Chapter 17

"Brother Lin, I wonder what brings you to our Huashan Sect?" Linghuchong looked at Lin Yang, who was sitting cross-legged on a large rock, with great surprise. He had discovered Lin Yang outside Sigu Cliff as soon as he woke up in the morning.

"Looking for someone," Su Zhong replied with his eyes closed, feeling the energy of the early morning sun, his voice calm.

Linghuchong suddenly understood: "So you're looking for Brother Lin."

"I'm looking for Feng Qingyang," Su Zhong said directly.

Linghuchong scratched his head, a bit confused. "We in Huashan don't have this Great Uncle Feng. He disappeared many years ago and is nowhere to be found."

Su Zhong closed his eyes and moved his internal energy, saying nothing.

Seeing that Su Zhong wasn't responding, Linghuchong knew it was useless to speak. He walked to one side and faced the rising sun to practice his internal skills.

When he finished his practice, Su Yang was still sitting in the same spot. Linghuchong was puzzled: "The sun has just risen, and the vitality of heaven and earth is abundant, suitable for practicing internal skills. But once the time passes, it's no longer suitable. I wonder what kind of skill this Brother Lin is practicing. Is it not limited by time?!"

"Big Brother! Big Brother! I'm here..." A clear voice could be heard from a distance.

Linghuchong was delighted: "Little Sister, I'm here."

When Yue Lingshan climbed up to Sigu Cliff, she found that there was one more person. Upon closer inspection, it was Su Zhong, and she was instantly delighted. She was very curious about Su Zhong.

"Big Brother, why is he here?" Yue Lingshan whispered to Linghuchong.

Yue Lingshan leaned in close, and Linghuchong felt a fresh scent wafting towards him, making his heart race.

"I don't know. He said he's looking for someone," Linghuchong replied subconsciously.

"Looking for someone? Little Lin? I'll go call him." Yue Lingshan put down her basket and ran down the mountain, skipping along.

Linghuchong watched Yue Lingshan go happily, feeling as if a precious treasure was moving further away from him. The joy and excitement he felt just a moment ago turned to ice water.

Su Zhong, with his innate internal energy and already sharp senses, heard their whispers clearly. He didn't stop them, though he didn't care much for his so-called brother, he couldn't ignore him.

Su Zhong was only focused on the Way of the Sword. He could provide Lin with a stable and comfortable living environment, but he couldn't give him the joy of family. All of this had to be placed on Lin Pingzhi. Spending a little time training Lin Pingzhi didn't bother Su Zhong.

Soon, Lin Pingzhi hurried over. Seeing Su Zhong, his face lit up with joy. He now had a deep admiration for his cold-faced elder brother.

"Big Brother! Why are you here?"

Su Zhong opened his eyes and carefully examined Lin Pingzhi.

Lin Pingzhi felt uneasy under Su Zhong's gaze, his eyes darting away, unable to meet Su Zhong's cold stare. As the elder brother was like a father, he was more afraid of Su Zhong than of Lin Zhenan.

"You've been at Huashan for over a month. Show me a set of sword techniques to see how much you've improved," Su Zhong said, his voice cold and emotionless.

Lin Pingzhi didn't dare to disobey. He drew his sword from his waist and, on the large platform in front of Sigu Cliff, performed the basic Huashan sword technique with fluid and proficient movements.

"Good job, Little Lin. You've mastered this basic sword technique," Yue Lingshan clapped her hands and said happily, her chin raised proudly as she looked at Su Zhong. She had taught him all of this.

Linghuchong's expression was complex. Seeing Yue Lingshan's happiness, he felt both happy and bitter. Lin Pingzhi's performance of the basic sword technique, though somewhat mechanical, was commendable. If he could focus on his martial arts, he could become a second-rate swordsman in three to five years. The Lin brothers were indeed talented.

Lin Pingzhi wore a proud expression. He had practiced diligently for a month, all for this day.

"You're quite pleased with yourself," Su Zhong's voice was always emotionless.

Lin Pingzhi trembled all over and hurriedly shook his head in denial: "No."

"What's there to be proud of with such a shoddy sword technique?" Su Zhong's words were sarcastic, but his tone was flat, making it sound strange.

Lin Pingzhi's face turned red, and he wanted to argue.

"Any third-rate swordsman could kill you with your kind of sword technique. What's there to be proud of?" Su Zhong continued in that same flat tone, saying sarcastic things.

"I'm not like you, Big Brother. It's normal not to be able to beat a third-rate expert!" Lin Pingzhi was angry and his tone was sharp.

Su Zhong didn't mind and said directly: "Starting today, after morning practice, you'll tie sandbags all over your body and climb up to Sigu Cliff to receive three sword techniques from me."

Lin Pingzhi's throat moved a few times, but he couldn't argue.

"Focus. If you can't block my sword, you'll suffer." Su Zhong finished speaking and thrust his sword swiftly.

Lin Pingzhi, caught off guard, couldn't block it. Su Zhong's sword pierced through Lin Pingzhi's clothes without touching his skin, only pressing on an acupoint.

"Ah! Big Brother, spare me, Big Brother!" Lin Pingzhi screamed and rolled on the ground in pain.

"How could you be so cruel? He's your brother!" Yue Lingshan shouted, her face red, and quickly helped Lin Pingzhi up.

Linghuchong also looked at Su Zhong with a pained expression. Could brothers be so harsh to each other?!

"Stop screaming! You won't die! If you can't even endure this little pain, you might as well go home, get married, and have children, and live a life of luxury," Su Zhong said sternly, not joking at all.

