The dust settled on the drill ground, but the air in the entire dojo was filled with an atmosphere of "doubting life."
Lin Zhaoyu looked at her Fifth Junior Sister, Cheng Lingshuang, who was sitting on the ground with absolutely no regard for her image, hugging Kiana's thigh. She was studying the muscle groups involved in leg exertion, seemingly trying to figure out how Kiana had achieved those dazzling movements just now.
Then she looked at the Little Grandmaster, who was standing obediently beside Su Yu, squinting like a cat because she had just taken a sip of ice-cold cola.
Her worldview... cracked.
If it were simply raw strength, it could be understood as a unique natural talent. But that set of strikes Kiana just performed—attacking while neutralizing defense—although the moves looked a bit unorthodox, the application of "Qi" and that effortless transition of force were clearly manifestations of the Tai Xu Sword Qi ingrained into her very bones.
That couldn't be faked.
What was even more absurd was—
"Su Yu, how much longer do we have to record? I want to eat that..." Kiana tugged at Su Yu's sleeve, pointing to the viral crepe cake on the nearby table that Fu Hua had specially queued up to buy.
"Be good, wait two more minutes for the data to upload." Su Yu didn't even lift his head. He smoothly took a White Rabbit creamy candy from his pocket, peeled it, and stuffed it into her mouth, his movements so practiced it was like he had fed a cat hundreds of times.
"Mmph... alright."
The Humanoid Tyrannosaurus, who just a moment ago could treat Fifth Senior Sister like a sandbag, was instantly soothed by a single candy, squatting obediently to the side and chewing away.
Hiss—
A uniform sound of sharp inhales rang out around them. Lin Zhaoyu exchanged glances with several young apprentices, all seeing deep terror in each other's eyes. To make a peerless expert of this level as obedient as a pet...
This Eldest Senior Brother of the Outer Sect, who always smiled and claimed he "didn't know martial arts," what kind of monster was he exactly? Could it be just like in wuxia novels, where the true powerhouses have returned to simplicity and look completely ordinary? Could he be... potentially even stronger than the Little Grandmaster?
Looking again at those metal spheres hovering in the air, emitting a faint blue light, and the black box in Su Yu's hand filled with incomprehensible code and models... This style... no matter how you looked at it, didn't seem like martial arts; it looked more like something from the cultivation set next door!
"Our Tai Xu Sword Sect... we weren't a hidden immortal cultivation sect in the past, were we?" Lin Zhaoyu couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.
Although her voice was soft, it was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent main hall. Fu Hua's figure noticeably stiffened, then she silently straightened her back, the expression on her face becoming even more profound and unfathomable.
As expected of Little Junior Uncle and Senior Brother Su, they're even using magical artifacts... It seems my cultivation is not enough; I can't even see through this level of realm.
Meanwhile, behind a vermilion pillar in the main hall. A buzz-cut head peered out furtively.
Ma Feima, using the excuse of "fixing the toilet," had stood outside in the cold wind for ten minutes, finally drying off his cold sweat. He dawdled back in, only to see Su Mei leaning against the pillar, looking at him with a faint, mocking smile.
"Yo, Sixth Junior Brother, is the toilet unclogged?"
"Cough... Second Senior Sister, don't mock me." Ma Feima blushed, lowering his voice as his eyes darted toward Su Yu. "That... that kid, oh no, that Mr. Su, what is his background exactly? Looking at his posture, he doesn't seem like an ordinary person."
Su Mei raised an eyebrow, took a document from her bag, and seemingly casually slapped it onto Ma Feima's chest. "An ordinary person? Heh."
She lowered her voice, speaking in a tone that suggested, "I'm only telling you this because we have a good relationship."
"Do you know Dr. Mei?"
"Mei... that researcher? The top scholar that even the state has to provide for?" Ma Feima's eyes went wide. In this world, the name Mei was indeed thunderous to the ears, an entity standing at the peak of human intelligence.
"Correct." Su Mei pointed at Kiana in the distance. "Our Little Grandmaster here, besides being a Tai Xu successor, is also a specially appointed Ancient Martial Arts research consultant for Dr. Mei. And that Mr. Su... is a partner who can speak directly with Dr. Mei."
