The judges clocking out on time made Qin Wanwan breathe a sigh of relief. She raised her hand to pat her chest. “Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

She turned around and saw Jian Xingzhi’s gaze, which startled her. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Jian Xingzhi restrained his naked, burning gaze fixed on the points. He returned to his usual appearance, helping Nanfeng up on one hand while scanning the surroundings with the other, planning to catch that provocative sword cultivator from earlier and beat him up. But the opponent was extremely shrewd—before the judges had even left, he had already slipped away in the chaos.

“That bastard, bullying the weak.” Jian Xingzhi said, then turned to look at Qin Wanwan. “Beicheng, tomorrow you absolutely cannot lose face for your master. You must win!”

2000 points!

“Stop making threats in public from now on.” Hearing Jian Xingzhi speak so aggressively, Qin Wanwan reminded him. “I’m the one who has to fight. What if I get beaten to death with you acting like this?”

“How could you possibly get beaten to death?” Jian Xingzhi found Qin Wanwan unreasonable. “You’re my disciple.”

“But I’m not you.” Qin Wanwan raised her hand to her forehead. “Give me a way out, Master.”

“Have some confidence in yourself.” Seeing Qin Wanwan’s distress, Jian Xingzhi praised her with full confidence. “That thing on the arena today—you could take on ten of them alone.”

“Isn’t that exaggerated?”

Qin Wanwan couldn’t believe it. Jian Xingzhi turned to look at Nanfeng and Xie Gutang beside them. “Right, you two?”

“Of course!”

Nanfeng blindly flattered. “Master is the best!”

“Well,” Qin Wanwan said modestly, “just average.”

“I’ve never truly seen Wanwan’s sword intent,” Xie Gutang spoke honestly. “I dare not make wild claims.”

This sent Jian Xingzhi into contemplation. He realized that since Qin Wanwan had started learning from him, she had only fought seriously with him alone. Other times, she was either fleeing or never had a real opportunity to draw her sword.

Jian Xingzhi glanced at Qin Wanwan beside him, who lacked some confidence in herself, then turned to Xie Gutang. “Fight with her later.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Xie Gutang and Qin Wanwan voiced their confusion simultaneously. Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think you’re not good enough? Xie Gutang is a top-tier sword cultivator of the younger generation, right?”

“You’re too kind, too kind.”

Xie Gutang waved his hand dismissively, but his facial expression showed no trace of being “too kind”—like an utterly pretentious academic overachiever.

“If you don’t believe your master, fight with him once and you’ll know how strong you are. Ordinary Nascent Soul sword cultivators can’t last ten moves against him. As long as you can hold out for eleven moves—” Jian Xingzhi placed his hand on Qin Wanwan’s shoulder. “You’ll definitely win.”

Qin Wanwan couldn’t believe it. She glanced at Xie Gutang, who nodded encouragingly.

With that, the group returned to the Ning Manor courtyard. Upon entering, Jian Xingzhi directly gave Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang each a wooden sword, then jerked his chin at Xie Gutang. “Fight. Don’t hold back.”

Xie Gutang was quite accustomed to this. After bowing to Qin Wanwan, he casually raised his hand and pointed his sword toward the ground. “Please.”

Her power gap with Jian Xingzhi was quite large. If she didn’t use the Jishan Technique and relied only on sword intent, Jian Xingzhi generally had to hold back considerably. She really wanted to know—without using the Jishan Technique, what kind of gap existed between her and normal sword cultivators.

She took a deep breath and raised her sword to strike at Xie Gutang. However, when the sword reached Xie Gutang’s front, she couldn’t even see how he moved—his sword twisted and pressed down on Qin Wanwan’s sword. Qin Wanwan turned her wrist trying to counter, but Xie Gutang raised his sword with a shock that sent Qin Wanwan flying backward.

Seeing Qin Wanwan flung back and sprawled on the ground, Jian Xingzhi’s heart jumped. He quickly comforted himself—this was a necessary path for sword cultivators, nothing to worry about.

But he still worried Xie Gutang might not know his own strength, yet he also feared that telling Xie Gutang to hold back would hurt Qin Wanwan’s pride.

He stood anxiously with crossed arms, reminding Qin Wanwan, “He’s been tempering his body for so many years. Fighting him head-on puts you at a disadvantage. What did I teach you before? The sword is like a light feather—go with the flow, overcome hardness with softness, meet force with force.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan climbed back up.

