Renxue tilted her head. "And more importantly — each of these fights is pushing his bloodline awake. It won't be long before the real imperial might shows."
Zhu Zhuqing gave a small, intrigued smile. "Which ans we'll just need an worthy Seventh mber to complete our team."
Xiao Tian just sighed. "Great. That ans he'll probably start taking Xue's attention off ."
Felicia's head swiveled instantly, crimson eyes narrowing. "What was that, little Roc?"
Xiao Tian flinched, waving his hands frantically. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"
Luochen chuckled at the scene — Felicia's sharp glare and Xiao Tian's frantic denial — then stepped forward toward Qinghe, who was still kneeling on the battered ground, chest heaving.
Without a word, he took out a small porcelain bottle, shook out a shimring jade-green pill, and held it out. "Here. Healing pill. It'll nd your torn ridians and calm your blood. You've earned it."
Qinghe looked up, eyes slightly wide, then took it with both hands and bowed his head. "Thank you… Senior brother."
He swallowed the pill. A cool, soothing wave flowed instantly through his limbs, washing away the burning ache. The pain in his chest eased, and the strain on his ridians loosened. His back straightened, and his eyes regained a faint sharpness.
Luochen watched him a mont, then turned to the others. "As of today — he's officially our sixth mber. You'll all train together, fight together, and trust each other. Is that clear?"
Felicia smirked, crossing her arms. "Hmph. Long as he doesn't slow us down."
Zhu Zhuqing just gave a small nod, her golden eyes briefly eting Qinghe's. "Understood."
Xiao Tian sighed and muttered under his breath, "Another person to get tossed around in sparring matches…"
Renxue only smiled faintly, golden eyes soft but calculating. "Good. Our circle grows."
Then Luochen gestured to Qinghe, who pushed himself to his feet and faced the group.
"et your new comrades properly. That," Luochen pointed with a slight grin, "is Felicia — though everyone here calls her Xue. The Lioness of Annihilation. Don't let that pretty face fool you. She'll break your bones just to see how they heal."
Felicia shot him a narrow-eyed glare. "Keep talking, and I'll break yours, dear."
Luochen ignored her and went on. "That's Zhu Zhuqing — agile, patient, deadly. If she moves, pray she's not moving for your throat."
Zhu Zhuqing simply inclined her head in calm acknowledgent.
"And there's Xiao Tian," he said, nodding to the younger boy who offered a small awkward wave. "Our little Roc. Fast, sharp, annoyingly stubborn. Renxue's already claid him for personal training."
Xiao Tian's shoulders drooped. "Please don't remind …"
Finally, Luochen's hand rested lightly on Renxue's shoulder. "And this is Renxue. No other introduction needed. If you can't trust her with your life, you shouldn't stand here."
Renxue gave Qinghe a polite, regal nod. Her eyes, however, assessed him quietly — weighing his worth.
Qinghe took a deep breath, then bowed formally to all of them. "Thank you. I'll do everything to keep up… and not embarrass this team."
"Good," Luochen said simply. "Because starting tomorrow — you stop training like a pampered prince. You start training like a weapon."
The faintest flicker of pride sparked in Qinghe's eyes. "Understood… Senior Brother."
***
That night, back in their private inn suite, the group settled in — so around the low table with tea, others drifting to their rooms. The lanternlight was soft, the city noise distant, giving the place a quiet, intimate air.
Felicia, however, had other plans.
She caught Luochen's arm with a sharp little smile. "Alright, my turn tonight. I've been patient long enough." Her eyes glinted, voice dropping into a low, teasing purr. "Renxue can have you tomorrow."
Renxue, who was sipping her tea with that composed, almost regal grace, simply rolled her eyes with faint exasperation at Felicia's smug departure — but then she let out a soft, amused breath and smiled. That little satisfied curve of her lips only seed to irritate Felicia further, who gave a sharp harrumph before practically dragging Luochen off to the bedroom, muttering sothing about not sharing tonight.
Left behind in the warm lamplight of the suite's common room, Xue Qinghe watched this scene with a slightly dazed expression. His mind was still trying to process just how unusual this group was.
Then, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he turned to Renxue.
"Are you… and Senior Brother also…?" His voice trailed off awkwardly as he tried to figure out how to phrase it. "I an — it seems you're not just close comrades. And, um… how powerful is Senior Brother, to have such beautiful and powerful won all by his side…?"
Renxue's golden eyes flicked to him, faintly amused by both his hesitation and his honest wonder. She didn't dodge it at all. Instead, she nodded once, slowly, almost proudly.
"Yes. He's our lover. Each night, he's with one of us — or Felicia and sotis we don't bother waiting our turn." Her lips curved, a sly glint there. "He's that remarkable. Both in strength… and in other ways."
Qinghe's ears went faintly pink, though he tried to keep his composure. He could only bow his head a little, murmuring, "I… see."
But then Renxue tilted her head, eyes narrowing in thought. "What about you, little prince? You're of royal blood — surely you have a fiancée or a prospective match lined up by your family?"
Qinghe blinked, startled by the question. "I… I did, once. There were talks of alliances, of course. But most of them pulled back because of my fragile health — and my mother never pressed the matter. So no, there's no fiancée."
Renxue gave a faint hum of disappointnt, tapping her finger against her cup. 'Pity… if he had one, we could have simply dragged her into this team. That way we wouldn't even have to hunt for our seventh mber.'
She smirked a little at that private thought, then simply said aloud, "Well, it seems fate will make us search after all."
anwhile, on the other side of the courtyard — or more precisely, deeper into the secluded rear gardens of the manor — Xiao Tian was wandering around trying to clear his head. His training with Renxue had been grueling all day, leaving his muscles trembling and his thoughts a complete haze.
He found a large stone boulder, half cracked from previous spirit practice, and with a small annoyed grunt, threw a punch at it — accidentally sending a surge of wind and electric aura that shattered it completely. The burst of power knocked him off balance, and before he knew it, he stumbled and crashed through a thin hedge.
When he tumbled out on the other side, he landed with a dull thud on soft grass… then froze.
*******
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