Chaotic World Book
Chapter 181 - 177 Master...

Chapter 181: Chapter 177 Master...

The so-called great grandmaster’s understanding of martial arts had long surpassed the patterns limited by weapons.

Tang Wanzhuang used a sword, but her comprehension of how to use a saber was evidently clearer than 99% of swordsmen in the world; for her, converting sword techniques into saber technique was as simple as eating and drinking.

Zhao Changhe even felt that his carefully selected three moves might be seen as no different from common skills in Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes.

"The Sword Emperor Techniques are indeed vast and expansive; his understanding of the sword already encompasses everything. These three moves could almost be considered belonging to different systems. It’s conceivable that they were taught by three different masters teaching their own swordsmanship," Tang Wanzhuang said with some admiration, "If cultivated to a comparable level, even I would find these moves challenging to counter."

Zhao Changhe was very surprised, "These should be low-level moves for you, right? Why would they be troublesome?"

"This is where you fall short in understanding. For instance, don’t underestimate your own ’All Deities Scatter.’" Tang Wanzhuang said, "If a move is considered an ultimate skill only when you are at the Mystical Gate Third Layer and not beyond, then it doesn’t deserve to be called an ultimate skill."

Zhao Changhe asked humbly for advice, "Please explain in detail."

"The reason it’s called an ultimate skill is that its intrinsic value is incomparable to ordinary moves. The real significance of ’All Deities Scatter’ is to teach you how to actively harness Evil Qi to create an effect of suppression and fear; it’s not about the angle from which the saber strikes, or whether you have to leap into the air like a toad."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

"At this time, you need to leap because, at your current level of cultivation, it’s necessary to do so in order to maximize the use of your power and create visual and psychological suppression. That’s all there is to it. Once you fully comprehend its meaning, any casual swing of your saber in the future could be ’All Deities Scatter.’ An ultimate skill of the Mystical Gate Third Layer is about what level of cultivation you need to employ it effectively, not that it’s valuable only at this moment."

A spark seemed to strike Zhao Changhe’s mind, enlightening him.

So that was it.

This was the understanding that slow demonstrations from the Heavenly Book couldn’t provide, an explanation from a master.

"A set of saber technique or swordsmanship becomes a system because it leads you step by step from the early stages of your cultivation to lay the proper foundation, to fully comprehend its every implication, until in the end, you return to simplicity and embody all the previous Sword Intent in combination. By then, what appears to be a simple chop or slash is no longer just that."

This was the final horizontal and vertical strokes of the Sword Emperor; in the end, the paths of the sword and the saber converge.

Zhao Changhe bowed sincerely, "Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader."

Tang Wanzhuang’s beautiful eyes lingered on his face for a moment, speaking languidly, "Still calling me Sect Leader? Isn’t that rather distant?"

"...Miss Tang."

"Heh..." Tang Wanzhuang didn’t continue to dwell on the formality and drew her sword, "Now, I’ll tell you how these three moves should be improved... The difference between sword and saber is merely in the way energy is transferred; one light and agile, the other heavy and forceful. But you should have known long ago that a saber isn’t incapable of agility, nor a sword of force... Watch carefully..."

"Swish!" The Sword Qi was like a rainbow, piercing the sky.

In Zhao Changhe’s eyes, it seemed like arrows from Hou Yi shooting towards the scorching sun, which then transformed into the War Axe in Xing Tian’s hands.

And the delicate fairy suddenly became the Nine Heaven Mysterious Maiden, majestic and commanding, leading a vast army.

Then the sword light continued, spreading everywhere; the saber moved like locusts, pouring down like rain.

The sword and the saber were interchangeable.

...

What should have taken a great deal of effort and Heart Power to revise and master, he had comprehended and accomplished within an hour.

Having the guidance of the Earth List third-ranked grandmaster indeed spared him countless processes of trial and error.

Since entering the Worldly Society, Zhao Changhe claimed to have fumbled his way through on his own, lacking a skilled master, using the Heavenly Book as a substitute for one. But in reality, he had always had mentors.

Sun Jiaxi was a good teacher for laying the groundwork. Although not very skilled, his foundation was exceptionally solid and he was very responsible. Even now when Zhao Changhe could easily defeat him, he still held Sun Jiaxi in esteem as his teacher.

