Forge a path to success.

Chapter 190 The Art of Seeking the Dao with a Broken Heart (3)

"To live as a martial arts practitioner in Dragon Township is a very fortunate thing. Because their path of cultivation is clearly divided into primary and secondary aspects. Heart Sword and talismans are just means, and the core is always Dragon Township Fist. When you are stuck, you can just practice your fist. As long as you master the fist technique, you are a worthy martial arts practitioner."

The old man drew a straight line on the scroll, ending with the character "武" (martial arts). He then drew two arcs, one for "术" (skill) and the other for "剑" (sword).

"However, those with broken hearts are not so fortunate. Without a consistent martial art, they seem to be using both methods... Between swordsmanship and broken heart techniques, which is more important?"

The students all turned to look at her. Qingye swallowed hard, bracing herself for another embarrassing moment. The head of the family watched her with a smile.

"Qingye".

"Yes!" Qingye stood up.

"You don't need to answer that question."

"Okay." Qingye sat down.

"Because this is a very important matter, you must all remember it well." The patriarch circled "technique" and "sword" together with an oval. "They are equally important. Only by using technique can you unleash a sharp sword strike, and only by learning swordsmanship can you develop powerful technique."

Focusing too much on one aspect can lead to outstanding, one-sided power. However, such power is biased; the neglected cultivation of the other aspect will inevitably become a weakness. By the time this is realized, it's too late to correct it.

“Just like our dual-wielding style, the training of the Heartbreakers is also dual-wielding. Both are indispensable, indispensable…” The patriarch gestured, then suddenly stopped to ponder, “But the Lord of Fate is a one-sword style.”

"Huh? Did we go astray?!" Qingye exclaimed in shock.

"What is it?" the patriarch said with a smile. "This is the subject of your study today, and for a long time to come."

·
In short, if you lack personal strength, you must use techniques to make up for it.

As Qingye meditated, a misty haze enveloped her. The teachings of her elders and the guidance of Longyu echoed in her mind.

Those with a broken heart are different from martial arts practitioners. Martial arts practitioners like Mr. Chu can solve any difficulties they encounter with "faster speed" and "stronger power". Dragon Township Fist is such a simple and profound martial art.

The advantage of those with lingering hearts lies in their versatile methods, using combinations of different techniques to achieve exquisite results. To become stronger as quickly as possible, one must use the Thousand Nights Instant Star. To use the Thousand Nights Instant Star, one must become unharmed, even invincible. Therefore, one must find a way to achieve invincibility.

The fog of history is an invincible tactic.

Within the range of point 1 to point 5, the historical fog is essentially invincible. Experienced Heavenly Eyes and Ghost Eyes might have methods to break through the fog, but against such an enemy, simple tricks are useless. Right now, the surroundings are all fog, and she happens to have the means to utilize external objects.

The Secret Techniques of the Broken Heart before Integration.

This is a secret technique that allows one to harness external forces for their own use. Elemental power can be used, the flesh and blood of the Fallen can be used, and theoretically, the mists of history should also work.

Following the instructions, she circulated her internal energy and carefully activated her sinful bones, opening her internal circulation and wrapping her intent around the blade. Then, in the mist, she swung the blade again and again, sensing the density of the mist.

About an hour later, an extremely excited Qingye ran back.

"Mr. Longyu, please look at this!"

On Qingye's longsword, mist swirled like miniature vortices, making the blade appear ethereal. She reached out and "took" the mist, wrapping it around herself. The girl with the broken heart vanished instantly, without a trace of her footsteps. When she spoke, her voice already appeared behind Longyu.

"How about this Mist Concealment Technique? Fighting under the protection of the mist allows me to use the Instant Star Technique."

Longyu threw a pebble. A muffled thud echoed through the mist, and Qingye crouched on the ground like a bird that had been shot down, covering her head with her hands.

"It hurts..."

“A petty trick.” Long Yu said mercilessly, “It’s just a robe made of mist. Anyone with keen senses can spot it.”

“Yes, you mean…” Qingye said with a mournful face.

"They will be killed by real machines like chickens."

Qingye argued forcefully: "Who wants to use real weapons! They'll die!"

"What if we actually get attacked by weapons?" Longyu asked. "Suicide?"

