By the time he finished speaking, Xu Ziyan was feeling rather embarrassed. He had only meant to make a little joke. He had always believed that brothers ought to tease and laugh with each other frequently. Especially with a child like Xu Zirong, who might grow up gloomy and withdrawn, a little joking could help him become more cheerful and, to some extent, keep him off the wrong path.
That had been the plan, of course. The result was rather different from what he expected. Although Xu Zirong had managed to climb up, Xu Ziyan could not help feeling upset when he remembered carrying that frail body, drenched in sweat.
=皿=
My little brother is so adorable and obedient! How could that Xu Mo be so hardhearted with him? Couldn’t he have bent the rules just a little?!
Xu Zirong smiled faintly at his words. “You don’t need to apologize, Big Brother. I made it up here, didn’t I?”
“Yes, Zirong is amazing! Most people have to wait until they’re ten before joining the training hall, but our Zirong got in at eight!” Xu Ziyan praised him generously, affectionately stroking his head.
For an eight-year-old to bear the weight meant for ten-year-olds and reach the training hall was remarkable. Even if Xu Zirong had only average aptitude, that determination would take him far.
Of course, between the original body’s memories and the novel he had read, Xu Ziyan knew that Xu Zirong would never remain an insignificant person. But he was certain that even without that damned Blood Sea Heart Scripture, his precious little brother could still make something of himself!
And without cultivating the Blood Sea Heart Scripture, Xu Zirong’s blood essence would no longer attract the bloodsucking insects. Even if another disaster involving them occurred someday, it would have nothing to do with him.
Xu Ziyan did not consider himself a savior. He felt a little guilty, but the business of luring the mother insect with one’s own blood essence was best left to someone with a truly noble spirit. Someone like that Bai Hua, for example.
He absolutely would not get involved with that… ahem, that bitch. →。→
That was a rather unpleasant way to describe Bai Hua, but it was how Xu Ziyan honestly felt. He did not know what other people thought of the man, and he had no desire to have any contact with him.
After being showered with praise, Xu Zirong blushed slightly. He scratched his head and put on a bashful expression while privately considering how many more secrets the Xu family seemed to possess than he had known in his previous life. It looked as though he would need to remain here somewhat longer.
Apart from investigating those secrets, he had begun to feel a little curious about the Xu Ziyan before him.
He wanted very much to know whether this Xu Ziyan, who always looked at him so fondly, could really keep treating him that way.
After instructing the physician to take good care of Xu Zirong, Xu Ziyan left.
Because it was Xu Zirong’s first day reaching the summit, he did not have to join that day’s training.
Xu Ziyan, on the other hand, had no such excuse. The original owner had often found ways to avoid training, but Xu Ziyan dared not. He had inherited the original owner’s memories, not his practiced skills. He could perform spells well enough to frighten someone, but if he had to fight in earnest, he would be beaten soundly.
The original Xu Ziyan had been the strongest of the family children his age. If the new Xu Ziyan did not want anyone to notice that his fighting ability had weakened, he could not afford to miss his daily training.
Many things looked simple enough from the outside. Actually doing them was an entirely different matter.
Perhaps the original Xu Ziyan had offended the sallow-faced man particularly badly, because Xu Mo spent nearly the entire day watching him train. Xu Ziyan felt so guilty under that scrutiny that he nearly thought his secret had been exposed.
In fact, Xu Mo was only puzzled. Why had Young Master Ziyan, who had always looked down on the training hall’s basic drills, suddenly decided to join them?
The Xu family placed enormous hopes on Xu Ziyan because of his talent. But the original owner hated dull, repetitive exercises and almost never appeared. When Xu Xiao discovered that his son’s cultivation improved even without those drills, he had stopped insisting.
Xu Mo watched with considerable curiosity, wondering how long the young master’s sudden enthusiasm would last. Yet as he observed him practice one basic movement after another, his opinion of Young Master Ziyan began to change.
Every movement was precise, every stance correct, without the slightest attempt to cut corners. Xu Ziyan practiced as earnestly as though he were encountering these exercises for the first time.
After watching for most of the day, Xu Mo finally turned away. His merciless booming voice promptly filled the entire training hall.
“Xu Zixing! Why is your backside sticking out so far? Looking for a kick?” A teenage boy hurriedly tucked in his hips.
