Rising (XI)
A whole ten minutes had passed, both Hui Lan and Elder Zhang were in the same respective places.
Feng Furen and Elder Yi were now sitting on the sidelines as they, no, more like, only Feng Furen was watching over Hui Lan worriedly as her motherly instincts automatically sunk in. Meanwhile, Elder Yi was drinking his newly brewed tea gleefully in front of Feng Furen.
"Ey, junior sister, there is no need to worry ah." A full ten minutes and this junior sister was still looking at Hui Lan without leaving her eyes.
However, there was no response from Feng Furen. She simply sat quietly with a warm teacup in her hands.
...Aiya, this junior sister seemed to be very serious ah. Was this how it was like being a parent?
...Before it had just been four of them, senior brothers and junior sisters and ever since that day, everyone went along with their own paths and had their own family.
...However, with Feng Nuo's news that she had brought with her, it seemed those peaceful times would no longer be.
On the other hand, Hui Lan's entire body was beginning to shake even more. Droplets of sweat were beginning to appear even in the midst of the cold weather.
Although her body was failing, her mind was more determined to keep her pose. However, her left leg could not help but slowly slip lower and lower.
"Raise your leg higher," Elder Zhang spoke without having to open his eyes.
Hui Lan gritted her teeth. He did not have to show off like that ah.
"Focus." Elder Zhang spoke again.
Hui Lan took a long sigh before closing her eyes and making her mind at peace.
A few minutes later, Hui Lan's mind was beginning to shut down by the tiredness.
"Dozing off?" Elder Zhang raised his voice to wake the other person that was beginning to fall into dreamland.
Hui Lan quickly opened her eyes in startlement. She could barely balance herself before she almost fell off. She could not help but shoot a fierce gaze at the other person.
...How long did he think he was going to let her stay in this same position ah?
Just as Hui Lan was thinking in her mind, the elder gave his second instructions as if knowing her mind, "Now, switch your legs and keep your balance." The elder's lips became closed once again.
Hui Lan looked down at the small rectangular platform which was the size of her right foot and ate another loss of words. He was really looking for ways to push her down from this platform, huh!?
...Sorry to tell you this, but you've messed with the wrong girl!
Hui Lan took a deep breath before turning her right foot towards her right hand. Now her right foot was standing just over the rectangular platform with some part underneath her foot exposed to the air.
For the first time, Elder Zhang's brows flinched ever so slightly. Nevertheless, his usual calm air returned as if nothing had happened.
On the other hand, Feng Furen got up nervously and even spilt her tea over her dress. However, she paid no attention to the spilt tea and was looking at Hui Lan's careful movement.
Meanwhile, as Hui Lan had acted such, it gave her just enough space for her to place her left foot down and stand onto the platform with her two feet. Soon after, she steadily lifted her right foot into the air and with her left foot, she finally turned back to face the elder. However, now, she was standing on her left foot.
Hui Lan felt relieved that she was able to pull it off and began refocusing her attention to balance her body muscles. Although her entire body was ringing with pain, it was beginning to readjust itself to handle such tension that had never been put onto it before.
Her hands were kept behind her back as she stabilized herself on her platform. This time she closed her eyes once again, but the only difference was that rather than dozing off, her mind was rather slowly drifting her into inner peace.
...Definitely an inner peace that was not sleeping.
From below, Feng Furen looked up with some sparkles in her eyes.
...She passed the test so uniquely. Instead of just showing off her skills, the girl used her brains instead. She had no martial arts skills yet, but her brain was working just fine.
...Wasn't it just simple to just do what Hui Lan had done?
...No, she made it look easy. It was hard for someone in this world of martial arts to think first.
...If it were others with a strong martial arts base, they would have jumped high in the sky and landed on their other foot. However, by doing that, they would either most likely crack the little pillar that was supporting them.
...Many had failed this test and only a few were able to control their strength as they jumped and switched their feet.
...This was the first time where someone was not too prideful to do such a thing.
Slowly, a warm smile was revealed on Feng Furen's face.
She could not explain this feeling, but she felt happy for the first time in a while.
On the other hand, Elder Yi took a big mouthful of warm tea down his throat.
...Not bad!
...But of course, this was not her last test.
...We don't go easy on anyone.
In addition to the test that was given to Hui Lan, there were some small changes that the two elders had prepared or more like had been developing over the past 22 years when they had pretty much nothing to do.
It had been a full 15 minute or so of balancing her core on this platform and Hui Lan's legs felt like they had climbed mt. Everest.
Just as she and Feng Furen thought that it would be over, loud clicking noises began resounding in the arena.
Hui Lan opened her eyes immediately to see what was going on. Meanwhile, Feng Furen took a step forward to see where the sound was coming from.
At first, nothing was happening and only loud clicking sounds were heard. However, before long, those pillar platforms that were surrounding them shifted altogether.
In no time, those pillar platforms were moving without direction around Hui Lan and Elder Zhang.
Elder Zhang finally opened his eyes and began setting his clothes before standing up soundlessly. He looked at Hui Lan indifferently and instructed calmly, "Hm, now, you must find your way down from here. Use what you can, if you can't find anything, then I'm afraid you would be sleeping up here today." Just before Elder Zhang was about to leave, he left his final words,"That is all from me today," Before jumping down to the ground and fanning his way to his chambers.
On the other hand, Hui Lan glared at the retreating figure from below her.
...Tch, just because she couldn't jump like she used to, didn't mean she wouldn't be able to do it soon.
After taking her attention away from the figure that was no longer in her sight, Hui Lan then turned to look at the pillars around her, she could not help but cross her brows slightly.
...She couldn't find the direction where these pillars were even going…
Feng Furen turned around to her senior brother with a look that could kill someone, "You did this?"
Elder Yi quickly raised his hand and shook them fiercely, "Of course not! It was Teacher Zhang who thought of this idea. I was only his assistant!" Elder Yi immediately explained in a hurry.
"If anything happened to her, you're responsible!" Feng Furen warned before turning back to watch over Hui Lan. Her hands were gritted together as she feared what Hui Lan's next test would be. There had never been this kind of test before, but since these two guys were locked up in here, they must have been really bored. She could only hope that nothing bad would happen.
Elder Yi automatically held onto his neck in reflection after his junior sister had turned away.
...Aiya, the older he grew the more his heart could not handle such a look anymore.