From the Mist-Wreathed Isle, bearing two fledgling disciples, Cao Ci traversed the Vein of the Hand into the Grand Duan Dynasty. Their journey led them to Cloud Canopy County, where, upon docking, Cao Ci disembarked, eager to introduce them to the beauty of the land. This ancient county was a domain ruled by the Dou Clan, and it so happened that his two senior sisters resided there. Cao Ci wished to foster bonds between his new charges and their esteemed elders, especially as the venerable Dou Patriarch was soon to celebrate his ninetieth year. Time permitted, Cao Ci decided to use this journey to temper the bodies of Ji Jie and Bai Yu.

Aboard the ferry, the weight of Cao Ci’s reputation had become a palpable burden. Despite his desire for seclusion, petitioners, not to mention those merely seeking a glimpse of the renowned master, thronged the corridors outside his cabin. This constant attention, while insignificant to Cao Ci, weighed heavily on his disciples, creating a distance between them that had not existed before.

When they first boarded the vessel, the children were carefree, their minds unburdened. They practiced with earnestness, their budding martial prowess blossoming under Cao Ci’s guidance. But once they understood the magnitude of “Cao Ci,” their movements became stiff, their fists heavy, as if each strike carried the immense weight of their master’s name.

Silence and formality replaced their former exuberance, their gazes shifting from youthful curiosity to awe and trepidation. Fear mingled with reverence, as if they stood before a ghost and a god.

Seeing this change, Cao Ci deemed it best to reveal the secrets he had planned to unveil only upon reaching the Grand Duan capital. As disciples, these truths would eventually come to light. So, without embellishment or concealment, he shared the identities of their grandmaster and senior siblings.

Gathering her courage, Bai Yu, hesitant to leave her master unattended, timidly asked, “Master, if our lineage is so formidable, and you so renowned that even the immortals on the ferry clamored for your attention, have you ever… lost a fight?”

Cao Ci chuckled. “Thus far, no. Perhaps because I have not sought out conflict often.”

Ji Jie, ever curious, inquired, “Are there any opponents you deem truly powerful?”

Cao Ci nodded. “Indeed. Leaving aside the elder masters, there is a fellow martial artist of my age named Chen Ping’an, born in the same year, perhaps a few months younger. His skill with the fist is extraordinary. There are seven or eight others as well, whom I have only heard of, each a realm or two behind me. I believe their future achievements will be great.”

When Cao Ci spoke of a realm or two, he included the three layers of the Apex state within a single realm.

Another would find his words haughty and unappealing, but not Cao Ci’s.

“If he could dedicate himself solely to martial arts,” Cao Ci continued, “his fist would reach even greater heights. But his many responsibilities weigh upon him. He is a legend, his deeds and tales far exceeding my own. Upon your arrival in the capital, you will hear much of him. Though often fame obscures ability, Chen Ping’an lives up to every title he bears.”

“He possesses both talent and diligence, and a rare tenacity. He does not fear defeat. This is far more difficult than it sounds.”

“His style is eclectic, yet he weaves it together seamlessly. His martial virtue, however… leaves something to be desired.”

The disciples exchanged glances, noting the change in their master.

“I am normally not so talkative.”

And so, Bai Yu and Ji Jie understood that Chen Ping’an, despite his flawed virtue, was someone extraordinary.

Cao Ci was, by nature, a reserved man. He spoke little, kept few friends, and eschewed drink and social gatherings. Beyond his martial training, his sole passion lay in the study of numerology.

These were firsts for both Cao Ci and his disciples, and he wanted to use their time together traveling to help them with their state of mind.

Cao Ci sought to impress upon them the importance of balance. To treat the lineage and the inherited fist with disregard was to risk vanity and superficiality, while an overreliance on these external factors could diminish self-worth.

As they journeyed, Cao Ci shared stories of the land, offering glimpses into its history and customs. During breaks, he unfurled three ancient parchments, crafted during his solitary training days on the Sword-Qi Great Wall. These depicted the human form’s musculature, meridians, and skeletal structure, as well as the flow of Qi. Annotations in minute script filled the margins, further clarifying his unique understanding of martial arts.

