Sparring Practice

Evening, Dongning Grand Hotel.

This was one of the most expensive places in Dongning City. To celebrate her daughter passing the Martial Apprentice assessment, the usually frugal Mother Chen had splurged this time.

Uncle Chen Dalong's family had all come, except for his eldest daughter who was in university. The atmosphere was lively.

Chen Shouyi's family had few relatives. He had never met his grandparents since birth. On his father's side, there was only Uncle Chen Dalong. On his mother's side, there were a few siblings, but due to some unspoken matters, they barely kept in touch.

"Our Old Chen family finally has a Martial Apprentice. What an achievement." Uncle Chen Dalong handed over a wooden box that looked quite high-end as soon as he arrived.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Chen Xingyue took the box with a composed expression, then exclaimed in delight, "Ah, this is an Alloy Sword from Qi Wu Fang."

Chen Shouyi watched with some envy. The price gap for cold weapons was huge—cheap ones cost a thousand or two, while expensive ones could reach hundreds of thousands or even millions. Qi Wu Fang was a mid-to-high-end cold weapon manufacturing company.

Even the cheapest sword cost over ten thousand.

China had strict weapon controls. Long weapons like swords and blades were mostly for collection, but this didn't apply to Martial Apprentices. Once registered as a Martial Apprentice, one had the privilege of carrying weapons.

"That's too generous!" Chen Dawei quickly said.

"How is that generous? Xingyue passing the Martial Apprentice assessment isn't just your family's achievement." Uncle's wife, wearing light makeup, hugged Chen Xingyue affectionately, then turned her spearhead toward Chen Shouyi. "Shouyi, you need to work harder. You'll be taking the college entrance exam this year, right?"

Chen Shouyi was caught in the crossfire and gave a dry laugh. "I'm trying."

Once again, Chen Shouyi watched his sister become the center of attention at the banquet, radiant and dazzling, while he went unnoticed. Yet this time, he felt no jealousy at all—he was genuinely happy for her.

He felt he had truly matured and grown more confident.

Sunday, Youth Martial Arts Training Center practice room.

Simple wooden stakes were lined up in a row. All the trainees took turns weaving through them in an S-shaped "Basic Footwork" drill.

"Next, Lin Feng!"

"Next, Chen Shouyi."

When it came to Chen Shouyi, the Beautiful Teacher paused slightly and glanced at him.

Chen Shouyi waited a moment. Seeing Lin Feng ahead stumbling his way to the finish, he stepped forward. His feet moved like a ghost, his body drifting unpredictably, shifting left and right.

No deliberate effort, no hesitation. The whole process was natural, flowing like a smooth curve.

When he returned, a group of trainees surrounded him.

"Brother Chen, that was amazing. I think you're almost as good as the teacher," a pimply-faced teen said admiringly.

"Yeah, it's like watching an instructional video."

"Still far from it!" Chen Shouyi shook his head with a smile.

This wasn't false modesty—he really was far off. Others might not see it, but as someone who mentally inhabited the Beautiful Teacher's body every day, he could clearly feel the difference.

His body still needed tempering. There was a slight stiffness in his muscle movements, which required repeated practice and adjustment.

Lin Feng watched Chen Shouyi from a distance, clenching his fists.

This month, his girlfriend Guo Qianqian had been getting more and more enthusiastic toward Chen Shouyi. Before, he hadn't thought much of it—his girlfriend was like that, easygoing with everyone. And most importantly, he was better-looking and cooler than Chen Shouyi.

Even Guo Qianqian had been the one to pursue him.

But gradually, he felt the pressure. No matter how much he resented it, he had to admit the terrifying martial talent of that guy.

Often, with the same new moves, both of them would stumble through practice. But by the next class, Chen Shouyi would have mastered them, moving as smoothly as if he'd practiced a thousand times.

Someone like that was truly disheartening.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

The teacher clapped her hands. "Everyone's done well. You've basically got it. Now let's try some sparring practice."

The trainees stirred with excitement.

Chen Shouyi felt the same. Learning swordsmanship was for fighting. Finally, today, he'd get to try it.

"Alright, everyone, come get your Protective Suits and Safety Swords!"

The Protective Suits included a mask, short jacket, chest guard, arm guards, pants, and gloves. They were thick and quite troublesome to put on.

But it had to be done. Actual combat was dangerous. Even someone who wasn't a Martial Apprentice, if they'd learned some swordsmanship, could unleash surprising power.

The precise system's force application made the human body as fragile as tofu. No real sword was needed—a chopstick, a Wooden Stick, even a branch could easily kill an ordinary person.

After a lot of effort, Chen Shouyi finally got the Protective Suit on. Then he picked up a Safety Sword, a plastic blade with a thin, flexible body. Even if it struck bare skin, it wouldn't do much damage.

On the other side, the Beautiful Teacher had also changed into her Protective Suit, apparently ready to join in. "Now I'll do the pairings. Guo Wenlong versus Chen Hailiang."

"Wen Ya versus Cao Yunyun."

"Lin Feng versus Xie Xiangqing."

"As for Chen Shouyi, you'll practice with me."

"Yes, Teacher!" Chen Shouyi replied immediately. His heart pounded, not because he had any thoughts about the Beautiful Teacher.

In the memory space, he'd seen plenty. If anything, his understanding of her body was almost as good as hers.

He was just excited—a thrill for actual combat that made his blood boil.

"Please guide me well!" he said, mimicking a line from TV.

Then, through her faceplate, he seemed to catch a faint, meaningful smile. Before he could react, a blur flashed before his eyes—she slid in close with a single step, and the Long Sword stabbed out like lightning in rapid succession.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

His chest, abdomen, and faceplate jolted as if struck by firecrackers, and he couldn't help but take a step back.

"You talk too much. If this were real combat, you'd be dead already." She said calmly, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

Sometimes, a student with such overflowing talent wasn't likable. It made her teaching feel worthless, even made her question her own purpose.

It was better when all the trainees were on the same level.

Unaware of the Beautiful Teacher's resentment, Chen Shouyi quickly straightened his attitude: "Yes, teacher!"

This time, he forced himself to focus, his eyes burning with determination. But it was still useless. Whether he tried to attack or dodge, the Beautiful Teacher's strikes followed him like a shadow, as if she could read his every move.

Chen Shouyi was thoroughly battered for over a minute, his body numbed from the shocks, and he began to wonder if he'd somehow offended the Beautiful Teacher.

Finally, she stopped and let out a long breath of white air.

"Do you know why I could hit you?"

"Because you're a Martial Apprentice, teacher—faster reactions, stronger strength." Chen Shouyi flattered her without missing a beat.

"That's only one part. Do you know who's the most popular person at a poker table?"

"A rich sucker!" Chen Shouyi thought for a moment, then a sudden idea struck him—did the teacher like playing cards?

"Uh, no—it's a novice." The Beautiful Teacher quickly corrected. "That kind of person wears their emotions on their sleeve. When they get a good hand, they're full of swagger; when they get a bad one, they slump in defeat. People like that get read easily and lose every time."

Chen Shouyi caught on: "You mean I was already revealing my intentions before I attacked."

"Your gaze is too fixed on the target you want to hit. Anyone with even a little experience can easily see through your thoughts and your path of movement, dodging or even counterattacking in advance."

So that was it. Chen Shouyi felt a sudden clarity, like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

"Then what's the right way to do it?"

"For you, the simplest thing is to look straight ahead, observe with your peripheral vision, hide your thoughts, and never reveal your intentions easily."

"Now, again!"