Chapter 29: The Red Thread

  PS: Three updates have been made, seeking votes and collections^^...

  ……

  Nie Kong fell silent, smiling wryly as he looked at his own arms, which now resembled two giant red radishes. The little girl laughed so hard she was doubled over, but there was no malice in her laughter, only a simple amusement. Nie Kong naturally wouldn't hold it against her, and when Mu Hongyan's laughter finally subsided, he casually asked: "Little sister, from what you said, it seems like you're quite familiar with this kind of spiral?"

  Murong Hong raised her pretty face and said, "Of course, I've been practicing this since I was a kid. Watch me demonstrate it once, and you'll know how to do it." She walked in front of the top, rolled up her sleeves, revealing two slender and delicate jade arms like lotus roots, "By the way, what did you call me just now?"

  "Little sister." Nie Kong shrugged his shoulders.

  "Hey, we're about the same age, how can you call me that, it makes you sound like an old man."

  Muer Hong's small hands were on her hips, and she said with a pout. Immediately following that, Xiao Yatou's eyes rolled around, and she cunningly said: "Alright then, if you call me Master, I'll tell you all the secrets of using the top." Afraid that Nie Kong wouldn't believe her, Xiao Yatou added, as if offering treasure, "I'm really very familiar with it, yeah."

  "Master." Nie Kong couldn't help but feel a sense of joy in his heart and called out instinctively.

  "What's your name?"

  Mo Hongyin was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Nie Kong for a while before excitedly asking: "Nie Kong, you...you really agreed?"

  "That's right."

  "Great, I have an apprentice now."

  Muruo Yan smiled with a flower-like smile, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and the two small dimples at the corners of her mouth also appeared. After being delighted for a while, Muruo Yan said with flying eyebrows and dancing colors: "Big Radish disciple, watch Master show you two tricks." As she spoke, the little girl raised her hand to pat her chest, and those two round and upright jade balls trembled slightly, very enticing.

  Daikon apprentice?

  Nie Kong was taken aback and lost his smile, never expecting that in just a short moment, the little girl in front of him had already given herself a funny nickname.

  "It has begun."

  Mu Hongxian's voice was heard, and her lovely round face wore an air of dignity. As soon as the last word "le" came out, Mu Hongxian's figure moved, circling around the top and running quickly, her two crystal-like arms stretching in and out like a snake, probing into the gap.

  "Hmm hmm hmm hmm……"

  The sound of fingers tapping on the iron pillar was continuous, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, rain hitting banana leaves, weaving into a beautiful and pleasant melody. Accompanied by this sound, Mu Hongyan's figure was slender and elegant, her whole person like a red butterfly dancing in mid-air, fluttering back and forth around the spinning top, a delightful sight to behold.

  Witnessing this scene, Nie Kong was shocked and had a faint premonition that this young girl, despite her tender age, might have already transcended the Spiritual Soul stage and entered the Fusion Spirit realm.

  Nie Kong had long known that the Nie family had a stunningly talented Nie Feng Lei, as well as several other geniuses who were slightly inferior to him. However, he hadn't paid much attention to it in his heart. But now, seeing Mu Hongyi's performance with his own eyes, he truly realized how vast the gap was between himself and these peers of his age.

  Don't want to silently disappear in the dust, Nie Kong can only use all the time and resources that can be used to catch up. Even if he can't keep up, he can't fall too far behind. Otherwise, Nie Kong will become just a small pawn in the family, never able to grasp his own destiny, and may even become cannon fodder for other families at some point, turning into a handful of yellow earth.

  "Jū líng, tōng líng, róng líng, huà líng, yù líng, xū líng, dān líng, dòng líng, tiān líng...... Hē, hòu mian de lù hái hěn cháng ne."

  Translation:

  "Congregating spirits, communicating with spirits, fusing with spirits, transforming into spirits, controlling spirits, emptying the mind of spirits, elixir spirits, penetrating spirits, heavenly spirits... Ah, the road ahead is still very long."

  Nie Kong's mind was focused, his spirit concentrated on Mu Hongyan.

  As expected, just like Mu Hongyan had said earlier, she was extremely familiar with the top. With her arms flying up and down, her palms moving left and right, the iron thing that had given Nie Kong a hard time was now in her hands, seemingly just an ordinary big toy, to be played with as she pleased.

