Sword Dao Breakthrough

Amidst the clinking of cups and plates, the atmosphere gradually became much warmer.

They chatted about idle and interesting anecdotes from the Toyotomi country, about life and observations, and also about the grand strategy and schemes of the world. As if he had finally found a congenial drinking companion, Mo Hong seemed eager to recount all his experiences and observations over the years, his conversation becoming increasingly casual and relaxed.

"Old Mister is already over a hundred years old, you truly can't tell."

"Haha! The only thing worth boasting about in my life is probably this 'longevity.' But a hundred years have passed, and I still haven't found a suitable successor. A pity, a pity."

"When destiny arrives, you'll find one eventually."

Lin Tianlu comforted him and took a sip of his wine.

As for whether the wine was good or not, he couldn't really tell. He was purely drinking for the atmosphere.

Mo Hong, however, drained another cup of wine, the joy in his eyes gradually fading.

As a growing sense of drunkenness set in, his face became covered in a look of desolation and weariness.

"...Mister Lin, I'll get straight to the point."

Mo Hong looked up at the night sky and remained silent for a long time, his gaze distant:

"I've traveled all over the Divine Continent for decades, all in pursuit of a breakthrough in the Sword Dao. To defend myself and nurture my sword, I hoped to reach that untouched realm of the Sword Dao."

"That's a noble ambition."

"It's just that decades have passed in a flash, and I, with my dull aptitude, haven't improved my Sword Dao realm one bit."

He slowly loosened the strap of the sword sheath on his back, placing the ancient, unadorned longsword on his lap. His rough, calloused fingers gently caressed it as he murmured softly, "This old friend has been with me for over half my life. I fear it won't live to see my breakthrough. By then, the sword will be scrap metal, and I'll be turned to yellow earth, all lost to the wind."

Lin Tianlu put down his wine cup, looking at the old man beside him with some surprise.

His words carried a sense of lonely bleakness, as if he were mocking himself.

"A dream of the Sword Dao, nothing but a mirage. Half a life, and in the end, I only fooled myself into thinking I was extraordinary."

Mo Hong gave a bleak smile. "Truly pathetic and lamentable."

"Old Mister, don't be so self-pitying."

Lin Tianlu suddenly spoke, forcibly pulling his attention back.

"For a swordsman of the Sword Dao, if you lose your original intent sword heart, you'll likely have no chance of breaking through."

Mo Hong's expression froze at this.

Then, his body trembled violently. He broke out in a cold sweat, his face pale as he repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, Mister Lin, for enlightening me! I was almost lost to inner demons just now, nearly losing my original heart."

"After decades of effort with no reward, it's understandable that you'd have such deep-seated resentment, Old Mister," Lin Tianlu mused. "I'm just a young boy, I can't offer the profound wisdom you seek, nor can I offer much guidance on the Sword Dao. But...

Your travels across the land have given you a breadth of experience that likely far surpasses my imagination. Perhaps, all you need now is a moment of enlightenment, an opportunity."

Mo Hong chuckled helplessly. "Opportunities are so rare in this world, how could heaven favor an old man like me in his twilight years?"

"Heaven's favor?"

Lin Tianlu shook his head. "Old Mister, don't underestimate yourself. The paths you've walked, the mountains you've crossed, the rivers you've forded in your life are already more than an ordinary person experiences in a lifetime. These are 'opportunities.'

The green mountains, the vast rivers, all things in this world are already imprinted in your heart. It's just that you've never stopped to look back, to ponder carefully the 'opportunities' you've earned with your own hands."

Mo Hong stared blankly, lost in thought for a long time.

"Ah! Forget it, forget it!"

Lin Tianlu chuckled a couple of times and waved his hand. "Old Mister, just cast these nonsensical words aside. I, a half-baked scholar, am truly ashamed to be spouting eloquent phrases before you, Old Mister.

Why don't you teach me a game of Go instead? Consider it a way to relax, how about it?"

As he spoke, he gathered the few chess pieces scattered on the table, pushed the white jade box towards Mo Hong, and cheerfully grabbed a few black pieces into his palm.

"I'm still a bit fuzzy on the rules of Go, so I'll need you to guide me."

"..."

But Mo Hong was staring blankly at the empty chessboard, as if deep in thought, his eyes distant.

Unbeknownst to him, a wispy mist had begun to swirl around them, seemingly real yet illusory. Several peach trees bloomed and swayed, their flowers a magnificent spectacle, like a wondrous scene from the heavens.

