Meng Xiuchen Comes Looking for Trouble

Mo Ziqian's fighting style was much gentler than Guang Ling's.

He exchanged a few moves with Lu Yao, finally landing a gentle palm strike on her shoulder, pushing her back towards Meng Anli.

Lu Yao cupped her hands towards him, "Thank you."

Guang Ling placed a hand on Mo Ziqian's shoulder and said, half-jokingly, "What? Couldn't bring yourself to hit the pretty girl?"

Mo Ziqian tilted his chin towards Meng Anli, "Does a girl have to be beaten until she's covered in dirt to be considered good-looking?"

Guang Ling's gaze swept over Meng Anli.

Seeing the dust and dirt on her face and body, with bloodstains smearing the dust on her chin, making her look messy.

It only served to highlight her eyes, which were clean and pure.

Her hands and feet were mimicking the moves Mo Ziqian had just used.

She was genuinely learning.

Had he gone too hard on her just now?

Guang Ling rubbed his nose, his usually fierce brows showing a rare hint of embarrassment.

"Please, Master, impart your wisdom," Mo Ziqian said with a smile, looking at Yuan Tuo, appearing quite self-satisfied.

But his slightly curled hand by his side betrayed his inner nervousness.

Yuan Tuo's gaze swept over his hand and he chuckled, "Were you afraid of hurting the young lady, so you deliberately held back your moves and strength? I observed you only used..."

He paused, then transmitted into Mo Ziqian's ears alone via ventriloquism.

"Less than half your strength."

Mo Ziqian's hand tightened instantly, though he managed to maintain his smile.

He... was truly so powerful that he could see through his strength at a glance.

Yuan Tuo continued, "I understand your desire to bide your time, but I am your Master after all. If you need any help, don't hesitate to come to me."

Mo Ziqian's smile mask faltered, his expression blank for a moment.

This was followed by a look of distress and bewilderment.

Yuan Tuo was satisfied; this was how a young man should be.

In youth, one should laugh and cry freely. How could he be more mature than an old man of a thousand years?

Even Anli had a stubbornness simmering within her. Though she tried hard to hide it, she would occasionally reveal hatred, and she would laugh when happy.

She didn't hide all her emotions behind a smiling mask like him.

This Gui Class, each of them had potential.

He was quite pleased.

Yuan Tuo clapped his hands, "Alright, everyone stand properly."

The disciples lined up again.

Yuan Tuo said, "I see you all have your own training systems, some counter each other, some complement each other. I will reassign you into teams."

He broke up their self-formed teams. Everyone else was paired up, but when it came to Guang Ling...

"I think Guang Ling can handle fighting two people at once, so Guang Ling will be grouped with Anli and Lu Yao."

Anli was delighted.

As it seemed, Guang Ling was indeed the most powerful among them.

She wanted to learn more from Guang Ling.

Guang Ling, however, said awkwardly, "I don't want to be in a group with girls."

Yuan Tuo said ruthlessly, "Then leave."

"I..." He was taken aback. Seeing Yuan Tuo's stern and unapproachable expression, his anger surged, and his brows furrowed.

"Fine, I'll leave then!"

He looked at Mo Ziqian, "Ziqian, he's targeting us. Let's go."

Mo Ziqian didn't move, merely asking, "There's no one else. Who does Master plan to group me with?"

"You will be my class monitor, overseeing them on a daily basis."

Mo Ziqian's lips trembled. A hidden glint flashed in his fox-like eyes. He was clearly looking forward to it, yet he still said, "Can I really do it?"

"No one is more suitable than you. Of course, if you want to leave with Guang Ling, that's fine too. I won't bother with you anymore."

Mo Ziqian shook his head, "I'm not leaving. I'll be the class monitor."

"You! You betrayed me!" Guang Ling, enraged, flung his sleeve and prepared to leave.

But his pace was very slow.

Meng Anli wanted to laugh, but she also felt a pang of sympathy.

Your good friend here will stab you in the back even more ruthlessly in the future.

She could also tell that Guang Ling wanted an excuse to back down.

"Guang Ling," Meng Anli called out softly.

He immediately stopped walking and turned back, "What is it?"

Although his voice was still fierce, his expression had softened.