Then there was Yue Hongling, who had also taught him a lot during his time at the mountain stronghold. What she primarily taught were combat experiences and various strategies, how to deal with different situations, which had a significant impact on Zhao Changhe’s practical fighting skills, marking the beginning of a leap in his combat ability, otherwise he would just be another roughneck from the highlands.

However, Yue Hongling didn’t have a profound understanding of saber technique, and though she wanted to teach Zhao Changhe more, she was limited in her ability. In the application of saber technique, it was really Zhao Changhe himself who had always been fumbling along.

Now there was Tang Wanzhuang.

During the time in Sword Lake City, Tang Wanzhuang had already intended to become Zhao Changhe’s mentor, but she had reservations. She did not dare to become the "Emperor’s Master," and Zhao Changhe was also unwilling to take her as his master.

But as of today, that minor complication had long been tossed aside by both of them—who says friends can’t teach each other?

Even though Tang Wanzhuang still had the intention of cultivating a Prince... but even if he weren’t a Prince, would she be willing to teach a few sentences? She would.

And with that, it was settled.

"It’s only mid-morning." Zhao Changhe sheathed his sword, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I thought this would take many days. Thank you, Master."

Just a moment ago, he was calling her "Miss Tang," and now it was "Master" by mid-morning, albeit with a joking tone.

Tang Wanzhuang let out a laugh, "What’s the matter? Are you thinking that you’ve learned enough and it’s time for you, as per your internal timeline, to leave?"

"I just happened to think about this question last night. I’m not leaving," Zhao Changhe responded leisurely. "I will leave when I feel tired of this place and want to leave."

"When will you feel tired of it?"

"I don’t know. At any rate, I’m not tired of it right now. Unless the Tang family feels I eat too much and wants to send me away, I at least still want to learn to play the zither."

Tang Wanzhuang was somewhat surprised, "You really want to learn the zither now? Before, it seemed you were somewhat reluctant, merely considering it as a way to calm your mind."

"Because I suddenly felt last night that being able to play the songs in my heart would be quite an amusing thing, haha."

"Do you have songs in your heart? Nursery rhymes?"

"I have plenty of songs! But they might not be nursery rhymes to you, probably just common ditties, not worth mentioning."

Tang Wanzhuang smiled, "Then go learn. I want to see how many songs you have."

Zhao Changhe tossed the towel back into the basin, gazing at her askance for a long while before suddenly saying, "Rushing about always wanting to do something has become part of you. You teach me to calm my mind, to slow down, and yet why do you always need to be doing something, always need to make progress?"

Tang Wanzhuang paused, "Doesn’t everyone need a goal in their actions, or else should they just sit and stare into space?"

"Can’t one purely relax and purely enjoy themselves?" Zhao Changhe said. "Does living for today, like you said, still count?"

"It counts." Tang Wanzhuang was a bit irked, thinking to herself that if you dare say anything flirtatious, I will throw the ink in your face again.

But she heard Zhao Changhe continue, "I’ve been in Gusu for ten days now. Apart from initially going out to investigate the Evil Qi incident, I haven’t gone out again. It seems I’ve come to the renowned Suzhou-Hangzhou region in vain if I miss out on so much scenery. Looking back now, it’s foolish. I want to wander around Gusu or perhaps boat on Tai Lake. What do you say to being my guide, Master?"

Tang Wanzhuang’s expression turned strange, "Boating on Tai Lake..."

"Yes," Zhao Changhe said. "Boating on Tai Lake, playing the zither within the cabin, with sunlight reflecting off the water, zither music wafting to the clear sky, my heart peaceful and open—would that not be delightful? Tang Leader, hustling in battle and conflict, haven’t you missed such scenes for a long time? But in my heart, that is who you are."

Tang Wanzhuang looked at him, stunned, the scene he described rippling through her mind, surprisingly taking her on a wistful journey.

Indeed, such scenes had not occurred for at least a decade.

They existed only during her carefree smiling days as a young girl, now lost in the muddy turmoil of life, never to be found again.

She knew full well that outside, the Maitreya Sect was like a storm brewing, and leisurely boating seemed absurd, akin to singing in a leaky boat, especially with a man...

But... Could she truly not live even a single day for herself in this lifetime?

Tang Wanzhuang never managed to utter a word of refusal, and it was as if in a trance that she heard herself softly say, "Okay."

————

PS: I forgot to set the timer again, my fault, my fault.