Chapter 90

He tripped in the hallway and looked down, only then realizing that his house had been filled with all sorts of gifts without him noticing. It was undeniably a good thing, and he appreciated everyone's thoughtfulness. However, objectively speaking, the space in his house was clearly not enough.

"There's no other way, after all, it's just a single-person dwelling, and it's really too much to ask it to hold so many gifts... Wait, I remember there's a house in Aurum Alley too, right? Anyway, we don't have anything to do today, so why don't we move?"

"Hey? Bai Jun, what did you just say?"

Bai Jun's mutterings in the corridor were overheard by Sushang at the door, who cast a curious and puzzled glance at him.

"I'm planning to move... Sushang, are you free today? Could you help me move some things if you don't mind?"

Bai Jun saw no need to hide the matter, so he openly invited Sushang to help him move.

"Of course! Bai Jun's business is my business, don't stand on ceremony with me!"

The enthusiastic girl agreed without any hesitation or worry. Just as she and Bai Jun were about to leave for the park for their morning Sushang, another figure walked towards them. Upon noticing Su Chang standing next to Bai Jun, the person gasped, his face filled with disbelief.

"Ah! It's a woman I don't know. Teacher, how many girls have you flirted with while I was on duty?"

"Flirting my foot! Do you think I'm some kind of philandering playboy?! And where did you learn that word, Jing Yuan?"

While Sushang was still wondering why this person suddenly stopped, the handsome blond boy let out a voice that sounded like he had been betrayed, his finger trembling as he pointed at her, who was completely bewildered, while Bai Jun loudly retorted.

"So, teacher, what are you trying to do?"

"Take her to practice swordsmanship..."

If the general were to take on another disciple, Yan Qing probably wouldn't care. But for some reason, she feels a sadness or perhaps a sense of loss towards Bai Jun. In any case, the emptiness in her heart, the feeling of Yan Qing kneeling on the ground, utterly defeated, is immeasurable. Is this... the pain of the plundered?

"W-Why!? To have to practice swordsmanship with a complete stranger? What a dark reality this is! Does this mean you've abandoned me, teacher? Is her talent higher than mine? Damn it, damn it, damn it! I was here first... No, I won't accept this! As the saying goes, beauty—uh, no, a teacher—only belongs to the strong. Let's settle this with a duel!"

Yan Qing kept letting out incredulous screams, her body swaying, her pale face gradually turning into a furious ashen. Surrounded by the mystery, Yan Qing's natural theory made this judgment on the current battle situation, and then she drew the sword at her waist, ready to fight Sushang to the death.

"Are you an idiot?! Apologize to him right now!"

With a dark expression, Bai Jun stepped forward and delivered a sharp chop to the handsome young man, effectively silencing his pent-up grievances.

After several explanations, Yan Qing, still somewhat skeptical, could only reluctantly put away her sword and temporarily accept the fact that Sushang was not Bai Jun's newly accepted disciple.

However, this only means that Yan Qing has unconditional trust in Bai Jun, and by no means approves of Sushang!

To test whether Sushang was truly qualified to compete with him for the teacher's guidance, an extra spot was added to the morning exercise group today.

Some things came up and delayed me, and it's already quite late.

The office workers hurried about, while many people who had come out for some fresh air gathered in twos and threes in the nearby park. Children ran around, and this scene was hardly suitable for continuing morning exercises in the park. The sight of children brandishing weapons would likely frighten them.

Led by Yan Qing and Bai Jun, Sushang, still completely bewildered, followed them to a training ground. The ground was spacious and impressive, no less impressive than the training ground of the Cloud Cavalry.

"Ugh?! Shence Mansion, is it really appropriate for us to be here Bai Jun? Will the general be angry and kick us out?"

Finally realizing that she was in the Shence Mansion, Sushang hid behind Bai Jun in shock and fear, tightly holding his hand. Bai Jun subconsciously squeezed her small hand; it felt very nice, soft and delicate.

"Of course it's alright. Just follow behind the teacher, and the whole of Luofu will be yours to follow... Hmph, I really don't know how someone as stupid as you can have the nerve to accept the teacher's guidance."

