Early Morning Sword Practice

By the time they got home from the hospital, it was getting late. Mo Jiaxing had warmed up dinner and was waiting in the living room for the brothers to return.

Mo Xie had little appetite. He told Mo Jiaxing and went upstairs.

Back in his room, Mo Xie took a shower and fell straight into bed. The evening had drained him, and he could barely stay awake. He planned to sleep until morning.

The next day, Mo Xie got out of bed at around six.

Getting up early was a habit Mo Xie had developed as a child. It was ingrained in him.

He put on his workout clothes and, as usual, ran ten laps around the residential complex first.

Mo Xie had gone for a morning run every day since he was twelve. Back when he was weaker, even five laps were a struggle, and each run left him wiped out.

Now ten laps were nothing more than an easy warm-up.

That simple morning run was not to be underestimated. Mo Xie owed much of his health to it.

Once he had warmed up, Mo Xie returned to the courtyard, picked up a Tang Dao, and began practicing his swordsmanship.

In this world, everyone revered Magic above all else. Ancient martial arts involving blades and swords had been abandoned.

Perhaps there were still masters somewhere who wielded them, but they were few and far between. The tradition had all but died out.

At most, you might see an old man swinging a sword in the public square.

People now dismissed such ancient martial arts as a dead end.

After all, if someone blasted you with Magic, what good would the blade in your hand do?

It was like modern technology: with all its convenience, who would go back to using the earliest tools? The principle was the same.

Mo Fan and Ye Xinxia had once tried to persuade Mo Xie to give it up.

But Mo Xie had turned down their well-meaning advice. He held fast to what he believed.

He had never considered it a dead end. He wanted to prove it could be a formidable power in its own right.

Mo Xie had an idea. What if he added Magic to his swordsmanship? Could it produce some remarkable effect?

Besides, humans were fragile, and close combat was what mages feared most.

He had no way of knowing whether it would work, but he would keep trying. If you never tried, you would never know the outcome.

A saying came to Mo Xie's mind: "Innovation is the primary driving force behind development."

Mo Xie stepped forward, and the Tang Dao moved with him. His body and blade flowed through every motion without a hitch. The entire sequence was so fluid that it was a pleasure to watch.

The gust from the swinging blade parted the grass in two, a sign of how heavy the Tang Dao was.

Mo Xie had originally made himself a wooden sword, but it had grown less and less useful. Swinging it no longer felt right.

So Xie had sought out a renowned blacksmith and commissioned several real swords at once, each several times heavier than an ordinary one.

All the sword techniques Mo Xie knew at this stage came from books and videos he had found time to study in his previous life. He had combined their methods, slowly explored ways to wield the blade, and eventually developed a style of his own.

After finishing his daily sword routine, Mo Xie slowly exhaled and sheathed the blade.

Clap, clap, clap!

At the soft applause, Mo Xie turned around. Ye Xinxia was sitting on the swing, clapping. He smiled and walked over to her.

Seeing that he had finished practicing, Ye Xinxia picked up a long towel beside her and handed it to him.

Mo Xie took the towel and spoke as he wiped away his sweat.

"You don't have to get up so early. Girls should sleep in a little."

Ye Xinxia smiled faintly and shook her head.

"If I didn't get up early, I wouldn't get to watch you practice, Brother Mo Xie. You look your best when you're wielding a sword!"

"Oh? So I don't look good the rest of the time? I never knew that was what Xin Xia thought. I'm heartbroken..."

Mo Xie's expression changed, and he pretended to sound hurt.

"Of course not! You always look good, Brother Mo Xie!"

Thinking he was genuinely upset, Ye Xinxia hurried to reassure him.

But when she spotted the mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, she puffed out her cheeks in protest.

"Brother Mo Xie, you're teasing me!"

"Hahaha! All right, I'll stop."

Ye Xinxia quietly watched the smile on his face, then suddenly said something.

"If you could be like this with other people too, Xin Xia would be very happy..."

Her voice was faint, but Mo Xie heard her clearly. His smile stiffened, then faded.

Ye Xinxia lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap, looking a little nervous.

She had gotten up so early that she was still wearing her nightdress. Her slender, fair legs hung in the air, making it hard to look away.

"I'm sorry..."

At her soft whisper, Mo Xie reached out and pinched her cheek, then sighed helplessly.

"Don't say things like that again. Your brother doesn't need his little sister worrying about his business, okay?"

"Okay."

Mo Xie smiled gently. While she was still looking down, he scooped her up in his arms.

Ye Xinxia cried out in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

The fresh scent of his morning workout lingered near her nose, carrying a distinctly masculine warmth. Ye Xinxia rested her head against Mo Xie's chest and felt safe.

Before Ye Xinxia could enjoy it for long, Mo Xie set her back in her wheelchair.

Seeing the lingering look on Ye Xinxia’s face, Mo Xie bent down with a wicked grin and teased her by the ear.

"What, did you want your brother to hold you a little longer?"

His breath brushed her sensitive ear. Ye Xinxia's face turned bright red, and she shook her head furiously before wheeling herself upstairs as if fleeing.

Mo Xie watched Ye Xinxia flee in embarrassment. He had to admit, she looked pretty cute.

Because Ye Xinxia had trouble walking, Mo Xie had an elevator installed inside the house. Now she did not have to worry about going up and down the stairs. Perfect!

Mo Xie let the warm water run over him and breathed out deeply, his whole body gradually relaxing.

After his shower, Mo Xie stood at the sink and studied himself in the mirror. He had to admit, he really did seem to be getting better-looking.

Though "handsome" did not quite describe it. His looks were a blend of handsome and beautiful.

He ran his fingers lightly over his face. Girls everywhere would probably envy skin like this.

Mo Xie did use skincare products now and then. After all, he was a public figure, and a good-looking one at that.

But his skin had no business looking this good. As a guy, he certainly did not pay as much attention to it as girls did. Mo Xie could only chalk it up to his “peerless beauty.”

When he went out as a child, strangers often mistook Mo Xie for a girl. Who would expect a boy to look even more delicate than one?

Twisting a loose strand of hair around his finger, Mo Xie picked up a hair dryer and began drying his long hair.

Mo Xie had never intended to grow his hair long. He had simply been too busy for a while, and somehow his hair had grown quickly without him noticing. In the end, he had just kept it.

Long hair did have one drawback, though: washing and drying it was a hassle. Mo Xie had never imagined he would experience that himself.

The hair dryer’s whir fell silent. Mo Xie tied his long hair into a high ponytail, and once he was ready, he slowly went downstairs.

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