Chapter 35
“Miss, Grand General Duoluo is here to see you,” Xia Ri announced, entering the dining hall.
“Oh? Bring him in. Yingchun, please prepare another set of utensils.”
Moments later, Grand General Duoluo entered the dining hall, accompanied by Ah Qi and Brother Wu, both carrying packages. Li Xinjun looked at them curiously.
“Grandfather, what brings you here? And what’s with all the packages?”
“Child, I’ve sent them to live here with you. They’ll protect you.”
“Protect me? With them? Hahaha! I’m more likely to be protecting them!”
“Hey, hey, hey, Little Jun, Ah Qi and I are guard captains now! Have some respect!”
“No way! You never practice your martial arts! I’m way stronger than you now! And you want me to show you respect?”
“You little brat! How dare you talk back to me! I’ll show you what respect is! Let’s spar! I’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Bring it on! I’m not afraid of you! We’ll spar after I finish eating.”
“Hahaha, alright! I’ll be the judge! I’m curious to see how much you’ve improved. Speaking of which, did you practice this morning?”
“Grandfather, I overslept. I didn’t have time.”
“You see? You drank too much last night and couldn’t wake up this morning! And you dare to criticize Brother Wu and Ah Qi for not practicing? You haven’t even been here a day and you’ve already skipped practice! I think I’ll have to come here every morning and supervise your training.”
“Grandfather, I just had a little too much to drink last night. It won’t happen again. But it would be great if you could come every day. I can continue learning from you.”
“Doctor Song, it’s good to see you again. How have you been?” Brother Wu asked Song Ling.
“I’m well, thank you.”
“After you left, Little Jun was practically moping around, barely eating or sleeping. I almost thought she had lost her husband! Hahaha! It’s good that you’re back. Now I don’t have to see her looking so miserable.”
“Brother Wu! Shut up!” Li Xinjun’s face flushed red.
“Hahaha, what? Am I wrong? Who was the one crying and saying she wanted to go find Doctor Song? Now you’re denying it?”
Li Xinjun, speechless, glared at him. Song Ling, touched by Li Xinjun’s adorable reaction, reached out and patted her head, smiling gently. Li Xinjun, seeing Song Ling’s smile, felt her annoyance melt away.
“Alright, I’m done eating. Let’s go spar!”
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s supposed to be a friendly spar, not a duel! Why are you so angry? Hahaha!”
Brother Wu continued to tease her. Li Xinjun, with a “hmph,” grabbed her Japanese sword and went to the courtyard, waiting for him.
Brother Wu, Grand General Duoluo, Song Ling, and Ah Qi followed her. Brother Wu picked up a broadsword and faced Li Xinjun, who drew her sword, pointing it at him. Grand General Duoluo stepped between them and said,
“Remember, this is a friendly spar. Don’t injure each other. If you use excessive force, I’ll make you clean the latrines for a week. Understood?”
“Understood,” they replied in unison.
“Alright, are you ready?”
“Brother Wu, how about a wager?”
“What kind of wager?”
“If I win, you have to do whatever I say.”
“Okay! And if I win?”
“Same thing! You have to do whatever I say!”
“Deal! Let’s begin!”
“Alright, begin!”
They bowed to each other and then began to spar. Brother Wu swung his broadsword at Li Xinjun, who nimbly dodged the blow and then stepped on the back of the blade, pushing it down.
Brother Wu flipped the broadsword back up and charged forward, swinging it horizontally. Li Xinjun calmly kicked the blade away and then leaped forward, her sword raised above her head. She brought it down towards Brother Wu with lightning speed. He barely managed to dodge, stumbling backward and narrowly avoiding her attack.
“Wow, Little Jun, you’ve improved so much! No wonder you’re so cocky!”
“Hee hee hee, of course! I practice every day, unlike you, Brother Wu! Take this!”
Li Xinjun leaped into the air, flipped, and landed on Brother Wu’s shoulders. She clamped her legs around his head and spun, throwing him off balance. He stumbled, using his broadsword as a crutch to prevent himself from falling. He grabbed her leg and pulled her down.
Li Xinjun landed gracefully and delivered a swift kick to his chest, sending him stumbling backward. She seized the opportunity, spun around, and pointed her sword at his throat. Brother Wu, defeated, raised his hands in surrender.
“I yield.”
“Hee hee hee, you lose, Brother Wu! Now you have to do whatever I say.”
“Sigh, a bet’s a bet.”
“The spar is over. The winner is clear: Miss Li Xinjun.”
Grand General Duoluo stepped forward and announced the result. Li Xinjun, beaming, sheathed her sword and went to Song Ling, her face glowing with pride. Song Ling gave her a thumbs-up.
“Jun’er, you were amazing! I haven’t seen you in a while, and your skills have improved so much! Your swordsmanship is different from what I taught you. Did someone teach you?”
“Yes, Grandfather taught me. And I also met Abbess Jingping at the Tianshan Sect. She gave me an inner energy cultivation manual and told me to practice on my own.”
“How did you meet my master?”
“I went to the Tianshan Sect to look for you, hoping you might be there. That’s how I met Abbess Jingping.”
“I’m curious. Why would my master teach you our sect’s inner energy cultivation techniques? It’s supposed to be passed down only to our disciples.”
“I’m not sure. She said we were fated to meet and that I was your destined soulmate. I didn’t really understand, but she gave me the manual anyway.”
“My master said you were my destined soulmate?! Are you sure that’s what she said?”
“Yes, she did. Sister Ling, do you know what it means?”
“I know, but I don’t know how to explain it to you. I’ll tell you another time.” Song Ling frowned, her expression a mix of disbelief and confusion.
Li Xinjun, not understanding, nodded obediently and dropped the subject. She turned to Brother Wu with a mischievous grin. Brother Wu, however, was staring at the ground, his face flushed with embarrassment. Despite conceding defeat, he was still ashamed of losing to a young girl.
Grand General Duoluo approached Li Xinjun and Song Ling. He looked at Song Ling and said,
“Doctor Song, I heard from the girl that you’re a disciple of the Tianshan Sect and are quite skilled in martial arts. Why don’t you spar with her and see how much she’s improved?”
“Grand General, I am indeed a disciple of the Tianshan Sect. I taught Jun’er some martial arts, but it wasn’t for very long. She’s a quick learner and has done well on her own. There’s no need for a spar now. I watched her fight Brother Wu, and she’s definitely improved a lot. I’ll be training with her every day from now on, so we can spar then.”
“Very well. I’ll come back tomorrow and observe your skills.”
“Yes, Grand General.”
“Oh, by the way, child, the Emperor has requested your presence at the palace this Friday. There will be a banquet to welcome envoys from foreign nations. Prince Anling and all the officials will be there. As the ‘Most Talented Woman of the Great Qing,’ you should attend as well. You can bring Doctor Song along to experience the grandeur of the palace.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll bring Sister Ling with me. Thank you, Grandfather.”
“Good. I’ll be going now. I’ll leave these two with you. Let them stay here. It’s good to have them around for protection.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, fine. I have plenty of room anyway. They can stay.” Li Xinjun looked at Brother Wu and Ah Qi with mock disdain. Ah Qi ignored her, but Brother Wu’s face flushed red with anger.
For the next few days, Li Xinjun woke up early every morning to practice her martial arts, forcing Brother Wu and Ah Qi to join her. Song Ling also joined their training sessions, and Grand General Duoluo, of course, arrived early every day to supervise them.
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