15. Night Visit to Heaven Lake

Guo Songyang settled down at the Ma family’s horse ranch. As a prominent figure in the Central Plains martial arts community, Boss Ma was naturally eager to host him and even privately advised his son to try to become acquainted with him.

“If we can become good with Songyang and his Iron Sword, our family will have another powerful ally,” Boss Ma told Ma Kongqun. “Doing business with clients from the Central Plains won’t be something we need to fear anymore.”

Ma Kongqun understood his father’s earnest intentions but lacked enthusiasm. He merely responded with words and quickly turned his attention back to Tian Yu.

Having witnessed the battle between Tian Yu and Guo Songyang, he no longer saw Guo Songyang in his eyes. All he wanted was to witness Tian Yu’s swordsmanship once again.

Tian Yu noticed the young man’s increasingly eager attitude toward her and, guessing the reason, found it somewhat amusing.

“You come running to me every day; do you still have time to practice your sword?” she asked.

Ma Kongqun blushed deeply.

Seeing him so embarrassed, Tian Yu suddenly thought of Tian Yong. When he first started learning blacksmithing, he always progressed slowly and showed a similar shy expression whenever he encountered an elusive problem.

“How about this,” she proposed, “from today on, you can come practice with me. It’s perfect because I can help you improve. How does that sound?”

Ma Kongqun was ecstatic. “Sister Bai is willing to guide me?”

Tian Yu hummed softly and said, “It wouldn’t make sense to just call you ‘Sister’ without the Bai family name.”

Ma Kongqun looked at her hesitantly before biting his lip and saying, “Thank you, Sister.”

He had long wanted to drop the “Bai family” part but hadn’t found the right opportunity. Now that she said it this way, he decided to go with the flow and call her Sister. Yet, at the moment he spoke the word, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of nervousness.

Fortunately, Tian Yu didn’t mind and simply nodded, letting him perform the sword technique he had learned in its entirety.

Ma Kongqun’s weapon was a short blade. Although both were swords, short blades and long swords were handled very differently.

In the past, Tian Yu would never have boastfully offered to instruct someone using a short blade. But in the past six months, having mastered the Beiming True Qi, her understanding of martial arts had leapt forward, and she had gone from merely grasping the form of the sword technique taught by her master to truly comprehending its essence.

Now that she had the true meaning of the swordsmanship, she felt confident enough to guide Ma Kongqun.

After watching his entire technique, she pondered for a moment and asked, “Have you been practicing drawing your sword quickly?”

Ma Kongqun was taken aback, then blinked and asked, “How did Sister guess that?”

“Do I really need to guess?” she smiled. “Your speed in drawing your sword far surpasses the speed of sheathing it. You must have practiced hard to achieve that.”

He was pleased to hear this and was about to nod in acknowledgment, but she shifted her tone and continued, “It’s right to practice drawing quickly, but if you overdo it, that’s a problem.”

“Why is that wrong?” Ma Kongqun asked anxiously.

“Have you noticed? Because you’re too focused on speed in drawing your sword, your first strike tends to be off. If I’m not mistaken, the first move of your technique should be a horizontal thrust, but you can’t control the force after drawing the blade. Instead of a thrust, it looks more like you’re throwing the sword.”

“I believe no sword technique would start with a move like that,” she said.

Ma Kongqun’s face changed dramatically at her words, then he suddenly understood. “Sister is right. When I practice, I often feel it’s hard to control the force.”

“But I never thought it was because I was too obsessed with drawing my sword quickly…”

Seeing him so affected, Tian Yu sighed and stood beside him, patting his shoulder. “I heard from your father that most of your skills come from the guests at this horse ranch.”

“You have a good aptitude, but since the guests come and go, few stay long enough to correct the small details for you,” she said, pausing before continuing, “If you don’t mind some hardship, I can help you correct a few things when you come here.”

Ma Kongqun was more than willing—he was thrilled. He lifted his head and looked straight at her, his eyes flickering with flames.

---

“Sister’s willing to teach me—that’s truly wonderful,” he said. “But I have nothing to offer in return. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Didn’t you take me to tour Changbai Mountain?” she replied with a slight tilt of her head and a smile.

The sky was high and clear, the breeze gentle.

She stood in the courtyard in black attire, her demeanor and tone casual as if helping him so much was just a trivial matter.

Ma Kongqun noticed this and strangely felt a twinge of disappointment that somehow outweighed his joy.

This disappointment came irrationally and swept over him in an instant, causing him to purse his lips tightly.

Tian Yu didn’t know what he was thinking, but having been an actress for ten years, she was especially sensitive to the emotional shifts of those around her. Seeing him awkwardly staring at her, she added, “If you feel that’s not enough to repay me, why not help me with one more favor?”

Ma Kongqun immediately said, “What is it? Sister, just say the word.”