Lin Tianlu, who had been sitting beside him, had transformed into a white-haired youth wearing a jade crown and a long robe of clouds and mist. He looked like an enlightened immortal from beyond the nine heavens, and with a half-smile, he gestured with his sleeve--

On the stone table before them, a dark, mysterious Go board lay.

And on the board, countless densely packed stones were already placed.

These black and white stones, in the haze, seemed to transform into yin and yang energy, interweaving to form the scene on the board, as if countless phantom images and sounds echoed in their ears and eyes.

Scenes etched into memory, cries of anguish and exhaustion.

Joy and sorrow mingled, anger and grief intertwined, like the myriad states of human life.

This--

This was his life, like a stalemate on the chessboard, with no more empty spaces to place a stone, no more pieces to move.

Immediately, the 'Lin Tianlu' smiled calmly and swept his sleeve. All the stones on the board, both black and white, were swept away in one fell swoop.

"This--"

Mo Hong's mind was greatly shaken, and the illusions of reality and emptiness before his eyes vanished in an instant.

But the knot of death that had been trapped in his heart for decades suddenly untangled at this moment, as if his thoughts had become clear and his mind refreshed!

He suddenly tightened the long sword on his knees, threw his head back, and sighed. His entire demeanor changed, like a newly unsheathed sharp sword, radiating an imposing aura!

The next moment, he suddenly stood up, spread his arms, and let out a long roar that sounded like a dragon. The loud cry actually sent out waves of fierce energy that swept wantonly through the quiet courtyard.

Lin Tianlu let out a surprised "Oh?"

This old man has incredible stamina. And does he come with a built-in KTV echo function?

Wait! What is he howling about so late at night!?

Before Lin Tianlu could even speak to stop him, Mo Hong, with a ruddy complexion, smiled and bowed:

"Mister Lin, I will never forget your guidance and enlightenment for the rest of my life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, and he leaped into the air like a swallow in the clouds.

"If we ever meet again in the future, I will do my utmost to repay your kindness in remaking me, Mister Lin!"

A burst of hearty laughter echoed through the sky, sword energy like a rainbow, as if he were both liberated and exhilarated.

He used the wall of the mansion as a stepping stone, his strength so immense that it directly shattered more than half of the wall. His ethereal figure then vanished into the distance.

"..." Lin Tianlu was stunned.

"Senior, what happened?!"

Hua Shuya, who had just finished bathing, didn't even have time to dry her wet hair before she rushed out of the inner courtyard with her sword drawn.

"Why was there a sudden sound of howling and collapse--"

But as the words left her mouth, she saw the messy scene of dust and smoke before her and was instantly dumbfounded.

H-how did the wall of their house suddenly collapse?!

Lin Tianlu turned back with a speechless expression and said, "That old man suddenly let out a howl and then leaped over the wall."

Hua Shuya blinked her beautiful eyes repeatedly. When her mind finally caught up, her pretty face immediately darkened, and she drew her sword, snorting coldly, "That old man is truly ill-mannered! Senior, don't worry, I will go and apprehend that rude old man!"

"Wait, it's so late, there's no need to rush out."

Lin Tianlu smiled helplessly and waved his hand, "Just report it to the government office tomorrow."

Yes, he should charge him with hit-and-run.

"Alright! Senior, please rest assured, I will definitely cooperate with the authorities tomorrow to bring that old man to justice!"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

But at this moment, a few light coughs sounded leisurely.

Hua Shuya's expression changed slightly, and she quickly stepped in front of Lin Tianlu, drawing her sword.

Then, Mo Hong, who had just soared away, pushed the door open again with an embarrassed smile, clasping his hands repeatedly:

"Oh my! I'm truly sorry. I had a moment of enlightenment just now, and my blood essence surged, and my head got hot... I accidentally damaged your mansion's wall."

"I request that Senior Mo Hong rebuild this courtyard wall exactly as it was!" Hua Shuya's eyebrows were furrowed, her gaze stern, exuding a commanding presence: "If you don't repair it, you won't be allowed to leave!"

Cold sweat beaded on Mo Hong's forehead, and he chuckled sheepishly, "Of course, of course! I came back precisely to help rebuild the wall!"

Not long after, Hua Shuya returned carrying a large pile of masonry tools from outside the courtyard, directing and supervising like a foreman.

And Mo Hong, the swordsman, responded with a "yes sir," hung two towels over his shoulders, rolled up his sleeves, and began mixing cement and laying bricks with nimble hands and feet. His trowel work was swift and precise, making him look like a professional bricklayer.

Lin Tianlu, sitting in the distance, ate a peanut and sighed inwardly.

This Sword Dao master...

Is truly quite down-to-earth.

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