Blow after blow, Dejiu quickly found the effects of his soul injury to be quite extensive. He tired quicker. His mind felt slow. Somehow his prana drained faster than he thought it should at this stage when he had access to better quality prana and recovery. Obviously Teacher Jiansu was picking him apart to learn more about how he fights because, needless to say, this was their first time training together. Dejiu’s useless pride wanted him to prove himself.

  “Disregarding what I said before, you fight well. I can see how you survived down there.” Jiansu said before delivering a heavy palm to Dejiu’s stomach.

  “GURK!”

  He skidded back, the wind knocked out. It took almost all he had to stay on his feet, but he still staggered and fell on his knees. His only hand burrowed into the snow. Taking a few moments to recover, he got up.

  [Prana: 20/100]

  Yep. Teacher’s scary! The gap between Advanced and Earthly is definitely vast! He thought, rubbing his stomach. It’s only been a few minutes too.

  “O-of course I fought well.” He croaked out between ragged breaths.

  Jiansu picked up his monk’s spade. Dejiu raised an eyebrow and wondered why his teacher would bring that if he wasn’t going to use it. Well, he was fortunate though. He didn’t want to take a stiff spade anywhere on his already battered body.

  “Throw in remnants, techniques, immense luck, and the fact that the Pillarshard not only was the weakest among its kind but also possessed by far the least amount of daimons, I can see how you survived with this,” Jiansu muttered.

  “Urk!” Dejiu groaned. This hurt more than his teacher’s blows!

  “Your footwork is ridden with bad habits. You don’t have a proper set of fist techniques to mesh with your footwork, it feels like you’re relying on a heavy palm you throw once in a while. Even then, that palm you’re saving doesn’t amount to much. You don’t kick. You don’t strike with all eight of your weapons. Have you just been overwhelming daimons with your these haphazard attacks and half-baked techniques?”

  “Gah!” He groaned again. The second slap to the face!

  “He’s not wrong. Although I taught you two techniques, one is just a palm which is already the lesser version of the true technique, while the other simply improves your physicality. You’ve been too reliant on my directions in difficult foes. Such was seen in that battle against the guardian and its summon — although sacrificing a hand wasn’t anything, the fact that you were driven to that point is telling.” Bing Xin echoed after his teacher.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Gah!” He fell to his knees again. The third slap from the daimon who returned inside of him!

  “Enough horseplay, Little Dejiu.” Jiansu said with a puzzled expression. Probably looking down at the snow-covered fool who’s acting weird.

  “Ahem.” Dejiu cleared his throat and got up. He brushed the snow off his kasaya robe and body before he rushed ahead to follow Jiansu. “I was just uhm, taking in your teachings of course.”

  Jiansu didn’t say anything. The wind whistled and howled around them on their return to the White Blossom Monastery.

  “But it’s good — your mind that is. It always was.” Jiansu finally broke the silence.

  Dejiu raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?” His lips slowly raised. He’s sensing a compliment.

  “Like I said earlier, I haven’t heard of such a thing. To survive a Pillarshard like that. Forced to eat daimon meat and drink their blood on your first descent. Surviving without knowing almost anything. Even when the Pillarshard was abnormal, the kind in the middle of descending to the next stage. Slaying a guardian alone, one practically a Tainted daimon in all regards. Too many would’ve given up. The rest would’ve died. You even survived and used your wit to defend yourself against cultivators at the end. I assume you were wounded as well.” Jiansu answered while he eyed Dejiu’s missing right hand.

  “But even before that. Before you stumbled into Hell, I don’t think many could gruelingly cultivate for hours on end without a cultivation method and teacher. Putting off one backlash and prana deviation after another. You don’t know to what ends. I’ve been worried about those days when you’d foolishly cultivate and wipe the blood from your lips. Or when you’d show up to morning prayers internally injured.”

  Dejiu’s lips lowered. Half regretful and how guilty, he frowned. Yes, his teacher’s words could be seen as praise, but it was praise slicked in concern from the only one who’d care inside the temple.

  He fidgeted with his robe for a long while before he replied, “Sorry. I know I say it every time, but sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’ve always given in to your wishes against my conscience. Although it hurt to watch you every day, it hurt more to see how the temple treated you so.” Jiansu said before he scoffed. “To think the temple that raised me from a boy so magnanimously would do this.”

  Jiansu ruffled Dejiu’s bald head as they headed into their sleeping chambers. “Tomorrow you don’t have to show up to the training halls again. I’ll teach you the cultivation method if you’re struggling, but I’m sure once you outgrow your habits of seven years you’ll be quick to learn. You’re smart that way.” Jiansu said before he snuggled into his sleeping mat.

  Dejiu was busy cleaning around the windowsill and doing some other stuff. Perhaps he didn’t want to turn around so Jiansu could see his face. When was the last time Jiansu praised him as much as today!?

  Speaking of his teacher’s sleeping mat, a thought came flowing through his head. “Sorry, Teacher. I forgot to thank you for the Hell Shard. That Tainted one you left below your sleeping mat. It’s the biggest reason why I’m still alive, yet I forgot to thank you earnestly.”

  Still facing away from his teacher, Dejiu opened the window and Bing Xin spilled out from him. Her figure lay across the window sill. Despite the brilliant moonlit illuminating the peaks of Mount Xuedou, her shadowy form wasn’t brightened in the slightest.

  Then he heard some clothing ruffle from behind. His teacher turned on his side. “Ah, that?

  “Don’t worry about it. While I’m the weakest of Earthly Stage monks, I still want to be able to provide for my only student.”

  Dejiu smiled before he crept into his own sleeping mat.

  It was a good day. A very good day. He thought before the kind embrace of slumber took him.