Chapter 105: Training and Punishment
The next morning, as Mi Xue’er entered the dining room, she was surprised to find Yan Meng’er had moved her chair to her usual spot, sitting beside Yan Ruyu.
“Meng’er, why…?”
“Cousin Yan Zhen doesn’t like being sandwiched between us! I’m not going to annoy him! You can have your spot back!”
Xiao Xinyan, observing the scene from the sidelines, couldn’t help but smirk.
Mi Xue’er felt a pang of guilt. It seemed everyone else was being considerate, while she was the only one acting unreasonable. And she *had* been planning to move back to her original seat!
She cared about Yan Zhen’s feelings! She wasn’t some spoiled brat!
Reluctantly, she picked up her chair and moved to Yan Ruyu’s other side.
“I’ll sit here too.”
And so, Yan Ruyu found herself sandwiched between her best friend and her cousin.
“…”
She glared at them both, then sighed dramatically.
Yan Meng’er pouted. “Senior Sister Xue’er, you’re copying me again!”
Mi Xue’er shrugged. “That’s called healthy competition, Meng’er.”
“There’s no such thing!”
“There is now.”
They resumed their bickering.
Yan Ruyu, her ears ringing, suddenly understood Yan Zhen’s plight. *How did he endure three days of this? I would have flattened them both by now!*
Yan Zhen soon appeared, his expression puzzled as he saw Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er flanking Yan Ruyu.
They immediately stopped arguing, greeting him enthusiastically.
“Good morning, Cousin~”
“Good morning, Little Brother Yan Zhen!”
“Uh, good morning, Meng’er… Good morning, Senior Sister Xue’er.”
He cautiously took his seat, eyeing them suspiciously. Their cheerful demeanor seemed… calculated.
Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er, realizing their previous behavior had backfired, felt a pang of regret. They had wanted to get closer to him, but their actions had only pushed him away.
“Cousin, I’m sorry! I won’t bother you like that again! Please forgive me! Here, have my soy milk!” Yan Meng’er offered him her glass, her eyes wide and sincere, her expression pleading. She resembled a heartbroken girlfriend begging for forgiveness.
He stared at her for a long moment, scrutinizing her for any signs of trickery. Finally, he accepted the glass.
“Fine, I forgive you. Here’s mine.” He took a sip of her soy milk, then pushed his own glass towards her.
“You’re the best, Cousin! I love you!” she exclaimed, her words bold and unrestrained.
Her declaration made Yan Ruyu and Xiao Xinyan’s hearts skip a beat. They both cursed inwardly.
Yan Zhen, however, was used to her antics. He rolled his eyes.
Not to be outdone, Mi Xue’er also tried to act cute. “Little Brother Yan Zhen, have my tofu pudding! I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad at me anymore!”
He smiled faintly. “I’m not mad. I’m just not used to being treated like that… Let’s switch bowls. I’ve only had a sip.”
Her eyes lit up. “Okay!”
They swapped bowls.
Their interaction made the other two girls envious. Yan Ruyu glanced at her half-empty glass of soy milk, while Xiao Xinyan stared at her nearly full bowl of tofu pudding, their cheeks flushing.
The atmosphere finally relaxed.
Yan Zhen, too, felt a sense of relief.
They were both attractive girls, and their constant… *closeness* had been overwhelming.
If they had continued, he might have resorted to drastic measures, using his techniques to make them squirm and… well, to humiliate them so thoroughly that they would never dare to touch him again.
For the sake of the plot, he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate any potential distractions.
“Where’s Instructor Yu Xuan?”
“She had to go to the academy early. She said to meet her at the training grounds.”
“Okay.”
After breakfast, they headed to the academy, parting ways at the gates.
One to the Advanced Class, two to the Intermediate Class, and one to the Beginner Class.
Yan Zhen arrived at the training grounds, where Instructor Yu Xuan was waiting for him.
The training grounds looked different. Numerous wooden posts had been arranged on the ground, forming a pattern that resembled a formation.
He remembered. She was planning to teach him movement techniques to address his weakness in speed.
His Beautiful Sect Master only knew advanced movement techniques, mostly related to flight. She considered ground-based movement techniques unnecessary, a waste of time, as he would soon outgrow them. Therefore, she hadn’t bothered to teach him.
However, mastering movement techniques was crucial to defeating Instructor Yu Xuan.
He needed to evade her water arrows and close the distance, engaging her in close combat, where he had the advantage.
Although he would soon learn how to fly, these basic movement techniques were still worth learning. One could never have too many skills.
“Yan Zhen, starting today, we’ll be sparring on these posts. Falling off means you lose.”
“Alright, Instructor.”
He nodded eagerly. The system promptly issued a mission, confirming this was a key plot point.
“I’m not finished.” She winked at him. “At the end of each day’s training, whoever falls off the most will receive a small punishment from the other.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t ‘huh’ me. This is to motivate you. You have no choice but to agree.” She chuckled. “If you don’t want to be punished, then do your best to stay on the posts.”
*Hmph, when it comes to staying on top of things, I’m a professional!*
His competitive spirit ignited. “Bring it on, Instructor! Don’t go back on your word if you lose!”
“Of course not.” Her confidence was unwavering.
They both leaped onto the posts, their training session commencing.
…
And that’s when he realized he was still a novice…
She moved like a cat, leaping from post to post with effortless grace, her landings silent and precise. She attacked relentlessly, while he stomped and stumbled, his legs burning, his stamina rapidly depleting.
By the end of the day, he wanted to chop off his feet. His leg muscles felt like they had melted, his knees screaming in protest.
*Who knew standing on wooden posts could be so agonizing?* There must be something special about this post formation. Otherwise, with his initial stage Body Tempering, he wouldn’t be struggling this much.
She had knocked him off eight times in the morning and he had fallen five times in the afternoon. She, on the other hand, had only fallen once, thanks to his sneaky “Qi Vortex Technique.”
Thirteen to one. A crushing defeat. He was going to be punished.
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