Xiao Zhan downward his gaze slightly, sinking into deep, turbulent thought.
He opened his mouth. He desperately wanted to speak, to defend the reality he had lived his entire life. He wanted to tell this naive, pure-hearted youth about the brutal laws of the continent.
He wanted to say, 'If you do not eat the beasts, you will lack the physical strength to fight our rivals. If we do not hunt, we will be the ones hunted. Human nature dictates that we must climb over the corpses of the weak to reach the peak!'
He had the logical arguments lined up perfectly in his mind. But the words simply would not come out.
It was as if a heavy, iron lock had been placed over his vocal cords. Xiao Zhan mentally rotated the keys again and again, trying to force his mouth to voice the harsh justifications of a Patriarch, but the mechanism was jammed.
Why? Because deep down in his soul, Xiao Zhan recognized the profound, tragic truth in Yoriichi's words. The Dou Qi Continent was a slaughterhouse. It was an endless cycle of blood, greed, and vengeance. Yes, it was necessary for survival, but it was not righteous.
To hear a young man—a genius who possessed the talent to effortlessly conquer this brutal world—openly reject the path of the predator in favor of absolute respect for life... it shamed the Patriarch. It made the blood on his own hands feel unbearably heavy.
Xiao Zhan realized he wasn't looking at a naive boy; he was looking at a martial saint. A youth possessing a Dao heart so pure and immaculate that the worldly laws of greed could not taint it.
Xiao Zhan closed his mouth. He let out a long, heavy sigh, the sound carrying decades of weariness. He remained entirely silent, his gaze fixed on the shimmering silver leaves of the tree.
Yoriichi, sensing the Patriarch's internal struggle, did not push further.
He understood the silence perfectly. What he had just spoken of might seem like a small, trivial matter of diet to a normal cultivator, but the core philosophy eventually impacted one's entire character. A man who casually crushed a bird for a minor boost in power today would easily crush a weaker clan for resources tomorrow.
But Yoriichi had no intention of becoming a tyrant of morality. He would not try to force his values consistently onto others. The people of this world had their own minds, their own histories, and their own burdens to bear. If they found his logic relatable and chose to show mercy, then it was good. If they could not, bound by the harsh realities of their environment, then that was also okay.
He would simply walk his own path. He would rely on the infinite energy of the ambient world and the perfection of his Breathing Style to forge his strength, rather than stealing the essence of lesser creatures. He would remain an immovable pillar of his own ideals, irrespective of the thinking of the masses.
For a few more minutes, the two men stood side-by-side on the veranda, silently gazing out at the peaceful nature of the courtyard. The tension had completely vanished, replaced by a profound, mutual understanding.
Finally, seeing the position of the moon and knowing the hour was growing exceedingly late, Yoriichi broke the silence.
He offered a polite, shallow bow.
"Patriarch, I need to go now," Yoriichi said softly, his voice returning to its usual, comforting calmness. "Farewell, and take care of yourself. Do not worry about me, or the path I have chosen. I will not fail the clan."
Xiao Zhan slowly turned to face the youth. The deep lines of stress on the Patriarch's face seemed to have softened in the moonlight. He looked at the boy who held a cursed, suicidal scroll in his pocket, yet spoke with the wisdom of a monk.
Xiao Zhan let out another soft sigh, a rueful smile touching his lips.
"Xiao Ning," Xiao Zhan said, his voice thick with a complex mixture of respect and fatherly concern. "I do not know if I can ever truly follow the path you see. My hands are already too stained, and the burdens of this clan force me to walk in the mud. But... I sympathize deeply with what you have told me tonight."
The massive, imposing Patriarch reached out and gently patted Yoriichi's shoulder. It wasn't the firm, authoritative grip of a Clan Leader, but the warm, supportive touch of an elder.
"Farewell, my boy," Xiao Zhan smiled warmly. "I hope the brutal realities of this world never change what I have seen in you tonight. Stay true to your heart... and be more powerful than all of them."
Yoriichi nodded, acknowledging the profound blessing.
He turned on his heel and walked down the short wooden steps of the veranda, his dark robes blending seamlessly into the shadows of the garden. He moved with his ghostly, silent stride, slipping through the heavy wooden gates of the central compound and stepping out onto the quiet, cobblestone paths of the sprawling estate.
The walk back to his courtyard was peaceful. The heavy, oppressive weight of the cursed scroll in his breast pocket felt significantly lighter now that his resolve had been tested and solidified. He had secured the Patriarch's permission, and he had established the unyielding boundaries of his Dao heart.
As he walked beneath the starlit sky, his mind naturally drifted away from the heavy burdens of cultivation and philosophy.
He felt the slight weight of the woven basket swinging gently in his hand. Inside were the fresh spirit vegetables, the delicate mushrooms, and the block of soft jade-tofu he had purchased at the Night Market earlier.
A rare, genuinely amused thought crossed his stoic mind.
'Perhaps I will not enter deep seclusion immediately tomorrow morning,' Yoriichi thought jokingly to himself, the corners of his lips twitching upwards into a microscopic smile.
'The ingredients are fresh. Maybe a rich, vegetable broth will be cooked tomorrow for lunch. I will invite Xiao Yu and Grandpa to taste it. I wonder if the spices of this continent behave similarly to the ones from my old home.'
With the comforting, mundane thoughts of cooking grounding his soul, the supreme swordsman walked the rest of the way home, completely at peace, unaware of the world-shaking storm he was about to unleash within the confines of his own Dantian.
--------------------------------
Since u guys wouldn't feel like endless plots and unknown story development such like who is villain? Mc's motive? Journey? etc. etc.....
So, I just dropped my story roadmap in chapter 0. see and comment there whether u liked it or have any opinion for change also.
Stay well and goodbye!!
😁😁