Chapter 110: People Will Get Hungry If They Don’t Eat

The last day.

In the afternoon.

The tranquil atmosphere inside the room seemed ignited by the sunlight, becoming noisy in the hazy light, rising and falling in the overlapping shadows.

Wu Yingxue was about to leave. Having fully recovered from her injuries, she was ready to uncover the truth.

Thus, she was packing her belongings.

Though she called it packing, there wasn’t much to take.

Her possessions were few, after all, her fall into Xu Xi’s house had been an accident.

“Nothing left?”

After a flurry of activity, the girl wrapped her long spear in a disguise, making it less conspicuous. She stood still, looking at the empty room, momentarily dazed.

The cicadas’ cries were nearing their end.

The scorching sun cast sharp shadows.

The 16-year-old girl stood in the room she had lived in for nearly two months.

Suddenly, she felt a strong sense of disconnection, as if a lifetime had passed.

Her past 16 years had been filled with what others would call excitement, a luxury ordinary people could only dream of. But after living in Qingniu Town for two months, Wu Yingxue felt as though that life was long gone.

It didn’t feel like two months, but more like a year, or even longer.

“Strangely, I feel a bit reluctant to leave…”

The girl murmured to herself, then closed the doors and windows. When she opened them again, her outfit had changed.

Her original red and white robes were too conspicuous. If she wore them back, she was sure her whereabouts would soon be discovered by the government officials.

Therefore.

She had specifically asked Xu Xi to find her some clothes.

For her disguise.

“Now, all that’s left is time,” Wu Yingxue, now in her new outfit, glanced sideways at the blazing sun outside the window.

Wu Yingxue planned to leave at night. The dark and shadowy environment would be more conducive to her movements, greatly reducing the chance of being seen by the townsfolk.

At the same time, it would also conceal the fact that she had come from Xu Xi’s home.

However.

There was still a short while before the sun set and the night fully enveloped the sky.

What should she do to pass this boring time?

The girl didn’t know.

Carrying her long spear and a small bundle, she pushed open the wooden door of the room one last time, stepping lightly over the old, time-worn threshold.

“Hu—!”

“Hu—!”

Outside the door was the open training area in the courtyard.

Xu Xi, as usual, stood under the scorching sun, ignoring the heat and cold, the weather, practicing his punches day after day.

Sweat dripped, the force of his punches fierce.

Each punch, each surge of energy, made the air blur and distort, like the vigorous beating of a heart.

“Sir’s fist technique has become even more profound…”

Wu Yingxue thought to herself.

A look of confusion flashed across her small face.

During this time, she had been learning from Xu Xi, but for some reason, the gap between them kept growing.

It was a strange growth, neither scientific nor martial.

It was as if Xu Xi was the protagonist of a novel.

As soon as he started practicing martial arts, his level would skyrocket.

“How could that be possible?” Wu Yingxue laughed at her own thoughts.

She temporarily set down her spear and bundle, sitting on the threshold of the room. The blazing sunlight was just blocked by the eaves, providing a cool spot for the girl.

The young princess, unsure how to pass the time, made the same choice she had during her recovery.

Watching Xu Xi practice martial arts.

Green bricks and red tiles, upturned eaves, with some unknown deep green plants climbing the walls, creating an incredibly peaceful atmosphere during the transition from summer to autumn.

The 16-year-old girl just watched, quietly observing Xu Xi’s punches, gazing at the dark mountains in the distance.

It was an indescribable emptiness.

Completely forgetting the passage of time.

After a long while, the scorching sun began to wane, the sky no longer so bright. The girl finally couldn’t help but voice the confusion in her heart.

If she didn’t ask now, she might not get another chance after leaving Qingniu Town.

“Sir, don’t you ever get tired practicing like this every day? I’ve never seen you take a break or rest.”

Facing Wu Yingxue’s question.

Xu Xi paused slightly, looked up at the setting sun, and slowly retracted his stance.

His answer was straightforward: “Of course I get tired.”

“Huh?”

The overly straightforward answer seemed to greatly surprise the girl, her face showing a look of astonishment.

She had thought that someone as diligent and hardworking as Xu Xi would give a classic answer like “No pain, no gain” or “Perseverance is everything.”

However.

Xu Xi’s answer overturned Wu Yingxue’s expectations.

He stood there, constantly adjusting his surging energy, his breath resonating with his heart, slowly completing the cycle of energy, answering the girl:

“People get hungry if they don’t eat.”

“People get thirsty if they don’t drink.”

“People get cold if they don’t wear clothes.”

“Similarly, I get tired from practicing every day, and I also feel the hardship and torment.”

“No one is perfect, without flaws or mistakes, fearless of toil and fatigue. Such a person doesn’t exist, at least not me.”

He finished his practice.

Calmed down.

Took a deep breath.

Xu Xi, having regulated his energy, turned to look at Wu Yingxue sitting on the threshold.

He never thought of himself as a saint, nor did he feel the need to boast about anything.

From beginning to end, Xu Xi considered himself an ordinary person, just a bit luckier, able to rely on the support of his sister, disciples, and teachers.

But Xu Xi’s demeanor, Xu Xi’s words.

Left Wu Yingxue in prolonged silence.

The setting sun’s light exhausted its last strength, slowly sinking below the distant horizon, the junction rippling with golden waves, mirroring the bitter turmoil in the girl’s heart.

She felt that compared to Xu Xi, her previous thoughts were too naive and simplistic.

So much so that they were almost unbearable to recall.

She had grown up in the prince’s mansion, named Yingxue by Prince Dingyuan, hoping the girl would be as gentle and beautiful as soft snow.

But things often don’t go as planned.

The girl’s personality was the opposite of her name, fiery and passionate. From a young age, she disliked needlework, preferring martial arts and chivalric tales, dreaming of becoming a heroine or a female general who protected the nation and its people.

The peaceful life in the Imperial Capital.

The many conveniences of being a princess.

A carefree childhood.

Under the influence of these factors, Wu Yingxue’s understanding of the world was shallow, merely dividing it into humans and demons.

She thought the Great Qian Dynasty was good, protecting all humans.

She thought demons were bad, the Ten Thousand Mountains threatening people’s lives.

She dreamed of becoming the heroine from the tales, cutting through the Ten Thousand Mountains with a single sword, saving the people from suffering.

But all this…

“Was one-sided and ignorant.”

After the sunset, the moon rose.

The bright moonlight spilled over the land. Wu Yingxue stood up from the threshold, once again shouldering her long spear and picking up her bundle.

“If it weren’t for this attack, if it weren’t for your teachings, perhaps I would never have discovered the truth.”

“Thank you.”