Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1070: A Day of Teaching and a Quiet Choice

The morning sun cast a bright golden glow over the tranquil courtyards of the Crest Spine Sect. A young disciple wearing dark crimson robes approached the stone table where Li Yu was sitting and respectfully presented a carved wooden tray. The tray was piled high with glowing jade slips containing the culinary records and the basic flame control techniques of the dragon race from this sect.Li Yu thanked the disciple with a warm smile and grabbed the first jade slip from the pile. He pressed the smooth stone against his forehead and closed his eyes as he absorbed the ancient knowledge. He was so eager to dive into the roasting secrets that he tuned out the rest of the world around him.

His companions saw his deep focus and realized they had plenty of free time on their hands for the day. Borum walked over to a sturdy clearing near the edge of the courtyard and began practicing his earth arts while Faen was soon escorted away by a friendly sect elder to tour the local hunting grounds. Li Mei found herself with nothing to do until another guide named Elder Taron arrived to show her around the deeper parts of the mountain pavilions.

Li Mei accepted the invitation and walked alongside Elder Taron as they navigated the winding stone paths. The elder pointed out various historical statues and explained the origins of the sect but Li Mei found her attention drifting toward the sound of clashing steel.

They reached a wide training pavilion where dozens of junior disciples were practicing a group sword array. The youths moved across the polished wooden floor while swinging their dull practice blades in unison. Li Mei stopped walking and watched their forms with a critical eye. Her qualities as the official heir of a great clan were deeply ingrained within her very bones and she spent years helping the weaker members of the Li Clan refine their martial foundations. That natural instinct to guide and correct others quickly spread to this unfamiliar courtyard.

She noticed several fundamental errors in their footwork and their Qi circulation. A young man near the front of the formation was swinging his blade too wide while leaving his chest exposed during the follow through.

Li Mei stepped forward and gracefully raised her hand to pause the practice session. "Your stance is too rigid on your left side," she said with a clear and authoritative voice that echoed across the pavilion.

The junior disciples stopped their movements and looked at the strange woman standing next to their sect elder. Elder Taron watched with a curious expression but did not intervene. He was instructed to let them do what they wanted unless it caused severe issues.

Li Mei walked onto the wooden floor and approached the young man. "You are trying to force your Qi into the tip of the blade before your foot strikes the ground. That creates a delay in your momentum and leaves your guard open. Step forward with your right foot and let your waist guide the swing before you release your energy."

The young disciple looked at Elder Taron to see if he should listen or not and the elder nodded his head. The boy adjusted his stance as instructed and swung his practice sword. The blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle and the movement felt incredibly smooth compared to his previous attempts.

"That felt much faster," the boy said while his eyes widened in wonder.

Elder Taron noted her great insight and stroked his short beard in appreciation. He had no idea that the woman standing before him was an Origin Awakening expert. He assumed she was just a talented person from the outside world and did not realize she was actually a full major realm stronger than Sect Leader Korren who only resided at the Tribulation realm. Her understanding of the martial path was vast and with a sword she would have few opponents at the same level.

"You have a very sharp eye for swordplay," Elder Taron complimented her. "Would you mind sharing a few more pointers with them?"

"I do not mind at all," Li Mei replied as she turned to face the group of eager disciples. "The sword path is a demanding journey and it requires a solid foundation."

She spent the next hour talking to them about her own understandings regarding the flow of battle and the precise timing of strikes. She explained how she walked her specific sword path and detailed the importance of remaining calm under pressure.

"You must understand that all paths have their inherent strengths and weaknesses," Li Mei taught as she paced in front of the gathered youths. "There is no invincible technique in this world. A heavy sword lacks the speed to intercept a fast dagger and a light rapier lacks the brute force to shatter heavy armor. You need to try your best to cover your weaknesses while leaning heavily into your strengths."

"Senior sister, how do we cover our weaknesses if our opponent knows what they are?" A young girl asked while raising her practice sword.

"You use your environment, your footwork and your other abilities." Li Mei answered directly. "If you lack speed, you do not stand still and trade blows with a faster opponent. You force them into a narrow space where their speed is useless or you use defensive arts to create obstacles. You dictate the terms of the engagement if possible so your strengths shine the brightest."

Her words carried weight and her explanations were easy to understand. Eventually a large crowd gathered around her as more disciples finished their morning chores and wandered over to listen to the impromptu lectures. The older disciples and a few local instructors joined the crowd as they realized the depth of her martial knowledge.

Li Mei was very used to teaching the younger generation back at the main estate and sharing her insight actually brought her quite a bit of joy. She became a senior passing down knowledge to willing students without revealing any Li Clan secrets. Li mei kept going for hours while fielding complex questions about Qi circulation and demonstrating advanced techniques for the entire day. The disciples watched in awe as she moved like a graceful silver dragon and deflected their coordinated attacks with minimal effort.

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The sun began to set behind the jagged mountain peaks by the time she finally concluded her teaching session. The disciples bowed deeply to show their immense gratitude and Elder Taron thanked her for her generous guidance. He had learned quite a bit from her as well, her insight on the sword path was immense. Li Mei offered a polite smile and walked back to her assigned quarters with a light heart.

