Book 6 Chapter 1

Reminiscence

- Past

The master's simple yet profound view on how to become strong.

"Do you truly wish to become strong?"

Three years ago!

Did he think I was lying?

The master asked again, as if to confirm.

I don't know what misguided wind blew, but Biryu-yeon looked anew at his master, who spoke with a heavy tone.

Pine caterpillars eat pine needles, and sparrows should give up trying to catch storks from the start. Overexerting oneself in anything is bad for the body…

Today, the master somehow seemed to "have something."

"Of course!"

It was, of course, the obvious answer. As I tried to give such an obvious answer, my mouth automatically hurt. It was the side effect of committing such an uneconomical act. Unfortunately, my body was too honest to compromise with reality or collude with the world, which was the problem.

"The method is simple. Very, very simple."

Still with his back to me, facing the dawning light of the rising sun, the master spoke with a tone of conviction. His stance was firm, leaving no room for any objection.

'Now he's lying without even batting an eye!'

He finally looks like a master! Biryu-yeon thought so with a pure heart.

"What? That look? You look like you don't believe me!"

Gasp! As expected, the master is perceptive. Does he have eyes hidden in the back of his head? This was the master, whose attention and vigilance inexplicably developed only at such times.

"How could that be!"

This is called a white lie, a lie told to sustain and preserve life. Some might call it irresistible. Therefore, Biryu-yeon felt no guilt at all.

Before he knew it, the master turned his gaze away from the morning sunlight, and Biryu-yeon's gaze met his directly. To unconsciously avoid eye contact when there's something to hide is a mistake only a beginner would make! Biryu-yeon was not so naive as to make such a ridiculous mistake. (If he were, all his training up to that point would have been a waste.)

Those suspicious eyes! The master still seemed to have some doubts. As expected, old ginger is excessively spicy. The old ginger said.

"The way to become strong is very simple. It is to set no limits!"

His voice was clear, as if to engrave it in the disciple's mind.

"Even stronger than you, Master?"

Biryu-yeon asked as a confirmation. One must receive a definitive answer for such things to be applied in practice later. Predictions alone are insufficient. (Later, it cannot be evidence, nor can it be a point of contention.)

"Of course. Do not be bound by anything. When you do not set limits for yourself, you will become endlessly strong. The children of other sects unconsciously set their own limits. No, it would be more accurate to say that their sects systematically foster limits. 'How could we dare to harbor such impure, arrogant, and utterly absurd delusions of surpassing the extremely great patriarchs and masters who are higher than the heavens and wider than the seas?' they say. It's a ridiculous joke."

The master's voice, which had been speaking with cynicism as if shredding, suddenly changed to a chilling voice, the kind a three-year-old snot-nosed child might utter. It was truly a grotesque voice, frightening to hear even in a dream.

"Wah, wah! I can't become stronger than my master. So of course, I can't become stronger than the patriarchs. 'How could I dare, perhaps, or possibly, commit the disgraceful act of becoming stronger than the great and venerable founder of our sect…'"

The master's face, as he continued to speak, showed unmistakable pity.

"Is it all nonsense?"

Biryu-yeon sought confirmation of a conclusion reached through highly logical thinking. It was a judgment stemming from rational and logical thought.

"Of course. Then, what else is there but regression? The so-called etiquette, these stale customs and traditions, are setting and practicing limits without you even realizing it. That is foolish. With that, no progress can be expected even after a thousand years. Until one genius appears to break all the molds."

"Hmm!"

Biryu-yeon nodded as if he understood. Of course, he had no intention of losing to his master in the first place. Even if he was weaker than his master at this very moment, remaining weak was absolutely impossible according to his way of thinking.

The master's impassioned speech continued to pierce Biryu-yeon's heart.

"Who said the sky is infinite and cannot be torn? Who said the earth is so vast it cannot be overturned? Have you tried it? Have you concluded after even one attempt? Or have you poured in unceasing effort to reach that point?"

Naturally, Biryu-yeon had no reason to do such an irrational, illogical, and ultimately pointless thing.

"No! Are you crazy?"

"Slap!"

"Ouch! Damn it!"

The master's hand immediately struck. He's so impatient…

"Have you cashed in all the golden rules I just told you? I clearly told you not to set limits! This master believes that humans, especially the human heart, have no limits. No, there are actually no limits, and the power of the mind residing within humans is infinite. You just haven't realized it.

The sky can surely be torn, and the earth can definitely be overturned. You can move faster than light, more wildly than a tsunami. Think like that. To deny it first is to already set a limit."

'Damn! He's saying things so difficultly.'

Yet, to his great dissatisfaction, every single word the master spoke struck Biryu-yeon's heart like an arrow and sent a shiver through his entire body.

"Don't think about the result, focus on the process. That is more important."

"Hmm!"

Now Biryu-yeon began to understand the master's words. It meant that the more one strives to tear the sky, even if they don't actually tear it, they can gain formidable power that transcends common sense. Of course, one might actually be able to tear the sky. Has anyone tried it?

At that moment, a thought flashed through Biryu-yeon's mind.

'Wait! But why only the sky? Isn't there anything wider than the sky? If the master is the sky, then I can't just stay within the sky! If the master has the power to overturn heaven and earth, then I won't be able to beat him later.

Then I should obtain the power of the universe, no, the power of the thunder god, with more ambition. That way, even if the master has the power to tear the sky, I can still win later!'

Looking at his master with his sharp eyes, Biryu-yeon sensed that his master possessed the power to tear even the sky. Biryu-yeon instinctively felt that his master's words of "breaking the heavens" were not mere empty boasts. If so, there was only one conclusion: with the power to tear the sky, one cannot defeat the master.

Reaching this point in his thoughts, Biryu-yeon could finally exhale a sigh of relief.

'Phew, I almost got into big trouble! The master was trying to set my limits so subtly… Hmm… As expected, he's someone I can't let my guard down against, the master!'

He told me not to set limits, yet with his clever rhetoric, he was subtly trying to set my limits… Truly, this was his masterly aspect. That's why Biryu-yeon thought he needed to obtain even greater power.

Even as these thoughts continued to pour out like intestines, the master's words for the disciple's spiritual education continued.

"Therefore, I say. If you believe you can win, I will accept your incessant challenges at any time, whenever you believe you can defeat this master. Will you try?"

The master looked at Biryu-yeon with a peculiar gaze, the kind that would be described as mischievous in the world. The master was enjoying this moment. If he fell for the master's trick and replied, "Yes, I will!", the outcome was predictable.

'This brat dares to think of challenging his master, who is on par with the heavens!' he would surely shout and beat him to death. At times like this, one must never give them an excuse. He was no longer a child. Hadn't the time when he was naive enough to fall for the master's tricks and sweet talk already passed?

"Later!"

It was the most cautious answer Biryu-yeon could give.

"Ho ho ho ho! You rascal! That's what I call a disciple of our sect! Not setting limits is important, but it's commendable that you don't forget that fostering the ability to grasp your current self and gauge the opponent's strength is also an important lesson. If you don't want to die a dog's death!"

Gaining abilities without knowing limits might be a present possibility, but it's more likely a future one. Therefore, grasping the present and reality is also an extremely important study. The study that can be called the "Divine Art of Life Preservation" is none other than the study of gauging the difference in strength between oneself and the opponent.

"You flatter me! Isn't this natural for me?"

Seeing me like this, the master added just one more thing.

"Kid, your pride is as big as a balloon! You've grown so much!"

And then, three years! Biryu-yeon had never forgotten those teachings during that time. And some of those teachings were being passed down to his disciples, who were also his junior fellow disciples, the Suzaku Corps.