"So, Ah Li, why have you decided to temporarily give up learning the sword?" Zhu Pingniang stared at Wen Li and said, "If you also say that itâs because your progress in cultivation is too fast and you canât grasp it, or your foundation is unstable, such as lack of promise and self-confidence... I would really be disappointed in you."
"..." Wen Li was slightly taken aback; she probably didnât expect Zhu Pingniang to react like this.
In fact.
As long as you donât rely on external forces for forced enhancement, any improvement is the result of your own efforts. Even if you suddenly promote several realms overnight, itâs the result of your accumulated hard work.
To Wen Li, any improvement is impossible to escape her control, so why would she need to slow down?
Therefore, if Wen Li felt her progress was too fast and her foundation unstable, Zhu Pingniang would indeed be very annoyed.
Annoyed at Wen Liâs lack of confidence, at this mindset of undermining her own efforts.
"Fortunately, sister knows your nature, it shouldnât be that unpromising." Zhu Pingniang asked, "Then, whatâs the reason?"
"..." Wen Li thought for a moment and said, "Martial Aunt, Iâve gone too far lately... so I need to look back and carefully organize the path Iâve come."
"Are you talking about your progress in the Sword Dao?"
"Yes."
"Thatâs why I said itâs strange. You just need to look ahead. Whatâs the use of organizing the path youâve taken... Donât tell me you canât see clearly the road youâve walked and need to settle it down?" Zhu Pingniang was incredulous.
"Martial Aunt, some things I understand alone are meaningless; I have to let my junior sisters understand too... So, progressing too quickly is not necessarily a good thing." Wen Li shook her head, and under Zhu Pingniangâs stunned gaze, she softly said, "I am their senior sister."
"Senior sister..." Zhu Pingniang blinked and then her eyes widened a bit.
After a while, Zhu Pingniang finally understood something and said helplessly, "What, do you think if you stop for them, they will be happy? If those girls knew they held you back, they might even leave the sect."
"But I am, after all, their senior sister." Wen Li looked at the rain outside the window.
As someone who seems to have no other role but cultivating, if her path can illuminate the paths of her junior sisters, it would be the best for her, a crucial step on the road to "Changâan."
"This title of senior sister... you didnât earn it for nothing." Zhu Pingniang had nothing to say.
"Those girls..." Wen Li thought of the white pear blossoms embroidered on their shoulders and sighed gently, "Ultimately... itâs my fault."
Because of her presence, many girls who initially had dreams started learning the sword.
You could say that on Muyu Peak, too many junior sisters have taken the path of the Sword Daoâa path of broken heritage and no bright future because of her.
Wen Li is unsure if this is the right thing, but since her junior sisters are influenced by her, then... as their senior sister, she must be responsible for them.
"Does Martial Aunt think I shouldnât stop and carefully settle the path Iâve taken?" Wen Li asked.
"I... donât know what to say, whatâs your decision?" Zhu Pingniang looked at her.
"Hmm, my decision... is to stop first and look at other paths."
"..."
Now Zhu Pingniang didnât know what to say at all.
Wen Li stopped her cultivation in the Sword Dao for the junior sisters who aspire to be like her and learn the sword from her.
If Xu Changâan knew, he would probably immediately understand Wen Liâs thoughts.
Just like a top student, some problems are solved by Wen Li in an instant without any thought.
But for all the other girls, not only couldnât they solve this problem, they couldnât even understand the questions...
So Wen Li needed to stop and think about how to explain in the simplest and clearest way to her junior sisters how she solved the problem...
In such a case, Wen Li naturally couldnât continue moving forward, because she knew with her current eerie speed in sword intent advancement, if she kept cultivating for some more days, she wouldnât even be able to explain to her junior sistersâthey wouldnât understand at all... This is the gap in vision.
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
She could understand Wen Liâs thinking but was also extremely helpless.
Wen Li is not a qualified teacher; she knows how to cultivate but doesnât know how to verbalize her insights well, so... she most often uses a naĂŻve method.
Just like teaching Xu Changâan.
