Yun Yun lowered her sword and walked lightly over to Xiao Qian, her graceful figure as weightless as a flower swaying in the wind.
She placed the sword hilt in Xiao Qian's hand, then gently covered his hands with hers, guiding him through the proper grip and the essentials of exerting force. Her voice whispered beside his ear, as soft as a spring breeze.
"Here, hold the hilt like this. Feel the Dou Qi travel along the blade and resonate with the surrounding wind elements..."
Her body was almost pressed against Xiao Qian's, and the breeze occasionally brushed her hair across his cheek, leaving a tingling itch.
Her faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, like an invisible caress plucking at his heartstrings.
Yet Xiao Qian remained utterly undistracted. Focus and determination shone in his eyes as he followed Yun Yun's guidance with his full attention, trying to gather the wind elements into the shape of a sword.
A satisfied smile curved Yun Yun's lips, filled with admiration and fondness. She felt ever more certain that the young man before her was a rare talent.
"What a perfect seedling for cultivating our Misty Cloud Sect's wind-element Dou Techniques! His temperament and perseverance are both exceptional!"
At first, Xiao Qian could never stabilize the wind elements into a sword. Either they dispersed the instant they gathered, or the resulting blade was crooked and powerless, like the misshapen characters written by a child who had only just learned to hold a brush.
Yun Yun showed no impatience. She remained patiently beside him, like a devoted gardener tending a delicate seedling.
She kept adjusting his stance, her hands gentle yet firm as she guided his Dou Qi, every movement filled with care.
Her gentle encouragement continued to sound beside Xiao Qian's