A day had passed since the Fang Family victory banquet.
Inside the Fang Family training hall, there were two individuals who were currently staring at each other having a conversation, Fang Yuan and Xiao Bai.
"Alright," Xiao Bai began, her voice dripping with cheer. " Before I tell you about Body refinent. There’s a simple motto we gotta follow, and that is, ’If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not working’."
Fang Yuan eyed her skeptically, lips pressed thin.
She smirked, tilting her head. "What? You think you can slack off? That you’ll learn without pain? Keep dreaming!"
Her smile sharpened into sothing far too delighted. "Ah, this is perfect. I get to beat you up and still get paid for it. Isn’t that wonderful?"
Without warning, Xiao Bai’s sword flashed, a streak of cold light cutting straight for Fang Yuan’s shoulder.
His instincts scread, and his body twisted aside, the blade hissing past by a hair’s breadth.
"That’s not how this works," Xiao Bai snapped, her tone sharp with irritation.
"Your body needs to be broken down, rebuilt from the marrow out. You think I’m doing this because I want to?"
Her eyes narrowed, voice dripping with annoyance. "I’m only doing this because you don’t have any other option."
Fang Yuan scoffed, crossing his arms even as he kept one wary eye on her sword. "Hah. As if I’d take a witch’s words for it."
"Oh please, co on," Xiao Bai drawled, her sword resting lightly against her shoulder. "Don’t you want to learn body refinent?"
Fang Yuan’s lips curled into a smirk.
"Don’t you want those Hollow Spirit Pills? Then be legit and tell how body refinent is actually cultivated."
Her smile snapped. A vein twitched at her temple. "I’m telling you, this is how it’s done, you stupid buffoon!"
The last word was barely out of her mouth before her figure blurred and vanished.
Clang!
Sparks spat as her blade slamd against the training hall’s reinforced wall, tal ringing where Fang Yuan had twisted away yet again.
Her teeth ground audibly as she whipped around.
"You’re making this difficult for !" she snarled, pointing her blade at his chest.
"Stay. Right. There."
"What kind of masochistic training is this!?" Fang Yuan barked, springing back again. "I don’t wanna learn anymore—"
He shifted to dodge once more, but this ti his body refused to move. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Huh?
He glanced up and froze.
Lin Zhaoyue’s arms had coiled around him like iron bands, her grip unyielding.
"You—how—"
BAM!
A fist slamd straight into his abdon, the impact reverberating through his ribs.
His breath exploded from his lungs in a strangled gasp.
"Ah!" A shriek split the air, it was Xiao Bai, startled out of her wits.
Fang Yuan lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his stomach, every breath ragged and shallow.
Just like before, neither he nor Xiao Bai had noticed when Lin Zhaoyue entered.
Not a ripple in the air, not a whisper of presence.
Even with his Hollow Spirit Realm cultivation, a realm that should utterly eclipse Nascent Soul he hadn’t sensed her at all.
His chest heaved as he coughed, forcing words past the pain. "How... long...?"
Lin Zhaoyue crouched down beside him, her shadow falling across his pale face.
Her tone was as gentle as ever, almost sing-song. "Since the very beginning."
She reached out and pinched his cheek, smiling sweetly.
"I must say, I don’t really appreciate you sneaking off with another girl. Am I not enough?"
Fang Yuan’s eyes rolled up to et hers, half-pleading, half-exasperated.
He wheezed, "This... is training..."
"Would you stop appearing like a damned ghost!" Xiao Bai snapped, the edge of real fear sharpening her voice.
Her heart thudded hard against her ribs.
Imagine placing absolute trust in your qi sense, the one safeguard every cultivator relied on and then realizing too late that soone had slipped right past it, close enough to breathe against the back of your neck.
The terror a person would feel in that mont was no joke.
In her eyes, Lin Zhaoyue was nothing short of a nightmare.
Dangerous. Unnervingly dangerous.
Fang Yuan was strong, terrifyingly so but at least you could see him coming, feel the weight of his presence like a storm on the horizon.
He was the kind of opponent who could kill you outright, yes, but at least you had a chance to brace and defend yourself.
Lin Zhaoyue, on the other hand... She was.. just different.
It was like the kind of danger that slithered past every defense you put up unnoticed until the blade was already at your throat.
Between the two, Xiao Bai decided grimly, she’d rather face Fang Yuan a hundred tis over.
Because what opponent would you fear more? The one you saw coming, or the one you never even knew was there until it was far too late?
And Lin Zhaoyue... was very much the latter.
anwhile, Lin Zhaoyue smiled at Xiao Bai’s outburst, then shook her head softly, as if scolding a child.
"No, this just a small reminder," she said sweetly, "that if you get too close to my husband, I can do sothing about it."
Xiao Bai froze, utterly flabbergasted.
Her jaw worked for a mont before she burst out, "I’m old enough to be his grandmother!"
anwhile, Fang Yuan lay on the ground, clutching his stomach, his mind running in circles.
What exactly is this Lin family?
First, their branch family hall contained a chamber capable of evading Nascent Soul cultivators’ divine senses, sothing that should have been impossible outside the greatest sects.
Now, his so-called wife moved like a phantom, slipping past his Hollow Spirit Realm divine senses as if they didn’t exist.
This isn’t normal, he thought grimly. This family definitely have a history or a huge secret.
Lin Zhaoyue on the other hand smiled as she turned to Xiao Bai.
Her voice was soft and tender.
"Shall we continue the training? I’m sure my husband can handle a beating."
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