Chapter 125.1
The elder continued to chew over Lin Beifans words.
Especially the sword principle of To win with no sword is better than with a sword, to win with no move is better than with a move! which had caused his swordsmanship realm, stagnant for decades, to loosen up, and he faintly discerned a path forward.
He was greatly astonished in his heart. Such a young person already understood such profound sword principles!
Truly worthy of being the chosen one by the divine sword!
Thus, his expectations for Lin Beifan grew even more: Young man, what else do you know about the sword? Tell this old man quickly!
Lin Beifan cracked a slight smile and said, I know of a sword, a sword that has been extraordinary from the moment it came into existence! Born a prodigy, he began learning the sword at the age of five; he deciphered sword manuals at the age of six and gained fame in his youth. He was adept in both literature and martial strategy, but his mastery in swordsmanship reached a pinnacle that was unparalleled, with no one in the world to match him!
He advanced triumphantly, and before the age of 20, he had defeated all his adversaries, earning the title of Sword God! It is rightly said: Sword Qi spans thirty thousand li, a single swords chill touches nineteen provinces!'
The elder mused with longing, Truly, a sword to be envied!
For someone like him, a martial artist of average talent, he envied those with exceptional gifts the most!
They were dazzling from birth, the focus of the worlds attention!
To them, the achievements he had struggled so hard to attain were merely trivialthings easily obtained with a mere flick of the hand.
The endpoint of ones own efforts is merely the starting point for others.
Thus, he especially wanted to become such a sword, a sword with its sharpness on full display!
Lin Beifan said, However, this sword has been kept hidden away!
The elder turned his head, not understanding, Why would such an unparalleled treasure of a sword be hidden?
It hid itself!
Lin Beifan said, Because it was afraid! It achieved fame at a young age, and from an early age, it bore expectations that were too heavy for its years. It feared failure, its sword being broken by others, and it feared letting everyone down. So, it hid its sword away, sealing itself within the rivers and lakes! If no one can find its sword, naturally, they cannot defeat it!
The elder lamented, Its sad, regrettable, and pitiable, yet also understandable!
Lin Beifan said, But later on, it took up its sword once again!
Why has he picked it up again? the old man asked, puzzled.
Because when you are in the rivers and lakes, you cant help yourself!
Lin Beifan sighed. A person in the rivers and lakes always has someone they want to protect, always has something they need to guard. You cant just abandon everything and hide away completely!
The old man nodded, Yes, when you are in the rivers and lakes, you cant help yourself!
However, for him, this is a brand-new beginning! Because once he understands what he is pursuing, his sword also finds its direction, cleansed of all trivial dust, stripped of all extravagance, becoming even sharper than before!
The old man asked, What kind of sword is this?
Lin Beifan declared, This is an unparalleled divine sword that can be picked up and put down with ease; it harbors no attachment to the past, clings not to the present, and fears not the future! He is the sword, and the sword is him; the sword is not merely a sword, and he is not merely himself. His heart is open and untroubled; though his hands are empty of a blade, he is nonetheless a one-in-a-million Sword God!
The elder murmured with a smile at the corner of his mouth, To pick up and put down with ease, to not dwell on the past, to not cling to the present, to not fear the future! He is the sword, and the sword is him; the sword is not merely a sword, and he is not merely himself This is an invincible sword of conviction! Only with an invincible heart can one wield an invincible sword!
Lin Beifan inquired, How does your sword compare to this one?
Its incomparable!
The elder sighed, My life has been too ordinary, without significant ups and downs, and thus lacking in tempering. My swordsmanship is mediocre! Even with a divine sword in hand, I still cannot win.
This is both your fortune and your misfortune! Lin Beifan said.
Indeed, without experiencing hardships and adversity, one cannot forge a divine sword! But once one faces these trials, if they cannot overcome them, the sword becomes a dead blade! the elder sighed once more.
Its alright; the world is mostly like this. The true favored sons of heaven, blessed by the skies, are, after all, a rare few!
Lin Beifan spoke up, I also know of another sword, which too is extraordinary!
The old man turned his head, listening intently.
Before I speak of this sword, let me ask you a question. Can you forsake everything for the sake of a sword?
Lin Beifan enunciated each word clearly: Forsake your wealth and honor, forsake your achievements and rewards, forsake your friends and family, forsake all your pursuits, and even forsake your life?
How could that possibly be done?
The old man was shocked. I regard the sword as a friend; it is a part of my life, but it is not everything! To give up everything for the sake of a sword, I cannot do that!
