Desperate Training

The cafeteria was much quieter than usual at lunchtime.

Tang Wulin gnawed the last bit of meat off a rib and set down his chopsticks, leaving more than half a bowl of rice at the bottom of his bowl. He stared at it for two seconds, then pushed it forward. Xie Xie sat across from him with plenty left on his tray as well, poking at a rib that had long gone cold with his chopsticks, again and again, as if he had a grudge against it.

"Ugh." Xie Xie set his chopsticks on the table. "Teacher Wu's face looks like that, so why is he so ruthless when he fights?"

Tang Wulin did not respond. A dull ache lingered around his left ribs, where the wind from the Heavenfrost Sword had struck him that morning. Even through his Battle Armor, the lingering force had hit hard enough that he still had not fully caught his breath. Gu Yue sat beside him. Her bowl of soup was only half empty. She lifted a spoonful to her mouth, swallowed it slowly, and set down her spoon.

None of the three moved. More than twenty empty bowls were stacked in three layers on the table. That was normally Tang Wulin's portion for a single meal, yet today he had not even eaten half of it. The Golden Dragon King's voice surfaced. "That brat struck hard enough to shake even this king's divine soul."

"Didn't you say you were going to teach him a lesson?"

"—Shut up."

Tang Wulin's lips twitched, but he did not smile.

That morning, he had truly thought he could manage it. He had more than a decade of combat experience from his past life, the Trunk Bone supporting his body, and the Golden Dragon King had agreed to lend him some strength when it mattered. He had thought that even if he could not defeat Wu Changkong, he could at least make him take a few extra steps instead of getting beaten as badly as before.

He had moved quickly in the first round. Blue Silver Grass crept along the ground to bind his opponent while he stepped sideways and threw a punch, a faint golden pattern of light wrapped around his fist. He had thought that blow would at least force Wu Changkong back a step. Then the Heavenfrost Sword rose, and he was sent flying. By the time his back slammed into the railing, he had not even reacted. The Golden Dragon King cursed in his mind. Then Wu Changkong's voice reached him, neither loud nor soft, carrying the earnest tone of someone conducting research. "Your physical condition is remarkable. You're only at one ring, yet you can still stand after being swept by my sword wind. Come again. Let teacher see where your limit lies."

Tang Wulin pulled himself off the railing. He was fine. The Trunk Bone had absorbed most of the impact, so it had not injured him seriously. He took a breath and assumed his stance again. This time, don't charge head-on. Circle around the side.

The Golden Dragon King quietly sent a surge of bloodline power into his right arm. Tang Wulin feinted left, twisted his body halfway around, and cut in from Wu Changkong's right rear. The angle was tricky enough, and his timing was perfect. Wu Changkong was in the gap just as he was withdrawing his sword—then the Heavenfrost Sword swept horizontally and tapped Tang Wulin on the chest. It was not hard, merely a passing tap. He flew again, this time face-first. Xie Xie shouted, "Boss!" from afar. Tang Wulin lay on the ground for two seconds before pushing himself back up. His ribs were slightly numb, and he had knocked his knee, but it was not serious. Before he could even dust himself off, Wu Changkong's voice came down again, this time with a trace more approval in the final note. "You can still stand. Not bad. Come again."

The Golden Dragon King remained silent in his mind for a long time before finally saying, "—That brat is playing with you."

Tang Wulin laughed when he got up for the third time. He charged forward using a different method. Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his own legs and tripped him. Borrowing that moment of imbalance, he fell sideways, twisted his waist halfway down, and punched toward Wu Changkong's side with a fist wrapped in golden light. Gu Yue froze at the edge of the field. Xie Xie widened his eyes and shouted, "Are you crazy?" That punch was the only time all morning that Tang Wulin had touched even the corner of Wu Changkong's clothes. The hilt of the Heavenfrost Sword tapped the outside of his wrist, lightly, as though Wu Changkong did not want him to fall too badly. Tang Wulin still fell badly. But as he lay on the ground, he heard Wu Changkong say, "Your technique is acceptable. Go back and practice linking your movements."

He lay beside the railing, staring at the blinding white sky above him, panting for a long while before shaking his head with a smile.

Tang Wulin returned to the present, his gaze falling upon the half-bowl of rice. "I'm full." He stood. Xie Xie looked up at the stack of empty bowls in front of him, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Boss, you call that full?" Tang Wulin followed his gaze and froze as well. More than twenty empty bowls had piled into a small mountain on the table. "...Let's go to the Forging Masters Association."

As he stood, a small hand caught the corner of his clothes. Gu Yue was sitting beside him.

Her voice came from the table. "Wulin." He stopped. "Although Xie Xie is annoying," she paused, "if you have something on your mind, you can tell us."

Tang Wulin stood there without moving. He looked at her, then his gaze fell upon the rims of the stacked bowls. Two seconds later, he said, "Thank you, Gu Yue." He started walking forward, and Xie Xie's voice chased after him. "Good luck, Boss!"

Tang Wulin waved without looking back.

The Golden Dragon King's voice surfaced again, lazy and unhurried. "So, in the Silver Dragon's eyes, your first impression is that of a glutton. Interesting." Tang Wulin did not respond. As he stepped out of the cafeteria, sunlight fell directly onto his shoulders, making him squint.

Inside the cafeteria, Gu Yue lifted the bowl of soup she had been blowing on and drank the last mouthful. She set down the bowl and stood. Xie Xie looked up at her from across the table. "He went to the Forging Masters Association. You're not following him?"

Gu Yue did not answer. She pushed her chair back beneath the table and walked toward the door. Xie Xie watched her back disappear into the light at the entrance, then looked down at the stack of empty bowls on the table. He took two bites of lunch, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

"These two... something's going on."