'An epiphany! I actually entered the legendary state of epiphany! This is incredible!' The thought that a single moment of enlightenment had allowed him to break through to the Martial Arts Second Layer thrilled Zhaang Ye, despite his usually calm nature.
An epiphany was a peculiar state of enlightenment. For a Martial Artist, undergoing one would generally lead to a massive boost in their Cultivation. Even if their Cultivation didn't see a significant increase, the Martial Artist's temperament and Mental Power would still benefit greatly, smoothing their future path of cultivation. Epiphanies were rare, chance opportunities for Martial Artists, yet Zhaang Ye had stumbled into one and effortlessly broken through to the Martial Arts Second Layer!
'An epiphany, an epiphany! Haha!' Zhaang Ye chuckled to himself. He knew with perfect clarity that the reason he had suddenly entered this state of enlightenment was entirely thanks to that copy of the *Tao Te Ching*!
Although that peerless, wondrous book, the *Tao Te Ching*, did not contain a single word about the Cultivation Dao, all of its discussions pointed directly to the essence of the Great Dao. Zhaang Ye had only been reading it for three days and hadn't grasped much, but even this superficial understanding was extraordinary enough to trigger his epiphany.
Zhaang Ye stood up and slowly exhaled. 'This book, the *Tao Te Ching*... If I can truly comprehend the Supreme Truth of Heaven and Earth it discusses and grasp the way of the world, I can definitely become an unparalleled expert!' he thought. 'My innate talent may be poor right now, but with this wondrous book in my possession, as long as I work hard, I will definitely carve out my own path in the Martial Dao. I will surely have a place among the experts of the Desolate Continent!'
With a determined pump of his fist, Zhaang Ye walked out the door.
Three Rivers Town, as its name implied, was located at the confluence of three rivers. After breaking through to the Martial Arts Second Layer and undergoing Body Tempering with his True Qi, Zhaang Ye's body was covered in the foul-smelling impurities that had been expelled. These impurities were difficult to wash off, so he decided to head to a river not far from the Zhaang Mansion for a thorough cleansing.
Zhaang Ye slipped into the river like a fish, looking up at the sky as he slowly washed the impurities from his body. Although he hadn't eaten or slept for three days and nights, now that he had broken through to the Martial Arts Second Layer, True Qi flowed through his body. His stomach growled with hunger, but his mind remained exceptionally clear and sharp.
After soaking in the water for a long while, Zhaang Ye focused on the feeling of the river seeping into his skin. He was suddenly reminded of the eighth chapter of the *Tao Te Ching*: "The highest virtue is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete. It dwells in the lowly places that people despise. Therefore it is close to the Dao..."
As he soaked in the water, silently reciting "The highest virtue is like water" and pondering the many wonders of water, Zhaang Ye felt a tremor in his soul. It was as if he was on the verge of an insight, but he couldn't quite put it into words.
Zhaang Ye pondered for a while longer but only felt a wave of mental fatigue wash over him. He shook his head in regret and gave up. Insights could not be forced. Since his Mental Power was drained, it was better to stop thinking about it, lest it do more harm than good.
After soaking in the water for a good while, Zhaang Ye noticed it was getting late and slowly started walking back. As he neared his small courtyard, he suddenly saw a youth of about thirteen or fourteen dressed in white standing outside. The young man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding an air of spirited confidence.
Zhaang Ye's brow furrowed slightly upon seeing him. The youth in white was none other than his older brother, Zhaang Shu. Zhaang Shu was one of the most outstanding experts of the Zhaang Family's younger generation. At only thirteen, he had already reached the Peak of Martial Arts Second Layer and could break through to the Third Layer of Martial Arts at any time, which would make him the top expert among the younger generation of Three Rivers Town. Compared to Zhaang Shu's brilliant talent, Zhaang Ye was practically a good-for-nothing. Everyone knew of the Zhaang Family's Zhaang Shu, his extraordinary aptitude and formidable strength, but almost no one knew he even had a younger brother named Zhaang Ye.
'Zhaang Shu is exceptionally talented, has a good mentor, and has access to a large supply of medicinal aids for his Cultivation. Even though I'm his brother, he's always held himself in high regard and disdained associating with someone of my mediocre aptitude. Why has he taken the initiative to seek me out? What does he want?'
