Chapter 390 - 221: The Path of a Grandmaster, Resistance in Jinling

Chapter 390: Chapter 221: The Path of a Grandmaster, Resistance in Jinling

The path to becoming a Grandmaster seemed to be laid out right before him.

Xie Yuan was lost in thought for a while, then gradually grew excited.

’So all my past experiences have been quietly settling in the depths of my mind, just waiting to bear fruit.’

’It didn’t matter how much I used to complain about being bad at math, or why Chinese people had to learn English, or whether memorizing ancient poetry would get me a raise. All those subjects, in their own formless way, have shaped my entire life.’

’My dudes, studying really is useful!’

Xie Yuan had an epiphany. Although he felt that analyzing the path of martial arts this way made it seem a bit abstract, wasn’t thinking essential no matter what you did?

He couldn’t yet fully comprehend what Qin Zhenyang had said from personal experience, as his cultivation hadn’t reached that threshold. But at least today, he had gained some understanding of the path to the Grandmaster realm and what steps to take next, which gave him a great deal more confidence.

’Actually, now that I think about it, Miss Qin has said similar things before. But she only told me to think and perceive more, without explaining it so thoroughly.’

Xie Yuan recalled bits and pieces of his conversations with Situ Qin—when they would chat idly, talk about everything under the sun, and discuss the Martial Dao—and nodded silently.

’Having a good friend by my side is a great blessing... but even without these benefits, just being with her makes me happy.’

The group descended from Cloud Mountain, passed through Yunzhou Prefecture city to board a boat at the large outer wharf, and spent half a day shopping in the city to make ample preparations. Xie Yuan took the opportunity to separate from the group, claiming he was visiting elders.

Well, Li Tai and Aunt Hong could indeed be considered elders.

When Situ Qin learned that he was suddenly going to Jiangnan, she naturally had the idea to join him, but Li Tai and Aunt Hong jointly vetoed it. If she could run into danger even in Yunzhou, wouldn’t going to the heartland of the great families be like walking into a dragon’s den? To any other Martial Artist, Jiangnan wasn’t so dangerous; on the contrary, it was a place of peace, prosperity, and stability. But that didn’t apply to Situ Qin.

Thus, Situ Qin could only bid a reluctant farewell to Xie Yuan. She tried to give him treasures and gold, but he refused them all. He already felt quite at ease wearing the Jade Buddha Statue she had given him.

Time was short, so Situ Qin took out her qin, pressed the strings, and played a farewell song for Xie Yuan. She told him to take care of himself and, if he got the chance, to beat up some of those great family members who didn’t treat people like human beings. Xie Yuan readily agreed.

Compared to traveling by land, water transport, once you got used to it, was much more convenient and comfortable. After all, it wasn’t as jarring as a horse-drawn carriage.

Traveling downriver, resupplying along the banks, and aided by the seasonal west wind, the journey by water was much faster than by land.

Thanks to a little trick Xie Yuan had discovered, everyone quickly got over the painful stage of being landlubbers and settled in comfortably on the boat.

Throughout the journey, besides cultivating, Xie Yuan spent his time silently watching the river and contemplating.

’How does the Martial Dao integrate with heaven and earth? What is the path to becoming a Grandmaster?’

Qin Zhenyang said he was giving him a pointer, but in reality, their First Senior Brother had given all the junior disciples a detailed lesson. Xie Yuan used this spark of enlightenment to get his first glimpse of the next realm, though he had yet to truly cross that illusory bridge.

But as for how to connect with heaven and earth and build that bridge, Xie Yuan seemed to have a faint idea. It was as if a hazy, illusory shadow of the bridge had already appeared, just waiting for him to solidify and reinforce it.

Ning Zi, Lin Zhen, and the others had also been enlightened. In between their quiet contemplations, they prepared for the upcoming Minor Young Dragon Tournament. After all, this time, they were the main participants.

But aside from that, they often found themselves silently observing Xie Yuan as he stood quietly by the ship’s rail. They felt his silhouette had a certain charm, different from their own, making him look almost like a Daoist.

’Don’t tell me this kid has actually figured something out?’

Ning Zi wondered silently, her bewitching eyes filled with astonishment.

Ever since returning from the Slaughter Tower and the incident at Sword Peak, Lin Zhen had already been observing this peculiar junior brother, and lately, she watched him even more frequently.

And as Lin Zhen silently watched Xie Yuan, Huang Zifeng silently watched her from a corner.

He had been the happiest of all when Luo Shuang secured a spot for her disciple to gain experience and training.

But not only were there several huge "lanterns" on the trip, Lin Zhen also treated him with nothing more than the courtesy due a fellow sect member, offering no warmth whatsoever.

The young Swordsman was getting his first taste of sorrow. Feeling a bit lost, he could only pour his feelings into his sword and practice in silence.

The great ship carried the disciples of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect downriver, covering a thousand miles a day. After ten days, they arrived at Jinling.

"A strategic gem of the southeast, a hub of the Three Wu regions; Qiantang, ever prosperous since ancient times."

The group finally disembarked, all of them feeling as if they were still swaying.

But they were Martial Artists, after all. With a reminder from Xie Yuan, their ability to adapt in this regard was surprisingly fast, and they soon regained their land legs.

Xie Yuan gazed at the Jinling ferry crossing, which was even grander than the wharf at Yunzhou Prefecture. He watched a thousand sails pass by. Turning his head, he saw towering buildings and dense, orderly rows of houses in the distance. The city walls stretched almost as far as the eye could see, and the streets were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with pedestrians. He couldn’t help but subconsciously recite a line of poetry.

’The place might be a little different,’ he thought, ’but the sentiment is the same.’

"A fine poem! I didn’t expect Junior Brother Zhang to be versed in literature as well."

Huang Zifeng, who rarely spoke up, said in surprise. His family had a scholarly tradition, with few who pursued the Martial Dao, so he had actually read quite a few books himself.

But even though he had read his fair share of poetry, he had never heard this line before. ’Could it be an original composition?’

Xie Yuan chuckled and said:

"I just happened to see it in some poetry collection I bought from a street stall. I only know this one line and thought it fit the scene."

Ning Zi giggled and said:

"Not bad, not bad! He can cure seasickness and recite poetry to liven things up. This junior brother is really useful!"

Xie Yuan didn’t think much of her comment, but Huang Zifeng’s face darkened upon hearing it.

If *this* junior brother was useful, then which junior brother was useless?

But Ning Zi was a straightforward person and hadn’t meant it that way. And even if she had, there was nothing Huang Zifeng could do to a senior sister who was said to be the strongest in the sect at the Second Transformation Realm.