Two years after Feng Lingtian enrolled, the first joint training match between the support and combat departments was finally approaching. By the time Feng Lingtian arrived, some people had already gathered beside the training grounds. He swept his gaze over them and saw Su Ran, Zhong Yue, and a few familiar faces whose names he could not recall.
Feng Lingtian withdrew his gaze and found a spot at the edge of the grounds to stand.
Feng Lingtian had waited a long time for this day. He had already made contact with Su Mei'er of the control system, had himself for the agility attack system, and had a rough understanding of Zhong Yue of the defense system. The team still needed someone from the support system. Ye Qingyu, that girl so quiet she was almost overlooked, was someone Feng Lingtian had never found an opportunity to get to know properly.
Three days before the training match, Feng Lingtian received a letter from his older brother. Someone had brought it for him, and the date at the bottom showed it had been written several days earlier. Although the intermediate and junior academies were not far apart, sending letters between them meant waiting for someone heading that way, and the delays added up.
Feng Lingtian opened the letter. It read-
Lingtian, on the day Instructor Qin invited me back to the junior academy for the supplementary admissions test, I met someone. He has a hummingbird martial soul, is very fast, and says very little. I think you'd be interested in him.
Here at the intermediate academy, I've also found a few interesting students. How are things on your end? I'll be waiting for your good news.
After reading it, Feng Lingtian refolded the letter along its original creases and carefully tucked it inside his robe. He said nothing, but the corners of his mouth stayed lifted, refusing to be pressed down.
Zhong Yue leaned over from beside him. "What are you smiling about?"
Feng Lingtian forced the corners of his mouth down. "I'm not smiling."
Zhong Yue looked entirely unconvinced, but did not press him.
Feng Lingtian thought, My brother has already found people. I need to pick up the pace too.
Three days later, on the day of the training match.
Instructor Qin gathered all the new students at the training grounds and announced the grouping rules: support and combat students would form mixed pairs and enter a simulated battlefield. Mechanisms on the battlefield would interfere with them, and anyone struck in a vital spot by a mechanism or an opponent would be eliminated. Once a combat student was eliminated, their support partner would automatically lose.
Instructor Qin began reading the group assignments.
"Group A, Zhao Meng, Bai Yu."
"Group B, Wang Li, Chen Xiaoman."
"Group C, Sun Tie, Li Yue."
"Group D, Feng Lingtian, Ye Qingyu."
Feng Lingtian thought, Just what I wanted.
Feng Lingtian walked over to Ye Qingyu. She stood among the girls with her head lowered. He noticed an antique-looking wind zither at her feet. Its body was bluish gray, its ends curved slightly upward, and it was about an arm's length, making it easy to carry.
"How do you usually provide support?" Feng Lingtian asked.
Ye Qingyu crouched and gathered the wind zither into her arms. "I use this. My martial soul is also a wind zither, but this time I want to provide support with an ordinary instrument."
"Why?" Feng Lingtian glanced at her.
Ye Qingyu fell silent for a moment, as though arranging her words. "When I use my own martial soul, my soul power flows along the strings too smoothly. With an ordinary instrument, I have to control every thread of soul power properly to play the rhythm I want. I want to practice my control."
Feng Lingtian asked no more. Using an ordinary instrument to train the precision of her soul power control was a rather interesting idea.
While waiting to enter, Ye Qingyu lowered her head to check the wind zither, her brows knitting slightly. One string was loose. She crouched and rummaged through the little cloth pouch she carried, but could not find a tuning tool.
Su Ran passed by and paused. He took a small, slender tuning rod from his storage pouch and held it out beside Ye Qingyu's hand.
Ye Qingyu looked up. "Thank you." Her voice was very soft, as though she feared disturbing someone.
Su Ran nodded once, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Ye Qingyu soon finished tuning the string. She stood and gathered the wind zither back into her arms. Feng Lingtian noticed that the tips of her ears were a little red.
Before entering, Feng Lingtian saw Zhao Meng of Group A speaking loudly to Bai Yu. "Just stand behind me and boost my speed. Don't run around, and don't get in the way." Bai Yu said something quietly, but Zhao Meng cut her off with a wave.
Ye Qingyu saw it too. Her gaze lingered on Bai Yu for a moment before shifting away.
Something stirred faintly in Feng Lingtian's heart. Ye Qingyu was usually quiet and never took the initiative to speak to anyone, like a sensitive plant shrinking into a corner. He had not expected her to pay attention to the girl being scolded.
