Chapter 23: Qi Jingchun

After waiting patiently for a long time until the academy lecture concluded, Su Ling stepped out and offered a respectful salute.

"Su Ling of the Qilong Lane smithy, pays his respects to you, sir."

"Hmm."

Qi Jingchun had already sensed Su Ling’s arrival. He nodded affably, set aside his book, and looked toward Su Ling. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke in a gentle voice.

"Walk with me for a while."

"…Very well."

Although he was slightly surprised by the invitation, Su Ling did not refuse. He followed behind Qi Jingchun, whose bearing seemed capable of supporting the very heavens themselves.

The Shanya Academy was lush with greenery. High on the mountain, the wind was strong, causing the vast expanse of bamboo to sway, their leaves dancing in a display of carefree joy. The spring breeze stirred Qi Jingchun’s long, dark hair, which drifted in the air alongside his cicada-wing-like sleeves, creating a captivating sight.

"That poor boy from Mud Bottle Lane has been well-cared for by you. Your intentions are noble." Qi Jingchun suddenly brought up Chen Pingan, leaving Su Ling bewildered.

"It is merely help between neighbors; it is nothing of great importance." Though he did not understand Qi Jingchun’s purpose, Su Ling remained humble, neither servile nor overbearing.

"By the way, sir, I heard from my master that you intend to commit an act that defies the Heavenly Dao in the near future?"

Su Ling recalled that in the near future, to save the lives of the six thousand residents of the small town, Qi Jingchun would stand alone against the destructive power of three thousand years of accumulated wrath from the Heavenly Dao. Qi Jingchun, seemingly burdened by unspoken constraints, would not utilize his great powers as a fourteenth-realm Confucian sage. Instead, he would rely solely on his two innate characters, enduring the suppression of the Heavenly Dao while being forced to accept the rebukes of the great masters of the three teachings.

Su Ling was not motivated by pity; after all, this was the path Qi Jingchun had chosen for himself, and as an outsider, Su Ling could not influence that decision. The reason he brought it up was simply that he coveted the immense punishment of the Heavenly Dao.

Indeed, he was greedy for that terrifying accumulation of three thousand years of heavenly wrath. Everything in the world followed its own laws, yet the existence of the Li-Zhu Cave Heaven defied this Heavenly Dao. For three millennia, the small town had nurtured countless beings of great power. It had exhausted the secrets of heaven, and after three thousand years, it was only fitting that the lives of the residents—who could not escape the town—should be used to repay that irresistible price and appease the fury of the Heavenly Dao.

The pros and cons were clear. However, Qi Jingchun, the sage who had guarded this town for sixty years, could not bear to see it happen and thus intended to pay the price with his own existence. He sought to perform an act that the world would despise, an act deemed utterly disproportionate. Su Ling could not judge him, nor was he qualified to, but he held deep respect for Qi Jingchun, this man of letters who fought to secure life for the town’s residents.

Though he would certainly never do something so seemingly irrational himself, that did not prevent him from respecting it, even to the point of disbelief.

Hearing this, Qi Jingchun stopped. He stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the cliff, his face hidden as he gazed down at the multitudes below with a hint of compassion.

"The town’s collapse is imminent..."

There was no joy or sorrow in Qi Jingchun’s voice, but Su Ling understood that this scholar of great power had already made a decision that could not be changed.

"Sir, I did not come to dissuade you, but rather..." Su Ling glanced at Qi Jingchun’s lonely back and explained his specific intent.

"Hmm? You mean?"

"You wish to resist the Heavenly Dao?"

"Yes, sir." Su Ling nodded humbly, but his words were enough to startle even a person of such vast knowledge and power as Qi Jingchun.

Qi Jingchun turned around, looking at Su Ling with a gaze of confusion, and asked gently.

"Why?"

"…For the opportunity." Su Ling’s voice was firm and resonant, seemingly unafraid of the Heavenly Dao that even top-tier cultivators avoided like a plague.

"Haha, you blacksmith, you certainly have a bold plan." Qi Jingchun shook his head and laughed, somewhat surprised that Su Ling would voice such a sentiment.

"I hear that you are expected to become the one and only Martial God of all time."

Qi Jingchun grew interested and did not continue the previous topic, as the wrath of the Heavenly Dao was not so easily withstood.

"It is merely a rumor." Su Ling lowered his head modestly, avoiding Qi Jingchun’s slightly playful gaze.

"That is not necessarily true. People outside are very envious of you; your potential seems to be on par with me, despite my being trapped here."

"A fallacious claim."

"You blacksmith, you must know that while humility is a virtue, one should not overdo it." Qi Jingchun smiled with scholarly grace.

Su Ling bowed in salute. "I have been instructed."

Qi Jingchun nodded with the demeanor of a teacher who finds his student teachable, providing Su Ling—a poor scholar—with much to reflect upon.

"I observe that your physique and strength are exceptionally powerful, and even your soul is remarkably resilient. Based on physical fitness alone, even with my abilities, it might be difficult for me to break your defenses."

Qi Jingchun spoke without reserve, admitting that with his sky-reaching cultivation as a fourteenth-realm Confucian, breaking through Su Ling’s current physical defenses would be a challenge. Su Ling was shocked to hear this; after all, it was the renowned Qi Jingchun himself who admitted that breaching his defenses would be troublesome.

However, just as Su Ling was secretly pleased, Qi Jingchun calmly critiqued him.

"But, the destructive force caused by the collapse of the town is not something you can resist alone. You should abandon this thought."

Qi Jingchun’s underlying meaning was that he could not help Su Ling if he wished to use the destructive power generated by the town’s collapse to temper his body and soul. Strictly speaking, Qi Jingchun was not exaggerating. In truth, the destructive power accumulated over three thousand years was not something a novice like Su Ling could hope to handle.

Furthermore, Qi Jingchun could barely ensure his own safety; even if he had the heart to help, he lacked the strength. With the town’s collapse imminent, his energy was already stretched thin. If he agreed to Su Ling’s request, he would find it difficult to protect Su Ling from burning himself to death when he eventually stood against the pressure of the Heavenly Dao. Should things go wrong, he would struggle to even face his own conscience.

Su Ling’s brows furrowed. He understood that Qi Jingchun intended for him to give up on this act of playing with fire. But he was not the type of person to give up; he was exceptionally confident in his physique. If he lacked even this much courage, how could he ever become a future Martial God? Since this path was blocked, he would have to seek help from his master, Ruan Qiong.

As for whether Ruan Qiong would agree, Su Ling was certain he would not. After three years with his master, he knew his temperament well. Although he was confident he could resist the pressure of the Heavenly Dao without dying, Ruan Qiong would never allow him to behave so recklessly.

At this thought, Su Ling sighed. On the other side, Qi Jingchun, seeing that Su Ling’s mind was made up, pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice.

"Su Ling, do you truly intend to use your physical body to resist the Heavenly Dao?" Qi Jingchun’s expression was grave, his voice carrying a power that could shake one’s soul. "You must know that this act defies the Great Dao. Have you thought this through?"

"Sir, my mind is made up!" Su Ling bowed in salute. If Qi Jingchun refused again, he would have to leave the mountain and find his own way.

Seeing this, Qi Jingchun grew solemn. Just as Su Ling, having received no answer, turned to take a step away, a voice as beautiful as celestial music drifted toward him.