Lu Mingfei's Distant Realm (I)

The sounds of bamboo swords clashing rang out endlessly in the city youth center. Today was a practical sparring class for new students trying it out. Everyone present had only paid the seven-day pre-registration fee to test the waters, deciding whether to enroll based on their later experience. Once they officially enrolled, they would have to pay a full year's tuition at once.

"Your talent for swordsmanship is entirely above mine. You're only a little slower than me. Come to the kendo hall—train seriously, and in less than two years, you'll surpass me."

"Your talent for swordsmanship is almost above mine. You're just a little too impatient. Come to the kendo hall—train seriously for a year and a half, and you'll surpass me."

"Your talent for swordsmanship is definitely above mine. You merely lack combat experience. Come to the kendo hall—train seriously for a year or two, and you'll surpass me."

Lu Mingfei, dressed in a black-and-white kendo uniform, held his breath and stood motionless. He wore wrist guards and knee pads, sweat streaming down his face as though he faced a formidable enemy. He gripped the bamboo sword handed out with a click in the youth center's swordsmanship class and confronted a... solemn-faced child of seven or eight.

After an intense exchange of pacing and circling, black-haired, shoulder-length-haired Lu Mingfei "barely" stepped his right leg aside to evade the child's bamboo sword. Only after seven or eight clashes did he manage to win.

He went to the side, took a box of tissues, and wiped off his sweat. Then, with a solemn and impassioned expression, Lu Mingfei wiped the child's sweat away as well, patted the child's head, and encouraged him:

"Your talent for swordsmanship is even higher than mine. Your accuracy just isn't quite there, and you didn't grasp the timing of that upward strike well. You're really impressive... I've only trained for a year and a half. If you train seriously with the coaches for a year, you'll completely surpass me. If you want to pay the tuition, have your parents find Coach Chen and Coach Xu outside."

In truth, most of the children who came to the youth center would not last long. Children's enthusiasm for new things faded quickly. Lu Mingfei was only working as a seven-day temp, responsible for drawing people in and not for what happened afterward.

Tricking children made him feel a little ashamed, but the coaches at this youth center did have some skill. They taught the fundamentals quite well... Chu Zihang had learned his youth center swordsmanship from them.

The child happily returned to the other students. After whispering among themselves, several children formed a group and made plans for a kendo journey of youth and dreams, then went outside to find their parents.

"How does Assistant Coach Lu manage to trade blows with every child while making each of them admire him?"

The speaking coach was secretly envious.

"His face, plus emotional validation. A kendo uniform gives people a different impression depending on who's wearing it. What child wouldn't get a three-minute burst of enthusiasm when someone was willing to play with them? Between a handsome, skilled older brother and a handsome, skilled middle-aged uncle, both excellent at swordsmanship, which one do you think children want to become?"

"Hold it right there. How do you have the nerve to call yourself a handsome middle-aged uncle in front of Xiao Lu?"

The two coaches outside watched with gratified smiles as the students who came out eagerly flexed their fists, wanting to spar with the assistant coach again. Whenever a student's gaze swept their way, they immediately switched into the gentle, upright, imposing demeanor of masters.

Going down to play the bad cop was the little assistant coach's job. Playing the master onstage was theirs. Masters could not casually step down and mingle with the children. Win in one move, and they might provoke rebelliousness; give them two moves, and the children would say they were not skilled enough. That would be far too undignified.

Their main task was handling the parents, while Lu Mingfei handled the students. The division of labor had to be clear. An assistant coach was supposed to do what the coaches could not.

Today's enrollment numbers were more than half again as high as yesterday's.

"Assistant Coach Lu really is a precious talent who should work in education someday. We've struck gold. Zihang truly has a discerning eye—no wonder he's the finest child I've ever taught." After another parent finished paying the registration fee and left, the youth center coaches exchanged glances, their faces lighting up like two foxes that had successfully stolen eggs as they whispered to each other.

"You're... Russian?"

