The morning air of the Imperial Sect Tournament was thick with spiritual energy, arrogance, and roasted meat skewers from nearby stalls. Banners fluttered like storm clouds as the empire's strongest sects gathered under the great Azure Arena. The crowd buzzed, their laughter and gossip blending into a single chant of curiosity and mockery.
"Look! The Falling Sword Sect actually showed up!""I heard their disciples cultivate through cleaning! Hah!""Maybe they'll sweep the arena before losing!"
Shen Liang, standing with his disciples near the arena's edge, leaned lazily against his broom, smiling as if listening to music only he could hear. "Such enthusiasm," he said lightly. "It's touching when strangers cheer for our future victory, even if they use the wrong tone."
His disciples, however, looked far less confident. Especially Wu Han, the young disciple selected to fight first. He was pale as a ghost, gripping his broom like a life raft.
"Master," he stammered, "they said the Flowing River Sect's fighters can control actual rivers! What do I do if they drown me before I start sweeping?"
Shen Liang patted him on the shoulder. "Simple. Swim."
"...Swim?!"
"Yes. Or, if possible, sweep against the current. Water, like arrogance, is only dangerous if you take it too seriously."
Wu Han blinked. Shen Liang winked. Somehow, that nonsensical advice made sense—like every other ridiculous thing their master said that turned out to be divine genius in disguise.
The announcer's voice thundered across the coliseum."First Match! Flowing River Sect versus… Falling Sword Sect!"
The laughter that followed could've filled a lake.A tall young man from the Flowing River Sect stepped onto the stage, his azure robes rippling like running water. In his hand shimmered a Silver Stream Blade, fluid and elegant.
"I am Lu Fen, River Control Disciple, third seat of the Flowing River Sect!" His voice was as smooth as his sword's aura. "Come, broom boy. Let me wash away your delusions."
Wu Han stepped forward, clutching his broom, shaking slightly. The crowd erupted in laughter again. Some even imitated sweeping motions.
But Shen Liang simply yawned, flicking an imaginary speck off his sleeve. "Remember," he called out, "every flow returns to its origin. Sweep with heart, not hand."
The gong sounded.
The moment the duel began, Lu Fen moved like a river bursting its banks. His sword swept out, releasing a shimmering arc of water qi that cascaded across the stage.
Wu Han leapt back instinctively, using his broom to block...only to be nearly thrown off his feet by the impact. The broom trembled, humming faintly, reacting to his fear.
The crowd jeered. "He can't even block one strike!"Luo Yan, watching from the imperial dais, sighed quietly. "Hopeless," she murmured—but her eyes remained fixed on the boy's trembling grip.
Shen Liang, meanwhile, began eating roasted peanuts from a paper cone. "Relax," he said aloud, though no one asked him. "The current must flow before it learns to spiral."
Wu Han, hearing that, took a deep breath. Shen Liang's words echoed through his mind like ripples in a pond. Flow before you spiral…
Lu Fen advanced, his blade dancing in swift patterns, every motion a river crashing toward the sea. "You can't fight water, fool!"
Wu Han smiled nervously. "No, but I can… clean it."
He crouched low, sweeping the ground in one long, spiraling arc. Dust and qi rose together, forming a thin stream that reversed Lu Fen's water current midair. The attack splashed harmlessly around him—then curved back toward Lu Fen.
"Wha—?!"
The crowd gasped as shimmering droplets suddenly reversed direction, striking the Flowing River disciple full in the face.
Shen Liang raised his peanut bag in salute. "Ladies and gentlemen… behold the Sweep Form – Water Reversal!"
Lu Fen roared, drenched and furious. "Lucky trick!" He surged forward again, channeling his qi. "Tide Breaker Slash!"
The arena floor cracked under the impact. Wu Han stumbled, coughing. His broom cracked slightly under the pressure.
From the sidelines, Shen Liang whispered softly, "Fear not the tide. Sweep the edges. All power loses form eventually."
Wu Han's eyes widened. He could feel it, the rhythm beneath the chaos. Flow of Discipline pulsed faintly through his broom.
He twirled it once, then again, faster this time. The motion created a small whirlpool of air and qi, deflecting the incoming strike just enough for him to step through it.
And then...he swept.
A single, deliberate motion. Graceful. Calm. The broom tip struck Lu Fen's sword wrist with the precision of a master's blade.
The water qi shattered like glass.
Lu Fen stumbled back, clutching his wrist, the tip of Wu Han's broom resting an inch from his throat.
Silence blanketed the arena.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then, slowly, the sound of a single peanut hitting the ground echoed. Shen Liang had dropped it.
"Eh," he said, shrugging, "I thought he'd win by slipping on his own broom. This is better."
The crowd erupted—half in disbelief, half in amazement. The mockery that once filled the air dissolved into murmurs of awe.
"Did that… janitor disciple just beat a Flowing River prodigy?""With a broom?""That sweep… it wasn't luck. It was mastery!"
Wu Han bowed to his opponent respectfully before turning toward his master. Shen Liang simply gave a thumbs up, grinning. "See? Told you. Sweep against the current. Works every time."
Luo Yan, watching from above, felt a smile tug at her lips. "He walks like a fool," she whispered, "but his teachings… defy Heaven's logic."
The system chimed quietly in Shen Liang's ear:[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: "First Victory of the Laboring Blade"][Disciples' Morale +20% | Sect Reputation +15%]
Shen Liang stretched, tossing the peanut bag aside. "Well, that's one broom well-swept. Only nine thousand fights to go before anyone takes us seriously."
The disciples laughed nervously, adrenaline still coursing through their veins. Wu Han was shaking...not from fear, but from pride.
As they left the stage, Shen Liang leaned toward him and whispered, "Remember, disciple...sword, broom, or spoon, all weapons are equal before effort. Except chopsticks. Chopsticks require true enlightenment."
Wu Han blinked. "What… does that mean, Master?"
Shen Liang grinned. "I'll tell you when you can eat dumplings without dropping one."
The laughter that followed carried through the coliseum, light yet unyielding, like the first echo of Heaven acknowledging the Dao of Labor.