The wind outside the stone wall was sharp.
When the Deacon handed over the letter, the sealing wax had yet to cool completely.
Xiao Wu reached for it first.
"Let me see."
The Deacon instinctively looked toward Su Chen.
Su Chen nodded.
Only then did the Deacon pass the letter over.
Xiao Wu opened it, and her eyebrows shot up at once.
"What does he mean, 'If I don't dare to fight, then Nuoding Academy has already conceded defeat'?"
She crumpled the letter in her fist.
"Who does he think he is, deciding the outcome for us?"
Shen Zhi stood to one side, his expression unchanged.
"Zhou Ling has always been like that."
"He's been throwing his weight around in Suotuo City for so long, he loves stepping on other people's reputations to make himself look good."
Xiao Wu sneered.
"Step on me?"
"He picked the wrong person."
She turned to look at Su Chen.
"I'll take this match."
Su Chen looked at her.
"Have you thought it through?"
"What's there to think about?"
Xiao Wu slapped the letter back into his hand.
"Didn't he call me out by name?"
"Then I'll stand right in front of him and make him swallow his words."
Su Chen didn't answer immediately.
He simply reached out and slowly smoothed the creased letter in Xiao Wu's hand.
"All right."
"You'll take this match."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Xiao Wu lifted her chin. The anger still hadn't left her, but she was already fired up.
"Then don't try to take my place."
"I'll beat him myself."
Hearing that, Shen Zhi finally spoke up.
"Zhou Ling is level twenty-eight, with a Beast Martial Soul. He specializes in frontal suppression."
"He's not particularly technical, but his explosive power and toughness are both decent."
"If you want to win, you can't meet him head-on."
Xiao Wu glanced at him.
"Meeting him head-on was never my style."
Shen Zhi nodded.
"That's true."
Su Chen folded up the letter and handed it to the Deacon.
"Keep an eye on things in Suotuo City."
"Get me the names, levels, and Martial Souls of the people around Zhou Ling before tonight."
"Yes."
The Deacon cupped his hands and withdrew.
Su Chen looked at the two Spirit Hall Deacons standing guard outside.
"After Tang San is escorted back to the academy, handle it as I just instructed."
"He can move around."
"But he's not to go anywhere near the blacksmith's shop, the apothecary, the warehouse, or the city gate."
"If he tries again, detain him immediately."
Both Deacons bowed their heads.
"Understood."
Xiao Wu stood to one side with her arms crossed.
"You're really not afraid he'll keep causing trouble?"
"What is there to fear?"
Su Chen started walking back.
"Right now, what he lacks most is opportunity."
"If I cut off every opportunity, no matter how much trouble he tries to stir up, he'll only be running in circles."
Xiao Wu hurried two steps to catch up.
"Then are we heading back to the academy?"
"No."
Su Chen turned his head to look at her.
"We're going to the Training Ground."
Xiao Wu stopped in her tracks.
"Now?"
"Now."
"Don't we still have three days?"
"Three days is plenty."
Su Chen's tone was calm.
"Enough to get rid of all those unnecessary movements of yours."
Xiao Wu gave a huff, then edged closer.
"The way you put that makes it sound like you've always thought I move too much."
"It doesn't just sound that way."
"I do."
Xiao Wu glared at him.
"You really don't know how to soften your words."
Su Chen smiled.
"Being polite won't win you a match."
The rear Training Area of Nuoding Academy.
This was where the senior students usually practiced basic combat.
The ground was packed smooth.
Wooden posts and old punching bags stood all around it.
The slanting sunlight bleached the wood pale.
Wang Sheng was clearing the area with a few Work-Study Students.
As soon as he saw Su Chen and Xiao Wu enter, he straightened up.
"Boss."
"Clear the Training Ground."
Su Chen glanced around.
"Then go get two new wooden posts, three lengths of rope, and a pair of soft-soled training boots."
Wang Sheng blinked.
"Training boots?"
Xiao Wu was just as surprised.
"Why are you buying those for me?"
"The shoes you're wearing are too old."
Su Chen glanced at the cloth shoes on her feet.
"The soles are thin, they don't grip well, and they slow down your footwork."
Xiao Wu looked down at them.
She usually didn't pay much attention to that sort of thing.
As long as she could run and jump, that was enough.
"Can they really make that much difference?"
"They make a lot of difference."
Su Chen answered bluntly.
"Especially against a strength-type opponent."
"If you slip even once, you'll lose your rhythm."
Wang Sheng had already caught on. He turned and ran off.
"I'll go get them now."
Shen Zhi stayed where he was.
He stood at the edge of the Training Ground with his arms crossed, watching the two of them.
