When he tumbled out on the other side, he landed with a dull thud on soft grass… then froze.
Because right before him, standing in a shallow clear pool, was Zhu Zhuqing. Her sleek black hair clung wetly to her shoulders, her body clad only in the thin wrappings she wore underneath her armor. Water droplets glistened on her lithe figure under the moonlight, accentuating every curve in a way that made Xiao Tian's young brain short-circuit.
They locked eyes.Zhu Zhuqing's amber gaze widened ever so slightly in surprise, but otherwise remained eerily calm.Xiao Tian, on the other hand, turned bright red — his mouth opening and closing without a single word coming out.
A long mont passed.
Then Zhu Zhuqing sighed faintly. She turned slightly away, crossing her arms lightly under her chest. "Go. Before I decide it isn't worth forgiving an accident."
"Y-Yes! Thank you! It was an accident!" Xiao Tian squeaked, his voice cracking as he spun around so fast he nearly tripped on his own feet. Within seconds, he bolted back through the hedge and down the path at the sa ridiculous speed he'd crashed into her private mont.
Behind him, Zhu Zhuqing's lips twitched into the faintest smirk, a single amused breath escaping her as she returned to training.
'That little Roc really is too easy to fluster…'
ChatGPT said:
Zhu Zhuqing resud her quiet solitude in the moonlit courtyard. The water in the training pool had settled once more, the only sounds now being the occasional ripple and the distant cicadas.
She stepped out of the shallow end, tightened the sash of her training wrap, and took a calm breath.
This was her current challenge — walking on water.
Not by brute force, but with the subtle mastery of control: using precise pressure, a steady core, and the minimal spirit energy necessary to keep herself afloat. It was a technique that demanded more finesse than power, sothing even Felicia hadn't fully mastered.
She took her position again at the edge of the pool, bare feet sinking slightly into the stone.
One step. Her foot landed gently on the surface — and for a mont, it held.
Second step. She leaned forward, posture perfect, aura output balanced like a still blade—
Splash.
The surface tension gave out, and she sank ankle-deep before reflexively leaping back to the stone edge with a grimace.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned, flicking water from her leg with a silent, frustrated exhale.
Again.
She stepped forward once more.
Slowly — each toe placing itself deliberately on the water as a faint shimr of spirit energy enveloped her soles.
One step. Two. Three… Splash.
She erged again, soaked up to the waist, her expression calm but eyes narrowing slightly in quiet irritation. A strand of wet hair clung to her cheek as she exhaled sharply through her nose.
She didn't yell. She didn't grumble.
Instead, she closed her eyes, focused her spirit energy inward, and began again.
Sowhere in the distance, Xiao Tian was still running for his life.
But here, under the pale light of the moon, Zhu Zhuqing stepped again onto the surface.
And this ti… she lasted five full steps before falling.
****
The first rays of dawn had only just begun to tint the sky a gentle amber when Michael stepped out onto the quiet stone path outside the villa's guest wing. The air still clung with the crispness of night, though his body was comfortably warm — mostly thanks to Felicia's "enthusiastic company" hours prior.
He rolled his shoulders once, exhaling through his nose.
'That woman really doesn't know restraint… Not that I mind.'
But sothing caught his attention.
There, near the edge of the small mountain spring that doubled as a training pool, was Zhu Zhuqing. Her dark hair was wet, clinging to her back, and her figure moved with practiced grace. She was soaked to the knees and clearly annoyed, though her expression remained as neutral and cold as always.
She stepped onto the water again — and instantly sank, barely catching herself before plunging fully in.
Michael walked over, arms crossed. "Still working on it?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked over her shoulder, slightly startled, then nodded. "Mn. I'm close. But it slips once I shift weight."
Michael nodded and then he said "watch " and began to walk on water.
Zhu Zhuqing's sharp eyes followed every step as Michael moved across the surface of the spring — not with absolute stillness like a master of light steps, but with confident control. Each motion felt intentional, guided not by brute strength or rigid balance, but a natural flow of energy and body acting in harmony.
He turned back to her and said, voice steady, "The key isn't about balance in the physical sense. It's not about stiff posture or rigid feet."
He raised one hand, swirling a trace of energy between his fingers. "It's about how you guide your spirit energy — not letting it control you. You direct it. You decide when and where it flows. Your speed, your steps, your montum — they all must start from you, not the aura."
Zhu Zhuqing listened intently. Her expression was cool, but a flicker of understanding passed through her golden eyes.
Michael took one more slow step, the water barely rippling beneath him. "You don't move because your energy shifts. You shift your energy because you intend to move. That's the difference."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her gaze slightly, then nodded. "...Understood."
She stepped back again onto the edge, spirit energy faintly coiling around her legs like shadowy mist. This ti, she didn't overcharge. She didn't brace too hard. She simply breathed — and stepped.
One foot landed cleanly. The water held. Then the second.
She wobbled slightly, but her knees bent, correcting with fluid grace.
Three steps. Then four.
Michael's smile was faint, approving. "Good."
She made it five more steps before her heel dipped too low, and she sank in with a soft splash.
Erging with her hair clinging to her face, Zhu Zhuqing rely tossed it back and muttered, "Again."
Michael extended a hand. "Let's."
*******
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