64: Apply medicine

"Brother Qing, you're back."

"Ah!"

"Brother Qing, what happened to you? Who did this?"

Wei Lan looked at the bruises on Xiao Weiqing's arm, and her face immediately turned cold.

"Don't worry, I went to Teacher Zhao to learn the saber. We sparred for a while, and Teacher Zhao gave me some medicine. I just need to apply it when I get back."

"Oh."

Wei Lan pouted. "Teacher Zhao is really something; he should have gone easier on you."

Xiao Weiqing smiled. "It wouldn't be effective if he went easy."

"Let's go back."

The two returned to the Villa.

Xiao Weiqing walked to the Villa entrance and looked back to see Wei Lan still following him.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you going back?"

Wei Lan's face turned slightly red. "I... I want to apply the ointment for you. It's... it's inconvenient for you to reach your back, right?"

Xiao Weiqing thought about it and realized she was right.

"Alright, come in."

Entering the living room, Xiao Weiqing put down Crimson Dragon and sat on a stool.

"Here..."

Xiao Weiqing handed over the medicine bottle.

He took off his short-sleeved shirt, revealing a lean and strong upper body.

Xiao Weiqing had the kind of physique that looked slim in clothes but muscular without them, with well-defined muscles.

Seeing Xiao Weiqing's bare torso, Wei Lan's face flushed with shyness.

"Wei Lan, Wei Lan?"

"Ah? What is it, Brother Qing?"

Xiao Weiqing was exasperated. "I should be asking you. Weren't you going to apply the ointment?"

"Oh... oh... right."

Wei Lan opened the bottle and began applying it to Xiao Weiqing.

"Hiss..."

"Brother Qing, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, continue."

"Oh, I'll be gentler."

Wei Lan stroked Xiao Weiqing's back with her delicate hands, her face getting redder the more she touched him.

Xiao Weiqing enjoyed the sensation. Firstly, the medicine's properties were amazing—cool and comfortable—and secondly, Wei Lan's hands were indeed soft.

After finishing the back, it was time for the front.

"I'll do the front myself."

Wei Lan kept her head down, seemingly not hearing him as she continued to apply the ointment.

Seeing this, Xiao Weiqing didn't stop her, happy to enjoy the treatment.

When she reached his chest, her hand inexplicably gave him a little squeeze.

Xiao Weiqing sat up straight and looked up at Wei Lan.

Wei Lan stared at her hand and then looked at Xiao Weiqing, their eyes meeting.

"Ah!"

Wei Lan set the ointment down, turned around, and ran out of the Villa.

"..."

Xiao Weiqing was full of questions. "I'm the one who was teased, right?"

Shaking his head, he finished applying the ointment himself.

An hour later.

Xiao Weiqing was mostly recovered. He sent a message to Wei Lan: "Do you want to eat together?"

"I'm not hungry," Wei Lan replied immediately.

Xiao Weiqing had to go find food by himself.

Next, he went to the Ziwei Pavilion training room, intending to process the saber techniques from the afternoon.

He hadn't practiced for long...

...when he happened to run into Zhuang Yu, who was coming up with a sword.

"Eh? Xiao Weiqing?"

"Are you practicing the saber?"

"Yeah."

"Not bad, you look like you know what you're doing. How about we spar? There's no fun in practicing alone."

Xiao Weiqing remembered Zhao Jia's words and nodded. "Alright."

"Then let's switch to Ironwood weapons so I don't hurt you."

"Okay."

The two stood ready.

Zhuang Yu said, "My Extraordinary Talent is Level 5 'Skill', the White Crane Sword Art. Don't worry, I'll hold back a bit."

Xiao Weiqing: "Good."

"Here I come then, watch out."

Zhuang Yu took a step forward and lunged with his sword.

Xiao Weiqing's eyes moved slightly. "Sword, a straight thrust. I'll use the Intercepting Saber."

"Clang!"

With a soft sound, Zhuang Yu's attack was directly halted.

Zhuang Yu froze for a moment, holding his sword.

But Xiao Weiqing didn't freeze. He remembered the key points of parrying: either pull back to create distance or counterattack.

Zhuang Yu's force wasn't heavy—one could even call it light. It was a good opportunity to counter.

He brushed aside the longsword, and his saber blade drove straight forward, stopping in front of Zhuang Yu.

All of this happened in a flash.

Xiao Weiqing asked in confusion, "Zhuang Yu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zhuang Yu snapped out of it. "Cough... cough..."

"I just ate a bit too much, had a stomach cramp."

"Let's go again!"

Xiao Weiqing nodded. "Alright."

Zhuang Yu attacked first again. This time, he didn't underestimate Xiao Weiqing. It would be a joke if he actually lost—a Level 5 'Skill' user with a weapon unable to beat a Level 3 'Art' user.

Zhuang Yu exerted force with his feet, leaping two meters in one step. With a move called 'White Crane Points the Way', he lunged at Xiao Weiqing, his speed more than twice as fast as before.

