Jiumozhi's heart pounded fiercely. Setting aside his suspicion, he was even more eager to hear what Li Daoqiang would say next.
He shook his head and said in a deep voice, "This humble monk does not know. Is the chieftain willing to enlighten me?"
As if not understanding the struggle and doubt in Jiumozhi's words, Li Daoqiang replied without hesitation, calmly, "Your mistake is that you are too impatient. Every path has a core, an essence. And you, driven by your impatience, have stirred up intense desires. Your eyes are full of greed, so much so that it has overshadowed your core essence."
Jiumozhi's body stiffened, as if struck by a realization.
Li Daoqiang's voice continued to flow steadily.
"You have trained in martial arts since childhood, with your founder being Padmasambhava. Though I am not deeply familiar, I understand a bit of Padmasambhava's essence. Your core essence is Buddha. Buddha has many facets, regardless of right or wrong, good or evil—each facet can lead to enlightenment. But you have abandoned your Buddha, filling your heart with obsession and attachment to martial arts manuals themselves. These obsessions and attachments have led you down a path that is not your own, but one of your desires, inner demons, and even the martial arts texts themselves. Thus, you have strayed."
Some of the less explicit words made Ding Chunqiu, Duan Yanqing, and others frown, lost in thought.
Jiumozhi, however, trembled all over, sweat beading on his face, his expression one of intense struggle. He seemed to realize something but refused to acknowledge it.
Li Daoqiang stopped speaking, as if he had said nothing at all, remaining calm and composed. He glanced at the others with a sidelong look, waiting unhurriedly for Jiumozhi.
What he had said was true—a blend of some original material and more of his own observations. Jiumozhi's problem was already severe. He was a martial arts fanatic, which in itself was not an issue. But growing up and training within the Nyingma school, studying martial arts from various conflicting philosophies, and developing greed—his greed for other martial arts grew stronger, covering his own foundation, core spirit, and cognitive understanding. It was like giving birth to inner demons or a mental illness, unconsciously indulging in acquiring one martial art after another. Under such circumstances, he could never truly integrate a hundred schools of martial arts. The more he trained, the more chaotic it became.
Thus, martial arts were not so easy to cultivate. As people trained in martial arts, the arts also influenced them. A single misstep could lead one astray. In the martial world, many succeeded in mastering divine techniques, but far more failed—simply overlooked by the world out of instinct. People only saw the glory and brilliance of the successful, yearning for it, and rushing headlong to their deaths. This was especially troublesome with martial arts tied to religious ideologies. The Jiumozhi, Shi Zhixuan, and Gu Jianhun before him were all cautionary examples.
As long as Jiumozhi was not beyond saving, he could figure out whether those words were true or false. So Li Daoqiang was not in a hurry. Even if Jiumozhi ultimately insisted on being stubborn, he had other methods.
After waiting for a dozen breaths, Jiumozhi, drenched in sweat, looked at Li Daoqiang with a final struggle, unwillingly asking, "Why does the chieftain see fit to guide me?"
The others snapped out of their thoughts and turned to Li Daoqiang, also puzzled. By all appearances, Li Daoqiang did not seem like someone who would kindly guide others.
"Naturally, because I see you as a talent and wish to invite you to join Black Dragon Village," Li Daoqiang said calmly.
Jiumozhi was taken aback, his turbulent emotions settling slightly. He said seriously, "The chieftain must be joking. This humble monk is the national preceptor of Tubo, a disciple of Padmasambhava. I would never join another force."
"Is that so?"
Li Daoqiang gave Jiumozhi a knowing, faint smile, seemingly unbothered by his refusal. He said evenly, "Jiumozhi, your current problem is quite serious. Even if you identify and resolve it, in your lifetime, after suffering a major setback in Tubo, you have less than a ten percent chance of reaching the level of a peerless expert. That is the limitation of Tubo."
"Moreover, even if you do reach the level of a peerless expert, what then? In most people's eyes, the peerless expert level is a peak. But in truth, isn't it just a starting point?"
These profound words left almost everyone present silent and shaken. The peerless expert level as just a starting point! Even coming from Li Daoqiang, they instinctively found it hard to believe. How could that be? That was the peerless expert level!
As if unaware of their reactions, Li Daoqiang continued, "Tubo is but a small state. As I said, shallow waters cannot raise true dragons. Even if you luckily reach the peerless expert level, that's as far as you'll go. To advance further, you must step into a more powerful environment. Across the world, your options are few. First, the Yuan Empire. It has many experts, and you would indeed be valued there. But the Nyingma school, including your founder Padmasambhava, and even all of Tubo, would be affected by you. The outcome, I need not elaborate."
"Second, you wander the world like a rootless duckweed, with no sufficiently powerful force genuinely accepting you. In the end, you achieve nothing and find every step difficult."
