Chapter 32

Wu Changkong arrived at the training grounds on time for the afternoon practical combat class.

He was still dressed in his signature white robes, standing straight as a sword with a training record board in hand. Director Long's meeting had lasted all morning, and his expression was a few degrees colder than usual—not angry, but carrying the exhaustion of someone whose patience had been drained by administrative matters. Yet when he entered the training grounds and saw the six members of Class Zero already warming up in automatic groups, with no one late and no one slacking off, the faint icy line between his brows eased slightly.

"Did Teacher Lu already explain this afternoon's class to you?" Wu Changkong set the record board on the equipment rack and glanced at Xie Xie, who was putting on his knee pads at the edge of the field.

"Reporting to Teacher Wu—she did!" Xie Xie stood ramrod straight, his voice especially loud.

Wu Changkong's gaze rested on his face for a moment before shifting to Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. The two were crouched by the field, adjusting the toughness of the Blue Silver Grass. Tang Wulin still had the protective bracers he used for forging strapped around his wrists, while Gu Yue helped tighten one of the clasps another notch.

"How did the morning match go?" Wu Changkong stopped in front of them.

"We crushed them in the first round," Tang Wulin reported honestly as he stood. "In the second round, Sister Lu—Teacher Lu suppressed our cultivation to one ring and switched Xie Xie to the other side. We lost."

Wu Changkong fell silent for a moment. Suppressing them to one ring and taking away the core agility attack-type member—he understood the purpose of those two adjustments at a glance. Lu Menge was forcing Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to adapt to fighting outnumbered opponents and stronger enemies. This had been training he originally planned to arrange for next week, but she had moved it up by a full five days.

"Where did you lose?"

"With our cultivation limited to one ring, the dragon might suppression from Golden Dragon Head had no crowd-control effect, and Golden Dragon Skybreak couldn't cover two directions at once. After Gu Yue's Ice Spears had their range reduced, they lost their long-range suppression. Elemental Imprisonment lasted less than two seconds, so she couldn't continuously seal off Xie Xie's entry points. We barely held the line with Blue Silver Grass and earth walls, but Xie Xie got behind us too many times. In the end, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi broke through us head-on." After finishing, Tang Wulin added, "Teacher Lu said we'd start practicing this this week, so she moved the training cycle forward."

Wu Changkong turned to look at the woman sitting cross-legged on a bench by the field, drinking from a thermos. Lu Menge waved the thermos at him, her smile radiant.

"What else did she say?" he asked.

Tang Wulin thought for a moment, then repeated honestly, "She said the strongest person in Class Zero isn't the two of us—it's her."

The corner of Wu Changkong's mouth twitched. It was subtle, but Tang Wulin saw it.

"That's true." Wu Changkong turned around, picked up the record board again, and spoke quietly, though all six members of Class Zero heard him. "Your Teacher Lu has extremely rich practical combat experience. I've been hearing her say that for three whole years—ever since the first time she came to my office to visit. I didn't believe her then. Later, I did."

The entire field went silent for three full seconds. Wu Changkong had said, "I did." Every member of Class Zero weighed those words in their hearts. Xie Xie's eyes widened like bells, Tang Wulin lowered his head and struggled not to laugh, while the corners of Gu Yue's lips lifted almost imperceptibly for an instant.

"This afternoon's assignment." Wu Changkong set the record board aside. "Three versus three, same teams as this morning. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, suppress your cultivation to two rings. This time, try to lose a little slower."

"Yes!" Tang Wulin and Gu Yue answered in unison.

The battle began again. This time, with their cultivation suppressed to two rings, Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Head could barely force an opponent back a step, and Gu Yue's Ice Spears regained some of their range. Xie Xie could still get behind them under the cover of Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon, but Gu Yue's water mirror had already tracked most of his movements. They fought three full matches. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue won one and lost two—winning with difficulty, but losing with dignity as well.

