Chapter 1137: The Brittle Sword
The warm and humid air of the river valley slowly faded as Li Yu traveled further north. The fertile plains gave way to rugged terrain filled with jagged rock formations and deep canyons. The Stone Ridge Kingdom was built upon a foundation of hard earth and its people reflected the unforgiving nature of their environment.
Li Yu noticed the shift in culture the moment he crossed the border. The travelers he passed on the dirt roads carried themselves with a rigid posture and almost every person wore a weapon of some kind which was a contrast to the seemingly peaceful nature that he had experienced up till now.
He maintained his steady walking pace and observed that while each person carried a weapon openly, they were not overly aggressive or combative. His main mind stayed present and took in the sights of the harsh landscape. The journey took another week before the capital city finally came into view.
The city was a fortress carved directly into the side of a towering mountain which looked quite impressive and imposing compared to the other capitals he had been to. Thick granite walls protected the outer districts while the sounds of clashing steel echoed through the streets from people training. Martial arts held a high place of honor in this kingdom and dozens of open air dojos filled the city blocks.
Li Yu navigated the busy avenues and made his way toward the royal palace situated at the highest point of the mountain city. The guards at the gates stood with strict discipline but they quickly stepped aside when he presented the glowing Zhan Clan scroll. He was escorted into a hall constructed from polished obsidian where the local king waited on a throne of carved stone and some swords were sticking out of it as well.
The delivery of the final decree went just as smoothly as the previous two. Li Yu handed over the ceremonial peace offering and the box of longevity pills. The king offered him a collection of rare forging metals and a high ranking position but Li Yu politely declined the generous gifts just as before. There was no need to form any connections with the kings in this place and he found more value in the citizens of each kingdom instead. He exchanged formal pleasantries and wished the kingdom well before stepping out of the palace and officially finishing his task.
Elder Fan's diplomatic assignment was officially done and Li Yu could technically leave and return home with the experiences from this realm in tow. Li Yu let out a calm breath and felt a quiet sense of accomplishment. He began to walk down the stone steps leading back into the city and decided to explore the martial districts before beginning his long journey home that would take but a single breath with his real powers used.
He wandered through the lower rings of the city and observed the mortals practicing their forms and various other techniques. Groups of young students punched sandbags in unison while older instructors shouted orders from the sidelines. The dedication was impressive but Li Yu noticed a heavy tension hanging over many of the training grounds. The pursuit of physical strength often brought a rigid mindset that left little room for much else.
As he walked down a narrow side street, he heard the sharp sound of wood splintering. He followed the noise and discovered a small run down courtyard tucked between two taller buildings. A faded wooden sign hung above the entrance to indicate it was a family owned dojo but it looked like it could close down at any time. Li Yu stepped into the courtyard and watched a young man fiercely striking a training dummy in the center of the dirt ring in a relentless fury of attacks.
The youth looked to be around seventeen years old and his clothes were soaked in sweat. He threw punches and kicks with a frantic desperation that lacked any kind of proper form. It was as if he was just taking out his frustrations of the day onto this wooden dummy rather than practicing anything at all. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding but he ignored the pain and continued to assault the wooden post.
An older woman and a young girl stood near the edge of the courtyard with worried expressions on their faces. The woman held a damp cloth in her hands and she stepped forward with a pleading look.
"Jian, you need to stop and rest," the older woman begged while reaching out toward the young man. "You have been striking that post since before the sun came up. Your hands are bleeding and your legs are shaking. Please come inside and eat something instead. You need to rest if you are ever to grow."
The young man named Jian stopped his assault and turned around with wild eyes. He breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from his forehead leaving a streak of blood across his brow.
"I cannot rest, mother," Jian shouted with a hoarse voice. "The grand tournament is only three days away. If I do not win the prize money, we will lose the dojo to the debt collectors. We will be thrown out onto the streets with nowhere to go. Every second I spend eating or sleeping is a second wasted. I have to train even harder than others because I lack their talent."
"You will tear your body apart before you even reach the arena," the young girl pleaded while clutching her mother's arm. "You are hurting yourself, brother!"
