Hou Jingshu’s life for the past year had been one of constant battle. Every day she would fight against Loong Chen until she was a bleeding mess and pass out where she stood. She would wake up the next day, her injuries healed, and repeat the process.
Over and over and over again.
In the beginning, she actually enjoyed that. It would probably sound awful if anyone were to hear her say she enjoyed getting the snot beaten out of her, but she craved the challenge. Facing an opponent as overwhelmingly powerful as Loong Chen was a thrill that she thought she would never tire of.
Except she did.
It had been strange. When she first began training like this, she had greatly enjoyed it. More than just the thrill, the sensation of growing stronger had been addictive, and she had become much, much stronger since the time she first began. Yet as the days wore on, her enthusiasm waned. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it. It was like the thrill had vanished. Loong Chen must have sensed it as well, for he stopped sparring with her like he used to and instead began teaching her techniques. She had mastered a handful of techniques since then, though she hadn’t learned many.
Loong Chen was of the opinion that it was better to have mastered a handful of techniques to the point where they became instinct than it was to know a hundred techniques but not have mastered any of them. He said that most cultivators only used a handful of techniques anyway. She understood the truth of his words. During the invasion of the Zhou Kingdom and Ming Province, their strongest warriors had only used four or five techniques at most. She could infer from that experience that most powerful cultivators did not rely overly much on knowing a bunch of techniques.
She had now mastered the techniques she had originally known before beginning, plus two more that came from Loong Chen’s personal repertoire. Dragon’s Roar, Heavenly Dragon’s Skin, Death Rending, Clawing Heavens, and Jaws of Retribution were techniques she learned through her cultivation method.
The first among the two techniques that she had learned was called Dragon’s Fury. It was a technique that could be used with either a weapon or fists. She infused her chi and Dao of the Dragon into either her fists or spear. It was similar to how a dragon might charge chi into their throat before unleashing it in a powerful breath attack. Once she had charged up her chi and Dao of the Dragon, she would thrust her spear forward. When her strike landed, she would punch straight through her opponent and unleash an intense explosion. This was one of her most powerful attacks.
Her second technique was called Partial Dragon Transformation, and it was exactly what it sounded like. By channeling her understanding of the Dao of the Dragon and her chi, she could transform a part of her body into that of a dragon’s. She could only transform one limb at a time right now and she couldn’t maintain it very long. Transformation techniques like this required a lot of chi and she just didn’t have enough. According to Loong Chen, she wouldn’t have enough to maintain this transformation indefinitely until she reached the Perfection Realm. However, it was a great technique for surprise attacks. She could near instantly transform her arm into a dragon’s claw and attack someone with the overwhelming might of a dragon.
At the moment, she was lying on the grass. The mountainside where she and Master Loong Chen had stayed was covered in grass right now, though it had been covered in snow until recently. Spring had come to this land, which stood on the border between the Shang and Zhou Kingdoms.
Her master wasn’t present. While discussing strategy with her, he had snapped his head in the direction of the Zhou Kingdom, then told her to stay put and flew off. That had been several hours ago. She wondered what he was doing and how long she would have to wait until he returned. She was bored. Maybe she should go after him? Hou Jingshu shook her head. She wanted to, but she knew what would happen if she did.
The thought of his punishments made her shudder.
At that moment, the sound of wings flapping made Hou Jingshu turn her head. She sat up, grass falling from her body, as Loong Chen returned. He flapped his wings several times before setting his feet on the ground. She stood up as his wings retracted and offered him a martial bow.
“Welcome back, Master. Why did you leave?”
“I sensed a familiar presence in the forest and decided to check it out. Anyway, pack your things. You’re going on a journey.”
Hou Jingshu tilted her head. “A journey?”
Master Loong Chen nodded. “That’s right. You’ve learned all you can from me right now. Your cultivation has also stopped. I suspect it is because of the method you use. Your cultivation method relies heavily on your enjoyment of the fight. The greater your enjoyment, the stronger you grow, but our fights have grown stale and you’ve become bored. You need more variety in your life.”
“So… I’m going on a journey with that person in the forest?” she deduced.
“People,” Master Loong Chen corrected. “But yes.”
“I see.” She paused. “And who are these people?”
“You should know at least two of them. You were quite close before you left for your journey.”
Two people I was close to before leaving…
It did not take Hou Jingshu long to call up two people she had been extremely close to. In fact, it barely took a second before a pair of images appeared within her mind. One was of a young man who often wore a mask, but hidden behind that mask was a masculine, handsome face and kind eyes. The other image was of a beautiful young woman with fox-like features and a seductive smile.
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“Do you mean…?”
“It’s probably who you are thinking about. Hurry up and get ready to leave.”
“Yes, Master!”
Hou Jingshu ran into a nearby tent and rushed to get her things packed. She really hoped they were meeting who she thought they were meeting.
***
“I do not believe we should delay anymore, Young Mistress. We should depart now.”
“You have been awfully persistent. Why do you want us to leave so suddenly?”
“I just do not believe we should waste any time here. We have already been delayed enough. Adding even more delays just gives our enemies more time to attack us.”
