Chapter 9: Notes of a Foundation Establishment Disciple of the Heaven Sword Sect (1)

Notes of a Foundation Establishment Disciple of the Heaven Sword Sect (1)

March 3rd, clear.

Today, Brother Jin went again to challenge Brother Li to a fight.

The outcome, needless to say, was another crushing defeat.

Some believe Brother Jin possesses an indomitable spirit.

He will surely go farther on the arduous path of cultivation.

I do not think so.

Brother Jin is a scion of a prominent family within the sect and has always looked down on disciples without background.

Brother Li, however, was born a beggar and entered the sect already at age forty.

Logically, he should have missed the optimal age for body tempering and Foundation Establishment.

Yet Brother Li's talent is unparalleled, as if a celestial immortal had descended to earth.

In ten days he comprehended the Sword Intent, drew in spiritual energy to saturate his body, and became the first among his peers to cultivate Qi.

This aroused Brother Jin's envy.

Yet every time he challenged, he lost to Brother Li.

No, it is not envy.

It is resentment—resentment at being trampled underfoot by a lowly beggar.

I was born ordinary, my family owning only a few mu of poor land.

My parents rented land from a local wealthy household to farm and support the family.

Thus I played in the fields from childhood.

I was close friends with the children of other tenant farmers.

One day, the wealthy household's son came to the fields for reasons unknown.

Seeing one of my companions was strong, he challenged him to an arm-wrestling match.

My companion had labored in the fields since childhood; though his diet was poor, he possessed considerable strength.

He easily defeated the wealthy household's son.

The wealthy household's son refused to accept defeat and frequently challenged my companion thereafter.

That year, drought struck the fields, yielding no harvest.

My companion had no food, lost his strength, and was easily defeated by the wealthy household's son.

Afterwards, the wealthy household's son sneered: "Lowly peasant, you only won by trickery. I, a noble young master, could never lose to a peasant."

Upon hearing this, my companion froze.

After so many matches, my companion had come to regard the wealthy household's son as a friend.

He never expected such a betrayal; he returned home utterly despondent.

At year's end, my companion's family had no grain left and sold him into servitude to the wealthy household.

A year later, I heard the news: my companion had been beaten to death by the wealthy household's son.

Later, after I began cultivation, I went to seek revenge.

I asked the now bloated, fat-faced wealthy household's son why he did it.

He said: "A servant must behave like a servant. How could a servant ever surpass his master?"

Hearing this, I flew into a rage and tore that fat pig apart limb by limb.

Now, I see the shadow of that pig in Brother Jin.

If one day Brother Jin wins, he will never spare Brother Li.

But then again, it's impossible.

Brother Li has already comprehended the Sword Intent like a rainbow's arc; Brother Jin is still far behind.