The Difference

"Wait a moment."

Just as Feng Xinglie reached the room door, Zhu Zhuqing's voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Sorry, may I... spar with you? I want to see just how big the gap between us is."

"Hm?"

Feng Xinglie raised an eyebrow. That sounded familiar. Wasn't she supposed to say that to Tang San during the Soul Fighting match tonight? Why had she switched to him? As he wondered, Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together and said quietly:

"Our ages aren't that far apart, but you not only repelled the assassins who were after me, you also easily defeated students from Shrek Academy. You even held your own against the Immovable Wisdom King for a while, and you have a deeper understanding of what it means to be strong. Among people my age, you're the strongest I've ever met. I want to become stronger, so I need to know just how big the gap between us is."

So that was it...

Feng Xinglie understood.

Once he understood Zhu Zhuqing's intentions, he smiled, extended a hand, and gestured for her to make the first move. Zhu Zhuqing didn't waste time. She immediately summoned her Martial Soul Possession, and the Yellow Soul Ring at her feet lit up:

"First Soul Skill: Hell Stab!"

Making perfect use of a cat's agility, she attacked at top speed, her sharp claws darting straight for his chest. But Feng Xinglie simply pivoted on his left foot, pushed off with his right, and turned sideways forty-five degrees like a compass drawing a circle, easily dodging her strike.

"Second Soul Skill: Hell Hundred Claws!"

The instant she passed Feng Xinglie, Zhu Zhuqing forcibly twisted around to face him again and launched another furious attack at point-blank range. Hell Hundred Claws lived up to its name. Her rapidly shifting hands became a storm of claw-shadows, descending like an inescapable net. Just as Zhu Zhuqing thought she was bound to land at least one hit, two soft smacks rang out. Feng Xinglie caught her rapidly moving claws with unerring precision, clasped her hands in his, and instantly dispelled the countless claw-shadows.

"Ugh..."

Though she knew the outcome was already decided, Zhu Zhuqing still wanted to struggle a little longer. But as soon as she tried to move, Feng Xinglie tightened his grip ever so slightly. An immense force surged through her, and she could barely stay on her feet. Her legs bent, nearly forcing her to her knees.

"I yield."

As he spoke, Feng Xinglie relaxed his grip, and Zhu Zhuqing regained control of her body. She clutched her hands and gasped for breath.

"Thank you for the guidance..."

Her cool nature left her unwilling to say much more. Looking at Zhu Zhuqing's dejected figure, Feng Xinglie smiled and said, "When you attack, don't focus all your attention on your hands."

"?"

Zhu Zhuqing turned back in confusion and met Feng Xinglie's warm smile:

"Your claws, the tips of your weapons, are already so fast they're hard to see. But..."

As he spoke, Feng Xinglie stepped forward and lightly tapped her shoulder with a finger:

"This part, at the base, is extremely slow. By watching your shoulder movements, I can roughly predict your attack's path. In a real fight, pay attention to hiding it."

As he spoke, Feng Xinglie suddenly threw a left punch straight at Zhu Zhuqing's face, stopping just before it hit her. Only after he pulled back his fist did Zhu Zhuqing notice his right hand had already formed a claw, poised against her abdomen.

"This is the most common feint. Master this move first; it's a basic technique."

"Thank you... truly, thank you so much."

A flicker of emotion passed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, but even after searching her mind for a long time, those were the only words she could find. Feng Xinglie didn't mind. He smiled and waved a hand:

"It was nothing. If there's anything you don't understand, you're always welcome to spar with me."

Watching him turn and go back inside, a ripple stirred in Zhu Zhuqing's cool heart. He had not only saved her life, but stood up for her, comforted her when she was upset, and shown her another path to becoming stronger. Now he had even pointed out her flaws in combat, guiding her through them step by step. His help had come one thing after another, and the simple-hearted Zhu Zhuqing couldn't think of how she could ever repay him. After hesitating in the courtyard for a while, she finally left, looking back every few steps.

Time flew by. Feng Xinglie was painting in the courtyard when he suddenly heard sobbing drawing closer. Before long, Ning Rongrong came running into the dormitory area, wiping her face haphazardly with both hands as she choked back tears.

Oh? Looks like she didn't finish her run and Flender yelled at her until she cried.

At last, the person he'd been waiting for had appeared. Feng Xinglie called out to Ning Rongrong:

"Rongrong, who bullied you?"

Ning Rongrong froze mid-cry. She looked up and saw Feng Xinglie gazing at her with warm curiosity. She immediately wiped away her tears with her sleeve, sniffed, and said:

"None of your business!"

"Crying that hard, you must have suffered quite a grievance. I can't promise I'll be able to do anything, but as your classmate, I can at least offer some help. If something's upsetting you, why not tell me? Don't worry, I'm good at keeping secrets. I won't go spreading them around."

"Hmph. What could you possibly do to help if I told you?"

Though she said that, Ning Rongrong still moved closer to Feng Xinglie. Seeing him painting, she leaned over to take a look:

"Is that... the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? You did a pretty good job."

Seeing that Feng Xinglie had painted her Martial Soul, Ning Rongrong's mood brightened a little. She puffed out her chest proudly. Feng Xinglie noticed and held out the large bowl of candy beside him:

"Want some? It's cheap candy."

"Hmph, this Young Lady has never eaten anything cheap."

Ning Rongrong curled her lip, grabbed a handful of candy, and stuffed it into her mouth, biting down hard as if to vent her frustration. Only then did she notice that Feng Xinglie, who had been sitting there the whole time, didn't have a chair beneath him.

"Ah! You... what are you doing? Where's your chair?"

Feng Xinglie didn't answer right away. He picked up a piece of candy and tossed it into his mouth before saying:

"Training. It's called Standing Stake. It builds strength in your legs."

"So... you've been painting while half-squatting like this the whole time?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes widened. She had thought running laps around the village was tiring enough, but apparently there were people even tougher than her. That posture looked exhausting, yet Feng Xinglie had held it while painting a picture of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!?

"Yeah. I paint while eating candy. When the bowl's empty, the painting's done. That's when the training ends."

With that, Feng Xinglie tossed the last piece of candy into his mouth and stood up:

"I finished just in time. You can have the painting. In return, can you tell me who bullied you?"

"Who else could it be? That damned old man Flender!"

The moment she heard Flender's name, Ning Rongrong bristled like a cat with its tail stepped on and began complaining indignantly. In short, the pampered young lady hadn't completed the running task Flender had assigned. Instead, she'd gone alone to Suotuo City and spent the whole afternoon eating, drinking, and having fun. When she got back to the academy, she thought nothing of it and ended up arguing with Flender.

After receiving Ning Fengzhi's letter, Flender had no qualms about letting loose and giving Ning Rongrong a thorough scolding, telling her she had the worst talent in the academy. The young lady, who was usually praised to the skies, had never suffered such humiliation. She burst into tears and ran straight back to the dormitory.