Yunli wasn't pleased, but she knew other people truly couldn't hear a sword's voice. She decided not to argue and raised the greatsword, which was as broad as a door, before settling into a defensive stance.
"Yunli of the Zhuming. Please instruct me."
"All right, all right. I don't even know how old you are, but you're somehow more impatient than I am. Come on. We'll fight in the courtyard."
Quite a few people had come from the Xianzhou, and The Family had treated them well. They'd been given a luxurious villa to stay in, complete with a courtyard large enough for a practice match.
Tingyun hadn't even had the chance to greet Sylvia before the two of them started heading outside to fight. She could only give Sylvia a meaningful look before answering her earlier question.
"Miss Yunli is still quite young. She should be around the same age as you, Benefactor."
"You're that young?"
That age wouldn't have been considered old even among ordinary people. Among the Xianzhou's long-life species, who could easily live for centuries, it was downright tiny.
"What's wrong with my age? Don't underestimate me!"
Yunli bared her teeth at Sylvia, making her laugh again. The girl was rather cute, with round cheeks that looked perfect for pinching.
As that thought crossed Sylvia's mind, flames rose around her body. Armor replaced her everyday clothes piece by piece, and her loose hair drew itself into a neat tie. A crimson greatsword was then born from the fire.
Clang—
Once she stepped outside, Sylvia held the sword in one hand, gave it an easy swing, and drove its point into the stone floor.
Those two casual movements were enough to make Yunli realize that there was something unusual about her.
Sylvia's sword couldn't have been as heavy as Old Mettle, but it was still far too heavy for anyone to wave around one-handed as though it were a toy.
"Watch yourself!"
Yunli considered herself the challenger, so she took the initiative. She dragged Old Mettle behind her, charged forward, and used her momentum to swing the massive blade at Sylvia.
Sylvia didn't dodge the first attack. She raised her own sword and cut diagonally toward the huge black blade.
Boom!
Instead of the clear ring of colliding steel, the impact sounded like a hammer smashing into the ground. Sylvia twisted her waist and stepped back, letting her arm follow the force as she swept her blade aside and shed the weight behind Yunli's strike.
Yunli spun in a full circle with Old Mettle, using the greatsword's momentum to steady herself.
'She's strong.'
That clash had given Sylvia a clear sense of Yunli's raw power. The blow had been heavy, and so was the sword itself. Had Sylvia faced that strength when she'd first arrived on the Xianzhou, she might not have been able to handle it.
Yunli stared at Sylvia, who'd regained her footing after taking only one step back. Her surprise only strengthened her belief that she'd chosen the right person.
Sylvia was truly strong.
"Again!"
Yunli became far more focused this time. She dragged Old Mettle around Sylvia, took several running steps, then flipped through the air and brought the greatsword down toward Sylvia's head. Her movements were much faster than before.
Sylvia had no intention of meeting this attack head-on. She stepped sideways while swinging her own sword, striking Old Mettle from the flank.
The tremendous force altered the heavy blade's momentum and sent it veering off course.
"Whoa!"
Yunli cried out as the twisting sword dragged her off balance. She began falling to the side and quickly released the hilt, rolling across the ground to recover. Old Mettle crashed beside the path.
Sylvia wasn't surprised. A greatsword had overwhelming power and weight, but if that weight couldn't suppress the opponent, a fighting style that let the swordsman follow the weapon's momentum became a huge weakness.
Once Yunli committed to a swing, it was hard for her to change her move. When something unexpected happened, she even had to release the sword to keep herself from being dragged down with it.
--+--
Watching from inside the villa, Mei smiled faintly. Yunli reminded her of Sylvia when she'd first started learning the sword.
Sylvia's style had been similar back then. Her control over her weapon had been average at best, and while her sword wasn't as heavy as Yunli's, she'd had the misfortune of training against Mei.
That only made Sylvia's flaws stand out more.
Under such relentless pressure, Sylvia had been forced to wield a greatsword as though it were a swift blade.
Whenever she moved even a little too slowly, the sword would be knocked from her hands and Mei's scabbard would strike one of her vital points.
Looking at Yunli, Sylvia remembered those painful days as well.
'I really was forced to improve.'
Anyone trained like that by an Emanator who'd practiced the blade for who knew how many Amber Eras would make rapid progress. Mei had only become busier recently. Otherwise, Sylvia would probably still be getting beaten around during training.
--+--
Yunli crouched beside Old Mettle and gripped its hilt again. She watched Sylvia carefully, seeming to consider her next move.
