Chapter 56 Chen Xingcai Also Wants to Lie Flat
The morning mist had not yet dispersed, yet Han Yu had already been standing in the courtyard for two full hours.
Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, but the wooden sword in his hand was steady as stone. Its tip trembled slightly, tracing out mysterious arcs in the air.
"Not right."
Chen Chang'an's voice came from behind. He lounged lazily in a wicker chair, cradling a steaming cup of tea.
"The Heaven-Piercing Sword emphasizes 'concealing the edge within defense.' Your sword stance is too soft."
Han Yu gritted his teeth, flipped his wrist, and suddenly made his strike more forceful.
"Wrong again." Chen Chang'an shook his head. "Too rigid, and it will break easily. This sword art requires a balance of hardness and softness."
Han Yu lowered his arm in discouragement. "Master, am I too dull?"
Chen Chang'an sipped his tea, narrowing his eyes at this disciple whose destiny value was full, yet whose natural aptitude was mediocre.
Though Han Yu's destiny was at one hundred, his innate foundation was far too poor. Chen Chang'an judged that compared to offense, defense would be more practical for him.
Thus, he had chosen to first teach him the Heaven-Piercing Sword.
"Your comprehension isn't bad, but your bone foundation is indeed… lacking a little." He set his cup down and picked up a branch. "Still, don't be discouraged. There are plenty of ways in this world to strengthen your foundation. For now… watch closely."
In his hand, the branch seemed to come alive. With a casual stroke, it left behind a lingering sword mark in the air. The motion appeared slow, yet it contained the truths of heaven and earth. Yin and yang revolved, faintly forming a perfect Taiji diagram.
"The Heaven-Piercing Sword can defend against all techniques. Though purely defensive, it conceals killing intent. At the right moment, you can counter with other methods of attack." Chen Chang'an flicked his wrist, and the branch turned into a streak of light. A distant boulder split cleanly in half. "Did you remember?"
"Yes, Master." Han Yu gazed on, enraptured. Just as he was about to ask further, he saw Chen Chang'an recline back into the chair, tossing him a sword manual.
"Practice on your own. I am going to rest."
"Master…"
"Elder Wu!" Chen Chang'an called toward the house. "This boy is in your care!"
Elder Wu emerged with a chuckle. "Rest easy, Venerate. This old man will certainly guide him with all diligence."
These past days, Elder Wu had witnessed the generosity of this Venerate.
Precious pills like the Shengsheng Creation Pill and Heaven-Reversal Pill, he gave away without hesitation.
Even more astonishing was a few days ago—when Elder Wu casually mentioned needing to purchase some daily goods, Chen Chang'an had simply tossed him one hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones.
"Thank you, Elder Wu." Han Yu bowed respectfully.
Elder Wu patted his shoulder. "Come, let's go to the back mountain for practice. Though I am no expert in sword arts, I can still guide you well enough."
Before leaving, Elder Wu hesitated, then asked, "Venerate, this old man must go out tomorrow. Do you have any requests?"
Chen Chang'an waved a hand without opening his eyes. "Beware of snakes."
Elder Wu paused. "Snakes?"
"Yes, snakes. Especially black ones." Chen Chang'an turned over, as though already asleep.
Elder Wu scratched his head in confusion, leading Han Yu away.
…
The mountain spring babbled as Chen Xingcai skipped happily to a familiar cave dwelling.
"Little Black Master! I'm here!"
The stone door slowly opened. Instead of darkness, a vision of pale white appeared—Ji Hongli had, for once, changed into a snow-colored dress.
She reclined gracefully before a jade table, idly playing with an unfinished chess game. Hearing the child's voice, she lifted her gaze with a faint smile. The cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye stood out vividly against the white robes.
"Wow!" Chen Xingcai's eyes lit up. "Little Black Master looks beautiful in white too!"
"…"
Ji Hongli's fingers froze on the chess piece, and she pressed her forehead with a sigh. It seemed the title "Little Black Master" was something she could never shake off.
"Here!" Chen Xingcai pulled a book from her storage pouch. The cover bore the glittering golden words: I Was Trapped by the Cold Venerate · Volume Three. "I finished this a long time ago! Why hasn't Volume Four come out yet?!"
Ji Hongli's red lips curved slightly. With a wave of her wide sleeve, a brand-new thread-bound book appeared on the desk.
"Volume Four?!" Chen Xingcai hugged the book tightly, her little face flushing with excitement. "Little Black Master is the best! How did you do it?"
"Simple." Ji Hongli toyed idly with a chess piece. "On my last trip, I caught the author called 'Mo Bi Sheng Hua.'"
"Eh?"
"Locked him in a dark room for half a month." She flicked her finger, the chess piece landing with a sharp pa on the board's center. "No food unless he wrote thirty thousand words a day."
Chen Xingcai's eyes widened.
"Of course," Ji Hongli added, "I did give him spirit stones afterward as payment."
"Little Black Master really is the best!" The girl cheered and threw herself into her arms, only to catch a faint scent of blood. "Huh? Master, why is there blood on your sleeve…"
"You're mistaken." Ji Hongli swiftly gathered her sleeve and shifted the topic. "How far have you practiced the Soaring Swan Art?"
"..." Chen Xingcai wilted, twisting her fingers on her robe. "Well… Father just took in two new senior brothers…"
"So?"
"So from now on, my senior brothers will protect me!" She lifted her little face with perfect confidence. "That means I can lie flat too!"
Lie flat… who even invented such a term…
Ji Hongli felt both exasperated and amused.
Her gaze swept over the faint shadows under Xingcai's eyes, then at the slight creases on the book's corners—clearly this girl had been burning the midnight oil reading storybooks instead of cultivating.
If this had been back in her Northern Frontier days, and if Xingcai were her disciple then, she would already have been strung up in a tree and whipped with willow branches.
"Forget it." She suddenly pinched Chen Xingcai's cheeks. "Starting tomorrow, come to my cave at the hour of Chen every day."
"Ugh… why?"
"Because—" Ji Hongli leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I also have the manuscript for Volume Five. If you want to read it…"
Morning light filtered through the wisteria trellis at the cave entrance, stretching the shadows of master and disciple long and far.
Meanwhile, in a house in a small distant city, a bestselling author who had been locked up for over ten days sat counting spirit stones with tears in his eyes.
…
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