From his past experience with Xu Ziyu, Xu Ziyan knew that children needed to be treated with respect, young as they were.
“Big Brother…” Xu Zirong hurried to the door and opened it for Xu Ziyan. Looking at the person before him, who always seemed to wear a doting smile, he felt deeply conflicted.
The appearance, voice, and habits were exactly those of the Xu Ziyan he remembered. Yet when it came to the way Xu Ziyan treated him, the person standing before him had undergone a complete, one-hundred-and-eighty-degree reversal.
Xu Ziyan had just gone to speak with Xu Xiao. When Xu Zirong returned to his room, he found the Frost Rain Sword lying on the table.
The meaning of placing the Frost Rain Sword in his room was obvious. But Xu Zirong remembered all too clearly that, in his previous life, Xu Ziyan had broken his arm merely because he touched this very sword.
What had Xu Ziyan said back then?
How dare a bastard like you touch my things? You must have a death wish!
Xu Zirong covered his face with one hand, a cold smile curling at his lips. What had he been thinking then? Right. He had simply envied Xu Ziyan for being able to cultivate and wanted to sneak a touch of that impressive-looking Frost Rain Sword.
Unfortunately, that one touch had cost him an arm, and from then on he was forbidden even to go anywhere near the training grounds.
Slowly lowering his arm, Xu Zirong gazed quietly at the Frost Rain Sword, neither joyful nor sorrowful.
He knew very well how much Xu Ziyan treasured this sword. No one would have dared deliver it to his room without Xu Ziyan’s permission.
Why would Xu Ziyan give him this sword?
And why was Xu Ziyan treating him so well??
He was nothing more than a helpless eight-year-old child. No matter how hard he thought, he could not understand Xu Ziyan’s purpose.
Did Xu Ziyan really want to be a good older brother? Was he simply treating him kindly?
He strangled the thought a second after it entered his mind. Anyone could see that was impossible!
While he was struggling with his suspicions and continually guessing at Xu Ziyan’s motives, a knock sounded at his door. Xu Zirong had no choice but to open it, his feelings still tangled beyond sorting out.
“What are you doing, Zirong?” Xu Ziyan asked with a smile, unaware that the boy was agonizing over his change of attitude.
Xu Zirong had plenty of thoughts swirling in his mind, but he instantly put on his obedient-little-brother act. “Big Brother, I was looking at the Frost Rain Sword.”
“Hmm? Do you like it, Zirong?”
“I do.” Xu Zirong bit his lower lip and smiled bashfully. “But Big Brother… isn’t the Frost Rain Sword very valuable?”
Xu Zirong was clever enough not to say that the sword was Xu Ziyan’s prized possession. He had only just arrived at the Xu household; he was not supposed to know such things.
“It’s fine. The Xu family isn’t so poor that it can’t afford a sword. As long as you like it,” Xu Ziyan said generously.
Xu Zirong was a little surprised. He had expected Xu Ziyan to emphasize how much he loved the sword, hinting that giving it away was an enormous favor. Instead, he had not mentioned that at all and had deliberately downplayed its value.
He might understand what was happening, but he certainly was not foolish enough to point it out. If Xu Ziyan did not want to mention it, he would pretend he knew nothing. His present cultivation was weak, and having the Frost Rain Sword by his side would make him safer.
Smiling shyly, he put the Frost Rain Sword away and sat obediently across from Xu Ziyan. He was certain the man had not come simply to talk about the sword.
He was right. The Frost Rain Sword did not hold much meaning for Xu Ziyan. If Xu Zirong could use it, he might as well have it. What Xu Ziyan actually wanted to discuss was cultivation.
According to the original owner’s memories, his intense hatred for Xu Zirong had naturally prevented him from ever giving the boy an opportunity to cultivate. Even after Xu Zirong quietly left the Xu family, no one knew where he had first come into contact with cultivation.
The novel had mentioned only once that the Blood Demon obtained his inheritance in a mountain valley. Naturally, Xu Ziyan reasoned that if he introduced Xu Zirong to righteous cultivation early enough, he would not need to worry about the boy learning the ways of demons and heretics.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll come with me to the training hall to cultivate,” Xu Ziyan said with a soft laugh.
Xu Zirong’s hand clenched abruptly beneath his sleeve, but he arranged his face into a look of confusion. “The training hall?”
Xu Ziyan lightly slapped his forehead. “I forgot to tell you. The training hall is where children of the Xu family learn cultivation. You’re my younger brother, so of course you’re qualified to go.” He paused, then explained, “The Xu family is a cultivation clan. You can still live without cultivating, but you’re young and don’t yet know how cruel the world outside can be. If you master a skill, you’ll be less likely to get bullied when you go out on your own.”
Xu Zirong nodded, looking somewhat excited. “I understand.”
“Good. Rest well tonight, then. I’ll come wake you early tomorrow morning.” Xu Ziyan gently stroked Xu Zirong’s head.