Using sword intent to teach her junior sisters about cultivation, this is something Wen Li often does.
And now itâs obvious, Wen Li knows sheâs reached a threshold. If she goes further, her sword intent would become something incomprehensible to anyone but her.
Going too far ahead, Wen Li wouldnât feel distressed because she could serve as a beacon.
But if she has gone exceedingly far, Wen Li would start to feel troubled.
"...What should I say now?" Zhu Pingniang gently rubbed her brow.
Slowing down her cultivation pace deliberately for the sake of the junior sisters... standing in Wen Liâs shoes, Zhu Pingniang thinks she should advise her not to do such a foolish thing, but... standing in Muyu Peakâs shoes, Wen Li is the most satisfying senior sister.
"Ah Li." Zhu Pingniang covered her face.
"Yes?"
"I now understand why those girls admire you so much." Zhu Pingniang said.
"Admire... me?" Wen Li blinked, "Really?"
"Yes." Zhu Pingniang nodded very seriously. "If those girls knew that youâve deliberately stopped to break down things for them that you donât need to understand at all... they might feel so grateful they could die."
"So I mustnât let my junior sisters know?"
Zhu Pingniang replied, knowing how those girls perceive obstacles in Wen Liâs path as enemies... If they discovered that their dearest world paused because of them...
Tsk.
"Ah Li."
"Yes?"
"You have to think clearly; though Iâm not aware of how fast your so-called fast progress is now... surely, since you are worried about it, it must be a remarkable opportunity." Zhu Pingniangâs tone was more serious than ever: "If you stop in your tracks for a bunch of girls and miss out on a great opportunity... I cannot accept it."
At this moment, there was a trace of expression in Zhu Pingniangâs eyebrows that Wen Li found very familiar, belonging to âZhu Tongjun.â
"So, if you let me say, you should just follow your path without distractions regarding them." Zhu Pingniang exhaled a clear breath: "In this matter, I hope you will listen to Martial Aunt; you didnât tell your Master because you knew she would stop you, didnât you?"
Zhu Pingniang sincerely didnât want Wen Li to do this and strongly resisted.
"Donât always think about those girls. I donât want you sacrificing yourself for them; thatâs extremely wrong." Zhu Pingniang said earnestly.
"Sacrifice..." Wen Li listened to Zhu Pingniangâs words, and her eyes showed a few ripples. She shook her head: "Martial Aunt, for me, itâs just stopping and waiting for a while; it canât be called a sacrifice... you also said that I have a long time, thereâs no rush for now."
"But opportunities like this donât always come..." Zhu Pingniang said instinctively: "You have to seize it..."
"If itâs mine, it will be mine, and thatâs what you told me." Wen Li looked at her.
"..."
At this point, Zhu Pingniang realized the fundamental difference in thought between her and Wen Li.
That is, Wen Li does not consider this period of rapid advancement in Sword Intent as something particularly important; she treats it as something others dream of, an epiphany or opportunity, which she doesnât take seriously at all.
Itâs as if... for Wen Li, if she wants, she can move forward anytime; she doesnât need these so-called opportunities to clearly see the path to the future.
Therefore, exchanging some of her time for her junior sistersâ advancement is the most worthwhile thing in Wen Liâs eyes.
Upon thinking this, Zhu Pingniang felt a throbbing headache.
"You foolish girl, arenât you being too confident? Dismissing such opportunities. If confidence turns into arrogance, it wonât be likable; do you really think youâre the Heavenly Daoâs favored daughter? Making it stop and wait for you."
"Martial Aunt."
"?"
"Iâve never met my parents, but being the daughter of the Heavenly Dao, wouldnât that mean being a half-demon?"
"Sorry, sister wanted to advise you... as long as you understand, itâs fine."
Zhu Pingniang spoke her apology and suddenly thought of something.
"Is it just for the junior sisters? You deliberately only mention the junior sisters and not Changâan... That doesnât seem right; heâs learning the sword too."
Saying this, she squinted her eyes, scrutinizing Wen Li, resembling a mother fox.