The Innkeeper

Chapter 2314: Comparison is the thief of joy

"So I’m giving you three more years," Cliff said to River and Pearl once everything was done and settled. "If you can’t reach the Immortal realm in three years, then I will have to leave you behind."

The Guest House was doing absolutely fine when they returned, and they hadn’t been secretly attacked or plotted against by some unknown evil enemy - what a shocker. Not having a system to continuously attract trouble really changed the way people lived their lives. Lex couldn’t understand it.

"Three years? Isn’t that absurd? How can anyone become an Immortal so fast? What if we can’t prepare enough and are defeated by the tribulation?" River asked in genuine shock. Pearl didn’t say anything but she clearly also shared his apprehensions.

Unfortunately for them, their concerns only made Cliff scoff.

"What do you mean? I literally had to put a seal on my body to stop myself from reaching the immortal realm because the damn tribulation just kept wanting to show up otherwise. When I finally decided to undertake my tribulation, I did it while fighting hundreds of other immortals to use the tribulation to kill them. Now you’re telling me you’re afraid of taking the tribulation... alone?"

Cliff gave River a look that very clearly made it obvious that he thought River was a pansy. River, on the other hand, stared at Cliff with his jaw hanging. The man’s claims were so obviously ridiculously fake and impossible that River couldn’t even understand why he thought that would work as bragging.

RIver opened his mouth to argue again but Cliff held up his hands.

"Enough," he said, though this time his voice carried an authority Cliff hardly ever revealed. "You are giving excuses for your failures before even trying. If this is your attitude in life, you will never go far, and I might as well put an end to our journey right now.

"The task may be difficult, but it is never impossible. Yet if even the thought of the task itself is enough to halt your steps, then you are ill suited to the path of the paladins. In that case you should make yourself comfortable at your current cultivation level, and live out the rest of your life accepting that this is your limit. At least that way you won’t waste your time waiting for success to fall into your lap."

Cliff disappeared, leaving River and Pearl both stunned. For as long as they had known him, Cliff had always been a cheerful and usually relaxed person. No matter what obstacle they faced, he always treated it lightly, and often that was enough to give them the motivation to face it despite its difficulty.

This was the first time they had sensed any dissatisfaction from him. Was it because they weren’t willing to accept his deadline? Unlikely. They’d been working with his deadline for years, but he never expressed any dissatisfaction towards it. No, it seemed like he was upset that they let the difficulty of the task discourage them.

River, especially, felt shocked by the latest interaction because the paladin path was all he had. It was different from normal cultivation, but it was not without its benefits. He once thought that the Golden Core realm was entirely out of reach, and now he had even become a Nascent Soul cultivator. So how could this path be ill suited to him?

Wasn’t it normal to try to avoid impossible or suicidal tasks? Wouldn’t everyone try to do that? It was the logical thing to do.

Then again, the very act of cultivation was to raise oneself beyond the realm of their birth, which went against logic.

River and Pearl looked at each other, doubt in their eyes. They wouldn’t go on and take a life-threatening risk just because Cliff was upset. However, they were also aware that Cliff knew a whole lot more about cultivation than they did, and losing access to him would be a huge loss. To do that they would have to...

"Did I really... am I a coward?" River suddenly asked, interrupting Pearl’s thoughts.

Pearl paused, and looked at the sincerity on his face. This question seemed important to him.

"What dangers have you not faced? When have you retreated in front of an enemy? If tomorrow an army of Immortals came to attack me, I have no doubt that they’d find you standing in front of me, holding both your shields. Cowardice cannot even be mentioned in the same sentence as you," she answered, speaking from her heart.

Upon hearing those words, River did not feel better, oddly enough. He shook his head.

"So why did he look so disappointed?" River asked, thinking about Cliff. When had he started caring so much about what Cliff thought? Even he himself had no answer to that. All he knew was that instead of afraid, he felt frustrated. Why had he resisted Cliff’s three year deadline? When had he led them astray? Never. So why, then, had River doubted him?

Was he really so afraid of the tribulation? Or had he been affected by the fear all those around him felt?

As he asked himself these questions, River strengthened his resolve. Whether he succeeded or not, he at least couldn’t accept failing before even trying.

In truth, River and Pearl were good students, and anyone would be proud to be their teacher. Yet Lex never officially recognized them as his students, only considering them temporary travel companions.

While much of it was because he didn’t want to form connections because he knew that in the future, whether in three years or later, he would have to leave them behind, there was another reason. It could only be said that comparison was the thief of joy.

While he had technically spent a whole lot more time training them than he had ever spent training Z, he could not help but think back to the time they shared. No matter how absurd or crazy Lex’s requests for him were, the kid never questioned him, and always lived up to his unreasonable demands.

While back then, most of the time Lex had only been trying to tease Z because it was fun to do, that didn’t change the fact that he always met the mark. Whether it was in the Inn, on the battlefield when the battalion was captured, or in Abaddon, or anywhere else.

In truth, River’s resistance to Lex’s unreasonable timelines and quests was completely normal. Unfortunately, in life in general, but especially in terms of cultivation, one could not achieve great success by being normal.

Lex closed his eyes. Three more years, and then one way or another he would leave. That was just enough time to finish the changes he was making to the necklace. After that, the necklace would develop an internal space that would be its own, independent space. Moreover, it would be incredibly stable.

While it could not be called a realm just yet, it was a first step.