Hiss—
Ma Feima sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling his teeth ache. No wonder! No wonder these two had an indescribable confidence about them! It turned out there was such a big shot standing behind them!
Recalling his foolish "I am number one in the world" appearance just now, Ma Feima wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He hadn't just failed to recognize Mount Tai; he was practically digging dirt on the head of a Tai Sui god!
"Then... is it too late for me to go apologize now?" This man was a straight shooter; he cowed quickly and admitted his faults just as fast.
"Go on." Su Mei patted his shoulder. "Eldest Senior Brother Su is a reasonable person... probably."
Ma Feima took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked over with large strides. Arriving in front of Su Yu and Kiana, he said nothing and went straight into a ninety-degree deep bow, clasping his fists. His voice was so booming it startled Kiana, who was eating cake nearby, making her shudder.
"Mr. Su! Little Grandmaster! Old Ma is a crude man; I offended you greatly just now, failing to recognize Mount Tai! Whether you want to beat or punish me, I will have no complaints!"
This sudden grand gesture stunned Kiana; she even forgot to wipe the cream from the corner of her mouth.
Su Yu, however, had anticipated this. He closed his computer, pushed up his glasses, and wore a gentle and magnanimous smile on his face. "Sixth Senior Brother, your words are too heavy. Those who do not know are not guilty. Besides..."
He pointed to the screen. "Since you're here, why not take a look at this?"
"This is...?" Ma Feima scratched his head and leaned in, feeling somewhat awkward. On the screen, a 3D figure made of countless light dots was practicing martial arts.
At first, Ma Feima didn't pay it much mind. But after watching for two seconds, his eyes went straight. That was a slow-motion replay of Kiana's Inch Force move just now.
But unlike a normal video, this model was marked with dense data lines. The contraction amplitude of muscles, the stress points of the skeleton, the trajectory of the center of gravity shifting, and even the simulated path of force flowing through the body... Every detail was precise down to the millimeter.
As an expert who had practiced external kung fu for half his life, Ma Feima knew the gold content of this thing too well. This was a living, visualized, completely analyzed martial arts manual! He had wanted to teach his force-generation techniques to his disciples countless times, but it was always "something that can only be understood intuitively, not conveyed in words."
But now... Su Yu had turned that "intuition" into a visible, tangible "form."
"This... this..." Ma Feima's fingers were trembling as he pointed at the screen, stuttering like a child who had just learned to speak. "Godly! Truly godly! This force point... so it was here? No wonder I always felt this move wasn't smooth... it turns out my center of gravity was off by three inches!"
He suddenly turned his head, straining his throat to let out a roar loud enough to shatter glass: "Master!! Senior Sister!! Come here quick!! Our Tai Xu Sect... we're going to be rich!!"
Ma Feima's shout shook Fu Hua and Lin Zhaoyu, who were drinking tea in the side hall to calm their nerves, right out of their seats. A group of people crowded around that not-so-large laptop.
"This... is this..." Fu Hua pushed the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her face almost sticking to the screen. The lenses reflected countless jumping data streams under the blue light.
On the screen, the virtual figure made of lines and light dots was tirelessly repeating Kiana's Inch Force move. But unlike what the naked eye saw, this model seemed to have been stripped of flesh and blood, leaving only the most essential mechanical structure. Red lines indicated the order of muscle contractions, and blue light dots locked onto every minute adjustment of the center of gravity. There were even rows of real-time scrolling parameters next to it, precisely calculating the force, speed, and angle of this strike.
"The essence of Inch Force lies in 'Completeness'." Fu Hua's voice was trembling slightly, her finger pointing vaguely at the red core exerting force on the screen. "In the past, when I taught disciples, I could only let them realize it themselves, to feel it. Those with high comprehension, like Old Five, would get it after watching once; those with poor comprehension, like... cough, like Old Six, couldn't find the gateway even if they broke the wooden dummy practicing."
Ma Feima, who innocently caught a stray bullet nearby, scratched his head but didn't dare refute it, because he was also dumbfounded.
"But this..." Fu Hua took a deep breath and turned to look at Su Yu, her eyes filled with shock and gratitude. "This turns 'Intention' into 'Form'. As long as one practices according to this, even a person with average aptitude can save ten years of detours!"
