Fang Lian dusted herself off and plopped down beside him, hugging her knees.
For a while, they sat in complete silence under the silver moonlight. Then, her voice ca small but steady.
"Master, are we being attacked because we have her royal princess with us?"
Fang Yuan shook his head. "No. This is just political power play. Think—why do you suppose they didn’t attack us the mont word spread that the princess had been taken by my brother?"
She blinked, unsure. "I... don’t know."
Fang Yuan tilted his gaze to the moon, voice steady. "Because the kingdom was at war with the Azure Phoenix Kingdom. They couldn’t afford to split their attention. We were beneath their notice while their armies bled on another front."
He let that sink in before glancing back at her. "So tell —why strike now, instead of then?"
Fang Lian hesitated, then answered slowly, "Because... now they’re free? With no war to drain them, they can co for the princess."
A faint smile curved Fang Yuan’s lips as he shook his head. "No. If they truly cared about her, they would have sent a ssenger, or at least attempted to negotiate. But they didn’t. They don’t care about the princess, just as much as they don’t care about the kingdom’s people."
Fang Lian’s voice softened, almost hesitant.
"Master... will we be fine tomorrow?"
Fang Yuan tilted his head, eyes still on the night sky.
"How do you want tomorrow to be?"
She blinked at him, then broke into a mischievous grin.
"I want as many casualties as possible, so I can have enough patients to experint on."
Fang Yuan turned to her, blinking once. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and finally just stared.
"...."
Unable to hold back, he reached out and flicked her forehead.
"hmm. You’re getting more corrupted as ti goes on," he said dryly.
"Stick close to Doctor Mu and relearn your manners."
Fang Lian yelped, clutching her forehead. "Master! That hurts!"
But the mischievous grin never left her face.
Fang Yuan’s tone, though light at first, hardened as he lowered his hand.
His gaze stayed on her, steady and unblinking.
"Lian... this isn’t sothing to joke about. Tomorrow will be bloody enough. Don’t turn human lives into your playthings."
The smile on her lips faltered. She drew her knees in tighter, eyes flickering away from his.
"I... I was just teasing, Master."
He didn’t respond right away, letting the silence stretch.
His presence alone carried weight, pressing down heavier than his words.
Finally, Fang Lian bit her lip and bowed her head.
"I understand. I went too far."
Only then did Fang Yuan’s expression soften. He reached out, ruffling her hair with a sigh.
"Good. Hold onto that understanding. I’d rather see you beco a healer people depend on than a butcher they fear."
Fang Lian nodded quickly, the usual mischief drained from her face.
Fang Yuan’s hand lingered on her head, his voice quieting.
"Still... I wouldn’t have taken you as my disciple if I didn’t trust you. Your skills are sharp, and your heart, despite your mouth knows the weight of a life."
Fang Lian looked up, eyes wide. The tension in her shoulders eased, and a shy smile tugged at her lips.
"Thank you, Master... I won’t forget."
Fang Yuan leaned back against the rock, his gaze still fixed on the moonlight. After a mont, he spoke, voice lighter.
"Enough about this. Tell instead how did you and the Matriarch get so close?"
Fang Lian blinked, then suddenly her face lit up. Words spilled out in a rush.
"How did we get close?"
Fang Lian’s voice softened, her usual sharpness dulled by mory. "Master... it was the day everyone thought you had died."
Her fingers clenched at her sleeves as she went on. "She decided I needed to vent my anger. The cultivators outside had been hamring our barrier for hours, nagging like vultures. Without even asking, she flung straight out through the barrier... alone, with all of them waiting."
Her voice cracked. "I barely survived, Master—barely."
She stumbled forward, collapsing into his chest.
Fang Yuan let out a quiet breath, one hand brushing through her hair with rare gentleness.
"I rember that," he murmured. "That was when you finally mastered the Star Form."
Her head lifted, eyes glimring. "Ah! Yes, I did! Master, I finally understood why you always said it wasn’t perfect before. When it blood... it was so beautiful. I didn’t want to let it fade, not even for a heartbeat."
Fang Yuan laughed, a deep, unrestrained sound. His hand ca down to ruffle her head vigorously.
"That’s why you must cultivate harder and climb higher. One day, you’ll be able to summon it at will—stand back, admire it, even linger in its brilliance without being drained."
Fang Lian’s lips curved into a smile, fragile yet radiant.
"And now," Fang Yuan continued, his tone sharpening with amusent, "since you’ve perfected the second form, it’s ti to stop wobbling like a drunk goose. You should be learning to wield your sword as smoothly as your techniques."
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away in protest.
He rose to his feet, eyes glinting under the moonlight.
"Tonight," he said, his voice carrying that blend of command and mischief she knew too well, "we’ll be training how to fly properly."
Fang Yuan rose smoothly, his sword sliding into his hand with a quiet hum.
A single step carried him onto the blade, and in the next breath he was airborne, the night wind tugging at his robes.
"Follow ," he called down, voice calm but edged with challenge.
Fang Lian’s eyes lit up. She snatched her own sword, bit her lip in concentration, and kicked off.
Her balance wavered at first, but she gritted her teeth and steadied herself, chasing after her master into the moonlit sky.
From the shadows of the courtyard wall, a pair of eyes tracked their ascent.
A young disciple leaned forward, his expression pale as he muttered under his breath, "Fang Lian... you’re so dead."
His gaze flicked between the two figures carving arcs of light across the heavens, one graceful and sure, the other teetering dangerously.
Without daring another glance, he spun on his heel and hurried away.
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