"Still... I will take it. And I will try it."
The words dropped from Yoriichi's lips with the weight of an executioner's blade.
Xiao Zhan's face, which had just been relaxing into a victorious, relieved smile, instantly froze. The warmth drained from his features, leaving him looking like a man who had just watched a priceless vase shatter onto the floor.
"Wait..." Xiao Zhan breathed, his voice catching in his throat. He leaned forward, his tiger-like eyes widening in sheer disbelief. "What did you say?"
"I said I will practice it, Patriarch," Yoriichi repeated, his tone as calm and level as a placid lake.
Xiao Zhan was completely speechless. He stared at the youth sitting across the low tea table, his mind short-circuiting.
'Has his head been screwed on backward?!' the Patriarch thought frantically. He had just laid out the bloody, horrific history of the scroll.
He had just explained that past Clan Leaders—men with decades of experience and far superior cultivation—had literally exploded trying to decipher it. He had given enough warnings to terrify a battle-hardened mercenary.
And yet, the boy was still persistent?
"Xiao Ning!" Xiao Zhan finally snapped, his voice rising in genuine, agitated distress. He slammed his palm against the wooden table, making the ceramic teacups rattle.
"Do you even hear yourself? Do you know what your decision will inevitably lead to? I do not want a true, once-in-a-century genius of my clan to die such a foolish, meaningless death!"
Yoriichi did not flinch at the Da Dou Shi's outburst. He simply let out a slow, quiet sigh, the sound carrying an ancient weariness.
"Patriarch, I am not foolish," Yoriichi replied, his crimson eyes locking onto Xiao Zhan's furious gaze. "I know exactly what I must do. This scroll... it represents a heaven-defying opportunity. A chance to step beyond the predetermined limits of this world. If I walk away from it now simply because of fear, I will surely regret it for the rest of my martial path. A sword that fears the whetstone will never achieve a true edge."
He paused, his voice softening slightly with genuine respect. "The clan has taken great care of me. It has sheltered my grandfather, my sister, and myself. I will never forget that grace. But true cultivators must always take risks against impossible odds. If we cower before the laws of the universe, how can we ever hope to sever them? Even if it means walking the very edge of death... I will still try it."
Internally, Yoriichi's thoughts were even calmer. 'I have experienced death before,' he mused silently. He remembered standing on his feet at the age of eighty, his body failing, drawing his blade one last time against his demonic brother. He remembered the agonizing, cellular poison of Muzan Kibutsuji ravaging his flesh. 'Compared to the Progenitor of Demons, a scroll threatening to tear my meridians is nothing to me.'
The room fell into an absolute, suffocating silence.
Xiao Zhan stared at the youth, his chest heaving as he tried to find the words to counter that profound, unbreakable resolve. He found none. The boy was not speaking from a place of arrogant delusion; he was speaking with the Dao heart of a supreme grandmaster.
Yoriichi casually picked up his ceramic cup. He took a slow, deliberate sip of the cool spring water, entirely unaffected by the tense, heavy atmosphere pressing down on the veranda.
Seeing the youth's terrifying calm, Xiao Zhan felt the last vestiges of his anger evaporate, replaced by a deep, helpless resignation. He picked up his own cup and drank, the cold water washing away the bitter taste of defeat.
The atmosphere slowly began to normalize, the aggressive tension dissolving into the quiet hum of the night.
After several long minutes, Xiao Zhan set his cup down and sighed heavily, his broad shoulders slumping.
"Xiao Ning," Xiao Zhan said, his voice quiet, carrying the weight of a father letting a child walk into a storm. "Then... I will not stop you. You may keep this scroll."
A faint, respectful smile touched Yoriichi's lips. "Thank you, Patriarch."
"However," Xiao Zhan interrupted, extending his large, calloused right hand across the low table toward Yoriichi. His eyes were deadly serious, burning with an intense, protective fire. "You must promise me one thing. You must swear it."
Yoriichi listened intently.
"Swear to me," Xiao Zhan commanded, his voice filled with solemn authority, "in the name of your grandfather, your family, and the Xiao Clan, that the very moment you feel even a fraction of your meridians tearing apart, or if any chaotic disruptions start within your Dantian, you will immediately abandon this method and return the scroll directly to me."
Yoriichi looked at the Patriarch's extended hand, recognizing the deep, genuine care behind the strict condition. It was a failsafe. Xiao Zhan was giving him the freedom to try, but demanding he prioritize his life over his pride.
Without hesitation, Yoriichi moved his own hand forward.
Clap.
His palm met Xiao Zhan's in a firm, solid grip. The physical contact sealed the gravity of the moment.
"I promise," Yoriichi swore solemnly, his crimson eyes holding unwavering truth, speaking an oath that bound his samurai honor. "In the name of my honor, my grandfather, my family, and my clan... I will never force the circulation if this method begins to violently oppose me. I will stop."
Xiao Zhan searched the boy's eyes for any sign of deceit or hidden arrogance. Finding none, the Patriarch slowly nodded, a relieved smile finally breaking through his tense features. His martial instincts told him that this youth, above all things, was a man of his word.
They both retracted their hands. The heavy, oppressive burden that had hung over the courtyard was finally lifted, replaced by a peaceful, normalized atmosphere.
Xiao Zhan stroked his short, bristly beard, leaning back comfortably. As he looked at Yoriichi, a wild, impossible thought flickered in the back of his mind.
'The chances of success are practically zero,' Xiao Zhan thought to himself. 'But... if this youth somehow succeeds. If he actually manages to survive the elemental clash and synthesize... it will be an absolute miracle. It will be a groundbreaking paradigm shift in the history of the Dou Qi Continent. May the blessings of our ancestors be with him. If he lives, our clan will rise to heights unseen.'
With the heavy business concluded, the two shifted their conversation. They chatted casually for the next hour, discussing the current state of Wu Tan City, the movements of the rival clans, and the basic philosophies of Dou Qi circulation. Yoriichi kept his answers measured and insightful, further impressing the seasoned Clan Leader.
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Spoiler:I had finished just finished the First Arc Volume with 120 total chapters.
Second Arc (Jia Nan Academy Arc) is about his journey in Academy for like 1.5-2 yrs and don't worry there are monthly time skips in between.
There will be cultivation, Breathing style, exploration of Black-corner and many more. So I hope u stay tuned and enjoy.