Lost in thought, Zhaang Ye slowly approached. Before he could speak, Zhaang Shu spoke first. He shot Zhaang Ye an astonished glance and exclaimed, "Huh? You've actually broken through the Martial Arts First Layer and entered the Martial Arts Second Layer! Impossible! That's impossible! How could this be?!"
The path of Cultivation was an arduous one. Despite his own exceptional talent, Zhaang Shu knew this all too well. With his aptitude, the detailed guidance of a skilled mentor, and a large supply of medicinal aids, he had still only managed to reach the Peak of the Second Layer of Martial Arts after all this time. Yet Zhaang Ye, with his mediocre talent, no guidance, and no medicinal aids, had also entered the Martial Arts Second Layer. This shocked him and, at the same time, made him feel a tinge of discomfort.
Hearing the astonishment in Zhaang Shu's voice, Zhaang Ye replied flatly, "Nothing is impossible in this world."
Although Zhaang Shu was his brother, Zhaang Ye felt a knot of resentment in his stomach whenever he recalled their mother quietly taking the Body Tempering Pill that was meant for him and giving it to Zhaang Shu instead. As a result, his tone was far from pleasant.
Hearing Zhaang Ye's response, the astonishment in Zhaang Shu's eyes deepened. This was his younger brother; though he disdained associating with him, he still knew something of Zhaang Ye's character. With his poor aptitude and his Cultivation lagging behind others, Zhaang Ye had an understandable inferiority complex. In the past, whenever he spoke to Zhaang Shu, he was always meek and deferential, the very picture of caution. But after not having seen him for several months, Zhaang Ye now spoke with confidence and composure. He projected an indescribable aura, a complete transformation from his former self.
For the first time, Zhaang Shu felt he could no longer see through this younger brother of his.
'Reaching the Second Layer of Martial Arts is good. He can actually be of use to me now!' Zhaang Shu suppressed his inner thoughts and stated his purpose directly. "Next month, I plan to have a match with Zhaang Fang. This is a very important duel. If I win, the title of the top expert of the Zhaang Family's younger generation will belong to me. This will be a great benefit to us."
"While I'm not afraid of Zhaang Fang himself, he has many lackeys that I'll have trouble dealing with. I'm here to ask you to lend me a hand. I need you to tie up Zhaang Fang's cronies so they can't pull any dirty tricks, allowing me to defeat him smoothly..."
At this, Zhaang Ye finally understood Zhaang Shu's intentions. 'So, he wants me to be his hired muscle!'
Zhaang Fang was the eldest legitimate son of the Zhaang Family Patriarch, Zhaang Chengtian. His talent was no less than Zhaang Shu's, and he, too, was at the Tier Two Peak of the Martial Dao. Both Zhaang Fang and Zhaang Shu were exceptionally brilliant, and family members often compared them, leading to a fierce mutual dislike. It was safe to say a confrontation between the two was inevitable.
In the past, Zhaang Ye would have certainly agreed to help. He would have readily done so, even knowing he would get beaten to a pulp. But after merging with his new memories, his feelings of brotherly affection had faded considerably. On top of that, he had just obtained the peerless *Tao Te Ching* and successfully advanced to the Second Layer of Martial Arts. The path to becoming a true expert was slowly opening before him, with endless mysteries of Martial Arts waiting to be explored. How could he possibly have any interest in such a pointless squabble over a title?
The moment Zhaang Shu finished speaking, Zhaang Ye answered directly, "I'm not interested. I can't help you."
Hearing Zhaang Ye reject him without a second thought, Zhaang Shu's expression flickered. "Zhaang Ye! We're blood brothers! You won't even help me with such a small thing?"
"Blood brothers?" Zhaang Ye let out a dry laugh, shook his head, and repeated, "I'm not interested. I can't help you."
"You...!"
This younger brother, who had always been so obedient, was now refusing him again and again. A fire of rage flared in Zhaang Shu's chest. He shot Zhaang Ye a cold, menacing glare, his expression turning utterly foul, but for a moment, he was too furious to speak.
Zhaang Ye paid Zhaang Shu's foul expression no mind and walked directly into his own small courtyard.