Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 290: Chapter 289: Easing Relations?

"Xiaomeng, talent, opportunity, and disposition are all indispensable on the path of the Martial Dao. For Fang Han to have come from behind to surpass others, he must have his own remarkable strengths."

Wang Miao set down his teacup, his gaze calm as he looked at Wang Meng.

"As Martial Artists, we should seek to emulate the worthy, not drown ourselves in pointless comparisons and regret."

He paused before continuing.

"Besides, while the Celestial Pride List rankings can reflect one’s strength to an extent, they aren’t absolute. I’ve been busy consolidating my foundation recently and haven’t made many moves, so it’s only natural that my ranking has slipped."

"Fang Han’s momentum is at its peak right now; it’s no surprise his ranking has climbed."

His tone held no jealousy or resentment, but rather a sense of magnanimity and confidence.

Wang Meng’s lips twitched at his words. She eventually lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum.

"I just... I just feel like..."

She recalled how her family had once intended to arrange a match between her and Fang Han, but she had flatly refused, citing his humble origins and limited prospects.

’Looking back now, how shortsighted and ridiculous I was.’

The vast gulf between then and now, and the deep regret she felt, left an indescribable ache in her heart.

Wang Miao took in his sister’s reaction and understood, but he said no more.

She would have to resolve some of these issues on her own.

He changed the subject. "I plan to leave the Sect tomorrow and travel for a while."

Wang Meng looked up, stunned. "You’re leaving, Big Brother? Why?"

Wang Miao’s gaze drifted to the distant sky outside the window as he slowly said,

"My cultivation has hit a bottleneck, and quiet meditation isn’t yielding any progress. I need to get out and travel, search for opportunities, and test what I’ve learned against others."

"I can’t have people thinking your big brother’s skills have stagnated."

A faint, yet confident, smile played on his lips.

Clearly, being surpassed by Fang Han hadn’t discouraged him; on the contrary, it had stirred his competitive spirit and his will to advance.

Wang Meng looked at her brother’s calm and confident profile, and the turmoil in her heart subsided a little.

’That’s right. Big Brother is incredibly talented and has a will of steel. What’s a temporary drop in rank? Why am I torturing myself over this?’

...

「Qingxuan Sect, Shen Courtyard.」

In the Dean’s Quiet Chamber, a purple-bronze censer exhaled its last wisp of pale smoke. The lingering scent of sandalwood clung to the pillars, but it failed to dispel the heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

Shen Courtyard’s Dean, Tu Baichuan, sat bolt upright in a red sandalwood Grandmaster’s Chair at the head of the room. His frame was gaunt, and a deep purple robe accentuated his haggard face and high, sharp cheekbones.

His eyes, normally as sharp as a falcon’s, were now half-closed.

"Dean, Zhao Kun requests an audience."

Footsteps approached, stopping just outside the Quiet Chamber. A respectful voice spoke from beyond the door.

Tu Baichuan didn’t lift his eyelids, merely letting out a grunt from his throat as a sign of permission.

The Quiet Chamber’s door was pushed open gently. A middle-aged man in the Shen Courtyard’s Steward’s Robe strode in. He had a sharp, capable face and astute eyes. It was none other than Steward Zhao Kun, a man Tu Baichuan had personally promoted.

He walked to the foot of the dais and bowed, his face wearing a look of perfect deference laced with a hint of imperceptible probing.

"What is it?"

Tu Baichuan’s voice was flat, betraying no emotion.

"Reporting to the Dean, according to the latest from the Celestial Pride List, Fang Han—the one at odds with Nephew Chu—has risen in rank again!"

Zhao Kun said, straightening up.

He paused, carefully observing Tu Baichuan’s expression. Seeing no ripple of emotion on the Dean’s face, he continued.

"On the Celestial Pride List, Fang Han is now ranked eighty-ninth, five places higher than last month. A rate of advancement like this has been rare in the Qingxuan Sect in recent years!"

His tone held a faint note of worry, as he knew, after all, that Tu Baichuan had once moved to suppress Fang Han.