Feng Lingtian could not help taking another look at Ye Qingyu.
This was the first time Feng Lingtian had studied the girl closely. Ye Qingyu was about six, with long, light brown hair woven into a loose braid over her shoulder, its end tied with a plain white hair tie. Her face was rather round, her cheeks still carrying some baby fat. Her skin was fair and clear, but lacked Su Mei'er's rosy glow; instead, it was as unadorned as a sheet of rice paper. Her eyebrows were faint, and her eyes were small, with typical single eyelids and slightly downturned corners that gave her a natural look of innocence. Her nose bridge was low, its tip round, and her lips were thin, with their color almost disappearing when she pressed them together.
Ye Qingyu wore a light gray cloth garment washed pale. Its cuffs and collar were clean, but the fabric had begun to fray. Its hem was longer than everyone else's, almost covering her knees. She stood there quietly, as though she had shut herself away from the surrounding clamor.
Feng Lingtian withdrew his gaze.
The match began.
Feng Lingtian led Ye Qingyu behind a pile of rocks at the edge of the grounds. She crouched behind him without asking why or acting on her own.
"Wait until I find the rhythm before moving," Feng Lingtian said.
Ye Qingyu gave a soft "Mm."
Ye Qingyu's zither began to sound. Its notes were very soft, as though she feared disturbing someone. Gentle wind attribute soul power spread toward Feng Lingtian along with her music and wound around his limbs. It was not forcibly poured into him, but seeped in like flowing water.
Feng Lingtian's body grew lighter. His speed increased by twenty to thirty percent, and the increase was gradual, matching his own rhythm perfectly.
Feng Lingtian glanced back at Ye Qingyu. Her head was lowered, her fingers gently plucking the strings, but her eyes were not on the instrument. They were on the grounds. She was observing.
The rhythm of Ye Qingyu's music changed. The pitch rose and the tempo quickened. Feng Lingtian understood instantly-it was time to move.
Feng Lingtian shot out from behind the rocks. Ye Qingyu's music flowed through his body, and every step he took landed on its rhythm. Accelerating, turning, stopping short-none of it required any thought. Her music told him in advance how he should move.
Wang Li of Group B and Sun Tie of Group C were locked in combat in the center of the grounds. Group B's support student, Chen Xiaoman, had fallen behind and was being forced back repeatedly by the mechanisms. Feng Lingtian ignored the fight in front of him and circled directly around the flank, heading straight for the isolated support student.
Before Chen Xiaoman could react, the wind from Feng Lingtian's palm had already stopped beside Chen Xiaoman's neck.
Instructor Qin's voice came from the sidelines. "Group B's support student, eliminated."
Almost simultaneously, Sun Tie landed a punch on Wang Li's shoulder. Instructor Qin's voice rang out again. "Group B's power attack student, eliminated. All members of Group B are eliminated."
Feng Lingtian turned. Sun Tie was looking toward him, both arms covered in rock-gray keratin.
The two moved at the same time.
Sun Tie's strength far surpassed Feng Lingtian's, and Feng Lingtian had no advantage in a head-on clash. But Ye Qingyu's music gave him a boost in every gap between exchanges. When Sun Tie punched, her music urged Feng Lingtian to turn aside; when Sun Tie withdrew, her music pushed him forward. Feng Lingtian's speed always stayed just that little bit faster.
After three exchanges, Feng Lingtian seized the opening as Sun Tie withdrew his attack and pressed a palm against his chest.
Instructor Qin's voice rang out. "Group C's power attack student, eliminated. Group C's support student automatically loses. All members of Group C are eliminated."
Feng Lingtian withdrew his hand, his chest rising and falling slightly. Only Group A remained.
Just as Feng Lingtian was about to locate Group A, a beam from a mechanism shot in from the side and struck Zhao Meng squarely in the back.
Instructor Qin's voice was emotionless. "Group A's power attack student, struck in a vital spot by a mechanism, eliminated. Group A's support student automatically loses. All members of Group A are eliminated."
Bai Yu stood a short distance away, the bell in her hand still raised in midair. A boosting soul skill had just taken shape, but she had not yet had time to release it. Zhao Meng climbed up from the ground, brushed the dust off himself, and roared at her, "Why didn't you warn me there was a mechanism behind me?"
Bai Yu opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Feng Lingtian stopped looking that way. His gaze turned toward the edge of the grounds. Ye Qingyu was still crouching behind the rocks, her fingers resting on the strings. Her music had stopped.
