Chapter 107

Su Zhelan had just finished driving the third set of piles, and her arms were still trembling slightly as the sun climbed to its zenith.

Su Yan set up a low table at the entrance of the pharmacy and invited everyone to come and eat.

During the meal, Gu Linzhao ate his rice and mumbled, "After we finish eating, we can practice something else."

After a short rest after the meal, Gu Linzhao came over with a long jujube wood stick, the tip of the stick making a rustling sound as it scraped the ground.

Xiao Qiyun had moved a bamboo stool there at some point and was sitting there, holding a medical book in his hands, but his gaze went beyond the pages and landed on Su Zhelan's sweaty nape.

Gu Linzhao drew a circle on the ground with the tip of his stick: "Self-defense, first learn how to dodge. Sheng Xuan, you stand inside." Then he turned to Su Zhelan and asked, "Do you know how to deflect force?"

Before Su Zhelan could nod, Sheng Xuan had already jumped in front of him, waving his fist in front of his face as if to say, "When someone hits you, how come you dodge faster than a rabbit?"

"Stop being so glib." Gu Linzhao glared at Sheng Xuan, then assumed a fighting stance. "Zhelan, watch closely. When he throws a punch, don't take it head-on. Instead, use his momentum to pull him to the side—"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Linzhao suddenly raised his hand, as if to slap Sheng Xuan's cheek. Sheng Xuan subconsciously turned his head, but Gu Linzhao easily deflected his force with his elbow and instead pinned his arm behind his back.

"Did you understand?" Gu Linzhao released his grip, and Sheng Xuan grimaced as he rubbed his arm. "Come on, you two try it. Sheng Xuan, throw your punches slowly, don't really hurt him."

Sheng Xuan immediately perked up, cracking his knuckles as he walked to the opposite side of Su Zhelan: "Bring it on? No, I mean bring it on." He clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, but deliberately slowed down, aiming straight for Su Zhelan's chest.

Su Zhelan stared at the fist, her mind filled with Gu Linzhao's actions just now, but her hands and feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and she stood frozen in place.

Just as the fist was about to hit his chest, he suddenly turned his head, but Sheng Xuan's elbow still grazed his shoulder, causing him to stagger back two steps.

"You're so stupid!" Sheng Xuan cursed, but his feet followed her forward. "I'm not telling you to dodge my face, I'm telling you to deflect the force! Look—"

He grabbed Su Zhelan's wrist and placed his fist into Su's palm, "Like this, pull it to the side with the force..."

Sheng Xuan was suddenly struck on the back of the neck by Gu Linzhao: "I let you throw the punch, not take advantage of you!"

"Ouch!" Sheng Xuan grimaced and stepped back, this time he really used some force, his fist grazing Su Zhelan's ear.

Su Zhelan felt a gust of wind sweep past, and the sweat on her back instantly cooled down. Following Gu Linzhao's method, she twisted her waist sharply, her fingertips brushing against Sheng Xuan's wrist—she didn't grab him, but she narrowly avoided him.

Su Zhelan's movements grew increasingly heavy, each time he raised his hand feeling like he was dragging a lead weight. When Sheng Xuan's fist swept over again, he instinctively raised his arm to block, his elbow about to collide with Sheng Xuan's forearm, when he heard Gu Linzhao shout from the corridor: "Don't fight head-on! Lower your shoulder, and pull him back with his momentum!"

Su Zhelan suddenly realized what was happening, relaxed her shoulders, and took half a step back using the force of Sheng Xuan's punch. Her fingertips brushed against Sheng Xuan's wrist, and she actually managed to dissipate most of the force.

Sheng Xuan exclaimed "Eh!" and almost fell forward when his fist missed. Su Zhelan took the opportunity to push him forward. Although he didn't move him, he was no longer suppressed.

“That’s right!” Gu Linzhao squatted on the stone steps and tapped the ground with the tip of his stick. “Remember? You’re not as strong as him, so you’ll be at a disadvantage if you try to fight head-on. You have to use your skills. Look at what you did just now, your waist didn’t keep up. You would have been better if you had been faster.”

Su Zhelan nodded, panting, sweat dripping into his eyes, making him blink for a long time. Sheng Xuan rubbed his wrist, which had been wiped, and grinned: "Not bad, you've finally figured it out? Let's try again!"