Tu Baichuan lifted his head. The Quiet Chamber plunged into a brief, deathly silence, with only the last wisps of incense curling through the air.

A moment later, he spoke.

"Eighty-ninth..."

he repeated in a low, hoarse voice that sounded like rubbing sandpaper.

"Less than two years in the sect, and he’s already reached this height... I truly never expected it."

He slowly raised his eyelids, and deep within his eyes, a complex emotion flashed by in an instant—

shock, a sliver of dread he wouldn’t even admit to himself, and, heaviest of all, a profound sense of regret.

When Chu Feng first made it onto the Celestial Pride List, he was from the Shen Courtyard, giving him a natural connection to Tu Baichuan as its Dean. Helping Chu Feng suppress Fang Han, who had no background to speak of, had seemed the most natural choice in the world.

Even after that old fool Chen Xuan went out on a limb to protect Fang Han, he had never truly taken the boy from some minor Liangshui City family seriously.

He’d thought the boy would, at best, cause a few minor stirs in the Sub-Branches and never amount to anything significant.

But who could have known? The boy was like a submerged dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring to the heavens in a single bound!

Not only did he rapidly become a True Inheritor, but he also ascended to the Celestial Pride List in a remarkably short time and was now climbing its ranks at a ferocious pace.

Such a rate of growth was simply terrifying!

To think that his earlier suppression had not only failed to crush the boy but had instead thoroughly antagonized someone with such limitless potential.

He felt a tightness in his chest.

Making a mortal enemy of a young prodigy who was highly likely to become a future pillar of the Sect—or even someone with a transcendent status—was by no means a wise move.

"Dean, Fang Han is riding a wave of success and has limitless potential. Do you think... perhaps we should find an opportunity to smooth things over? A few misunderstandings can be resolved if we just talk them out."

Zhao Kun read the shifting expressions on Tu Baichuan’s face and understood the situation almost perfectly. He chose his words with care and spoke cautiously.

He had been personally promoted by Tu Baichuan. If Fang Han were to move against Tu Baichuan, he would likely be the first to bear the brunt. He couldn’t help but be anxious.

"’Smooth things over?’ How? Who in the entire Sect doesn’t know what happened? Now that he’s powerful, I’m supposed to go curry favor? Do I, Tu Baichuan, have any face left to lose?"

Tu Baichuan snorted, his tone laced with anger and an almost imperceptible embarrassment.

For him, the dignified Dean of a Courtyard, to bow his head to a disciple who hadn’t even been in the sect for two years? That would be more unbearable than death.

"Dean, times have changed. Fang Han’s potential is clear for all to see, and his future achievements will be immeasurable. It’s not worth antagonizing a prodigy with limitless potential just to save a little face."

Zhao Kun sighed to himself. He knew this Dean of his valued his dignity above all else, but the circumstances were against them. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and press on.

"Besides, you don’t have to go in person, Dean. I can go on your behalf, offer a token of goodwill to show the Shen Courtyard’s sincerity, and perhaps we can bury the hatchet."

Tu Baichuan was silent for a moment.

How could he not know that Zhao Kun was right? Making an enemy of such a prodigy would bring endless trouble down the line.

It was just... this humiliation was too hard to swallow.

After a long while, he seemed to have finally made up his mind. He waved his hand, his tone carrying a trace of weariness and compromise.

"Fine! You handle it. Take that three-hundred-year-old Blood Lingzhi we acquired, and that bottle of Jade Marrow Pills... give them to Fang Han on my behalf."

"Just say... just say that I noted his diligent cultivation and exceptional talent, and have specially bestowed these resources upon him as encouragement."

Blood Lingzhi enhances one’s vital energy and is greatly beneficial to a Martial Artist’s foundation. Jade Marrow Pills nourish and expand the meridians, and are considered a Top-Grade Elixir.

This was by no means a trivial gift.

His action was, in effect, a tacit apology, but his status required him to phrase it delicately.

