Accompanied by Rui, Chen Zoe arrived to check on the test's progress. He had been fairly certain that Long Yuzhen wouldn't be able to come up with a solution in such a short period of time.
However, Long Yuzhen shattered those expectations when he presented a table filled with simple yet creatively arranged dishes like rice congee, boiled eggs, fruit salad, and green tea.
"Wow… Aunt Hua, did you prepare all of this?" Rui asked in amazement.
"How could this old lady have prepared all of these? It's the kid who did it all." Hua praised Yuzhen for his remarkable efforts.
"It looks like my senior is indeed lucky to have such a talented disciple," Rui remarked as he poured a cup of congee for Chen Zoe. The aroma of the food wafted through the air.
"Mmm… It tastes so good," After tasting the food, Rui complimented.
Chen Zoe, with no choice but to acknowledge the food's quality due to Rui's persistence, reluctantly replied, "It's good," though his focus was still on his meal.
…
"Let's have a test match. Try your best to defeat me," Chen Zoe declared after they had taken a short break, leading Long Yuzhen to the training hall.
The training session felt more like a real battle than a mere test match. Yuzhen found it incredibly challenging to block the sword strikes aimed at his throat and body. Every time he raised his sword to defend himself, he could barely keep up with his master's relentless onslaught. Chen Zoe's strikes were swift, precise, and designed to expose Yuzhen's vulnerabilities. The clash of steel echoed through the training hall as they engaged in a fierce duel.
Despite his inexperience and the overwhelming odds against him, an unwavering determination drove Yuzhen to rise again after each defeat. He refused to submit, even as his body bore the marks of each blow.
Yet, this determination eventually waned. Yuzhen's body, battered and bruised, could no longer muster the strength to even lift a finger. His movements slowed, and his defenses faltered. It became increasingly clear that he had reached his limit, and with a heavy heart, he acknowledged his master's superiority.
"Not bad for the first time," Chen Zoe commented, "but there are many things you need to improve and change. Learning to wield a sword and facing a stronger opponent are two different things.
Acknowledging your opponent's strength and ensuring your own survival are the most basic lessons you must learn." With that advice, the first lesson concluded.
The following day, Long Yuzhen received a textbook of sword techniques from his master and was instructed to study it diligently before their next practical session. Long Yuzhen couldn't understand, why his master not showing any interest in teaching him rather than taking practical sessions.
Despite observing Long Yuzhen practicing alone, Chen Zoe never offered guidance. Because of that, Long Yuzhen also refrained from seeking help. As the next practical session approached, Long Yuzhen felt confident that he could win his master's favor by showing how much he improved.
However, his confidence quickly drained away as he was repeatedly defeated by Chen Zoe. After each defeat, Chen Zoe pointed out where Yuzhen had gone wrong but never provided any advice on how to improve. This same procedure continued in every practical session, and Long Yuzhen felt like Chen Zoe's favorite punching bag.
Finally, after three weeks of grueling training, Long Yuzhen was granted a two-day leave. During this time, he went to meet his friends and realized that he wasn't the only one going through such tough training. This realization gave him some peace of mind. However, in comparison to him, his friends were learning from scratch and were receiving valuable advice on how to improve by their masters.
"Master Xi Shen is a wonderful person; he is willing to spend his precious time on his disciples. I must have done something good in my past life to have him as my master." Ren couldn't stop showering praise on his mentor, who had long served as his inspiration.
Yue had nothing to say about his strict teacher, who was already famous for his bad temper.
"What about you, Yuzhen? How's your master? Is he really like the rumors say?" Curiously, Yue asked.
Long Yuzhen pondered over the rumors portraying his master as a devil, finding them somewhat exaggerated. Despite his master's laziness, irresponsibility, and occasional arrogance, Yuzhen couldn't bring himself to believe that his master was truly a bad person.
"Personally, I think he's a good guy. A little clumsy, but still caring," Long Yuzhen mused after a moment of contemplation.
"Are you seriously talking about that guy?" Yue and Ren asked simultaneously, sharing the same skeptical sentiment.
"Leave that matter. Ren, did you manage to find any information about Zoya?" Long Yuzhen inquired, placing his hopes in Ren, who was a disciple of Xi Shen.
However, Long Yuzhen didn't receive any positive news from Ren, he hadn't encountered any senior who matched the description of Zoya in Xi Shen's place. Feeling disheartened, Long Yuzhen returned to Chen Zoe's residence.
Long Yuzhen opened his drawer and retrieved Zoya's drawing, gazing at it with a sense of longing. However, his quiet moment was disrupted by a sudden noise coming from outside his room. At first, he didn't think much of it and was about to turn away, but then he noticed a shadow swiftly disappearing.
Thinking there might be an intruder, Long Yuzhen sprang into action. He swiftly moved to intercept the person and found a woman wearing a white veil covering her face.
"Who are you? Turn around," he commanded, his voice firm and authoritative. The woman seemed startled by his voice but didn't comply with his request. Sensing that something was amiss, Long Yuzhen cautiously approached her, intending to touch her shoulder. However, she reacted swiftly, throwing him to the floor and making an attempt to escape.
Unfortunately, she couldn't escape from Long Yuzhen's grasp as she had hoped. He forcibly restrained her and pinned her against the wall.
"You're the one who sneaked inside this place, and on top of that, you were staring at me as if you could devour me. If I let go..." She glared fiercely at Long Yuzhen, showing no fear despite being caught. He attempted to remove her veil.
"Don't touch it... Just let me go if you don't want to die," she demanded, trying to break free from his grip.
However, she couldn't match his physical strength, and he succeeded in removing her veil, revealing her face.
To his shock, he recognized her immediately.
'Zoya...'