Inside the villa, a tiny old man noticed the commotion and emerged from one of the inner rooms.
"Oh?"
The first person Huaiyan noticed was Acheron, seated beside Bailu. Then he glanced through the window and saw Yunli hurling Old Mettle at Sylvia.
"Heh..."
Huaiyan shook his head with a smile. That troublesome child hadn't even told him guests had arrived before running off to bother them.
A single glance was enough for him to see that Sylvia was no ordinary fighter. Her match with Yunli was little more than an adult playing with a child.
Mei seemed to sense something and turned around. The instant she saw Huaiyan, a trace of surprise crossed her face.
When Huaiyan noticed Acheron looking at him, he walked over with a genial smile.
"Miss Acheron, I'm Huaiyan. Please accept my apology on behalf of my unruly granddaughter."
"There's no need to apologize, Mr. Huaiyan. Your granddaughter is very talented. To possess such skill at her age gives her a promising future."
Mei wasn't offering empty praise. Yunli was only around ten, yet she'd already reached an impressive level. Like the young boy who stayed beside Jing Yuan, her talent was extraordinary.
As long as she survived the next century or so, her achievements were sure to be remarkable.
--+--
The sparring match continued as they spoke.
After hurling the door-sized greatsword, Yunli burst forward the moment it blocked Sylvia's view. She shaped one hand into a claw and tried to catch her opponent off guard.
Sylvia swept Old Mettle aside with her sword, but Yunli was already in front of her. The girl's cute, round face was fierce with determination, and she seemed intent on wrenching Sylvia's weapon away.
Unfortunately for her, Sylvia's keen senses had also been beaten into her by Mei. She'd prepared herself the moment Yunli came close.
In that split second, Sylvia even had time to smile at her. She turned sideways, reached out, and gently caught Yunli by the wrist.
With only a slight pull, she changed Yunli's path through the air. Yunli's eyes widened in alarm as the hand that should've caught Old Mettle's hilt missed it by inches.
Boom!
The greatsword crashed into the courtyard. Yunli lost her balance and nearly landed headfirst, but Sylvia caught her by the ankle before she could hit the ground.
The girl ran around barefoot, yet her feet were surprisingly clean. Sylvia briefly wondered whether the power of Abundance preserved the bodies of long-life species to an even greater degree than she'd thought.
"Mmph..."
Left hanging upside down, Yunli hurriedly pressed her skirt back into place. Her cheeks reddened as she turned to stare at Sylvia, but she didn't seem embarrassed or discouraged by her defeat.
Instead, her eyes shone with excitement.
Yunli considered herself a genius, but she hadn't expected her limited skill to stand against a Xianzhou general in a serious fight. She hadn't thought she'd win in the first place.
Besides, if she could become as strong as Sylvia, subduing cursed swords would be easy.
"That was amazing!"
"...Uh."
Sylvia had never been good at dealing with such direct enthusiasm. It was even more awkward while she was still holding the girl's ankle.
She released her, letting Yunli turn over and land safely. Sylvia then dismissed her armor and greatsword.
By the time she finished, Yunli was already standing in front of her with her phone held in both hands. The glowing screen displayed a friend request.
"Can I come find you again when you're free?"
"When I've got time..."
Sylvia didn't refuse. She accepted Yunli's request and added her to her circle of friends.
"Thank you, Big Sis Sylvia!"
"Huh?"
Hearing Yunli call her that, Sylvia couldn't resist smiling and rubbing the girl's head.
She really was adorable.
"Here, have a snack."
Sylvia reached into her supplies by habit and pulled out a Berrypheasant Skewer. She'd only meant to see whether Yunli wanted it, but the girl's entire face lit up the moment she saw the treat.
She opened her mouth and took a huge bite.
"Mmm—thank you! It's delicious!"
Yunli chewed with her cheeks puffed out, mumbling her thanks between bites. She finished the entire skewer in moments, making her already round face look even rounder.
--+--
"Hehe... Miss Sylvia is every bit as kind as the rumors say. It seems I've been rather narrow-minded."
Huaiyan stroked his beard and murmured the words with a smile. No one else heard him, but Acheron caught every word.
He'd meant them for her.
During their brief conversation, Huaiyan had recognized that Acheron was far from ordinary and explained why he'd come. He was here on behalf of the Xianzhou Alliance to form an appropriate judgment of Sylvia as an individual.
So far, however, everything he'd seen spoke in her favor.
Jing Yuan trusted Sylvia enough to leave the Healer Lady in her care. The two Foxians from the Sky-Faring Commission trusted her as well, and her brief interaction with Yunli showed that she treated others with genuine kindness.