Long Yu posed another question, still offering no answer, but Qing Ye knew the answer. At that moment, she suddenly realized the true gap between herself and Chu Hengkong, Ji Huaisu, and her other companions. She realized where that feeling of being inferior came from. It wasn't a matter of strength, it was far more than just a matter of strength.

She bowed in shame, picked up her knife, and stepped into the mist, repeating the swinging motion. There was no more sound of voice in the forest, only the intermittent sounds of swords flashing and the occasional, painful scream squeezed from between clenched teeth.

Several more hours passed, and Qingye still hadn't returned. Longyu walked into the fog and found the badly injured girl lying unconscious on the ground. The skin on her fingertips was loose like an old woman's, and wrinkles that shouldn't have appeared on her forehead were there.

Longyu dragged her back to the campsite and left her there.

In the silent, misty night, a faint fragrance appeared. A buzzing sound could be faintly heard from within the fog. It was the same noisy flapping of wings that Qingye had heard when she first entered the forest. Qingye's sleeping face was contorted with pain.

Long Yu stared into the depths of the mist, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness.

“Every Dust Island has its own rules,” Longyu said. “If you break the rules, I will kill you.” A frivolous laugh came from the mist, and the flapping of wings quietly disappeared. The creature knew perfectly well that it had only come to say hello. Such was the nature of this race; even their greetings were delivered in such an unpleasant manner. They only cared about their own pleasure, disregarding everything else.

He looked away and gazed at Qingye. The girl relaxed slightly, but remained distressed.

This is no longer a safe place; who knows what nightmares await me tonight?

·
That was when he was still practicing the Flash Finger technique.

Day after day, she honed her skills in the elemental pool, repeatedly going through the tedious and painful steps despite already meeting the requirements for advancement. This process was solitary, as she was the only "genius" requiring such a foundation. Only when everyone else was tired from practicing swordsmanship would they come to the elemental pool to observe the genius's training.

For the other children in the Guangshi family, it wasn't even malice; it was just curiosity about someone different from themselves. There were certainly teasing and mockery, but there were also voices of encouragement, and some who stood up for her. After the shouting and laughing, everyone dispersed, leaving her alone by the deserted elemental pool, honing her arm techniques.

She didn't actually care about other people's opinions. Spiritual practice was a personal matter, a principle her elders had taught her since childhood. She was simply disappointed in herself for feeling out of place in this family.

One day, they were taken to participate in a martial arts tournament hosted by other sects. This was an important part of consolidating relationships between powerful families and various sects. The young members got to know each other and befriended each other at the tournament, which would allow them to cooperate more smoothly as they grew up. This proved to be very effective in both exchanging benefits and increasing their own strength.

She was assigned to the Flashfinger group and easily defeated the beginners from the various factions. The defeated children praised her and wanted to befriend her. However, they saw no friendship in her eyes; instead, they harbored a desire to curry favor with the Mitsuki family and resentment stemming from their different social backgrounds.

Logically, Qingye should have taken this opportunity to "recruit" the defeated opponents. However, her resistance made her want to vomit. Only one girl from the Cold Aura Sect didn't approach; she hid in a corner watching Qingye, her expression a mixture of defiance, envy, and other undefined emotions. The girl's name was Dongsha.

Qingye felt that the child most resembled the one with a broken heart. She made her first friend, and they discussed spiritual practice and complained about the unpleasant things around them.

Dongsha always strives to become a high-level Soul Remnant, so that she can gain power, and power can accomplish anything. With power, she won't need to spend money to buy things, she can boss people around at will, and even if she kills someone in the street, no one will dare to intervene.

When Dongsha spoke of these words, her eyes were full of longing. Qingye thought that idea was wrong, but she didn't want to offend her friend, so she could only smile weakly and change the subject.

This went on for about six months. One night, before nightfall, Fuyusa invited her to a festival. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime request," Fuyusa said. She really wanted to celebrate the festival with her best friend. So, for the first time, Qingye ran away from home and mingled in the crowd with her best friend.

That day, a light rain fell in Jingluo Prefecture. The neon signs in the commercial district flickered incessantly, like monsters enveloping the skyscrapers. A parade of bespectacled punks occupied the streets, surrounding cyber dragons that danced in a hallucination, which to onlookers were nothing more than an overly dense electronic fog of mental energy. Qingye and Dongsha bought cheap devil's cakes, dutifully used their pocket money, and then sat on a bench, waiting to watch the fireworks prepared by the Furnace Sect at dawn.