Xie Gutang looked at her disheveled hair and nodded somewhat apologetically. “Sorry.”

Qin Wanwan charged forward without a word. This time with a lift and a thrust, when Xie Gutang counterattacked, she lightly dodged along the sword tip. Almost every move and stance seemed to stick to Xie Gutang’s sword, following his force to deflect his power, then at the last moment suddenly condensing her force to shock it back!

However, the more she made such precise movements within a small range, the more she needed to grasp the “degree” of force. After going back and forth with Qin Wanwan for over a dozen rounds, on the final move, she was once again flung away and crashed to the ground.

Hearing the “clang” sound, Jian Xingzhi took a deep breath and instructed Nanfeng, “Go get some fruit. I need to calm my nerves.”

As he spoke, he kept telling himself.

Sword cultivators sparring was perfectly normal. He shouldn’t overthink. It was nothing.

He leaned against a pillar watching Qin Wanwan climb up once more. Her small face was covered in dust. This time she might have been hurt from the impact—her eyes carried some fire. She raised her sword and charged forward, striking without a word.

Xie Gutang saw her sword and his eyes lit up. He didn’t go easy on her, but Qin Wanwan quickly figured out his patterns, exchanging moves with him more and more smoothly.

Cuilu was cracking melon seeds as she passed through the corridor. Seeing people sparring in the courtyard, she couldn’t help walking forward to stand beside Jian Xingzhi, cracking seeds as she asked, “Fighting?”

Jian Xingzhi’s heart was tense, his gaze fixed on the two. “Mm.”

“Your disciple is quite good,” Cuilu commented on Qin Wanwan. “Fast learner. She adjusts her sword every time.”

“Of course,” Jian Xingzhi was somewhat pleased by the praise and turned to glance at Cuilu. “Otherwise why would I take her as my disciple?”

“She’s also beautiful,” Cuilu sighed. “Just like Daojun Xie—handsome man and beautiful woman. Look at how they’re fighting now, under the moonlight and peach blossoms, a feast for the eyes. They’re simply the golden boy and jade maiden, a match made in heaven.”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi’s movements stiffened. Cuilu treated him entirely as an elder and asked, “Have you considered finding a dao companion for your disciple?”

“Is that something for me to consider?” Jian Xingzhi’s gaze fell on Qin Wanwan. “Doesn’t it depend on who she likes?”

“Dao companions involve dual cultivation. You’re her master—how can you let her be reckless?” Cuilu frowned disapprovingly. Since Qin Wanwan was the benefactor’s child and this master was so irresponsible, she decided to educate him. “You should find her a good match early. Her future cultivation will be like adding wings to a tiger, and ascension will be just around the corner.”

“Good? What counts as good? Who is good?” Jian Xingzhi scoffed.

“Look at this Xie Gutang.” Cuilu pointed at Xie Gutang. “I think he’s quite good.”

Jian Xingzhi said nothing. He listened to Cuilu’s words, knowing most of the cultivation world was like this.

Dao companions not only shared fortune and misfortune in destiny, but their cultivation levels would also influence each other. A good dao companion, with proper dual cultivation, could not only advance cultivation but even reverse one’s constitution.

But somehow, hearing these words made him feel uncomfortable.

He spoke sullenly, “She’s still young, her foundation isn’t stable. Let her build her foundation first.”

“I’m just giving you a reminder, afraid that after being a master for so long, you’ll be reluctant to let the child go.”

“What would I be reluctant about?” Jian Xingzhi feigned composure. “Even if she gets married, I’m still her master. What difference could there be?”

“Since you mention that, I must remind you.” Hearing him say this, Cuilu suddenly remembered. “If she truly gets married, you’ll still need to maintain some distance.”

“What do I need to distance myself from?”

Jian Xingzhi frowned. Seeing he didn’t understand worldly matters, Cuilu patiently explained, “You’re still a man after all. Even as her master, if you get too close, her dao companion will be unhappy. Think long-term for her. It’s like parents and children—when a child marries, she becomes one body with her dao companion. She absolutely cannot be the same with you as before.”

Jian Xingzhi was stunned. Beside him, Nanfeng came over with a plate of fruit. “Daojun, here, have an apple.”

