Chapter 16: The First Thrust Lesson

“Well…” Cheng Lan scratched his head awkwardly.

“What’s wrong? Do I need to pay more?” Qin Jinxuan asked, picking up her phone from where it lay beside her.

“Stop, stop!” Cheng Lan quickly interjected.

“It’s not about money, the main thing is…” He opened his mouth, then found himself at a loss for how to continue.

Qin Jinxuan, tilting her head, looked at Cheng Lan with a puzzled expression.

“The main reason is that you taught me my swordsmanship. When it comes to sword arts, I don’t want to admit it, but you truly are more skilled than I am.” Cheng Lan involuntarily turned his head to the side, forcing himself to finish his statement.

“Pfft!”

Hearing Cheng Lan’s explanation, Qin Jinxuan blinked rapidly a few times before bursting into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked, his face darkening.

“Hehe~” The young woman laughed even harder. “I never thought you’d actually admit there are areas where you’re not as good as me.”

“It’s perfectly normal to acknowledge one’s shortcomings. Only by facing my deficiencies can I continuously grow stronger,” Cheng Lan declared, as if returning to his “peak form.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Qin Jinxuan said, shrugging her shoulders in imitation of Cheng Lan. “So, what should I do next?”

“Well… let me think.” Cheng Lan lowered the back of his chair, leaned back, and lay there for a moment, deep in thought.

“How about this?” He sat up. “I’ll first guide you through the basics of swordsmanship, and as for what comes next, you’ll have to figure it out through practical combat.”

“Alright,” Qin Jinxuan nodded.

“Let’s go to the living room first; this space is too small for you to practice swordplay.”

The two of them, one after another, entered the living room, then together they moved the coffee table to create more open space.

“Lend me the sword for a bit.”

“Here,” Qin Jinxuan handed over the ice sword.

“Thanks,” Cheng Lan accepted it.

“The first movement I’m going to teach you is ‘thrust’.”

“‘Thrust’?”

“Exactly,” Cheng Lan nodded earnestly. “By your own logic, a sword exists for the ‘thrust’ movement. To master the sword, you must first master the thrust.

In any case, I’ll demonstrate it for you first.”

Cheng Lan surveyed the room, finding nothing suitable to serve as a target.

Then, his peripheral vision caught sight of a certain white figure.

It seemed… she was the most suitable.

“Lidoa!” Cheng Lan called out. “Come over here and help!”

“Coming!” Lidoa cheerfully responded, skipping over.

“Stand in front of me, that’s right. A bit further, a bit further… Good, stop!”

Now, Cheng Lan and Lidoa stood on opposite sides of the living room, separated by a distance of approximately three meters.

“Lidoa, release your mantis blades.”

“Understood!” Lidoa nodded in response, as two sharp, jet-black metallic blades ‘swished’ out from the sides of her forearms, gleaming with a cold light.

“Eh?!” Qin Jinxuan stared in utter shock at the suddenly transformed Lidoa.

She had always assumed Lidoa was merely a soft, adorable bionic girl, until these two formidable blades abruptly emerged from the young girl’s arms.

This was no little sister; she was clearly a Terminator!

In that instant, a thought uncontrollably surfaced—

‘Could it be… that among the three of us, the one with the weakest combat power… has actually been me all along?’

“Alright, stop looking at Lidoa and watch my demonstration,” Cheng Lan interjected from the side.

“Oh, oh!” Qin Jinxuan instantly snapped back to attention, refocusing her gaze on Cheng Lan.

“Lidoa, remember to block my attack in a moment. Be careful, and don’t hold back.”

“Understood!” Lidoa crossed her twin blades in front of her.

“Watch closely!”

Before his words had even faded, the icy blue sword tip, trailing wisps of cold air, shot forth like a bolt of lightning, hurtling straight towards Lidoa.

Qin Jinxuan only saw a flash of blue light before her eyes—

*Clang—!*

The sound of blade meeting sword reverberated abruptly through the living room.

The frigid sword tip was merely a centimeter or two from Lidoa’s forehead, yet the young girl had firmly parried it with her two jet-black blades, preventing it from advancing even an inch further.

“Did you see that clearly?” Cheng Lan withdrew his sword and turned to look at Qin Jinxuan, who stood beside him. “That is ‘thrust’.”

Qin Jinxuan shook her head, still in a daze.

“It’s alright,” Cheng Lan reassured her. “If you had seen that thrust clearly, *that* would have been the problem.”

He then extended the ice sword towards the young woman. “Now it’s your turn.”

Qin Jinxuan cautiously took the ice sword. “What should I do? Attack Lidoa like you did?”

“No, no, no,” Cheng Lan waved his hand.

He glanced at the time; it was already half past seven in the evening. “You just need to thrust ten thousand times today.”

