Dongning Grand Hotel, that evening.
It was considered the most expensive place in Dongning City. To celebrate her daughter passing the Martial Apprentice exam, Mother Chen, usually a frugal woman, had really splurged this time.
Everyone from Uncle Chen Dalong's family had come except for Chen Shouyi's cousin, who was away at university. The atmosphere was lively.
Chen Shouyi's family had few relatives. He had never met his grandparents, not even once since he was born. His father's generation had only one older brother, his uncle. On his mother's side, she had several siblings, but because of certain matters too sensitive to discuss, they had barely kept in touch.
"Our Old Chen Family finally has a Martial Apprentice! What a wonderful achievement." When Uncle Chen Dalong arrived, he presented Chen Xingyue with a wooden box that looked quite high-end.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Chen Xingyue accepted the box with a poised smile. At a glance, she exclaimed in delight, "Oh, it's an Alloy Sword from Qi Wu Fang!"
Chen Shouyi watched with envy. Cold weapons varied wildly in price: the cheap ones cost only one or two thousand, while the expensive ones could run to hundreds of thousands, or even millions. Qi Wu Fang was a mid-to-high-end manufacturer of crafted cold weapons.
Even the cheapest sword cost more than ten thousand.
China had strict controls on weapons. Long weapons such as swords and sabers were generally only allowed as collectibles, but Martial Apprentices were an exception. Once registered as a Martial Apprentice, they had the privilege of carrying weapons on their person.
"This is too much!" Chen Dawei hurried to say.
"How can you call it too much? Xingyue passing the Martial Apprentice exam isn't just your family's achievement." With light makeup on, Aunt Chen affectionately put an arm around Chen Xingyue, then turned her attention to Chen Shouyi. "You'll have to work hard too, Shouyi. You're taking the college entrance exam this year, aren't you?"
Chen Shouyi had caught a stray bullet while lying down. He gave an awkward laugh. "I'm working hard."
Once again, Chen Shouyi watched his sister become the center of attention at the banquet, dazzling everyone while no one paid him any mind. But this time, he felt no jealousy at all. He was genuinely happy for her.
He felt he had truly matured—and grown more confident, too.
Sunday, Youth Martial Arts Training Center, training room.
A row of simple wooden stakes had been set up. One after another, the students weaved around them in an S-shaped path, practicing Basic Footwork.
"Lin Feng, you're next!"
"Chen Shouyi, you're next."
When the Beautiful Teacher called his name, her voice paused for a moment, and she couldn't help glancing at him.
Chen Shouyi waited. Lin Feng was still stumbling along and was almost at the finish line before he finally stepped forward. His feet moved like a phantom, his body drifting unpredictably, now left, now right.
There was no forced effort or pause. Every movement came naturally, fluid as a smooth curve.
When he returned, a group of students crowded around Chen Shouyi.
"Brother Chen, you're amazing! I think you're almost as good as the teacher." A teenager with a face full of acne praised him.
"Yeah, it was just like watching a training video."
"I've still got a long way to go!" Chen Shouyi said with a smile, shaking his head.
He wasn't just being modest; he really did have a long way to go. Others might not be able to tell, but since he spent every day entering the Beautiful Teacher's body in the Memory Space, he could clearly sense the difference.
His body still needed more training; it hadn't quite reached the proper level. As he moved, his muscles worked with a faint stiffness. That would take repeated practice and adjustment to overcome.
Off to the side, Lin Feng watched Chen Shouyi from a distance, secretly clenching his fists.
This month, his girlfriend, Guo Qianqian, had been friendlier toward Chen Shouyi with each passing day. He hadn't thought much of it at first. His girlfriend was just like that—she could chat with anyone. Besides, most importantly, he was better-looking and cooler than Chen Shouyi.
Even Guo Qianqian had been the one to pursue him.
But gradually, he began to feel the pressure. No matter how much he resented the other guy, he couldn't deny his frightening martial arts talent.
Often, they would be learning the same new move and stumbling through the practice at the same time. But by the next lesson, Chen Shouyi would have mastered it completely, performing it as if he'd practiced it countless times.
