CH 89

Villainous Master (11)

Song Xu Yi had gained extensive experience in battling against Ning Jing Yu during this period, to the point where it had become deeply ingrained in her muscle memory.

Upon her opponent’s attack, Song Xu Yi reflexively evaded while consciously replicating Ning Jing Yu’s approach of exploiting their opponent’s vulnerabilities and launching a counterstrike.

This caught the opponent off guard as they had not anticipated Song Xu Yi utilizing such a shrewd and direct tactic, causing their disdainful demeanor towards her to immediately change.

Even Song Xu Yi was taken aback by her own success in the counterattack.

As she continued to engage in combat, Song Xu Yi realized that she had grown exceedingly comfortable with this method of fighting, relying almost entirely on instinct and seemingly capable of predicting and preemptively responding to her adversary’s movements.

Despite having a significantly stronger spiritual power base than Song Xu Yi, her opponent found himself unable to utilize it after encountering her. Song Xu Yi employed a cunning technique that trapped him in a dense manner.

As Song Xu Yi focused entirely on the competition, a commotion erupted in the viewing platform.

Ning Jing Yu’s name had been absent for far too long, like a shooting star that only briefly shone before disappearing into the night sky. While many had heard of Ning Jing Yu’s feats, nobody had witnessed her fighting skills in years.

Therefore, when Ning Jing Yu proposed transferring her disciple to the most competitive group for the tournament, the audience initially thought it was a joke. However, given Ning Jing Yu’s reputation and the crowd’s desire for a thrilling spectacle, the organizers agreed to her request and even positioned Song Xu Yi as the first contestant for added excitement.

Nobody could have predicted that Ning Jing Yu was not merely displaying blind arrogance.

On the stage, Ning Jing Yu’s disciple displayed a ruthless and efficient technique, utilizing a simple sword maneuver to its fullest potential. Her entire being exuded a sharpness akin to a sword, with an indomitable aura that seemed unstoppable. Observers couldn’t help but wonder: what were the chances of defeating such a disciple?

It was astounding to consider that this was a disciple who had spent less than a decade under Ning Jing Yu’s guidance. Given how impressive the disciple had become in such a short time, one could only imagine the strength of Ning Jing Yu herself.

After roughly a hundred exchanges, to the surprise and disbelief of the audience, Song Xu Yi managed to bring her sword to her opponent’s neck.

In the face of her adversary’s shocked expression, Song Xu Yi retracted her sword and offered a salute before returning to the Xuan Shu Sect’s group.

A long silence befell the crowd before erupting into thunderous applause.

Throughout the competition, Song Xu Yi maintained a calm and composed demeanor, earning admiration from onlookers for her humility and patience, reminiscent of the behavior of a renowned disciple.

However, Ning Jing Yu seemed troubled, evident from the slight furrow of her brow.

Song Xu Yi did not immediately turn to face her master after the victory, and despite emerging victorious, did not display any elation.

Observing Song Xu Yi’s behavior, Ning Jing Yu cast a glance in her direction. The little disciple appeared to be averting her gaze, avoiding eye contact with her master.

Is she…

Is she angry with her?

Upon realizing her earlier thoughts, Ning Jing Yu internally sneered, acknowledging that she had been overly indulgent with Song Xu Yi, leading to her disciple’s temperamental behavior.

After reminding herself not to dwell on the matter, Ning Jing Yu found herself struggling to concentrate for the rest of the day, feeling unsettled and uncertain.

She couldn’t explain the reason behind her unease, but suddenly felt a strong urge to leave the place.

Although the competitions that followed, featuring spell casting and spiritual power utilization, appeared thrilling, upon closer inspection, the crowd couldn’t help but feel that they lacked something.

The subsequent matches failed to garner much of a reaction from the audience until Zhao Wuyou made her entrance.

Her outfit was nothing short of astounding, with clothes made of heavenly silk that could withstand swords and spears, a bracelet that was a famous protective talisman, a chain around her neck that could boost her speed, and a divine sword worth a fortune in her hand.

Predictably, Zhao Wuyou emerged victorious from the match.

However, her demeanor was far from jubilant after the win, and during the match, she almost inadvertently punctured a hole in her opponent’s sword, indicating a loss of composure.

As Zhao Wuyou heard the hushed whispers around her, her expression grew even more sour, and her eyes involuntarily drifted to where Ning Jing Yu had been sitting before…

The Xuan Shu Sect didn’t wait for Zhao Wuyou’s turn to compete.

Zhao Wuyou had intentionally requested to compete last in order to leave a lasting impression on Ning Jing Yu with a stunning finale. She had hoped to showcase her strength, but to her surprise, after all the Xuan Shu Sect’s disciples had finished their competitions, Ning Jing Yu had already left with the sect’s group.

Feeling the need to speak up, Ning Jing Yu decided to do so.

Once back at the Xuan Shu Sect’s courtyard, the disciples retired to their rooms, but Ning Jing Yu stayed behind with Song Xu Yi, who still appeared to be in a rebellious mood and kept her head down without saying a word.

Ning Jing Yu had originally intended to encourage Song Xu Yi, but upon seeing her disciple’s despondent demeanor, she felt the dullness in her heart grow even stronger. With pursed lips, she spoke dryly:

“When you made your fifth move today, you should have aimed for his lower body, and on your twelfth move, you should have attacked his back with your right hand…”

While analyzing Song Xu Yi’s fight, Ning Jing Yu secretly glanced at her.

Song Xu Yi continued to hang her head and responded softly with a simple “mmm,” thanking her Master for the advice.

There was no smile, no sense of indulgence, only detached politeness. Even her eyes, once filled with starlight, no longer met Ning Jing Yu’s gaze.

Wasn’t this precisely what she had hoped to witness?

