Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Spiritual Victory Method
In the training grounds, the fellow disciple Gu Shuqi had pointed at was at a loss.
He recognized the disciple next to him. This disciple had joined the sect a few months before him and had nearly reached the level of strength required for off-site assignments. He was no match for him whatsoever.
But after a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and swung his palm, slapping his fellow disciple hard.
The disciple beside him, the one the instructor had ordered to be humiliated, was clearly superior in both strength and speed and could have easily dodged.
But the instant he tried to move, a terrifying aura pressed down on him, freezing him to the spot in sheer terror. He could only take the slap.
SLAP!
Following the crisp sound, everyone watched as the man’s face quickly began to swell.
’I...’ The disciple who had struck the blow stared at his own palm, only to find Gu Shuqi standing behind him.
"How was it? Feels pretty good, doesn’t it? He’s clearly stronger than you, yet he could only stand there and be humiliated by you. Did you enjoy the feeling of insulting a superior?"
Gu Shuqi’s words were like the devil’s whisper.
Remembering the moment of the slap and seeing the humiliated expression on his fellow disciple’s face, the disciple nodded instinctively.
"Did you all see that?" Gu Shuqi said to the crowd.
"That one slap will save him at least three days of bitter training. He will never forget this slap for the rest of his life."
"Because this might be the only chance he’ll ever get to humiliate someone stronger than him. For the rest of his days, he’ll be savoring the memory of this slap."
After he finished speaking, Gu Shuqi walked over to the disciple who had been slapped. "He feels great. So, how do you feel?"
"Me?" The slapped disciple, his face full of shame and anger, said, "Of course I don’t feel great! Instructor Gu, this isn’t fair! I request permission to hit him back immediately! I, Bai Feisi, have never been so humiliated in my entire life."
Looking at the indignant Bai Feisi, Instructor Gu coldly spat out a single word: "Idiot."
Facing the gazes of all the disciples, Gu Shuqi said coldly:
"We who walk the Martial Dao absolutely cannot suffer setbacks. The moment you encounter a setback, your heart erodes. This is why I am teaching you the ’Acting Method’."
"The body is a Bodhi tree, the heart a brightly lit mirror stand. Wipe it clean from time to time, let no dust alight!"
Gu Shuqi said earnestly, "The so-called Acting Method is about constantly changing your identity to ensure you always remain in an invincible position."
He looked at the beaten Bai Feisi and said, "So you got slapped. So what? You can’t dwell on setbacks, because the more you think about it, the angrier you get. This is when you need to change your perspective. You must detach your spirit, imagine the one who hit you as yourself, and the one who was hit as the other guy."
’Imagine the one who hit you as yourself, and the one who was hit as the other guy?’ Everyone present was stunned.
"If that doesn’t work, just think of it as a son hitting his father. No matter the situation, you absolutely must not be in the weaker position. You should even feel that getting hit is a blessing. Other people wish they could get hit, but they’re not so fortunate!"
After hearing Gu Shuqi’s words, the disciple who had been slapped stood there stunned, unable to process it for a long moment.
The instructor’s speech was a profound revelation.
After a long while, the slapped disciple stood up excitedly, cupped his fist toward the one who had hit him, and said, "Thank you for the slap, Junior Brother. This Senior Brother has been enlightened."
"What have you been enlightened about?" the other disciple asked, bewildered.
"It’s simple. By getting slapped this time, I’ve already won a huge victory over you."
Bai Feisi said gleefully, "Throughout history, it’s always the strong hitting the weak, fathers hitting sons. But this time, I, the father, was hit by the son! This is practically a first in all of history."
"Therefore, I might be the first powerful person in the world to be defeated by a weaker one! Take the Great Derivation Divine Monarch who founded the dynasty—he only managed to become number one in the country. But I, Bai Feisi, am number one in the world! Doesn’t that make me even more impressive than the King of Great Yan?"
’This boy is teachable.’ Gu Shuqi, standing to the side, nodded slowly, impressed by Bai Feisi’s comprehension.
He had just learned the Acting Method, and he was already applying it with such skill and had mastered it so thoroughly. He was simply a genius.
Ignoring the now high-spirited Bai Feisi who had overcome his tribulation, Gu Shuqi addressed the entire field. "This disciple has just demonstrated an excellent application of the Acting Method."
"As long as you constantly put yourself in the winner’s shoes, no matter what you encounter, you must mentally move from one success to the next."
"Every event you face is just a small win, a medium win, or a big win. Once you accumulate enough wins like this, the path of the Martial Dao will open up at your feet."
"Thank you for your guidance, Instructor Gu." All around, Instructor Gu’s words enlightened a large group of Tiger Slaughter Sect disciples, who willingly cupped their fists in unison to thank him.
As for Fang Can, when he saw the disciple who had raised the spiritual victory method to an art form, he was completely dumbfounded.
’You can do it like that? So this is an idealistic Martial Dao. If you can’t influence your environment, you just influence yourself, is that it?’
Fang Can covered his face, looking at his gleeful fellow disciples all around him, unsure of what to think.
This world of martial arts was constantly shattering his worldview.
Seeing the ecstatic disciples and feeling their sincere gratitude, Gu Shuqi’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
He had won them over completely with just a few sentences. This was a small win for him, too.
Feeling pleased, he decided to add a few more words:
"The so-called Acting Method not only allows you to win, but it also allows you to assume an identity."
"For example, you can have yourself act as a peerless genius, a great master of the Martial Dao. Feel the sublime satisfaction that comes from assuming that identity. This can give you more motivation and a clearer goal."
"It’s just like that saying from the Great Derivation Divine Monarch: with enough heart, anyone can be a Martial God. If that’s the case, why not start by fantasizing that you *are* a Martial God, or the reincarnation of one? First, establish this mentally for yourself. It will be of great help to your Martial Dao."
’Good God, it really is the Spiritual Victory Method.’ Fang Can was utterly speechless.
After giving a few more simple instructions, Gu Shuqi departed, leaving the disciples to look at each other and cultivate on their own.
And with Gu Shuqi’s departure, Bai Feisi, who had just been basking in his spiritual victory, turned to the junior brother who had slapped him and said with a sneer, "This Senior Brother’s hands are itching for a fight. I’d like to ask for your guidance, Junior Brother."
The disciple, who had still been savoring the slap, jumped in fright and retreated instinctively. "Senior Brother, didn’t you just thank me?"
"I thanked you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hit you. By getting my revenge after being insulted, I’m proving that I don’t get discouraged by failure. I’ve won again," Bai Feisi said proudly.
Fang Can, who was getting ready to watch the show, felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. He turned to find the polite, scholarly senior brother who had answered his questions earlier.
"Junior Brother, how about you give me a slap, too?" the senior brother said with a fawning smile.
"Huh?" Fang Can was dumbfounded. "Why?"
"Senior Brother Bai Feisi already claimed number one in the world. Please, Junior Brother, help me become number two," the senior brother said, a hint of unwillingness in his voice.
Fang Can: ... Is everyone in this world completely insane?
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