"I am protecting you," Jian snapped back and his voice cracked with strain. "I am doing this for our family. You do not understand the pressure we are all under. Just leave me alone and let me work. I am doing this for all of us."
Jian turned his back on his family and launched another furious punch into the wooden dummy. The post cracked under the force and Jian let out a sharp hiss of pain but he refused to stop for even another second. The mother and sister shared a look of helpless sorrow and backed away as this wasn’t the first time they had seen him this way.
Li Yu stood near the entrance and watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart. He saw a bit of his own reflection in the desperate youth. While their current troubles differed, the weight each of them carried was the same. Jian was carrying the weight of his family's survival on his shoulders and he believed that relentless rushing was the only way to save them from their current situation. The boy felt guilty for even thinking about rest and he was driving away the very people he was trying to protect.
Li Yu walked into the center of the courtyard and his footsteps drew the attention of the small family. Jian stopped striking the dummy and turned around with a deep scowl.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Jian demanded while raising his bruised fists into a fighting stance. "This dojo is closed to outsiders today. Get out."
"I am just a traveler passing through," Li Yu spoke with a calm and even tone. "I heard the sound of a desperate fighter and I came to see for myself. Your mother is right, Jian. You need to stop or else your body will fail you."
"You know nothing about my life. Why are you butting in where you are not wanted? What could you possibly understand from just walking by." Jian growled and took a step forward. "I have to win this tournament or my family loses everything. I do not have the luxury of resting. If you are not going to leave, then I will throw you out myself."
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Jian let out a loud shout and charged forward as his aggression spilled over to the innocent bystander that was Li Yu. He moved with impressive speed for someone with such lower cultivation and aimed a heavy punch directly at Li Yu's chest. The boy was running on pure tension and angry desperation.
Li Yu did not shift his stance or raise his arms to block. He simply stood there and watched the attack approach as it looked like the slowest attack he had encountered in a very long time. When the fist was only a few inches away, Li Yu raised his hand and performed a casual wave.
A gentle but firm burst of physical pressure swept through the courtyard. The invisible force caught Jian in the chest and lifted him cleanly off his feet. The boy flew backward through the air and landed hard on his back in the center of the dirt ring. An unseen weight pressed down upon his shoulders and pinned him firmly to the ground in an instant and cleared the boy’s mind.
Jian struggled to push himself up but his arms felt like they were buried under a mountain. He gasped for breath and stared up at the stranger with wide eyes. The effortless defeat instantly showed the boy the absolute difference between the two of them. The insurmountable gap in power crushed the fighting spirit right out of Jian's chest and brought him out of his self induced rage.
Li Yu walked forward and let the pressure fade away. He sat down on the dirt right next to the shocked youth and crossed his legs comfortably on the ground as the boy’s mother and sister stood in worry a distance away. They could see that this strange person did not mean the boy any harm but they were also confused as to what his real intentions were.
"A weapon swung with too much tension becomes brittle and shatters upon the first heavy strike. The weapon being a fist, a mace or a sword, the result will end up being the same." Li Yu explained while looking down at the boy. "Your form is sloppy because your muscles are exhausted and cannot maintain any kind of discipline. Your mind is clouded with fear, anger and self hatred. If you step into the tournament arena like this, you will lose in the first round and if you are unlucky, even your life. What help could you possibly be to your family if you are dead."
Jian rolled onto his side and clutched his bruised hands. The fight had drained the last bit of energy from his body and tears of frustration began to well up in his eyes. The boy wasn’t stupid and knew his mother and sister were right. However, at the same time he felt he needed to do something, anything, in order to help their family situation. His powerlessness drove him to how he was because he didn’t know what else to do. No one should have to bear such burdens at his age but the world is rarely ever fair.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Jian asked with a broken whisper. "If I fail, we lose our home."
"It is not easy but you need to find a balance," Li Yu answered gently. "I used to think just like you, Jian. I thought the only way to protect the people I cared about was to push myself relentlessly. I thought resting was a weakness and a waste of time. But a wise man recently showed me that a tired heart cannot produce a good result."
Li Yu gestured for the mother and sister to come closer. They approached cautiously and knelt beside Jian in the dirt. The mother gently took her son's bleeding hands and began to wrap them in the damp cloth. Jian did not pull away this time and simply let his head fall forward.
