"Your Highness,
"My cultivation method, as your godmother said, should belong to a type practiced by ancient Eastern warrior monks. Unfortunately, it's only an incomplete manual, and I have no way of knowing what the future holds. Just as the historical records state, after the Age of Apocalypse and the Dark Millennium, the complete materials that survived are incredibly scarce. We mostly rely on texts discovered in ruins to speculate and theorize about that great magical civilization."
"Combat Force circulates within the blood, but my cultivation method goes even deeper into the body than Combat Force. To use an analogy, Your Highness should know about the five organs and six viscera of the human body, yes? Just as Combat Force traces out the hexagram pattern of blood circulation, my cultivation method visualizes a contour of the five organs and six viscera, then channels Combat Force along that contour. So the internal energy I cultivate, compared to Combat Force, resides even further inside the body."
"Why cultivate internal energy? It's a long story. I left home at fourteen to study in
"Your Highness, there's no need to apologize. It's fine. I don't mind. Alone out in the world, with no one to rely on, I could only support myself while also earning tuition money. That period was tough, but I managed to get through it. The only problem was that I couldn't find any high-rank Combat Force that matched my attribute. At that time, I didn't even know my family's inherited Combat Force was of the Blood attribute. The high-rank Combat Force manual I spent every last coin to buy didn't match my attribute, so I couldn't cultivate it at all. That meant I couldn't advance to the White Eye rank. That period was truly despairing."
"When I first arrived in Morant City, I browsed a market once and picked up half a tattered book. It mainly had a diagram of human body structure that looked quite similar to Combat Force cultivation patterns, but without the hexagram layout. Out of curiosity, I bought it, glanced through it, and then tossed it onto a shelf without a second thought. Because I couldn't find high-rank Combat Force matching my attribute, I was miserable. One night I was so angry I knocked every book off the shelf onto the floor, then went to sleep."
"I woke up in the middle of the night. I felt I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, so I went to tidy up the books on the floor. I didn't light a candle — I just picked the books up one by one under the moonlight and placed them back on the shelf. When I picked up that tattered half-book, I suddenly noticed that in the moonlight, the page with the human body diagram seemed to have a hidden layer. So I cut open the beast-hide paper, and sure enough, there was a thin piece of silk tucked inside. On it was drawn a bald warrior monk, and beside it were written the cultivation methods..."
"Your Highness, as you can imagine, at that time I was desperate because my Combat Force wouldn't advance. Seeing this kind of cultivation method, I couldn't contain my curiosity and gave it a try. As a result, my Combat Force permanently stagnated at the Black Iron rank, but the cultivation of internal energy went relatively smoothly. However, I've already exhausted every technique recorded on that silk cloth, and beyond that, I have no idea what will happen — what realm I might reach..."
The last time he had heard Princess Sylvia's godmother muttering to herself, she had concluded that Lorist's so-called internal energy was likely some form of ancient warrior monk cultivation. Lorist's mind raced — why not just pass off his Goldwater Art as exactly that? As Lorist continued to defeat powerful enemies one after another, people had grown increasingly curious about what he cultivated, even if no one directly asked. He couldn't very well tell anyone that he practiced the Goldwater Art inherited from his previous life, so using the ancient warrior monk cultivation method as a cover story was honestly quite convenient.
And so, a fantastical encounter straight out of a dime-store chivalric novel was freshly minted into reality — this time for Lorist. As for Princess Sylvia, she believed every word without question. After all, Lorist had no real reason to deceive her.
Lorist immediately decided that from now on, his story would remain unchanged. Just then, Princess Sylvia asked another question — what exactly was the difference between Combat Force and internal energy?
"I suppose it comes down to external manifestation and internal detonation..." Lorist thought for a moment before answering.
"Your Highness, starting from the Silver rank of Combat Force, people have taken to channeling their Combat Force into their weapons to produce sword energy, boosting both the weapon's power and its damage." Lorist dismounted and walked over to a large boulder by the roadside. "Take this rock, for instance. With sword energy, Your Highness, you could split it in two with a single stroke, could you not?"
"Let me try." Princess Sylvia also dismounted, approached the boulder, and drew her sword. Channeling her Combat Force, a flash of golden sword energy appeared as she brought the blade down, splitting the massive rock cleanly in two.
Lorist drew his own sword. "In that regard, Combat Force and internal energy aren't all that different. The main distinction is that Combat Force can produce sword energy, while internal energy cannot. However, channeling internal energy into a sword produces no different a result."
