Chapter 75: The Master’s Unorthodox Training and the Nightly Ritual

Xiu Qingcheng’s weight settled heavily on Meng Yingxing’s back, instantly turning the three hundred push-ups, which had originally been relatively easy for him, into a grueling task.

Meng Yingxing didn’t know Xiu Qingcheng’s current weight, but he was certain it wasn’t light, otherwise it wouldn’t have made him do push-ups until his arms trembled and threatened to give out.

“Master—so heavy—”

“What do you mean heavy! It’s always been this weight, think carefully, have you been training diligently these past few days? Has your strength grown?”

Xiu Qingcheng casually pulled an apple from somewhere and munched on it.

“Of course, I’ve been training well—”

Meng Yingxing gritted his teeth.

Although it was indeed very heavy, Meng Yingxing never gave up easily; he still put all his effort into doing push-ups, letting Xiu Qingcheng rise and fall on his back.

Xiu Qingcheng looked at Meng Yingxing’s trembling hands, and after counting his push-ups, felt that Meng Yingxing should still be able to continue.

“Go, disciple, don’t let me fall.”

“You wouldn’t want your Master to fall to the ground, would you? Hm?”

As Xiu Qingcheng spoke, she leaned forward slightly and placed her half-eaten apple in front of Meng Yingxing’s head.

“When you finish your push-ups, you’ll be rewarded with this apple.”

“I think this is the only one left in the house, you wouldn’t mind it, would you?”

Xiu Qingcheng decided to follow what she had seen in old videos: when training dogs, diligent dogs must be rewarded to create a virtuous cycle!

However, she didn’t have any substantial rewards to offer Meng Yingxing, so she could only “borrow a flower to offer to Buddha.”

It was just that the borrowed flower was a bit… gnawed.

Meng Yingxing looked at the apple in front of him, half-eaten by Xiu Qingcheng, its exposed flesh mangled and pitted, with some glistening saliva still clinging to it.

“The reward—won’t be necessary—”

“I will—work hard!”

Meng Yingxing inexplicably swallowed, gritting his teeth, and made himself finish the remaining push-ups.

Xiu Qingcheng counted the reps, and in a short while, Meng Yingxing completed his last one.

As if released from some form of torture, Meng Yingxing immediately collapsed to the ground.

Xiu Qingcheng was also prepared; the moment Meng Yingxing fell, she vaulted off his back, spun a graceful circle with her long sleeves in mid-air, and landed lightly on the ground.

Not a single sound was made upon landing.

“Excellent! Disciple! Your strength growth has improved!”

Xiu Qingcheng turned back and gave Meng Yingxing a thumbs-up.

“Three hundred sword swings in the morning, noon, and evening, three hundred push-ups at night, an hour of sword practice, plus spiritual energy cultivation!”

“Sooner or later, you’ll also become a sword master!”

“Defeating me won’t be a difficult task either!”

Xiu Qingcheng showered Meng Yingxing with a handful of sweet words.

There was no particular reason; she just couldn’t resist finishing the apple, so she could only use sweet words to coax Meng Yingxing.

Meng Yingxing rolled over and slumped onto the ground, panting heavily.

Hearing this, he smiled.

“I hope so.”

As it stood, Xiu Qingcheng’s swordsmanship, capable of almost piercing the stars, was something he couldn’t catch up to even if he flew on a pillar.

Xiu Qingcheng let Meng Yingxing rest on the ground, and she contentedly picked up Sword Ghost the cat, who had been gnawing and biting at a clump of grass outside, and brought it in.

Meng Yingxing steadied his breathing, quietly watching Xiu Qingcheng lie beside Sword Ghost, playfully teasing it.

‘His Master probably really liked cats.’

Not only did she constantly interact fiercely with Sword Ghost, lying on the ground and meowing back and forth with it, but she was also incredibly indulgent of all of Sword Ghost’s behaviors.

For example, Sword Ghost, clearly not an ordinary cat, was vigorously burrowing into the clothes around Xiu Qingcheng’s chest.