Yan Qing crossed her arms and glanced at Sushang Chang, who was acting foolishly and taking advantage of Bai Jun. She wondered what Bai Jun was after that made him agree to spar with her every day. Even she couldn't keep bothering Bai Jun every day!

Inevitably, the flames of hateful jealousy ignited deep within Yan Qing's heart.

"Draw your sword and spar with me first. If you can't even defeat me, what right do you have to accept a teacher's guidance?"

Yan Qing put his sword aside and instead casually pulled out an ordinary training longsword from the weapon rack by the wall. This was not out of arrogance, but an indisputable fact.

The youngest Vanguard in the history of the Cloud Cavalry, General Jing Yuan's chief bodyguard, a great collector of precious swords from the Artisanship Commission, and the undisputed strongest swordsman in Luofu today, Yan Qing is indeed qualified to do so.

"Come on then, it's not like I'm afraid of you!"

As if enraged by Yan Qing's disdain, or perhaps out of defiance of Bai Jun's ownership, Sushang drew the Xuanyuan from behind her, its heavy blade pointing at the handsome young man before her.

"That's the kind of spirit we need! Bring it on!"

Yan Qing smiled slightly, then charged forward with his sword, engaging in a Sushang battle with Su Chang, who was wielding a heavy sword.

"So energetic so early in the morning! Young people have such great vitality, don't you think, Qing Yan?"

Bai Jun, who was watching the fierce battle from the sidelines, turned around and saw Jing Yuan walking over with a yawn. A small sparrow was perched on his shoulder. Upon seeing Bai Jun, the sparrow immediately flew to his face and affectionately touched Bai Jun's cheek with its beak.

"I don't know if it was good or not, but those two were definitely energetic... Looks like it's over."

Bai Jun gently touched the little bird's head, then looked back at the fierce battle in the arena, which was now nearing its end.

Even though Sushang's condition improved due to anger and resentment, the difference in strength between her and Yan Qing was still far. In no time, Yan Qing's longsword easily knocked away the heavy Xuanyuan, and with a light twist of his wrist, the training sword was pressed against Sushang's neck.

You lost.

Ignoring Sushang's disappointed expression, Yan Qing sheathed his training sword and bowed respectfully to Jing Yuan: "General, you've come too."

Bai Jun walked to Sushang's side, reached out and ruffled the young woman's hair, and gently comforted her, "Silly Sushang, don't look so disappointed. Losing to him isn't shameful. The only thing you need to do is swallow your resentment and anger, and turn them all into motivation to become stronger."

"But... he said I'm not worthy to stand beside you!"

Sushang Chang's eyes reddened with grievance, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Losing wasn't the problem; she just felt that she really didn't deserve Bai Jun's guidance.

"Why are you crying? The Sushang I know isn't this fragile. If you don't want to lose to him again, you should practice your swordsmanship even more."

Bai Jun knelt down and gently wiped away her tears.

"I... I understand."

As if sensing the young man's unwavering gentleness, and as if feeling his ever-present concern, Sushang's expression softened little by little. Finally, she nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed, and turned her face away.

After calming the losing team down, Bai Jun stood up, ready to dampen the winning team's spirits.

"How many times have we practiced together? You should know the rules, come on."

Bai Jun handed the little bundle on his shoulder to Jing Yuan, then casually picked up a similar-sized spear from the weapon rack and calmly looked at Yan Qing, who was full of fighting spirit.

"Teacher, I've improved a lot too, so don't you think I'll lose badly this time?"

A strange confidence appeared on Yan Qing's face. He drew the sword from his waist, his attitude more enthusiastic than ever before.

Yan Qing had already devised a thick stack of countermeasures against Bai Jun's various skills and habits, and had them firmly in his mind. His last the Hunt and battle with those few Buli person Den Father had also taught him a lot. He was now completely different from before.

Unlike Sushang's lighthearted banter, Yan Qing's swordsmanship this time came on fiercely like a sudden downpour, one sword strike after another, a fierce and violent offensive trying to find a weakness in Bai Jun.

Surprisingly, despite the intense offensive, Bai Jun never showed any weakness. He nimbly dodged each incoming sword strike, and his spear seemed to become an indestructible shield, intercepting all of Yan Qing's moves and preventing him from getting any closer.