"You're going to train her yourself?"
"Who else?"
Su Chen asked in return.
Shen Zhi's mouth twitched.
"I doubt she'd listen to me."
Xiao Wu immediately cut in.
"At least you know your limits."
Shen Zhi glanced at her but didn't take offense.
"Your temperament really isn't suited to being taught by force."
"But you're quite willing to listen to him."
Xiao Wu's ears warmed. She immediately shot back,
"That's because he's right."
"Don't read too much into it."
Su Chen had already walked to the center of the Training Ground.
"Come over."
Xiao Wu followed right away.
"Just so we're clear, don't throw me around the way you did Zhou Ling today."
"You're not as tough as him."
"Su Chen."
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes you're really annoying."
"Are you still going to listen to me, then?"
"...Yes."
Shen Zhi couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh from the sidelines.
Su Chen raised a hand, motioning for Xiao Wu to stand opposite him.
"Let's see it once."
"Use the opening move you're most comfortable with."
Xiao Wu immediately lowered her stance.
Her movements were swift.
Her left foot darted forward, her shoulder dipped, and she was already skimming low toward him.
There was no unnecessary probing.
She went straight for close-range control.
It was the rhythm she knew best.
Close in, tie him up, borrow his momentum, and throw him down.
But just as she got within two steps, Su Chen spoke.
"Stop."
Xiao Wu brought herself to a hard stop.
"What is it?"
"You're dropping your shoulder too early."
Su Chen raised a hand and pointed at her left foot, which had crept forward.
"That move tells your opponent you're planning to take the inside lane."
"If Zhou Ling reacts quickly enough, he only has to smash his elbow down, and you'll have to back off."
Xiao Wu frowned.
"But that's how I always go in."
"That's because the people you usually fight are slower to react than you."
Su Chen took two steps closer and stood where she had started her move.
"Watch."
He didn't copy Xiao Wu's movements exactly.
He just broke the rhythm apart.
First, he lightly tapped the ground with his toes. Then he turned his waist and abdomen a little. Only at the end did he lower his shoulder.
The change was tiny.
But because it was so small, it hid his intention at the start.
Xiao Wu watched the movements of his feet.
"You deliberately delayed it by a beat?"
"Not delayed,"
Su Chen said.
"Hidden."
"You're not trying to see who moves first."
"You're making it hard for him to tell when you really move."
Xiao Wu stood still and thought for two seconds.
Then she tried again.
This time, she lowered her shoulder last.
When she moved, the motion was clearly smoother.
Su Chen nodded.
"Keep going."
Xiao Wu tried it three more times in a row.
Each time, she grew steadier.
On the fifth try, she stopped of her own accord.
"I get it."
She looked up at Su Chen, her eyes shining.
"It's not that my old way didn't work."
"It was just too obvious."
"Mm."
"Your way's pretty useful."
"It's not mine."
Su Chen's tone was mild.
"You already had it in you. You just hadn't worked the kinks out."
Xiao Wu paused.
She looked at Su Chen, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"You sure have a roundabout way of complimenting people."
"As long as you understand."
Just then, Wang Sheng came running back with the things.
Two new wooden posts, a bundle of hemp rope, and a pair of soft-soled short boots he'd just bought in town.
He set everything down, panting hard.
"Boss, I got it all."
Su Chen crouched and picked up the training boots to inspect them.
The soles were soft enough.
The forefoot was thin, too.
They were a good fit for Xiao Wu's quick, explosive style, with all its changes of direction.
He handed them to her.
"Put them on and try them."
Xiao Wu took them.
She looked down at the boots, then at the old cloth shoes on her feet.
"You really bought these for me?"
"Otherwise, why would I send Wang Sheng out to sightsee?"
Xiao Wu gave a soft snort and carried the boots off to the side.
She changed quickly.
When she returned to the training ground, she made a point of lightly stamping the dirt twice.
The soles scuffed the ground with a short, raspy sound.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
"These really are steadier than the other pair."
After saying that, she suddenly looked at Su Chen.
"When did you notice?"
"When you chased me in the hills behind the academy yesterday."
"When did I chase you? I was following you."
"Same thing."
"It's not the same."
Xiao Wu argued back, but for some reason, her heart felt warm.
He'd even remembered a tiny detail like that.
Su Chen didn't linger on the subject.
He gestured for Wang Sheng to set up the wooden posts.
The two posts stood one behind the other, with very little space between them.
A length of hemp rope was stretched diagonally between them.
"Get through."
Su Chen said.
Xiao Wu glanced at it.
"That's all?"
She pushed off, ducked low, and slipped under the rope with ease.
"And then?"
"Come back."
Xiao Wu went back the way she'd come.