These diagrams suggested, perhaps to an unprecedented degree, that martial arts were related to mathematic calculations, machinery and even the realms of the immortals.

Cao Ci believed, for example, that the muscles were like dried up riverbeds waiting for true qi.

Where others might describe a strike like an arrow, Cao Ci thought of his fist as a trebuchet.

During his time upon the wall, the Old Sword Immortal shared his insights into the Apex state, comparing it to a silent temple atop a mountain, where the foundation’s size was determined by the intensity of one’s Qi, the purity of one’s devotion by the depth of one’s Return to Simplicity, and the journey to the altar by the clarity of one’s Divine Path. In this analogy, each surge of martial energy was akin to a stick of incense.

Unfortunately, whenever Cao Ci pressed for further explanation, the Old Sword Immortal would evade the question, claiming he was no martial artist himself.

One day, the trio arrived at a river crossing. Vendors hawking river delicacies lined the banks, the air thick with the stench of fish. Bai Yu pinched her nose, her senses heightened by her martial training.

Not so long ago, she believed that the world was like a painting. Before her training, it was blurry, but after training, it became increasingly clear.

Their master had agreed that it was a good analogy, but had declined to elaborate any further.

Bai Yu posed a long pondered question: “Master, what is most important in martial arts, talent or hard work?”

Cao Ci said, “Both. Your martial uncle Ma likes to say that martial arts is like a hungry man cooking rice, you won’t get far if you lack either talent or hard work.”

“Master, do you think you reached your current level because of talent or hard work?”

Cao Ci said honestly, “I am diligent in training, but I owe it all to my talent.”

The two traded a glance.

Cao Ci added, “The Gold Body realm is a clear division. Before that point, talent and hard work are equally important, but after, it’s mostly talent.”

The girl said, “So you are saying that talent is most important.”

Cao Ci smiled, “Another martial uncle of mine said that working hard in the right direction is a talent in itself.”

Ji Jie asked, “Master, aren’t you supposed to have one male martial uncle and two female martial uncles?”

Cao Ci said, “On the pugilistic world, people of the previous generation are all addressed as martial uncles.”

They understood.

Bai Yu asked, “Why is it always about their ideas, Master? Don’t you have your own?”

Cao Ci said, “Martial arts is as common as breathing for me, I couldn’t possibly come up with an idea about it. I am making it up as I go.”

“If you would like to learn something written on paper, I can introduce someone who excels at it.”

He could ask his first disciple for something like that, it wouldn’t be asking too much.

Bai Yu asked, “Is this friend of yours all ideas but no skill?”

Cao Ci paused, “That’s not quite right.”

Ji Jie said, “It’s that Chen Ping’an with poor martial virtue, right?”

Cao Ci suppressed a laugh, “We can say things like that in private, but not in public.”

Standing by the water, Cao Ci suddenly asked, “Actually, I came up with an idea of my own, would you like to hear it?”

The two nodded.

Cao Ci pointed at himself, “I am the master of this body.”

“I call this self reliance.”

Saying so, he chuckled, “Just treat this as a little anecdote.”

Bai Yu said, “It’s vague, but sounds cool!”

Ji Jie said, “No wonder Master is so impressive!”

The girl bumped his companion, “Remember it, idiot?”

Ji Jie nodded, “Yes. It is as if I am listening to a holy edict.”

Cao Ci couldn’t help but chuckle.

The boat was desolate, with only a handful of other passengers. Near the window, a thin girl was singing, accompanied by a man playing the erhu. They were clearly itinerant performers, making their living by traveling from town to town.

Cao Ci ordered three bowls of pickled vegetable noodles. At the adjacent table sat a kindly old man with an air of authority, flanked by two burly guards. He maintained an upright posture, his eyes constantly scanning the cabin for potential threats.

