Xuan Yi curled up motionless under the bedding, her ears buzzing chaotically.

—Better to just keep sleeping.

She twisted toward the corner, curling into a ball. Let him beat her, let him blast her with techniques—her dragon scales had already fully grown in. She’d just treat it as an itch. Today no one could make her get out of this bed, not even the Celestial Emperor.

After waiting for quite a while, he made no move. His footsteps instead gradually walked out of the bedchamber, gently closing the door for her.

He had left.

Xuan Yi closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep immediately. Sleep quickly. After waking, she needed to have a good talk with Great Emperor Qingyuan. She had so very much she wanted to discuss with him!

When she woke again, brilliant sunlight streamed through the window. It was probably near noon already. Xuan Yi had wanted to continue lying there a while longer, but she was terribly hungry and really couldn’t endure it, so she had no choice but to get up, dress, and wash.

The hall was completely quiet. There were no more sounds of talking or footsteps. Xuan Yi cracked open the bedchamber door a little and peered through the gap for quite a while. She saw Great Emperor Qingyuan sitting on a wooden chair in the outer hall with his head lowered, reading a book. She let out a breath of relief and gracefully stepped out of the bedchamber, elegantly bowing while saying: “Greetings to Great Emperor Qingyuan. I have a matter to request—could the warrior who is to teach martial arts be replaced with someone else for me?”

Great Emperor Qingyuan’s face revealed a trace of awkwardness. For a moment he didn’t speak, instead turning his head to look toward the bookshelf. Xuan Yi followed his gaze and looked over as well, then saw a white-robed divine lord standing before the bookshelf, similarly holding a book in his hands.

His long hair was no longer tied with a ribbon but secured with a jade crown. He seemed to have grown a bit taller and broader as well. Lord Shenjun Fucang, whose face had still carried a trace of youthful coolness in the past, was now truly a warrior of the divine realm. The cold condensation in his eyes was countless times more composed than before.

This tranquil and cold gaze glanced at her, looked for a moment, then slowly fell back to the book, as if he hadn’t heard her words at all.

Xuan Yi drew in a breath. She had been too rash—it turned out he was still here.

Great Emperor Qingyuan smiled awkwardly, though his voice tried hard to avoid awkwardness: “Princess, Lord Shenjun Fucang is a capable warrior of Yuhua Hall’s Dingmao Division. It just so happens he was somewhat injured in the course of slaying Great Lord Fuquan. I fear it will be some time before he can descend to the lower realm. This seat only then arranged for him to guide your cultivation. I wonder what dissatisfaction the princess has?”

Xuan Yi said with a smile: “Since Lord Shenjun Fucang is injured, then he should rest and recuperate even more. Why trouble him? I feel that I don’t know any martial arts at all. Requesting a capable warrior would inevitably be using a talent for a small task. Better to switch to someone who knows basic martial arts—I would find it easier to learn as well.”

Great Emperor Qingyuan said with difficulty: “Princess, learning martial arts and sword dao is different from learning techniques. Each school has different methods. If one first enters a basic framework, it will be difficult to advance further in the future.”

Just how much did he want to keep Fucang here? Xuan Yi’s face darkened. She was about to speak again when her stomach suddenly let out a loud “growl.” This time it was her turn to be a bit embarrassed.

Great Emperor Qingyuan stood up: “Please dine first, Princess.”

He summoned the female attendant to serve her a meal, taking this opportunity to leave immediately. This Princess of the Zhuyin Clan was indeed as difficult to deal with as legend said. There seemed to be many divine realm warriors, but in truth there weren’t nearly enough. How could they allow her to be so picky? If it weren’t for Lord Shenjun Fucang being injured and remaining in the upper realm, he wouldn’t be willing to arrange for him to guide this lazy princess.

Xuan Yi stood there stunned for a moment. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Fucang still reading by the bookshelf. She wanted to avoid him, but thinking about it, felt unwilling. She simply ordered the female immortal: “Place the meal here.”

There wasn’t a single dish on the small table that she liked. She reluctantly ate a few bites of fish, and couldn’t help asking: “Are there any refreshments?”

The female attendant’s beautiful eyes kept glancing toward the white-robed divine lord by the bookshelf, somewhat absent-minded: “There are mung bean cooling cakes and red bean soft cakes, and also coral tea. What would the princess like?”

What a terrible palace. Xuan Yi’s favorable impression of Yuhua Hall had dropped to its lowest. She said reluctantly: “Then the mung bean cooling cakes. Coral tea as well.”

