Ascending, Do Not Disturb!

Chapter 44: Returning Gift

In the morning when the light appeared, Lin Hu opened his door and saw Huan Zhong standing in the courtyard. He looked at the grey sky. “You woke up so early?” The disciples of Radiance Sect had the habit of getting up early to practice their sword in the morning when they were not in seclusion. However, Master could not casually move his sword right now. Why did he come out so early? Was he admiring the beauty of the courtyard?

Huan Zhong turned back to look at Lin Hu, his gaze pausing on Lin Hu’s black sword. “I coincidentally woke up.

“Go through a sword routine for me.” Putting his hands behind his back, Huan Zhong said, “You have travelled with me so far these recent days—you’ve worked hard.”

“Master gave me this life—why does Master have to be so polite to me?” Lin Hu pulled his sword out. “Please, Master, give me guidance.”

As a Mind Manifestation cultivator that countless cultivators in the cultivation world looked up to, Lin Hu’s sword routine was almost free of openings. But just almost. When he finished his routine, Huan Zhong said, “Your wrist is an inch higher in the sixteenth move. This is akin to leaving your abdomen open to your opponent.”

Lin Hu repeated the routine. Huan Zhong nodded and said, “You are extremely practised with your routine. The biggest problem is that it is not alive—you and the sword are not one. When you have spare time, try to comprehend.”

“I will remember.” Lin Hu knew his own weaknesses. But he did not have Master’s talent. He did not know how long until he would understand how to be one with the sword.

One only had to point out the problems. Huan Zhong did not speak more. A thread of red rose in the east. The sun was about to rise. Huan Zhong looked at the sky, his jade-like appearance as cold as jade.

“Master…”

“Continue to practice,” Huan Zhong said without turning his head. “Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; you cannot slack off.”

“Yes.” Lin Hu silently continued to practice.

As Lin Hu practiced, Huan Zhong watched from the side until the sun rose, and the door on the east opened. A young girl dressed in ivory walked out.

“Elder Lin, Huan Zhong.” Kong Hou seemed to be in a very good mood, her rosy face smiling. She skipped in front of Huan Zhong. “You rose so early?”

Huan Zhong looked towards her hair, the rising sun infusing his brow with color. “Lin Hu is practicing. I’m just looking around.”

“Elder Lin has such good swordsmanship.” Kong Hou felt slightly embarrassed as she stood next to Huan Zhong. “When I first met you, I thought that Elder Lin was a Core Formation cultivator, not a Mind Manifestation cultivator.”

“Your cultivation is low, so it is normal you cannot accurately judge other people’s cultivation.” Huan Zhong turned sideways and looked at her. “Lin Hu will finish in a while. I will accompany you to breakfast.”

“All right.” Kong Hou knew that one should not interrupt others when they were practicing and agreed to Huan Zhong’s suggestion.

The inn worker saw the two walk out of the courtyard and went forward to greet them. Guests who could rent small courtyards were important people with money. They had to be carefully served.

Putting the food the guests needed onto the table, the worker wiped down the tables as he eavesdropped on the conservations between guests. His method of overcoming boredom when working in a large inn was to listen to the guests speak of all kinds of news: which cultivator betrayed their cultivation partner, which major sect disciple caused trouble, which family produced a genius, which pair of master and apprentice became enemies. He enjoyed listening to all these things.