“How many?!” Hearing that number, Qin Jinxuan felt her hands tremble, almost dropping the sword.

“Just ten thousand thrusts; it’ll be quick. You started me off with fifty thousand back then.”

“Rea… really?”

“Why would I lie to you? Besides, don’t think I haven’t noticed; you’ve gained quite a bit of strength these past few days.”

“Come on, begin your performance.” Cheng Lan stepped aside, yielding the center of the living room.

“Lidoa, retract your blades and come over here.”

Hearing Cheng Lan’s words, Lidoa retracted her mantis blades and skipped back to his side.

“In a moment, you’ll be responsible for counting for your Sister Jinxuan. Any thrusts with incorrect posture won’t count,” he instructed.

“Understood!”

“Come,” Cheng Lan said, moving behind Qin Jinxuan. “I’ll first teach you how to ‘thrust’.”

“Stand with your feet staggered… Yes, that’s good. Hold that position,” he instructed, adjusting her posture as he spoke.

Then, Cheng Lan’s right hand closed over the young woman’s right hand, which held the sword.

“Ah…” Qin Jinxuan subtly shivered. This was the first time in her life she had experienced such “intimate” contact with someone of the opposite s*x.

Realizing this, she immediately felt her face flush with heat, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

“Focus!” Cheng Lan reminded her.

‘What am I thinking?! This is just a normal lesson!’

Qin Jinxuan forcibly suppressed her distracting thoughts, compelling herself to concentrate.

Once the young woman was ready, Cheng Lan guided her to shift her weight forward, executing a sharp, direct thrust that cut through the air.

“Did you get a feel for it?”

“No… not really.” She lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.

“Sigh,” Cheng Lan let out a soft sigh. “No big deal, let’s try again.”

And so, for the first hundred thrusts, Cheng Lan essentially guided her hand-in-hand.

The young woman’s talent for swordsmanship quickly became apparent—

From the two-hundredth to the five-hundredth thrust, Cheng Lan still needed to personally step in occasionally to correct her posture.

Between the five-hundredth and one-thousandth thrust, Qin Jinxuan had already found her grip on the sword, requiring only occasional hands-on adjustments from him.

After the two-thousandth thrust…

Cheng Lan simply slumped back onto the sofa, engrossed in his phone.

He suddenly glanced at Qin Jinxuan. “Wrong posture; that last one doesn’t count.”

By now, Qin Jinxuan was drenched in sweat, droplets occasionally falling from her hair, and her right hand felt as heavy as if filled with lead. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and immediately corrected her movement.

As ten o’clock at night arrived, Qin Jinxuan’s right hand had gone numb, and her thrusts grew increasingly sluggish, almost as if she were performing the ‘thrust’ movement purely on instinct.

At midnight, a small puddle of sweat had formed at the young woman’s feet. Throughout the entire process, she had only paused for water two or three times. Now, she could no longer feel the pain or numbness in her arms.

Two in the morning.

“Sister Jinxuan, you can stop now,” Lidoa’s voice chimed in.

*Clatter!*

The ice sword fell to the floor, instantly dissolving into shimmering ice crystals before vanishing.

Qin Jinxuan’s legs buckled, and her body uncontrollably pitched forward. Just as she was about to collapse onto the floor—

She tumbled into a somewhat broad and sturdy chest.

Cheng Lan had caught her just in time.

“You worked hard,” he said, nodding at the young woman, his tone carrying a rare hint of gentleness.

Cheng Lan then carried Qin Jinxuan to the sofa, settling her onto it to rest for a while.

“I’m planning to go to the mall tomorrow; would you like to come along?” Cheng Lan asked.

‘The mall? Is he asking me on a date?’

Qin Jinxuan was utterly exhausted, her mind a complete jumble.

Her cherry lips parted slightly, but she found herself too weary to speak.

“If you want to go, just nod.”

Qin Jinxuan gave a slight nod.

“Alright. Lidoa, help Jinxuan take a bath, and then tidy up this place,” Cheng Lan instructed.

“Understood!”

“Then I’ll head back first.” He was about to walk towards the door.

“Don’t… go…” Qin Jinxuan used her last ounce of strength, but her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.

“Tsk!” Cheng Lan paused, having still heard her. “Never mind, Lidoa, once you’re done, let’s go back together.”

He settled back down beside Qin Jinxuan.

Lidoa first looked at Cheng Lan, then at Qin Jinxuan, before revealing a knowing smile. “Thank you, Master~”

“Get busy with your tasks; I’m practically dead tired.”

After another bout of commotion.

Only after confirming that Qin Jinxuan was sound asleep in bed did Cheng Lan and Lidoa quietly return to their own small dwelling.