fair maiden."
"But once he steps into the martial world, how can he distinguish between the witch and the maiden?"
"Who is a lady and who is a harlot?"
"People say the martial world is grand, but how many love stories and feuds do they truly comprehend?"
"They've heard legends from youth to old age, but who knows about the heroes and beauties entombed in the wilderness?"
"By the roadside in the martial world, many bones and graves."
"How many youthful dreams are buried there?"
"The martial world is magnificent. The martial world is wondrous. Youth should depart before growing old."
"It's simple to enter, challenging to exit. Do you know how many individuals wear false smiles while concealing profound sorrow within?"
"Only in old age do you realize how much better your family is than the foolish martial world dream."
"You wouldn't wish to spend a lifetime amidst blades and blood if you truly comprehended..."
"The martial world is grand. The martial world is wondrous. Yet, the martial world is also malevolent."
"The martial world is splendid for the individual who reaches the pinnacle alone."
"Don't ever declare the martial world is grand."
"You say it's splendid. I say it's splendid. We both wish we'd departed while we still could..."
...
Amidst the towering, unending mountains, in the untamed wilderness, there existed an ancient pathway. Cha Eun Xiao, now riding a pitch-black pony with pristine hooves, leisurely traveled this solitary route as the sun dipped below the horizon.
The breeze gently kissed his face, causing his azure robe to flutter, his hair to sway in the wind. It felt as if he were leaving behind the worldly tumult far in the distance.
After leaving Cold Moon Palace and successfully evading Zhan Yunfei and Zhu Jiutian, Cha Eun Xiao promptly altered his appearance. He even switched to the hairstyle he had donned during his time in the Land of Han-Yang. He took delight in his journey southward, even instructing Erhuo to acquire a wild pony for him. He mounted the steed, navigating the road at a leisurely pace.
He resembled a dignified, handsome young noble traversing mountains and rivers, enjoying a sense of ease that others would envy.
He compelled himself to temporarily unburden his mind, resolute not to entertain any weighty thoughts. The grudges from his past life, the debts of gratitude in his present life, the animosities from the past, and the affections of the present all clashed within him. He reminded himself, 'Hatred is hatred, gratitude is gratitude.' Nevertheless, reality had entwined these emotions into a complex knot in his heart.
Sorting them out was not overly challenging, but he was hesitant to do so.
He remained tormented and conflicted. He chose to set aside this emotional turmoil and indulge in some leisure time.
As he neared a forested roadside with solitary tombs, he felt moved. It called to mind a song that had echoed through Qing-Yun Realm for decades: "Martial World Is Good." He began to sing it softly.
It was not precisely a full-fledged song; rather, it consisted of a short, simple verse. An itinerant cultivator had carelessly sung it during their chance encounter. Cha Eun Xiao vividly recalled that day when he crossed paths with the wandering cultivator. Reflecting upon it now, it was as if he were reliving the experience...
A tattered, white-haired, sorrowful-faced, and dust-covered individual, clutching an Erhu, intoned a mournful melody.
He had no inkling that this impromptu performance would resonate through the ages.
The martial world held within it numerous enchanting dreams cherished by young souls. Heroes, tales of love, melodious songs, beautiful maidens, valor, fame, and legends—yet, all were consigned to history's pages...
A blade would arrive and depart, bearing both enmity and gratitude.
A song that both killed and lamented, the melody of martial skills.
It was a dream.
A dream, especially a sweet one, was all too easy to awaken from! Reality was the only enduring constant.
Only the naive youth, in their most impulsive years, believed the martial world to be a realm of wonder. However, as they grew older, they gradually grasped the verity of the matter. The martial world was bereft of dreams, and all that remained was to heave a weary sigh.
It was, at its core, a realm defined by sin, filth, blood, betrayal, carnage, and death.
It stirred the deepest depths of human emotion, pride, and sentiment.
Sometimes, within this martial world, a man found himself without alternative. Fatigue and helplessness would permeate his heart.
Cha Eun Xiao held a deep affection for this song. It encapsulated the solitude and desolation of existence within the martial world.
In moments of leisure, he would sing it gently atop a mountaintop or in a silent valley. The sorrow, pain, helplessness, and despair within the song resonated only with cultivators who had traversed the arduous path of the martial world.
Each time he sang it, he experienced a peculiar sensation and discovered fresh insights. It was akin to a fine liquor, bearing both the sharpness of the new and the richness of the aged. These two facets melded together in his heart, producing a complex emotion that could be felt but not articulated.
"The martial world is ideal for the one who reaches the pinnacle alone..." Cha Eun Xiao sighed. "Nevertheless, even when one stands atop the world, the loneliness... Is it truly ideal? The individual who penned this song... I doubt he comprehends it in its entirety... Ah... One can only obtain the clearest view when perched at the highest peak. He has never tasted the summit... so he cannot possibly comprehend what it's like to stand at the zenith..."
The pony's hooves rhythmically clopped along the road. Cha Eun Xiao proceeded in a relaxed manner. His demeanor embodied the image of a solitary hero that lived in the minds of young enthusiasts.
However, someone nearby erupted into laughter and began singing heartily, "Splendid is the martial world. Splendid is the martial world. Lives are taken each day. Splendid is the martial world. Splendid is the martial world. Heroes meet their end the same way. Splendid is the martial world. Splendid is the martial world. Beauties age and wither day by day. Splendid is the martial world. Splendid is the martial world. Lives are squandered in different ways. Splendid is the martial world. Splendid is the martial world. Who on earth claims the martial world is splendid?..."
Cha Eun Xiao was taken aback. The singer exuded exuberance in his voice, an air of recklessness, wildness, and fearlessness. It was evident he had a formidable reason for expressing himself so candidly.
The song sung was not the original but carried the same melody. The performer had added his own lyrics to the original tune. Still, it sounded almost identical to the wandering cultivator's rendition, only with more wildness and audacity.
The man's voice was deep and resonant. Listening to it, Cha Eun Xiao began to formulate a mental picture of the singer. Perhaps a robust, burly man of substantial girth with a voluminous beard.
"I would like to inquire about the identity of the individual who sang the song that so deeply moved me. Since we both share an affinity for it, why not reveal yourself to me?" Cha Eun Xiao addressed the forest with a loud, resonant voice.