Martial Virtue Is Still Virtue

After his fury subsided, Hall Master Cheng calmed down.

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything, down to the last detail!"

Once the martial artists in the hall explained the whole story, Hall Master Cheng did not grow angry. Instead, suspicion crossed his face.

"You said the challenger had cultivated high-grade bronze skin and iron bones?"

One of the hall's martial artists hastily replied, "That's right! He called himself Zhang Teng."

At the mention of Zhang Teng's name, Hall Master Cheng's expression turned rather amused.

"So it was him! Zhang Teng... of the Nanyang Zhang."

A martial artist from the hall asked in surprise, "You've heard of him, Hall Master?"

"Zhang Teng was once the prodigy of the Nanyang Zhang. Later, his dantian was destroyed for violating the lineage's rules, and he was expelled. I never imagined he'd gone into hiding here in Qingyun Town."

Hall Master Cheng sneered.

"He was once an expert who had reached the Dantian Sea Realm, after all. With bronze skin and iron bones on top of that, it's only natural Zhao Bao was no match for him."

"Hiding? What did he do?" one of the hall's martial artists asked curiously.

"I heard that during a banquet hosted by the Nanyang Commandery Prince, he drunkenly barged into the Commandery Prince's Inner Court and defiled the Commandery Princess. The prince flew into a rage and offered ten thousand gold for his capture."

Hall Master Cheng smiled.

"Since Zhao Bao was the one who acted like no one else mattered first, I had no face to seek revenge. But now... I can use a challenge as a pretext to settle the score and capture Zhang Teng!"

In the little mountain village.

At Lin Bei's Training Ground.

After Zhang Teng returned, many apprentices in the training ground came forward to greet him.

As luck would have it.

Zhang Teng spotted Lin Bei sitting beside a stone table in the training ground and hurried over.

"Master, I'm back."

Lin Bei nodded and asked with a smile, "How did it go?"

"I kept your teaching firmly in mind, Master. Win people over through virtue!"

"I had a frank discussion with the other party. We exchanged opinions and communicated in depth."

Zhang Teng smiled as he continued, "Fortunately, I did not fail you. They've recognized their mistake and will come apologize to Niu Er soon."

Hearing this, Lin Bei nodded repeatedly to himself.

He's just too reliable.

What did he fear most?

Trouble!

And now Zhang Teng had held a frank discussion and communicated in depth.

In the end, he had won them over through virtue and secured their agreement to apologize.

By any measure, the matter had been resolved perfectly.

"Excellent!"

"I've gained some more insights into Tai Chi, Master. I'll go practice."

"Good! Go ahead." Lin Bei nodded in satisfaction.

Just then.

Inside the training ground.

Many apprentices spoke up enviously. "Senior Brother Zhang, you're incredible! Could you teach us?"

"Yes, exactly! How did you communicate frankly?"

Lin Bei had excellent hearing. Curious himself, he secretly pricked up his ears.

"Mountain-Splitting Hand Zhao Bao is a martial artist. Between martial artists, there's no need for idle talk. Frank communication obviously means getting straight to the fighting!"

Zhang Teng smiled. "That Zhao Bao overestimated himself and attacked me first. In a single exchange, I took him down and planted him under my foot!"

"Huh?" The apprentices around him were astonished.

That was what he meant by frank?

Lin Bei nearly spat out his tea, on the verge of losing his mind.

You call that frank?

"What about communicating in depth?" another apprentice asked.

"I told him where he'd gone wrong and demanded that he come apologize in person. Once I beat him into submission, he agreed to my demands," Zhang Teng said as though it were perfectly obvious.

Lin Bei nearly laughed out of sheer anger.

Fine, fine, fine!

So that's your explanation? That's what you call communicating in depth?

"But Senior Brother Zhang, didn't you tell Master you won him over through virtue?" another apprentice asked.

Lin Bei nodded inwardly. Excellent question! Let's see how Zhang Teng explains this.

"Between martial artists, we reason with our fists," Zhang Teng said with absolute confidence. "Martial virtue is still virtue!"

His words did not spark a chorus of cheers, but many apprentices lavished praise on him.

Only Lin Bei was so angry his nose nearly twisted out of shape!

So he hadn't listened to a single word when I told him to settle this cleanly and leave no trouble behind?

You call this clean? You call this leaving no trouble behind?

Isn't this just barging into someone's place to pick a fight and forcing them to submit with your fists?

You've made an enemy for good now, haven't you?

Lin Bei cursed viciously in his heart!

This brat... no wonder someone framed him and destroyed his dantian. He's a complete idiot!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew.

Lin Bei looked at Zhang Teng and suddenly called out loudly.

"Teng, come here."

Zhang Teng hurried over.

"Master, what are your instructions?"

"Tai Chi emphasizes the union of movement and stillness. You're too restless right now to grasp its mysteries," Lin Bei said with a pleasant smile.

"Go into seclusion in the Earth One Room and reflect. You may only come out when I call you!"

"Yes, Master. Your disciple obeys."

Secretly delighted, Zhang Teng felt that Lin Bei was very pleased with how he had handled the matter and was now guiding his cultivation.

After Zhang Teng left.

An apprentice's puzzled voice rang out in the training ground.

"Master... why did you send Zhang Teng to the little dark room? Isn't that where we go for solitary confinement after doing something wrong?"

"What do you know? Master is guiding his cultivation! What little dark room? How could Senior Brother Zhang Teng be treated the same as us? We go in because we've done something wrong. He went in because he earned merit..."

The more he spoke, the more something felt off.

Whichever way he put it, wasn't Zhang Teng still locked in the little dark room?

Some were puzzled.

But no one dared ask...

"Tieniu!"

"Master!"

A burly teenage apprentice ran over.

"Your Senior Brother Zhang needs peace and quiet for his seclusion. No one is allowed to disturb him. Don't bring him any food."

"Yes, Master."

Only then did Lin Bei nod in satisfaction.

Inside the training ground, an apprentice voiced his confusion...

"Master, isn't that a little harsh? Locking him in the little dark room and giving him no food? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were punishing Senior Brother Zhang!"

"You don't know a damn thing! This is called guiding cultivation. Watch closely and learn!"

Back inside his room.

Lin Bei's face was clouded with worry.

With Zhang Teng having marched over to challenge them, the Six Harmonies Martial Hall would probably come to settle the score sooner or later.

Having the training ground smashed up would be a minor matter. If his impersonation of an immortal cultivator was exposed, that would be a real disaster.

Could this brat have eight hundred schemes up his sleeve? Is he deliberately stirring up trouble to test what I'm really made of?

Lin Bei grew suspicious.

No, if he were that cunning, would someone have managed to frame him and get his dantian destroyed?

Lin Bei reached a conclusion.

Zhang Teng... was simply an idiot with too little experience in the martial world.

Just as Lin Bei was nursing all sorts of grievances against Zhang Teng, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

[After receiving your guidance, your disciple's mental blockage cleared, and he entered an epiphany. His Tai Chi has advanced to (Perfection). Your Tai Chi has advanced to (Limit-Breaking Level).]

[Congratulations! Your Tai Chi has achieved (Limit-Breaking). Your technique approaches the Dao.]

What the hell?

Could Zhang Teng have an innate sacred constitution for Tai Chi? How long has it even been? His Tai Chi has already broken past perfection?

This fellow is something of a monster!

In a daze, Lin Bei's understanding of Tai Chi also entered an entirely new realm.

More precisely, through Tai Chi, he gained an entirely new understanding of heaven and earth!

His technique approached the Dao.

Originally, he had had no idea how to invent a breathing method...

But now, faintly, he seemed able to grasp that elusive thread.