“Even if you say that, isn’t this just too much!” I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, barely able to speak.
That wretched old man said he would turn into a ghost—he really wasn’t just trying to scare us! He was dead serious!
A whole hour! An entire hour! Not a single break, running nonstop through these rugged, treacherous Deep Mountains. If this were modern times, wouldn’t this be considered child abuse!?
Halfway through, Bing Qiao pushed herself too hard, fell onto the path, and couldn’t move. I wanted to stop and take care of her, but Bing Qiao stubbornly refused, and the old man only let Leng Yu stay behind to help, urging me to keep training.
I wanted to complain about how heartless the old man was, but he said to me, very seriously, “If you stay, she’ll just feel even more guilty. Don’t let down her intentions.”
Another thing that amazed me was that Zhao Yun, who looked so delicate and seemed like she should have a weak constitution, actually managed to persevere. Though at this moment, she was also lying limply on the ground, breathing heavily.
The old man had run with us the whole way, but his face wasn’t red and he wasn’t even out of breath. Now he stood before us, looking at us with satisfaction. “Hmph, as expected of the children I’ve chosen. You actually managed to hold on.”
“So basically, you set a training regimen for us from the very start that’s way beyond what we could normally handle, didn’t you? You bastard old man.”
“Hmph… Only by enduring the hardest hardships can one rise above others. If you don’t do extraordinary things, how can you have extraordinary abilities?” the old man said sternly, then tapped my head with the butt of his spear. “And another thing, call me Master!!”
“Fine, old man… Ow, that hurts!”
I got smacked.
Just then, Leng Yu returned as well, supporting the nearly unconscious Bing Qiao. Mistress cried out in alarm and rushed over.
“Young Master, Nuguan is useless…” Bing Qiao collapsed weakly into Mistress’s arms, barely managing to open her eyes and look at me. Her white hair, damp with sweat and clinging to her face, made her look even more haggard.
“…” I didn’t say anything, just stared at Bing Qiao. She thought I was blaming her and lowered her head in shame. I sighed—not because of her supposed incompetence, but because I felt helpless about her self-sacrificing nature.
“It’s not too late to regret now. The hardships to come will only be tougher than today.”
“Nuguan does not fear hardship, as long as I can follow behind Young Master…” Even though her mind was fading and her weak body cried out in pain, she still struggled to stand in Mistress’s arms.
Leng Yu at my side said nothing, her expression as blank as ever, but the look in her eyes was just as determined as Bing Qiao’s.
These two girls really are fools.
“Alright, rest for a bit, then continue!”
Old man, can’t you show a little humanity?
Day after day, the old man only made us train our bodies. In the blink of an eye, nearly half a year had passed, and he still hadn’t let us touch any weapons.
Today, the old man led us through training until noon. He glanced at me and Zhao Yun, both of us panting, and at Bing Qiao and Leng Yu, who were slumped on the ground, and muttered softly.
“Is it about time?”
“It’s already noon! Lunch is ready, come and eat.” Just as I was about to ask what he meant, Mistress appeared beside us with a cheerful smile, scooping up Bing Qiao and Leng Yu in her arms. “Let’s go, Qiao’er, Yu’er.”
“Uu…” Leng Yu wanted to resist, but she really couldn’t refuse Mistress’s innocent face. All she could do was let out a weak whimper to show her displeasure. But that just made Mistress’s desire—cough, I mean, her affection—grow even stronger.
“Ahhh—so cute! Come, give Mistress a kiss.”
“No…” Leng Yu protested strongly.
“Eh? Then Mistress will kiss you instead. Mwah~”
“Uu…”
Why does Mistress give off such a weird uncle vibe? Before she turns her sights on me, I’d better get out of here…
“Sigh.”
Just as I was planning my escape, I suddenly heard a sigh. Turning my head, I saw the old man standing off to the side, staring blankly up at the sky.
“Hey, old man, why the sudden sigh? That’s not like you.”
My words snapped him out of his daze. The old man glanced at me, then looked back at the sky. “Call me Master.”
“Alright, old man.”
“… ” The old man didn’t seem in the mood to scold me anymore, so he just ignored me.
“Speaking of which…” Sensing this was a rare chance to be alone with the old man, I finally asked the question I’d always wanted to ask. “Why do you always leave Mistress alone in the Deep Mountains to roam the world by yourself? Aren’t you worried about her?”
“I am.” Without hesitation, the old man answered. Then, realizing he had spoken so frankly, he coughed a few times and scolded, “Why are you asking about these things?”
I ignored his scolding and pressed on. “Mistress once said that a big part of the reason you travel is for her sake.”
“She said that to you?” The old man turned, looking at me with suspicion.
I nodded.
“Not just that. I also noticed Mistress really likes children.” She loves children, but doesn’t have any of her own… That was the rest of what I wanted to say, but I knew I didn’t need to spell it out—the old man would understand.
“… ” The old man froze for a moment, then looked at me strangely, as if seeing something bizarre. “Are you really only seven years old?”
“As you can see.” I shrugged.
“For a seven-year-old, you’re awfully perceptive.” The old man shook his head and sighed. “This is where I’ve let your Mistress down. I can’t even fulfill her simple wish of having a child of her own.”
“Old man, is there something wrong with you as a man?”
Thud.
I flopped to the ground, cursing the old man. Sure, I was a bit blunt, but did he have to hit me so hard?
“Th-that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, you could go see a Langzhong and figure something out…”
“Are you really only seven!? What kind of things are you thinking about!?” The old man rolled up his sleeves and punched me again, yelling at me.
Here I was, trying to comfort you! Hmph!
“It’s not what you think.” Seeing me sulking on the ground, the old man sighed helplessly.
After a long silence, he turned to look at Mistress, who was playing with the children, his expression complicated, and murmured, “I just couldn’t protect her.”
The old man truly dotes on Mistress. Even when he’s exasperated by her childlike antics, he still shows a smile that’s half helpless, half loving.
But I’ve seen it before. Every time Mistress plays with us and smiles happily, the old man stands to the side, quietly watching her with a smile. But in his eyes, there’s always a trace of guilt.
I thought for a while, then tentatively asked, “Is the reason Mistress, who was born a Noble, lives here in the Deep Mountains because of this?”
“… That’s right.”
I see. So the reason for the sudden, almost hasty acceptance of disciples was probably because he considered Mistress’s fondness for children.
In fact, our arrival really did make Mistress very happy.
I didn’t want to say any more on this topic, sensing that the old man didn’t want to dwell on it either, so I let the matter drop.
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