"Because before he did anything, he plugged his own ears."
"The sound of smashing the bronze bell would surely be heard by everyone around it, but the first person to hear it would definitely be the thief himself."
"As the saying goes, a thief's heart is always guilty. If the thief heard such a tremendous noise, before anyone else discovered him, his own heart would falter first."
"If a person's heart falters, his hands will tremble."
"Trembling hands cannot accomplish something quickly and accurately."
Hearing this, Zhang Ling suddenly gained some insight, yet he could not grasp exactly what it was.
"Teacher, although what you said sounds rather far-fetched, I still feel that it is quite ridiculous."
"Challenging the strong is ridiculous in itself."
"Challenging powerful opponents you cannot possibly defeat again and again is even more laughable."
"But no matter how ridiculous it is, the first thing you must do is avoid being knocked down by yourself."
"If you lose to a strong opponent, at least you are still a man brave enough to challenge them."
"But if you lose to yourself, then you can only be a coward through and through."
"Whether you calmly accept it or deceive yourself, first steady your heart. When you look back in the future, you may find that you have already crossed the hardships that once troubled you."
"The reason you cannot let go is because you have placed yourself too high."
"If you lower your own position a little, you naturally will not have such confusion."
Having received this answer, Zhang Ling asked tentatively, "Teacher, have I always placed myself too high?"
"A little too high."
"But is there any proof?"
Zhang Ling asked unwillingly. Ruan Su Xian then asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Zhang Ling."
"Who is Zhang Ling?"