Hitting a child on a rainy day

After lunch, a gentle rain began to descend.

The two Venerables, citing ‘midday cultivation’—their noon practice—as the reason, suspended their guidance.

The disheartened disciples could only disperse, their spirits visibly dampened.

Yet, Shangguan Xue stealthily slipped away.

Even when the Old Dean spotted her along the path, he made no move to intervene.

‘In his mind, my identity is likely Qingmei’s daughter,’ she mused. ‘I’m simply visiting my mother; who would dare to interfere?’

With a soft chuckle, Shangguan Xue bypassed knocking entirely, stepping directly inside.

There, she found Ziyan nestled on Beigong Qingmei’s lap, her head resting languidly upon Qingmei’s shoulder.

Beigong Qingmei, dressed in her usual martial attire, had her left arm gently encircling the white-robed Ziyan, while her right hand held a book open.

“This scene is rather pleasant to behold,” she commented aloud. “A pity, then, that both women happen to be my ex-girlfriends, which makes it all seem rather peculiar.”

Shangguan Xue found herself unable to resist voicing her thoughts.

“Could you not have knocked first?” Beigong Qingmei asked, her eyes briefly flicking up to Shangguan Xue. “Come closer.”

“What exactly brought the two of you here?” Shangguan Xue inquired as she approached them. “Was it merely to distribute some medicine to the disciples?”

Beigong Qingmei seized Shangguan Xue’s hand, produced a discipline ruler from seemingly nowhere, and sharply brought it down across her palm.

“Hiss…” Shangguan Xue gasped, a sharp intake of breath betraying the sting of the blow.

“Huangfu Shun declared that if I didn’t get something done, they would leap from the building,” Ziyan recounted listlessly. “So, I simply sought out tasks that weren’t too bothersome…”

Beigong Qingmei offered no reply, her focus entirely on chastising the youthful Martial Saint with the discipline ruler.

With a pained grimace, Shangguan Xue turned to Ziyan and asked:

“They threatened you by jumping from a building? As a Great Perfection of the Creation Realm, they wouldn’t even die if they plunged from a cliff!”

“The jumping was merely a threat; they intend to resign,” Ziyan lamented, her face drawn with sorrow. “All the miscellaneous duties fall to them, the Vice-Lord of the Pavilion. If they were to resign…”

“I understand now,” Shangguan Xue interjected, “If they resign, you’ll no longer be able to shirk your responsibilities.” She drew back her hand, now visibly reddened, and turned to Beigong Qingmei. “Qingmei, why did you strike me?”

“Who told you not to knock?” Beigong Qingmei retorted, putting away the discipline ruler. “Children who lack manners invariably require some instruction, wouldn’t you agree?”

“But why specifically my palm…?” Shangguan Xue questioned, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Because that is precisely how my own mother disciplined me in the past.”

‘Those who were struck as children often grow up to strike their own,’ she thought, rolling her eyes. “So, what is your purpose in coming here?”

“To observe the promising younger generation and refine the spirit formations of the Grand Spirit Academy.” Beigong Qingmei’s stated reason was, at the very least, more credible than Ziyan’s.

“Is that all?” Shangguan Xue’s expression clearly conveyed, ‘You little fibber, I wouldn’t believe you if you swore on your life!’ She had, after all, been thoroughly misled by Beigong Qingmei numerous times during her younger days.

Shangguan Xue surmised that Qingmei, likely due to a childhood spent vying for attention, presented a facade of serene indifference while her mind teemed with intricate calculations.

“Honestly, that is truly all there is to it,” Beigong Qingmei insisted, a wry, almost pained smile gracing her lips.

“…I suppose I’ll trust you this one time?” Shangguan Xue conceded, though a hint of skepticism lingered in her tone.

“Ah, yes, actually, there are indeed other matters,” Beigong Qingmei stated, as if something had just spontaneously occurred to her.

‘Ha! I knew it all along!’

Shangguan Xue was far from convinced that Beigong Qingmei had only just recalled this.

Ziyan, too, feigned a sudden realization. “Oh, yes, that’s right! We came here because we wished to assist you with your cultivation…”

“Help me?” Shangguan Xue’s immediate intuition screamed at her to flee. “How exactly do you intend to help?”

“Through practical combat, naturally.”

The expressions on both their faces practically screamed ‘it goes without saying.’

“You two simply want to beat me!” The Martial Saint, having arrived at this bleak conclusion, sighed heavily, then deliberately flexed her wrists. “Alright, then, come on.”