Lorist brought his sword down, and it sank into the rock like a knife through butter, splitting one of the halves into two pieces once more.
Lorist picked up a fist-sized stone. "Your Highness, if you didn't use a sword, could you crush this rock using only Combat Force?"
Princess Sylvia considered for a moment, then shook her head.
Lorist pressed his palms together with the stone sandwiched between them. Channeling his internal force, he squeezed his hands, and the stone between his palms instantly turned to fine powder, the dust trickling down. Princess Sylvia's beautiful, large eyes widened in surprise.
"My feeling is that internal force is more condensed than Combat Force and has greater explosive power," Lorist concluded.
Princess Sylvia nodded. "My godmother once said that ancient Eastern martial artists focused more on unlocking the potential of the human body. Just as you described. Condensed. Their techniques were extremely simple and followed a different path from the Combat Force of that time. It was difficult to cultivate and very arduous, so it was eventually lost and forgotten with the passage of time. It must be a kind of destiny for you to have obtained such a legacy cultivation method."
"Perhaps. I never expected that desperate measure would have such a consequence, making me unable to cultivate even my family's inherited Combat Force. That's why so many people looked down on me. 'What are you, a Black Iron-tier, showing off for?' It's like what Your Highness said, telling me to go back and send a Gold Knight from my family to duel you..." Lorist laughed.
"Stop it..." Princess Sylvia's face reddened. She pouted playfully, "You're the big liar. Clearly possessing the strength of a Great Swordmaster, yet you had the nerve to pretend to be a mere Black Iron-tier and duel me, a little Gold Swordswoman. What thick skin, you rascal..."
Having spent time with Princess Sylvia, one would discover that this twenty-year-old Gold Swordswoman wasn't an arrogant, high-and-mighty young lady, but rather a curious big baby. Having lost her parents young and been deeply spoiled by her grandfather and her nursemaid, she had grown up diligently training her Combat Force, like a flower blooming in a greenhouse. Delicate and beautiful, she had never experienced the storms of the outside world. That was why she was so curious about Lorist's experiences, asking question after question whenever she had the chance. Though a bit spoiled, in Lorist's eyes, Princess Sylvia was just a sheltered girl who hadn't grown up yet.
In another day, they would reach the Kenmais family's territory. Technically, they should already be there, but since the manor castle in Red River Valley had been burned down by armed forces from the
Along the journey, Princess Sylvia had a habit of clinging to Lorist, demanding he tell stories of his time studying in Morant City and working as a mercenary. Sometimes, Lorist would deliberately provoke her, saying bad things about the
Of course, Lorist also heard many secrets from Princess Sylvia. For instance, that Great Swordmasters were divided into four stages. The unfortunate Rouinsi Great Swordmaster who had died to a super siege crossbow was only a first-stage one; becoming a Great Swordmaster at all in his lifetime was already his great fortune, and dreaming of advancing to the second stage was just that—a dream.
The princess's godmother, Cinty, was a second-stage Great Swordmaster. Her grandfather, Grand Duke Fisaburon, was a third-stage Great Swordmaster, just like the only remaining Great Swordmaster beside the Second Prince, a man named Galinan. Princess Sylvia proudly declared that even though Lorist had defeated her godmother, he was absolutely no match for her grandfather, guaranteeing he wouldn't last a hundred moves under his grandfather's sword.
Lorist replied that it was fine—he was still young, and he could compete with her grandfather over who lived longer. He'd just wait until her grandfather was too old to hold a sword, then challenge him, guaranteeing he'd defeat him in a single move.
This left Princess Sylvia fuming with rage, and she could only spend half a day calling him a shameless, thick-skinned scoundrel. Lorist pretended not to hear a word of it.
Princess Sylvia also explained that the four stages of a Great Swordmaster couldn't be reached simply by accumulating years—one had to achieve a moment of epiphany. Just like the last time Lorist sparred with her godmother Cinty, even though her godmother had lost, she had gained a great deal of insight. That was precisely why she had been cooped up inside the carriage all this time—she was attempting to comprehend those impressions, which was also why she had been turning a blind eye to Princess Sylvia's habit of pestering Lorist.
So that was how it was. Only then did Lorist understand that Great Swordmaster Cinty hadn't been hiding in the carriage out of embarrassment from being defeated by his sword, but had been undergoing an epiphany.