As the metal floating spheres hovering in the air slowly descended, the data stream on the screen finally stopped jumping. Fu Hua stood in front of the computer; the pupils behind her lenses hadn't yet recovered from the shock. Those moves decomposed into skeletal mechanical models, those force generation trajectories precise to every frame, were like an opened, living Tai Xu manual.
Su Yu knew the time had come.
"Ah Hua." Su Yu closed the computer and stood up. "Actually, coming here today, besides letting you meet Little Junior Uncle, there is another matter I want to discuss with you."
Fu Hua came back to her senses and pushed up her glasses. "You want to make a game."
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Su Yu froze for a moment, not expecting her to be so direct. "How did you know?"
"You said it during the last livestream." Fu Hua's tone was calm, but her brows furrowed slightly. "Su Yu, I know you mean well. But I've said it many times: Tai Xu Sword Qi is not something to sell for money. It is kung fu for cultivating the self, not a performance for claptrap."
"Master!" Su Mei wanted to speak, but was pressed back by a look from Fu Hua.
"Sister Mei, don't think I don't know what you're planning." Fu Hua turned around to face her second disciple, her usually cold face rarely showing a few parts of helplessness. "Asking me to do livestream sales, asking me to shoot short videos to become a viral star, asking me to take commercial endorsements... How many times have you advised me on these things? I refuse every time; can't you just give it a rest?"
Su Mei was a bit embarrassed by this string of scolding, but she was someone who had seen great winds and waves after all, and quickly adjusted her mood. "Master, this time it's really different—"
"What's different?" Fu Hua interrupted her. "Making martial arts into a game and making martial arts into short videos—what is the essential difference? It's all just..."
Su Yu closed the computer. Drama King Mode: Activated.
The expression on his face switched in an instant to a tragic mode carrying three parts helplessness, seven parts sincerity, mixed with a trace of "I'm doing this for everyone's good." Su Yu suddenly spoke, interrupting this tug-of-war between master and disciple.
"Ah Hua, you've misunderstood."
He pointed to Kiana, who was sitting on the chaise longue looking blissful because she had eaten her third piece of osmanthus cake. "I'm doing this not for money, but for her."
Fu Hua froze, following his finger. "Little Junior Uncle?"
"Exactly." Su Yu lowered his voice, his tone as heavy as if he had just diagnosed some terminal illness. "You saw it too; Little Junior Uncle's kung fu is the real deal. But do you know? The true Tai Xu Sword Sect is actually on the verge of extinction."
"By Kiana's generation, there aren't many talented disciples left. What's more troublesome is that she is a genius who only knows how to learn martial arts but not how to teach people. If you ask her to explain why she strikes this way or what the essential point is, she will only speak alien language like 'Just go biu and hit it out like this'."
Kiana's chewing on the osmanthus cake paused. Although Su Yu was telling the truth, being exposed like this in public still hurt her self-esteem a little, okay!
Su Yu continued to hoodwink without changing his expression: "In the current Tai Xu Sect, besides you, who else can truly comprehend this supreme art? Even you wouldn't dare say you've completely mastered it, right?"
Fu Hua fell silent. This was a fact.
"Talent is withering, Squad Monitor." Su Yu spoke earnestly, every word seeming to strike Fu Hua's heart. "If something happened to Kiana... or let's say, after a hundred years, will this set of supreme arts be broken? By then, the Tai Xu Sword Sect will really just be left as an empty shell."
Extinction.
These words were Fu Hua's fatal weakness. She guarded this broken dojo, guarded that plaque, wasn't it all for the word "Inheritance"?
Finally, Su Yu revealed the dagger beneath the map. "So, I want to use the form of a game to completely preserve this set of supreme arts. It is not a commodity; it is a digitalized manual."
"As long as the game exists, as long as the servers exist, even after a thousand years, descendants can still see the most authentic Tai Xu Sword Qi in the game. Even if they only learn a little fur, using it to strengthen their bodies, then the Tai Xu Sword Sect... won't count as truly having its lineage severed."
These remarks, with tight logic and abundant emotion, were simply moral kidnapping tailored specifically for Fu Hua.
The main hall quieted down. Ma Feima opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back. Cheng Lingshuang also rarely didn't lie back down on the chaise longue, but stood there, looking at Fu Hua earnestly with those dead-fish eyes that were always half-open.