Mistaking Cao Ci for a scholar, the old man invited him to share the table. Cao Ci, typically averse to social interaction, accepted for the sake of his bored disciples. The old man proved to be a lively conversationalist, and Cao Ci, an attentive listener, found their exchange surprisingly pleasant. The old man spoke of his long career as a local official, finding solace in the river journeys that accompanied his postings.

“There are only four seasons,” the old man lamented, “but old bones like me don’t get to enjoy them at all.”

Cao Ci smiled and nodded.

Upon disembarking, Cao Ci revealed to his curious disciples that the old man was, in fact, a mountain god, wielding considerable authority.

The old man’s guards thought Cao Ci was a cultivator.

As dusk settled, casting long shadows across the land, the two children, who had seen a mountain god and plenty of immortals, felt much safer at night than they had once did. Cao Ci explained that the darkness was often illuminated by spirits carrying lanterns. Only the weak and vulnerable could see them.

Despite his words, the unsettling sounds of the forest still sent shivers down their spines.

Suddenly, they encountered a mansion.

Either they would have to turn around, or they would have to knock on the door.

Before knocking, Cao Ci told them to conceal their qi.

The door was opened by an old servant who was reluctant to offer them lodgings because his mistress lived there alone.

But then, two children, who were clearly from a rich family, appeared in the servant’s shadow.

Cao Ci knew they were likely the children who lived at this mansion because of some family traditions.

Cao Ci and his disciples stayed the night uneventfully. The master stayed up to read while the two children slept. At dawn, they left.

Just as the sun began to rise, the two children saw the family with their servant farewell them.

Bai Yu quietly asked, “Master, was that entire mansion full of ghosts?”

Cao Ci nodded, “That is why I asked you to conceal your martial energy, or else we wouldn’t be lodging, we would be asking for trouble.”

Ji Jie asked, “Why did that woman farewell us?”

Cao Ci explained, “Ghosts lose their strength if they don’t get any offerings. They either become evil spirits or dissipate. There are three ways to solve this. First, they can cultivate, but that requires fate. Second, they can feed off of offerings. Third, they can steal the yang qi of the living.”

Ji Jie said, “Master, are you alright?”

Cao Ci chuckled, “We have a lot of yang qi. We didn’t lose anything, but we helped them quite a bit.”

“A lot” meant a hundred years.

Bai Yu said, “I get it. The old man declined because he didn’t want to hurt us, but the ghost and her family are too hungry to do nothing, right?”

Cao Ci patted her head, “Smart.”

Ji Jie said, “Master, you are too kind.”

Bai Yu said, “And yet you don’t have a wife.”

Cao Ci smiled and patted their heads.

It seemed that being a master was not so bad.

After this, the two became much closer to Cao Ci.

Their destination was soon in sight, and there was a girl waiting. The two exchanged a look.

It wasn’t his lover. She was one of his martial sisters.

Liao Qingai explained, “Martial Sister Dou is busy, so she asked me to pick you up.”

Cao Ci nodded and introduced his students, “This is my newest student, Ji Jie, and Bai Yu. They both had traces of qi before I even met them. When I first saw them, they were practicing moves they saw from neighboring dojos.”

Liao Qingai was surprised because only Ma Quxian had students.

Dou Fenxia was lazy. She always said that she wanted to find a good man.

Liao Qingai felt that she wasn’t good enough, and that she would ruin the lives of her students.

Liao Qingai didn’t know what to say.

Did Cao Ci always collect freaks of nature as students?

Liao Qingai said, “I am sorry I don’t have a gift for you.”

The children called her Aunt, one loud and one quiet.

Liao Qingai said, “Do they know who Cao Ci is?”

Cao Ci nodded, “The ferry was eventful, so I decided to tell them what kind of person you all are.”

To the children, Cao Ci seemed like a legendary figure, and they had struck gold.