His tone was firm, full of certainty, making even Jiumozhi envision that scenario. Suddenly, he snapped back to reality—he hadn't even reached the peerless expert level yet, so how could he dwell on what came after? Forcing himself to calm down, he said, "This humble monk has not yet reached the peerless expert level. I dare not think too much about what comes after."
Li Daoqiang smiled without speaking. After a pause, he said lightly, "Think it over yourself. I'm just reminding you. If you want to go further on the martial path, Master, you need to prepare in advance. Otherwise, even with the greatest luck, you'll at most reach the level of Bi Xuan or Fu Cailin. Think carefully."
Jiumozhi fell silent, his heart heavy and conflicted. The others were also deeply unsettled, feeling as if some of their understandings had been overturned. Of course, they were self-aware enough to know that Li Daoqiang's views were his own, shaped by his perspective, which was entirely different from theirs. He could see things that way, but they absolutely could not.
For a time, the group's atmosphere was unusually quiet. Almost everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Li Daoqiang said no more. Inviting a top expert—one with many affiliations—to join Black Dragon Village couldn't be accomplished with mere words. It required time and opportunity. He couldn't rush.
"Chieftain, I have a poison. Even if Jiumozhi is a top expert, I'm confident I can make it so he can't cure it," Ding Chunqiu suddenly spoke up after a while. He cast a sinister glance at Jiumozhi, his tone full of confidence.
Everyone looked at Ding Chunqiu, mostly with disgust. Jiumozhi's gaze turned cold, piercing toward Ding Chunqiu. Ding Chunqiu paid it no mind, sneering inwardly. So what if he was a top expert? He had poisons to control him. Why put on such airs? In the face of life and death, he'd surely submit. Thinking this, his jealousy lessened somewhat.
He was jealous and resentful. Why was Li Daoqiang so courteous in inviting Jiumozhi? Though Jiumozhi had his own grudges and circumstances were different, Ding Chunqiu still felt dissatisfied and hateful. He dared not act against Li Daoqiang, but Jiumozhi? What did he have to fear?
Li Daoqiang's lips curled in satisfaction as he looked at Ding Chunqiu. See, this was the benefit of having a lackey—knowing how to solve problems for his master. Never mind his true motives; as long as he got things done, it was fine. Xue Dao Laozu had similar potential, but his strength was lacking, leaving him powerless in many matters and words.
Seeing Li Daoqiang's approving expression, Ding Chunqiu quickly put on a fawning smile, feeling more emboldened. Jiumozhi noticed this too, his heart sinking further. Was Li Daoqiang tempted?
"Do you know what the most important thing is in living in this world?"
Li Daoqiang spoke, not responding to Ding Chunqiu's words but instead asking a question that left everyone baffled.
"Is it... strength?" Ding Chunqiu quickly chimed in, though uncertainly.
Li Daoqiang glanced at the others, signaling for more answers. Most seemed to agree with Ding Chunqiu, while a few had other ideas but weren't sure.
"Chieftain, I believe it's effort," Kou Zhong said, a flicker of light in his eyes.
Xu Ziling frowned almost imperceptibly, glancing at Kou Zhong with a trace of worry.
Li Daoqiang still didn't respond. After waiting a few more breaths and seeing no one else speak, he said slowly, "It's following the rules."
Following the rules! Everyone frowned, pondering.
"In this world, no matter where, there are layers of rules. Ordinary people must follow the rules of the government and local powers to survive. Officials and factions must follow the rules of the court and the broader environment to survive. Even emperors and beings like myself must adhere to certain rules. The difference is that people of different strengths and levels follow different rules. From ancient times to the present, the goal of all striving, at its core, is to break the rules that bind them and move toward higher-level rules. To live well, one must follow the rules. Those who don't will never come to a good end. Understand?"
Li Daoqiang spoke leisurely, and everyone suddenly understood, with no one objecting. The words were crystal clear and undeniably true. Some realized and looked at Jiumozhi.
"I released Yi Jifeng and the others partly because of the Carefree Sect. Second, because their backing is strong enough, so I must follow some rules. I won't release Master Jiumozhi because Tubo's rules don't affect me. As for using poison to force him into Black Dragon Village, since he hasn't offended me, that would break the rules. I never like breaking rules."
Li Daoqiang said, glancing at Ding Chunqiu. Ding Chunqiu understood completely. Jiumozhi had the backing of the Tubo state and Padmasambhava. Using poison to force him into Black Dragon Village would have far-reaching consequences, affecting not just Tubo and Padmasambhava. Li Daoqiang's strength wasn't yet great enough to ignore those implications. That was the rule he, too, had to follow.
(Chapter 1.) ······