Cultivation System: Elder Edition

Chapter 304

Secrets of the Lake (I)

Holy shit.

It truly is the most appropriate reaction to what I'd just seen.

Lao Shun's jaw was agape, yet again (he really should stop hanging out with us just for that alone), Xing Feng was in awe, and Rayce had a rather complicated look on his face, while the others... well, they looked like they expected it.

I didn't.

I mean, I did expect Xi Zhao to win--but I expected it to be a brutal, long, bloody fight in which he just barely ekes out a victory just as everyone was ready to write him off. I expected to hear a lot of tender commentary from the audience, ranging from 'Hah, that kid doesn't stand a chance!' to 'Oh, he might actually do it!' and 'No, X now used Mega-Giga Strong Art; that kid is doomed!' and then, after all that, for him to just barely win.

... but what was this?

The audience didn't get a single word in.

There was no commentary saying how stupid the boy was being, or how he let his pride get the better of him and now he would pay the ultimate price; there was... well, nothing, honestly.

Just silence so deathly I could hear my colon moaning about yesterday's beans.

How is he this strong? I try not to underestimate any of the kids, as I'm keenly aware that they're main characters of this world, but still, shouldn't there be some limit to this bullshit? He just annihilated six people, four of whom were in the Spirit Manifestation Realm, while two were in the Revolving Core Realm.

Shit.

Doesn't this mean that, even as they are now, all the kids can just wipe the floor with me?! No, no, no, I have my tortoise! Hah! I'm safe... for a little while longer.

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU FEEDING THE KIDS?!" That was Lao Shun screaming in my mind, but I couldn't answer him... because I wanted to scream the exact same thing.

I'm feeding them nothing. In fact, it's less than nothing, as I've, once again, run out of the Spirit Stones.

"Master, I've obeyed you!" Xi Zhao walked back over to me, sword in scabbard, and bowed with a smile.

Haah.

"Good job," I smiled as well, wondering just how crazy strong these monsters will actually become if they're already turning hundreds of people mute in the span of a few seconds. "Let's go back."

I kind of expected it, but still, the way the crowd parted was somewhat comical; they were pressing into each other at the edge of the lake, just inches from falling--never mind. It was like dominos--one by one, they fell, water splashing about as yelps created a song.

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I managed to hold back from laughter, though scant few others did--especially those who parted on the opposite side of the lake.

And thus it became our escort, the combination of laughter and people splashing in the lake's waters.

"That was a nice attack," Dai Xiu commented. "But you curved it a bit toward the end."

"Hm, I know," Xi Zhao said, and it broke me a bit. "I've been practicing hard, but the more I try to stabilize the first draw, the more pushback there is toward the end."

"Pushback?"

"Hm. It's like drawing a bow," he said. "There comes a point where your arms start shaking, and pushing further just destabilizes the aim. It's kind of like that for me--if I try to push it past the limit, the sword stops...obeying me, if that makes sense. They were weak, so they couldn't dodge it either way, but if I'm against someone stronger..."

"Senior Brother Tao, do you know of the solution?" Wan Lan asked.

"Of course."

"..."

"..."

"... can you tell me?" Xi Zhao asked, his lips twitching.

"Now, where's the fun in that?" Long Tao grinned as the others groaned. "Besides, the mark of a true swordsman is made by overcoming challenges. If others cleared up every one of your doubts, you would never carve out your own path. If you want to end up mediocre and washed, I'll gladly tell you the answer."

"No, no, that's alright. I'll figure it out myself," he said, sighing.

I passively listened to them, realizing something rather crucial: haven't I been... kind of a shit Master? I mean, sure, I've given them arts and methods aplenty, and I've fed them stones and pills and such, but I genuinely never gave them advice about cultivation.

Not that I could, of course, which is probably why they never even asked me. Because they know I wouldn't be able to tell them.

Ugh. That hurt. Cut quite deep.

"We'll probably get a lot of people following us now," Wan Lan said. "So, never go out alone, and especially never go out of the city."

"I'll write a few Scrying Words; rip them before you leave the house, and keep the pieces on you. I'll gather them after a few days and see who was following you the most," Rayce said.

"Ah, Junior Brother, don't tell me you'll lock yourself up in the house again?" Dai Xiu asked. "You'll become as pale as a ghost!"

"Don't be mean, Xiu'er," Wan Lan said. "Or I'll have Master lock you up in a room, too."

"Humph. Do you like him or something? Why do you always defend him?"

"Because he's too nice to do it himself," Wan Lan said, just barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes. "Some people like being inside, and some people don't. You don't get to choose for them."

"She's just worried for me," Rayce chuckled faintly. "But it's true that I like staying inside. To me, writing Words and knowing they're being of help to you is extremely fun. I promise, though, to come out with you guys at least once every two days."

"He he, okay! I'll take you to this sweet restaurant I found! They have fresh fish on a skewer!"

"They all have fresh fish," Wan Lan said. "Because we're right next to a lake."

"T-this one has the best fish!"

"Oh? You went to all of them and tasted their fish?"

"N-no..."

"Then how can you know that yours has the best fish?" While Wan Lan smirked and Dai Xiu pouted and others stayed all the way out of it, I realized that I often lock myself up inside my own head and miss moments like these.

When they're just being kids. Who occasionally say some truly outrageous stuff, yes, but mostly just kids.

"Master, somebody's watching us." Light suddenly said as she crawled up onto my shoulder.

"A lot of people are watching us, Light."

"This one is annoying. It's trying to look inside." oh. It must be the Sage.

"Are you afraid?"

"Nuh-uh," she said. "Why would I be afraid? You're right here."

"..." Oh, kiddo.

How that fills my heart both with pride and a bit of pity.

Oh well. Kids are stupid; they'll believe just about anything.

... The bad part for me is that I have to live up to it now. No, seriously, I'd sooner die than disappoint this little gremlin riding my shoulders.