24 Discretion

Yao Yun twitched happily as blood gushed out of his nostrils. 'Heavens. This is heaven.'

Those white bare shoulders with a hint of scarlet gave him a loss of words. He wanted to bite them and feel the warmth of the girl's skin. But damn, when did he learned all of these? He should be the so innocent 3-year-old with a built of a 5-year-old along with his grown mental constitution of a 7-year-old.

His race's growth was confusing. Maybe...

Chang Xiuying chuckled bitterly when he caught sight of this using her Life energy. Though the time here were short-lived, she's already 18 years old including her life back in Earth.

She dipped again and used some soap, shampoo, and conditioner she bought in the system. "Quite handy indeed."

When Yao Yun regained his composure and stood up, Chang Xiuying was already dressed in a new set of clothes: blue outer clothing, red inner clothing, white silk pants, and her black flat shoes. Her hair was put up into a bun and a blue ribbon tied it in place. When one didn't observe clearly, one would think that she was a boy.

Her stature and aura, she's like a person that you would rely on every time. The seriousness, her matureness, and her bravery were clearly seen in her eyes.

Yao Yun even wanted to reevaluate his training method. However, he will really grow at a fast rate and he will be expelled from the 5-year-old class. He really doesn't want to leave Chang Xiuying.

One hour has passed, Yao Yun entered his class that consists of only four students as they immediately started their lessons.

The 22 more students were lined up cleanly in a square platform. Four rows, 5 columns, and extra two at the front: Chang Xiuying and a little boy. They stood lazily but some were anxious. They trembled when Instructor Wang arrived.

"The whole day of squats begins now!!" He shouted that made some children piss their pants and some fell down with their knees. But Chang Xiuying and the little boy with her immediately squatted. The kids behind them looked at the two with revered expressions as they actually endured that intimidation.

Instructor Wang was equally shocked. He didn't expect that the two that almost finished the allotted time were this diligent, especially, Chang Xiuying. Her form was great and there are no flaws, indestructible defense in her lower body part, firm stomach muscles, arms like stones, and expression as fierce as a leopard hunting its prey. Unlikely bearing of a 5-year-old.

He even suspected that the child trained her body before. But it's impossible to gain that much muscle memory in just such short span of years.

The little boy beside Chang Xiuying observed her form and he imitated it. The children behind stood while they trembled and also imitated Chang Xiuying, their revered little goddess. When did she became this fierce?

Instructor Wang, with a baton in his hands, nodded with satisfaction. 'Looks like there won't be much baton slapping today. Oh, there's one now.'

He approached and corrected the stance of the little boy with a soft tap with his baton but it hurts with the strength of an Instructor against the strength of a child. The boy winced and immediately fixed his posture.

'Looks like I was wrong.'

The whole day just repeated with the sound of a baton hitting soft flesh and the shout of Instructor Wang.

Dawn came and the square platform was full of children sleeping with their clothes wet while there was one who was still standing. Instructor Wang was quickly awoken by the sound of a beast howling from afar and saw Chang Xiuying with the same posture as yesterday with her clothes dripping from sweat.

"Xiu-Xiuying ah. It's already done, you can stop now." But he got no response. He got closedrand saw her with her eyes closed.

"She... she's as-asleep!!"

Instructor Wang tried to softly push her but a slight push can't make her fall. Instead, Chang Xiuying opened her eyes with bewilderment.

She can't imagine that she fell asleep while standing!

"Aiya! Instructor Uncle Wang, what a good morning. Ying'Er is grateful that you woke me up." Chang Xiuying cutely made a sound as if she made a mistake and wanted to cover it up. She waved goodbye and ran towards the direction of the South Garden Pagoda.

Instructor Wang gaped when he saw her still ran while keeping that firm posture since yesterday and falling asleep with her defense still on.

That child, I am just trying to see if you're going to fall but you instead mistook it as a wake-up poke? ...

He shook his head and carried the children one by one into the Pavilion before giving them the necessity to recover and have the strength to run again later. After all, it's just the second day of the bodily training.

...

Chang Xiuying arrived quickly inside her room, she's careful not to wake up the people inside the pagoda. After cleaning herself up, she quickly entered her training room and slept.

She planned to take those whole 10 hours of sleep. Since she knew that she might be training again later with the same difficulty. Although it is quite a small training for her, she still have to sleep for the lost hours. By those lost hours, she's a growing child after all. Every hour of sleep is important.

...

The second day of the bodily training, 7 am.

Chang Xiuying exactly arrived when the training will be starting. The same thing happened in the process. Those children that tried to run with their lives on the line, tried to conserve their energy and some that kept up the same speed as yesterday.

Fatigue was not shown in their face because of the help of some of the instructors' treatments. Half of the children wanted to give up but were stopped by their dream to get stronger. They have to persevere for the greater future imprinted by their parents.

They ran to get to their goal, not just to finish a quota.

...

Somewhere near the Morning Light Pavilion.

In the shadows, three people stood unperturbed as they look towards the strong-willed children.

"Better than expected."

"Indeed, all of the children chose to participate rather than the previous years that almost all of them gave up. Though there only 1/3 of the beginning students remained."

"All are perfect."

"Those four children completing their tasks will be mine."

"I want Chang Xiuying."

"Hehehe. Forgot, she'll be mine too."

"Old snot, you can have the four of them. Just give their little goddess to me."

"I changed my mind, the four will be yours and the little goddess will be mine."

"Let's just see who will get her first."

The two people exchanged glances while the other one just kept his mouth shut. He just shrugged and said, "I'll get the remaining."

"Oi oi oi. Leave some for the Pavilion, they won't have any to train for the remaining years."

"Fine."

"May we procure the best product." The one at the middle chuckled. The one next to him snorted while the other one just nodded.

...

Chang Xiuying felt something behind her back. She thought that she just missed something interesting while doing some battle stances in her brain. She got absorbed that she almost gave it all of her attention.

She clicked her tongue. 'Damn it. Something is really strange.' She thought and looked at the direction where the three just talked but there was nothing.

There must be some events tomorrow...

Chang Xiuying, as usual, finished the run in 2 hours sharply, as the same happened to the finishers and the punished.

A whole day passed again. Dawn came, Chang Xiuying hurried home to clean herself, and slept inside the training room.

Exactly arriving at 7 am.

The training starts again. However, Chang Xiuying, who is at the middle of the pack, noticed that some children were being kidnapped behind. At the blind spot of the instructors.

They exactly didn't expect that something as this might happen. They just considered the attack from outside of the village, not inside of it.

She pondered. Why not disappear before I can be kidnapped from here?

Chang Xiuying slowed her pace, sneaked out, and entered the village with a smirk on her face. The children didn't notice that she left as they panted heavily while looking straight to their path.

At the dark side of an alley, a shadow jumped up stealthily. There's no disturbance when it landed on the roof of the house. Chang Xiuying's ribbon fluttered in the wind as she looked at the children while she concealed her aura and presence.

She saw many figures knocking the children off and carrying them as they traveled between houses.

'No one is noticing them?'

The number of houses already increased as years goes by. The perpetrators used this fact to mobilize between the gaps of these houses. They operated silently, never to let the outsiders know.

Chang Xiuying quietly followed them as she jumped off from the roofs of the houses.