Chapter Fourteen: Once Entangled in the Web of Dust
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The full name of Chief An is An Wanli. Although he lacks the sharp vigor typical of martial leaders and appears somewhat prosperous, the fact that he survived under the hands of the man in the blue robe—even if it meant rolling like a lazy donkey in humiliation—proves his cunning and skill.
Due to his identity, Shen Lian was destined to be excluded from the conversations between An Wanli, King of the Golden Blade, and Shen Qingshan, who soon reached an agreement.
The King of the Golden Blade, An Wanli, and the short, thin elder took up their weapons and stepped out of the inn.
Outside, the cries and clamor of battle gradually faded.
No matter how peerless the martial arts of the man in the blue robe, he could not fend off four attackers with two fists alone.
Shen Lian witnessed firsthand the blue-robed man, his body covered in countless bloodstains—some his own, some from others—finally pierced through the shoulder blades and locked in chains forged from refined iron, then dragged into a prison cart made of pure steel.
"What meticulous preparation," Shen Lian thought as he watched, realizing that this ambush must have been planned long ago.
Had he known all of this was arranged in only a day or two, he would have been even more astounded by the power of the Shen family.
Silent, Shen Lian followed Shen Qingshan back to the Shen residence. The events of the day left him deeply contemplative.
He felt neither strong dislike nor particular fondness for the man in the blue robe.
He simply recognized that even such a top-tier martial expert could not stand alone against a thousand foes, underscoring the limitations of flesh and blood.
Moreover, the “Godslayer Sword” wielded by the blue-robed man had truly opened Shen Lian’s eyes.
If there was anything he wished to obtain from the man, it was not the items taken from the Bamboo Sect, but rather the cultivation method for the “Godslayer Sword.”
Upon returning home, Shen Qingshan naturally reported the day’s events to the elder of the Shen family.
Though the old man was already well informed, he listened patiently to the account.
Unable to oversee everything from his seat at home, he valued hearing events recounted by different people, gaining a more comprehensive understanding; this was one of the reasons for his success.
Listen to all sides and one gains clarity; believe only one side and one falls into darkness.
As for the matter of Chief An recovering an important object from the blue-robed man, Shen Qingshan told the elder as well.
The fact that Shen Lian had appeared there was also mentioned, but the elder said nothing.
Shen Qingshan understood this was genuine anger from the elder, and his silence would bode even worse for Shen Lian.
As if nothing had happened, Shen Lian found himself, in the days that followed, subtly confined—unable to leave his own courtyard.
Shen Lian showed no sign of anger, nor did he seem aware of his soft imprisonment, continuing his rigorous self-training as usual, leaving those secretly watching him puzzled.
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Meanwhile, he requested nourishing medicinal meals each day, which were provided without difficulty.
Since that day, Shen Lian never took the initiative to see the elder, nor did the elder seek him out. He did not take a single step out of his courtyard, and almost all the other members of the Shen family seemed to forget there was such a half-young master living among them.
Time passed swiftly; a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Shen Lian’s figure changed little, but his complexion improved greatly.
He never softened toward the elder.
The elder was waiting for him to yield!
This month had been fulfilling for Shen Lian. He constantly felt his physical condition improving; with the financial support of the Shen family and his own meticulous control over his body, he absorbed the medicinal benefits, finally replenishing the vitality lacking in his body over the past two years.
Still slender, still exquisitely handsome, Shen Lian knew full well how much he had changed in this month.
He balanced on one hand on the floor of his room, slightly bending and straightening his arm—a simple movement, yet it signified that both his strength and endurance had reached a level that satisfied him deeply.
Self-weight training does not build explosive muscles but uses the body’s own weight to train comprehensively.
What’s more, Shen Lian’s extraordinary perception—combined with his modern medical knowledge—gave him a far greater understanding of his own physique than any martial artist in this world.
Though Shen Lian had not cultivated inner energy, he believed that in terms of physical health, he now surpassed both King of the Golden Blade and Chief An of the Bamboo Sect.
A gentle breeze slipped through the window’s crack, stirring the candle flame and making it flicker uncertainly. Shen Lian ended his training and extinguished the candle.
Tonight, the stars were sparse and the moon faint; once the lamp was out, visibility was low.
Shen Lian sat on the bed, adjusted his breathing, and felt the inexhaustible vigor coursing through his body after the training.
The world is a vast prison; the flesh is a small prison.
To leap beyond the cage may not always be better.
Like a tiger locked in a cage—though it never wants for food or drink, never faces biting winds or frost, nor must search for sustenance in icy wilderness—within the cage it is merely a big cat, long stripped of its true nature.
Shen Lian did not know what would happen if his soul left his body, or whether, like the previous Shen Lian, he would lose himself in madness.
But he knew a choice must be made—he would not be given much time by the Shen family’s elder.
There were too many mysteries and unknowns in this world. After witnessing the Shen family’s wealth and power, Shen Lian admitted that perhaps the elder could find a way to control him; he could not afford to wait.
The Shen family’s resources could support his cultivation, but they were also a form of bondage.
He needed to take a risk.
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Without the Shen family, he would never have recovered his body so quickly—this was the benefit of the Shen family, and so he did not resent the elder, but rather felt gratitude.
But that did not mean he would accept the elder’s arrangements.
He adjusted his mindset—neither biased nor agitated.
Brushing aside scattered thoughts, the innate deity within his heart emerged from the void.
As always, it was lonely and expressionless, faint and distant.
The soul and the spirit clung to one another—originally inseparable.
Yet Shen Lian could clearly feel a force pulling him upward.
He seemed to stand at the base of a high tower, with a rope dangling down.
He grasped the rope, ascending ceaselessly.
The pull of the earth tried to hold him back, but was no match for the rope’s upward force.
His soul was like a rocket, and the vitality of his flesh was its fuel, propelling him to escape the gravitational pull of the “spirit.”
Thus, if the physical vitality is insufficient, when the soul leaves the body, it is like water without a source, or wood without roots.
Shen Lian gradually understood this truth, and it came to him naturally.
Upon reaching the summit, he was free of doubt. With a light leap, the world was forever changed.
He saw himself—not as in a mirror, but truly saw his own body.
His slender form appeared even more shriveled; his cheeks deeply sunken; his body, sitting in silence, slumped softly like a dried corpse.
Yet he himself seemed to float above, freed from the fetters of earthly gravity.
“Long caged in a trap, at last returned to nature.”
No words could better describe Shen Lian’s present state.
In this soul-form, he seemed to have no emotional fluctuations—neither sorrow nor joy, serene and detached.
ps: Thanks to Lord Ao for the generous reward of 2996, Ghost Helmet for 588, and “No Matter How Beautiful the Plot, It’s Still a Play” for their gifts.