Jiaoqiu had an innocent look on his face. "Eh, why the sudden cursing? I'm just popularizing medical knowledge for everyone, not inciting you all to poison people."

"Mr. Jiaoqiu gets so excited whenever poison is mentioned. I don't know whether to call it being open and honest or sinister and despicable..."

"Suppose there are two people: one is standing there sinisterly, and the other is lying down honorably. Tell me, what way does the one lying down have to complain about the one standing being'sinister'?"

Jiaoqiu slowly opened his eyes and said, "On the battlefield, life and death are decided in an instant, and all thoughts turn to naught.'Staying alive' is the only truth. As long as one returns alive from the battle, all values are redefined. Whether one is upright or despicable, in my view, it's as light as a feather."

Yanqing: "Mr. Jiaoqiu underestimates Yunli and me. Though we are young, we have also been on the battlefield."

"My apologies. Since that's the case, you should also know that the Wardance is just a lively competition. Why take it so seriously?"

To this, Yanqing replied calmly, "When I was chosen as a defender for the Wardance, I also asked the General: it's a Cloud Knight's duty to kill enemies on the battlefield, so why swing a sword on a stage to entertain the audience?"

"The General told me, 'Enter the fray and draw the sword; step onto the stage and show the sword. With one sword unsheathed, the sharpness of a hundred blades is contained.' The Wardance is a good opportunity to manifest martial virtue and make allies from all over. Hanging a sword above the ceremony, unsheathing it without causing harm, displays not only the sword but also the martial virtue and majesty of the Cloud Knights."

Jiaoqiu couldn't help but admire him. "That is quite insightful; it seems I was the one with narrow vision. Well then, Brother Yanqing, I've been on the Luofu for a long time but haven't had the chance to see the venue for this Wardance. Hearing you speak so eloquently has piqued my curiosity. Would you mind taking me there for a look?"

—

Baki.

"That fox-man makes a good point." Miyamoto Musashi nodded in agreement. "...As long as one can stay alive on the battlefield, the methods don't matter. Whether one can survive the slaughter is the real issue."

"...I cannot agree."

Beside him, Retsu Kaioh clenched his fists and stared straight at Musashi. "If one cannot defeat the enemy fairly and honorably in battle, but instead uses despicable and shameless means, then one brings shame upon their own craft."

"That's why you're not suited for the battlefield, Retsu Kaioh." Musashi sat down directly next to Tokugawa and poured himself a cup of sake. "You've all probably heard of my battle with Sasaki Kojiro, right? At the time, his ultimate technique, 'Swallow Return,' was a perfect sword technique, capable of striking down even birds in the sky. To ensure victory, I arrived several hours late on purpose."

"I wanted to make him anxious, exhausted, and his sword-heart disordered... then I appeared and cut him down." Facing his past despicable actions, Musashi felt no shame; instead, he held his head high, quite proud. "Despicable... haha, but if I hadn't done that, the 'Sword Saint' passed down today would probably be Sasaki Kojiro. He would be sitting here talking eloquently, while I would be just one of the countless masters he had slain."

"Of course... even in a contest of sword skills, mine might not necessarily lose to his, but in battle, the one who can utilize all conditions to win is the truly strong one."

—

Mentioning a visit to the "Skysplitter," Yanqing also got excited and couldn't wait to lead the group there.

When they arrived at the pier, they found it bustling with people. As far as the eye could see, there was a dense crowd of tourists coming and going.

"I didn't expect so many people to come and look at the Skysplitter."

Jiaoqiu seemed to catch a scent, and his eyes unconsciously drifted toward a group of soldiers and civilians nearby who were discussing something.

"...Oh?"

"Mr. Jiaoqiu, what's wrong?" Yanqing asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing." Jiaoqiu shook his head, watching the group finish their discussion and walk away.

"Do you see it? That flying ship in the distance is the venue for this Wardance—the 'Skysplitter'!" Yanqing stood on tiptoe excitedly, pointing at the massive object floating in the clouds.