Nanfeng’s call brought Jian Xingzhi back. He listlessly picked up a green apple and took a hard bite, then frowned.

“Why is this apple sour?”

“Maybe…” Nanfeng speculated, “green apples aren’t ripe yet?”

Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat irritated, but since he had already started eating, and he always insisted on finishing what he started, he persisted in chewing through the sour and astringent apple.

After finishing the apple, he stood to the side watching Qin Wanwan get more and more into it. When she finally lasted to the twelfth move under Xie Gutang’s hands, it was already late at night. Jian Xingzhi called to her, “Enough. You still have to fight tomorrow. Rest first.”

Qin Wanwan looked quite happy and bowed to Xie Gutang. “Daojun Xie, thank you for accompanying me in sword practice today.”

“Wanwan’s sword techniques are quite innovative. I’ve also gained much inspiration,” Xie Gutang returned the bow. “If there’s time in the future, we can arrange more sparring.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a “ding” in Jian Xingzhi’s mind as the points increased by +5.

Jian Xingzhi silently glanced at the screen and dragged Qin Wanwan toward the room. “Alright, hurry up and rest.”

Qin Wanwan was being dragged by Jian Xingzhi as she waved to Xie Gutang. Xie Gutang smiled softly at Qin Wanwan’s dust-covered little face.

Cuilu walked to his side and glanced at Xie Gutang. “After watching for so long, my hands are getting itchy.”

Xie Gutang turned back in surprise. Before he could react, Cuilu suddenly struck. Xie Gutang raised his hand to block Cuilu, but unexpectedly, Cuilu’s palm was different from ordinary people’s—extremely nimble. With a turn, she directly bypassed Xie Gutang’s arm and lightly tapped beneath his chin.

Xie Gutang froze, then heard Cuilu laugh softly. “Still young.”

Having said that, Cuilu also found it boring. She withdrew her hand and turned to leave.

Xie Gutang watched Cuilu’s graceful departing figure. After thinking for a moment, he raised his hand to repeat the move Cuilu had just used, then began thinking about how to counter it.

Jian Xingzhi dragged Qin Wanwan back to her room and prepared bath water for her. Walking out from behind the screen, he saw Qin Wanwan still gesturing with her hands and couldn’t help but laugh. “Have you experienced the joy of fighting?”

When Jian Xingzhi asked, Qin Wanwan felt somewhat embarrassed. “People always want to win or lose.”

“Go bathe. After bathing, I’ll apply medicine for you.”

“Oh.”

Qin Wanwan felt somewhat excited but still restrained her restless nature to go bathe.

After bathing and returning, she saw Jian Xingzhi sitting by the window. Qin Wanwan walked out drying her hair. Jian Xingzhi took the medicine and walked to sit on the bed, pulling her hand over to begin applying medicine.

She wasn’t seriously injured—mainly her palms had been rubbed raw from gripping the sword and getting shocked. Jian Xingzhi lowered his head to apply medicine for her while discussing places she could improve from today’s battle with Xie Gutang.

Qin Wanwan listened, somewhat happy, nodding. After a while, she carefully asked, “Master, am I actually quite formidable now?”

“Of course.”

Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow. “You can already last twelve moves under Xie Gutang’s hands. You’re very formidable.”

“That’s wonderful.” Qin Wanwan wrapped herself in the blanket, watching Jian Xingzhi apply medicine for her, quite excited. “Sooner or later I’ll defeat Xie Gutang!”

Jian Xingzhi’s movements paused. After a moment, he nodded. “Looks like you really do like him.”

What kind of logic was that?

Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi strangely.

If wanting to defeat someone meant liking them, then wouldn’t the man she liked most in this world be Jian Xingzhi?

She dreamed of crushing his dog head.

“I think it’s just average liking.”

Qin Wanwan sighed. Jian Xingzhi finished applying the medicine and raised his hand to smooth it over her hand. Qin Wanwan’s hand became fair and delicate.

Jian Xingzhi stood up and instructed her, “Rest well.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. Jian Xingzhi walked out the door and closed it for her.

Returning to his room, Jian Xingzhi somehow felt rather stifled. He thought about it and decided to sleep first.

He rarely dreamed, but that night he had a nightmare.

