Old Man Yu

Old Man Yu's residence was not far from the Black Whale Gang's headquarters.

Not long after leaving the Black Whale Gang, Fang Xuan found Old Man Yu lying bedridden in a three-story wooden building.

In the span of a single night, Old Man Yu, once brimming with vigor, seemed to have aged completely. He lay on the bed gasping heavily, his throat issuing harsh, wheezing breaths.

He was like a candle about to burn itself out, swaying in the wind, liable to be extinguished at any moment.

There was no wife or daughter keeping watch at his bedside, only two or three street toughs assigned to care for him. The sight was desolate and bleak.

When times are right, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune departs, even heroes are not free. Fang Xuan sighed inwardly.

Only yesterday, Old Man Yu had still been riding high, surrounded by followers. Who could have imagined that today he would be reduced to this?

This Righteous Sea Cloud Sky martial world was truly realistic.

"A-A Xuan, you came?"

Old Man Yu looked somewhat surprised upon seeing Fang Xuan.

Ever since he had been attacked and brought down last night, all those who usually showered him with flattery had vanished without a trace. Yet Fang Xuan had come to see him first today.

"A Xuan, sit."

He forced himself upright from the bed and gestured for the other street toughs in the room to leave for the moment.

"Master Fang."

The street toughs nodded to Fang Xuan and departed.

"Hall Master." Fang Xuan glanced at Old Man Yu's empty lower body, and a grave look flashed through his eyes.

The Black Whale Gang was a gathering place for every sort of scoundrel, each harboring hidden schemes. Yet in Fang Xuan's eyes, Old Man Yu had been a clear stream within the gang, and someone who had treated him exceedingly well.

Indeed, Fang Xuan would never have come this far without Old Man Yu's care and support.

Hearing today that Old Man Yu had been harmed, Fang Xuan felt deeply troubled as well.

"Don't make it so heavy. We people of the martial world eat severed-head meals and lick blood from blade edges. How many of us get a good end? Take it in stride. This day was bound to come sooner or later."

Old Man Yu squeezed out a bitter smile and waved his hand, signaling Fang Xuan not to dwell on it.

Fang Xuan fell silent for a moment, then took a flask of wine from his waist and handed it to Old Man Yu.

"Hahaha, A Xuan, you still understand me best!"

A glimmer lit up Old Man Yu's clouded eyes. With difficulty, he reached out, took the wine flask, tilted back his head, and gulped it down.

"Burp~~~ A Xuan, at today's assembly, the people from the other halls surely made trouble for you and demanded that you give... give up East Hall, didn't they?"

Before Old Man Yu could finish, he broke into violent coughing and spat a mouthful of black blood.

"Hall Master, how could your injuries be this severe?"

Fang Xuan frowned. He casually tore off a corner of his sleeve and wiped the blood from Old Man Yu's mouth.

Yang Zheng had said Old Man Yu's legs had been severed, but from the looks of it, he had clearly suffered extremely grave internal injuries as well!

"W-We'll talk about that later."

Old Man Yu waved his hand. As though all his strength had been spent, he leaned back against the bed and sighed.

"The martial world now isn't like it was in our day. Back then, we put righteousness first. But now, every one of them is selfish and self-serving, their heads buried in the coin hole, without the slightest brotherhood among fellow disciples."

Fang Xuan said nothing. Old Man Yu's era had been the time when the Black Whale Gang rose to power. Everyone had worked together and stood united against outsiders, so naturally righteousness mattered.

But now the Black Whale Gang was powerful and had no real external enemies. Naturally, everyone was out for personal gain.

"A Xuan, cough~~~ you came at the right time. Don't find me long-winded. I probably don't have many days left, and there are some things I want to tell you."

"As for East Hall, let it go if you can. We people of the martial world spend our lives fighting and killing. Either you kill me, or I kill you. Every day, we live with our heads hanging from our belts. If we weren't driven into a corner, who... who would willingly do this?"

"This time, you can take the chance to pull yourself out. Take your younger brother and sister, and leave Pingjiang County."

"P-People like us may look glorious in front of others, but in truth, we can't afford to offend this one or that one. All we can do is bully ordinary folk with no roots or backing."

"The authorities use us to collect money, and the great families treat us like a cesspit. They hand all the filthy, exhausting work to us, and we still have to smile and grovel, pleasing them while scraping money out from between the cracks."

Old Man Yu rambled on, while Fang Xuan listened quietly without interrupting.

He knew this was likely Old Man Yu's final instruction.

"A-A Xuan, remember this: when making your way in the martial world, always keep an eye open. Show respect to the authorities, but don't give in. You must hold something that can restrain them. Otherwise, whenever those official lords are displeased, they'll drag us out to take the blame."

"As for the great families, be loyal. Leaning against a great tree makes for cool shade. Everyone likes loyal people, but don't be truly loyal. Keep something in reserve behind their backs; at a critical moment, it may save your life."

"Our Black Whale Gang relies on the Sikong Family of Pingjiang County. That Third Young Master of the Sikong Family possesses remarkable martial talent. At such a young age, he has already stepped into the second realm of martial arts. I think he will rise sooner or later. If you can latch onto his high branch, you may share in the light in the future."

"These are the lessons I have learned over several decades. If you think they make sense, remember some of them well."

"Cough, cough~~!"

As he spoke, Old Man Yu spat out another mouthful of black blood.

"Alright, I understand."

Just as Fang Xuan was about to act, Old Man Yu widened his eyes. "Y-You don't speak. Let me finish!"

Fang Xuan's outstretched hand stopped. He nodded helplessly.

"A-A Xuan, you are a martial arts prodigy. In just a few years, you have trained Whale Sand Palm to a level ordinary people can scarcely reach. But without a true martial arts cultivation technique to temper the flesh, you cannot enter the gates of martial arts. Even after exhausting your entire life, you can at most dominate among common folk."

"If you want to rise in this world, you must truly step into martial arts! Become an Entry Realm Martial Artist!"

As Old Man Yu spoke, he stretched out a trembling hand, pulled a black scripture from beneath his pillow, and handed it to Fang Xuan.

"T-Take it. This Dragon Whale Technique is a true martial arts cultivation technique. That so-called Whale Sand Palm is merely a few loose-hand techniques within it."

"Don't look at me like that. I know you have wanted it for a long time. Forgive me for not giving it to you before. I truly had selfish motives. Cough, cough. There are too many cases in this world of starving the master after teaching the apprentice. You have great talent for martial arts, and you dare to fight and venture forth. You are someone capable of accomplishing great things."

"But I was also afraid... afraid that once you became more capable and your ambitions grew, you might get rid of me and use me as a stepping stone for your rise."

"O-Of course, perhaps you would have changed for the better and given me a hand. But I was truly afraid. You are so young; how could you be willing to remain gloomily beneath another for long? After all, I was your first stumbling stone."

Fang Xuan accepted the Dragon Whale Technique. He felt the relief of finally having his wish fulfilled, but even more than that, a tangled mixture of emotions that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

If he had possessed the Dragon Whale Technique sooner, how could he have helplessly watched Old Man Yu fall into such a state?

"A Xuan, cultivation is like a bitter sea, while the flesh is the boat that crosses that bitter sea."

"The martial path places great importance on tempering the body. There are five great realms in all, also known as the Five Great Heavenly Gates."

"These Five Great Heavenly Gates have different names in different places, but among us people of the martial world, martial artists of these Five Great Heavenly Gates are called Skin Arhat, Sinew Bodhisattva, Flesh Demon King, Bone Asura, and Blood Martial Saint!"

After saying it all in one breath, sweat began to seep from Old Man Yu's forehead, and he gasped heavily.