The information about Affinity Qi was limited in books that Chao provided.
Wuyi had learned this by sneaking around the educational materials Gao had brought from the north. Ever since Boluo ntioned that Gao had brought a lot of knowledge, Wuyi had been sneaking around Gao's study and learning whenever he could
Those days were very rare, as most of the days were when Gao would be training them, or he would be in his chambers which was near his study, but there were tis when Gao would go away for a day or two, and those days were enough for Wuyi to get all the knowledge Gao had brought to store in the Statue of Knowledge.
At present, with his skill level and the statue of shadow, Wuyi could sneak anywhere in the fort; no one would notice, maybe except Congming or the strange lady who ca from his clan, but that lady was gone sowhere, and Congming rarely traveled the areas around Gao's Quarters.
The only place Wuyi avoided was the area of the fort where the clan's treasure was located, as he was well warned about that by Chao and everyone multiple tis.
Gao's teaching thods were harsh, designed to create Qi warriors who would serve as unquestioning tools for Lord Congming. This philosophy was Gao's own creation, and he wanted to present this batch of warriors to Lord Congming as if they were his gifts, to be used as Congming's killing tools. Very few in the clan dared to express their dislike of this idea.
These young kids, of the clan's blood, were not re tools . But the tis were desperate, and Lord Congming could not resist the temptation to wield the weapon of his own set of Qi warriors doing his bidding.
He already had many warriors serving him, but most of them had no Qi training, and their highest cultivation was at Qi initiate level four, while here Gao had promised him a batch of Qi initiate level six.
As Wuyi stood on the tower roof, other students began to arrive. He felt their disdain like a physical force. Each student who erged from the stairwell and found him already there seed to spurn him, their eyes filled with contempt. By the ti the seventh and final student appeared, their collective disdain felt like a wall of cold air surrounding him.
Yet, he stood in his accustod place, eting every eye that dared to look into his. The deep hatred within them was too obvious—they wanted to punish him, even kill him. He could feel their intention Gao just needed to say a word and they wouldn't hesitate to end Wuyi there itself.
But it was not just who had murderous intent.
At that mont, Wuyi realized it was not just Gao or Wanghze who were petty. He himself was petty, as he was promising himself if a day arrived where he could kill these kids, he would not feel bad either. Wuyi was surprised by his own thought process—these kids were manipulated by Gao; it was not their fault.
But sothing inside him was telling him it was not about being manipulated or being innocent; it was about the survival of the fittest. If they found him alone one day, they would end him. So, if he got the opportunity, he should do the sa.
No one spoke to him. The kids hated it but had no choice but to take their places around him, and they remained silent, not even speaking to each other. They waited in silence, each lost in their thoughts, as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Its rays finally cleared the walls of the tower, casting a golden glow on the stone floor. Yet, Gao was nowhere to be seen.
The tension was palpable, but no one dared to break formation. They all waited, and so did Wuyi.
The sound of halting footsteps echoed up the stairwell, announcing Gao's arrival. When he finally erged onto the tower, he squinted against the sun's glare, and his eyes t Wuyi's. He was visibly startled, but Wuyi stood his ground.
Their eyes locked, and in that mont, Gao seed to take pleasure in the burden of hatred that the others had imposed upon Wuyi, as well as in the wrappings that still adorned his injuries. Yet, Wuyi t his gaze unflinchingly. He had no choice but to stand tall.
All this silence and tension made one of the kids flinch. Gao glared at the kid who flinched and then looked back at Wuyi. Their eyes t once more; Gao could also see contempt and satisfaction in Wuyi's eyes too. Wuyi felt satisfaction in Gao's humiliation that Boluo gave him. He did not hide his satisfaction. This seed to unnerve Gao.
He opened his mouth to speak twice but found no words. On his third attempt, he turned his back to the class and finally spoke.
"Begin your physical limbering," he commanded, his voice tinged with bitterness that he couldn't quite hide. "I will observe to see if you are moving correctly."
Gao's words were muffled, as if spoken through a mouth marred by pain. They all followed his instructions, stretching, swaying, and bowing in a choreographed dance of discipline. He moved awkwardly around the tower garden, avoiding leaning against the wall or resting too frequently.
The rhythmic slap of his whip against his thigh, which had once set the tempo for their exercises, was conspicuously absent. He clutched the whip tightly, as if fearful of dropping it.
Wuyi, on the other hand, despite his bound ribs limiting his movents, did his best to follow the exercises, even if he couldn't perform them to their full extent.
The lesson was nothing new, covering only what they had already learned. It ended earlier than usual, the sun still high in the sky. "You have done well," Gao said to all his pupils , his voice lacking conviction. "You have earned these free hours, for I am pleased that you have continued to study in my absence." One by one, he called them forward to check their progress.
The atmosphere was tense; everyone was curious about how he would handle Wuyi. When it was finally his turn, Wuyi braced himself for a one-on-one confrontation. However, even that was anticlimactic.
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