Neither Gao Fei nor Han Huabin knew how Xiao Bing managed to step into the level of Void-breaking from Elixir-strength. It was like a beginner of martial arts suddenly becoming a master. It was inconceivable. They both had a faint guess, but were not very sure about it.
Before Xiao Bing came here, he secretly invited Zhang Yizhi to this city. No one knew about it. Now the time for the seal to function was up. Xiao Bing could unseal his power at any time, which was also one of the reasons why Xiao Bing was so confident of defeating Lord Long.
However, when Zhang Yizhi had undone most of the seal, he told Xiao Bing that to completely unseal his power, Xiao Bing needed to let the power sink into his body when he was fighting, in which case the seal would nullify itself. In the meantime, Xiao Bing needed to vent out this power during the fight so that it would not harm his body.
When Xiao Bing heard that, he was taken aback. He thought he should not fight Lord Long, otherwise he could die before the seal was undone. However, his opponent had to be stronger than him so that he could be in real danger. So he thought Han Huabin was the perfect choice.
But Xiao Bing had not thought that he would acquire some unexpected gains because of it. If he let Zhang Yizhi unseal all his power, he would be back at the Void-breaking level and it would be a piece of cake for him to beat Han Huabin. However, he would not have gained so much comprehension.
The Void-breaking was the highest level that Xiao Bing had ever reached. But after having matched blows with Han Huabin, his comprehension of martial arts became even more profound, even though it was still difficult for him to reach the middle stage of Void-breaking. Besides, the power that was once sealed had been intertwining with his own power, which enabled him to reach the pinnacle of the early stage. So now he was only one step away from the middle stage.
Actually, for a cultivator, he would not have much motivation to advance himself once he reached the Void-breaking level. But it was not the same for Xiao Bing. On one hand, Xiao Bing had been longing for greater martial arts. On the other hand, his rival was Mr. Buddha, who was also a rare talent that could not be found in the last few centuries.
But Xiao Bing suddenly discovered that Gao Fei was as powerful as him. Before the breakthrough, it was difficult for Xiao Bing to discern Gao Fei’s true strength. But now, since his power was unsealed and he was more powerful than ever, Gao Fei could not hide it anymore.
Xiao Bing felt nothing but astonishment.
Xiao Bing and Gao Fei looked into each other’s eyes, their sympathy plain in their eyes.
Han Huabin noticed Gao Fei. He was shocked at first but then he felt upset. He pondered for a moment then sighed. “Indeed I’m an old man. The world belongs to your generation now. You two both have reached the level that most of the cultivators have been pursing for their whole lives. Are all the men at your age so talented now?
“Alas, Lord Long indeed offended the wrong men. How is he now?”
“Dead.” Gao Fei’s answers had always been brief and direct as if he disliked saying an extra word.
Han Huabin, though feeling pity, was not saddened. “Since you decided to let this old man live, I’ll spend the rest of my life here. I actually don’t have much to do since the world has young men like you.”
Xiao Bing looked at Han Huabin and said, “Mr. Han, I have a few questions. Can you answer them for me?”
Han Huabin said, “Ask.”
“You are at the middle stage of Gang-strength, but your comprehension of martial arts is obviously above the Gang-strength stage or at least the level of Void-breaking. The reason why I had the same situation was that I was mortally wounded, so Zhang Yizhi, the grand doctor, had to seal the power inside of me. Hence, though my strength was deteriorated, my comprehension of martial arts was not. But I don’t understand how Mr. Han is as capable of that as me.”
It was not until then that Han Huabin and Gao Fei knew the reason why Xiao Bing had such a profound comprehension of martial arts. When Gao Fei discussed martial arts with Xiao Bing before, he was always nonplussed by it. It turned out that Xiao Bing had been at the level of Void-breaking before.
After hearing Xiao Bing’s question, Han Huabin shook his head and put on a bitter smile. “Because I was at that level as well.”
“What?” Xiao Bing was shocked. He had always thought that he was the most powerful martial artist until Mr. Buddha appeared. Xiao Bing had surmised that Mr. Buddha might not be at all inferior to him. But then he found Gao Fei was also at the level of Void-breaking. Three masters of Void-breaking living in the same era was shocking enough to Xiao Bing. Yet Han Huabin was also at this level, which explained the abstruseness of his martial arts.
