The walk back to the Heaven-Defying Absolute Sect was slow, and the disciples occasionally talked about the dangers of killing demons. Wen Shubai wore a faint smile on his face, chiming in with a word or two from time to time.
"That demon yesterday gave me a scare."
"What's there to be afraid of? Senior Brother is here."
Finally, they arrived at the Heaven-Defying Absolute Sect. By then, most of the disciples inside had already gone to sleep, and one by one, the returning disciples took their leave.
"Senior Brother, rest early."
"Senior Brother, see you tomorrow."
The noise gradually faded, and as the last scraps of conversation disappeared into the darkness, the expression on Wen Shubai's face slowly dimmed as well.
He walked back to his courtyard, and just as he was about to open the door, his movements suddenly stopped.
Moonlight spilled across the corner, where several delicate boxes sat neatly arranged, a piece of paper clipped on top of them.
[Senior Brother, I bought this at the black market for a high price—there are only three in the whole world!]
Her handwriting was just like her—you could tell how excited she was when she wrote it just by looking at the characters.
Wen Shubai bent down and picked up one of the boxes. Inside was a colorful tassel ornament, with a glazed bead set in the center, and a small bell hanging from the bottom.
He gave it the slightest shake, and the bell let out a crisp, clear sound...
The sun rose very early over the Heaven-Defying Absolute Sect, its light filtered through the clouds and scattered across the ancient pines, mist winding through the forest.
"Senior Brother!"
The moment Wen Shubai opened the door, he saw Ji Zhaoxi, breathless and flushed.
"Senior Brother, I've already trained in advance."
Her face was a little red, and she was panting as she held out her red palms for him to see.
"I just finished hauling the water." She looked up at him with eager eyes. "I haven't lazed around at all these past few days!"
Wen Shubai looked at her and couldn't help but laugh. "Junior Sister isn't just talented—she works harder than the other disciples too."
Ji Zhaoxi was thrilled, but she forced herself to hold it in, though the corners of her mouth kept curling upward uncontrollably.
Wen Shubai had been away for several days, and Ji Zhaoxi had far too much to tell him.
"Senior Brother, I tripped while hauling water yesterday..."
Wen Shubai's brows furrowed slightly, but then Ji Zhaoxi said proudly, "But I caught myself with one hand!"
Never underestimate the Little Butcher Girl's strength.
Wen Shubai looked at her, a little helpless.
"Senior Brother, did you eat those snacks I gave you? They're so good. Liuli loves them too."
"Senior Brother, why did your training trip take so long? Can you take me next time? I want to train too."
"I also want to train with the other disciples. Senior Brother, can I learn what they practice..."
Listening to Ji Zhaoxi's endless chatter, Wen Shubai shook his head helplessly.
He should probably come back earlier next time, or else his Junior Sister might try to tell him everything from several days in one go.
Finally, Ji Zhaoxi got to what had happened last night. She was so tired from talking that her voice was getting a little hoarse.
She suddenly realized she might be talking too much.
"Senior Brother, am I too noisy?" She looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
Wen Shubai was startled. How did the conversation jump from that crane to this?
He hesitated. "Junior Sister, weren't you just saying that the crane was chasing you?"
Had he heard wrong?
Ji Zhaoxi gave a little cough. So Senior Brother was actually listening. She picked up the story again.
Senior Brother had such a good temper. No wonder everyone liked him.
Her parents were too busy slaughtering pigs to listen to her talk. Liuli would fall asleep halfway through, and would even compliment her for having a special gift for lulling people to sleep.
Sunlight filled the entire training ground, though the bluestone slabs still carried a hint of coolness. The other disciples were all practicing their sword forms.
Ji Zhaoxi held up the heavy sword, no longer wobbling like she had on her first day—her stances were steady now.
Wen Shubai stood behind her, watching the angle of her swings. He didn't rush to correct her, only stepped forward when he saw her putting in too much force.
"Junior Sister, sink your qi into your dantian. Don't rely just on arm strength."
He moved closer, reaching his arms around from behind her, covering her hands with his to guide the blade's direction.
"Like this?" Ji Zhaoxi frowned slightly.
Wen Shubai said gently, "Press down half a fraction more."
Ji Zhaoxi kept practicing. Nearby, a few disciples who had finished their drills were resting, idly watching Ji Zhaoxi and her training.
Sweat glistened on Ji Zhaoxi's forehead as the heavy sword carved arcs through the air. Her moves were broad and powerful, burning through her stamina.
"Shift your center back, and rotate." Wen Shubai stood to the side, watching her movements attentively.
Ji Zhaoxi followed his directions, but the bluestone beneath her feet was still a little damp. As she turned, her center of gravity suddenly wobbled.
"Careful."
Wen Shubai took a step forward almost purely on instinct. Ji Zhaoxi couldn't stop her momentum and crashed straight into his chest. Her hair swept across the skin of his neck from the sudden motion.
Wen Shubai's body stiffened for a brief moment. He steadied her hands firmly, waited until she was sure on her feet, and then quietly took half a step back.
Ji Zhaoxi sulked, "Senior Brother, I don't think I have any talent."
Wen Shubai laughed softly. "Junior Sister remembered it after just one try—that's practically talent by definition."
The moment she heard Wen Shubai's words, Ji Zhaoxi got exactly what she wanted and immediately perked back up with renewed energy.
There was nothing but amusement in Wen Shubai's eyes. If Junior Sister just wanted him to praise her, she could have simply said so.
At first, he really did think Ji Zhaoxi was insecure, because every day she'd tell him all sorts of things about not being good enough.
But later, Wen Shubai realized that Ji Zhaoxi said those things just to trick him into complimenting her. As long as he said what she wanted to hear, she'd brighten up instantly.
One time, Wen Shubai tried not complimenting her to see what would happen, and Ji Zhaoxi kept anxiously steering the conversation toward making him praise her, nearly bursting with frustration.
The disciples nearby whispered among themselves.
"Why does she get to have Senior Brother train her for so long?"
Everyone knew that Senior Brother would teach them, but only briefly and to the point. Yet he was personally guiding Ji Zhaoxi hand-over-hand, even teaching her the most basic techniques.
"I heard she's under Senior Brother's charge. She doesn't have a master."
"No master? That's so strange..."
After she finished her sword practice, Ji Zhaoxi went to practice the "Step by Step Lotus." Now, as soon as she went near Emerald Jade Pool, the disciples around it would automatically scatter.
Once she was done, they'd resume their practice.
By now, "Step by Step Lotus" was nothing to Ji Zhaoxi. She was overjoyed. "Senior Brother, you don't even get wet anymore!"
She remembered that in the past, every time she finished practicing, Senior Brother would be soaked.
Wen Shubai hummed in acknowledgement. "Junior Sister improves quickly."
At the mention of it, Ji Zhaoxi sighed. "If only I had spiritual roots—then I'd definitely be amazing."
And she was already this good without spiritual roots.
Wen Shubai looked at Ji Zhaoxi thoughtfully.
An Ice Marrow Pill could break through the spiritual veins, but the pill was far too precious—and it needed to be reserved for the mountain-protecting grand formation.
