When I say that the weapons training passed me by in a blur, I honestly mean that it was impossible for me to recall more than three things from those long minutes of sparring against Yao Meirong, and that was both due to how methodically she beat me down and also because her earlier motivation continued to ring around in my ears.
Every single time I felt like I had a read on what to do against her she just instantly fixed her stance and walloped me into the ground two or three times just to make sure I understood how much stronger she was.
And yet every single time I found that read I knew that I had to work hard to get it, with Yao Meirong doing her best to ensure it was still rewarding enough without beating the willpower out of me, maintaining this fine balance that kept me going for almost another full hour.
