Looking up at the sky, the moon was as round as a mirror, its brilliance dazzling.
There are no absolutes in life. If not for this incident, how would she have met these lovely people? Therefore, though the loss was painful, fortunately, she was alive. She turned and walked resolutely towards the house.
At the hour of Yin, several people got up on time, though there were also those who lingered in bed, only to be pulled up again. That person was Yun Xiao.
Miss Yun clung tightly to the quilt, once again dangled in mid-air, once again shouting about an earthquake, and then got out of bed with a sickly complexion.
The Cloud Crossing Sixteen Steps initially involved traversing a series of plum blossom stakes. The grandmother demonstrated the footwork, which was elegant and graceful, but when performed at speed, it was dazzling, making onlookers dizzy.
Yun Xiao climbed onto the plum blossom stake with a distressed expression. The stake was half a person high and spaced a meter apart. She trembled as she took a step, wobbling precariously on the stake before finding her balance. Then, in the darkness of the night, she flicked her robes, striking a pose of determination, "If I do not go to hell, who will?"
In the next second, a willow branch swept down from the air and struck her leg. Feeling the pain, she quickly scrambled to the next stake, thus beginning her arduous practice.
As for Liu Xing and Jing Yun, their martial arts skills were superior, making it easier to teach them the art of disguise. After the grandmother demonstrated it once, they had grasped the basics and were then instructed to practice.
She herself then began to teach Su Mo Chen the Jade Cloud Sword technique. As there was no sword, she used a willow branch as a substitute, demonstrated it once, and then gestured for him to practice.
The most unfortunate was Wan Wan, who, only at this moment, realized a crucial fact: without a qin, what was there to practice? Thus, the grandmother first taught her the foundational methods.
The night was cold yet warm. Everyone practiced under the moonlight, their figures melting into the deep shadows.
These days were both arduous and heartwarming. Moreover, as they taught them, everyone noticed that the grandmother's spirits had improved, which brought them great comfort.
As long as they could make the grandmother happy, they were willing to endure even greater hardship.
Half a month later.
Still at the hour of Yin, still the same people.
The only difference was that the crescent moon in the sky was like a bud, and its faint light was like water.
A figure on the plum blossom stakes moved lightly back and forth, their robes fluttering. The black hair on their head swayed in the wind, like swallows skimming low to the ground. The white robes flashed, bringing waves of fragrant breeze.
Suddenly, qin music sounded, slicing through the watery moonlight, leaving not beautiful melodies, but only familiar tunes.
A slender figure, holding a peach twig, leaped and darted, practicing from time to time. The moonlight, like silk, enveloped the quiet courtyard in a soft, lingering embrace.
In the morning, a rosy glow erupted from the east, casting myriad rays of light.
Birds chirped and fluttered among the branches, and the thin mist dispersed.
Everyone retracted their hands. Those who had jumped off the plum blossom stakes did so, those who had put away their qins did so, and those who had put away their branches did so. Everything was neat and orderly.
Each person's face was flushed, like peaches ripened by the wind, but a smile curved their lips as they gazed steadily at the grandmother approaching from a distance.
The grandmother appeared serene, one sleeve swaying gently in the wind, but she paid it no mind and walked directly towards them, stopping before everyone.
"Half a month has passed. I have taught you everything, and you have all made initial progress. Now is the time for each of you to cultivate wholeheartedly. Remember to be completely focused. Your final cultivation level will be your own responsibility. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grandmother."
Yun Xiao led them in their response, wiping sweat from her brow with one hand.
Having gone through these days, she found her body much lighter, but this was only the preliminary stage of the Cloud Crossing Sixteen Steps.
The grandmother had mentioned that starting tomorrow, they would add five kilograms of sandbags to their legs and train with the added weight. After a period, another five kilograms would be added. This rigorous training would not only strengthen their leg muscles, making them elastic, but also allow them to move with the lightness of swallows.
The grandmother smiled with satisfaction. Just then, two maids approached, one with a blank expression, the other with a smile as she spoke.
"Masters, it is time to eat."
Yun Xiao frowned. Maidservants and laborers were not allowed in the back courtyard. How had these two come here?
Wan Wan, standing beside her, had already exclaimed, "You two are too presumptuous! Who allowed you to come here? Go back quickly and never come here again."
The smiling maid could not help but chuckle. As she laughed, her disguise was revealed. It was Jing Yun, disguised. The other person must be Liu Xing.
She did not expect their disguise skills to be so good. However, the grandmother was not satisfied. She walked directly over, staring at them both, examining them up and down, and spoke with a challenging tone.
"Look, one's expression is too cold, the other's is too flippant. Also, your postures are too stiff, and even your voices have flaws."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xing and Jing Yun immediately lowered their heads and obediently listened to the reprimand.
Actually, Yun Xiao and Wan Wan and the others were quite impressed. They had learned the art of disguise so well in such a short time, far better than themselves. Of course, this was because they both possessed martial arts skills.
However, the grandmother was clearly not satisfied. For them, who were skilled in martial arts, such a level of skill indicated a lack of focus. Therefore, her expression became somewhat cold. Liu Xing and Jing Yun dared not speak.
"Alright, you may all disperse."
The grandmother left after speaking. As soon as she was gone, Su Mo Chen darted over like a monkey, threw an arm around Jing Yun, and exclaimed in admiration.
"My goodness, you're amazing! Look, you're exactly like those maids from the kitchen."
When Jing Yun heard his words, the discouragement he had felt moments before immediately lessened. His spirits lifted, and he showed an expression that was not unlike that of a maid. Yun Xiao walked over, tilted her head, and looked for a long time before casting a remark.
"Truly ugly," she said, then led Wan Wan away.
This completely crushed Jing Yun's confidence. He stared intently at his master's retreating back, looking as if he was about to cry, which made Su Mo Chen feel genuinely sorry for him. He hugged his brother, calling him brother, trying to comfort his heart. Finally, the man, with a face full of confusion, asked.
"Does Master mean I look ugly, or that my disguise is ugly?"
Realizing he had been tricked, Su Mo Chen's face darkened, and he kicked out, cursing as he walked away.
"Go to hell."
All his effort was in vain. He had prepared a whole list of words to comfort him, but in the end, the esteemed gentleman was merely being dramatic for his master. Su Mo Chen, filled with anger, vowed to cut ties with this fellow. Of course, he didn't say it aloud; he had already secretly severed their friendship countless times in his heart.
In the back courtyard, verdant leaves were blown down by the wind, scattering gracefully, a truly beautiful sight.
Liu Xing, with a blank expression, strode away. As he passed by Jing Yun, he also threw out a remark.
"Disgusting."
As a result, Young Master Jing Yun became someone who was shunned by people and disliked by flowers, forcing him to reflect in the back courtyard all morning. Was he that annoying? Was he that unpleasant to look at?
It was merely that his art of disguise was slightly better, and he received more attention from the grandmother. These people were simply jealous. Yes, jealous. Once he understood this, Young Master Jing Yun became overjoyed and beaming, and went off to eat.