"The Dean is wise! I will ensure this matter is handled with the utmost care and that Fang Han understands your thoughtful intentions and expectations."

Zhao Kun was delighted and quickly bowed in agreement.

Tu Baichuan closed his eyes, saying nothing more, and simply waved a hand to dismiss Zhao Kun. In the empty Quiet Chamber, his gaunt figure seemed strangely desolate.

...

「True Inheritance Courtyard, Villa Thirty-Five.」

Fang Han had just finished a round of practice with the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting and was standing quietly in his courtyard.

He savored the profound subtleties that came with reaching the Mastery stage of the swordsmanship. The aura around him was smooth and restrained, yet it faintly emanated a sharpness that seemed poised to split the sky.

His maid, Qiu Lan, approached with light steps. "Senior Brother," she reported, "Steward Zhao Kun from the Shen Courtyard is here. He says he comes on Dean Tu’s orders."

Although Fang Han had already applied to make her an Official Disciple, she had not moved into the Twelve Courtyards. She only went there at the beginning of the month and on the fifteenth to collect her contribution rewards and attend lectures.

Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, a trace of azure light flickering deep within them before vanishing.

’The Dean of the Shen Courtyard, Tu Baichuan?’

His brow furrowed imperceptibly.

’This Dean of the Shen Courtyard repeatedly suppressed me when I was a nobody. Why is he sending someone to see me now?’

"Have Steward Zhao wait in the reception hall."

Fang Han’s tone was level, betraying no hint of his feelings.

A moment later, Fang Han stepped into the reception hall.

Zhao Kun had already risen to greet him, his face plastered with a warm, even fawning smile.

"True Inheritor Fang, my apologies for this sudden visit. I’ve disturbed your quiet cultivation, I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion!"

Zhao Kun said with a humble smile, clasping his hands in greeting.

"You’re too kind, Steward Zhao. Please, have a seat."

Fang Han gave a slight nod and took the host’s seat, his expression serene.

"What business brings you here today, Steward?"

Zhao Kun sat as invited, then motioned for the attendant behind him to place two exquisitely crafted Jade Boxes on the table. He smiled and said,

"True Inheritor Fang, you are a prodigious talent. Your ascent to the Celestial Pride List and your continuous rise in the rankings is truly a blessing for the Qingxuan Sect. Dean Tu was most gratified when he heard the news and has specially tasked me with delivering a humble gift to express his congratulations and high hopes for you."

He opened the Jade Boxes. One revealed a Lingzhi, crimson red from top to bottom, shaped like the cap of a cloud, and exuding a rich aura of vital energy. The other held a Mutton Fat Jade Bottle. Both were presented to Fang Han.

"This is a three-hundred-year-old Blood Lingzhi. It has the wondrous effect of solidifying one’s foundation and strengthening one’s vital energy."

"This bottle contains Jade Marrow Pills, which are immensely helpful for nourishing and expanding the meridians and refining one’s Inner Qi. Both are treasures from the Dean’s personal collection. We hope you will deign to accept them, True Inheritor."

Zhao Kun’s tone was sincere as he repeated Tu Baichuan’s "as encouragement" justification word for word.

Fang Han’s gaze swept over the items in the Jade Boxes. They were indeed rare treasures that would be of great help to his cultivation.

But his eyes remained calm, without even a ripple of emotion.

"I appreciate Dean Tu’s kind gesture."

Fang Han finally spoke, his voice cool and clear.

"However, I am unworthy of such a generous gift. Please, Steward Zhao, thank the Dean for his ’kindness’ on my behalf. As for the gifts... please take them back."

"True Inheritor Fang, what do you mean by this? The Dean’s gesture is one of pure goodwill, born from his appreciation for your talent. There is no other motive."

The smile on Zhao Kun’s face froze instantly. He hadn’t expected Fang Han to refuse so bluntly, without leaving any room for negotiation.

He quickly said, "It is common for Sect elders to show favor to their juniors by bestowing resources. Why must you refuse, True Inheritor?"