Only Su Mei hooked the corner of her mouth into a hidden arc.
Fu Hua didn't speak. She lowered her head, the reflection on her lenses obscuring her eyes. For a long time, she finally spoke, her voice much lighter than before. "...I understand everything you said."
She looked up at Su Yu. Those eyes held a few parts less coldness and a few parts more exhaustion that only an old friend from back then could see. "Actually, all these years, I've also been thinking about this problem. How to pass down the Tai Xu Sword Qi, how to keep the Inch Heart Dojo from becoming a sign that just gathers dust..."
"Master!" Seeing the timing was about right, Su Mei immediately went in for the kill. She stepped forward, patting her chest to guarantee: "You rest assured! Leave the promotion to me! The channels, influencers, and traffic in my hands will all give the green light to this game! I want the whole world to know what true Shenzhou Kung Fu is!"
"And me! And me!" Ma Feima also squeezed in, waving that fist the size of a clay pot. "Master, I have a bunch of silly kids training brute force in my gym who just happen to have nowhere to vent. When the time comes to move equipment, set up the venue, or even be human sandbags, we'll be there on call! For free!"
Just then, a black shadow whooshed out. Su Yu only felt his thigh sink. Looking down, Cheng Lingshuang was hugging his thigh tightly like a koala. That face, usually written with world-weariness, was now actually filled with a certain fanatical desire.
"Eldest Senior Brother! Accept me!" Cheng Lingshuang looked up, weird light flashing in her dead-fish eyes. "I'm very easy to raise! I only eat one meal a day! Just giving me a place to sleep is enough! Let me follow Little Junior Uncle! I want to watch her do martial arts! I want to see that... that data thing!"
Su Yu: "..."
No, Little Cheng, your persona is collapsing a bit fast. What happened to the High Cold Sword God?
Fu Hua watched this scene. Looking at that calculating second apprentice, looking at that reckless and impulsive sixth apprentice, and then looking at that fifth apprentice hugging a thigh with no regard for image.
Finally, her gaze fell on Su Yu's face. A touch of helplessness appeared on her face.
"Sister Mei." Fu Hua spoke suddenly, but used a form of address that stunned everyone. "These lines were taught to Senior Su Yu by you, right?"
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Su Mei's face, but she quickly returned to calm. She just wanted to quibble a few words, but heard Fu Hua continue: "How many years have I known Su Yu? Don't I know his virtue? Asking him to speak a few serious sentences is harder than letting him play games for three days and three nights. That set of speeches just now was obviously taught by someone."
Su Yu: "..."
Although it's a fact, being exposed in public like this still hurts my self-esteem a little, okay? Eh? Why does it feel like someone said this sentence before?
The scene was once very awkward. Su Yu felt like a cheating elementary schooler caught red-handed by the class teacher at this moment. He coughed awkwardly, his eyes drifting around, and finally decided to come clean.
"Ah Hua, cough, actually it wasn't entirely taught by Sister Mei... Mainly, usually you don't say anything and carry everything yourself." He sighed, putting away that hoodwinking posture, his tone becoming exceptionally serious.
"Remember that time you injured your leg? Limping towards the hospital alone. If I hadn't gone downstairs to buy Happy Water and bumped into you, were you planning to crawl there without asking for help?"
Fu Hua didn't speak, but her slightly lowered eyelids exposed her guilty conscience.
"We are all very worried about you." Su Yu pointed to himself, then pointed to certain people in the Golden Courtyard. "Not just me, but also that facial paralysis Kevin, and Elysia... that Miss Pink Elf even asked me last time, 'Is Hua too tired recently? Should I go tell her bedtime stories?'"
Mentioning Elysia, the corner of Fu Hua's mouth twitched slightly, seeming to recall some fear dominated by the "Pink Devil."
"And these disciples of yours—especially Sister Mei." Su Yu looked at Fu Hua, his eyes sincere. "Ah Hua, you can trust the people around you a bit more. We... are all here."
Su Mei turned to look at Su Yu with some astonishment. She didn't expect that this man, who was still bargaining with her last night and haggling over a few percentage points of the split, would actually say such words for her in front of Master at this time.
Her heart felt like it had been scalded by something, hot and warm. This guy... is really a bleeding heart.