You cannot, but there are those who can! Such a person is the purest embodiment of the sword, proud like the sword, peerless, noble, and lonely. He has spent his entire life in pursuit of the ultimate swordsmanship, dedicating his life to the sword!
He values the sword as his life, abandoning his wife and children for it. He has gambled his very life to engage in sword duels with others! If one were to say who is closest to the divine in the way of the sword, he would be the one!
But whats the use of him doing this? the old man asked, puzzled.
It is useful, very useful! Because
Lin Beifan said earnestly, Swords have feelings too; they can sense human emotions like happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy! If your heart is true to the sword, the sword will never fail you!
The old mans body shook with realization: Well said! If your heart is true to the sword, the sword will never fail you!
Only by giving your all to the sword can you earn its recognition!
I also know of a sword, a sword with sentiment! It was conceived by a person of deep emotion amid great sorrow. Only those who are extreme in their emotions can be extreme in their swordsmanship! It is only with profound emotion that one can infuse the sword with feeling, and with the sword, enter the path!
The old man exclaimed loudly, A fine sword! Truly a fine sword!
I know of another sword!
Lin Beifan took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and continued, This sword does not have any levels of mastery, nor does it have many fancy techniques. Its only attribute is speed, speed, and speed to the utmost extreme!
The old man was utterly perplexed, Whats the use of being fast? My sword is fast, too, but sometimes I still cant kill the enemy!
Thats because your sword is not fast enough!
Lin Beifan declared loudly. As the saying goes, in the world of martial arts, no fortress is impregnable, only speed is invincible! When your sword reaches a certain speed, all distinctions of level and all techniques of swordplay become ineffective! Because for him to kill you, it takes but one stroke of the sword! By the time you see this sword, your head has already moved place!
The old man murmured to himself, In the world of martial arts, no fortress is impregnable, only speed is invincible What a profound statement! Its not just true for the way of the sword, but also a fundamental truth in the realm of martial arts!
I also know of a sword, one that belongs to a shepherdess! Lin Beifan added.
The old man was astonished, A shepherdess? How did a shepherdess come to learn the art of swordsmanship?
Her swordsmanship was learned from a white ape!
Lin Beifan laughed. She usually makes a living by herding sheep, and sometimes, when she feels bored, she would practice with a bamboo pole against the white ape. Gradually, she mastered a powerful sword technique! With one stroke, she can break through 2,000 armors, and alone, she can withstand a million troops!
Absurd! You must know that swords are created by humans, and so are sword techniques. Therefore, it is impossible for someone to learn swordsmanship from a white ape in the mountains! The elder shook his head in disbelief.
You only know one part of the story, not the other! You must realize that humans are merely one of the many spirits in the world. Everything in the heavens and earth has spirit, and anything can be a teacher! How can you be so sure that sword techniques were created solely by humans?
Perhaps sword techniques have always existed within the fabric of the universe, and it was merely by chance that they were discovered and learned by humans. Therefore, one must never be complacent! One should always reflect and take the natural world as their teacher!
The laws of the heavens and earth are the true laws! The way of the heavens and earth is the great way! By taking nature as your teacher and learning swordsmanship, only then can your technique flow naturally and become one with the heavens!
The elders body trembled: Swordsmanship that flows naturally, becoming one with the heavens!
Then, the two continued their discussion on the art of the sword.
The old man was greatly astonished; he had not expected that Lin Beifan, despite his young age, would possess such profound understanding of the sword.
All manner of swords seemed to come naturally to him, with deep principles that left the old swordsman, experienced as he was, with much to ponder after listening.
He felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment in his heart. Having studied the sword for over a hundred years, he still couldnt match the young mans insight into the sword. And yet, he had presumptuously offered to take the other as his disciple, truly an overestimation of his own stature.
No wonder the divine sword had chosen such a young person as its master.
The divine sword had not chosen wrongly; based on the others understanding of the sword, there was absolutely no second young person in the world who could match him.
Should he embark on the path of the sword, he would surely become a master among swordsmen in no time!
The eunuch Liu following by the side was also very astonished; he hadnt expected their Emperor to have such a profound understanding of the way of the sword. Many of the principles of swordsmanship that reached his ears were greatly beneficial to him.
He could only attribute this to Lin Beifans extraordinary talent.
After all, ever since ascending to the throne, the other party had displayed various miraculous abilities, which had long since ceased to surprise him.
***
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