Chapter 30
Zheng Fa's words, though primarily meant to comfort, still carried a sincerity that eased the tension in the room, even if Xu's family—uncle and nephew—knew it was mostly for show.
"About today," Xu Jiaotou sighed, a hint of regret in his voice, "I lost my composure because of this 'Ling He Shen.'"
"'Ling He Shen'?" Zheng Fa's curiosity was piqued as he glanced at the martial arts texts before Xu Jiaotou.
"This is a secret technique passed down from the Zhao family, which the lady asked me to teach you. Remember, if you learn it, you must never share it with anyone without her permission!" At this point, Xu Jiaotou's previously gentle demeanor turned serious.
Zheng Fa nodded, but confusion lingered in his heart. "Is 'Ling He Shen' really that significant?"
"Very significant!" Xu Jiaotou was about to elaborate when he noticed his nephew eavesdropping by the door. He pointed sternly, "You, out!"
"Huh?"
"Out!"
Seeing the stern expression on Xu Jiaotou's face, the nephew reluctantly left, glancing back three times as he walked away.
Xu Jiaotou stood up and firmly closed the door behind him.
Outside was his young disciple, but more importantly, his nephew. His caution was evident.
Clearly, he was extremely wary about matters concerning 'Ling He Shen.'
"You know, when I taught you the 'Song He Zhuang,' do you remember why I looked down on the martial arts schools outside?" Xu Jiaotou asked.
"Because our Zhao family's martial arts are inherited from the immortal sect. For instance, mastering 'Song He Zhuang' can extend one's life," Zheng Fa recalled.
"The inheritance is real, and so is the longevity," Xu Jiaotou's voice dropped lower. "But the most important reason is that only our Zhao family's martial arts, passed down from the immortal sect, can lead one to the path of enlightenment through martial prowess!"
"Enlightenment through martial prowess?" Zheng Fa's gaze fell on 'Ling He Shen.'
"I can't explain exactly what it means to enter the path through martial arts, but there has always been a legend in the martial world that doing so can lead one to the immortal sect. More importantly, since we come from the immortal sect, we have this belief!" He turned to 'Ling He Shen.' "When the lady entrusted this to me, she personally told me that this is the martial art that leads to enlightenment through martial prowess."
"I thought to myself, maybe if I mastered this, I could enter the immortal sect too!"
Zheng Fa nodded, understanding the value of 'Ling He Shen' and Xu Jiaotou's caution.
"But... didn't you practice it yourself, Jiaotou? Why still..."
Zheng Fa's words trailed off; he hesitated to ask why Xu Jiaotou was still so intent on pleasing him.
Xu Jiaotou seemed to grasp his meaning, his face flushing with a hint of embarrassment. After a moment, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I thought I had let it go."
"Huh?" Zheng Fa sensed there was more to it.
"Zheng Fa, do you know how long I've been with the Zhao family?"
"I don't know."
"I, like you, am a born-and-bred Zhao, having grown up here for fifty-five years. But unlike you, I was recognized early on and began my martial training at ten."
Xu Jiaotou, who appeared to be a middle-aged man, was actually over fifty, clearly having achieved a high level of martial skill.
A hint of nostalgia crossed his face as he continued, "I had good talent and stood out from the guards in ten years, being promoted to instructor. By twenty, I was already a top expert in the martial world, thinking I could conquer the world!"
Zheng Fa remained silent, waiting for Xu Jiaotou to continue.
"At that time, the lady saw my potential and gifted me this 'Ling He Shen.'" Xu Jiaotou's fingers gripped the edge of the desk tightly, the veins on his hands bulging. "I was ambitious, and when I heard that mastering this martial art could lead to the immortal sect, I was overjoyed and determined to master 'Ling He Shen' and transcend the mundane!"
As he spoke, his grip relaxed, and a bitter smile crept onto his lips.
"You can probably guess what happened next: I never succeeded."
Zheng Fa nodded, but Xu Jiaotou's next words surprised him.
"Do you know how long I wasted trying to master 'Ling He Shen'?"
"Twenty years!"
Xu Jiaotou's voice was filled with bitterness. "A full twenty years! I studied 'Ling He Shen' day in and day out, eating and sleeping with these books, as if I were mad, yet I gained nothing."
Zheng Fa hadn't expected 'Ling He Shen' to be so difficult to master, especially coming from Xu Jiaotou.