In the dilapidated temple, the fiends stopped causing trouble upon hearing the name, “Cao Ci.” The immortals acted like they were going to become rich upon meeting him. Bai Yu and Ji Jie might not have read a lot of books, but they were very intuitive.

If Cao Ci was only slightly famous, they would be more excited about traveling with him.

But as his importance grew, they started to miss home even more.

Cao Ci noticed and decided to travel by foot.

Liao Qingai jokingly said, “How about I get Martial Sister Dou to arrange a grand welcome party?”

Cao Ci shook his head.

Liao Qingai asked, “Worried about stealing the spotlight?”

Cao Ci chuckled and didn’t say anything.

He didn’t hold any official position in the Grand Duan Dynasty.

Like Cao Ci who had no nickname.

The Dou family resided in Auspicious Alley. It was bustling with activity.

Knowing that Cao Ci didn’t like greetings, Liao Qingai took them through a side door.

A beautiful woman greeted them and chuckled, “Sorry, I have been too busy to do anything lately. Knowing your personality, I didn’t tell anyone. There are just a few uncles, so tell me if you don’t want to greet them, and I will make an excuse. If not, you can just sit in grandpa’s study.”

The Dou family was full of officials, Dou Fenxia knew that success meant other people would not dare force her to drink.

It wasn’t just the Dou clan, but all of the Grand Duan Dynasty.

Cao Ci said, “I will greet Patriarch Dou when he is free, but I don’t want to be there for the feast. I am not good at that.”

Liao Qingai frowned, “You might be stronger than Chen, but you won’t be able to network like him. He is all those things for a reason.”

Cao Ci said, “I am just temporarily stronger than Chen, and not in every aspect.”

If he hadn’t left the wall too early, he would have become a regular at the inn.

When Cao Ci went to the wall for the first time, his master didn’t provide him with guards. Pei Bei told him that in the outside world, people would call him Pei Bei’s disciple. She wanted others to call her Cao Ci’s master.

Chen Ping’an had a fight with Ma Quxian in the past. Both sides kept it a secret.

Ma Quxian was a peak Gold Body before it, but he regressed after fighting Chen Ping’an.

Dou Fenxia was from the top family of the Grand Duan Dynasty.

Liao Qingai was from the countryside. She joined the army and was saved by Pei Bei.

Because Liao Qingai used to be a cultivator, Pei Bei let her join her.

They were all stuck at the peak of the Distant Travel realm.

All five of them.

How many Apex cultivators were there?

Liao Qingai said, “How did others find out about Senior Brother’s regression?”

It wasn’t a big scandal, but news did leak.

She suspected Chen Ping’an.

Cao Ci shook his head.

Chen Ping’an wouldn’t stoop to that.

Dou Fenxia said, “There are no secrets in this world. There were too many people near the temple, so someone must have seen it.”

Cao Ci had been doing nothing but talking bad about Chen Ping’an before coming here.

Before Ma Quxian fought Chen Ping’an, Dou Fenxia tried to make him fight her too.

Because they were of different realms, it was considered unfair, and Dou Fenxia didn’t win.

Besides Cao Ci, none of the others were truly his disciples. They didn’t drink tea.

The emperor of Grand Duan asked her to take them in.

Liao Qingai chuckled. It turned out that it was a local custom that men could take down women’s hair, a sign of intimacy.

It turned out that Chen Ping’an took apart Dou Fenxia’s hair.

No wonder Liao Qingai saw her snarling and baring her teeth all the time.

Dou Fenxia lamented, “There is no fighting when you are two realms weaker.”

She came from the Saber Wielder lineage.

Liao Qingai proclaimed that she would challenge Chen Ping’an in thirty years.

Cao Ci hesitated before saying, “There are things that Master knows without us telling him.”

Dou Fenxia frowned.

Liao Qingai was flustered.

Cao Ci said, “Just do whatever you want.”

Dou Fenxia tested, “Is Qingai in love with someone? Is Master going to kick her out?”

Liao Qingai was furious.

Cao Ci said, “I plan on visiting Mountain Shroud soon.”