Chapter 30: The Cultivation Maniac, Old Man Xiao

As time passed, Ling Sisi’s speed began to pick up. For every one attack she launched, Xiao Yifeng could unleash two or three. Even so, her small face was flushed with excitement.

Xiao Yifeng watched her with a critical eye. Her lack of proficiency was almost baffling. He couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Sister Ling, does Rufeng Hall not prioritize combat drills?”

“Uh, we do practice Daoist techniques at Rufeng Hall,” Ling Sisi stammered, “but the focus is mainly on meditative cultivation. And I… I am relatively weak. Every time I spar with my Senior Brothers and Sisters, I get defeated in two or three moves… Last time we were on duty, they looked after me and didn’t let me fight much, so…”

Ling Sisi’s pretty face turned a deeper shade of red, her voice trailing off in embarrassment.

“So, you became afraid to spar, which meant you got even less practice, becoming even more unfamiliar with combat?” Xiao Yifeng deduced the cycle in seconds.

“Mmm…” Ling Sisi nodded, looking down.

“What other techniques do you know? These Demon Beasts pose no real threat to me. I’ll take the vanguard and draw their aggression. You treat them as live targets! Use this chance to familiarize yourself with your arts.”

Xiao Yifeng knew that if Ling Sisi continued at her current pace, it would hinder their efficiency. He offered the solution pragmatically.

“How… how can I do that?” Ling Sisi asked, stunned.

“It’s fine. They can’t break through my Sword Qi perimeter anyway. Cast every technique you know. It will benefit us later when we have to clear the herds efficiently.”

Hearing his confidence, Ling Sisi didn’t argue further.

Xiao Yifeng took the lead, ramping up the speed of his Sword Qi by several notches. The sudden burst of violence surprised Ling Sisi again, but she silently began to channel her own techniques.

From behind him, water blades and beams of Sword Qi began to fly. With Xiao Yifeng acting as her shield, Ling Sisi lost her fear and began to let loose. Some of her techniques required lengthy incantations or complex hand seals, leaving her vulnerable, but Xiao Yifeng covered her perfectly.

At first, her movements were clumsy and disjointed. But gradually, her casting speed grew faster.

However, accuracy remained an issue. Her powerful blade techniques often killed only a single Green-Eyed Swimming Fish, or worse, she would lose control of the trajectory and miss the target entirely.

Xiao Yifeng had no choice but to offer hands-on guidance while fighting. Fortunately, her issue was a lack of muscle memory, not a lack of intelligence. If she had been stupid on top of clumsy, Xiao Yifeng might have actually gotten a headache.

After several rounds of intense bombardment, Xiao Yifeng noticed that while her eyes were still bright with excitement, her face had gone pale. Knowing her spiritual power was running on fumes, he instructed her to take out her jade bottle and collect the inner cores scattered across the riverbed.

Fighting while retreating, they eventually pulled back outside the barrier.

“Senior Brother Xiao, I’m sorry. I held you back. If it weren’t for me, you could have…” Ling Sisi looked at him with profound guilt.

Xiao Yifeng waved his hand, cutting her off with a smile. “Your improvement is already obvious. Give it a few days, and you’ll be able to hold your own. We all start somewhere. Now, hurry up and meditate to recover your Qi.”

“Mmm.” Ling Sisi looked at him with gratitude, sat down cross-legged, and began to regulate her breathing.

Xiao Yifeng smiled wryly. Ling Sisi’s personality was too soft; such a temperament was a disadvantage on the path of cultivation. But that was her problem to solve, not his. He sat down silently and began his own recovery cycle.

Once restored, they dove back in for another round, repeating the process.

The entire morning passed in a blur of blood and water. By a rough estimate, they had killed about 300 beasts. The vast majority had fallen to Xiao Yifeng’s blade. Yet, looking into the dark currents, the swarm of Demon Beasts seemed endless. The sheer scale of it made their scalps tingle.

As the agreed-upon time approached, Xiao Yifeng signaled Ling Sisi. They exited the undercurrent and flew toward the rendezvous point.

When they arrived, Tang Pei, Li Lifang, Lin Mi, and Zhu Ming were already waiting.

Seeing them return, Lin Mi walked up with a smile, chatting and laughing with Ling Sisi.

Tang Pei greeted them and asked, “Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Sister Ling, glad you’re back. I hope everything went smoothly? How was the harvest?”