At that moment, Xu Jiaotou looked nothing like the boisterous man Zheng Fa knew; his expression was filled with weariness. "When I finally came to my senses, I realized that time had slipped away like a thief, and I had wasted twenty years."
"Without a wife or children, having achieved nothing, my grand ambitions scattered. It was then that I finally decided to let go of 'Ling He Shen' and return the book to the lady."
In the room, silence enveloped them, only the unspoken regrets of Xu Jiaotou echoed in the air.
After a long pause, Xu Jiaotou shook his head, a complex smile breaking the silence. "I heard the lady wanted to teach 'Ling He Shen' to you. I thought, with your talent surpassing mine, perhaps you could master this martial art."
Zheng Fa understood that, according to Xu Jiaotou, he might not actually be more talented than him.
"I had selfish thoughts, wanting to build a good relationship with you. If you succeed in mastering it, I could ask you for guidance later, and perhaps there would still be hope for me to master 'Ling He Shen.' I said I had let go, but my heart was still filled with desire." He bowed slightly to Zheng Fa. "I didn't expect to make a fool of myself in front of you."
Zheng Fa didn't think Xu Jiaotou's desires were excessive; after all, who wouldn't be haunted by the years wasted on 'Ling He Shen'?
"Alright, take 'Ling He Shen' back. The lady asked me to teach you, but to be honest, I can't really teach you much. What little I understood might even lead you astray."
Zheng Fa picked up the books and stood up, only to hear Xu Jiaotou say, "Zheng Fa, I have one last request..."
"Huh?"
"'Ling He Shen' is hard to master, and I don't know how many years it will take you. But if you ever achieve something with it, even after I'm gone, you must come to my grave and tell me." Xu Jiaotou turned away, not looking at Zheng Fa, his tone heavy. "Let me know that the path of enlightenment through martial arts isn't a mere fantasy, that my life... wasn't a joke!"
"Forget it. If you can't master it in a few years, just give it up." Zheng Fa nodded, and as he turned to leave, he heard Xu Jiaotou's somewhat somber voice:
"Don't follow my path."
---
**Chapter 35: Empathy**
In the study, Zheng Fa opened the cover of 'Ling He Shen,' the echo of Xu Jiaotou's last words still lingering in his ears:
"Don't follow my path."
Even without hearing Xu Jiaotou's story, Zheng Fa felt he wouldn't waste half his life on 'Ling He Shen.'
He had another, better option for entering the immortal sect: becoming a talisman master.
For Xu Jiaotou, 'Ling He Shen' was his only chance to transcend the ordinary, making it hard for him to let go.
But according to the Seventh Young Master, becoming a talisman master also offered a chance to enter the immortal sect.
What made Zheng Fa value 'Ling He Shen' less than Xu Jiaotou did was the lady's actions—after he demonstrated a bit of talent as a talisman master, even deciphering two simple elemental talismans, she rewarded him with 'Ling He Shen.' This indirectly indicated that in her eyes, the martial art leading to enlightenment was far less significant than Zheng Fa's talent as a talisman master, even less than those two basic elemental talismans.
Another thought made Zheng Fa even more skeptical about the so-called enlightenment through martial arts:
If mastering 'Ling He Shen' could lead to the immortal sect, why was the Seventh Young Master so diligently studying talisman diagrams?
There were certainly questions even Xu Jiaotou didn't know.
But these thoughts didn't diminish Zheng Fa's interest in the legendary martial art itself.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Young Master leaned in, peering over Zheng Fa's shoulder as they both flipped through the 'Ling He Shen' manual.
After a quick glance, the Seventh Young Master frowned. "This guy really talks too much."
Zheng Fa nodded; he hadn't yet grasped the martial art's power, but he certainly recognized the author's self-importance.
This set of 'Ling He Shen' consisted of four volumes, and Zheng Fa had expected them to be about martial arts. However, the first and thickest volume was entirely the author's preface!
The author rambled on, detailing every aspect of his life.
He claimed to have been a martial artist who later entered the immortal sect but still loved martial arts, thus creating 'Ling He Shen' in hopes that future generations would carry it forward.
Most of the text was filled with boasts about his martial prowess, how he was highly regarded in the immortal sect, and how exquisite his techniques were...
"Did he create this martial art just to have people listen to him brag?" the Seventh Young Master mused, stroking his chin.
Zheng Fa found a sliver of reason in that perspective on the author’s self-aggrandizing.
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