The Way of The Dao

The boys saw Ling Tian's expression and somehow let out a sigh of relief inside, but at the same time they couldn't help but feel sorry and sad for him.

They are smart and know that Ling Tian had feelings for these two women to the point that they could notice the sadness and pain in his eyes even though he tried to hide them and show a smile always. That was why he adopted them and took care of them from the beginning, so that they could help him search for clues about the two women and had more chances to cover more space and do it in less time.

They had not stopped searching for any clues or news of these two women, even going so far as to form a Sect to recruit people and expand the search even though they knew the chances were slim and almost impossible.

Ling Tian is their most important pillar, their dearest and closest relative who had taken care of them and gave them all his love and affection over time, changing their previous destinies and giving them what was a real family. They saw in him a wise and responsible father, a loving and funny older brother, a reliable friend, someone who would listen to their problems and thoughts and provide reassurance until they felt better. He was there when they were sick, when some were weak, when others were sad... he was always there when they needed him most, caring for them and loving them.

For that reason, they wanted to return some gratitude to Ling Tian by continuing to search for those two women, but unfortunately they never found anything in all these centuries.

That was also why, when they learned that Ling Tian already had women, and surprisingly beautiful ones, they were happy; happy for their Master because apparently he was able to overcome the depression back then and move on, thus meeting new people and people important to him.

"Sorry, Master..." Even Sun Xiang, who mostly had a somewhat cheeky and funny smile due to his naughty personality, couldn't help but feel sorrow and grief. It showed that what was happening to their Master they also felt and worried about him a lot.

"What do you say, you little brat?" Ling Tian let out a small laugh and rubbed Sun Xiang's head somewhat forcefully, mussing some of his hair before saying, "From that moment I finally understood that they had both gone to heaven, even though I didn't want to accept it. But now I only hope that the two of them will have a happy life in their next lives. You two don't have to feel that way, you have helped me too much and I will never be able to thank you." A sincere smile full of affection and fondness was evidently visible on his face.

They might be his disciples, but Ling Tian loved them like real family. The bonds between them were deep and they all considered each other family as well even though they were not related by blood.

Ling Tian looked at them with pride and happiness. Each and every one of his disciples are the foundation and his motive to always move forward despite adversities.

The expressions of all of them became happy and the feeling of sorrow and sadness disappeared. Although Ling Tian had told them not to worry, they would do their best to please him and make him happy as well.

"How have you all been? Mhm? Come on! Tell me..." A happy grin formed on Ling Tian's face as he stretched his arms towards Shin Wei and Ying Chen's necks, hugging them on the sides as if they were now brothers they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

The scene really looked as if they were long lost friends from long ago and barely found each other, beginning to want to tell everything that had happened when they were apart.

There really is a lot to say.

"Have you guys found your special people so far?" Ling Tian's grin widened further as a sly hint could be noticed in his eyes, "Before I left, I remember someone told me that the next time we encountered each other, he would introduce me to someone and make me jealous~" Ling Tian let out a laugh.

"Hmph! Don't make fun of us, Master." Sun Xiang snorted and made a depressed grimace.

"Why, could it be that you haven't found someone all this time?" Ling Tian asked with some surprise.

Sun Xiang rolled his eyes before saying with a downcast complexion, "All those women are just self-interested people looking for anything, whether it's a strong backing, wealth, power or more... Haih..."

Ying Chen and Shin Wei nodded at what their junior martial brother said. Even Hao Zhentian nodded slightly with a disappointed grimace, as if they had already been through this.

"Really? So, let's see, tell me." Ling Tian looked at them intently.

"We've all tried in some way to get to know someone, either by our own choice or because the situation creates the opportunity to interact with someone else." Hao Zhentian spoke up, which made Ling Tian a little surprised.

While he had longest cared for Hao Zhentian, Ling Tian knew that Hao Zhentian would be more or less like him: someone who even if he sees beautiful women, he would not fall so easily and would mainly be interested in becoming stronger.

That Hao Zhentian said about this, shows that he really had already been through this kind of situation.

"At first we interacted well with the person we met. It even seems that their personalities are good and selfless at those times." Shin Wei commented on his experience and said, "And as you told us not to be carried away by appearances, especially with women who have great beauty, we were interacting calmly and avoided showing our strength to those people."

"But once they find out our identities or strengths, they would quickly change their behaviors towards us." This time, it was Ying Cheng who spoke and then sighed in disappointment.

"They would even abandon us without thinking when they saw that the other guy has a great strength or identity..."

"I was quickly left behind when the other brat showed his strength several levels above my fake cultivation at the time and said that he was the Young Master of such a sect."

Shin Wei didn't finish speaking when he was interrupted by the annoyed and disappointed voice of Sun Xiang, who then added with a wicked grin, "But then I turned that idiot into a pulp when he wanted to get rid of me and I destroyed part of his sect when they came for revenge. Due to that, that woman and the others changed their faces hypocritically and wanted to have a chance with me again."

Ling Tian was not surprised this time. He knew that there were all kinds of women and, in this world that cultivation was paramount, it would be rare to find women who were not interested or had other purposes.

Women were not the only ones. Men were too. They might have selfish motives and other thoughts, such as killing all their brothers to keep the legacy or inheritance, cheating and hurting women to get what they want, or sacrificing anything to become stronger.

Precisely because of this, the world is so cruel and people would have to change and adapt to it. That's why it's so rare to find people worth being together, whether it's a friendship or a romantic relationship.

"But we have always kept your advice, Master." Ying Chen dropped that disappointed expression and said with a smile, "We don't close our sights to only those exceptional beauties... which I guess they wouldn't be anymore after seeing your wives, haha. But we also interacted with women who conveyed calm feelings even though they had ordinary beauties. With them we realized what kind of women there could be."

Hao Zhentian, Shin Wei and Sun Xiang agreed with what Ying Chen said.

Ling Tian had always told them that even though they found such a beautiful and seemingly peerless woman, this woman might have a black and evil heart, so it would not be worth it even if she was a Goddess in appearance. This type of woman could leave you when you need her the most or when you least think about it.

Once they interacted with people who were kind with an ordinary appearance, they realized what Ling Tian wanted them to understand: If one's heart is good and beautiful, then everything else doesn't matter anymore.

Beauty was just that: beauty nothing more, a shell in which one could hide beautiful feelings or vile intentions.

They even hid their identities and strengths as well, wanting to meet someone who would not notice them just because of their status and would really be a good woman who would love them for who they showed themselves to be at that moment.

Ling Tian made them never forget that a good and worthwhile person is one who would never abandon you in bad times, when you need them the most or when situations are adverse.

In fact, some of them have had "fun" with some females, but none of them have really found that woman who is truly good and who they feel they want to be with.

Ling Tian might feel that on one hand he was bad in instilling all these restraints to these men, but he really wanted each of them to find a good woman who would never betray or hurt them. He already experienced that moment with that woman who was in conspiracy with her Master to kidnap his two female disciples, and even though he had not been very involved with her, he still experienced it and felt disillusioned at what a woman could become.

"What about Little Wuhu?" Ling Tian asked about the others, "Little Tianjing? Little Guang? How are they?"

"They are the same as us. They too encountered misfortunes with the women who were only interested in what they could do." Sun Xiang sighed depressedly as well, showing that despite everything, they all cared about each other.

"But if there is anyone among us who could be the first to give us a sister-in-law, it would be Brother Guang." Suddenly, Hao Zhentian said with a cheerful smile at the mention of their martial brother.