“It went well. Everything was smooth. Here are the inner cores we collected.” Xiao Yifeng produced his jade bottle. Ling Sisi hurriedly stepped forward to hand hers over as well.

Tang Pei took the bottles, marked them with a spiritual seal, and smiled broadly. “Not bad, not bad at all. You each have over one hundred and seventy cores. That speed is impressive. Especially you, Junior Sister Ling—you’ve improved! Keep up the good work.”

Ling Sisi blushed at the praise. She hummed a soft acknowledgement, stole a glance at Xiao Yifeng, and gave him a beaming smile.

On their way back, Xiao Yifeng had insisted on splitting the loot evenly, even though Ling Sisi had merely collected the cores from the beasts he slew. He argued that as partners, a fifty-fifty split was only natural. It made Ling Sisi extremely embarrassed, but she accepted it.

This interaction did not go unnoticed.

Lin Mi gave the pair a meaningful look. Li Lifang, however, let out a cold snort, his face twisted in displeasure.

“Alright, since everyone has returned safely, let’s head back to the sect,” Tang Pei announced. “I will go to the Enforcement Hall myself to submit the task. Tomorrow morning, we will gather here directly to save time. Dismissed!”

Tang Pei stored the labeled bottles and took the lead, departing via Sword Riding.

Li Lifang shot Xiao Yifeng a hateful glare before flying off without a backward glance. The others exchanged farewells and dispersed.

Xiao Yifeng flew back to Wuya Hall alone. It happened to be lunchtime, so he headed to the dining hall to eat with Su Qianyi and his family.

During the meal, Lin Ziyun and Su Miaoqing were full of curiosity about his life in the Enforcement Team.

Lin Ziyun, acting the concerned mother, asked repeatedly if Xiao Yifeng was being bullied. Xiao Yifeng, adhering to the principle of reporting good news but hiding the bad, assured her everything was fine.

Su Miaoqing was only interested in excitement. When she learned the job consisted solely of grinding low-level Demon Beasts, her interest evaporated instantly.

The surprise came from Su Qianyi. The usually stern master said calmly, “If anyone dares to bully you, come back and get your Senior Brothers. We will go and settle the score. Do not let Wuya Hall lose face.”

The comment made Xiao Yifeng feel both flattered and apprehensive.

After lunch, Xiao Yifeng instinctively moved to attend his afternoon classes, only to remember they had been canceled. He now possessed far more free time for cultivation. Without pausing to rest, he turned around and headed straight for the Huixing Small Courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Xiao Yue was tending to the flowerbeds. She had always loved plants and spent her leisure time gardening.

Seeing someone enter unexpectedly, she jumped. When she realized it was just Xiao Yifeng, she relaxed.

“Old Man Xiao, why are you back so early today?” Xiao Yue put down her tools and walked over to greet him.

Five years had passed. Her cultivation had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining, and her appearance had blossomed. Cultivators aged slowly, especially women who cared for their appearance. She looked no older than twenty, her figure graceful and her beauty striking. “Old Man Xiao” was the playful nickname she used to tease him for his overly serious demeanor.

“Sister Xiao Yue, starting today, I don’t need to attend classes anymore,” Xiao Yifeng explained with a smile. “I’ve joined the Enforcement Team, so I’ll likely be back around this time every day. Just carry on as usual and focus on your cultivation. Don’t mind me.”

“You’re not going to lock yourself upstairs and bury your head in cultivation again, are you?” Xiao Yue rubbed her forehead, looking helpless. After years of living together, she was no longer as reserved as she had been in the beginning. “How old are you? Do you have no childlike innocence at all?”

“Diligence compensates for clumsiness,” Xiao Yifeng replied, rolling his eyes. “The slow bird must start flying early. You know my aptitude isn’t good.”

“Alright, alright, you cultivation maniac!” Xiao Yue sighed. “Old Man Xiao, you are so young yet so lifeless. Be careful, or no girl will ever like you in the future.”

“That’s none of your business. Worry about yourself first. Call me for dinner!”

Xiao Yifeng couldn’t be bothered to bicker. He brushed past her and went straight upstairs.

Xiao Yue watched him rush off, eager to meditate. She made a face at his retreating back and muttered under her breath.

In her heart, however, she was impressed. Xiao Yifeng was obsessed. Aside from eating, sleeping, and attending class, he did nothing but cultivate. His demeanor was heavy and serious—lifeless, as she called it—which was why she teased him. She wanted to provoke a reaction, but he simply ignored it.