My Master Knows It All-Chapter 413 - 165 I Wasn’t Bragging, Right_6

Traveling from the Hundred Peaks Sect to Capital City would not normally involve passing through Thousand Caves Door; on the contrary, it would pass by another Immortal Sect.

Yet Cao Zhen didn’t go to other places; he specifically came to Thousand Caves Door. His intentions were clear—he was deliberately coming to Thousand Caves Door!

After Qing Mozi finished his lengthy speech, he remembered the true purpose of his visit today. He continued to address everyone, "All right, having said so much, let’s finish our discussion on the Painting Way. All the Cave Masters, please feel free to make your moves."

As he spoke, he had already picked up his brush to start painting.

Elder Huan Kong understood the Painting Way but was not as adept as the various Cave Masters. He watched as Qing Mozi began to paint, waited a while, and when Qing Mozi’s painting began to take shape, he secretly asked the Cave Masters in charge of painting caves, "Fellow Masters, how is Qing Mozi’s painting? Do we have any chance of victory?"

He could tell that Qing Mozi’s level was extremely high and also realized that none of their disciples from Thousand Caves Door could defeat Qing Mozi in the Painting Way.

Since Qing Mozi had mentioned going to other Immortal Sects and how people of higher status from those sects would take action, it was natural for Thousand Caves Door to let their Cave Masters take part as well, but only if they could defeat Qing Mozi.

"Difficult..."

The brows of the Cave Masters from the painting caves furrowed tightly as Qing Mozi’s painting neared completion, their expressions becoming increasingly grim.

"We are probably no match for him."

"Given more time, I might not be weaker than him, but due to the enlightenment from Cao Zhen’s painting, it has been only a few days..."

Hearing the Cave Masters’ words, Huan Kong cursed inwardly, calling it a cunning plot.

Cao Zhen was too cunning; he must have known that two of their Cave Masters had an enlightenment because of him, so he quickly had Qing Mozi come to debate.

After all, enlightenment was a momentary thing, but fully understanding the content of enlightenment and improving completely because of it also took time.

Cao Zhen was exploiting this exact period!

"Forget it, if none of you are confident, then let’s not take action."

Thousand Caves Door had lost another debate.

The Cave Masters all admitted that their paintings were no match for Qing Mozi’s, not to mention their disciples.

Qing Mozi came in haste and left just as quickly.

However, a day after his departure, someone from Thousand Caves Door came forward to debate once more, this time on the way of Military Law.

Moreover, like Qing Mozi, the disciple from War Edge Sect, Jiang Yan, also demanded that all the Military Law disciples gather together for a collective debate of Doctrine at the Thousand Caves Door.

On the vast Dao discussion platform, the disciples from the Military Tactics Cave fell one by one in less than half an hour before Jiang Yan.

Full of sighs, Jiang Yan shook his head, "Your disciples are far too lacking. The way of Military Law cannot tolerate a single mistake..."

With that, he looked up at the Cave Masters and said, "I wonder if the fellow Cave Masters would like to discuss the Dao with me? Along my journey, I have discussed the Military Law with the elders from various Immortal Sects."

The Cave Masters from the Military Law Cave exchanged glances, feeling puzzled; what was with the people coming to debate this time? Why were they all so arrogant, so keen on challenging the Cave Masters?

After pondering for a moment, Cave Master Qi Bing stepped forward and declared, "Since that is the case, this Cave Master will engage with you in a discussion on the path of Military Law."

Their Cave Master was reluctant to make a move, but the problem was, they of the Thousand Caves Door had been losing continuously, and they truly needed a victory.

Speaking of which, he even owed his thanks to Cao Zhen, for it was through Cao Zhen that he had an enlightenment, and his understanding of the path of Military Law deepened considerably; moreover, Cao Zhen had also shared some knowledge on the path of Military Law that day.

He was sufficiently confident in his ability to defeat Jiang Yan.

He quickly ascended the Dao discussion platform and, looking at Jiang Yan, loudly pronounced, "The military is a matter of vital importance to the state, the ground of life and death, the path of survival or ruin. It must be thoroughly examined."

Jiang Yan was instantly stunned, staring blankly at Cave Master Qi Bing. Weren’t these the opening lines from the military treatise that Peak Master Cao had given him? How did Cave Master Qi Bing know about them?

Several Cave Masters from the surrounding spiritual seats nodded subtly to each other, as after their debate with Cao Zhen, they had specifically studied the path of Military Law that Cao Zhen had spoken of.

It was perfect for confronting Jiang Yan, and indeed, judging by Jiang Yan’s reaction, he was clearly shaken.

The Thousand Caves Door could finally secure a victory.

Jiang Yan was bewildered for quite some time before he asked with surprise and suspicion, "Have you also read ’The Art of War by Sun Tzu’?"

"What ’The Art of War by Sun Tzu’?" Cave Master Qi Bing looked at Jiang Yan with a befuddled expression.

"The words you just spoke, they are the beginning of Sun Tzu’s ’The Art of War,’" Jiang Yan asserted directly, "Therefore, measure in terms of five things, use these assessments to make comparisons, and thus find out what the situation is: The first is moral influence, the second is weather, the third is terrain, the fourth is command, and the fifth is doctrine."

Cave Master Qi Bing was also taken aback; these words had been spoken by Cao Zhen too. So, the words Cao Zhen said were taken from ’The Art of War’ and were then used against them?

"So those words come from ’The Art of War,’" Cave Master Qi Bing sighed and said, "We have not seen ’The Art of War’ but some days ago we encountered a Peak Master from the Hundred Peaks Sect. He debated with us and mentioned these words. We were greatly enlightened and remembered some of them."

Although they lost to Cao Zhen, it was because of him that they came to know these words, and because of him, they gained a deeper comprehension of what the path of Military Law is; they too would acknowledge this!

Jiang Yan came to a sudden realization: "I see, so it was because you met with Peak Master Cao. No wonder you knew these phrases; in all likelihood, no one else in the world knows these words besides Peak Master Cao."

"What do you mean by that?" Cave Master Qi Bing felt a premonition of something bad.

Jiang Yan folded his hands in salute, raising them above his head and declared with utmost respect, "Peak Master Cao granted me ’The Art of War’ to study, and it was only after seeing ’The Art of War’ that I understood what the true path of Military Law was, realizing how limited and narrow my previous understanding of Military Law had been.

It was after I saw ’The Art of War’ that I completely confirmed my own Military Law path."

Elder Huan Kong, listening to Jiang Yan’s words, found them increasingly familiar and couldn’t help but ask, "So, you acknowledge Cao Zhen as your Pathfinder?"

"Exactly," Jiang Yan nodded emphatically, "Though I have not yet returned to the Sect, I have already informed my Master, and he too has approved of Peak Master Cao being my Pathfinder."

Elder Huan Kong instantly threw his head back, they had been duped again; they had fallen for it yet another time. This Jiang Yan had also recognized Cao Zhen as a Pathfinder.

Jiang Yan had said it himself: Cao Zhen directly handed over ’The Art of War’ to him, whereas Cave Master Qi Bing and the others had only heard a few phrases from Cao Zhen. One had seen the complete Military Law, and one had only heard a portion of it; wasn’t the outcome of who would be victorious or defeated obvious?

He just couldn’t understand—just how many people had Cao Zhen become Pathfinder for? Whoever came as a Pathfinder, it was Cao Zhen. Whoever came for a Dao debate, the Pathfinder was Cao Zhen!