Mo Ziqian's fighting style was far gentler than Guang Ling's.
He exchanged a few moves with Lu Yao, then finally pressed a gentle palm strike to her shoulder, pushing her back to Meng Anli's side.
Lu Yao cupped her fists to him. "Many thanks."
Guang Ling draped an arm over Mo Ziqian's shoulder and said half-jokingly, "What? Saw a pretty girl and couldn't bear to strike?"
Mo Ziqian tipped his chin toward Meng Anli. "Do you have to beat a girl until she's covered in dirt and dust before it looks good?"
Guang Ling's gaze swept over Meng Anli.
Her face and body were caked in dust, and blood had spread through the grime on her chin, making her look filthy.
Yet it only made her pair of eyes seem all the more clean and clear.
Her hands and feet were currently mimicking Mo Ziqian's moves from earlier.
She really was studying seriously.
Had he been too heavy-handed just now?
Guang Ling rubbed his nose, an awkwardness rare for his usually fierce brows and eyes.
"Please instruct me, Teacher." Mo Ziqian looked at Yuan Tuo with a smile, appearing thoroughly self-satisfied.
But the hand hanging at his side, slightly curled, exposed the tension in his heart.
Yuan Tuo glanced at his hand and smiled. "Were you afraid of hurting the girls, so you deliberately held back your moves and strength? From what I saw, you only used..."
He paused, speaking directly into Mo Ziqian's ear with ventriloquism.
"Less than half a percent of your ability."
Mo Ziqian's hand clenched at once, though he barely managed to maintain his smile.
He... really was powerful enough to see through his strength at a glance.
Yuan Tuo continued, "I understand your desire to hide your light and bide your time. But since I am your teacher, if you need help with anything, come find me."
Mo Ziqian's smiling mask could no longer stay in place, and his expression went blank for an instant.
Then came embarrassment and helplessness.
Yuan Tuo was satisfied. This was what a youth ought to look like.
In one's youth, one should laugh wildly and cry noisily. How could one be more mature than an old man who had lived for a thousand years?
Even Anli carried a stubborn force within her. Though she tried her best to hide it, hatred occasionally showed through, and she smiled when she was happy.
Unlike him, she did not hide every emotion beneath a smiling mask.
Every one of these Gui Class students had potential.
He was quite pleased.
Yuan Tuo clapped his hands. "All right, line up properly."
The disciples formed ranks again.
Yuan Tuo said, "I see that you each have your own training systems. Some restrain one another, while others complement one another. I'll rearrange your groups."
He broke apart the teams they had formed themselves. Everyone else was paired off, until it came to Guang Ling.
"I see no problem with Guang Ling taking on two opponents alone, so Guang Ling will be grouped with Anli and Lu Yao."
Anli was very happy.
For now, Guang Ling did indeed seem to be the strongest.
She wanted to learn more from Guang Ling.
But Guang Ling said awkwardly, "I don't want to be grouped with girls."
Yuan Tuo showed no mercy. "Then leave."
"I..." He stared in astonishment. Seeing Yuan Tuo's stern, unfeeling expression, anger surged up in him, and his angry brows shot upright.
"Fine, I'll leave!"
He looked at Mo Ziqian. "Ziqian, he's targeting us. Let's go."
Yet Mo Ziqian did not move. He merely asked, "There's no one else left. Who does Teacher intend to group me with?"
"You will serve as my class monitor and supervise them on ordinary days."
Mo Ziqian's lips trembled, and a dark gleam flashed through his fox-like eyes. Though he was clearly looking forward to it, 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 is fine too. I won't concern myself with either of you again."
Mo Ziqian shook his head. "I'm not leaving. I'll be the class monitor."
"You! You betrayed me!" Guang Ling flung his sleeve in fury and made to leave.
But he moved very slowly.
Meng Anli wanted to laugh, though she also felt a little sorry for him.
This good friend of yours will stab you in the back even harder in the future.
At the same time, she could tell that Guang Ling wanted someone to give him a way out.
"Guang Ling," Meng Anli called softly.
He immediately stopped and turned back. "What?"
Though his voice remained fierce, his brows had relaxed.