In a moment of distraction, Bai Jun's spear missed its mark.

The longsword in the boy's hand had already broken through the spear's defense and was slashing straight towards Bai Jun's face.

Bai Jun instinctively raised his sword to block, but the next moment, the slender blade deftly spun and pierced straight into his chest.

This is a brand new move that Yan Qing has learned. With its strange slashing path and tricky angle, it perfectly avoids conventional thinking. Yan Qing knows Bai Jun's speed, and he can't possibly dodge it at the current distance and force.

Bai Jun was slightly taken aback, only to see the young man opposite him reveal a smile.

"Teacher, I won this time!"

Just as the outcome was about to be revealed, Bai Jun's spear spun at an even more cunning angle, the shaft vertically deflecting the thrusting sword. Before Yan Qing could even react in surprise, still maintaining a confident expression that the outcome was already decided, the sword's attack was instantly thwarted.

Bai Jun seized the opportunity and kicked Yan Qing hard in the abdomen with his right leg. The latter's feet left the ground and his body was airborne when he was immediately hit by a spinning kick from Bai Jun's left leg.

Yan Qing was kicked several meters away and fell to the ground, clutching her abdomen in pain. It took her a long time to recover.

"Everything is fine, and I've seen your progress. But where did you get the misconception that you're the only one getting stronger?"

Bai Jun slung the spear over his shoulder and shook his head expressionlessly. "In short, we still need to practice."

Yan Qing lay on the ground, his face clearly showing his "doubt about life".

Today's results: Yan Qing suffered a complete defeat.

Chapter 119 Is this also part of your play?

"Bai Jun, isn't this going a bit too far?"

As a golden figure flew into the distant sky once more, tracing a pathetic arc before crashing heavily to the ground, the dust it kicked up seemed too tragic even to Sushang. Yu Xin couldn't bear it and gently tugged at Bai Jun's sleeve.

"Today's treatment was gentle enough; the intensity would have been much higher in the past."

"Huh? Are you sure nothing bad will happen...?"

Bai Jun simply put away his training sword as usual, while Sushang looked troubled. After all, the scene before her was beyond her imagination. In her Remembrance, the angrier her mother was ever, it wasn't even half as intense as this. If her mother had trained her at this level back then, Su Sushang wouldn't exist today.

"Don't worry, Yan Qing isn't that fragile. He can handle this."

Jing Yuan then stepped forward to explain, holding some peanuts in his hand, presumably having witnessed the whole thing with amusement in mind.

Why are you still here? Don't you have official business to attend to?

"I'm a man who's worked in the office for twelve days straight! Qing Yan, aren't you being a bit too cruel? If I continue working, I might become the first tragic general in the history of the Xianzhou to die from overwork!"

As the two were talking, Yan Qing, who had recovered from lying on the ground, dusted himself off and stood up with a miserable expression.

"Looks like I was overthinking things. I thought I could shorten the distance between myself and the teacher, but it turns out I'm still far from it..."

He had long since developed a calm and composed mindset through Bai Jun's past beatings and training. In other words, those with poor mental fortitude would probably have had their Dao hearts shattered long ago, so this level of training was no problem for them at all.

However, this time, such a dismal defeat was truly unexpected, almost the complete opposite of Yan Qing's expectations. Was it because Bai Jun had been deliberately holding back in his previous sparring sessions? Or had Bai Jun become much stronger? Or perhaps both?

In short, today's sparring should be over, otherwise getting beaten up again will affect my daily life.

Yan Qing walked up to Bai Jun and bowed respectfully, thanking him for his guidance as always.

"Don't worry about it. Shall we go grab some breakfast? It's on me."

Bai Jun patted Yan Qing on the shoulder, but the latter shook his head hesitantly, put his right hand behind his head, and explained rather embarrassedly, "I also wanted to have breakfast with the teacher, but we agreed yesterday to go to the Cloud Cavalry to give some guidance on morning training, so I'm afraid I won't have time..."

As for Jing Yuan, there's no need to say more. His three meals a day are provided by the Shence Mansion, so even if he wanted to sneak out to eat, he wouldn't have the chance.

