[Fine, I bought the fake news before, but now Ruan Mei's here—it's a done deal!]
[Holy crap, Ruan Mei, the one who crafts Emanators with her bare hands! Hahaha, Tingyun's saved!]
[Prisoner Tingyun, you're finally in the revival race! Waaah!!]
[Uh, will Ruan Mei turn Tingyun into a cat cake?]
[Who knows? Maybe she'll sprout eight legs and two pairs of wings.]
[Propagation vibes?]
[Stop it!!]
[So that's why Ruan Mei tasked Himeko and Welt Yang with finding ancient beast remains at the start of Season 5? It's all connected.]
[Tingyun's revival is locked in—just not sure what she'll look like when she's back.]
— —
The scene shifts.
Stelle yawned, stepping out from the inn's entrance.
She rubbed her eyes. "Slept all groggy! Weird, did I oversleep? Where'd March and Dan Heng go?"
She looked around and finally spotted the group.
March 7th, sharp-eyed, waved at her. "You're here!"
Stelle glanced at Yanqing, winking at March 7th. "March, aren't you gonna pay respects to your Master?"
"Master Yanqing, I bow to you~ In plays and novels, Xianzhou apprentices offer grand gifts and kowtow. Oh no, I didn't prepare anything!"
Yanqing's cheeks visibly flushed.
"Hey, Master Yanqing, why're you blushing?"
Yanqing lowered his head. "It's my first time being called Master. I need to… adjust a bit."
After some chatter, March 7th noticed Yunli's absence. "Speaking of, where's Yunli?"
"Yanqing found a quiet spot in the back garden of the Palace of Astrum. We'll give you your first lesson there together."
…
Yanqing led March 7th to a secluded garden, where Yunli was already waiting.
But when Yunli learned Yanqing personally escorted March 7th, she refused to be outdone. She pulled out a stunning outfit. "March 7th, come here! This is my 'reverse apprenticeship gift' for you. Use it well."
March 7th accepted the clothes with both hands. "This is… Xianzhou attire? It's gorgeous!"
Seeing March 7th's expression, Yunli nodded smugly. "Sword practice requires fluid footwork and movement. This outfit's tailored for ease of motion. I even picked out some accessories—it took a lot of thought."
"Master Yunli, you're so good to me!"
"Look at that, Yanqing—what've you got to compete with me? I'll teach March 7th the essence of Zhuming swordsmanship, so she'll win on the stage with my sword, hmph!"
[Hahaha, nice one, Yunli!]
[Reverse apprenticeship gift?]
[Actually, that's pretty normal.]
[Not gonna lie, this looks great. Will March 7th actually wear it?]
[Probably will.]
[Now that you mention it, seems like March 7th's the only one who's changed outfits. Everyone else stays the same.]
[But how did Yunli know March 7th's measurements?]
— —
Yanqing crossed his arms. "I'm not unprepared either."
"Huh?" March 7th's eyes lit up. "Master Yanqing, you've got a gift for me too?"
"Since Miss March is learning the sword, you'll need a fitting weapon. I stayed up all night to procure a pair of swords."
With that, Yanqing spread his hands, revealing a pair of ornate dual swords.
"Time was short, so I couldn't get a craftsman to customize them. I did my best to choose ones that look good and are balanced for beginners. If Miss March doesn't mind, that'd be great."
"Thank you, Master Yanqing!"
[So jealous of March 7th—scoring all this loot before even starting!]
[Hahaha, dual-wielding? Hyped, hyped!]
[As the saying goes, a tank who can't dual-wield isn't a good archer.]
[One uses flying swords, the other swings a greatsword, and they're teaching an archer to dual-wield—hahaha!]
[Dual swords right off the bat—too advanced?]
[March 7th's got serious talent. No one on the Express is a slouch.]
[True, March 7th's been through plenty of fights unscathed—she's got some strength.]
[Maybe she's got hidden powers.]
[An archer who can't melee isn't a good mage.]
— —
Yanqing raised an eyebrow at Yunli. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"Hmph, the real contest is just beginning."
"This apprenticeship is so worth it! But why do I feel like things are heading in a weird direction?" March 7th shrugged, seeing the two at odds, then took the clothes to the washroom.
Moments later, March 7th reappeared in her new look.
Dressed in Xianzhou style, her hair was adorned with bell ornaments, tied into two buns.
[AHHHH!]
[This is my pure goddess!]
[Calling Argenti, calling Argenti!]
[So cute, little March!]
[Mom, I'm in love again!]
[March Wife, you're too gorgeous!]
— —
March 7th pointed to her nose. "How's that, Masters? Does this look work?"
Yunli nodded approvingly. "Mhm! As expected of my carefully chosen outfit—perfect for a beautiful swordswoman like you and me!"
Yanqing gestured to a Cloud Knight nearby. "Enough chatter, let's start the lesson. This is the Cloud Knight instructor I invited. For your first lesson, spar with him."
"Huh? Straight to combat training for the first lesson? Isn't that too intense?"
Yunli: "I heard you've trained in archery, so you've got some martial foundation. The first lesson is to test how solid that foundation is.
Step forward and attack with the most natural sword swing you can imagine! Only by understanding your physical habits can we know where to start and what to teach."
"Okay, got it." March 7th swallowed hard, gripping the dual swords. "I'm ready… but go easy on me!"
The Cloud Knight bowed. "My apologies in advance, Miss!"
Still, Yanqing and Yunli, as masters, gave a demonstration first.
Facing the Cloud Knight's attacks, both handled them with ease.
But they had differing opinions.
"Luofu swordsmanship emphasizes light, agile strikes." "Don't listen to Yanqing—brute force works miracles!"
March 7th furrowed her brow, then raised a finger as if struck by realization.
She swung her swords in several slashes. "Like this?"
Yanqing nodded solemnly. "Looks the part!"
"With honest heart and true intent, here I go!" Encouraged by her master's approval, March 7th grew confident. "I'm getting the hang of it! Watch this move!"
"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, eating less carbs — watch this!!"
— —