Not long ago.
After Zi Xin’er decided to teach Chu Feng the way of the sword, she fell into deep thought. It was her first time teaching swordsmanship. If it weren’t for knowing Lu Xiyue, she wouldn’t have learned anything about the sword path herself.
So, before formally teaching Chu Feng, she decided to contact her best friend, Lu Xiyue.
She took out a communication talisman and infused it with her true qi.
After a moment, the talisman connected.
“Xiyue…”
Before she could say more, an irritated voice came through the talisman.
“Zi Xin’er, it’s been so long and Feng’er still hasn’t come back. Are you deliberately keeping him there?!”
Zi Xin’er blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected her best friend to start with an accusation.
“Xiyue, the cold yin energy in the little one’s body still hasn’t been fully dispelled.”
“Oh, please! You think I don’t know your medical skills? After all this time, Feng’er still hasn’t returned. Don’t tell me he’s gotten involved with your sect’s Saintess.”
Zi Xin’er recalled Liu Xueyao. Though that girl clearly had deep feelings for Chu Feng, if anyone had actually gotten close to him, it wasn’t Liu Xueyao. It was Liu Shijing.
“Hmph.”
Hearing Zi Xin’er go silent, a snort came through the talisman.
“So I was right. I’m warning you….my Feng’er is still young. He’s just a child. Your Saintess better not lay a hand on him! If she does, I’ll come take Feng’er back myself!”
Lu Xiyue had given an early warning, but with that woman’s cold and indifferent personality, as long as Feng’er didn’t make a move himself, she probably wouldn’t do anything to him either. So cold… it was a mystery how Liu Xueyao in her past life ever fell for Feng’er.
Zi Xin’er responded with a quiet “Mm”. She hadn’t mentioned the matter with Liu Shijing to her best friend. After all, though the little one had been nibbled on, Xiyue had specifically said that Xueyao wasn’t allowed to “eat” the little guy.
“In that case, let Feng’er stay with you a while longer to recover. But make sure he comes back soon.”
With that, the communication talisman was cut off.
Just as it disconnected, a young man walked in. Seeing the woman in white, he called out,
“Aunt Zi!”
***
Chu Feng placed the book into his storage pouch. As for reading it… better to ask the Saintess for help when he got back.
He couldn’t even recognize the few characters on the cover. If he were to try reading the whole thing on his own, he might still be working on it come the next century.
Zi Xin’er looked at Chu Feng before her. Come to think of it, Xiyue hadn’t really said how to teach swordsmanship. Oh well… might as well ask the little guy directly how Xiyue usually taught him.
“Little one, how does Xiyue normally teach you?”
“Huh?!”
When Chu Feng heard Zi Xin’er’s question, the image of his master’s ample, fair… flashed through his mind.
That was definitely something he couldn’t say out loud.
Setting that aside, whether it was his master or Senior Sister Yuyan, their way of teaching swordsmanship always felt a bit too intimate. Every session left him distracted and flustered.
If he told Zi Xin’er that his master and senior sister taught him through close-contact guidance, she’d probably think he was a pervert and slap him to death on the spot.
Chu Feng stammered, “Just… regular sparring between master and disciple.”
When it came to teaching a disciple, Zi Xin’er had no real experience. As the Holy Master of Yaochi Holy Land, she had many disciples in name, but they were only nominal students.
The only one she had truly guided was Zi Yuejun.
“I see.”
Zi Xin’er thought for a moment. Then, with a flick of her finger, she released a strand of true qi. It struck a lotus leaf, which immediately triggered the formation of a path of lotus leaves stretching to the far shore.
“If there’s anything in the world that best embodies the essence of soft-style swordsmanship, it’s water. A single drop of water, though small, can pierce even the hardest stone. Little one, step onto the lotus leaves and walk across to the other side.”
“That’s it? Aunt Zi, don’t tell me… we’re not allowed to use true qi, right?”
