<Chapter 80> Fox, More Than Expected. (1)
Eyes tightly shut, a few seconds of shrinking.
Without the expected shock or noise, Gulinghua slowly opened her eyes.
She thought the first thing she would see would be the tip of a wooden sword.
But the first thing Gulinghua saw when she opened her eyes was someone's back.
It wasn't that broad, but it was definitely a familiar sight.
A somewhat familiar sound and a warm heat could be felt.
The wooden sword that was about to swing at Gulinghua was now held in someone's hand.
Before she could even judge the situation, the heat that had enveloped the area began to subside.
The owner of the back spoke.
At those words, the woman who was sparring averted her gaze.
Gulinghua, who hadn't fully grasped the situation and was still in a daze, saw the face of the person who had saved her.
A young boy with fierce eyes, his face full of irritation.
It was her brother, Gouyang Qian.
'I thought it would break.'
In a situation where something bad would happen if she didn't intervene, she had jumped in, but she hadn't expected to intervene so aggressively.
Nangong Bia was surrounded by a faint aura, but it wasn't very strong.
Still, if she hadn't used her aura, her arm would have been broken.
At my question, Nangong Bia averted her gaze.
Was she admitting that she had gone a bit too far?
"Why did you draw your aura against a child?"
Nangong Bia still didn't answer.
It seemed like there had been some conversation between the two, but I hadn't heard it clearly.
Nangong Bia, who had been fidgeting, spoke with a pouting face.
"•••You said I was ugly."
What was she talking about all of a sudden?
Did Gulinghua call Nangong Bia ugly?
'•••She doesn't have that bad of eyes, does she?'
Gulinghua, even considering her lineage, was on the pretty side.
Especially since she didn't have the sharp eyes that were typical of the Gou family, she could be even more beautiful.
Still, it was far from enough to say anything to Nangong Bia.
"•••What nonsense are you talking?"
"So, what nonsense are you talking about now?"
The conversation didn't seem to match.
Gulinghua looked at me with a strange expression.
"•••What's your relationship with that person?"
The glance was directed at Nangong Bia.
Just like last time, Nangong Bia cut me off this time too.
Gulinghua froze at Nangong Bia's firm three words.
She looked at me and Nangong Bia alternately with wide eyes, her expression gradually hardening.
It was as if she was saying, '•••Why?'
To be more precise, 'How can someone like you be with someone like that?'
Whatever it was, it was an uncomfortable situation.
"•••You came here with your fiancée?"
"Not together, but… we met on the way."
We really met on the way.
From Gulinghua's perspective, how could there be a chance to meet on the way from Shanxi to Shandong?
•••It was really literal.
Gulinghua, who had been standing there in a daze, seemed to recall something and looked at Nangong Bia with a hazy face.
Nangong Bia, who met her gaze, was as expressionless as usual.
Gulinghua dusted herself off and approached Nangong Bia.
I thought she might be about to start a fight over what just happened.
Surprisingly, Gulinghua bowed deeply to Nangong Bia.
"Thank you for the guidance."
Despite her dusty appearance, she made a proper bow.
Nangong Bia, seeing this, brushed off the grass on Gulinghua's shoulder.
Gulinghua shivered slightly at the touch and continued.
"•••I apologize for my rash words."
While saying this, why is she glaring at me?
Since Gulinghua apologized, Nangong Bia followed suit and apologized to Gulinghua.
Why are they suddenly making up?
Confused by the situation, I was left in a daze, but Gulinghua suddenly ran off.
"Mind your own business!"
What was so annoying that she shouted and bowed to Nangong Bia again before running down the mountain.
After all that effort to save her….
"Why is she acting like that…?"
Gulinghua ran down, and Nangong Bia approached.
She had a somewhat awkward expression.
"•••I didn't intend to hit her."
I chuckled at her defensive words.
I knew that the aura in the sword, the faint pressure, and the target of the sword were all for intimidation.
Still, I had to intervene, so it was partly my fault.
Looking at the awkwardly standing Nangong Bia, I asked.
"•••We were just sparring…?"
"•••I see, that's what you would do."
How could someone be so obsessed with sparring?
Is she possessed by a ghost like me? I genuinely wondered.
Nangong Bia suddenly asked me.
I thought about what she was asking for a moment.
