163 The competition... had already begun (1/2)
Old Song and the prince simply didn't get it: [Everyone knows about this… there's nothing great about this! This doesn't exactly qualify as some great knowledge…]
[Okay, the Solitary's Falcon's feats about fighting the bald eagles in the snowy peaks for years, and that too alone is quite amazing, but then Feng Juan Yun is also renowned for wiping out entire wolf packs. That's almost as good the Solitary Eagle's accomplishments, so how's his reputation false?]
But since these two men were quite involved in their discussion and were convinced about the rankings, neither of the other two objected.
”In addition to the eight great masters of the world, there's also the king of all killers, Chu Qi Hun.” Jun Mo Xie couldn't help pondering over Yang Mo's words: [how good must he be to earn the title of the king of all killers?]
[Is he even stronger than I used to be in my previous life? Really….. now I'm getting very curious ah.]
Just the thought of this ignited a war cry in Jun Mo Xie's heart: [Just the way there can't be two tigers on the same hill, there can't be two leaders in the same industry! Even more so in the assassination business!] By the virtue of being the uncrowned king of assassins in his previous life, Jun Mo Xie's ego simply couldn't tolerate this competition.
At this moment, Jun Mo Xie suddenly realized that there would be a battle between Chu Qi Hun and himself one day, [I'm afraid that there will be a battle soon or later! Its fated…. Inevitable!]
”Kid, even though I won't question your knowledge, you must know that I won't agree with you no matter how much you insist.” Even though the Solitary Eagle's words were challenging in nature, he still managed to say it in a very cool and calm manner.
”I still don't agree with the explanation. I agree that the Solitary Eagle has fought bald eagles atop the snowy peaks for years, but why is that enough to make him better than the others?”
Jun Mo Xie sighed and said: ”Everyone knows that the eagles around the peak of the snowy mountains aren't normal vultures, they are Xuan Beasts. Although they aren't high grade Xuan Beasts, but thousands of them make up for the lack of quality with sheer quantity. We all know that fighting is one of the best ways to improve Xuan Qi. Plus the biting cold of the mountains also tends to have a very mysterious effect on Xuan Qi. And, if one is able to beat so many vultures, then their combat experience obviously increases many fold. Furthermore, the flight trajectories and attack action of these vultures can be very unpredictable…. which teaches a practitioner several knew styles!”
The Solitary Eagle smiled and nodded to indicate his agreement, [he has an excellent perception]: ”Yes, that's very true.” the Solitary Eagle added with a smug look on his face, which ignited a strong impulse to spit on it within Jun Mo Xie's heart: [Just look at that expression on his face… you may be a great warrior, but have you ever heard the term modesty? Don't tell me that… you're the Solitary Eagle…?! You do have a look of mystery about you…]
Jun Mo Xie suddenly realized one simple truth: [An ordinary man or an official, rogue or an expert… We're all just wearing masks. And that's what protects us… and comforts us in front of strangers.]
”Although the Solitary Eagle's practice methods are the fastest methods to temper Xuan Qi, but they are also amongst of the most dangerous ones; and for this reason, the Solitary Eagle is worthy of being a great master!”
Jun Mo Xie was somehow holding back the strong desire to vomit as he continued to praise the man. He knew that it was necessary to lay the ground work for his victory, and it would come at the cost of suffering through this….
The Solitary Eagle was obviously very pleased to know that his efforts are winning recognition from some people, but was simultaneously unhappy to see that some others were looking at his methods disdainfully.
”But!” Jun Mo Xie stopped before it started to sound like he was overdoing it, and then quickly took a sharp turn: ”Since this is a well-known short cut, don't you think that others would have also tried this? Do you actually believe that a method which has been known since the ancient times was only attempted by just one person? But still, only one man was able to become one of the eight great masters, and the others are unheard of?! What does this reflect?”
The Solitary Eagle's entire body immediately straightened-up: ”That they're dead!” the thought of all the bones buried in the snow atop the snowy peaks ignited a sense of pity in his heart, but mostly it made him feel proud about his accomplishments.
”The Old man is right!” Jun Mo Xie wantonly continued to praise: ”The shortcut is never equivalent to the easier methods…. All those men were either buried in the snow, or became food for those vultures.”
”They certainly found the right direction, and also chose the right method….. In fact, they were extremely dedicated. I'd even go as far as saying that they were even more persistent than the Solitary Eagle because they continued to try till the time of their deaths!”
”But the world only knows the Solitary Eagle's name… and no one knows who those other guys were! They all took the same approach as the Solitary Eagle, but we still haven't heard of any of their names? There is only reason behind it….. the Solitary Eagle succeeded; and they failed! It's simple!” Jun Mo Xie smiled.
”The anecdotes of the so-called 'successful' people tend to turn into inspirational stories for the rest of the world, not because of the story itself….. but because they eventually succeeded! The men who failed took on the same tasks, and even their experiences could be transformed into stories… and their stories would actually be even more epic, shocking, heart-wrenching, but they wouldn't inspire anyone because in the end they failed and found themselves buried in the ground!”
”Anyone can have a story, and anyone can become a legend; but there must be a prerequisite - you have to succeed! Wealth provides physical comfort, whereas poverty provides spiritual comforts. But we only hear about the rich because they worked their way out of poverty, whereas the poor remained stuck in their miseries!”
Jun Mo Xie had said too much in just one breath, so naturally his mouth fell a bit dry. He grabbed the tea pot, and poured himself a drink, and then drank it. However, no one perceived his actions to be rude since everyone was busy pondering over the profound meaning of his words.
”All I'm trying to say is - even though Old Song worked very hard, and was extremely persistent, but his wine has only ever qualified to be a good quality wine in the eyes of ordinary men, and not necessarily the best one…. because he still hasn't managed to achieve what the Solitary Eagle has….. success!”
Jun Mo Xie had cleverly drawn this big circle back in Old Song's direction.
Jun Mo Xie had doubted the black-robed man's identity from the beginning. Jun Mo Xie's suspicion had escalated at the time when he exposed Old Song's true Xuan rank. The entire talk about the eight great masters was just a test to see if he defended the Solitary Eagle; which he did. And his sharp reaction to his nemesis's praise made it a little too obvious….
[He is the Solitary Eagle!]
[It's obvious now! I think even Old Song and the Old man know it now…. but if they still can't see it, then it's better to beat myself to death with a pillow than explaining it to them in detail!]