train
Ji nodded: "I don't know much about this." His tone was full of trust in Bu Jiu. "Go on, I'm listening."
Bu Jiu felt that there were many things involved and he didn't know where to start. He could only ponder for a moment and organize his thoughts: "Ling Gu, according to the relationship between mortals, should be considered my elder brother. We have chosen completely different paths."
"As for that Venerable One..." Bu Jiu paused, his fingertips unconsciously tracing a path across the table, leaving faint watermarks. "Yun Shen Dao Zun only ever called him 'Senior Brother,' and his name is now lost to history. All that is known is that he was once an unparalleled genius within the temple."
At this point, he gave Ji Wang a deep look: "But his thoughts went against those of Daoist Yun Shen, even leading to his betrayal of his sect and a complete break between the two. Knowing that Yun Shen was the essential 'key'..."
Bu Jiu's voice became hoarse: "He did not hesitate to harm all his fellow disciples, using the entire world as leverage to force Yun Shen to hand over all his spiritual power."
Ji Wang gasped. He couldn't imagine how horrific the scene must have been, nor could he fathom the state of mind of Daoist Yun Shen, who had been betrayed by his closest senior brother and driven to such a desperate situation.
“Yun Shen Dao Zun…” Ji Wang’s voice trembled slightly.
Bu Jiu's voice was so low it was almost inaudible: "He burned his divine soul and all his spiritual power, annihilating himself and severely injuring that Venerable One, in exchange for this seemingly peaceful century."
He looked at Ji Wang: "So, Ji Wang, if he captures you, it will not only mean the loss of control of power, but also that... the sacrifice of Daoist Yun Shen back then will be meaningless."
The heavy words weighed on his shoulders like an invisible mountain. Ji Wang was momentarily stunned.
He not only faced the man's covetousness head-on, but also suddenly stumbled into the blood feud between Bu Jiu and his relatives that had been hidden for hundreds of years.
Ji Wang reached out and placed his hand on Bu Jiu's slightly curled knuckles, which were resting on the table.
“Whoever he is,” Ji Wang said in a low voice, “he is our enemy now, and that’s enough for me.”
He didn't press for details, but simply stated his position in the most direct way: "So where do we go next?"
Bu Jiu withdrew his hand and made a dot on the almost dried-up map: "Wu Wang Yuan".
"Wuwangyuan?" Ji Wang seemed to be familiar with this name.
“That’s Cloud Recesses… one of the places where spiritual energy remained back then. The aura is chaotic and can interfere with Ling Gu’s tracking. There might be clues related to your memories hidden there,” Bu Jiu said. “We must make you stronger, or… figure out what the Venerable One wants to use you as a ‘key’ to unlock.”
He added, “Your injuries need to heal as soon as possible. Next, I will teach you more practical life-saving techniques, as well as a few killing moves. The process will be very difficult, and you will not have the option to stop.”
His words were unquestionable, as if they had returned to the time when the two first met.
But Ji Wang could read the anxiety and worry that he was suppressing beneath his tightly pursed lips.
Ji Wang put away all his playful thoughts and said seriously, "I understand. I can handle it."
When Bu Jiu truly began to teach, Ji Wang finally understood what the phrase "there is no room to stop" meant.
The teaching methods employed by Bujiu were almost cruel.
Each talisman must be drawn with the perfect precision in the flow of spiritual energy; the slightest stagnation will result in the willow branch striking the wrist.
The angle and force of each sword move are strictly limited. Bu Jiu will always stop him when he makes a mistake in exerting force or when his old injury is about to be aggravated. After finding that there is no serious problem, he will start from the beginning.
Sweat quickly soaked Ji Wang's hair and clothes, and the wound on his shoulder blade repeatedly tested the edge of the limit, sending waves of burning and throbbing pain through him.
He gritted his teeth but remained silent, simply following Bu Jiu's instructions, adjusting and repeating the process time and time again.
Finally, after a sword move that required a large twist and thrust, a sharp pain came. Although it did not actually tear the wound, it was enough to make him groan. The tip of the sword touched the ground, and he supported himself on his knees, panting heavily.
"I'm like this..." Ji Wang gasped for breath, sweat dripping down his chin, his voice trembling, "Is it really okay?" He was referring not only to the injuries, but also to this seemingly exhausting training method.
Bu Jiu held the willow branch and stood quietly in front of him.
He looked at Ji Wang's pale face and slightly trembling arms, his eyes filled with pity, but his tone remained calm and even: "Take a break?"
Ji Wang looked up, sweat stinging his eyes. He forced a fierce smile and wiped his face with the back of his hand, which wasn't holding a sword: "It's not that bad!"
He straightened up again, took a deep breath, and assumed the starting stance once more.
He could complain, he could cry out in pain, but he could never show weakness in front of Bu Jiu, especially after learning about the past.
Seeing his forced composure, Bu Jiu tightened his grip on the willow branch slightly, but ultimately said nothing more.
After several hours, the two quickly ate lunch, rested for a while, and then resumed their practice.
Ji Wang was completely focused, trying to channel his spiritual power into the tip of his sword to complete an extremely tricky diagonal slash. As he exerted force, a pain shot through the wound on his shoulder blade, causing him to sway.