Su Mei bit her lower lip, thinking secretly in her heart: I have to watch over this fool more in the future, otherwise, with his personality, he'll help count the money after being sold by someone.
The main hall quieted down. Fu Hua was silent for a long time. The hall was so quiet one could only hear the occasional bird call outside the window, and the purring sound similar to a small animal emitted by Cheng Lingshuang hugging Su Yu's thigh.
She looked at this group of disciples. Looking at those eager, expectant, and even somewhat clumsy gazes. Finally, she let out a long sigh. That sigh seemed to unload a part of the burden she had carried for a long time.
"Understood. I promise you, and also—" Fu Hua looked at Su Mei, her eyes incredibly gentle. "I know you've been secretly subsidizing the dojo. The water and electricity bills, the renovation fees... you paid for them all. I also know you always want to package me because you want the dojo's fame to be a bit bigger so we can recruit a few more students."
"For so many years... you've worked hard, Sister Mei."
That "Sister Mei" was as light as a feather, yet it smashed heavily onto Su Mei's heart. This strong woman who was decisive in the business world and could remain expressionless before contracts worth tens of millions, trembled all over in this instant.
A teardrop, without warning, slid down from the corner of her eye painted with exquisite eyeliner and landed on the collar of her expensive coat.
"Ah! Second Senior Sister is crying!" Cheng Lingshuang shouted as if she had discovered a new continent, completely not understanding what it meant to see through something but not say it.
"No! I didn't!" Su Mei abruptly turned her back, wiping her face indiscriminately. Her voice carried a clear nasal tone, yet she was still holding up that Big Sister boss stance. "Fifth Junior Sister, what nonsense are you saying! I am... I am happy! Yes! Happy! Hahaha!"
She let out a string of dry laughter that sounded worse than crying. "Since Master has agreed, then hurry up and get to work! Old Six, go move things! Old Five, stop hugging the thigh, go clear the venue! Everyone move! Don't think about slacking off!"
She directed everyone like a wound-up spinning top, trying to use busyness to cover up that moment of lost composure.
Watching the main hall of the dojo, which was in chaos yet full of vitality, Kiana, who had remained silent nearby, slowly put down the Happy Water in her hand. She looked at Fu Hua, who was surrounded by disciples in the center, and although keeping a straight face, had a smile in the corners of her eyes and brows.
That warmth was real. The lights here were to illuminate the returning person.
Human emotion is truly a wondrous thing.
Just standing here, seeing these people standing together harmoniously and smiling in this world without Honkai, she actually felt warmth and happiness too.
No—if it were that idiot Su Yu, he would definitely say, "Such warmth and happiness were created by your own hands, Kiana."
Yeah. She should feel warm, feel proud. Because revitalizing Tai Xu and saving this dojo was a big step taken by Kiana Kaslana in this world.
Kiana studied Fu Hua's expression and smiled. So... the Squad Monitor can also show such an expression.
She remembered the Fu Hua of her own world. That Squad Monitor who always came and went alone, who always had "Mission" on her lips, and who finally turned her gun on her. Since they are counterparts... does the Squad Monitor of that world also desire such a scene in the bottom of her heart?
Maybe... she didn't really want to betray. Maybe... she also had some reason she had to do it, some... difficulties she couldn't even tell me?
The young girl's eyes gradually became profound. She looked at this peaceful world, looked at this somewhat clumsy yet gentle Fu Hua, and that knot in her heart that had never been untied seemed to loosen a little bit.
"Little Grandmaster! Come quick! There's a movement here that needs your personal guidance!" Su Yu's shout interrupted her thoughts.
Kiana came back to her senses, that brilliant smile hanging on her face once again. "Coming!"
She accurately threw the empty cola can into the trash bin and ran towards that group of lovable people.
The light outside the window fell on the plaque written with the words "Still Water" [Zhi Shui], and also fell on this group of noisy, yet mutually caring people. At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Su Yu quietly turned on his phone and sent a message to the contact remarked as "Pink Little Devil":
[It's done.]
The other party quickly replied with a string of pink heart emojis, followed by a sentence at the end:
[Knew you could do it~]
Su Yu smiled silently and put the phone back in his pocket.
Pink Piggy-Cat entrusted task: Untie Fu Hua's heart knot (Complete!)
And the Tai Xu Revival Plan, Step One—Achieved!
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