She returned to the private courtyard and found Li Yu sitting in the exact same spot at the stone table. The pile of jade slips was pushed to the side and he was currently playing around with his orange natal flame. The fire danced across his palm as he focused intensely on the shifting colors.

He was trying to add the robust qualities of the dragonic fire to his own flame but the process was proving difficult. The orange fire flickered and rejected the changes as it still was not there yet. Li Yu let out a long sigh and closed his hand to extinguish the flame when she returned.

"Welcome back," Li Yu greeted while pouring two cups of warm tea. "How was your tour of the sect?"

"It was very productive," Li Mei answered as she sat down across from him and accepted the cup. "I spent the day helping their junior disciples refine their sword forms. They have good discipline but their techniques lack a bit of flexibility. What are your next plans now that you have read through their culinary teachings?"

"I do not really know yet," Li Yu said while rubbing his chin. "I want to see if I can actually alter my fire with these new theories first. It is a slow process of trial and error right now. Once I figure this out, I will probably just pick a random direction and head there to see what the realm has to offer. What about you?"

Li Yu took a sip of his tea and looked at her. "You are fully healed now and your body is stable."

Li Mei held her warm cup and thought about her current situation. "Since none of our clan disciples in this realm are currently in need of my help, I actually have some free time on my hands. Since I am out here in a foreign realm, I do not have to deal with the daily reports and the elder council meetings from the clan for the time being."

"What do you want to do then?" Li Yu asked with genuine curiosity.

Li Mei thought about the question hard and realized she was not sure at all. She rarely had such unrestricted freedom before and the open possibilities felt overwhelming. Li Mei felt like she should take advantage of this rare break but her ingrained habits fought against her desires.

Her mind immediately went to cultivation. She considered finding a secluded cave on the mountain and taking the time to cultivate more so she could push toward the Sovereign realm. But surprisingly she shook that idea away in her mind.

‘This was valuable free time away from the heavy burdens of the clan and the only thing I could think of was doing more work?’ She thought as she felt it was a tragic waste of this opportunity. Something she probably wouldn’t have felt if she had never interacted with Li Yu.

Her next thought drifted toward regional politics. She considered drafting a formal plan on how to set up alliances with the different sects, minor clans and merchant organizations in this realm once the training period was over. The Li Clan and the Zhan Clan would officially rule over this realm soon but they would not just take everything by force and burn the land to ash.

Things would be more or less fair under their combined governance besides the tribute that the local organizations would have to hand over to the main estates each year. But the local trade routes, the ancestral lands and the basic resources would mostly be kept by those existing organizations to ensure long term stability. She could spend her day calculating exact tribute percentages and drawing new border lines on a map for the area they intend to claim.

She shook her head again and dismissed the political thoughts. She needed to do something for just herself, something she had not done in a long time. She closed her eyes and came up with a few ideas for what she would actually enjoy doing if she had no responsibilities.

Her grandmother had walked the Dao of Painting and her grandmother's clan was famous for their beautiful artistic creations. Not only were they aristics, they could be used in combat and for illusions. Li Mei painted quite a bit when she was much younger and she loved the feeling of a brush sweeping across a blank canvas.

However, as she got a bit older, she focused entirely on the sword. That became even more so once she became the heir and she had never touched a paint brush since then. She remembered the warm afternoons sitting in the ancestral gardens while her grandmother offered gentle critiques. Her grandmother always told her she possessed great talent for painting and reminded her that walking a secondary path was never a bad thing since it could lead to sudden inspirations for her main martial path. Art and the sword were just different ways to express one's self.

Li Mei opened her eyes and looked across the table. "I think I want to paint."

Li Yu paused with his cup halfway to his mouth and blinked in surprise. He expected her to say she wanted to challenge a local elder to a spar or hunt a dangerous beast in the woods. Hearing the stoic heir of the Li Clan say she wanted to paint for fun was a surprise but a welcomed one.

"You paint?" Li Yu asked while setting his cup down.

"I used to," Li Mei explained while staring into her tea. "My grandmother walked the Dao of Painting and her family was well known for it. I painted a lot when I was a child but I mostly stopped even before I became the heir. I felt I needed to dedicate every waking moment to the sword to obtain the position and once I had it to justify my position. I think I would like to try holding a brush again."

"That sounds like a great idea," Li Yu told her with a wide smile. "You should definitely do it. The scenery around this mountain is beautiful and it would make a perfect subject for a painting."

Li Mei traced the rim of her tea cup with her finger and hesitated for a brief second. "Would you be willing to join me?"

She realized surprisingly that his presence gave her the confidence to do such a thing that essentially just wastes time. If she went alone, her mind would eventually drift back to her duties and she would feel guilty for not training or meditating on her sword arts.

But Li Yu was the master of wasting time and finding joy in the mundane world. Having him there would anchor her to the peaceful moment and allow her to just be herself without the shadow of the clan hanging over her head. Li Yu finished his tea and nodded his head happily.

"I would like that very much. We can find some supplies in the markets and go find a good spot first thing tomorrow morning."