“You’re both far better than me.” Han Huabin sounded slightly envious of them. “I’m 72 this year and when I reached Void-breaking I was 60. I suppose neither of you of over 30? Geniuses who can step into this level before 30 are rare to be found in Chinese history. Besides, this might not be the end for you. Yet I may no longer be able to make any progress. For any martial artist, once they are over 60, the road will get rougher and their body will become clumsy. Normal people will find their body aging at 40.”
Xiao Bing nodded in agreement.
“When I reached the Void-breaking level, I realized that I probably would not take a step further. I wanted to find a successor to put my hopes on. I met Lord Long, a martially-talented man who was traveling the world. His foundation was solid and he wanted me to be his teacher, which was something I wanted. I had been teaching for seven years. Later, he stepped into the middle stage of Gang-strength. I was 67 then and my strength began to abate. But I was still at Void-breaking and my comprehension was more profound than seven years before. But my aging body made my true strength in between the peak of Gang-strength and Void-breaking.
“I was lying abed that night because of sickness. It was the first time I got sick since I became a martial artist. It didn’t bode well for me. I thought that I could never make any progress again. Yet I nearly let evil take control of me because of Lord Long, the bastard who attacked me while I was sleeping. Since then, my level fell from the Void-breaking Stage to the Gang-strength Stage. I was lucky to be alive.”
Xiao Bing gasped. “He attacked you? Why? Aren’t you his teacher?”
Han Huabin smiled wryly while shaking his head. “He was an ambitious man who wanted to have this world all to himself. One reason is that he could not rest well while there was another man who was stronger than him.”
“What’s the other reason?”
“He had been wanting to learn my arts of array and illusion. But I wouldn’t teach him. As the saying goes, the teacher might become jobless once he has taught all the skills to his student. I knew too well about this man’s ambition, as well as his temperament. I’m an old man. If I didn’t have something up my sleeve, I could have been betrayed and killed. Yet I was still stabbed in the back.”
Xiao Bing was confused. “Why didn’t Lord Long kill you?”
“Because he was still eager to learn the arts of array and illusion from me. Besides, he needed a top master to help him and I was willing to do it. You may not understand it. I didn’t see any hope that I could advance, so I only wished to see that my student could achieve it. Lord Long was my only hope, so I chose to help him.”
“I see.” Xiao Bing nodded his head.
Holding his cane, Han Huabin walked to the cottage, his footing wobbly. Xiao Bing and Gao Fei traded a look and intended to leave. Han Huabin suddenly said, “Wait. I’ll fetch you guys something.”
Then Han Huabin walked into the cottage and soon came out, one hand holding the cane while the other holding a book. He held out the book after he approached Xiao Bing.
Xiao Bing took it without hesitation. He opened it and found that it was Han Huabin’s notes on martial arts and the detailed description of how to use the array and illusion.
Xiao Bing was surprised. He knew how dreadful illusions were because he just managed to survive one. Yet he had not expected that Han Huabin would choose him over Lord Long.
Xiao Bing asked in bewilderment, “Why?”
“All my knowledge of martial arts is all written here. If I don’t find another successor, it might need to be buried with me.”
“I know.” Xiao Bing asked, “But why did you choose me?”
“Because you are a prodigy.” Han Huabin sighed. “Maybe we met by grand design. Take it. I might leave here soon and the name Han Huabin will never be mentioned again in this world…”
Xiao Bing grasped the book firmly. It was a priceless treasure for any man who practiced martial arts. No one could have expected that Han Huabin, who had intended to kill Xiao Bing before, wanted Xiao Bing to inherit his legacy. Xiao Bing looked at this old man with complexity in his eyes. He strangely felt sympathetic for this old man, who seemed to be upset. Yet the process of aging is inevitable for any normal human being, no matter if he is a talent or not.
“Go. Don’t leave it untouched. It won’t take long before you become more powerful than me in my prime.”
Holding his cane, Han Huabin headed toward the cottage again. Xiao Bing knew that Han Huabin was saying farewell to him.
All of a sudden, Xiao Bing fell to his knees. Han Huabin paused and whirled around, tears and bewilderment plain in his eyes.
Xiao Bing held the book sternly and said, “Thank you, teacher.”
Han Huabin’s eyes were wet with tears and the hand on the cane trembled. One still regarded him as an enemy after having been his student for seven years while the other became his true pupil in just a moment.
Wobbling, Han Huabin murmured to himself, “Tea… teacher.”
“Alas, maybe it’s a present from God. He allowed me to meet such a young man when I’m at this old age and made him be such a good student of mine.”