In the dream, he saw Qin Wanwan in a phoenix coronet and bridal veil, slowly walking toward him. He stared blankly at Qin Wanwan. He couldn’t quite see her features clearly—which made sense, since he actually didn’t know what she truly looked like.

But at that moment, he felt her appearance didn’t matter. She was his disciple anyway. He watched Qin Wanwan walk to his front. He was about to pull her when Qin Wanwan knelt down, then raised her hands to present him with a cup of tea, respectfully saying, “Master, please drink tea.”

Jian Xingzhi was stunned. Then he saw Xie Gutang also kneeling beside her, wearing a bridegroom’s celebratory robes, holding up a teacup. “Master, please drink tea.”

Jian Xingzhi looked at them blankly. The scene shifted, and he was suddenly dressed in rags. Xie Gutang violently threw his bundle into his arms, pointing at him aggressively. “Beicheng is my wife. This is my Xie Manor. From now on, she’s my person. Even if you’re her master, you cannot approach her!”

He wore patched clothes, holding the bundle like a beggar, staring blankly at the gate. Inside the gate, Qin Wanwan was pulled into Xie Gutang’s arms, held tightly. He beat her, just like during their evening sparring, knocking her to the ground again and again.

Fragile Qin Wanwan was beaten down to the ground, crying breathlessly, reaching out her hand and calling to him, “Master, Master!”

The rain was so heavy then. The heavy rain blurred his eyes. He stumbled forward, watching the gate slam shut, then he collapsed at the doorway, powerlessly pounding on the gate, sobbing bitterly. “Beicheng! Beicheng, open the door! Xie Gutang, let go of Beicheng! Her child is really yours!”

Child?

What the hell?!

This line jolted Jian Xingzhi awake. He gasped for breath, feeling his head covered in sweat.

He wiped the sweat in the darkness and looked at the sky outside.

This dream was too terrible. What was that thing?

He didn’t dare sleep again. He quickly got up, washed, and walked out with his sword.

It wasn’t yet dawn. Xie Gutang had just walked out with his sword when he saw Jian Xingzhi with a face full of dark energy, quite pleasantly surprised. “Senior?”

“Oh,” Jian Xingzhi saw Xie Gutang and spoke meaningfully. “It’s you.”

“Senior is also here to practice sword?”

Xie Gutang was somewhat reserved. “If Senior doesn’t mind, how about we spar?”

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Jian Xingzhi’s weary face.

“Sure.”

Qin Wanwan woke up very early that day.

Jian Xingzhi came in early to help her wash up. Afterward, Qin Wanwan proactively suggested, “Master, should I spar with Daojun Xie today?”

“No need.”

Jian Xingzhi fastened her sleeves tightly for her. “Today you’ll have plenty of fights. Don’t look for him anymore.”

“Mm.”

Qin Wanwan nodded obediently. Jian Xingzhi looked at his small disciple who only reached his chin, thinking of how she had been beaten to tears in last night’s dream, feeling quite worried in his heart.

Other people hitting her had no restraint. He wasn’t at ease. Only by doing it himself would he know what condition she’d be beaten into.

But he suppressed all these worries. After tying the final bow on Qin Wanwan’s sleeve ribbon, he led her out.

Only after leaving did Qin Wanwan discover Xie Gutang’s face was covered in fist marks.

Qin Wanwan was stunned and couldn’t help speaking. “Big Brother Xie, your face…”

“During morning sparring, I learned that Senior not only has excellent swordsmanship—” When Xie Gutang mentioned this, he was quite happy. “His fist techniques are also extremely good.”

Qin Wanwan looked at Xie Gutang’s face full of “I made a huge profit” expression and fell silent for a moment.

She glanced at Cuilu beside her. Cuilu rolled her eyes at her and raised her hand to tap her head.

Qin Wanwan understood immediately. No need for excessive words—she had already understood through multiple beatings.

Sword cultivators like Jian Xingzhi and Xie Gutang had mental problems.

She withdrew her gaze and got on the spirit beast carriage. Before the sun rose, they arrived at the arena.

The judges arrived punctually, just as punctual as when they got off work. After the three judges took their seats, they first announced the name of the person who was still one match away from winning ten matches yesterday. “Number 247, Yan Huo.”

With that, the man who had made threats yesterday descended from the sky, landing on the ground with quite an imposing manner.

The judge looked down and continued reading. “Number 336, Qin Wanwan.”