Chapter 28: Lets Spar
"Senior brother, please stop! I was wrong!" Li Yao’s desperate screams echoed throughout the forest as she lay across Xiang Yu’s lap, enduring his disciplinary spanking.
"How dare you make fun of your senior brother?" He brought his hand down again, his voice tinged with righteous indignation. The memory crystals had been the final straw—recordings of his embarrassing Mountain Heart Scripture practice preserved for posterity.
"I was wrong!" she shouted dramatically, but internally, her thoughts ran in an entirely different direction. Senior brother is being too assertive, she mused with unexpected delight. Little does he know, I’m into this shi...
The empress, privy to Li Yao’s unfiltered thoughts, could only shake her head in profound disappointment. This girl was truly beyond salvation.
"Where are the memory crystals?" Xiang Yu demanded, his voice stern with authority.
"Right here," Li Yao replied meekly, handing over her pouch with suspiciously little resistance.
Xiang Yu examined the contents, his expression darkening as he witnessed recordings of himself performing those ridiculous Mountain Heart Scripture movements. Without hesitation, he crushed the crystals in his palm, their fragments scattering across the forest floor.
"Nooooo!" Li Yao cried out with theatrical despair, her performance worthy of a traveling opera troupe. Behind her convincing facade of devastation, however, laughter bubbled. It’s unexpected that senior brother found out about the memory crystals, she thought smugly, but little does he know, I already have several copies stashed elsewhere.
Concluding the punishment, Xiang Yu examined his reddened palm with mild surprise. Despite being the one administering discipline, his hand stung considerably—a testament to his junior sister’s formidable physical cultivation. The girl was deceptively strong.
He glanced at the destroyed crystals and his sobbing junior sister with satisfaction. At least I’ve destroyed all evidence, he thought with relief. What would happen if I became an important figure in the cultivation world someday and these recordings leaked? How could I possibly maintain my dignity?
Still, an unsettling feeling nagged at him—a vague suspicion that he wasn’t being told the whole truth. It’s probably just my imagination, he dismissed, returning his attention to training as he retrieved his knife.
Before he could execute his first practice swing, Li Yao’s voice interrupted his concentration. "Senior brother, let’s spar," she suggested, her earlier tears mysteriously vanished.
Xiang Yu considered the proposal with interest. Actual combat yielded substantially more experience points than solo practice, and sparring with his junior sister presented no real threat. A perfect opportunity for advancement without risk. "Alright," he agreed, completely unaware of the mistake he was making.
Moments later, he found himself sprawled across the ground, struggling to rise after another punishing takedown. Li Yao wasn’t using spiritual energy, but her technical mastery proved overwhelming nonetheless. She approached with mock concern, her voice dripping with false sympathy.
"Senior brother, should I stop?"
Xiang Yu couldn’t bring himself to ask her to go easy on him. Is this revenge for spanking her earlier? he wondered bitterly as he pushed himself upright only to be knocked down again. Just you wait—when I’m invincible, I’ll spank you daily. Mark my words.
Li Yao stood triumphantly above him, admiring his angry expression with unexpected appreciation. Senior brother looks really cool when he’s angry, she thought with satisfaction. This was rightful compensation for destroying her precious memory crystals. Despite having backups, the loss demanded retribution—her treasures would feel wronged otherwise.
The empress was utterly bewildered by this twisted reasoning. What kind of logic is this? Is she even human?
Li Yao dismissed these concerns entirely. She was helping her senior brother grow stronger through combat experience—what could possibly be more supportive? Such an exemplary junior sister she was.
[ Yeah, yeah, you’re the only one in the world who can do this, ] the empress exhaled resignedly. Perhaps she had chosen the wrong vessel after all.
...
Elder Guo watched his two disciples train with an approving smile, his weathered features softening as he observed their diligent efforts. This was how Mountain Heart Pavilion should be—alive with the energy of dedicated cultivation rather than the stagnant atmosphere of indolence that had previously permeated its halls.
"Now that I think about it, isn’t it about time for lunch?" he mused, stroking his long beard thoughtfully.
As this realization dawned on him, his expression transformed dramatically—approval melting into indignation with startling speed. His bushy eyebrows descended like storm clouds over narrowed eyes.
"Those brats!" he exclaimed, rising from his meditation cushion with unexpected agility. "How dare they play around all day, not even preparing a meal for their master! Where is the filial piety? Have I not taught them better?"
The elder’s complaints continued as he descended from his private chambers, each step accompanied by muttered grievances about ungrateful disciples and the burdens of masterhood.
Several minutes later, the atmosphere in the dining hall had shifted considerably. Elder Guo sat at the head of the table, contentment radiating from him as he finished the last spoonful of soup with evident satisfaction. Across from him, both Xiang Yu and Li Yao sat in chastened silence, each sporting a small bump on their head—physical reminders of their master’s displeasure at finding no meal prepared.
"Ahem," the elder cleared his throat deliberately, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over their shared table. "It’s okay if you play around occasionally, but don’t go overboard and forget your duties."
A faint blush colored his cheeks as he rose with affected dignity, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional display his hunger had provoked. Without waiting for responses, he vanished from his position—his departure as abrupt as his earlier appearance.
Hmph! Stupid old man, Li Yao seethed internally, rubbing the tender spot on her head with restrained anger. If I didn’t want to conceal my true cultivation level, I would’ve slapped you to death!
[ I’m not so sure about that, ] the empress’s voice resonated within her consciousness, carrying an undertone of amusement.
"What do you mean?" Li Yao asked silently, her interest immediately piqued. "Is the old man also playing the pig to eat the tiger? Is he hiding his true strength?"
[ Well... not necessarily, ] the empress replied cryptically, offering no further elaboration despite Li Yao’s obvious curiosity.
Li Yao rested her chin in her palm, contemplating her master with newfound wariness. She had always considered Elder Guo the laziest of them all—constantly admonishing his disciples against idleness while embodying that very quality. He rarely taught them directly, merely providing resources before retreating to his chambers for endless "meditation." Sometimes he would wander into the forest and simply stare at nothing for hours, behavior she had attributed to senility or indolence.
But the empress’s cryptic comment suggested there might be hidden depths to the old cultivator. Perhaps he wasn’t as simple as she had assumed. Regardless, it changed nothing in her determination—even if he was truly powerful, even if he was concealing unfathomable strength, she would still exact revenge for this undeserved bump on her head. When she grew sufficiently powerful she would definitely bonk1 his head.
When the empress caught this petty thought, she couldn’t help but chuckle at her vessel’s stubborn nature. This girl truly was interesting—nursing even the smallest grudges with unwavering dedication. She seemed constitutionally incapable of accepting perceived wrongs, regardless of whether they came from loved ones or respected masters.
The empress’s amusement gave way to wistful contemplation. If I had been the same back then, perhaps...
...
Bonk as in hit, not the other one. Get your head out of the gutter.