A swift green shadow swept over, bringing with it a slightly cool breeze. Huai Qing had clearly just woken up from a dream, her clothes not yet fully tidied.
He caught Ji Wang's staggering body and quickly ran his fingertips over several acupoints, temporarily suppressing the sharp pain.
He then turned to Bu Jiu, his usually smiling face now filled with shock and anger: "Are you crazy?! He's seriously injured, his qi and blood are both depleted! How could you let him circulate his spiritual energy like that and make such violent movements? Do you think his injuries are too minor, or do you think he'll live too long?!"
Huaiqing's harsh reprimand was like a spark that instantly ignited the reluctance, anxiety, and deep-seated helplessness that Bujiu had suppressed throughout the entire training session.
Bu Jiu's knuckles turned white as he gripped the willow branch. He looked up at Huai Qing, and the suppressed emotions in his eyes finally broke through his facade: "You think I want this?!"
This cry was no longer the usual self-restraint, but carried obvious pain. He was questioning Huaiqing, but even more so, he was questioning himself.
"You think I want to see him like this?!" Bu Jiu's gaze swept over Ji Wang's sweat-drenched face. "Ling Gu has already locked onto his aura! He won't give us much time! Are we just going to let him recover step by step? By the time he's healed, the enemy will have already come knocking! What will we do then? Let him sacrifice himself again?!"
He practically roared out those last words, as the sense of powerlessness that had been building up for three hundred years finally erupted at that moment.
How could he not feel heartache? Every time the willow branch was placed on Ji Wang's wound, it felt like it was being placed on his own body, but he had no other choice.
Huaiqing was stunned by his sudden outburst, opened her mouth, and was speechless for a moment.
He looked at Bu Jiu's reddened eyes and violently heaving chest, and at Ji Wang's complicated expression because of this conversation, and finally just sighed heavily.
Ji Wang struggled to stand up and gently pushed away Huai Qing's supporting hand.
"I'm fine." He looked at Bu Jiu, his eyes devoid of complaint. "Continue."
No one responded, and the courtyard fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of a few people.
After a long silence, Bu Jiu spoke first: "I'm sorry."
He wasn't sure if he was speaking to Ji Wang or Huai Qing: "Let's call it a day for now, everyone take a rest."
He didn't look back, but walked straight into his house, his figure quickly disappearing into the gradually dimming light.
Huaiqing rubbed his temples helplessly: "You two..." He helped Ji Wang up, "Stop looking, everyone's gone. Hurry back, let me check your wound, make sure it doesn't really reopen."
Ji Wang let Huai Qing support him as they slowly walked back. The exhaustion and pain in his body were now clearly felt, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions because of Bu Jiu's out-of-control words and his last "sorry".
Huaiqing carefully treated Ji Wang's wounds again. Some kind of miraculous medicine nourished the damaged muscles, and the relief brought on Ji Wang almost made him fall asleep.
"Alright." Huaiqing put away the medicine bottle, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness. "He controlled it very well, the wound is perfectly fine, the blood on the bandage was just a little seepage on the surface, it was a false alarm."
He paused, looked at Ji Wang, his expression somewhat complicated: "Could you apologize to him for me?"
Ji Wang was somewhat puzzled: "Why don't you go in person, senior?" He recalled Bu Jiu's earlier outburst and Huai Qing's reprimand; the two clearly needed to communicate.
Huaiqing gently shook her head: "We've known each other for too long. Some things become harder to say the longer you know someone.
He patted Ji Wang's uninjured shoulder, with a sense of entrustment: "Go ahead. Some things are more effective if you say them than if I do."
Ji Wang seemed to understand something. He nodded and walked towards Bu Jiu's room.
Ji Wang stopped in front of the door, hesitated for a moment, and finally raised his hand to gently knock on the door.
"No blame?" he called out.
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened halfway.
"What is it?" Bu Jiu's voice returned to its usual tone, with a slight hoarseness in it.
Ji Wang obediently relayed Huai Qing's words: "I... my wound has been treated, and... Senior Huai Qing apologized."
Bu Jiu seemed surprised by what he would say, and the fingertips resting on the door curled slightly.
After a long while, he asked in a low voice, "And you, are you angry with me?"
There was no explanation, no defense; he simply and directly asked the question that mattered most to him.
Ji Wang looked into his eyes, which were slightly moist after he finished asking the question, and felt as if his heart had been gently squeezed by an invisible hand, making him feel extremely sore and weak.
He immediately shook his head without the slightest hesitation: "No. Never."
He took a small step forward, closing the distance between them: "I know why you did this. I understand. If there's anything I'm angry about... I only blame myself for feeling pain from such a small injury."
“…Fool.” Bu Jiu uttered two words in a low voice, “And now? Does it still hurt?”
"It doesn't hurt anymore," Ji Wang replied immediately, even trying to move his shoulder to prove it, but was stopped by Bu Jiu's look.
"Then, would you like to come in and rest?" Bu Jiu seemed to remember what Ji Wang had said yesterday, and stepped aside to open the door.
Ji Wang's eyes lit up, and he nodded hurriedly. As if afraid that Bu Jiu would regret it, he slipped inside and walked familiarly to the soft couch covered with animal skin.
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