When Jing Yi woke up the next morning his thoughts jumped back to what had happened the day before. He couldn’t wait to ask Xiao Dong but a look outside showed that it was still early. This was normally the time when Shao Hai and Xiao Dong would train so rather than being a bother, he should go and do something useful.

Thus Jing Yi washed up, put the robe of the outer sect disciples on and went down to the first floor. Without hesitation, he walked to the storage room, took out a broom and proceeded to sweep the floor.

After a while, two other disciples came down the stairs. The first one yawned and passed by him without greeting like on any other day. The second one wanted to follow, stepped past Jing Yi and froze. Slowly, he turned back and took in what he saw: Jing Yi. A broom. An incredibly clean floor. Continue reading →

Bai Fen smiled when she saw that he was finally considering the real issue. “You’re making it too easy on him.”

“Huh?”

“That boy, he has grown up alone and, honestly, too pampered. He is … our only child so we wrapped him in cotton wool. Especially his father. Jing He … He didn’t know how to handle you in the beginning. Your approach was too forceful, too unrestrained. Someone like him who was always handled with special care wouldn’t know how to react. You scared him and he tried to retreat. He would have continued to do that if he wasn’t bound by our customs and the expectations he feels are placed on him. You only managed to wear his defenses down because you were so persistent.” Continue reading →

The Gathering of Practitioners finally commenced but the initial excitement had died down. Somehow, the person that had originally been sure to get the first place had vanished.

The disciples that were left to fight felt glad but then couldn’t help but be disappointed as well. What good was it to win because the favorite had left on his own and didn’t bother about the fights anymore? Wouldn’t people just say that they had become lucky?

The most maddening was that their audience that had been eagerly awaiting the fights for weeks was now not even looking anymore. They just whispered amongst themselves, glancing over to the boy that the Grandmaster’s disciple had proposed to every now and then. All of them were wondering just how he had managed to make this peerless genius fall in love with him so thoroughly. Maybe they should go over and ask for relationship advice? Continue reading →

Jin Ling kissed her but pulled away fast. “Alright, I’m afraid we can’t push it off any longer. I’ll go and talk to Yin Lin Lin and then try to take her with me immediately. That way, you won’t have to fear anything here. In fact, you might even be able to get a higher status. With your own hard work and nobody interfering, they won’t make things hard for you anymore.”

Tai Na nodded. “You’re right. As long as she isn’t around, the others probably won’t feel it to be necessary.” Continue reading →

Jin Ling sat up and stared at the foot of the bed. He really wanted to give a sigh or maybe even curse out loud but then he would also have to explain that. He couldn’t be bothered to do that.

He turned to the side, his bare feet touching the ground and fished up his robe. He didn’t even bother to look at the woman behind him and silently put it on, getting up to go. Just when he had taken a single step, there was a tug on his sleeve.

Jin Ling closed his eyes, ready to utter a curse.

“Jin Ling … Are you leaving?” Continue reading →