Looking at her gaze, it was in the direction Gulinghua had gone.
Oh, did I not tell Nangong Bia about her?
I don't think I had introduced her before….
Did she not know that she was my sister?
Indeed, they didn't look alike at all.
The problem was Nangong Bia's expression when she heard this.
In my past life and this one, I had never seen Nangong Bia's expression so clear.
It was the first time I saw her make such an expression.
What should I say? It seemed like a mix of despair and surprise.
A face full of mixed emotions.
Of course, it didn't seem to be a good expression.
She started muttering to herself, but her voice was too low to hear clearly.
What was lost? I couldn't understand the meaning.
I decided to let it go, thinking that Nangong Bia was just being her usual strange self.
Fortunately, we managed to get another room yesterday, so we could sleep comfortably on the third night.
Nangong Bia, who seemed dazed, didn't say much, but Weixia seemed displeased.
Of course, I was a bit concerned, but maybe it was because I had told Hongwa in advance, so she naturally disappeared after a while.
Thanks to that, I could finally get a good night's sleep.
Although Shen Noya's constant nagging was a bit noisy, I was so tired that I could fall asleep despite it.
Feeling refreshed, I went out for morning practice with Lingfeng.
Feeling so refreshed, I thought I could endure it this time.
Is this crazy sect torturing us under the guise of training?
I returned to the quarters with trembling legs and collapsed on the veranda.
Despite the influence of the cultivation method, which made me less susceptible to heat and cold and less prone to sweating,
To do this level of training every day?
It was truly a perverse sect.
Shen Noya cursed, but I didn't pay attention.
I had become accustomed to letting his words go in one ear and out the other.
A cup of water was placed next to me, drenched in sweat.
It was given to me by Weixia, who had approached.
"Are you okay, Young Master…?"
I lay there, completely exhausted.
I suddenly noticed that Nangong Bia hadn't been seen since morning and asked Weixia.
"She went out a while ago!"
Perhaps she was practicing with a sword somewhere.
I picked up the cup with my trembling hands and drank it quickly.
The water tasted sweet, indicating that I must have been very thirsty.
As I drank, Weixia wiped my sweat-soaked head with a towel.
Although I would have to take a bath anyway, it was a kind gesture.
"Would you like more water?"
I forced my aching arms to move and sat up.
Groaning, I sat on the veranda, and Weixia leaned against me.
"You can lean on me too!"
Did I look that exhausted…?
She was offering to let me lean on her.
Although I often teased Weixia for being plump and round, she actually had a slim build.
She looked so delicate that she might fly away if you touched her.
Of course, the occasional bursts of strength she showed in household chores were incomprehensible.
But it was Weixia, so I let it go.
When I leaned on her, she was indeed steady.
Shen Noya's words almost made me laugh.
I looked at Weixia, who was still looking at the pond inside the quarters with her usual expression.
Was she fascinated by the koi in the pond?
'Could she be thinking about eating them?'
Although I didn't think she would, it was a bit unsettling.
As I continued to lean on her, Weixia turned to look at me.
Meeting her eyes, she immediately smiled brightly.
The crescent-shaped eyes and the upturned corners of her mouth made my head spin.
Being so close, the smile hit me directly.
Should I start wearing a veil now, not in a few years?
Considering how she looks now, I can only imagine how she will look when she grows up.
I can't keep her in my arms forever, of course.
Not just for her beauty, but for many reasons.
The Sword Master and my father, too.
I responded to the call, but the next words didn't come.
Weixia just called me and stared.
Her gaze was so intense that it felt like I was being pulled into her obsidian eyes.
Why is she just staring without saying anything?
After a long time, Weixia opened her mouth to say something.
Lingfeng appeared with a cheerful smile.
This happened last time too….
Seeing Lingfeng, I tried to get up.
Lingfeng, seeing this, looked around with a puzzled expression.
"•••No, I… I'm sorry. I was interrupting."
"•••What? No, I wasn't doing anything."
[After holding your breath for so long… that brat…]
Even while talking, Lingfeng was still fidgeting.
I thought it was because of me, but he was looking in a different direction.
I found Lingfeng's reaction strange and looked at Weixia's face, but she was still smiling.
"Ah… Well, since the training is over, I thought we could have a meal together…."
I tilted my head at Lingfeng's words.
Why come here instead of joining the other disciples?