30 Justice Department (2)

As Shen Long continued to read the manual, Shen Long was extremely impressed by how wonderful the guide was. Although he didn't quite understand everything, the detailed explanation still allowed him to practise the manual. Just as Shen Long was about to attempt it, he heard Daoist Fireblade, telling him to stop.

"After reading through the entire guide, I'm confident that I can teach you until the Fourth Level of this manual. Even as a Peak Celestial Immortal who trained in the Dao of the Sword, this manual is rather complicated for me. The concepts behind his sword art all revolves around the Dao of Symmetry, a normal Dao that branches off the Dao of Balance."

"However, you shouldn't start the manual immediately even you have mastered the basic ten stances. The first level, in particular, requires a lot of footwork, something you have never worked on before. So before you start practising, you should master the basic footwork movements first. It's similar to the ten sword movements; they are the absolute fundamentals."

"This footwork, by the way, applies for any melee weapons. Don't underestimate the importance of footwork. It's hugely important for both offensive and defensive purpose. Footwork, essentially, helps you to evade attacks, and it prepares you to get into a position to attack. To an extent, it is even more important than the actual sword techniques. Actually, let's test it out. Use your sword, and try to land an attack on me. I won't use any weapons. I will give you five minutes!" Daoist Fireblade said as he walked in the middle of the training ground, an open area.

Just as Daoist Fireblade said, Shen Long couldn't land a single blow on him. With just footwork alone, Daoist Fireblade could evade any attack from Shen Long, no matter how hard he tried. Even though Shen Long had mastered the ten basic movements, he couldn't find any opportunity to land a strike.

This proved the importance of footwork; it was extremely vital for Shen Long, for both defensive and offensive measures. Shen Long could also feel the immense gap between himself and his Master. That, however, didn't discourage him but he was even more motivated to work on his footwork.

Just like before, Daoist Fireblade demonstrated him the basic movements of footwork. Footwork also requires tremendous practice, as it wasn't something one could master within a few hours. Instead of using the puppet to train, Daoist Fireblade built an obstacle course in the training ground with his Qi.

"There were four major footwork techniques - sidestepping, leaping, retreating and turning. You should practise each of them 1000 times daily, before going into the Blackgold Area. When you can complete the entire course in three minutes, then your footwork technique would be up to standard for the first level of the manual. Every time you touch the sides, you should go back to the entrance and restart. It would test all four movements of footwork, and it required perfection and extreme accuracy.

Pins and needles lied on the floor while the sides were covered with spikes. The path was filled with thin, wooden pillars. They seemed to be unstable and wobbly, and the size of the pillars decreased as one walked further along the course. All the obstacles were in either black or gold, hence the name - Blackgold Area. Although Shen Long wouldn't receive an injury from the spikes, it would still cause a lot of pain.

Shen Long diligently practised for the next two hours as Daoist Fireblade corrected his form repeatedly. Even though Shen Long trained his abs and legs regularly, these footwork practices still made him sweat crazily. After Shen Long finished his regular, static practise, he moved onto the Blackgold course.

As expected, it was extremely difficult. Even completing the first few pillars was already a pain for Shen Long. Even though everything appeared to be so simple, it was much harder in reality. The hardest thing was still balance. After landing onto the pillar, Shen Long had to quickly prepare himself into the next footwork technique. Shen Long was well aware of which movement to use, but he couldn't execute them out with his current skills.

It wasn't long until it was six o'clock. As a well-organized person, Shen Long immediately stopped his training. Shen Long was extremely worried as Luo Qingben was probably being tortured by the "JUSTICE" department right now. Shen Long was also scared about getting challenged by Zuo Qifeng. As Shen Long was about to speak, Daoist Fireblade interrupted him.

"Don't rush. Let's talk as we eat! Calm down a little first, and use this time to organize your thoughts. I'm not in a hurry, so you have all the time in the world to tell me what's going on. Come! I will tell my servants to prepare dinner for the both of us!" Daoist Fireblade said as they walked to the dining room together.

The dining room was grand as everything was formally decorated. The rectangular mahogany table sat in the centre of the room, while a luxurious lamp sat directly on top. Silvery cutlery was left on the long, white tablecloth, surrounded by rows and rows of empty chairs. Shen Long and his Master sat on the edge of the table and it merely took up 1/25 of the space available.

Food was served quickly as Daoist Fireblade's servants were surprised as they saw Shen Long. Daoist Fireblade rarely had any guests, and he had never invited his own disciple to dine with him before. However, they didn't speak anything but immediately left the room after putting down the dishes.

"So what caused you to be so agitated? But I'd have to say that you are really impressive. Despite caring about the matter so much, you were not distracted at all while training. Impressive! Do you drink? I've collected a few good wines; you want to try some?" Daoist Fireblade asked as he poured himself a glass.

"No thanks. Haha. I don't drink. I had some bad experiences with wine before, and I would much prefer to not try it again. The matter is actually quite serious. My friend has gotten in trouble with the Justice Department, and I wanted to investigate the case as he is clearly innocent. But then, I've found out that the so-called "Justice" Department is the complete opposite of their department name!" Shen Long continued on to explain as his Master listened to him while eating.

Shen Long then went on to talk about what happened between him and Zhen Gui, and how he might be challenged in the next couple days by a Page-One Ranker. Daoist Fireblade, however, just nodded and laughed at times.

(Page-One just means the top-50, as they are all on the first page of the Ranking Booklet, kept in the Arena.)

"So that's it? The Justice Department had always been like that, and I'm well aware of what they're doing. Even though this is my palace, and they are all my disciples, I'm not going to involve myself in everything like this. After all, they are still minor matters. Plus, this is how the cultivation world functions. This actually prepares them for the future. But, however, if you want to fix it, please go ahead. I will strongly support you!" Daoist Fireblade said as he drank his cup of wine.

"So you're actually aware of all this? Yes. I really want to fix the corruption problems. It just really bothers me, and I just don't want to see the department name - Justice Department - while none of them cares about being justice or not... What should I do against the Rank 15 guy then? There's no way I'd defeat him with my current skills..." Shen Long asked Daoist Fireblade for advice.

"That guy? He probably won't even challenge you since you're my personal disciple. He won't risk everything just for his face. Even if he does, you shouldn't worry too much! Don't look down on yourself too much. He's merely in Late-Demigod Realm!" Daoist Fireblade replied calmly.

"So you're saying that I can probably beat him in a fight? Or at least come close? But I'm still in Late-Saint Realm. How is it possible for me to overcome the gap between our cultivation levels? I don't think my sword art is strong enough neither, to overcome that gap..." Shen Long asked enthusiastically.

"Of course not. There's no way you would win against him in a one-on-one duel. Yes, you're talented and your cultivation speed is crazy, but the gap between you and him are way too big. Well, it all depends when he challenges you. Yes, you can definitely win against him if he challenges you to a duel five years later, but right now? Hahaha. Dream on! But don't feel bad. I'm just being honest, Long-er." Daoist Fireblade said as he laughed.

"..."