This time, Sheng Xuan's punch carried real force, aiming straight for Su Zhelan's cheek. Gu Linzhao's words flashed through Su Zhelan's mind. Instead of dodging, he suddenly ducked, his shoulder ramming into Sheng Xuan's chest, while simultaneously reaching out to grab his elbow—but he was still a beat too slow. Sheng Xuan dodged to the side, and Su Zhelan slammed into the wooden dummy with a dull thud, making his vision go black.

"Ah!" Sheng Xuan's fist suddenly stopped in mid-air. His smiling face suddenly tightened. He took a few steps to Su Zhelan, reached out to help her but then pulled back abruptly. His fingertips clenched white at his sides. "What are you standing there for? Did you hurt yourself?" His eyes were fixed on Su Zhelan's back, and his breathing became rapid.

The bamboo benches under the eaves made a soft rustling sound as Xiao Qiyun stood up, casually placing the book in his hand on the stone table.

He walked to the other side of Su Zhelan, his fingertips just about to touch Su Zhelan's shoulder, when Sheng Xuan blocked him with his arm—Sheng Xuan didn't look at him, his eyes were still glued to Su Zhelan: "I'm asking you, does it hurt?"

Su Zhelan was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to shake his head and say "It's nothing", a dull pain suddenly shot through the spot where his back had hit the ground. The pain was so intense that his shoulders trembled as he gasped for breath.

Xiao Qiyun's fingertips lightly touched his shoulder blade, without applying force, but precisely landing on the spot where he had hurt: "Here?"

The warmth of her fingertips seeped through her soaked clothes, and Su Zhelan instinctively shrank her neck, her ears burning: "...Yeah, it hurts a little. But it's nothing serious."

"Keep practicing!" Su Zhelan clenched her fists and had just stood up straight when she heard Gu Linzhao shout from the corridor, "That's right! You only learn from pain—Sheng Xuan, don't hold back! If it really comes down to a fight, no one will let him have his way, go faster!"

Sheng Xuan clicked his tongue and suddenly increased the speed of his punches.

Caught off guard, Su Zhelan was forced to retreat repeatedly, nearly falling several times. She only managed to stay upright thanks to Gu Linzhao's occasional shouts of "Get your feet rooted to the spot!" and "Don't clench your fists so tightly, leave some room for maneuver!"

As his shadow stretched long, Su Zhelan was finally able to withstand a few more rounds of Sheng Xuan's punches. Although he stumbled each time he deflected the force, and his shoulders and waist were still aching, when he grabbed Sheng Xuan's wrist again and used the momentum of his turn to spin him around, Gu Linzhao suddenly stood up and pointed at his waist with the tip of his stick: "That was good just now, your waist and hips worked together—remember that feeling, martial arts training isn't about brute force, it's about 'flow'."

As the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the top of the wooden dummy, Su Yan stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, wiping his hands, the cloth oozing the scent of soapberry from his fingers. He gazed at the shadows on the open ground, almost touching—Su Zhelan's shoulders slumped slightly, her hand wobbling with each movement, while Sheng Xuan's fist, though still moving, had clearly lessened in force, as if she were merely mimicking his gestures.

"Alright, stop now." Su Yan raised his voice, which wasn't loud, but it made the two of them stop at the same time.

Su Zhelan seemed to have lost all her strength, instantly leaning against the wooden dummy, using her hands to brace herself and prevent herself from slipping. Sheng Xuan's fist froze in mid-air, then he quickly withdrew it and reached out to support Su Zhelan's arm: "You must be exhausted. I told you to rest..."

Su Yan walked over, his gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's sweaty nape and reddened knuckles, his brows furrowing slightly: "You've practiced enough, any more and you'll get hurt."

He turned to Gu Linzhao, "Put away the rest of the medicine."

Gu Linzhao had just finished drawing the last key point of force on the ground with the tip of the stick when he heard this, he straightened up: "He should have rested a long time ago, this kid's face has turned pale."

He tapped Su Zhelan's knee with the tip of the stick, asking, "Can you still walk?"

Su Zhelan was about to nod when her legs went weak and she almost fell forward, but Sheng Xuan caught her around the waist: "Let me help you!"

"Don't be so clumsy." Su Yan slapped Sheng Xuan's hand away, took a food box from the pharmacy, and handed it to Xiao Qiyun. "This is a medicinal meal for Su Zhelan, kept warm. Take it to him in a bit, and make sure he finishes it before you leave."

Xiao Qiyun took the food box, his fingertips touching its warmth, and nodded in response, "Mm."

