Chapter 7, the second pain

In the evening, Qi Yang came over to comfort her: "Si Tian, the senior brother asked you to sweep the courtyard and fetch water, it is actually to train your arm strength. You will definitely be able to do it. You are just too thin; look at how sturdy Lin Xiyan is, it seems her family runs a security agency, she looks very formidable. By the way, what does your family do?"

The next day, Shang Yu threw a book to Si Tian and instructed, "Memorize it within five days"

He approached slowly with a sword in hand, stopped in front of her, glanced at her a couple of times, and then leisurely said: "I thought you had only memorized six pages of the book, that you must have been too preoccupied to sleep last night, diligently studying. Yet, here you are, having a late-night snack with Qi Yang and sharing jokes. Truly unflappable, remaining composed even when faced with the collapse of Mount Tai."

"Si Tian, remember this: if you cannot even protect yourself, do not think about being righteous for others." Shang Yu lifted her robe and left with an air of arrogance, feeling inexplicably angry. Such a foolish girl is truly rare; she cannot even take care of herself yet still wishes to protect others.

He looked at her and exclaimed, "Your strength is truly impressive and worthy of admiration."

He has been sent by his master on an errand. You will see him in the future

Si Tian let out an "oh" and did not inquire further

This move is called "Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance" and was specially adapted by the master from the Shaolin technique of "Qiankun Sleeve" for your use in the Zhuque style. Since you lack internal energy, you naturally cannot channel any true qi; you only need to learn this ornamental form.

He let out a soft "oh," as if he had been waiting for this moment. He closed the book and placed it on the table, squinting slightly as he looked at her, his gaze cold and sharp.

Lin Xiyan said resentfully: "I came to the Seven Forces Gate solely to seek revenge for them, but my master insists that the Vermilion Bird does not require martial arts training and should focus solely on medical theory. I do not know whether I should continue to stay here. What use is memorizing texts to my revenge?"

This is simply a blatant act of personal vendetta. She stood on the wooden post, beginning to worry about the days to come, feeling a sense of impending danger in her future

Lin Xiyan watched his silhouette, and tears finally fell down her cheeks, then she crouched down and began to sob.

On that day, Si Tian was astonished to find that Shang Yu was not dressed in his usual training attire, but rather in a white long shirt with rather wide sleeves. Facing the glow of the sunset, with the mountain breeze filling his sleeves, he appeared ethereal and elegant, exuding a charming demeanor

Lin Xiyan, who was standing nearby, looked quite embarrassed; she had not yet finished memorizing the previous book

She lowered her head and did not dare to speak; the words of the senior brother were clearly not a compliment

He let out a cold snort, and the ruler came crashing down with a series of sharp sounds

The next day, Si Tian woke up a full fifteen minutes early, tidied herself up, and arrived at Shengxia Terrace well ahead of time. At this moment, Shengxia Terrace was quiet and empty, with a cool mountain breeze and the dawn yet to break. Between the peaks, there was only a faint, elusive glow, leaving one to wonder when the sun would rise.

She does not possess any martial arts skills, and cannot discern any techniques or styles, yet even from a distance, she can sense a sharp and chilling sword aura.

Do you know? This is the first time I have been hit in my life.

For three consecutive days, I have been standing on the wooden post in the morning and reciting texts in the afternoon and evening. Additionally, Si Tian has to add another task: washing clothes and ironing them.

It is your turn now. He picked up the book and pointed at Si Tian with a ruler.

In a single sentence, six lives were lost, and it seemed as if a scent of blood had escaped from Lin Xiyan's lips.

With one hand behind his back and the other hand waving out, Shang Yu's sleeve, originally made of extremely soft and flowing satin, swelled like a great bell as he raised his hand, and during the motion, it resembled a vortex.

"These twenty strikes are to punish you for lying. Let this serve as a reminder that you must not deceive me in the future." He snorted and coldly said, "Recite it!"

She understood that there would be no shortage of days when her palms would meet the board in the future. Senior Brother Shang has high hopes for her and sent two boxes of ointment, preparing for the worst.

Si Tian's heart trembled; no wonder Lin Xiyan's face always bore a trace of gloom and hatred

Lin Xiyan appeared anxious and apprehensive as she attempted to memorize. When she reached the twenty-first page from the end, she stammered and could no longer continue, her face flushed as she stood with her head bowed

When Shang Yu arrived at Zhuque Courtyard to assess the two, Lin Xiyan effortlessly extinguished the candle flame with a single move. In contrast, Si Tian attempted four times in succession, yet the flame remained flickering and would not be extinguished, proving to be quite resilient and stubborn

Si Tian's heart stirred; she naturally knew about the Weiyang Escort Agency, as her family used to hire people from the agency every year to escort silver. It seemed that the head of the Weiyang Escort Agency was surnamed Lin. Could it be that Lin Xiyan is...?

He was merciless, striking down with the ruler a total of twenty-one times. Each strike produced an extremely crisp sound, causing Si Tian's heart to tremble. Qi Yang was right; he truly had no understanding of what it meant to cherish and protect a delicate flower.

Si Tian chuckled and said, "Is a snowflake a flower?"

Qi Yang indignantly said: "Because they want to be alone with Second Senior Brother. Being by Second Senior Brother's side hinders them from saying things that outsiders should not hear and doing things that outsiders should not see. I simply refuse to leave, humph, let them worry."

He held a ruler in one hand and that book in the other, sitting at the table with his legs crossed

He closed the book and said coldly, "Extend your hand."

Why is it that Si Tian cannot understand why Qi Yang, with his cheerful and kind nature, would be disliked by those women

Si Tian lowered her head in embarrassment, feeling as if his gaze implied that she should go and hit the tofu. Thus, she consciously extended her hand and said: "Please, Senior Brother, punish me." Those two boxes of ointment were finally going to be put to use; it seemed she would have to use them sparingly in the future.

Lin Xiyan said with a choked voice: "Do you know about Weiyang Escort Agency?"

Thinking of this, she shrank further into the corner.

In the blink of an eye, it has been more than half a month since they began practicing on the wooden stumps. Although the two cannot be said to be as steady as a mountain, they have made tremendous progress compared to when they first arrived. Shang Yu has finally liberated them from the wooden stumps.

Si Tian sighed; how could she not feel the same? This was her second time being punished, the first being just three days ago, also at the hands of Shang Yu. However, she did not feel particularly wronged. Although Shang Yu had imposed punishment, it was based on her own mistakes. When one is at fault, one must face the consequences, and she had no words to say in her defense

Qi Yang noticed her lost in thought and assumed she was worried about the training, so he stood up, patted Si Tian on the shoulder, and said cheerfully: "Keep it up! Brother!"

Lin Xiyan had lost face for half a month due to Si Tian's contrasting demeanor. She had some foundation in martial arts and was determined to regain some dignity with the move "Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance." Therefore, she put in extra effort and diligence. After five days, she mastered this move "Flower Frame." However, Si Tian had turned this move "Flower Frame" into a "Grass Frame". Due to her weak strength, she could not maintain the force after initiating the move, causing her sleeves to fail to puff up, and the candles on the candelabrum remained unextinguished. Yet, Si Tian had turned this move "Flower Frame" into a "Grass Frame". Because her strength was very weak, after initiating the move, she could not sustain the force, and her sleeves could not puff up, leaving the candles on the candelabrum still lit.

She stood quietly in the corner, not knowing what to say, appearing very well-behaved.

She recalled the unfortunate situation Qi Yang found himself in after being caught red-handed last night, and did not dare to approach recklessly. Instead, she quietly retreated to a corner of Shengxia Terrace, thinking that she had come a bit too early today. She did not expect him to rise so early; it was quite unfortunate to encounter him alone. It would be best if he were completely absorbed in his thoughts and did not notice her presence.

Si Tian took a deep breath, realizing that this punishment was even harsher than a slap on the palm.

Lin Xiyan's tears were welling up in her eyes, and her hands had already swollen. Si Tian could not bear to watch any longer, feeling even more conflicted within her heart

He seemed dissatisfied with her silence and said coldly: "Since you are at a disadvantage compared to Lin Xiyan, you must put in more effort. From now on, you will stand on the plum blossom post for an extra half an hour. Start now."

Does this count as a compliment? She did not dare to hope for his approval, she only wished that he would not find fault with her

That night, Qi Yang came over and presented Lin Xiyan with a bottle of ointment, instructing her to apply it to her hands. He also gave Si Tian two bottles, stating that it was a special instruction from the senior apprentice.

She lowered her head and said, "I will not do the rest."

Si Tian stared blankly at her, unsure of how to respond

Si Tian was amused by her child's temper, and she couldn't help but think of Xiao An. Every time Lin Yifeng wanted to have a few words alone with her, Xiao An would invariably run over, finding something to do, with his bright eyes darting between the two. Then he would run to his mother to report, and each time, she would laugh and tap his forehead, calling him a little rascal. She also said that when he grew up, he would be just like this, sneaking up to girls to whisper sweet nothings.

She took a deep breath and began to recite smoothly like flowing clouds and running water. When she reached the second-to-last page, she slowed down and started to hesitate. Lin Xiyan's strong will and reminders swirled in her mind, and ultimately, she stopped when she reached the tenth-to-last page.

Si Tian extended her hand with a heavy heart, thinking to herself, just ten more times, if I grit my teeth, I can get through it.

Shang Yu was very satisfied with her self-imposed punishment. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she said: "Naturally, punishment is unavoidable. Starting tomorrow, the seven courtyards of the mountain gate must be cleaned once a day, and the water tank in the kitchen must be filled. Remember to carry it by hand, not on your shoulder."

Two girls stood cautiously in front of him. He raised an eyebrow and pointed at Lin Xiyan with a ruler, saying: "You go first"

My family? Si Tianxin felt a pang in her heart and smiled faintly, saying: "My family runs a rouge shop"

Qiyang, however, was full of enthusiasm for gossip: "He, well, is even better looking than you. As long as he says a few words to a girl, it is rare for her not to be moved. Whenever I am with him, I am always disliked by the girls."

She cautiously retracted her palm, and as she moved, she couldn't help but gasp in surprise. She did not know how he had discovered that she was deceiving him, and could only brace herself to memorize the last ten pages.

Sister Shi Tian said: "Why is Second Brother not here? It seems that the White Tiger Courtyard has been empty all along"

On the evening of the third day, Shang Yu arrived at Zhuque Courtyard, holding a long ruler in his hand

Si Tian did not know how to comfort her, so she could only say softly: "Senior sister, it's alright, a month will pass quickly." Shao Pei appeared calm and serene; perhaps things would be a bit better when he personally taught them.

Si Tian returned to the room and opened the book, only to find it filled with folk remedies. She was pleasantly surprised and eagerly began to read, hoping to find a remedy to treat her mother, but to no avail. This time, she memorized it in four days. On the fifth day, when Shang Yu came to assess her, she no longer dared to spare Lin Xiyan's feelings and honestly recited everything. However, Lin Xiyan had only memorized half. Strangely, this time, Shang Yu did not punish Lin Xiyan. For her, Shang Yu merely said lightly, "Good memory."

After a while, the long sword drew a streak of white light and fell silent, like a dragon entering the sea. He sheathed the long sword and held it in his hand, suddenly turning to look at her and said: "You have learned your lesson today, arriving so early."

Extend your hand

As far as the eye can see, there is already a figure on the dimly lit Shengxia Terrace. Judging by the height, it must be Shang Yu. A white light swirls around him like a spirit snake, and as it moves, the light and shadow flicker like lightning, seemingly stirring up the darkness and igniting the dawn.

Being casually patted by a youthful boy, she should have felt embarrassed, yet that discomfort was dispelled by his call of "brother." Did he regard her as a brother in his heart? Si Tian found it both amusing and exasperating, yet her mood inexplicably brightened

Lin Xiyan anxiously looked at Si Tian, constantly signaling her with her eyes. Si Tian understood her thoughts, feeling quite conflicted.

Lin Xiyan suddenly raised her head, her red eyes filled with grievance

Qiyang scratched his head and said with a smile, "Hehe. It seems I still need to practice my skill of speaking sweetly. If only my second senior brother were here. He is truly eloquent, and his words can make people laugh uncontrollably."

When he mentioned the words "flower rack," he furrowed his sword-like brows, clearly disdainful. He then spoke about how to initiate the stance and how to exert force, as if it were a trivial matter. If one cannot even master this, then they might as well go to the kitchen and find a piece of tofu to figure it out for themselves

Lin Xiyan saw that she was silent and assumed that she did not know. Gritting her teeth, she spoke each word slowly: "Three months ago, my father was transporting goods and was killed, along with three uncles and two older brothers"

She gritted her teeth and counted; by the time she reached the tenth strike, he showed no signs of stopping and delivered another ten in one breath. Her fair and delicate palm immediately turned red and swollen, her fingers involuntarily twitching, each slight tremor sending waves of searing pain through her palm, coursing through her meridians, making her want to jump in agony

Lin Xiyan's expression was somewhat unnatural, as if she did not know where to look, a faint blush lingering on her face.

Qi Yang raised her eyebrows in surprise and exclaimed, "No wonder you are so beautiful, like a snowflake"

Lin Xiyan bit her lip and hesitantly extended her hand