Xiao Weiqing parried with a slanted saber, guiding the sword tip to the side.

Zhuang Yu seemed to have anticipated this. He spun into a Cloud Sword—a very basic sword move, but combined with his footwork, the attack was quite fierce.

Xiao Weiqing remained calm. Compared to Zhao Jia, Zhuang Yu's moves were clearly much slower.

He blocked with a vertical saber, then flicked it aside, moving his feet continuously to create distance.

The White Crane Sword Art emphasized agility and speed. The sword in Zhuang Yu's hand constantly enveloped Xiao Weiqing.

With a move called 'Wind Sweeps Fallen Leaves', he swept toward Xiao Weiqing's lower body.

"A sweep. Use the Lifting Parry."

"Clang!"

After several consecutive parries, Zhuang Yu grew increasingly alarmed as the fight went on.

"Is this Xiao Weiqing using a cheat code?"

After several moves without being able to break through, Zhuang Yu gradually became anxious.

Instead, Xiao Weiqing seized an opportunity with a horizontal slash, forcing him to flip backward to dodge.

"Zhuang Yu, you don't have to go easy on me."

Zhuang Yu almost choked. He cursed inwardly, "I'm freaking not going easy on you, and I didn't plan to!"

"Watch this, White Crane Spreads Wings!"

His slender body leapt high, diving down like a white crane. The sword tip swayed left and right, rapidly slicing through the air as it lunged toward Xiao Weiqing.

"So fast!"

"Parry, must hold the centerline."

Xiao Weiqing kept Zhao Jia's words firmly in mind.

Sensing the right moment, he stepped aside. His saber collided with the sword, and he used all his strength to divert the direction of the attack.

However, 'White Crane Spreads Wings' was truly worthy of being a Level 5 Innate Skill; the sword tip still managed to tap Xiao Weiqing's shoulder from a strange angle.

The two figures separated and stopped fighting.

Xiao Weiqing let out a soft breath. "I lost. Your White Crane Sword Art is indeed impressive."

Zhuang Yu sheathed his sword and breathed a secret sigh of relief. He had almost embarrassed himself.

"Then keep practicing. I'm going to the Ladder."

"Okay."

Xiao Weiqing put back the ironwood saber, reflecting on the battle. He wondered if there were areas he could optimize. Real combat really did accelerate progress in saber techniques.

An hour later.

Wei Lan met up with Xiao Weiqing, and the two familiar companions headed to the Spiritual Energy Cultivation Room.

"Let's set a goal: Cultivate the Spiritual Qi in the shenque acupoint to 75%."

Late at night.

Xiao Weiqing and Wei Lan walked out of the Spiritual Energy Tower and trekked back to the Ziwei Courtyard.

They ran into Fei Xiaobao on the way.

"Sigh, what sin did I commit? Even while cultivating Spiritual Qi, I have to run into you two as a couple."

Hearing this...

...Wei Lan's face turned red.

Xiao Weiqing smiled. "Where's your Zhuang Yu?"

"Eh? Don't talk nonsense. He and I are just meal buddies at best," Fei Xiaobao said with a look of horror.

"He went to the Ladder and hasn't come out yet."

Xiao Weiqing said, "We're going to test our Spiritual Qi. Do you want to come along?"

Fei Xiaobao said irritably, "Spare me. Why would I go? To be a third wheel?"

Xiao Weiqing nodded. "I was just asking."

Fei Xiaobao: "?"

"Damn! If I couldn't beat you, I'd definitely roast you to death."

"I'm leaving."

Fei Xiaobao quickened his pace and left quickly... The two of them went to the second floor of Ziwei Pavilion to test.

"76%, 84."

"Not bad." Xiao Weiqing was very satisfied with his cultivation progress.

Then he looked at Wei Lan.

"59%, 76."

"Hmm?"

"Wei Lan, were you slacking off before?" Xiao Weiqing said with a stern face.

In this cultivation session, the young girl's progress was much faster than before.

Wei Lan shrunk her head back and gestured with her fingers. "Just a tiny bit, a tiny bit."

"Cultivate properly from now on. No slacking allowed."

"I know, Brother Qing. I promise."

Wei Lan puffed out her chest, her impressive figure becoming quite prominent.

"Mhm. I'm going back."

"Brother Qing, aren't you going to the Ladder?"

"I'm going back to Cultivate. I'm currently ranked over 1000th on the Ladder, so there's no rush."

Wei Lan nodded. "Then I'll go to the Ladder. My teacher taught me two moves this afternoon, and I'm going to try them out."

"Good luck."

"Mhm."

Xiao Weiqing returned to his dormitory alone to Cultivate the Samadhi True Fire Spirit Refining Art and refine Qi Fire. As his Spiritual Qi became more abundant, the speed of refining Qi Fire also increased.

The feeling of improvement made him unable to stop.

Time passed.

It was already late at night.

"Phew..."

"723 wisps."

"In another three days, I'll be able to refine it to Perfection. I wonder what changes there will be then."

...