Xiu Qingcheng merely giggled.

Xiu Qingcheng merely giggled, seemingly finding nothing wrong with it.

Meng Yingxing, however, felt it was unbecoming.

He found strength from somewhere, jumped up, and pulled Sword Ghost out from Xiu Qingcheng’s chest.

“I didn’t realize, disciple, you like cats too?”

With her arms empty, Xiu Qingcheng propped her chin in her hand and watched Meng Yingxing.

“They’re alright.”

Meng Yingxing spouted nonsense, placing the wildly struggling Sword Ghost on the ground the moment it was in his hands.

‘Even if Master was unaware, the cat—no, it shouldn’t take advantage of his Master like that!’

‘As Master’s first and only disciple, he definitely had to protect her well!’

After Meng Yingxing finished resting, he immediately went to complete the other cultivation tasks Xiu Qingcheng had assigned.

In contrast, Xiu Qingcheng was once again rummaging through a nearby cabinet, looking for other edible things.

“Master, are you very hungry?”

Meng Yingxing was still a little worried.

After all, in Meng Yingxing’s impression, most of the time he saw Xiu Qingcheng in human form, she was constantly eating.

Xiu Qingcheng claimed to be a sword spirit, but she looked more like a starving ghost.

“Actually, I’m not very hungry, just craving snacks.”

Xiu Qingcheng was quite honest.

As Xiu Qingcheng spoke, she had a cold steamed bun, left over from Meng Yingxing’s earlier provisions, in her mouth.

Although the food in this world, limited by its craftsmanship, tasted far inferior to her previous life, Xiu Qingcheng hadn’t eaten anything for so long, so everything was delicious to her now.

By the time Meng Yingxing completed all the body tempering and other tasks Xiu Qingcheng had given him, the night was already deep.

Meng Yingxing returned to the room, closed the door, and even locked it securely, fearing someone might break in and discover his human-transformed sword.

Xiu Qingcheng was right; Meng Yingxing was indeed “hiding a beauty in a golden house” now, only the beauty he was hiding was his capricious and uninhibited Master.

According to their previous habit, it was now time to “Nourish a Sword.”

Originally, Xiu Qingcheng had merely suggested it as an experiment for Meng Yingxing, believing that this practice would only benefit Meng Yingxing, the sword master, and the connection between him and the Ting Tian Sword.

After it seemed to prove somewhat useful, it became a habit.

Meng Yingxing stood by the doorway, looking at Xiu Qingcheng who was lying on the bed.

Xiu Qingcheng was lost in thought, her face unusually devoid of expression, coupled with her exquisitely beautiful features and naturally rosy lips, she resembled a lifeless porcelain doll.

Meng Yingxing stiffened nervously.

‘In other words, he had to Nourish a Sword with a Master like this…?’

‘Nourishing a sword meant getting close to his sword.’

‘His sword was his Master, and his Master was now a beautiful woman.’

‘Therefore, Nourishing a Sword meant he had to get close to a beautiful woman.’

For some reason, Meng Yingxing’s heart began to beat uncontrollably fast.

Meng Yingxing snapped out of it, cleared his throat, and cast aside all distracting thoughts.

He stood by the bed and said to Xiu Qingcheng, “Master, it’s time to Nourish the Sword—”

Xiu Qingcheng turned to look at Meng Yingxing, the inorganic expression on her face suddenly becoming much more lively.

“I really can’t do anything with you.”

Xiu Qingcheng rolled off the bed, propped her hands on her slender waist, and smiled alluringly.

As her words fell, a white light flashed before Meng Yingxing’s eyes, and Xiu Qingcheng reverted to her original form as the Ting Tian Sword.

A beauty who could topple cities, and an ancient-looking sword.

In comparison, the contrast was stark.

Meng Yingxing’s small expectation in his heart was suddenly extinguished.

“But… it’s still quite good.”

‘The sword is Master.’

‘The person is also Master.’

‘To him, there was no difference; both were his best Master.’