Since it was a rare outing, Qingye actually wanted to buy an apple cake and a transparent whale, but Dongsha insisted on watching the fireworks first. "This is the best spot we found in advance." So Qingye waited with her, even though there were a few men with dyed hair smoking not far away.

She noticed that her friend's attention was scattered, and her eyes kept wandering around the crowd. She was probably afraid that taller people would block her view.

As dawn broke, the Furnace Sect's instructors blew flames into the air, sending meticulously crafted fireworks soaring and exploding into dazzling characters. [Little New Year] [Happiness] [One Kill, One Meal] [Ruthless] As is customary, the first words always proclaimed auspicious wishes.

"Dongsha, look! That's mine!" Qingye excitedly pointed at [Wuxiang Nixin], but Dongsha didn't look closely. Blessings exploded one after another: [One Battle, One Hundred Victories], [Slay the Calamity Seed], [Spiral Tower Explosion]—auspicious energy filled the air. Then, finally, after [Long Live!], a star-like firework shot into the sky, exploding brilliantly like a volcanic eruption. The trail of fire resembled a meteor shower over the city, illuminating people's smiling faces; it was the most beautiful fireworks Qingye had ever seen.

She clapped involuntarily, and everyone cheered, even the men who were smoking raised their hands excitedly. Dongsha leaped from the bench and plunged her ice blade into one of the men's backs. The poisonous blood of the Corrupted Heart Sect spread along the ice blade. She calmly snapped the blade in two, grabbed Qingye, and ran towards the densest part of the crowd.

"Sorry, Qingye, I accidentally bumped into someone," Dongsha said. "The festival is almost over, can I stay at your house for the night?"

Qingye ran aimlessly, a stiff smile still on her face.

"My home is a bit far from here, and it would be really dangerous for me to go back alone," Fuyusa repeated. "Could you do me a favor?"

Qingye didn't even have time to react.

Without a word, Dongsha grabbed Qingye and ran towards Guangshi's house. But among the crowd stood members of the Heartless Sect, dressed in green. Dongsha turned to avoid them, but new interceptors appeared. They were forced into a narrow alley, where the Heartless Sect's members stood silently at the entrance.

"Stop! This person is from the Mitsutoki family—"

“Oh,” said the man with a broken heart.

A shuriken pierced Dong Sha's hand, pinning her to the wall. She pointed at Qing Ye, screaming hysterically, her expression terrifying like a demon: "What are you doing?! Your friend has been stabbed! Tell them to stop!"

Qingye remained silent. Dongsha's voice grew increasingly mournful.

"Why do you think I wasted my precious cultivation time hanging out with a piece of trash like you! You like friendship, right? Now your friend is about to be killed! Come save me!"

Qingye wanted to nod, wanted to shake her head. She didn't say a word. Suddenly, Dongsha produced a shuriken and stabbed it towards Qingye's head.

The shuriken was knocked away by a cigarette butt. The man who had been stabbed approached, half an ice blade still embedded in his back. He knelt down beside Qingye.

“Look, a rare holiday, a valuable lesson,” the green-haired man said. “She’s not your friend.”

After that, Qingye knew nothing. She was knocked unconscious and then handed over to her elders who were secretly protecting her. Much after the festival, Qingye finally realized by the elemental pool that Dongsha wanted a shield to protect her in case of trouble. Even if the assassination failed, she could kill Qingye at a crucial moment and frame her, which would surely bring misfortune to the Duxin Sect.

Friendship was a facade woven with exquisite acting skills, and the painstakingly cultivated techniques of the Heart-Breaking Technique and swordsmanship were all for that one moment of assassination. Undoubtedly, the girl's actions were driven by a sense of awareness. Yet, Qingye felt only sorrow.

I have never heard of such a tragedy on any other path. It would not happen in Longquan Township, nor in the Divine Tree City-State, but only to those with broken hearts. They are obsessed with betrayal, slaughter, and infighting, using emotions as tools to fight for the interests of a mere island.

If the painful practice exists solely for this reason, then the path for those with broken hearts is truly one of profound sorrow.

(End of this chapter)