Meng Anli looked up at him, "Won't you stay? Teach me. If you think I'm weak, I'll grow quickly."

Guang Ling lowered his gaze to her Peach Blossom Eyes, then turned his face away, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his lips.

"Since you're begging me, I'll reluctantly spar with you."

Yuan Tuo watched their interaction, his heart filled with joy.

Little Anli is truly kind.

Then, he turned serious. "You all have your own methods, and practicing diligently will lead to success. However, Anli and Lu Yao have no specific techniques, so I'm willing to teach you a set."

Meng Anli and Lu Yao said joyfully, "Thank you, Master!"

Yuan Tuo then looked at the other disciples. "Of course, you can learn too if you wish."

He demonstrated a few moves, moving with incredible speed, stability, precision, and power.

Even without using any spiritual energy, the mere force of his palms severed the wooden fence twenty feet away.

Meng Anli exclaimed, "Master is truly amazing!"

Yuan Tuo finished his demonstration.

The disciples shouted excitedly.

"I want to learn from Master!"

"I want to learn from Master too!"

"Master is too powerful!"

Guang Ling said quietly, "Then I'll learn too."

What was supposed to be a lesson for Meng Anli and Lu Yao turned into a class for the entire Gui Class.

After class, Lu Yao went to study alchemy, while Meng Anli was taken away by Yuan Tuo again.

She thought Yuan Tuo would take her to the Qin Zhai, but instead, he led her directly to the back mountain.

Beyond the back mountain, there was a stream valley between two peaks. The stream was gentle, with flat ground on both sides covered in lush grass and water plants.

Meng Anli marveled, "I never knew the academy had a place like this."

Yuan Tuo chuckled wryly. Of course, you wouldn't. This was newly developed by the Master.

He had to return to Beiming for some business. Worried that you'd tear down the house and have no one to fix it, he created this place.

Of course, he wouldn't tell Anli that. The young lady is too shy.

Meng Anli stepped on the grass, "It's quite soft."

Yuan Tuo thought to himself, The Master specifically prepared this for you in case you fell, how could it not be soft?

Just as he was about to urge Meng Anli to practice, she had already summoned colorful feathers.

Yuan Tuo sat by the stream, dipping his legs into the water, and watched Meng Anli.

The Master said before he left, do not intervene unless it's a matter of life and death.

As he was thinking this, Meng Anli was thrown to the ground.

She quickly got up, summoned colorful feathers again, and took flight.

The colorful feathers remained unruly, and Meng Anli infused her own spiritual energy into them bit by bit.

By the time it got dark, she could already struggle with colorful feathers for fifteen minutes.

She wanted to try landing, so she used up all her spiritual energy. Stubbornly, she made colorful feathers weave erratically through the air many times before finally landing crookedly.

Meng Anli exclaimed joyfully, "I did it!"

Yuan Tuo gave her a thumbs-up.

Colorful feathers took the opportunity to attack, but it seemed to lack much strength, only lifting Meng Anli slightly before slamming her heavily into the water.

Meng Anli wasn't annoyed. She got up and wiped her face.

"You angry little colorful feathers, soon I'll be able to completely control you."

Colorful feathers seemed displeased, stirring the water a few times before disappearing into her body.

Yuan Tuo flicked his hand, and Meng Anli's clothes and hair were instantly dry. "Let's stop here for today. Your dormitory will be closed if it gets any later."

"Thank you, brother."

Yuan Tuo's smile instantly brightened, and he ruffled her hair, which was free of any hair accessories.

"Since you're my brother, there's no need to say thank you."

Meng Anli nodded heavily.

Then, when she had the ability, she would properly repay A'Yao, Master, and her brother.

Time slipped away as Meng Anli diligently cultivated.

One afternoon, she was preparing to spar with Guang Ling.

Disciples began flooding into the adjacent training ground.

Every day, different classes would practice next door, so Meng Anli didn't pay it much mind.

However, she then heard Meng Xiuchen's shout.

"Meng Anli."

Meng Anli wanted to pretend she hadn't heard and turned to Guang Ling, raising her hand, "Let's fight."

Just as Guang Ling was about to raise his hand, Meng Xiuchen jumped over the fence. "Meng Anli, dare you spar with me?"