Master's New Tactic, Nearly Sent Himself Away

"I understand. Kick fate to the curb first, then talk about growth."

Ning Rongrong tucked the Seven Treasures Token into her waist, her posture significantly more disciplined than when she had first entered the courtyard.

Xiao Wu picked up her teacup and gently tapped the rim of the cup beside Su Hang.

"I suppose you aren't completely dim."

Ning Rongrong immediately glared at her.

"You rabbit, is that how you compliment people? So insufferable?"

Xiao Wu pulled her teacup back toward herself.

"I like it that way."

Seeing the two of them about to bicker again, Su Hang stood up directly.

"Break it up. Tomorrow morning, meet at the training grounds."

Ning Rongrong immediately called out after him.

"To watch what?"

Su Hang walked to the courtyard gate and looked back, leaving behind a single sentence.

"To watch how Tang San patches his own leaks."

Early the next morning, there were few people at the Notting Academy training grounds, but two figures were already standing by the wooden stakes.

Tang San hadn't slept all night; his right arm was numb from his wrist to his elbow, yet he had polished the mechanism of his Sleeve Arrow until it shone.

Yu Xiaogang paced around the wooden stakes with his hands behind his back.

"The current problem with your Blue Silver Grass is that your control is being affected by the Poison Pattern."

Tang San fastened his cuff.

"Teacher, I want to use the Blue Silver Grass to restrict movement, then use a Hidden Weapon to finish the damage."

Yu Xiaogang nodded.

"That line of thinking is viable."

He pointed toward the wooden dummy ahead.

"Entangle is responsible for blocking the path, and the Sleeve Arrow is responsible for precision strikes. As long as you sync the rhythm, you can patch the shortcomings you showed yesterday."

Tang San raised his right hand, and a yellow spirit ring lit up.

"I'll try it once."

Blue Silver Grass erupted from the ground, wrapping around the dummy's ankles and waist; this time, the blades of grass did not scatter immediately.

Tang San shifted his footwork, aiming his cuff at the dummy's shoulder.

Whoosh.

The short arrow struck the side of the dummy, the landing point significantly steadier than it had been yesterday afternoon.

Yu Xiaogang finally relaxed a little.

"Very good. Again."

Not far away, Xiao Chenyu crouched behind a wooden fence, holding half a pancake in his hand.

Wang Sheng lay beside him, muttering in a low voice.

"You dragged me here this early in the morning to watch this?"

Xiao Chenyu took a bite of his pancake.

"What do you know? When Tang San practices early, there's bound to be a show."

Wang Sheng peeked into the training grounds.

"Seems pretty smooth this time."

Xiao Chenyu snorted.

"Don't rush. Leaks have a habit of recurring."

Light footsteps sounded from behind them.

"What are you two hiding here for?"

Xiao Wu stood behind them, hands on her hips.

Xiao Chenyu nearly shoved his pancake into his own nose.

"Sister Xiao Wu, we're on patrol."

Wang Sheng nodded immediately.

"Right, guarding the academy's morning safety."

Ning Rongrong followed behind, clutching her small bag, and laughed as soon as she heard them.

"You lot patrol Notting Academy while carrying breakfast?"

Xiao Chenyu hid the biscuit behind his back.

"Little Princess of the Seven Treasures, this is called energy reserves."

Su Hang walked over last, stopping beside the wooden railing.

"Quiet, watch his second round."

In the training field, Tang San had already begun his second test.

Yu Xiaogang stepped back a few paces and moved the puppet to another wooden stake.

"Speed it up this time."

Tang San did not turn his head.

"Alright."

The Blue Silver Grass darted forward along the ground, the Poison Pattern spreading along the blades of grass until it coiled around the puppet's two legs.

The Sleeve Arrow was triggered immediately after.

Swish.

The short arrow struck the puppet in the chest.

Wang Sheng whispered.

"He really made up for it."

Ning Rongrong crossed her arms, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

"If it's stable, this set is actually somewhat useful."

Xiao Wu immediately looked at Su Hang.

"Brother Su Hang, will he really master it?"

Su Hang did not answer immediately, only watching the rhythm of the force in Tang San's right hand.

"Watch one more time."

Yu Xiaogang heard the commotion in the distance and turned his head to glance over.

Su Hang, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Chenyu, and Wang Sheng were all there.

Tang San also sensed that people had arrived, and his movements paused for a split second.

The embarrassment from yesterday had not yet passed, and now this group of people was standing on the sidelines again.

Yu Xiaogang suppressed the discomfort in his heart and spoke up to remind him.

"Tang San, don't be affected."

Tang San smoothed his cuff back down.

"I'm fine."

Xiao Wu let out a soft huff.

