Huan'er readied the carriage and horses.
After Cui Qingwu boarded the carriage and left the inner residence,
as they passed the central courtyard, she could not help saying, "Stop the carriage."
Huan'er pulled the reins. "Miss?"
"Get me an umbrella."
"Oh."
Cui Qingwu stepped down from the carriage, told her to wait a moment, then entered the central courtyard beneath an oiled-paper umbrella.
Just as before.
Inside the central courtyard, beside the rockery and pond, Chunying, Ning Yu, and Niu Shan stood beneath umbrellas in the Training Ground built of gray tiles and white walls, watching the center of the field.
Chen Yunfan wore only a pair of trousers, his upper body bare as he practiced his swordsmanship in the rain.
Cui Qingwu peeked inside. An almost imperceptible flush rose to her face, and she lowered her oiled-paper umbrella to hide it.
Upon seeing her, Chunying and the other two hurriedly bowed. "Miss Cui."
Cui Qingwu gave a quiet acknowledgment, walked to their side, and looked at Chen Yunfan.
Unlike before, Chen Yunfan was no longer cultivating sword techniques. Instead, he had returned to simplicity and practiced only the basic sword moves.
Thrusting, slashing, lifting, and so on.
They looked simple, yet every stroke carried a feeling of seamless naturalness.
It was as though that figure and that longsword had melted into the rain, without the slightest discord.
As Cui Qingwu watched, surprise appeared on her face. "Brother Yunfan's Sword Dao... is he about to break through?"
She cultivated the Sword Dao herself. Though she had reached only the Minor Accomplishment Realm, she could still sense the might of Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi.
—A faint might that surpassed the Great Accomplishment Sword Dao.
Chunying, Ning Yu, and Niu Shan exchanged glances. Then Chunying said,
"The young master has gained