Meng Anli looked up at him. "Don't leave, all right? Guide me a little. If you think I'm weak, I'll grow stronger very quickly."
Guang Ling lowered his eyes to look at her peach blossom eyes, then turned his face away, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from rising.
"Since you're begging me, I'll reluctantly train you."
Yuan Tuo felt delighted as he watched them interact.
Little Anli truly was kindhearted.
Then his expression turned serious. "You each have your own methods, and if you train diligently, you can all achieve something. But Anli and Lu Yao have no moves. I am willing to teach you a set."
Meng Anli and Lu Yao said joyfully, "Thank you, Teacher!"
Yuan Tuo looked toward the other disciples again. "Of course, if you wish to learn, you may as well."
He assumed a stance and demonstrated several moves. He was incredibly fast, yet steady, precise, and fierce.
Though he had not used the slightest bit of spiritual power, the wind from his palms alone sliced through a wooden fence two zhang away.
Meng Anli marveled, "Teacher is amazing!"
Yuan Tuo withdrew his stance.
The disciples shouted excitedly.
"I want to learn from Teacher!"
"I want to learn from Teacher too!"
"Teacher is incredible!"
Guang Ling said quietly, "Then I'll learn too."
Thus, what had been instruction intended for Meng Anli and Lu Yao turned into the entire Gui Class learning together.
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 Qin Zhai, but instead, he brought her directly to the rear mountain.
Beyond the rear mountain lay a stream valley between two peaks. The stream flowed gently, with flat ground on either side, lush with water grasses.
Meng Anli exclaimed, "I never knew the academy had such a place."
Yuan Tuo gave a faint laugh. Of course you did not know. This had been newly opened up by the master.
He had matters to attend to in Beiming.
Worried that you would tear down the house and no one would be there to restore it, he opened up this place instead.
Of course, he would not tell Anli that.
The little girl was thin-skinned.
Meng Anli stepped on the grass beneath her feet. "It's quite soft."
Yuan Tuo thought: The master had specially prepared it because he was worried you might fall. How could it not be soft?
Just as he was about to urge Meng Anli to practice, she had already summoned Colorfeather.
Yuan Tuo sat beside the stream, dipping his legs into the water as he watched Meng Anli.
Before leaving, the master had said that unless it was a life-or-death moment, he was not to intervene.
As he was thinking this, Meng Anli was thrown to the ground.
She quickly got up, summoned Colorfeather again, and took flight.
Colorfeather remained proud and untamable. Meng Anli gradually infused it with her spiritual power.
By the time night fell, she could already wrestle with Colorfeather in the air for a quarter of an hour.
She wanted to try landing, so she exhausted all her spiritual power and stubbornly made countless crooked turns in the air with Colorfeather. At last, she landed unsteadily.
Meng Anli rejoiced. "I did it!"
Yuan Tuo gave her a thumbs-up.
Colorfeather seized the chance to launch a sneak attack, but it seemed to have little strength left as well. It only carried Meng Anli a little way into the air before slamming her heavily into the water.
Meng Anli was not angry either. She got up and wiped her face.
"Little Colorfeather, angry from humiliation. It won't be long before I can completely control you."
As if dissatisfied, Colorfeather paddled a few times in the water before disappearing into her body.
With a flick of Yuan Tuo's hand, Meng Anli's clothes and hair were completely dry. "We'll stop here for today. Any later, and your dormitory will close."
"Thank you, Brother."
Yuan Tuo instantly broke into a smile and rubbed her hair, which held no pearl hairpins.
"Since I'm your brother, don't say thank you."
Meng Anli nodded heavily.
Then once she had the ability, she would properly repay A Yao, her master, and her brother.
Time slipped away amid Meng Anli's intensive cultivation.
That afternoon, she was preparing to spar with Guang Ling.
Disciples poured in from the neighboring training ground.
Different classes trained next door every day, so Meng Anli did not pay much attention.
Then she heard Meng Xiuchen's shout.
"Meng Anli."
Meng Anli only wanted to pretend she had not heard him. She raised a hand toward Guang Ling. "Let's fight."
Just as Guang Ling was about to raise his hand, Meng Xiuchen jumped over the fence. "Meng Anli, do you dare spar with me?"
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