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Chapter 60
"Grip it tightly. If you wish to become a Cloud Knight, you must never let your weapon leave your hand, nor let your form falter."
"Yes, Master!"
"Stand firm. Your legs must not shake. An unstable lower body is easily breached by the enemy."
Kanzaki Tomomu swung the wooden sword in his hand and struck Jingliu's leg with a force that was by no means light.
"Maintain the standard posture and swing your sword three thousand times consecutively. If even one swing is non-standard, the count restarts."
"If you cannot complete the quota, keep practicing until you collapse from exhaustion."
Hearing such harsh demands, the teenage Jingliu could not help but shiver inwardly.
"Yes, Master..."
"Begin."
Kanzaki Tomomu stepped back a few paces with an expressionless face and stood to the side, watching intently.
Time passed. Sweat poured down Jingliu's face like a broken dam, dripping continuously from her chin.
Her vision gradually blurred as she gripped the longsword tightly.
"One thousand six hundred and twenty-one⊠one thousand six hundred and twenty-twoâŠ"
With every swing of the sword, the muscles in both her arms burned as if seared by red-hot irons.
The longsword, which had once felt light, now weighed as heavy as ten jun.
Every slash through the air was accompanied by the girl's heavy panting.
It was high noon, and the blazing sun beat down like a torch.
The ground of the training field was scorching hot, and the wind itself felt like fire.
Kanzaki Tomomu stood under the blazing sun with his arms crossed. His eyes were like still water, completely unmoved by the girl struggling in pain before him.
If Jingliu's sword path deviated by even an inch, or if her breathing missed half a beat, his cold gaze would catch it immediately.
"Posture is wrong. Restart the three thousand swings."
With a flick of his wrist, Kanzaki Tomomu's wooden sword accurately struck Jingliu's wrist.
"Hissâ"
Jingliu gasped in pain. Her hand shook violently from the spasm, and the longsword nearly slipped from her grasp.
She bit her lower lip until it bled, forcing her numb fingers to clamp tightly around the hilt once more.
"One of the advantages we long-lived species have over short-lived species is the inner organ within our bodies."
Kanzaki Tomomu's voice remained cold and without warmth.
"Do not fight fatigue with brute force. Control your breathing rhythm. Feel the energy released by your inner organ during high-intensity exercise and mobilize every inch of your muscles to absorb it."
"âŠYes! MasâŠterâŠ"
Jingliu's voice trembled as she swung the sword and tried to follow Kanzaki Tomomu's guidance.
Six hours passed, and she still had not completed the task Kanzaki Tomomu had set.
"Restart."
"âŠ"
Jingliu's vision began to darken. She felt dizzy.
Her limbs had lost most of their sensation, yet she continued swinging the sword.
"One⊠two⊠threeâŠ"
Taking advantage of the moment Jingliu opened her mouth, Kanzaki Tomomu flicked his fingers and tossed a tiny pill into it.
It was a supplementary medicine for ascetic training that could effectively prevent dehydration.
Without it, Jingliu would have collapsed long ago.
Night gradually fell.
"One thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine⊠one thousand nine hundredâŠ"
Before the sword swing was complete, Jingliu's legs gave out. She collapsed forward, completely spent.
The expected impact with the ground never came.
A steady, powerful hand grabbed the back of her collar and pulled, keeping her from falling completely.
"Thank you⊠MasâŠterâŠ"
Jingliu wanted to cry, but after sweating so heavily, there was no moisture left in her body.
Three thousand swings felt like an impossible number. She could not complete it.
Just as she tried to start again, her vision went black and she fell forward once more, landing in Kanzaki Tomomu's arms.
Even now, she had not let go of the longsword in her hand.
Kanzaki Tomomu pried her fingers open. His gaze swept over her palms, where the skin had been rubbed raw and blood stained the sword hilt. The cold hardness in his eyes gradually softened.
He lifted Jingliu's small, thin body into his arms and carried her across the empty training ground toward the inner residence.
A bitter yet refreshing scent of herbs filled the entire bathroom.
Kanzaki Tomomu placed Jingliu on a soft couch behind a screen, then brought over a healing spray and carefully applied it to her palms.
Thanks to the Power of Abundance, the wounds of the Xianzhou people healed much faster than those of short-lived species. With external help, her raw and swollen palms quickly scabbed over.
Once fully healed, no traces would remain.
Generally speaking, this was an advantage for the Xianzhou people. But in certain cases it became a misfortune â such as for those born with heaven-deficient conditions.
If they were blind, even if cured temporarily, they would become blind again.
If they suffered from dwarfism, even if they grew taller through special methods, they would revert.
Fortunately, Jingliu currently showed no heaven-deficient symptoms. She was simply delicate from having grown up sheltered.
After setting down the spray, Kanzaki Tomomu took out a white jade bottle from his robe. He walked behind the screen, poured the green powder into a wooden tub, and added boiling water.
The medicinal powder dissolved, bubbling with strange colors and emitting a vibrant aura.
After adding all the expensive herbs prepared nearby into the tub, he rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the couch.
Jingliu's clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking tightly to her thin back along with sand and dirt.
Kanzaki Tomomu's slender fingers rested on her collar button and gently undid it.
As the clothes were removed, her skin â flushed red from the intense heat and sweat â was exposed to the air.
Her shoulders and elbows were covered in shocking patches of bruising, the result of muscle tears from excessive sword swinging.
Kanzaki Tomomu fetched a basin of warm water, soaked a soft towel, and meticulously wiped away the sweat and grime from her body.
Whenever he touched the bruised areas, the sleeping Jingliu would subconsciously frown and let out a faint hum of pain.
Kanzaki Tomomu's movements became even gentler.
Once the cleaning was finished, he lifted Jingliu and lowered her into the wooden tub where the medicinal liquid had reached the perfect temperature.
"MmmâŠ"
The moment the hot medicinal liquid enveloped her body, Jingliu trembled violently.
The medicinal power surged through her open pores, forcefully nourishing her overworked muscles.
A few minutes later, Jingliu's ragged breathing gradually stabilized.
Her small face, pale from exhaustion, slowly regained a faint pink hue under the medicinal steam.
The surface injuries that had looked too painful to behold reduced in swelling and recovered at a visible rate.
More than one hour later.
The green medicinal liquid in the tub had become nearly transparent, showing that the medicine had been fully absorbed.
Kanzaki Tomomu lifted the soaked girl out, wrapped her in a bath towel to dry her, then dressed her in loose pajamas before carrying her back to her room.
Jingliu's brows had relaxed, and her breathing was now even and deep.
A sliver of moonlight spilled into the room.
Kanzaki Tomomu picked up the silver moon jade pendant on the table, examined it for a moment, and sighed softly as he tied it around Jingliu's neck.
In truth, even if Jingliu chose to spend the rest of her life in a daze, he would still take care of her.
After all, it had been his mother's dying wish.
But fear and despair are not washed away by time. Living like that would be more painful than death.
Perhaps it is better to face fear with hatred.
Jingliu, do not blame Master for being cruel.
Since you have chosen this path, I will not allow you to die easily on the battlefield.
To survive on the battlefield, one must gain power and pay a price of hardship and sacrifice far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.
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