The female attendant’s heart had clearly already flown to the white-robed divine lord: “Does the princess want them now? Lord Shenjun Fucang, would you like to eat some refreshments? There are golden chestnut paste cakes and agate jade cakes, and also Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea.”

Xuan Yi looked up at her and asked amiably: “Did those last few good things materialize out of thin air?”

The female attendant realized she had misspoken. Her face flushed red with shame as she quickly lowered her head: “This servant was wrong. Please do not punish me, Princess.”

Xuan Yi said flatly: “Of course I must punish you. The punishment is to bring all the refreshments and tea that just materialized. I want a portion as well.”

The female attendant retreated with a red face. Before long, she indeed brought excellent refreshments and a pot of Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea, not forgetting to gently greet Fucang: “Lord Shenjun Fucang, please come have some refreshments.”

One simply didn’t know who was the princess and who was the female attendant. Xuan Yi’s brow furrowed, and she saw the white-robed divine lord by the bookshelf move, slowly walking to the table and pulling out a chair to sit down. He poured a cup of tea but didn’t drink it.

Sensing his gaze resting on her, she couldn’t help but turn her head to look at the green grass outside the window. After pausing a moment, she heard him speak: “Later when practicing sword, you must change into different clothing and change into soft boots.”

Xuan Yi said slowly: “I came in a hurry and didn’t bring other clothes or shoes.”

Fucang then said: “If that’s the case, today we can only practice horse stance.”

Xuan Yi felt a mouthful of refreshment stuck in her throat, unable to go down. He actually told her to practice horse stance. She forcefully gulped down half a cup of tea, washing down the refreshment stuck in her throat, then rubbed her temple appearing weak: “I didn’t sleep well last night. I fear my physical strength is insufficient. How about another day?”

There wouldn’t be another day. She planned to return to Zhongshan immediately.

Fucang let out a breath. He suddenly stood up and came over, pulling her arm: “If you’re not even willing to practice horse stance, then assume sword defensive postures. Come.”

Xuan Yi frowned looking at his hand but didn’t struggle, allowing him to pull her to the grass outside the hall. Her vision blurred, and a wooden sword was tossed over. She didn’t catch it, watching it fall by her feet.

Seeing she had absolutely no intention of picking it up, Fucang bent down to pick it up for her and stuffed it into her hand.

“Raise your hand, spread your legs, bend your knees.” He removed the azure-blue Chun Jun from his waist, stepped back two paces, and assumed the most basic attacking stance. He turned his head to stare at her, using his gaze to force her to follow along.

This was too absurd. Why should she learn sword dao from him? Xuan Yi was dazed for quite a while. Perhaps these past twenty thousand-some years of staying in Zifu with an empty head every day had made her stupid. She actually didn’t know whether she should drop the wooden sword and turn to leave, or… she didn’t know what the “or” was either.

As if possessed by spirits, she actually imitated his movements, extending the arm gripping the sword outward. The fiery red fox fur stole slid down.

Fucang came close to adjust her posture, and in passing removed that stole, gently hanging it on the osmanthus tree.

“Aim at the stole and throw the sword. Knock it down, and today will be considered complete.” Seeing her posture had gone crooked again, he lightly bumped her bent knee with his knee, supported her elbow with his hand to lift it up, and with his other hand tapped her waist. “Bend down, lift higher, straighten your waist.”

Xuan Yi paused for a long time, then suddenly said: “Don’t touch me.”

As soon as the words fell, she forcefully threw out the wooden sword. This pitiful wooden sword traced a bizarre arc through the air and landed with a thud beneath the osmanthus tree, not even scraping down a single leaf.

Fucang once again picked up the wooden sword for her and placed it back in her hand: “Again. Don’t change the posture.”

Seeing her legs had straightened, he completely disregarded her earlier warning without the slightest courtesy, bumping his knee up again. Her body swayed, and he supported her shoulder with measured restraint, taking the opportunity to straighten her posture before immediately withdrawing his hand.

Xuan Yi narrowed her eyes, her lips slightly pursed. Without a word, she threw the wooden sword out again. This time it flew directly outside the courtyard.

She lowered her head with delicate weakness: “I don’t know how.” So, stop teaching.

Fucang said nothing. He beckoned with his hand, and that wooden sword flew back into his palm. For the third time, he stuffed it into her hand, saying flatly: “That’s why I’m responsible for teaching you how.”