Then there was the "Galaxy Ranger" who remained constantly at her side.
This young woman named Sylvia had earned the deep trust of everyone around her.
Huaiyan nodded slightly to Acheron.
"I'll leave the young people to their gathering."
Yukong saw him preparing to leave and couldn't help speaking up.
"Mr. Huaiyan... Are you heading back already?"
Yukong knew exactly who Huaiyan had come to evaluate. Sylvia was right there, so why was he going upstairs to avoid meeting her?
"Hehe. My granddaughter would feel restrained with an old man like me around. I'll take a walk by myself."
Huaiyan looked at Sylvia and Yunli as they finished their conversation and returned to the villa. He chuckled and walked away, leaving Yukong thoroughly confused.
She couldn't tell what General Huaiyan intended to do.
Did he plan to let Miss Yunli make the judgment for him?
Wouldn't that be inappropriate? This was an official task from the Xianzhou Alliance, after all.
Still, Huaiyan was a veteran senior with far more experience than she had, and Yukong didn't know him well enough to question him to his face.
--+--
Once Sylvia and Yunli returned, Sylvia finally had time to speak with Yukong and Tingyun.
After a brief conversation, she learned that the Xianzhou wasn't especially concerned about what was happening on Penacony. Compared with the IPC, they were taking a far more relaxed approach.
They'd mainly come because they'd been invited to attend the Charmony Festival. Their goals were to support Sylvia and see what would ultimately become of the mask.
Even so, news of an approaching Lord Ravager hadn't persuaded the Xianzhou delegation to leave.
Phantylia had fallen on the Xianzhou Luofu. If Zephyro encountered people from the Xianzhou, they probably wouldn't simply ignore them.
Sylvia couldn't tell whether the delegation trusted The Family's strength or her own abilities.
"Benefactor, let me tell you a little secret. There's a very important person traveling with our group. That's the real reason Helm Master Yukong can remain so calm."
After Yukong walked away, Tingyun leaned close to Sylvia's ear and whispered. Her gentle voice sent a faint tingle across Sylvia's skin. They hadn't seen each other for some time, and Tingyun somehow sounded even more soft and alluring than before.
An important person...
Sylvia blinked but didn't press for details.
Anyone who could remain calm despite the threat of an Emanator was probably a general as well.
But which one?
Aside from the few people Sylvia knew, several others had accompanied the delegation. None of them looked especially remarkable, so the person was probably hiding their identity on purpose.
Still, why had a Xianzhou general come to Penacony?
The news about Zephyro shouldn't have reached them before the delegation departed, yet they'd secretly sent an Emanator along anyway.
Sylvia was curious about the general's purpose, but since they clearly didn't intend to reveal themselves, she couldn't force them out.
Bailu had finally eaten her fill by then and had even given Yunli a quick examination. She strutted toward Sylvia with an air of confidence.
"Hehe, Sylvia. The general said I'm supposed to stay with you for a while. You don't mind, do you?"
Bailu had been stunned when Jing Yuan first told her. He'd even said with a cheerful smile that he hadn't discussed the decision with Sylvia beforehand and that Bailu would have to tell her in person.
Bailu had almost lost her composure.
Could that Xianzhou general be any less dependable? What was she supposed to do if Sylvia refused?
Despite her complaints, this was Bailu's first chance to leave the Xianzhou and see the outside world. She'd packed her luggage with great excitement and departed alongside Yukong.
She'd finally met Sylvia today, but she hadn't greeted her right away because she'd been racking her little brain for a way to bring up the arrangement.
Seeing Bailu's anxious expression, Sylvia reached out and patted her head.
"Jing Yuan mentioned it to me before. I just didn't expect you to arrive this soon. Of course I don't mind. This is perfect, actually. I'll be able to... make sure you practice your cloudhymn arts."
Sylvia had gained real results from Ruan Mei's experiments, so her trust in Ruan Mei had grown recently.
Seeing Bailu again reminded her that, as an artificial High Elder, Bailu had several inborn problems. She couldn't grow up, struggled to control her power, and hadn't inherited the High Elder's legacy.
Sylvia wanted to ask Ruan Mei to take a look at her.
Just then, Sylvia received a message from Gallagher.
Gallagher had been attacked by enemies of unknown origin, and he wasn't in a position to investigate them himself.
The Family held the greatest influence on Penacony, so Sylvia contacted Gallagher to ask about the situation and find out what the Bloodhound Family's investigation had uncovered regarding the Ever-Flame Mansion incident.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL