Shi XinNian had become quieter after the three days of bedrest, extremely focused during practice, as well as in his studies and during meditation. She stopped for a moment to study his breathing. Then, with a jump she was behind him and touched a fingertip to the middle of his back to straighten him. He widened his eyes, trying not to succumb to the heat burning up his neck,

“Shi…Shizun?” he asked in a small voice.

“Stand straight. Your breath is linked to your posture. The straighter you stand and the more you are one with the movements the easier it will be. Where does the water run easiest? Between dangerous bends or across a plain?” she asked him in a slightly lower voice.

Shi XinNian swallowed as he tried to hold on to his sword.

“A… a… a pl… a plain?” he asked, unsure of himself.

She raised an eyebrow stepping back.

“Of course, disciple. Now show me the tenth movement. I will not tolerate any mistakes.” she said as she stopped walking and turned to face him.

He nodded vigorously and stepped into position.

One step after the other, he showed her the best he could do and she doubted even the protagonist could have done better, even with his aura of magnificence.

She nodded.

“Now, the sixteenth.” she said in a set tone.

He bowed his head in concentration, once he stood up again he lowered his hips to execute the steps harmoniously. She realised that even Liang HaoHan had interrupted his sparring with Ming GuangYing who had huffed, after all both were still struggling with the sixteenth.

Zhang YueLiang smiled seeing that Shi XinNian had mastered it to perfection.

When he was done she clapped her hands once, what a waste to have him picking up swords after practice and cleaning rooms; he would be an amazing Cultivator if only she could teach him the way she wanted.

“Perfect. - she tilted her head. - You did not ask any questions. How did you solve any issues that arose?”

Shi XinNian looked around him timidly, noticing all the other pupils who were looking at him. But it was only his Mistress’ presence he cared for.

“I… uhm… imagined how Shizun would have moved.” he chirped. She looked at him in surprise.

“Me?”

He nodded.

“Looking back on the time you performed the Thirteenth movement it was easy to deduce how to execute all the others. After all, isn’t the Thirteenth the summary of all the Shi movements?”

Liang HaoHan stepped closer, obviously full of questions.

“Is it true, Shizun? Does the Thirteenth summarise the essence of Shi?

Ming GuangYing nodded.

“In theory, yes. But it must be executed perfectly for anyone to notice, and have a wide understanding for someone to make that statement. How did you know?” she asked Shi XinNian.

He grimaced in embarrassment. Then he noticed his Mistress was still looking at him waiting for an answer.

“I… I read the book Shizun gave me. It contains a detailed study of the Thirteenth movement which, together with the demonstration… it was easy to put two and two together. Even by just reading about all the other movements.” he said in a whisper, looking for all the world he wished the ground would open up beneath his feet and swallow him.

Yet, when he finally looked up, the typical iciness had been replaced by a warm and inviting smile.

“I see you took my words to heart. Students like you are invaluable.”

Zhang YueLiang could not describe the gratitude that filled her in that moment.

Thank you, XinNian. Follow the path I am setting you on and all of this might end well for us both; I will live and you won’t be displayed on Mount HuangLong for a thousand days, tortured by the animals summoned by HaoHan. We can do it!

She did not notice Shi XinNian’s gaze that had settled on her and had not strayed a single millimetre.

Shizun really wants me to succeed… the thought flitted through his mind. It was the first time someone had said he was invaluable, that they believed in him. He clasped the tunic around his chest.

“I would never think of forgetting Shizun’s teachings.” he whispered.

He was immediately assailed by Ming GuangYing and Zhang ZhaoDa who were asking questions about that or the other movement.

The Mistress puffed in annoyance and once she hit her staff to the ground all her students lined up with their heads bowed.

“Well, it is late, go rest.” she ordered, waving her impromptu weapon in the general direction of the living quarters.

They all bowed and started walking. But after putting just a few steps between them and their Mistress they immediately started chatting amongst themselves once more, possibly more loudly than before. She thanked the heavens she only had five pupils, how would she cope otherwise?

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Shi XinNian had remained behind. She tilted her head with a sigh, and then smiled.

How can you be so terrible at joining in?

She looked on as Liang HaoHan waved at him, and only then did he move toward his master.

At least you will have each other… for a while. But… she bit her lip as she raised her head to the sky.

“Perhaps you’ll become cruel because you won’t have anyone left to believe in?” she asked herself.

-龙-

Congratulations!

She jumped like a cat would when taken by surprise, not expecting to hear the Customer Service’s voice. Her skin was covered in goosebumps.

“Could you not at least announce yourself with a blasted trill? At least you wouldn’t make me jump out of my socks in fright!”

-龙-

…Irony?