Xu Zirong smiled obediently and watched Xu Ziyan leave.
As soon as Xu Ziyan was gone, his face darkened and his expression shifted unpredictably.
What exactly was Xu Ziyan trying to do?
In his previous life, Xu Ziyan had been terrified that he might someday amount to something. He had not even been allowed near the training hall. Why was Xu Ziyan now offering to take him there himself?
He did not care in the slightest for the Xu family’s cultivation methods, but the training hall would provide an excellent cover for his practice of the Blood Sea Heart Scripture.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Zirong slowly suppressed the doubts in his heart. Whatever the reason, this was a good thing. Although he could not understand Xu Ziyan’s intentions, he truly was not worried about being in danger.
After all, he was an adult with many years of experience behind him. He refused to believe that he could not outwit a twelve-year-old child (not really!).
The night passed without incident…
The next morning, Xu Zirong got up very early. He waited and waited, but Xu Ziyan did not appear. As the time for training hall classes approached, he laughed coldly to himself. Was this another trick, giving him hope only to snatch it away?
What a childish scheme. If he really were an eight-year-old child, he might have reacted. Unfortunately, a powerful soul occupied his frail little body. Petty tricks like this were beneath him.
Although he thought Xu Ziyan’s ploy was pathetic, Xu Zirong decided to knock on his door. They had agreed yesterday, after all. If Xu Ziyan did not appear, surely a normal child would go looking for him.
The rooms were right next to each other. Xu Zirong had only to step outside and walk a few paces before reaching Xu Ziyan’s door.
A pretty maid stood guard outside it. Xu Zirong frowned slightly. He remembered that the maid Xu Ziyan favored most had been called Ruoqi, or something like that. This did not seem to be her.
“Young Master Zirong.” When Ruohua saw him approach, she gave a small curtsy.
It was the first time Xu Zirong had been addressed that way. His eyebrows twitched.
He displayed a very adorable smile. “Elder Sister, my brother…”
“Young Master Zirong, you honor me far too much! Please, just call me Ruohua.” Ruohua jumped in fright. What a joke! Ruoqi had been driven out yesterday for failing to arrange Young Master Zirong’s room properly. How could a lowly maid like her accept being called ‘Elder Sister’ by him? If Xu Ziyan heard it, might she not follow in Ruoqi’s footsteps?
Xu Zirong paused, then readily changed his address. “Ruohua, is Big Brother here?”
Standing with a smile, Xu Zirong calmly waited for Ruohua to tell him that Xu Ziyan had already gone to the training hall, then lecture him not to covet things he did not deserve. Instead, she said the complete opposite. “Young Master is still sleeping in his room. Would Young Master Zirong like to go in? He told us long ago that whenever you come looking for him, you may enter at any time.”
For an instant, Xu Zirong’s expression cracked. The scene he had imagined, with a servant specially instructed to humiliate him, had not happened??!!
Xu Ziyan was actually still in his room??!!
“All right, I’ll go and see Big Brother.” Shock surged in Xu Zirong’s heart like a raging sea, but his face remained modest and composed.
Ruohua gently pushed the door open and gestured for him to enter, then returned to her post.
“Big Brother?” Xu Zirong’s thoughts raced as he tried to figure out what Xu Ziyan’s behavior meant, but nothing made sense. By his reckoning, Xu Ziyan should not have been in the room at this hour. Yet there he was.
“Mmm…” An unconscious murmur came from behind the screen. Xu Zirong paused, then stepped around it.
Xu Ziyan disliked feeling restricted while he slept. So at the moment, he was fast asleep with his upper body bare, wearing only his underpants and wrapped up in a quilt.
Xu Zirong: …
Of all the things he had imagined, he had never anticipated this scene. Surely he should not be finding Xu Ziyan sound asleep and snoring away…
“Big Brother? Big Brother?” Xu Zirong felt the frustration of punching a ball of cotton. If events followed the old script, all he would have to do was smile calmly and say he did not care whether he went to the training hall, and Xu Ziyan would be furious. But now the situation was reversed. Xu Ziyan was not mocking him at all, because he was sleeping like a log!!!
“Mmm, mm…” Xu Ziyan mumbled drowsily, rolled over, and bundled himself even more tightly into the quilt.
His entire demeanor proclaimed, ‘You can beat me to death, but I’m not getting out of bed.’
Xu Zirong fell into a peculiar silence. After a long moment, he walked over and gently nudged Xu Ziyan. “Big Brother, it’s time to get up.”
Xu Ziyan rolled over in a daze, kicked the quilt aside, then burrowed his head back into it…
Xu Zirong silently pressed a hand to his forehead. He had never seen Xu Ziyan like this. The sight was almost beyond his imagination.
“Big Brother, you promised to take me to the training hall. Remember?” Xu Zirong pushed him harder.