“One shouldn’t phrase it quite like that,” Beigong Qingmei countered, her words imbued with a veneer of righteousness. “True growth necessitates experiencing combat, yet the younger generation is hardly your match.”

‘If you insist on framing it that way, then there is some logic to it,’ she conceded internally. ‘However, I remain convinced that you both simply wish to pummel me.’

‘Still, the Body Forging Spirit Mark can undeniably be strengthened through enduring a beating.’

Shangguan Xue inwardly grumbled about the two women standing before her:

“Who will begin?”

Ziyan gracefully rose from Beigong Qingmei’s embrace.

“Rest assured,” Ziyan promised, “I will hold back my strength.”

Shangguan Xue silently channeled all her spiritual energy, pushing both the “Jade Body” and “Purple Qi from the East” techniques to their absolute limits before charging forward.

A mere three seconds later, she lay sprawled on the ground, bruised and swollen, only to be instantly and miraculously healed.

“Let’s continue,” Ziyan suggested, a sly, almost wicked smile playing on her lips.

Shangguan Xue once more galvanized her spiritual energy, hurtling towards Ziyan. Predictably, she was soon knocked down again, her face bruised and swollen.

“Hmph…” With a small, contented sigh, Ziyan sat down beside them, ceding her place to Beigong Qingmei.

Consequently, the unfortunate Shangguan Xue found herself pinned to the ground, subjected to a grinding pressure by an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy.

“Why did you two suddenly decide to beat me…?” Shangguan Xue groaned.

Shangguan Xue questioned them even as she endured the beating, simultaneously diverting a fraction of her attention to leverage the pressure Beigong Qingmei exerted, using it to temper her own body.

“I’ve wanted to beat you for a considerable time, but I’ve simply been too occupied,” Beigong Qingmei replied candidly. “As we were already destined for Grand Spirit Academy, I merely thought it convenient to give you a good thrashing along the way.” With that, she withdrew the spiritual energy that had been pinning Shangguan Xue.

‘Beating children on a rainy day, because you’re idle anyway, right…?’ The Martial Saint muttered under her breath, slowly rising from the ground.

“Did I not merely break up with you both, then fail to seek you out for years, only remembering your existence when I encountered trouble… Is all this truly necessary?”

“Sister Xue,” Beigong Qingmei interjected, utterly speechless as she sat beside Ziyan, “would you care to listen to the words that just left your mouth?”

“Sister Shangguan,” Ziyan called out, beckoning with a hand, “I found beating you just now rather exhausting. Would you mind giving me a shoulder rub?”

“You beat me, and *you’re* tired from it? And now you expect *me* to give you a shoulder massage?” Shangguan Xue’s eyes widened in utter disbelief, her voice brimming with incredulity.

‘While uttering such protests, must you really docilely walk over and give her a massage…?’ Beigong Qingmei’s silent exasperation persisted.

“Such a good girl,” Ziyan praised, patting Shangguan Xue’s head with evident satisfaction.

“Do you two intend to visit other academies as well?” Shangguan Xue inquired casually, her hands still diligently at work.

“There are six more academies on our itinerary,” Beigong Qingmei finally offered, breaking her silence. “We will merely make an appearance there; we won’t be offering any further guidance to the disciples.”

Squinting her eyes in pure comfort, Ziyan chimed in, “The elixirs for the other academies are being handled by someone else.”

“I see,” Shangguan Xue responded.

“Your technique is quite good,” Ziyan complimented, then produced a small porcelain vial and pressed it into Shangguan Xue’s hand. “Consider this your reward.”

“So you were actually here to deliver something to me,” Shangguan Xue observed, her thoughts clearly conveying, ‘Why couldn’t you have just stated that upfront?’

“This is the newly refined Nine-Flower Marrow Burning Dew, highly beneficial for the Body Forging Spirit Mark,” Ziyan explained, completely disregarding Shangguan Xue’s comment and focusing solely on the elixir’s properties. “However, it induces extreme pain; failure to endure it will result in your body’s explosion.”

“You’ve worked hard, Ziyan,” Shangguan Xue said genuinely.

Shangguan Xue, unfazed by the potential side effects, offered sincere thanks before accepting the porcelain vial.

With a fluid motion, she rolled over, settling onto Ziyan’s lap, then casually extended her feet to rest upon Beigong Qingmei’s.

“It seems you’re eager for another beating…” Beigong Qingmei’s lips twitched, yet she refrained from actually striking her.