“Of course not! Damn it C.S.! Congratulations for what?” she asked, trying to recover some of her dignity. She looked around to confirm that no one had witnessed her inelegant squeak. She decided to walk away and started in the direction of her lodgings. She was not sure if she would be given any more reason to be outraged with that damned Customer Service.

Best avoid any incidents.

-龙-

You have gained the right to enquire after the characters’ Satisfaction. Would you like to see it?

She was taken aback in surprise.

“Obviously!” she said, clenching the pipe and bringing it up to her lips.

A window opened in front of her, partially covering the main chat display, showing the list of characters with their portraits next to the names. She paled, seeing how Shi XinNian was above Liang HaoHan.

-虎-

You do know why, right?

“You almost sound reproachful. I must be wrong though. These are my notes to the novel.” she said with a huff of superiority as she studied the numbers more closely.

There was not much of a difference.

While Shi XinNian had an eighty percent Satisfaction rate, Liang HaoHan was closely behind with a seventy-six. 

Beneath them, with an equal score of sixty-six, the three inseparable companions of the protagonist. In a separate column was Zhang YouDao, with a lovely score of ninety, and Zhang FangMin, who had a disappointing fifty.

“What did I do wrong?”

-龍-

Do not worry, it is but a temporary dissatisfaction.

Well, that is, unless you keep ignoring him.

The Customer Service was becoming more and more sarcastic without even realising it.

She sighed, blowing away a strand of hair that had fallen to her face and she looked at all the other names that were not in emphasis under those of her star students. She recognised some, but obviously she was still to meet others.

She took another deep breath and waved her hand to close the window.

“How do I change the Satisfaction points?”

-龍-

It is not a score you can change directly. Behave well, and you’ll obtain wonderful results!

Why did the Customer Service’s chirpy tone irritate her more than its sarcastic and critical one?

She shook her head and sighed in exasperation. There was no way she was making it out of this alive.

Her spirit was revived by Shi XinNian’s eighty. While she was not sure as to what she had done to make him so happy, it was really more than she could have wished for.

A happy Demon King meant she had a higher chance of survival.

“All’s good, YuHua, we are walking down the road to success.” she said happily to the pipe. It puffed some happy blue smoke in response.

She laughed.

That evening she was strolling in the garden that stretched between all the Masters’ and disciples’ lodgings when her brother appeared next to her. When she realised he was there she leaned against a column as her heart beat double time. She took a deep breath.

“D… Dage it is late, could you not?” she asked, as pale as milk.

Zhang YouDao laughed heartily as he took her arm to nestle it into the crook of his own and started walking once more.

“Gosh, I haven’t had this much fun since we were young.”

And in their case, ‘young’ referred to the previous century. She shook her head and looked at him sideways.

You are not exactly the austere Great Master the author wanted us to believe.

“What is the reason behind this childish surprise?” she asked, breathing in some smoke from YuHua.

He nodded, trying to regain his composure.

“Ah, yes, yes… Zhang DuXun mentioned the hunting fields are ready to be used.”

She turned her head towards him with a quizzical look on her face.

What the heck are you talking about? She asked herself, trying to recall what he was referring to.

“You know we had issues with them last year, entering them was becoming complex and the monsters were no longer contained within. - he raised his eyes to the sky in obvious annoyance. - but with help from the Mistress I found the correct formation ro make the Edges of transportation stable again, avoiding a folding in of the energy. A true puzzle. - he sighed, but he quickly resumed his happy disposition. - But this Great Master isn’t an alchemical immortal without reason. With the correct construction materials everything went smoothly.” he waved his hand elegantly to emphasise his point.

Zhang YueLiang smiled softly to herself, she had remembered.

Zhang DuXun was another Mistress on this Mount, and although she was not a blood relation to her brother she had been welcomed into the Zhang family thanks to her talent and loyalty.

She nodded, a good character, unique. She would have defined her as the hunting guard of the clan. She took care of the hunting fields the disciples practised on when they were not strong enough to test themselves against the outside world. The yaoguai that had been captured were guarded closely and were safe for the most part.

Because her young rebels were still in the Foundation of the nucleus level, they would be the perfect place for them to practice.

She nodded.

“Thank you, Dage. I will organise a visit for my disciples.”

He smiled.

“Ah, good, good. You know, we have arranged for some Edges of transport even to the higher levels; should you want or need rare materials, you may go.”

“That powerful?”

“Yes. Mount BaiHu sold off some of the monsters they captured during their missions and some of them were of great value. I would not give access to just anyone, but should you wish to test yourself you may go.” he said with a chuckle.

She smoked some more.

“Hm, I’ll see. For now I’d like to take care of that fivesome.”

Her brother grinned,

“I knew that you would say that.” he confessed.

She glanced at him as she tried to repress a smile.