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Join the Server“Well, about that…” Cheng Lan muttered, scratching his head with an awkward laugh.
“What, then? Do I need to pay extra?” Qin Jinxuan asked, her hand casually reaching for her phone.
“Hold on, hold on!” Cheng Lan quickly interjected, stopping her movements.
“It’s not about the money, primarily…” He opened his mouth, then closed it, seemingly at a loss for words.
Qin Jinxuan simply tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Cheng Lan, a look of utter confusion clouding her features.
“The thing is, you taught me my swordsmanship. When it comes to the blade, as much as I hate to admit it, you really are superior to me.” Cheng Lan confessed, turning his head away almost instinctively, determined to get the words out.
“Pfft!”
Upon hearing Cheng Lan’s earnest explanation, Qin Jinxuan blinked rapidly a few times before a burst of laughter escaped her lips.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded, his expression darkening slightly.
“Hehehe~” The young woman’s laughter only grew brighter. “I never thought you’d actually admit there were things I was better at.”
“It’s perfectly normal to acknowledge one’s flaws,” Cheng Lan declared, his voice regaining its usual confident cadence. “Only by confronting my weaknesses can I truly grow stronger.” He seemed to have returned to his “peak form.”
“Right, right, right,” Qin Jinxuan conceded, mirroring Cheng Lan’s shrug. “So, what’s my next step?”
“Hmm… let me consider.” Cheng Lan reclined, pushing the chair back, and settled into thought for a moment.
“Alright, here’s an idea,” he said, sitting up straight. “I’ll start you off with the fundamentals of swordsmanship. After that, you’ll need to develop your understanding through practical combat.”
“Understood,” Qin Jinxuan replied with a nod.
“Let’s head to the living room first. This space is far too cramped for sword practice.”
The two made their way to the living room, one following the other. Together, they shifted the coffee table, clearing a considerable amount of space.
“Lend me your sword for a moment.”
“Here you go,” Qin Jinxuan said, offering him the ice sword.
“Much obliged.” Cheng Lan took the weapon.
“The very first technique I’m going to teach you is ‘Thrust’.”
“Thrust?”
“Exactly,” Cheng Lan affirmed with a serious nod. “As you’ve often said, a sword exists fundamentally for the ‘Thrust’. To master the sword, one must first master the thrust.
In any case, I’ll demonstrate it for you now.”
Cheng Lan cast his gaze around the room, finding no suitable objects to serve as a target.
Then, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar white figure.
‘It seems… she’s the perfect candidate.’
“Lidoa!” Cheng Lan called out. “Come here, I need your help!”
“Coming!” Lidoa chirped in response, skipping joyfully towards them.
“Stand in front of me, that’s right. A little further back, a little more… Good, stop!”
Cheng Lan and Lidoa now stood on opposing sides of the spacious living room, separated by approximately three meters.
“Lidoa, activate your Mantis Blades.”
“Understood!” Lidoa affirmed with a nod. With a sharp *swish*, two jet-black, razor-sharp metallic blades sprang from her forearms, gleaming with a chilling light.
“Huh?!” Qin Jinxuan gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Lidoa, whose appearance had abruptly transformed.
She had always perceived Lidoa as nothing more than a soft, adorable bionic girl. That perception shattered the moment these two menacing blades emerged from the young girl’s forearms.
‘This wasn’t a sweet little girl; this was clearly a Terminator!’
In that instant, a thought sprung into her mind, entirely unbidden—
‘Could it be… that among the three of them, the weakest in combat had always been her?’
“Alright, stop staring at Lidoa. Watch me instead,” Cheng Lan prompted from the side.
“Oh, right!” Qin Jinxuan quickly snapped out of her daze, her attention immediately shifting back to Cheng Lan.
“Lidoa, remember to block my attack in a moment. Be careful, and don’t hold back.”
“Understood!” Lidoa replied, crossing her twin blades before her.
“Watch closely!”
Before his words had even fully dissipated, the ice-blue sword tip, wreathed in tendrils of frosty air, shot forward like a bolt of lightning, aiming directly for Lidoa.
Qin Jinxuan only saw a blur of blue light—
*Clang!*
The metallic clash of blade against blade reverberated sharply through the living room.
The frigid sword tip hovered mere centimeters from Lidoa’s forehead, yet the young girl’s two obsidian blades held it firmly, preventing it from advancing even a fraction of an inch.
“Did you see that clearly?” Cheng Lan asked, withdrawing his sword and turning to Qin Jinxuan. “That was the ‘Thrust’.”
Qin Jinxuan, still in a daze, slowly shook her head.
“It’s perfectly fine,” Cheng Lan reassured her. “In fact, it would be problematic if you *had* seen that thrust clearly.”
He then extended the ice sword towards her once more. “Now it’s your turn.”
Qin Jinxuan cautiously accepted the ice sword. “What am I supposed to do? Attack Lidoa like you just did?”
“No, no, no,” Cheng Lan quickly clarified, waving a hand dismissively.
He checked the time, noting it was already half past seven in the evening. “For today, just aim for ten thousand thrusts.”