Tian Yu glanced toward Guo Songyang’s courtyard next door and said, “Find me a matching pair of sword and blade. They don’t need to be extremely sharp, just usable.”

Ma Kongqun was stunned. “Why do you need these?”

“I’ve arranged to duel Guo Songyang again,” she said. “But I broke his sword. Since he doesn’t have a weapon now, I can’t have him fight me empty-handed.”

So she needed to find him a sword.

But if she still used her own blade, it would be unfair.

Therefore, she also needed to find a blade comparable to his sword.

Ma Kongqun: “...I understand now.”

“So, I’m counting on you for this,” she smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry, Sister,” he took a deep breath, “I’ll find them right away!”

Tian Yu raised a hand and stopped him, grasping his wrist. “Not so fast.”

“First, let’s fix your sword-drawing habits.”

Ma Kongqun, dizzy from her grasp, agreed.

But he soon sobered up.

Because when she corrected his movements, she showed no mercy!

Just the stance of drawing the sword alone made him suffer immensely.

Within half a day, he was so exhausted his legs were weak and his hands trembled.

After finishing today’s practice and leaving her lodging, he was dizzy and woozy, longing to collapse on the horse ranch grass for a nap.

So exhausted, he naturally didn’t approach her again that night.

He only sent someone to deliver the swords she requested.

“The young master said that if you’re not satisfied, he’ll keep looking,” said the attendant respectfully to Tian Yu while handing over the sword and blade.

Tian Yu weighed the weapons in her hand and said, “No need, these two are quite good.”

She thanked the attendant politely.

Then she went next door to see Guo Songyang.

Since settling at the horse ranch, Guo Songyang had kept to himself for several days without showing his face.

Tian Yu guessed he was still quietly cultivating to replenish the inner strength she had drawn from him, so she hadn’t disturbed him.

Now that the weapons for their second duel had arrived, she felt it was time to knock on his door.

He opened and was very surprised to see her. “Miss Bai? Why have you come?”

Tian Yu handed him the sword and said, “I’m here to give you this.”

He was momentarily stunned.

“You can’t fight me with your broken sword,” she explained. “So I asked that kid from the Ma family to find a matching pair of sword and blade.”

Guo Songyang’s expression shifted slightly. “A pair?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair.”

Guo Songyang was speechless.

So that was the idea.

Lowering his eyes, his gaze passed over the sword she offered. “Miss Bai, have you decided when to duel again?”

Tian Yu no longer disliked him as before and said, “You decide. I’m ready anytime.”

He thought for a moment and said, “How about tonight?”

Truly an impatient martial arts enthusiast.

Tian Yu wasn’t surprised, smiled, and agreed. “Alright.”

Since they were going to fight, they needed a more open place to avoid disturbing the locals.

Guo Songyang suggested going to the southern slope of the Heavenly Pool.

Tian Yu had no objection, so they went together to that quiet hillside.

It was mid-month, and the icy moon hung high in the sky, reflecting in the pool’s center. The rippling water shimmered with glints of light.

Tian Yu stood on the slope, looking at the scene. She felt the world was silent, and the moonlit view was like a painting.

Having climbed up together, it would be rather spoilsport to start fighting immediately.

She turned toward him and asked if he still wanted to duel.

Guo Songyang evidently felt the same. He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, then smiled wryly. “I chose the wrong place.”

The night wind blew fiercely, rustling their garments.

Tian Yu tilted her head. “This place isn’t fit for fighting, but perfect for moon-gazing. Coming up here and seeing such beauty isn’t a wrong choice.”

He was momentarily stunned, then softly said, “Riding the wind inviting the moon, holding a cup to my shadow, amid the sea of clouds, a leisurely man.”

“Tonight there’s wind, moon, and clouds. Had I known, I would have brought a jug of wine.”

Tian Yu raised an eyebrow. “You enjoy drinking, too?”

“Not exactly,” he said quietly, studying her heroic face in the moonlight. “What about Miss Bai?”

“I don’t like drinking,” she answered plainly, “But I have a friend who’s a heavy drinker. Hearing you say that just now reminded me of him.”

Guo Songyang wanted to ask who this friend was but knew asking would be rude, so he held back.

“That must be a very good friend,” he finally said.

Tian Yu smiled, tacitly agreeing.

“If you ever meet him, you’d want to be friends with him,” she said.

Guo Songyang was moved by her words and said, “But right now, I think I only want to be friends with Miss Bai.”

Tian Yu glanced at him and imitated Li Xunhuan’s tone to tease, “Have I misunderstood? Aren’t we already friends?”

The moonlight poured like a silver stream across the land.

The girl in black raised her slender neck slightly, her lips unmoved but her eyes sparkling with a playful smile.

Looking into those smiling eyes, Guo Songyang’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.