Yet just a moment ago, Ning Jing Yu had resolved to distance herself from Song Xu Yi. Now, as she beheld her disciple’s remote and reserved demeanor, nothing seemed right.

Her intuition warned her against speaking up, but even as she recognized this, Ning Jing Yu found herself compelled to offer an explanation:

“I… I rearranged the order of your matches on the day that junior surnamed Zhao gave you a hard time.” Her voice was strained. “With your abilities, there was no question you could have defeated her, but she relied too heavily on talismans, and I worried for your safety. So, I gave you three additional days of training, and then I was busy with your training, and I thought it was a minor matter, so I neglected to offer you support-“

Never before had Ning Jing Yu issued an apology like this. After she finished, she felt unwell all over, relieved only that her hair was styled in a bun that covered her ears, concealing their reddened state from Song Xu Yi.

“You’re the one who brought it up,” Ning Jing Yu said as she saw Song Xu Yi’s star-like smile return. Relief flooded her heart, but her face remained cold and slightly haughty. “If there’s a rift between us, we have to take the initiative to clear it up.”

When Ning Jing Yu met Song Xu Yi’s clear and bright eyes, she saw a glimmer of hope and encouragement hidden in them like starlight, and her eyes were filled with admiration and naivety.

This took Ning Jing Yu by surprise, and she suddenly felt a dryness in her throat. She struggled to resist the urge to touch the top of Song Xu Yi’s head and turned her head away abruptly.

She refrained from saying “I’ll remember to let you know next time,” instead opting for a different approach. “I’ll remember to ask for your opinion before making a decision next time,” she said in a dry voice.

Ning Jing Yu wasn’t sure why she had said that, but she was glad to see her little disciple finally smile.

Even without turning her head, Ning Jing Yu could imagine the delight on her little disciple’s face with her arched eyebrows and faint dimples.

“Master,” the little disciple’s voice trailed off sweetly, her pouting unconsciously, like a feather tickling Ning Jing Yu’s heart. “I never thought you would say something like that to me.”

“Thank you, Master, for being willing to understand your disciple’s feelings. My heart is overjoyed…”

Song Xu Yi’s eyes curved with a smile, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction that “the child finally understood.” However, she also sensed Ning Jing Yu’s discomfort. To prevent her hard-won change from being reversed, Song Xu Yi began to work hard again.

“Master, you don’t know how sad I was when I first heard the news. I thought you disliked me for being weak and wanted to teach me a lesson through someone else’s hand…”

Ning Jing Yu’s eyes twitched as she turned her head to look at Song Xu Yi. “Where did this nonsense come from?” she said. “How could I pretend to use someone else’s hand to deal with you?”

She couldn’t even bear to hurt her, let alone let anyone else touch her.

“I knew Master loved me!”

Song Xu Yi’s smile deepened as she took Ning Jing Yu’s slightly stiff arm. Ning Jing Yu struggled figuratively twice but didn’t break free, and Song Xu Yi understood that Ning Jing Yu’s words were true. “But even though I knew Master could not possibly harm me, I still felt aggrieved in my heart. I didn’t understand why Master didn’t tell me such an important matter. Even though my strength is low, I still want to know the truth when something happens so that I can find a way to deal with it together with Master. After all, I want to be Master’s disciple for the rest of my life.”

Ning Jing Yu’s lips hooked up visibly, like a beast that had lost its claws and teeth, and she looked a bit more reserved and meek. It wasn’t clear which sentence had pleased her.

Upon seeing Ning Jing Yu’s improved mood, Song Xu Yi felt a sense of relief. She knew her master well enough to understand that when she was happy, she would become more talkative and amiable.

“I believe you,” Song Xu Yi replied with a smile.

True to form, Ning Jing Yu’s voice immediately took on a more serious tone. She vowed, “I promise to consult with you in the future about anything that comes up.”

In the days that followed, the two resumed their training.

Although the Xuan Shu Sect did not stay until the very end of the event, they had their own spectators on the sidelines who recorded the entire proceedings with a retention stone, selecting a few of their outstanding disciples and editing their performances for display.

Having made it into the strongest group, Song Xu Yi was determined to compete with all her might.

The elimination rounds that followed the preliminary rounds gave her ample opportunity to observe and study the techniques of her formidable opponents.

However, upon purchasing a retention stone to analyze her competitors, Song Xu Yi’s worst fears were confirmed: the strongest adversary in her group was none other than Zhao Wuyou.

It wasn’t that Zhao Wuyou was invincible, but rather that her talismans were incredibly powerful.

Under normal circumstances, Song Xu Yi would not have been overly concerned, but her rivalry with Zhao Wuyou made her realize that she could not afford to lose this battle, not only for her own sake but also for the reputation of the Xuan Shu Sect.

Song Xu Yi started insisting on dragging Ning Jing Yu to practice every day.

Ning Jing Yu was impressed with Song Xu Yi’s diligence. She believed that Song Xu Yi was now more than capable of facing Zhao Wuyou, and initially wanted to give her some rest. However, Song Xu Yi knew her own weaknesses, so Ning Jing Yu began to brainstorm ways to further improve her disciple’s skills.

As the tournament progressed, disciples were eliminated one by one, and Song Xu Yi managed to reach the final four.

As defeating the opponents became more challenging, Song Xu Yi worked even harder. She continued practicing her swordsmanship and speed, while also reviewing Zhao Wuyou’s combat footage to identify any weaknesses.

Soon, half a month had passed.

Song Xu Yi felt a sense of relief as she became increasingly confident that she could defeat Zhao Wuyou. She had anticipated facing her rival in the final round of the competition, but to her surprise, Zhao Wuyou showed up at her doorstep accompanied by her mother, Zhao Lin-