Chu Feng glanced at the path. It was maybe a hundred meters at most. For someone like him with second-rank cultivation, walking across those lotus leaves should be easy.
If that was the case, then the challenge would be far too easy for him. But if he wasn’t allowed to use true qi, the difficulty would skyrocket.
However, Zi Xin’er said, “Of course you can use true qi. As long as you make it to the other side, your training for today will be considered complete.”
“No problem! Aunt Zi, watch me.”
Chu Feng patted his chest confidently. Something this easy? He could finish it in no time.
The next moment, he stepped outside. Looking at the lotus leaves floating on the water, he lightly leapt forward, landing with the tip of his toe on one of them. Steady and balanced with the aid of his true qi, he could easily stand on the leaf without sinking.
Chu Feng was about to sprint all the way to the other side in one go. As soon as he lifted his foot to step onto the next lotus leaf—
The leaf beneath him suddenly sank.
“What the—?!”
He tried to immediately jump to the next leaf, but it was as if the one beneath him had become a magnet, locking him in place. He couldn’t break free.
Splash!
Chu Feng fell straight into the water.
Cough cough!
He swam back to shore, having gulped down a large mouthful of water when he went under.
Just then, a pair of long fair legs appeared in front of him. He looked up. Zi Xin’er was standing right there.
“Aunt Zi… these lotus leaves… there’s something weird about them, isn’t there?”
“Little one, not bad. You’re quite clever. You can’t rely solely on brute force. You have to find the right amount of force for each lotus leaf, then control it with precision until you reach the other side.”
Zi Xin’er bent down and gently patted Chu Feng’s head. His soaking wet clothes instantly returned to their original dry state.
Well, he figured as much. There was no way Aunt Zi would give him such a simple trial.
Chu Feng stood up and stepped onto the lotus leaves again. As expected, he ended up soaked once more. After repeating this a few times, he finally managed to step onto the second lotus leaf.
A look of delight appeared on his face. Just as he was about to step onto the third one…
Splash!
He became a soaked chicken yet again.
Cough cough!
Completely drenched, Chu Feng swam back to shore once more.
“Aunt Zi… are you saying the force needed for each lotus leaf is different?”
He was feeling numb at this point. It had taken so much effort to figure out the first lotus leaf, and now the second one had sunk too!
Zi Xin’er’s lips curled into a smile. “Of course. Little one, you must understand the force required for each lotus leaf in order to cross successfully.”
After speaking, she pulled out a small orange-colored ball and popped it into Chu Feng’s mouth.
Chu Feng was caught off guard by the sudden feeding. It tasted sweet… a candy?
“Aunt Zi, what is this?”
“Here’s your reward, little one. Keep it up; once you’ve mastered this lotus leaf, I’ll give you another one.”
Zi Xiner opened her slender palm to reveal five or six candies in various colors.
Chu Feng bit down on the candy in his mouth. So, if he succeeded, she’d give him a candy? Did she really see him as a little kid…?
Still, candy in the cultivation world was surprisingly tasty. It was better than anything he’d had before crossing over.
“Thank you for the candy, Aunt Zi. It’s delicious. I’ll go again.”
“Mhm.”
Zi Xiner watched Chu Feng’s figure. She had never taught a disciple before. The only person she had ever taught was her adopted daughter. When it came to Zi Yuejun, her method was simple: if the girl behaved well, she got a piece of candy. She’d heard that children liked sweet things, and these candies were handmade by her.
However, her daughter often expressed displeasure, thinking that Zi Xiner was treating her like a child, which she clearly didn’t appreciate.
But this little one didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he even praised her candy.
For a well-behaved, non-fussy child…. shouldn’t there be a reward?
The Holy Master of the Yaochi Holy Land, a cultivator at the half-step Ninth Rank, fell into deep thought. She wasn’t pondering the Great Dao, but was agonizing over what kind of reward would best suit a good child.
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