Ye Qingyu raised her head and met Feng Lingtian's gaze across the entire field.
Feng Lingtian nodded to her.
Ye Qingyu's fingers slipped from the strings, and she let out a soft breath.
At the sidelines, Instructor Qin's voice rang out one last time. "Group D wins."
After everyone dispersed, Feng Lingtian saw Zhong Yue crouching beside the grounds, speaking to Bai Yu. Her eyes were red, her head lowered, and her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. Zhong Yue crouched beside her without coming too close or rushing to say anything. He took a dry flatbread from inside his robe and offered it to her.
"Don't cry." Zhong Yue's voice was quiet, his usual booming volume subdued for once. "It wasn't your fault."
Bai Yu raised her head and glanced at him.
"That guy doesn't understand support." Zhong Yue scratched his head. "I heard your bells just now. Your rhythm was steady. He was the one who failed to keep up."
Bai Yu froze for a moment. Tears still hung on her face, but her lips moved as though she wanted to say something.
"Really," Zhong Yue repeated, then pushed the flatbread into her hands. "Have something to eat, go back and get some sleep. Things will be better tomorrow."
Bai Yu lowered her head to look at the flatbread in her hands. After two breaths of silence, she gave an extremely slight nod.
Zhong Yue stood, brushed the dust from his knees, and turned to leave the grounds.
Feng Lingtian was heading that way, and the two met at the edge of the grounds. Zhong Yue paused and scratched his head, as though he wanted to explain something. In the end, he said nothing and walked past Feng Lingtian.
Feng Lingtian watched Zhong Yue's retreating back, then glanced at Bai Yu, who sat at the sidelines with her head lowered, nibbling the flatbread. He made a mental note.
Feng Lingtian withdrew his gaze and found Ye Qingyu at the edge of the grounds. She was putting the wind zither into a cloth bag, moving slowly, as though she could not bear to damage it.
"You weren't playing random notes," Feng Lingtian said.
Ye Qingyu's hands paused.
"You were watching the entire battlefield for me. The boost to my speed wasn't fixed. You adjusted it on the spot according to what I needed with every step. Accelerating, turning, stopping short-the boosts were all different." Feng Lingtian's tone was calm. "To do that much with an ordinary instrument, your soul power control is more precise than most people's."
Ye Qingyu kept her head lowered, her fingers tightening around the cloth bag's drawstring.
"And another thing." Feng Lingtian paused. "When Group A's power attack student was eliminated, your music shifted for a moment. You wanted to warn Bai Yu."
Ye Qingyu's fingers went still.
Feng Lingtian looked at her. She neither raised her head nor spoke. But he knew that every word he had said was right.
"You played very well," Feng Lingtian said. "It wasn't just a good instrument. You played it well."
Only after a long while did Ye Qingyu respond very softly.
"...Mm."
Then Ye Qingyu hugged the cloth bag and walked away quickly.
Feng Lingtian watched her retreating back. She held the cloth bag tightly against her chest, as though holding a shield.
Ye Qingyu's music was not simply a boost. It was understanding. She observed every detail of the battlefield, then used her music to deliver the most suitable boost where it was needed most. That required an extremely strong ability to read the battlefield, as well as a very deep empathy for her teammates' rhythms.
Ye Qingyu was not timid. All her thoughts were in her music.
Back in the dormitory, Feng Lingtian sat beside his bed and spread out a sheet of paper. Zhong Yue leaned over for a look. "Who are you writing to?"
"My brother," Feng Lingtian said, a barely perceptible pride in his tone.
Feng Lingtian picked up his brush and wrote on the paper: Brother, I received your letter. Here at the junior academy, I've found a few people too-Zhong Yue of the defense system, Su Mei'er of the control system, Ye Qingyu of the support system, and Lu Hanxiao, who doesn't like talking much. Next time you come back, I'll take you to meet them.
After finishing, Feng Lingtian folded the letter and put it in an envelope. Tomorrow, he would ask someone to take it to the intermediate academy.
Night fell, and Feng Lingtian lay in bed. Zhong Yue was already snoring, Lu Hanxiao's breathing was even and light, and there was not a sound from Su Ran's bed.
Defense system, control system, support system. I have the main choices for all three now. I'm still missing a control system reserve. I remember there's a Jiang Lin I haven't approached yet. I could try observing him.
Feng Lingtian yawned and thought, Another time. He slowly closed his eyes.