“Xu Zilan! I told you to lift your chest and pull in your stomach. Your belly is practically dragging on the ground!” A chubby boy inhaled sharply and sucked in his stomach.
“Xu Ziruo! If those hairpins fall out again, I’ll shave your head bald!” A pretty young girl bit her lip and removed every pin from her hair.
And so the grounds resounded with nothing but Xu Mo’s full-throated shouting and the ragged breathing of exhausted youths.
Although Xu Mo disliked Xu Ziyan, he could find no fault with his movements. He was not the sort to cause trouble without reason, so he simply ignored him.
Nearly a hundred teenagers sweated through grueling basic drills on the mountaintop training grounds. From a little wooden hut nearby, a delicate-looking child watched them with a faint, cold smile.
So many… familiar faces…
A nearly imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of Xu Zirong’s mouth. He recognized many of the trainees from his memories. Unfortunately, none of those memories were pleasant. Seeing those familiar people stirred nothing in him but a desire to kill.
“There’s no need to be impatient. You can join them starting tomorrow. Xu Mo may shout a lot, but he’s doing it for your own good.” A gentle, pleasant voice sounded behind Xu Zirong.
He gave a cold little smile, wiped the expression from his face, then turned around with a sweet one. “Thank you, Physician Liu.”
Physician Liu was a refined-looking young man in his twenties, but his medical skills were outstanding. Otherwise, the Xu family would never have employed him specifically to care for its younger members.
For cultivators, the best way to heal an injury was naturally to take medicinal pills. But pills were expensive; using them for every bruise or scrape would be wasteful. Physician Liu therefore remained at the training hall to treat the young Xu disciples’ ordinary wounds.
He did not know who Xu Zirong was. Seeing an adorable, delicate-looking child gazing out the window, he assumed the boy envied the trainees and could not resist offering a few words of reassurance.
Xu Zirong bore Physician Liu no ill will. The man was kind and had treated his injuries in his previous life. But as a non-cultivator of modest standing, the physician’s advice had accomplished nothing. Worse, it had made Xu Ziyan turn his anger on him and drive him away.
Seeing how well-behaved Xu Zirong seemed, Physician Liu smiled softly. From somewhere, he produced several pieces of candy and pressed them into the boy’s hand.
Looking at the cheap little sweets in his palm, Xu Zirong felt an uncommon warmth. The candies were inexpensive and crudely made, but he showed no disdain. Quietly, he picked one up and put it into his mouth.
A cloying sweetness spread across his tongue, making him frown without thinking. After becoming the Blood Demon, he had enjoyed only the finest food, clothing, and comforts. Candy of such poor quality was a novel experience.
He swallowed it silently, feeling a little wistful. He vaguely remembered how delighted he would have been to receive a sweet like this as a child. Now, tasting the same thing again, he could no longer find the flavor he remembered.
He smiled at himself with bitter amusement. Everyone was greedy, it seemed. Once a person had tasted something better, the things they once enjoyed could no longer satisfy them.
Even so, Xu Zirong carefully wrapped the remaining candies and put them away. Their taste did not matter. Keeping them was simply his way of remembering his former self.
Finding the boy rather quiet, Physician Liu handed him a medical book. When he saw Xu Zirong’s surprised expression, he felt awkward. He had only wanted to give the boy something to pass the time; he had forgotten that an eight-year-old would hardly enjoy a dry medical text.
He was about to take the book back, but Xu Zirong accepted it of his own accord and smiled. “Thank you, Physician Liu. I have nothing else to do right now.”
Physician Liu thought the child was wonderfully well-behaved. He stroked the boy’s head affectionately, then returned to studying the properties of his various herbs.
Once the physician left, Xu Zirong’s face became expressionless again. A medical book owned by Physician Liu could only be an ordinary text, and with Xu Zirong’s knowledge of cultivation, it would be utterly useless to him. He had accepted it merely to spare the physician embarrassment. There was no chance he would actually spend time reading it.
He would be better off cultivating. He was already very close to breaking through to the first level of Qi Refining.
The morning’s training soon ended, and as soon as Xu Ziyan was released, he hurried to the room where Xu Zirong was resting.
“Big Brother.” The fair-skinned boy was holding a medical book, apparently reading it intently. When he saw Xu Ziyan enter, he offered him a sweet smile.