Chapter 42: Mountain Heart Sutra
"Senior brother, this is..." Elder Huang’s voice trailed off as she covered her mouth in shock, instantly recognizing the weathered text in Elder Guo’s hand.
Elder Guo continued, undeterred by her reaction. "This is the [Mountain Heart Sutra], the other half of the Mountain Heart Scripture," he explained, his tone measured yet carrying an unmistakable weight. "The Mountain Heart Scripture tempers the body, while the Sutra tempers the heart and mind."
His gaze fixed on Xiang Yu with sharp discernment. "Although your battle awareness has improved considerably, you will still fall behind others," he stated firmly. "It’s not because you lack talent, but rather because of your mentality."
The elder stroked his beard thoughtfully before continuing. "Your reason for cultivation seems to be survival rather than domination. Since your nature is survival, when you fight, you are attempting to dominate—which makes you go against your nature. When this happens, you won’t be confident in the fight and will always be looking for ways of survival rather than winning."
His words hung in the air, each one striking with precision. "This means that you’re more likely to run from a fight when your opponent is weakened rather than finish the job."
Xiang Yu’s expression shifted as understanding dawned on him. The elder’s assessment made perfect sense—it was indeed in his nature to prioritize survival. Just like when Li Yao’s weapon got stuck in the tree, his first instinct wasn’t to counterattack but to create distance. He had attributed this to caution, never suspecting that it stemmed from something much deeper within him.
"Although it’s commendable that you already have your nature figured out at such an early stage, it’s also a disadvantage as it might hinder your progress," Elder Guo continued, his voice carrying both praise and warning.
Xiang Yu furrowed his brow, not fully grasping the elder’s meaning.
Sensing his confusion, Elder Guo leaned forward slightly. "Picture this: you are fighting a strong opponent and have no way to escape. When that happens, what will you do? Will you keep looking for ways of survival?"
Xiang Yu nodded without hesitation. If his opponent was stronger than him, of course he would seek escape—that was the logical path to survival.
"You’re thinking about it in the wrong way," Elder Guo declared.
"The wrong way?" Xiang Yu echoed, genuine confusion evident in his voice.
"That’s right. Your nature is survival, but since you’re weak, you associate your need for survival with escape," the elder explained patiently.
"Isn’t it the same thing?" Xiang Yu asked, truly perplexed. Wouldn’t he survive if he escaped? How was this thinking wrong?
Elder Guo shook his head slowly. "But when you have no way to escape, does that mean you won’t survive?" he challenged.
Xiang Yu remained silent, considering the question carefully.
"Escape isn’t survival—it’s just one way to achieve it," the elder clarified, his tone suggesting he was imparting profound wisdom.
"Is there another way?" Xiang Yu ventured.
"That’s right," Elder Guo replied with a knowing smile.
"And what is it?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
"You fight, of course."
Xiang Yu was taken aback by this response. "What do you mean?" Wasn’t fighting the complete opposite of his survival nature?
"When you have no way to escape, it doesn’t mean that you cannot survive," Elder Guo elaborated. "As long as you kill your opponent, you can survive."
Xiang Yu contemplated this explanation, finding it strangely logical despite contradicting his instincts. The elder then placed the ancient manual in his hands with deliberate care.
"It’s hard for you to think of other ways of survival since you already see escape as the ultimate form of survival," Elder Guo continued. "Though that may be true at the moment, there’ll come a time when you can’t escape. At that time, domination will be the ultimate way of survival. As long as you’re strong enough, you’ll survive. But you won’t be able to fight effectively even when you’re strong enough because your first choice will always be escape."
The elder’s finger tapped the manual meaningfully. "This manual tempers the heart and mind. Though it won’t change your nature, it’ll make you more resolute. When you choose to escape, you’ll do it with all your might, and when you choose to fight, you’ll also do it with all your might."
With that final wisdom imparted, Elder Guo rose from his position, and Elder Huang quickly followed suit, leaving the disciples alone with Xiang Yu still holding the ancient manual.
As they walked away from the disciples, Elder Huang hurried to catch up with Elder Guo. "Why did you give that to Xiang Yu?" she questioned urgently. "Even people at the Golden Core stage are just beginning to temper their minds..."
Elder Guo cut her off before she could finish. "Xiang Yu has already realized his nature at this early stage. If he lets it control him, it’ll be even harder for him to break through in the future. He might even fall to mental demons. This is the right way."
In his mind, Elder Guo reflected that he had already explained the boy’s nature to him. If Xiang Yu wasn’t stupid, he should be able to understand what he meant. As for the manual, he had given it as an extra benefit—he didn’t know if the boy could really learn it, but if he did, that would be even better.
...
Xiang Yu stood at the dining table, the ancient manual heavy in his hands. The elder’s words echoed in his mind, their wisdom undeniable yet somehow distant from his reality. He contemplated his own nature with a critical eye. Was he truly a slave to his cowardice, or was there more nuance to his survival instinct?
Though he acknowledged his cautious nature, he wasn’t convinced the elder’s assessment fully applied to him. After all, when cornered during the ambush by Dean Gu’s disciples, he hadn’t hesitated to eliminate his opponents. But that was different—he had calculated his odds and found them acceptable. What would happen if he genuinely faced an opponent he couldn’t defeat or escape from? The thought sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine.
With a deep sigh, he pushed these troubling questions aside. There would be time later to examine the manual’s teachings and their implications for his cultivation path. For now, training called—the steady, reliable rhythm that had propelled his exponential growth.
"Let’s go," he said, carefully stashing the weathered text in his robe. He gestured to Li Yao, and together they made their way toward the training grounds, their footsteps crunching against the worn path.
As they walked, Li Yao’s expression remained neutral, but her mind was far from quiet. "Is it true what the old man said?" she asked internally, directing her thoughts to the ancient presence that resided within her.
The Empress’s voice resonated with its customary confidence. [Well, it’s true what he said. As long as your senior brother isn’t dumb, he’ll understand what the elder was trying to say.]
Li Yao felt the Empress’s assessment shift to something more analytical. [As for the mind tempering manual, he probably thinks that your senior brother’s cowardice comes from trauma and thinks he can overcome it by tempering his mind. But knowing him, he’ll probably become even more resolute in his caution.]
The Empress paused briefly before adding, [Still, it’s not a bad thing. You should also start your mind tempering early. I’ll make a manual for you.]
...
A/N - Don’t try to understand, just agree and move on lol