Jiaoqiu, who had seen countless "grand scenes" following the General, murmured, "Looking at it from afar, it doesn't seem particularly special."

Yanqing didn't hear him and instead introduced it to the group even more excitedly. "This Skysplitter was converted from a retired Luofu ship. Before the Wardance officially begins, people aren't allowed to board yet. But when the bell rings tomorrow and the cannons fire in celebration, I, Yanqing, will represent the Xianzhou Luofu's Cloud Knights, stand on the stage, and accept challenges from brave warriors from all directions."

"Yanqing has been by the General's side since childhood, learning swordsmanship and military strategy. Every day, I perform ten thousand slashes and ten thousand thrusts, over and over again..."

"I understand that I seem a bit different from ordinary children. I've never envied the toys and freedom they have, nor have I ever felt that practicing the sword with all my heart was boring or difficult. Even when stepping onto the battlefield to kill enemies and clashing with those hideous Abomination, I feel no fear."

"Every day, I can feel myself getting stronger, stronger, and a bit stronger... grasping victory in my hands time and again—there is no greater joy in the world."

—

The Legend of Hei.

"Twenty thousand times a day... how many seconds are in a day? 3600... multiplied by..."

Little Black counted on his fingers, unable to figure it out for a moment. Luye directly gave the answer: "86,400 seconds. On average, he has to slash or thrust once every four seconds or so."

"Then doesn't this big brother need to eat or sleep?" Little Black looked up in confusion.

"Don't pry into the business of the Xianzhou people." Luye stuffed a freshly bought ice cream into Little Black's hand and asked calmly, "The point isn't whether he needs sleep, but the practice, the effort, and the sweat. Did you learn anything from what Yanqing said?"

Little Black silently licked the ice cream and shook his small head. "No."

"Tsk... Even a genius like Yanqing works so hard, practicing his sword skills day and night without stopping. What about you, Little Black? When you're usually with Master, do you work as hard as him? The scariest thing in this world is when people more talented than you work harder than you."

"If these geniuses work so hard, what's the use of ordinary people working hard? Anyway, no matter how hard they work, they can't beat them."

"You..."

Luye facepalmed. For a moment, she actually thought Little Black made a lot of sense.

"Right?" Little Black licked the ice cream that had melted onto his finger and grinned. "It's better to just eat, drink, and have fun every day. As for me... I'll just follow Master's lead when it comes to cultivation."

—

"But later, I took a sword strike from someone. That strike shattered my once-perfect self-confidence. In the moment that strike arrived, I felt fear for the first time. Perhaps this is what Mr. Jiaoqiu meant by 'life and death are decided in an instant, and all thoughts turn to naught.'"

"After that, I had to lower my head and pick up those fragments one by one, trying to piece back together the happy self of the past. But no matter what I do, I can't seem to recreate that state of mind again."

As he spoke, Yanqing lowered his head, his expression shifting from the previous excitement. He just quietly watched the Star-skiffs passing by below.

"I often ask myself: why do I swing my sword? If I am destined to face failure, why should I continue to swing it? Is it to find the joy of victory again? To meet the General's expectations? Or to leave behind achievements for the Cloud Knights? The General can teach me swordsmanship, but he cannot teach me the reason for swinging the sword. He told me: the reason for swinging the sword must be found by myself. Because of this, I have been deeply troubled and have tossed and turned at night."

"But after this conversation with Mr. Jiaoqiu, I have the answer in my heart." The boy slowly raised his head. "As a member of the Cloud Knights and the General's disciple, I carry a lot, and I am destined to carry even more. But only when I swing my sword can I feel that I can let everything go. I like the me who gives his all to strike at the obstacles ahead, the me who charges forward relentlessly."

"And it is for that version of myself that I swing my sword."

After hearing this, Jiaoqiu couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "Yanqing, oh Yanqing, so young yet so mature... Speaking of which, how old are you exactly?"