Zhao Yun arrived at the training ground with her spirit beast, Dixie, perched on her shoulder. She had intended to call out, but the sight before her made her pause.
Shan Yifeng and Liu i were engaged in what could barely be called a spar. No, this was sothing else entirely.
Her sharp eyes took in the scene—Shan Yifeng, eyes blazing with determination, his every strike precise and powerful. His movents had changed.
They were sharper, more refined. Each swing of his wooden sword carried weight and purpose, the kind of skill that took months to build.
That kid has improved so much.
But then—her gaze shifted to Liu i.
The girl wasn't just dodging. She was toying with him.
Effortlessly, she sidestepped each attack, her expression brimming with amusent, as if she were playing with a kitten pawing at her feet.
Zhao Yun's brows twitched.
This… this girl's a monster.
Shan Yifeng swung with all his might—fast, precise, and with undeniable skill. But Liu i? She evaded every strike by the narrowest margins, like a shadow slipping through his fingers. It wasn't luck. It wasn't reflexes.
It was pure instinct.
Shan Yifeng lunged, his wooden sword cutting through the air like a blade, but Liu i simply tilted her head to the side, letting it pass by with a teasing smile.
"Oh, so close, Junior Brother!" she chirped, eyes sparkling.
Zhao Yun crossed her arms. She had known Liu i was talented, but this?
This was ridiculous.
Liu i suddenly halted mid-step, her playful grin never fading.
Shan Yifeng saw his chance. He lunged—only for Liu i to side-step at the last second, catching his montum and shoving him straight to the ground.
A dull thud echoed through the training ground.
"Wha—"
Before he could even process it, Liu i was already dashing away, her laughter ringing through the air.
Zhao Yun barely had ti to react before the little troublemaker skidded to a stop right in front of her, eyes shining with mischief.
"Sister Yun! Oh it's really you, good! You're a really good cook—co cook pork today!"
Zhao Yun blinked.
"Pork? Master is out?"
Shan Yifeng blinked as if everything that had just happened was a re illusion.
Then it clicked.
His eyes widened, and in the next instant, he took off running like a boy who had just been told his father brought ho a brand-new toy car.
Liu i smirked, turning to Zhao Yun with a playful tilt of her head.
"Sister Yun, let's not delay! Don't you want to eat pork too?"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Zhao Yun's sleeve and led the way, her excitent infectious.
Dixie, her spirit beast, let out a soft grunt before following along, its tail swaying lazily.
_____
Clang! The knife struck the wooden board as Ace skillfully sliced through thick slabs of pork.
Across the table, Xie Ninger sat with her arms crossed, watching him intently.
She had questions. A lot of them.
"Where did you get this pig from?"
Chop.
"Where did you learn how to kill a pig like this?"
Chop.
"You do know this is a Spirit Pig, right? It's not ordinary."
Chop—
Ace's hands stilled. He exhaled slowly, tilting his head slightly in her direction.
"Ninger."
"What?"
He picked up another piece of pork, eyes calm.
"You're violating my ears."
Ace's grip on the knife tightened for a brief second before he continued chopping, acting as if she didn't exist.
Ninger leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her palm, watching his reaction with interest.
"What can you do?" she teased, her grin widening. "If you want to teach Liu i, you'll have to bear with ."
Ace let out a slow breath. No, no, where's that condescending Ninger who avoided Xiao Zhi like the plague whenever he tried to approach her?
He wanted to say it. Really wanted to.
But he bit his tongue, focusing on slicing the pork instead, determined to ignore her words.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Xiao Zhi, your mother betrayed my trust. Can I take revenge on her?"
His hands stilled.
Ace set the knife down with a dull thud, finally turning to face Ninger. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes carried a quiet storm.
"My mother?" His voice was calm—too calm. "The only person who thought well of … and now you're saying you want to take revenge on her?"
Ninger t his gaze, unfazed.
Ace let out a short, humorless laugh. "Even if you wanted to, are you crazy? Why say that to my face?"
He wasn't sure what answer he was expecting, but the way she simply smiled, as if amused by his reaction, made his blood simr.
"Who are you?" Ninger finally asked, her voice quiet but laced with sothing unreadable.
Ace wiped his hands on a cloth, exhaling slowly. "Not the Xiao Zhi you thought you knew, that's for sure."
"I know that by now," she admitted, tilting her head slightly. "Xiao Zhi hated his mother with a passion, after all."
Ace stiffened. For a mont, confusion flickered in his eyes before sothing clicked.
His mother had sent him away with wealth—more than enough to change his life. But he had never touched it.
He had drowned himself in wine, wasting away in that tiny village, surrounded by nothing but regret and self-loathing.
And then… he turned to Xie Ninger, his gaze sharp. "Were you sent to the village to keep an eye on ?"
She didn't deny it. She didn't even hesitate. She simply smirked.
It all made sense now.
The untouched wealth, hidden away under his bed. The refusal to use it, not out of sentintality, but because it mocked him. A reminder of everything he had lost.
Ace clenched his jaw, his mind reeling. The situation was getting more and more confusing the more he thought about it.
"Master! Master!"
Shan Yifeng's excited voice cut through the air as he rushed in, his breath uneven from running. Ace and Xie Ninger stopped their conversation, and Ninger, with one last glance at Ace, smirked before vanishing into the shadows.
Shan Yifeng, oblivious to the tension in the room, bead. "Master! You're finally out! I missed you!"
Ace chuckled, ruffling Yifeng's hair. "Oh? What's gotten you so worked up?"
Yifeng pouted. "What did you teach senior Sister? She's way too fast! Master, aren't you being a little too biased?"
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