Lin Pingzhi dared not speak, carefully unbuttoned his shirt, and saw only a red dot on his chest, without even a scratch. But the pain was like an arrow through his heart!

Biting his teeth, Lin Pingzhi was determined.

"Big Brother, continue!"

Su Zhong waited for him to finish speaking and quickly slashed his sword, drawing a half-circle like a crescent moon in the sky.

"Ah!" Lin Pingzhi's scream echoed throughout Sigu Cliff.

After three sword techniques, Lin Pingzhi was in a sorry state, drenched in sweat from the pain.

"Brother Lin, your sword skills are truly remarkable. Your control is exquisite. You can pierce through clothes without harming the skin, truly breathtaking," Linghuchong praised.

"It's nothing, just a matter of precision," Su Zhong said indifferently.

"Precision? What's that?" Linghuchong asked, surprised.

Su Zhong was taken aback and then realized: "Precision is a term I use to describe a certain realm. In this realm, one's control over strength is extremely fine. Every bit of strength is used effectively, without waste, to better utilize the body's full potential. You don't know this realm?"

Linghuchong and Yue Lingshan looked puzzled.

Su Zhong was very confused.

"Brother Lin, can you explain it?" Linghuchong's eyes lit up, a sense of excitement rising in his heart.

"What's there to explain?" Su Zhong said: "Let me ask you a question first. Why do you practice martial arts?"

Linghuchong, not understanding Su Zhong's intention, said: "Of course, to uphold justice and eliminate evil."

Su Zhong looked at Linghuchong as if he were an idiot.

"What? Is that wrong?" Yue Lingshan said angrily.

"Do you really believe that?" Su Zhong asked Linghuchong, then glanced at Lin Pingzhi, who was sitting to one side: "What about you?"

"Isn't that why we practice martial arts, to eliminate evil?" Linghuchong was even more puzzled.

"That's what Master told me," Lin Pingzhi thought for a moment and answered honestly.

This answer piqued Su Zhong's interest, and he continued: "What do you think?"

Lin Pingzhi looked at the thoughtful Linghuchong and the puzzled Yue Lingshan, then lowered his head and thought for a moment: "In the past, Father told me that practicing martial arts was to protect the security company. Now Master tells me that practicing martial arts is to eliminate evil. But I think practicing martial arts is to protect myself and my family."

"Very good," Su Zhong was genuinely surprised. He didn't expect his so-called brother, though a bit impetuous, to have such insight.

Lin Pingzhi's face lit up, and he felt encouraged: "Big Brother, what do you think?"

"Eliminate evil," Su Zhong said firmly.

"You're being unreasonable!" Yue Lingshan stood up and pointed at Su Zhong angrily.

Su Zhong ignored her: "What is evil, and what is the Way? Is eliminating evil just about killing the Cult of Evil? Are the righteous sects truly the Way? You've misunderstood something. You don't even know what evil and the Way are. How can you understand the essence of martial arts?"

"Like Pingzhi, his Way is the safety of himself and his family. What is evil? Anything that threatens his family is evil! Whether it's Dongfang Bubai or Shaolin Fangzheng, if they threaten his safety and his family's safety, they are evil!" Su Zhong said coldly.

Everyone on Sigu Cliff was stunned.

"You... you... you..." Yue Lingshan was terrified. Such words were too heretical.

Lin Pingzhi, after the initial shock, thought carefully and found more and more sense in it. His eyes sparkled with a strange light.

Linghuchong lowered his head, deep in thought. He was a wanderer, not bound by rules. Hearing such words, he felt a sense of purpose. Although he thought Su Zhong's words were twisted, he couldn't find a reason to refute them and felt they were somewhat correct.

"Linghuchong, what is your Way? Have you thought about it?" Su Zhong looked at the destined wanderer with a half-smile.

"Too far off topic. Let's get back to precision. Eliminating evil is the purpose of practicing martial arts, but the essence of martial arts is to strengthen the body. To put it more deeply, practicing martial arts is for evolution. Ancient legends speak of immortals who can live forever. Practicing martial arts is to gradually strengthen the body, ultimately breaking through the void and achieving immortality!" Su Zhong's words were passionate, his eyes shining with a fanatical light. For the first time, the cold Su Zhong showed such obvious emotion.

Yue Lingshan felt a chill, thinking this person was truly demonic! The previous talk about eliminating evil was already heretical, but this current state of madness truly frightened her! She instinctively hid behind Lin Pingzhi.

Su Zhong looked up at the white clouds, savoring the vastness of the sky, his desire for the peak of martial arts growing stronger. After a while, he calmed his mind.

"So, the essence of martial arts is to strengthen the body. Eliminating evil is just the use of martial arts. In the process of practicing martial arts, it's a process of enhancement and control. Practicing martial arts makes the body strong, and then controlling a stronger body. When control reaches its peak, it's precision. Once you enter precision, the force changes. Even the most yang force can become as soft as silk. This is the concept of yin and yang."

"Yin and yang? I see!" Linghuchong suddenly understood: "So yin and yang can be explained like this?!"

Linghuchong, with his extraordinary talent, connected the dots as soon as Su Zhong explained.

"Enhance, control, precision, yin and yang!" Linghuchong thought more and more that it made sense, feeling a deep admiration for Su Zhong. Just this theory alone made Su Zhong worthy of the title of a great master. And he was only sixteen!

"Good!" A clear, crane-like voice came from a distance: "Good talk about eliminating evil! Good talk about immortality! Good talk about precision! Good talk about yin and yang!"

Five "goods" were heard, the voice getting closer, and suddenly a white figure appeared before them.

"Feng Qingyang, you finally came out!" Su Zhong's lips curled into a fierce smile.