"Be careful. My sister isn't ordinary."
Little Changbing huffed and turned her head away in disgust.
Lou Gao climbed out of the haystack and stared at his reddened finger. After a long moment, he said, "I believe you now. You two really are siblings."
"What makes you think we're siblings?"
"Because you can kill a Soul Saint with your fists, and she threw me across the room before she was even a year old. I'll have to steer clear of her from now on."
Wu Changkong smiled helplessly. "Anyway, we're almost home."
"Hey, wait for me, Master."
They walked on for another five minutes before reaching the courtyard gate.
Wu Changkong called out "Dad" twice, but no one answered.
He pushed the gate open. The forge was empty too.
"I'll make you some tea." Wu Changkong set Wu Changbing on a bench in the sitting room and picked up the teapot.
"No need, no need. Don't trouble yourself, Master." Lou Gao waved his hands.
"Just call me Changkong. 'Master' sounds strange."
"I can't do that."
"You took me as your apprentice, so you're my master. I can't ignore the rules."
"A master is a master, even if you're fifty years younger than me."
Wu Changkong couldn't be bothered to argue. He put the water on to boil.
Lou Gao sat down, his eyes still drifting toward Wu Changbing. This time, though, he only dared look from a distance. He wasn't about to reach for her again.
"Master, who taught you to make that armor?"
He couldn't help wondering. In all his life, he had never seen the forging method used on those ice-blue plates.
He had never even seen patterns like those before.
"I worked it out myself."
"You worked it out yourself?" Lou Gao sucked in a breath and