  Not long after, Nie Kong discovered the difference between Mu Hongyi and other Nie clan members around him.

  Those Nie family spiritual masters, the faster they moved, the more stiff and rigid their movements seemed. But Mu Hongying was completely different. Every time she made a move, her arm would swing, her shoulders would shake, her waist would twist, her hips would swivel, and her legs would turn... Her entire body formed a perfect whole, with every part moving in coordination.

  Every move and every action exudes a hint of elegance.

  "Good!"

  Nie Kong couldn't help but applaud and praise.

  Hongying suddenly stopped, Murong Hongyin lifted her leg and jumped, bringing a faint scent of orchid to Nie Kong's side, with a smile on her face: "Big Radish disciple, what do you think now?" The little girl was excited, her bright black eyes sparkling, her face seemed to be written all over with "Good disciple, come and praise Master quickly".

  Nie Kong didn't disappoint her, thinking back to Mu Hongyan's movements just now, and concluded: "Your movements are particularly elegant and smooth, connected very smoothly, like clouds flowing in the sky, without a hint of vulgarity, as if it was already tempered countless times, watching it is especially enjoyable."

  Xiao Yatou was praised by Nie Kong, and she felt a bit embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed with a hint of redness, but her heart was filled with delight. The corners of her mouth twitched: "Ah, Master, you're not as good as you say..." Then she hurriedly asked again, "Da Luobo's apprentice, what else? What else?"

  "Your footsteps are also very special, just a casual intersection, and people will flash from the front to the back of the top, if used to fight with others, the effect must be very good."

  "Uh-huh, that's a kind of spiritual art I've learned, can't tell you about it, and what else?"

  "Also..."

  “……”

  "When you strike, all parts of your body are coordinated, with your arms moving in conjunction with your shoulders, and your shoulders moving in conjunction with your waist. Moreover, even before your hand has made contact, your legs, waist, and shoulders have already prepared to withdraw your arm. As a result, when your fingertips make contact with the iron pillar through inertia, it will produce a kind of elastic force that allows you to quickly retract your arm at the fastest speed."

  "You're like a spring."

  "It's all clear now!"

  Mu Hongyan's eyes, looking at Nie Kong, had a hint of surprise. Her body was like a spring, and it could be said that it was the greatest trick she used when practicing with her top, originally intending to explain it to Nie Kong, to satisfy her craving for being a master, but now being broken by Nie Kong's single sentence, made her feel a strong sense of defeat.

  "What's more?" Mu Hongyan pouted slightly.

  "Now that I've mentioned all the advantages, there's also a disadvantage."

  As if he hadn't seen Mu Hongyan's already standing beautiful eyes, Nie Kong continued to smile and say, "Little Master, every time you twist your waist, why do you always have to swing your hips twice? Once is enough."

  "You, you..."

  "This was her little secret, and the action was extremely subtle. Unexpectedly, it was still discovered by Nie Kong. Mu Hongyan was momentarily embarrassed, her pretty face turning bright red. She stomped her foot and pouted, 'I'm your master, what business is it of yours how many times I... Ah, bad disciple Da Luo Ba, you're really not obedient at all!'"

  Seeing her shy and lovely appearance, Nie Kong couldn't help but burst out laughing. Mu Hongxiu's cheeks turned even redder as she pretended to go and pinch Nie Kong's ear, defending her dignity as his master.

  "Red Ribbon, what are you doing over there? Come here quickly!" From a hundred meters away, a sweet voice called out, and it was four or five girls rushing this way, waving their hands vigorously.

  "Bad apprentice, I'll let you off this time." Murong Hongyan hastily withdrew her half-extended small hand, and with a straight face, she scolded in a huff, but no matter how hard she tried, her facial expression couldn't convey that tone. "Also, Master is just Master, don't add any diminutive words in front of it again."

  Murong Hong's words trailed off as he ran, and by the time his voice faded away, he was already more than ten meters ahead.

  Watching Mu Hongyan reunite with the girls, laughing and chasing each other into the distance, Nie Kong couldn't help but think about the strange experience of the past few minutes, also barely suppressing a smile. Shaking his head, he sat cross-legged in front of the spiral, his mind flashing back to Mu Hongyan's movements when she made her move, and constantly comparing them with those of the practicing Nie family spiritual masters, Nie Kong's understanding deepened even further...

  ……