By the field, Lu Menge did not interrupt repeatedly as she had that morning. She only occasionally made a few notes in her notebook, then occasionally looked up at Wu Changkong. He stood on the other side of the training grounds, his white robes snapping in the wind, correcting Zhang Yangzi's diving angle. His voice remained cold, but his hand—the hand that usually only held the Heavenfrost Sword—rested lightly on Zhang Yangzi's shoulder blade, helping him adjust the point where he exerted force when spreading his wings.

"He's giving your student one-on-one guidance." Lu Menge's voice sounded behind Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong did not turn around. "You slipped a note into the training plan—telling me to follow the morning's group matches so I could immediately correct Zhang Yangzi's diving angle this afternoon. I saw the note."

Lu Menge stepped forward half a pace and stood beside him. Her white coat and his white robes billowed faintly in the afternoon breeze.

"I mean—you can rest more. Director Long's meeting lasted three hours, you skipped lunch, and your right hand has been pressing against your sword hilt the whole time. When you're tired, sit by the field. Class Zero's instructor doesn't need to stand so straight all the time—if you can't hold yourself up, I'll support you."

Wu Changkong was silent for a while. The fingers pressing against his sword hilt slowly relaxed.

"You're Class Zero's second instructor. You approved today's training plan. Will you lead tomorrow too?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll teach the basic tactics class tomorrow." Lu Menge raised her thermos and took a sip, a glint of mischief flashing through her eyes. "What, worried I'll lead your students astray?"

"No." Wu Changkong turned his head. His glacier-like face was as impassive as ever, but his gaze lingered on Lu Menge's face for a beat before moving away. "You teach them better than I do."

Lu Menge's thermos nearly slipped from her fingers. She tightened her grip around it, her amber fox eyes blinking. What had he just said? Better than him? Wu Changkong of the Heavenfrost Sword—words like "better than me" had actually come from his own mouth? She turned to chase after him and say something, but Wu Changkong had already strode toward the center of the training grounds, his back just as straight as ever.

"Next group—Tang Wulin versus Xie Xie. One-on-one. Xie Xie, Teacher Lu already broke down your mistakes this morning. This time, watch the positioning of your left-hand dagger."

Xie Xie sprang up from the edge of the field. The look on his face no longer carried the morning's expression of having been cut down until he doubted his life choices. In its place was a reaction speed that had grown even faster after being pushed to his limit. The instant he launched forward, his left-hand dagger automatically flashed into a secondary defensive position. Fallen leaves were swept aside by the gusts before he even landed. When circling behind for sneak attacks, he even improved on that old straightforward interception style from the morning.

The evening training ended half an hour later than usual. The six members of Class Zero were exhausted and sprawled in every direction. Even Tang Wulin sat on a bench, wiping sweat as he adjusted his wrist bracers, his finger joints faintly sore. Wu Changkong closed the training record board, announced the end of class, then glanced at Lu Menge to signal the handover.

Lu Menge rose and walked to the center of the field. The six members of Class Zero straightened up by reflex. She looked them over, without opening her little notebook or throwing out a new list of extra training.

"You did well today. Especially Xie Xie—you fixed your left-hand defensive positioning this afternoon, and you managed the falling-leaf observation too. Although Wulin still sent you flying three times, at least you didn't make the same mistake again. Tomorrow is basic tactics. You don't need to come too early, but don't be late. You're dismissed now. The sugar cakes are on the podium. Help yourselves."

The members of Class Zero cheered and rushed toward the edge of the field. Once the last person carrying equipment had gone far away, Wu Changkong suddenly stopped beside her and tilted his head toward the training log in her hands.

"You taught Xie Xie that left-hand defensive positioning this afternoon."

"I only taught it once. Turning it into instinct was his own skill." Lu Menge stuffed the thermos into his arms, sat down beside him, and stretched out both legs. Looking down at the record board spread across her lap, she smiled faintly. "Your students aren't all taught by you alone. When you're in meetings, I fill in for your defense. When I hold grudges, you block for me. That's what two instructors are."

Wu Changkong said nothing. The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the stone slabs of the training grounds. They crossed and overlapped, making it hard to tell which part belonged to him and which part belonged to her.