When Lu Mingfei saw that the next student coming up to challenge him was a white-haired foreign girl, he blinked. Oh no, he did not speak Russian.

Why was there even an international friend here?

She did not look like a child, either. She was clearly taller than an elementary school student, roughly the height of a middle-school girl.

Judging by how cold her expression was, people would believe she had the mental age of thirty.

Only after examining her carefully did he realize that her hair was actually a pale gold. Her skin was so white it seemed chilling, and a golden butterfly ornament hung at the end of her braid.

An exquisite white porcelain girl... that was Lu Mingfei's first impression. If she stood still, he would believe she was a royal ice sculpture shipped in from Russia.

"Zero."

The blonde girl, also dressed in a black-and-white kendo uniform, assumed a standard opening stance and stared straight at the lower half of Lu Mingfei's face.

"I admire the youth center's kendo tradition and came specifically to study it. I will be going to the United States for university, so I need to learn self-defense in advance."

Lu Mingfei was utterly baffled. He had heard of foreigners coming to China to learn "Wing Chun" or "Shaolin leg techniques," but this was the first time he had heard of a foreigner specifically coming to a youth center to learn swordsmanship.

And what kind of logic was "because I'm going to the United States, I'm coming to China to learn youth center kendo"? There were plenty of gunfights in the United States—would a sword really be useful?

Lu Mingfei imagined the girl before him calmly slicing bullets with a bamboo sword. Somehow... it seemed unexpectedly reasonable.

"Huh? But the class we're running lately is a youth swordsmanship class. It's a basic course, and you're over the age limit... May I ask how old you are?"

The Russian girl stared at him impassively for a while. Only when Lu Mingfei's scalp began to prickle did she answer, "Probably about the same age as you."

"I've already paid for seven days of trial sword lessons." She slowly raised her sword and approached.

"Then all right. It's just that I don't really know how to teach. Why don't you wait for the coaches to come over?" Lu Mingfei no longer had any doubts. He was only an assistant coach; there was no need for him to worry too much.

"No need. I can just train with you." As she spoke, Zero slashed diagonally from left to right, catching him off guard.

The strength and speed were those of a normal adult, but the angle of the slash was tricky... Lu Mingfei raised his hand and blocked it.

Was she a swordsmanship expert among ordinary people?

"See you tomorrow." After that slash, Zero turned and left, as though she had come today solely to give Lu Mingfei that one strike.

"Wait."

Lu Mingfei hurriedly called after her.

"Your talent for swordsmanship is above mine. Your mindset and strength are just a little lacking. Come to the kendo hall—train seriously for a year, and you'll surpass me."

Zero paused, then nodded. "All right. I'll go pay."

What a concise yet unexpectedly smooth exchange. Lu Mingfei scratched his head.

Why did all the foreigners, whether in his dreams or in reality, speak Chinese so well? Every one of them could pass a Mandarin proficiency test.

On the eleventh floor of the abandoned Universal Building next door.

"She went straight in! Three-Nothing went straight in! Mighty Three-Nothing, my sister! She's really invested in this mission." Chip Girl lounged on a golden-threaded walnut sofa by the window.

"Is she merely invested? Three-Nothing's methods are still a little immature. If it were me, Lu Mingfei would already be lying beside my legs, completely lovesick. What a pity—when the boss sent the message, someone acted too fast, leaving me too slow to get anything. How did she manage to make a move instantly?" The curvaceous ninja shamelessly snatched away the binoculars.

"You seductive tramp should save it."

"Doesn't Lu Mingfei seem to like that artsy-girl type?"

"Three-Nothing is approaching... Three-Nothing is retreating."

"Very good. At their first meeting, she deeply understood the art of leaving space. Her sense of distance was impeccable. This must only be one part of the plan." Chip Girl cheered quietly.

"What's impeccable about it? She left after saying two sentences. Lu Mingfei might not even remember her after this trip. I told you I should have gone." Shuuder Mai pressed a hand to her forehead.