So in the end, only Sushang was left by his side.

"Get up! The Sun's practically high in the sky. Hurry up and wash up, eat breakfast, and then go to work. Why does a grown woman like you still need to be woken up every day?"

Today, it was her mother's familiar, helpless voice that woke Qing Que up again. Just like before, she dragged Qing Que out of bed at 7:30 a. m. sharp.

"Ugh, Qing Yan, stop fooling around..." Qing Que casually brushed her mother's hand away and sleepily buried her face back into the soft pillow.

"Oh ho ho~ It's that child's name again. Look how much he's bewitched our Que'er!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Que, who was still half-asleep, suddenly sat up, thinking that her sweet dream had come true. Her dazed expression was rather cute. It wasn't until she saw her mother sitting by the bed with a broad smile, constantly uttering mature reflections, that she instantly came to her senses.

"Oh, it's morning already? Wait, Mom, why are you eavesdropping on other people's conversations again?!"

"I wasn't eavesdropping; you were talking to yourself."

"Mom--!!!"

The girl's shy scream completely woke up her morning drowsiness, allowing her father, who was sitting in the living room, to calmly push up his glasses and then continue eating and watching TV with composure.

"Five million, leave my daughter, or you know the consequences."

"I refuse! Our relationship cannot be measured by money. Doing this is an insult to me and your daughter!"

An old television set was playing a drama series that was almost as old as the set itself. In the series, a domineering CEO coldly slammed a credit card onto his desk, while a handsome man, filled with grief and indignation as if he had been greatly insulted, threw the credit card away and loudly demonstrated his determination to the CEO.

After Qing Que finished washing up, her father, who was sitting at the dining table, had already drunk half a bowl of rice porridge and was watching the TV series he had seen countless times before with great interest.

Her mother pushed a steaming bowl of rice porridge in front of her and urged, "Don't just stand there daydreaming, hurry up and eat. You're so old and still so absent-minded all the time. I'm really worried about your future."

As she spoke, a deep worry flashed in her pale green eyes, which were also Jade green. Her long, brown hair, tied in a single ponytail, draped over one shoulder, and she let out a bitter sigh.

"What's there to worry about? I already have a secure job at the Divination Bureau), so what's there to worry about now?" Qing Que took a sip of rice porridge and blinked in confusion.

"Of course I'm worried about your marriage! Mom really doubts whether someone as absent-minded as you can even snag that Little Jun!"

"Cough cough cough! Mom, what nonsense are you talking about! Fishing, fishing, fishing for Qing Yan, is that something a mother should be saying!?"

The Qing Que, nearly choked to death by the mournful cry, stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the pale green Jade green of the bird. It slammed the bowl down on the table and stammered a loud rebuttal, but its mother only showed a complex expression of disappointment and frustration.

"Can't you just not tell me? Little Jun is the most famous handsome young man in all around Luofu. The girls who want to date him could line up from Aurum Alley all the way Stargazer Navalia. If you're not careful, he might get snatched away by some other bad woman!"

Ignoring her daughter's face, which was flushed red to the roots of her ears, she continued, "And I've also heard that the famous ferryman from the Tianbo Division seems to be interested in Little Jun! Que'er, you must cherish this opportunity. Little Jun is so beautiful; who knows how handsome her next generation will be? Your father and I have been wanting to hold a big, chubby grandson for a long time!"

The father, who had been silently watching TV the whole time, nodded, his usually gentle expression now somewhat serious.

"If it's Little Jun, you should take him home for a meal as soon as possible. I happen to have a bottle of good wine that I haven't opened yet, and I'm planning to have a drink with my future son-in-law."

"Ugh! You guys are so annoying! I know, I know, I don't need your help anymore!!!"

Hearing her gentle and composed father say the same thing, Qing Que shyly buried her face in her arms and whispered her innermost thoughts, "But, I don't know what he thinks of me. What if he doesn't like me...?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't run away from these feelings. You need to know that there's no hierarchy in love. If you like someone, just go for it! Remember how your mother went through so much trouble to win me over?"

Even a sufficiently composed father revealed a touch of shamelessness in this regard.