"I met a merchant caravan on my way to this kingdom," Li Yu shared his experiences naturally. "They encountered a terrible storm that broke their wagon and delayed their journey. They could have cursed their luck and spent the night miserable over the lost profits. Instead, they built a fire and shared a warm meal together. They knew that a delay does not mean the journey is over. It just means you have to live in the moment you are given."
Jian listened quietly while his breathing began to slow down.
"Then I met an old man in a tavern," Li Yu continued and his voice carried a somber tone. "He spent forty years working himself to the bone to build an empire of wealth for his wife and son. He never rested and he never spent time with them because he was so focused on securing their future. When he finally retired, his wife passed away a few months later and his son left him. He secured a grand future but he had unluckily destroyed his family in the process."
Li Yu looked Jian directly in the eyes. "You are trying to save this dojo so your family has a home. But look at what you are doing right now. You are screaming at your mother and driving your sister away. If you destroy your body and push them away, what is the point of saving the building? An empty dojo is not a home, Jian. They are your home."
The words struck the young martial artist with heavy force. Jian looked at his mother wrapping his wounds and saw the fear in her eyes. He looked at his sister holding back tears and he realized how cruel his words and actions had been. The tension in his shoulders finally broke and he let out a loud sob.
"I am sorry," Jian cried while leaning his head against his mother's shoulder. "I am just so scared of failing you both. Of losing our home and our history at this dojo."
"We are a family," his mother said softly while stroking his hair. "We face the hardships together. I would rather lose this building and live elsewhere or in a tent than watch you destroy yourself this way. You have trained hard enough, Jian. You have done everything you could to save this place. You are strong but now you need to rest. We can just sell this place and start anew elsewhere."
Li Yu watched the reconciliation and felt a warm sense of peace settle over his own soul. Sharing the wisdom he had learned recently helped to solidify the lessons within his own mind. He had helped this boy step back from the edge of a dangerous cliff that could have led to many more regrets and in doing so, he proved to himself that he truly understood the path forward.
"Go inside and eat a good meal, Jian," Li Yu advised while standing up from the dirt. "Sleep for a full day and let your muscles heal. When the tournament arrives, you will step into the ring with a clear mind and a rested body. Your strikes will be fast and your sword will not be brittle anymore. Win or lose, you will face it with your family by your side."
Jian looked up and wiped the tears from his face. He offered a bow of gratitude from his seated position. "Thank you, traveler. I do not know your name but I will never forget what you taught me today."
"It might sound too tough right now but remember to enjoy the journey and of course your family." Li Yu smiled and turned away from the family.
He walked out of the courtyard and stepped back into the bustling streets of the Stone Ridge Kingdom. The burden that had plagued him for some time continued to be lighter. His Creation Lord foundation felt incredibly solid and his inner world remained calm and composed. The theoretical balance he had found by the river was now a more practical reality. He knew how to better guide himself back to the middle ground whenever the stress of the cultivation world tried to pull him astray.
Before fully leaving this place, Li Yu gestured for sister to come to him while the mother had already led the boy inside to rest. He handed her a bag full of coins, more than enough to solve any financial issue this dojo was facing or for the family to leave this place and start anew. He also gave each of them a longevity pill for this fateful encounter with this small family.
Li Yu truly wished them the best and hoped this small gesture could change the fate of this family. The girl was wise beyond her years and accepted the gift with a deep bow and some small tears of gratitude before quickly heading back inside to her family. What happened to them after all of this, Li Yu didn’t know but he hoped them the best.
His mission was over and he was finally ready to go home to walk a more centered path. One where he can feel less anxiety in the actions he took and the things he enjoyed. Li Yu did not feel the urgent rush pushing him to go back to the Five Star Lakes because he had to cultivate.
He wanted to see his family and he wanted to ask them the important questions he had neglected for so long due to his own carelessness and selfishness. Li Yu wasn’t sure if they would be back or when they would return but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that when they were there, he would find out.
Li Yu walked toward the main gates of the city and joined the flow of merchants heading out into the rugged canyons. He had a long walk back to the Zhan Clan base in the Blue Cloud Realm but he planned to enjoy every single step of the way.