Chapter Nine: Experiences at the Training Ground

After Yushi's guidance yesterday, Su Xue'er had noticeably smoother progress in her recovery. Early in the morning, Yushi went out. Su Xue'er, peeking out the door to make sure he was gone, headed to the training ground in the opposite direction.

Upon arriving at the training ground, Su Xue'er saw a team of a hundred spirit masters training in sword techniques, led by a captain who was instructing them. The training ground was quite large, and they occupied only half of it.

Su Xue'er chose a corner so as not to disturb them. She took out her Ziyun Jade Sword and began practicing the Jade Sword Art.

Shortly after Su Xue'er arrived, the team took a break to meditate. One person spoke up, "Captain, there's someone using our space." Another person replied, "Our place is huge, and she's only in the corner. She's not bothering us."

"..."

As the team members chattered, the captain shouted angrily, "Silence! This is a place for training, not for idle gossip."

It fell silent immediately, and Su Xue'er heard the captain's shout. "It seems I'm disturbing them. I should leave," Su Xue'er thought, feeling dejected, and turned to leave.

Seeing Su Xue'er about to go, the captain called out, "Miss, wait." Su Xue'er looked at him in surprise. The captain walked over, and the others watched in astonishment, whispering among themselves.

"What's the captain doing?"

"Is he going to reprimand her?"

"No way, he wouldn't scold a girl."

"You never know."

"....."

Many watched with a look of anticipation, but to their shock, the captain didn't reprimand her; he even apologized.

Su Xue'er awkwardly said, "I'm sorry. I saw this place was big and had space, so I came. If I'm disturbing you, I'll leave immediately."

To her surprise, the captain cupped his hands and bowed, "I'm sorry for my students' rudeness."

Su Xue'er hurriedly said, "It's okay. It's my fault for using your space."

"If you don't mind, I'll ask them to apologize." The captain said kindly.

Before Su Xue'er could respond, he added, "Let's go." Su Xue'er had no choice but to follow him. As they approached, many spirit masters stared at Su Xue'er, dumbfounded, whispering, "I've never seen such a beautiful person."

They secretly thought, Could she be a noble? We're in trouble now. "Yeah, I've seen many beauties, but none compare to her."

"..."

The captain's arrival silenced them. "Raise your heads and apologize to this young lady," the captain commanded.

Everyone looked up, their admiring eyes on Su Xue'er, and said in unison, "We're sorry."

"I'm making you apologize not because you were wrong, but for you to reflect. In this world, the strong are respected. Without strength, you must know humility. Do you understand?"

"Yes," they responded in unison.

"Good, continue your sword training."

The team resumed their orderly sword practice. Su Xue'er, watching the scene, couldn't help but admire the Spirit Master Mansion's reputation as the best on the continent, given their rigorous teaching methods.

As Su Xue'er practiced, she occasionally glanced at the others training. The captain then announced, "Switch to one-on-one sparring, pair up." The group quickly formed pairs, and Su Xue'er watched from the side.

Since it was training, most duels were controlled, stopping short of causing harm. Su Xue'er observed their precise control over sword techniques, gaining a deeper understanding of the Jade Sword Art in her spiritual sea.

After training, the captain approached Su Xue'er, "Would you like to spar as well, miss?"

"Can I?" Su Xue'er stammered, unsure.

The captain nodded and pointed to the person who had initially defended her, "You, spar with this young lady."

Pushed out from the crowd, the man looked a bit shy. "I'm Wu Feng, a mid-stage Spirit Master. Please instruct me."

"Su Xue'er, early-stage Spirit Master. Please instruct me." Su Xue'er mimicked his formal tone but felt awkward.

Wu Feng politely said, "Ladies first." The crowd gasped as Su Xue'er attacked with her Ziyun Jade Sword. Sounds of clashing swords echoed in the training ground. Su Xue'er, lacking killing intent, pulled back her strikes just a foot away from Wu Feng.

Wu Feng's attacks couldn't make her retreat, making him feel embarrassed. Is she going easy on me? Wu Feng, not overthinking, matched her, not using deadly force.

The match ended with Su Xue'er's defeat. The crowd exclaimed, "Wu Feng, what's wrong? You should have let her win." "Yeah, how could you do that?" "..."

As the crowd discussed, the captain's stern voice quieted them, "Wu Feng, stay behind and train for a few more hours today." "Yes," Wu Feng accepted, knowing his shortcomings.

The crowd looked at the captain in surprise. Wu Feng won, why is he being punished? The captain addressed their puzzled expressions, "During the spar, Miss Su held back her attacks by a foot, yet Wu Feng barely held his own. Don't think that just because he won, he truly won."

The group lowered their heads as the captain continued, "You should all learn from this. Even a girl understands swordsmanship better than you. If Lord Yushi finds out, you'll be in trouble."

"Lord Yushi? The ruthless chief?" Su Xue'er's words silenced the crowd completely.

The captain quickly whispered, "Shh, Miss Su, saying that could make Lord Yushi furious." Su Xue'er laughed, "He wouldn't, he wouldn't."