Su Chen shook his head.
"Wrong."
"What was wrong?"
"Your eyes went first."
Xiao Wu froze.
"What do you mean?"
Su Chen walked over to the posts and pressed down on the rope.
"You have a habit of looking for a landing spot before your body moves."
"That's usually fine."
"But against someone observant, they'll follow your eyes to figure out which way you're going."
Xiao Wu was truly stunned this time.
She'd never paid attention to that before.
"My eyes can give me away, too?"
"Your eyes are the easiest thing to give you away."
Su Chen looked up at her.
"You're fast up close, and your Soft Technique is good. Those are your strengths."
"So when someone faces you, their first instinct will be to watch your feet and your eyes."
"You need to hide both."
Xiao Wu fell silent for a few seconds.
Then she returned to the starting point.
This time, she didn't rush to move.
First, she let her gaze go unfocused. Then she suddenly slipped beneath the rope, her body bending sideways as if she had no bones.
Smooth.
And strangely eerie.
Even Shen Zhi, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
Xiao Wu landed and turned back.
"How about this time?"
At last, Su Chen looked a little pleased.
"Much better."
Xiao Wu immediately grinned.
A sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead, and the rabbit-ear ornaments in her hair bobbed along with her.
"Again."
For the next hour,
the Training Ground barely fell quiet.
Xiao Wu practiced her footwork, lunges, and changes of direction over and over.
Su Chen didn't spar with her aimlessly.
He only spoke up at the crucial moments.
"Your left foot's overcommitting."
"Pull it back a little."
"Don't rush the second move."
"Zhou Ling relies on strength. If you can't move him with your first strike, change position immediately."
"Don't stop."
"If you stop, you'll get hit."
At first, Xiao Wu still talked back.
Later, all that remained were her panting and nods.
She learned quickly.
Sometimes, Su Chen only had to tell her once, and she could immediately correct the movement by seventy or eighty percent.
By the time the sun had begun to sink, she looked as if she'd just been fished out of the water.
Damp hair clung to her cheeks, and her breathing had grown heavier.
Wang Sheng was exhausted just watching her.
"Boss, how about taking a break?"
Xiao Wu braced her hands on her knees, looked up, and answered at once.
"I'm fine."
Su Chen watched her.
"Really fine?"
"Really."
Xiao Wu straightened and wiped away her sweat.
"Zhou Ling's at level twenty-eight, isn't he?"
"If I get in one more round of practice now, I'll have a little more confidence when the time comes."
Su Chen watched her for two seconds but didn't pour cold water on her.
He only unscrewed the water jug he'd prepared nearby and set it on the wooden post.
"Drink first."
Xiao Wu walked over, took the jug, and drank several big gulps.
The water was warm, neither cold nor hot.
After she finished drinking, her breathing gradually settled.
"You prepared this ahead of time?"
"Mm."
"Even the water temperature was just right?"
"Otherwise, should I let you drink it cold and get leg cramps tonight?"
Xiao Wu hugged the water jug and lowered her head with a smile.
"Sometimes... you're pretty attentive."
"You mean thoughtful."
"Close enough."
"Not even close."
Xiao Wu looked up and glared at him.
"Can't you let me win an argument just once?"
"Not on the Training Ground."
"Then when?"
Su Chen paused, looking at the ends of her hair, damp with sweat.
"When you beat Zhou Ling."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she immediately set down the water jug.
"You said it."
"I did."
She held out a finger as if to seal a promise, but halfway through, she decided it was too childish and hurriedly pulled it back.
Instead, she just lifted her chin a little higher.
"Just you wait."
"In three days, I'll shut the mouths of those people from Suotuo City for you."
Shen Zhi stood to one side, watching the two of them go back and forth without saying anything.
But he knew perfectly well.
This match meant more to Xiao Wu than simply venting her frustration.
She truly wanted to win.
And she wanted to win in front of Su Chen.
Just then, another burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the Training Ground.
A Spirit Hall Deacon hurried in, clutching a newly delivered letter.
"His Highness the Holy Son."
Su Chen turned.
"Speak."
The Deacon lowered his head and handed over the letter.
"It just arrived from Suotuo City."
"Zhou Ling has changed the rules again."
At that, Xiao Wu's expression turned cold.
"Is he ever going to stop?"
Su Chen opened the letter and glanced over it.
There weren't many words on the page.
But every line was aimed right at them.
Watching Su Chen's expression, Shen Zhi asked,
"What's he up to this time?"
Su Chen handed the letter to Xiao Wu.
His voice was calm.
"He says there won't be a draw for the first match."
"He'll enter the ring himself."
"To fight you first."
Before you continue