“How *many*?!” At the mention of such an astronomical number, Qin Jinxuan’s hands trembled, and she nearly dropped the sword.
“Just ten thousand; it’ll go by quickly. You, after all, made me start with fifty thousand back then.”
“Are… are you serious?”
“Why would I lie? Besides, don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’ve clearly gained a good deal of strength these past few days.”
“Come on then, begin your practice.” Cheng Lan stepped aside, yielding the center of the living room to her.
“Lidoa, retract your blades and come here too.”
At Cheng Lan’s words, Lidoa’s Mantis Blades retracted with a whir, and she skipped back to his side.
“In a moment, you’ll be responsible for counting for your Sister Jinxuan. Any thrusts with improper form won’t count,” he instructed.
“Understood!”
“Alright,” Cheng Lan said, moving behind Qin Jinxuan. “I’ll start by teaching you how to ‘Thrust’.”
“Place your feet staggered, one in front of the other… yes, that’s good. Now, hold that position,” he instructed, gently adjusting her posture as he spoke.
Then, Cheng Lan’s right hand enveloped the young woman’s own, which gripped the ice sword.
“Ah…” Qin Jinxuan involuntarily shivered. This was, quite literally, the first time in her life she’d experienced such “intimate” contact with someone of the opposite s*x.
The realization sent a blush creeping across her cheeks, and her heart began to hammer uncontrollably in her chest.
“Focus!” Cheng Lan’s voice cut through her thoughts.
‘What on earth am I thinking about? This is merely a normal lesson!’
Qin Jinxuan forcibly suppressed the chaotic thoughts, compelling herself to concentrate.
Once the young woman was ready, Cheng Lan guided her to shift her weight forward, executing a sharp, decisive thrust that cut through the air.
“Did you grasp the feeling?”
“N-not really,” she mumbled, lowering her head in embarrassment.
“Haa,” Cheng Lan sighed softly. “No worries, let’s try again.”
In this manner, Cheng Lan guided her, hand-over-hand, through the first hundred thrusts.
Yet, the young woman’s innate talent for swordsmanship quickly began to shine through.
For the two hundredth to the five hundredth thrust, Cheng Lan still had to personally correct her posture occasionally.
By the five hundredth to the one thousandth thrust, Qin Jinxuan had already found her grip, requiring only occasional minor adjustments from him.
After the two-thousandth thrust…
Cheng Lan simply slumped back onto the sofa, casually browsing his phone.
He suddenly glanced up at Qin Jinxuan. “Your posture is off. That one doesn’t count.”
By then, Qin Jinxuan was drenched in sweat, beads continually dripping from her hair. Her right hand felt impossibly heavy, as if filled with lead, yet she gritted her teeth and immediately corrected her stance.
By ten o’clock that evening, Qin Jinxuan’s right hand had gone completely numb. Her thrusts became progressively slower, relying almost entirely on pure instinct to execute the ‘Thrust’ motion.
At the stroke of midnight, a small puddle of sweat had accumulated at the young woman’s feet. Throughout the arduous process, she had paused only two or three times for a quick drink of water. Now, the pain and soreness in her arms had entirely receded, replaced by a profound numbness.
Two in the morning.
“Sister Jinxuan, that’s enough,” Lidoa gently prompted.
*Clatter!*
The ice sword slipped from Qin Jinxuan’s grasp, hitting the floor and instantly dissolving into shimmering ice crystals.
Her legs buckled, and her body swayed uncontrollably, about to collapse onto the floor.
But just then, she stumbled into a broad, somewhat firm chest.
Cheng Lan had caught her in time.
“You’ve worked hard,” he said, nodding towards the young woman, his voice laced with a rare tenderness.
Cheng Lan then carefully carried Qin Jinxuan to the sofa, settling her onto it to rest.
“I’m planning to go to the mall tomorrow. Do you want to come along?” Cheng Lan asked.
‘The mall? Is he asking me on a date?’
Qin Jinxuan was utterly exhausted, her mind too muddled to even process her own thoughts clearly.
Her cherry lips parted slightly, but she found herself too weary to speak a single word.
“Just nod if you want to go.”
Qin Jinxuan gave a slight nod.
“Alright. Lidoa, please help Jinxuan take a bath and then tidy up here,” Cheng Lan instructed.
“Understood!”
“I’ll head back now, then.” He turned, about to walk towards the door.
“Don’t… go…” Qin Jinxuan whispered, summoning her last vestiges of strength, her voice barely a mosquito’s hum.
“Tsk!” Cheng Lan paused, having just barely caught her words. “Fine. Lidoa, once you’re done, we’ll head back together.”
He returned to sit beside Qin Jinxuan.
Lidoa looked first at Cheng Lan, then at Qin Jinxuan, a knowing smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Master~”
“Just get on with it. I’m utterly exhausted.”
After another bout of commotion,
Cheng Lan confirmed that Qin Jinxuan was sound asleep in bed before he and Lidoa quietly returned to their own little dwelling.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read Looking For My Child's Father! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : Looking For My Child's Father
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