His gaze swept over Su Zhelan's pale lips. He didn't say much, but simply stepped aside to make way for Sheng Xuan and Su Zhelan.

“Master, no need to trouble yourself…” Su Zhelan’s voice was terribly hoarse as Sheng Xuan helped her to her feet, half-supporting and half-carrying her. “I can manage on my own…”

"Stop talking nonsense." Su Yan glared at him, but his tone softened. "With your health like this, do you even want to move tomorrow if you don't take some supplements?" He then looked at Sheng Xuan. "Take him back to Shuyu Courtyard. Be careful on the way, and don't let him bump into anything again."

Sheng Xuan immediately perked up and half-squatted down: "Get on, I'll carry you!"

Su Zhelan blushed and struggled to get away: "No need! I can walk..."

"Don't move!" Sheng Xuan's voice was firm and unyielding, yet he carefully placed Su Zhelan's arm on his shoulder. "What are you trying to prove? You're wobbling every step you take. Who's going to be responsible if you fall?"

Su Zhelan couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she could only be half-supported and half-carried out.

As he passed by Xiao Qiyun, he looked up and saw that Xiao Qiyun was holding a food box steadily, and was rubbing the pattern on the lid with his fingertips, as if checking the temperature.

"Well... Master, we'll head back now." Su Zhelan's voice drifted on the wind, sounding slightly weak.

Gu Linzhao waved his hand: "Go on, go on. Remember to have Shengxuan wring out a hot towel to wipe your face, so you don't catch a cold."

Su Yan didn't say anything more, only watched the two figures disappear at the alley entrance before turning around and walking towards the pharmacy. When he passed by Xiao Qiyun, he instructed again, "Make sure he finishes drinking it. I added calming herbs to the soup so he can rest early."

Xiao Qiyun hummed in agreement and carried the food box toward Shuyu Courtyard. The aroma wafting from the food box, mixed with the scent of herbs, slowly drifted through the twilight.

On the other side, Sheng Xuan was half-supporting Su Zhelan as she moved back, muttering, "Aren't you stupid? You knew you couldn't beat me, yet you still stubbornly held on for so long... Does your back still hurt?"

Su Zhelan leaned on his shoulder, too tired to argue, and only gave a soft "hmm".

The humidity in Shuyu Courtyard was even higher. When Sheng Xuan helped Su Zhelan into the inner room, her legs were so weak that she could barely stand.

Just as Sheng Xuan was about to reach out to unbutton his shirt, Su Zhelan pressed down on his wrist—the boy's fingertips still bore the calluses from practicing boxing; his strength was not great, but his attitude was resolute.

“I can do it myself.” Su Zhelan’s voice was hoarse, as if veiled, and she avoided Sheng Xuan’s gaze, moving behind the screen. “Go wait in the outer room for a while.”

Sheng Xuan clung to the edge of the screen, refusing to leave, her stray hairs falling over her forehead, like a large dog being refused food: "Can't I at least help you wring out the towel? Your back is still hurting, isn't it? Bending over must be hard for you..."

"No need." Su Zhelan had already touched the edge of the bathtub, and breathed a sigh of relief when her fingertips touched the warm water. "I'll go slowly, you can get out."

Sheng Xuan wanted to continue rambling, but then she met Su Zhelan's flushed ears and tightly pursed lips—she was truly persevering.

He reluctantly withdrew his hand: "Alright! Just don't drop it, or Mr. Su Yan will definitely skin me alive!" He paced back and forth in the outer room, his ears perked up, afraid that even the slightest sound of bumping or knocking might come from inside.

Behind the screen, the sound of water was soft. As Su Zhelan took off his sweat-soaked clothes, the spot on his back where he had hit the wooden post still throbbed with pain. He slowly sat down in the bathtub, and the warm water washed over his shoulders, finally easing his tense muscles.

Halfway through washing, Shengxuan's voice suddenly came from the outer room: "I've put the clothes you need to change into on the screen! It's that silk shirt you said was comfortable last time!"

Su Zhelan paused, her hand holding the cloth, and whispered, "I know," her ears starting to burn again.

When he came out after changing his clothes, his hair was still dripping wet. Sheng Xuan was squatting by the charcoal brazier, drying his handkerchief. When he saw him come out, he immediately jumped up: "I told you you were slow! Your hair isn't even dry—" He was about to reach out to rub his hair when Su Zhelan turned her head away.

"Don't touch it, it'll get tangled." Su Zhelan took the handkerchief and wiped herself slowly, but she seemed more energetic than before.