“While that might be true, it will be a while yet before they learn of what happened to the three they sent to kill us. You need to relax. Besides, the person who will be accompanying us is a dear friend. I do not want her to arrive and find us gone.”
“…”
Wu Jian was sitting on the grass, underneath the shade of a tree, and absently stroking Youmei’s head as he watched Zhou Wen attempt to convince Zhou Lihua they should leave right now. She was trying awfully hard to convince her young mistress. The question was why? And was it just Wu Jian, or did she seem a tad nervous? Or maybe anxious was a better word to describe how she appeared?
Not more than a few hours had passed since Loong Chen left them to get his apprentice. Ever since he left, Zhou Wen had been stubbornly attempting to talk Zhou Lihua into leaving.
“Zhou Wen stinks,” Youmei suddenly murmured.
Wu Jian glanced down. “I did not realize she smelled so bad?”
“I thought she smells pretty good,” Shuchang added. He was sprawled out on the ground next to them.
Youmei shook her head. “That is not what Youmei meant. She stinks of fear.”
“Fear, huh…”
Now why is that, I wonder…
To the best of his knowledge, Zhou Wen did not have anything she needed to fear right now. The only thing he could think of was the idea of Hou Jingshu joining them. However, he did not know why she would be afraid of that. It made him suspicious. While he might not be able to put his fingers on the reason for her nervousness, he at least understood that something was afoot.
I’ll need to keep my eye on her. I’ve always known there was something amiss about that woman.
Glancing back up, he found Mei Xilan standing over by the lake. She seemed pensive as well. It was hard to tell because her expressions were normally so bland. Her cultivation technique made it hard for her to express emotions the way most people did, but he had been around her long enough that he could tell what she was feeling to an extent.
Another hour passed, this time in silence, and the sound of flapping wings soon reached them. Two figures appeared in the skies above as tiny specks that slowly grew larger. One of them was Loong Chen, recognizable by his tail and dragon wings. The other was a woman Wu Jian knew quite well.
“Well, there’s a familiar face,” Shuchang muttered. He scratched his head. “I can’t sense her cultivation.”
Wu Jian said nothing as he observed the woman with a thumping heart. She wore a martial arts uniform that was a stunning blend of elegance and power. It predominantly featured shades of soft pink, as though symbolizing her grace and resilience, but had intricate dragon-themed accents to represent her fierce determination, strength, and cultivation method.
She landed on the ground alongside her master, the silk robe crafted from delicate yet durable pink silk draped gracefully around her figure. Its design allowed for freedom of movement. The most striking feature of the uniform was the exquisite dragon embroidery that adorned the sleeves and hem. The dragon motifs were intricately detailed in gold and silver threads, showcasing the majestic power of these mythical creatures. Meanwhile, the cuffs and collar of the uniform were embellished with a dragon-scale pattern in shimmering silver. It was like her outfit was giving a nod to her cultivation method. THe scales not only added a touch of symbolism but also reinforced the vulnerable areas.
Clasped securely around her waist was a silk belt featuring a beautifully crafted dragon-shaped clasp. This elegant yet functional belt ensured a secure fit during bouts of intense training.
On her small feet were a pair of pink silk slippers with dragon-scale patterns on the soles, and adorning her hair were two hairpins that Wu Jian recognized. They were the same ones she had always worn and seconded as concealed weapons that she could bring out in times of emergency.
“Jingshu…”
“Jian Wu…”
“BIG SIS JING!!!”
Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu had been seconds from launching themselves into each other’s embrace, but that moment came and went when Youmei darted forward and crashed into the woman. Hou Jingshu stumbled backward as Youmei buried her face into her stomach. She looked slightly put out, but only for a moment, and then she smiled and began stroking the little girl’s hair.
He glanced at Zhou Wen again, whose face had become impassive, as if her previous anxiety had never happened. Then he looked back at Hou Jingshu and smiled. He walked up to her.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey yourself,” Hou Jingshu said back with a gentle smile and a light blush.
“I see you’ve become much stronger. I can’t even feel your cultivation.”
“You have too. Hm hm hm. Though not as strong as me. I bet I can beat you now.”
“Don’t get overconfident.”
While her outward appearance hadn’t changed, the fact that he could no longer sense her cultivation meant she was at least a Seeker Realm cultivator. Her strength had truly become incredible. There was a good chance she could beat him now, though having a higher cultivation didn’t necessarily mean something to him. He had beaten Seeker Realm cultivators before.
“Jingshu… it has been a long time,” Zhou Lihua said with a smile as she walked up to them.
Hou Jingshu’s eyes brightened as they landed on the woman. “Lili, it’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”
“And I you.”
The two friends were soon sharing a hug, squishing poor Youmei between them. The little magical beast girl looked upset. She squirmed between the pair, wiggling her way out of their grasp. Then she ran over to Wu Jian and hid behind him.
“Ah, the bond between women is quite the dazzling sight,” Loong Chen said.
“Mmm. I understand what you mean,” Shuchang said with a sagely nod. “Watching two women display affection for each other is hot.”
Loong Chen eyed him with surprise, then approval. “I see you understand.”
“Indeed I do.”
Wu Jian eyed the pair as they clasped hands like true comrades in disgust. Are these two idiots?