Lorist said with a smile, "It'll be hard for Great Swordmaster Cinty to glean any real insights from our duel. Her style is one of light, swift swordsmanship. When I recognized that, I adopted a strategy of standing firm as a mountain—matching heaviness against lightness, precision against speed. It may have looked slow, but it perfectly countered her swordsmanship, which is why she suffered defeat. If she truly wants to gain enlightenment, I'd suggest she try to feel the wind—whether it's a gentle breeze, a light gust, a gale, or a raging storm. Once she understands how the wind changes and perceives its unpredictability, I believe she will have her epiphany, and her swordsmanship will advance to the next level."
Princess Sylvia was stunned. After a long moment, she leapt to her feet. "Thank you, Locke! I'll go tell her right away…"
…
The Kenmaiss family head had already been waiting at the border of the Count's domain to receive them. After paying his respects to Princess Sylvia, he delivered a piece of news to Lorist: just five days ago, the Second Prince had crossed the Iron Cable Bridge with dozens of guards, and his destination was most likely Grand Duke Fisaburon's East Wasteland Province. He suspected the Second Prince was going there to borrow troops from his father-in-law before returning to the Northland for revenge.
Lorist said it was no matter. Now that the four families of the Northland were allied, all the Kenmaiss family head had to do was hold the Second Prince's forces on the far side of the Iron Cable Bridge. Within two days, the three major families would mobilize to reinforce him, and they would never again allow the Second Prince to set foot in the Northland.
With the Kenmaiss family head present, Princess Sylvia also moderated her behavior. She no longer sought out Lorist as relentlessly as before, reverting to the courteous, dignified bearing expected of a princess—which, in turn, gave Lorist a rare day of peace and quiet.
The next day, Princess Sylvia's entourage set out across the Iron Cable Bridge. On the other side lay the Muye Prairie Province. Lorist had already fulfilled his escort duty, and after bidding farewell to Princess Sylvia, he would return to his family's domain.
Princess Sylvia sat in her carriage in a sullen mood. Her godmother, Great Swordmaster Cinty, pulled her into her embrace. "What's wrong? Starting to feel something?"
"Of course not, Godmother. I just think Count Norton is different from other nobles, and his stories are quite entertaining..." Princess Sylvia's cheeks flushed red.
"He certainly is a peculiar person. I feel I can't see through him at all. Sylvia, have you examined his family's armed forces closely? More than half are equipped with black iron, and the rest with white silver. Any squad you pulled out at random would be on par with your personal guards. Moreover, they're all veterans who've survived bloody battles. The killing intent on them is heavy—by that measure alone, they far surpass your guards who've never seen real combat."
"What puzzles me is exactly this. Such elite family soldiers, such superior equipment, and they follow orders without question, obeying every command. They'd be no less impressive than your grandfather's personal guard unit. Yet he's been content to sit tight in his family's territory all along. After sweeping away the Second Prince's hundred-thousand-strong army in a single battle, anyone else would have seized the entire Northland. But what did he do? He actually signed alliance agreements with three other families, handing over profits that the Norton Family could have claimed entirely for himself!"
"I don't know how to evaluate his actions. I can't say he's stupid, but one thing is certain—this man has no ambition whatsoever. Now, with war on the horizon, every power from the former empire is frantically preparing for battle. In another year or so, the peace treaties signed between those kingdoms and duchies will expire. When that happens, chaos will engulf the land and war will rage everywhere. Even your grandfather is worrying about the future of our family."
"Your grandfather is a proud man. Back then, had it not been for the soldiers of the Border Defense Corps, he never would have supported that wild wolf of a Second Prince. Among the younger generation of the Fisaburon Family, aside from you, there's no one else of note. Your grandfather knows he's offended many people, so he's placed the hope of preserving the family on your shoulders. Someone like Count Norton, who has no ambition at all, would never even enter your grandfather's eyes. He would absolutely not agree to you having any involvement with him..."
Great Swordmaster Cinty lovingly stroked Princess Sylvia's silky hair, but inwardly she sighed. This girl had always been ambitious and discerning since childhood. Of all people, why did she have to fixate on this unremarkable Count Norton? This was going to be troublesome.
"Godmother, you're talking nonsense! I don't want anything to do with him. He's absolutely despicable—he spoke ill of Grandfather, saying he'd challenge Grandfather after he'd grown too old to hold a sword, claiming he could defeat Grandfather in a single move. He was so annoying..." Princess Sylvia buried her face in Great Swordmaster Cinty's embrace. Neither of them spoke again, leaving only the rhythmic rumble of carriage wheels...
...(To be continued.)