"He's acting pretty composed."

Ning Rongrong leaned in beside her.

"Don't be impatient, Su Hang asked us to watch the second round just now, there must be a follow-up."

Xiao Wu turned her head.

"How come you trust him so much too?"

Ning Rongrong lifted her chin.

"This young lady knows how to judge."

Xiao Wu glanced at her.

"You're learning fast."

Ning Rongrong immediately retorted.

"Faster than you are at guarding your food."

Xiao Chenyu hurriedly shuffled to the side.

"Wang Sheng, take two steps back, don't get caught in the crossfire."

Wang Sheng clutched his biscuit.

"It's more dangerous here than on the training field."

In the field, Yu Xiaogang moved the puppet's position further away.

"Third time, use the Blue Silver Grass to restrain first, then delay the Hidden Weapon by half a beat."

Tang San nodded.

"Understood."

The Blue Silver Grass rose once again, moving faster than the previous two times, the blades of grass wrapping around the puppet's waist before pulling backward.

Tang San pressed the mechanism in his sleeve, the short arrow intended to strike the gap where the wooden dummy had been pulled aside.

But at that very moment, the Poison Pattern on the grass blades suddenly recoiled.

Tang San's right arm went numb, and his wrist veered by half an inch.

Whoosh.

The short arrow grazed the wooden dummy and shot straight toward the wooden post beside Yu Xiaogang's feet.

Thwack.

The arrowhead embedded itself into the post, leaving only a small distance from the tip of Yu Xiaogang's shoe.

Yu Xiaogang retreated several steps, his robe hem fluttering in the wind, nearly colliding with the wooden rack behind him.

Luo Sanpao poked its head out from behind his legs, let out two yelps, and then shrank back halfway.

The training ground fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Chenyu put down his pancake and lowered his voice to remark.

"This is called Hidden Weapon Window Patching, and the window is even crooked."

Wang Sheng clutched his stomach on the spot.

Several early-rising students nearby also began to chuckle softly.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh, respect the Master's new theory."

"If it had veered any further, the Master would be studying footwork today."

Ning Rongrong tried to hold it in, but she couldn't help herself.

"This combination has a bit of a high risk."

Xiao Wu immediately added a jab.

"High enough to almost hit their own teacher."

Tang San retracted his Blue Silver Grass, his right arm hanging at his side, his knuckles turning white.

After steadying himself, Yu Xiaogang forced himself to straighten his robe.

"Mistakes are normal; training is about eliminating mistakes."

Only then did Su Hang walk out from beside the wooden railing.

"Mistakes are certainly normal."

Tang San looked up, his expression darkening.

"What do you want to say now?"

Su Hang stopped at the edge of the training ground, not getting too close.

"Your Blue Silver Grass rhythm is slow, and the Poison Pattern recoils."

He pointed to the wooden post beside the dummy.

"Hidden weapons are about accuracy and speed, yet you insist on binding a Spirit Skill that drags you down to them."

Tang San suppressed his anger.

"It can be solved after some fine-tuning."

Su Hang tapped the short arrow on the wooden post.

"Then keep tuning."

He looked toward Yu Xiaogang.

"But next time, stand further away; don't let the Master get tuned into it."

Xiao Chenyu lowered his head and coughed.

"Boss Su's words are a bit too full of concern."

Wang Sheng chimed in.

"Mainly because the Master can't afford that kind of concern."

Yu Xiaogang's face turned a shade of green, and he flicked his sleeve.

"In a Spirit Master's growth, no one can reach their goal in one step."

Su Hang looked at Tang San.

"The problem is, you want to force two things that don't mesh into something handy."

Tang San removed the Sleeve Arrow and packed it back into his cloth bag.

"I admit it still needs fine-tuning."

He raised his hand to press his numb right arm.

"But this path is viable."

Su Hang did not refute him further.

The more intense the situation became, the more Tang San would corner himself.

Xiao Wu walked over to Brother Su Hang's side, her voice soft.

"Brother Su Hang, will he keep practicing this forever?"

"He will."

Brother Su Hang's answer was crisp and direct.

"Because he cannot bear to let it go."

Ning Rongrong stood by the wooden railing, watching Tang San's arm, which was still numb, and then looked at the short arrow embedded in the wooden post.

Everything she had heard last night converged in her mind at this moment.

Tang San could endure, he could conceal, and he could even frame his failures as a process of refinement.

If a person like this were to receive the amplification of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, his Hidden Weapons would be even faster, and his Blue Silver Grass would be even more troublesome.

Ning Rongrong took half a step toward Brother Su Hang and lowered her voice.

"If a person like him were to receive the support of the Seven Treasures, would he become even more dangerous?"