Reflection in Blood-Red Eyes (Continued)

There was no trickery involved; it was simply that his swordsmanship was inferior to his opponent's, which made him feel extremely frustrated.

Last time, I was humiliated by that young Mohist Knight Guard. After all, he was the disciple of Spirit Transformation cultivator, with a renowned master guiding him. It was normal for his cultivation to surpass his peers. Moreover, he relied on external martial arts, not Swordsmanship, so losing to him didn't feel like a real loss.

But today he tasted defeat at the hands of a similarly young swordsman. You must know that the Blood Pupil Society is currently just an unknown small organization, not even as big as the Tiger and Tiger and Wolf Death School, and it is impossible for it to have Spirit Transformation expert in charge.

Without the unfair factors, the final conclusion was that he was inferior to his opponent, which was unacceptable to the young man who had always been praised as a genius swordsman.

"... I must admit, your Foundation is stronger than mine, but relying on brute force instead of Swordsmanship to break this move proves that your swordsmanship is not up to par..."

"You want to launch a preemptive strike before the sword lights overlap, right?" The Baiyi guard shut him down with a single sentence. "I saw through that method a long time ago, but I'm not going to do it that way."

"You deliberately stepped back!"

"I'll defeat you when your swordplay is at its strongest, so you'll have nothing to say."

After saying this, the Baiyi guard followed his Captain away, leaving the distraught young man standing there.

Seeing the outcome of the battle, Kang Buping sighed, slowly walked over, patted the young man's head, and said earnestly, "Now you know there are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people, right?"

"Why? He's clearly younger than me, yet his Swordsmanship is far superior. Is it because my talent and aptitude are inferior to his?"

"It's because you didn't try hard enough."

"Impossible! I practice swordsmanship for at least six hours every day!"

That young man practices for at least twelve hours every day.

How did you know about this?

"You can tell just by looking into his eyes. There's nothing else in that young man's eyes but sword practice. His focus is terrifying, almost to the point of self-forgetfulness. If he's not a born swordsman, then only hatred could drive someone to such a level."

"Would you find joy in practicing swordsmanship for the sake of hatred?"

"Some things must be done, whether you feel happy or painful, so don't compare yourself to those kinds of people, because it's pointless. We just need to do our own thing, find our place, and do what we should and can do," Kang Buping seized the opportunity to instruct. "I know you're dissatisfied with many of my actions, feeling that I'm not decisive enough, too restrained, hesitant, and unable to act swiftly and decisively. But that's reality. You can only eat as much as your stomach can hold. If you crave to eat as much as you want, you'll have to develop a bottomless stomach first."

"I understand, Uncle."

Kang Buping turned to look in the direction the two members of the Blood Pupil Society had left, and said leisurely, "Actually, the truly terrifying one is that man nicknamed 'Captain.' Judging from his speaking style, he must be a Diplomatic School. He can persuade feudal lords and kings as a commoner, repel a million-strong army with his silver tongue, and resolve unforeseen dangers with his diplomatic skills. Heh, even with the strength of the Mohist Knight Guard and the Crimson Eye Society, which far surpasses the ancient feudal states, they still have to act according to his script... If one day you become enemies with such a person, never give him a chance to speak. Kill him directly with absolute force, or hire an assassin to kill him."

"Xia Jun, you were too impulsive just now. We're allies, at least show some respect."

The Captain spoke to Xia Guanxue in a flippant tone.

"He provoked me first, and he's not as skilled as me, so what's there to say? I don't care what others think of me!"

"Even if you can't make a friend, don't create an enemy for yourself," the Captain sighed. "I know you're eager for revenge, but with your current strength, you're no match for Yan Jinghong."

"Even if I practice swordsmanship for another ten years, I still won't be a match for Yan Jinghong. But what I'm after isn't a fair and square victory, but revenge. As long as I can kill him, I don't care what means I use. What matters is the result, not the process."

"Even if you want to kill by any means necessary, you need to have the ability to do so. Forgive my bluntness, but even if Yan Jinghong is poisoned and injured, you still can't kill him. If you want to complete your revenge, you need to improve to another level."

Xia Guanxue frowned and said, "Are Spirit Transformation cultivators really that strong? Historically, it's not uncommon for Spirit Transformation to lose to non- Spirit Transformation. Yan Jinghong wasn't the kind of martial artist who was invincible; he had many defeats in his life."

"Yan Jinghong is the type who plays steadily and methodically. He has no weaknesses, nor any particularly outstanding strengths. He is not among the top Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, but he is by no means weak either. It is impossible to win against him by surprise, and it is impossible for him to lose to a non- Spirit Transformation under fair conditions."

"I told you, I never intended to have a fair fight with him. If I can't win on a fair basis, then I won't fight on a fair basis."

"You didn't hear what I just said. 'Even if Yan Jinghong is poisoned and injured, you still can't kill him.' That's right, under unfair conditions, you can indeed defeat Yan Jinghong, but if Yan Jinghong tries to escape, you absolutely cannot kill him. Don't forget that he is very skilled in lightness skills, so you must learn how to prevent him from escaping."

"I can't control what others think, let alone prevent the enemy from escaping."

The Captain turned around and smiled, "The art of diplomacy is about understanding what others are thinking. So starting today, you will set aside two hours each day to study it. Don't refuse. Sometimes, what you can't do with brute force can be accomplished with a bit of wisdom. It's like a lever; wisdom is the fulcrum, and the position of the fulcrum determines how much force you can exert with your one bit of force."

Xia Guanxue fell silent and did not speak.

Before long, the two arrived at a small earthen mound. On the mound stood a tombstone, and in front of it stood a gaunt man with gray eyes that showed no hope. He was like a walking corpse, his heart ashen.

This is the Captain's goal for this trip.

Is your wife buried here?

The man remained silent, like a statue, staring intently at the tombstone before him, his eyes unwavering. It was impossible to tell how long he had been standing there.

The Captain said in a solemn tone, "Feelings are too heavy for people to bear alone. They can't carry them alone, so people have no choice but to entrust them to others. Now that she's dead, you can entrust your feelings to others."

The man opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "The moment she died, my life lost its meaning. I will never love anyone else in this life except her."

A malicious smile appeared on the Captain's face, a smile that Xia Guanxue found all too familiar.

"The feeling I'm talking about isn't love, it's hate. Why not try turning your love into hate and projecting it onto the person who killed her? Ending your life and leaving with your wife might seem nice, but ultimately it's just escapism, and escapism doesn't solve anything. Imagine this: your lover is dead, but the murderer is still at large, living happily in this world. Can you tolerate that?"

The man remained silent for a while, then his Dead Sea-like State of Mind began to churn violently, as if a ferocious venomous dragon was stirring up the sea. His stiff facial muscles began to twitch, gradually becoming twisted and ferocious.

The Captain said, "It seems your life still has a reason to continue."

"... That's right, I want to live, I want to avenge her!"

The man, who had been filled with deathly energy, gradually regained his vitality; his eyes came back to life, as if flames were burning within them.

"Perhaps you will end your life after taking revenge, or perhaps you will find a new meaning in life during the process of revenge. But now, join us and become a selfless avenger."

The man slowly turned his stiff body and said, "If you can help me, I'll join you."

"Our Blood Pupil Society's motto is blood for blood, an eye for an eye, and a life for a life—it's only right and proper! I will help you achieve your revenge, and you will work for me in return. Of course, if one day you feel that the Blood Pupil Society no longer help you, you can choose to leave at any time."

The man thought for a moment, probably feeling he had nothing left to lose, and said, "Deal."