Many years ago, I found an ancient scroll that changed how I understood the world. It states that there is a best Way (or Dao) to do anything, that follows the flow of the forces that govern Heaven and Earth, allowing you to achieve your goals without damaging your surroundings or harming others.
No-one else I know seems to have heard this message.
If they ever found this scroll, they'd glance at its contents before using it as a rag to wipe the blood off their blade, or as kindling for a fire to burn the looted corpses of their enemies, or a handy scrap of parchment to scrawl down their so-called 'profound' methods of mutilation, which I'd then have to spend my time rewriting and guarding so some stuck-up, hot-headed disciple can come along and decide to use it to destroy another restaurant because no-one nowadays can share a table without it turning into a fuc-
Ah, no good, I'm getting angry again. Where's a 'Dark Encyclopedia' when you need to-? ...Of course this one's almost filled with curses after a day, the sect's martial elders just had to announce a tournament for those stupid disciples to improve their standing, so all day I've been stuck checking their cultivations so they don't take a technique that'll destroy themselves, making sure they don't take too many techniques in accordance with sect rules, breaking up arguments over who gets the 'most powerful' or 'most mysterious' techniques...
Anyway:
}Thought Transfer{
...Where was I? Oh yes, the Dao. To better understand the Dao of things, it's best to resolve any worldly issues that may cloud your heart, such as unrequited love, family disputes, disrespect from others...
Why do they keep killing each other over 'face'... Is it so hard for people to understand that the respect you're given is built up and maintained through your words and actions and not the strength of your ancestors? If your family says they're better than everyone else just because your clan produced a brilliant general or merchant centuries ago whose successes entitled them to land or fortunes, then don't listen! They didn't earn that respect, they just leeched it off their leeching parents! I put time and effort into developing a Dao of Cleaning to help the long suffering servants and a Dao of Agriculture to help those downtrodden, hardworking farmers put food on the table, but do any of those parasites respect me and my efforts? No, because I'm the grizzled old Guardian of the Profound Art Pavilion who stops them from going up the stairs to where the Heavenly-grade techniques are, which can destroy their rotten minds just by glancing at them, the little fuc-
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
}Thought Transfer{
...I better make a new 'Dark Encyclopedia' soon, this one's giving off a miasma...
...Oh, sorry, where was I? Resolving worldly issues, wasn't it? So, while most people cleanse their negative emotions... physically... I developed a useful skill to cut them from my mind to paste into a special book that the sect buys off me for quite a lot of money - although I'd rather they gave me a role where I don't have to deal with the disciples...
In my quest to comprehend a Universal Dao, I sought out books.
In my youth, I roamed the land as a scholar, teaching in the private libraries of noble families, compiling new texts to trade for old manuscripts, learning how to craft common talismans and pills to earn some money and studying the natural transformations of the seasons and the elements.
In my prime, I decided to settle down, focus on my research into the Dao and raise a child. In part, I wanted to raise a girl so she could discover how a new soul comes into the world when she finds a good man to start a family with, but watching her grow gave me an understanding of nature taking its course that was truly gratifying.