A person like that could leave you feeling utterly powerless.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
The instructor clapped her hands. "You've all practiced well, which means you've basically got the hang of it. Now let's try some sparring practice."
The students stirred, their faces bright with excitement.
Chen Shouyi was just as excited. He'd learned swordsmanship to fight, and at last he could get a taste of it today.
"All right, everyone, come get your Protective Suits and Safety Swords!"
The Protective Suit included a face mask, a short jacket, a chest guard, arm guards, pants, and gloves. It was not only thick but quite a hassle to put on.
Still, it had to be done. Real combat was dangerous, and even people who weren't Martial Apprentices could unleash unbelievable force if they had learned even a little swordsmanship.
The precise techniques for generating force made the human body as fragile as tofu. A real sword was hardly necessary. A chopstick, a wooden stick, even a branch could easily kill an ordinary person.
After quite a struggle, Chen Shouyi finally got his Protective Suit on. Then he picked up a Safety Sword. It was made of plastic, with a slender, flexible blade. Even if it struck bare skin, it wouldn't do much damage.
The Beautiful Teacher had changed into her Protective Suit as well, and seemed ready to join in. "Now I'll pair you up. Guo Wenlong against Chen Hailiang."
"Wen Ya against Cao Yunyun."
"Lin Feng against Xie Xiangqing."
"As for you, Chen Shouyi, you'll practice with me."
"Yes, teacher!" Chen Shouyi said at once. His heart pounded—not because he had any ideas about the Beautiful Teacher.
He had seen her plenty of times in the Memory Space. When it came to knowing her body, he was already nearly as familiar with it as she was.
He was simply excited, thrilled at the prospect of real combat. His blood was boiling.
"Please teach me!" he said, imitating a line from a TV show.
Through the teacher's face mask, he thought he saw her smile with a strange expression. Before he could react, his vision blurred. She slid toward him in an instant, her Long Sword darting out again and again like lightning.
"Smack! Smack! Smack!"
His heart, abdomen, and face mask were struck as if by firecrackers. Each impact jolted him, and he staggered backward.
"You talk too much. In a real fight, you'd already be dead." She spoke calmly, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
Sometimes, students with this kind of extraordinary talent weren't very likable. They made a teacher's lessons seem utterly worthless and could even make her question her own life.
It was better when all the students were on the same level.
Oblivious to the Beautiful Teacher's frustration, Chen Shouyi quickly straightened his attitude. "Yes, teacher!"
This time, he tried hard to stay focused, his gaze sharp and alert. It still didn't help. Whether he tried to attack or dodge, the Beautiful Teacher's blows followed him like a shadow, as if she could see the future.
Chen Shouyi was relentlessly beaten for over a minute. His body went numb from the impacts. He was almost starting to wonder if he'd somehow offended the Beautiful Teacher when she finally stopped and exhaled a long stream of white breath.
"Do you know why I can hit you?"
"Because you're a Martial Apprentice, teacher. Your reactions are faster, and you're stronger." Chen Shouyi praised her discreetly.
"That's only part of it. Do you know who's most welcome at a card table?"
"Rich suckers!" Chen Shouyi thought for a moment, a sudden suspicion rising in his mind. Did the teacher like playing cards?
"Uh, beginners," the Beautiful Teacher quickly corrected him. "When they play cards, they often wear their emotions on their faces. If they get a good hand, they look full of confidence. If they get a bad one, they droop. People like that are easy to read, and they'll lose every time."
Chen Shouyi caught on. "You mean I give away my intentions before I attack."
"Your eyes are too fixed on the target you want to hit. Anyone with a little experience can easily see what you're thinking and where you're going, then dodge in advance—or even take the chance to attack."
So that was it. Chen Shouyi suddenly felt as if a window had opened in his mind.
"Then what should I do instead?"
"For you, the simplest thing is to look straight ahead and use your peripheral vision to observe. Hide your intentions, and don't give them away so easily."
"Now, again!"
Before you continue