✓𝐀𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 『𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔』

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 28

Guidance and Grace

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒃𝒚 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘"
-𝑱𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒂

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

MK didn't know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't this. The boy was jolted awake by Lian Xiu as soon as the clock struck midnight. They started with basic training exercises—simple routines you'd find at any gym. He had imagined mystical techniques or ancient secrets, not this grueling physical workout.

"87 more to go! You can do it, kiddo!" Lian Xiu encouraged, clapping her hands while balancing effortlessly on his back. She had tasked him with a hundred sit-ups first, and now he was struggling through the same number of extreme push-ups. The rest of the workout would be revealed only after he completed this second exercise, which was already making his arms buckle under the strain.

"Why... is this... necessary?" he asked, his breath strained, as he mentally counted to 14. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his muscles screaming in protest.

The woman pinched his side, making him yelp and lose balance, his face planting against the metallic floor. "You're plump. And you lack the muscle to even deal fatal blows. I could bet you're only depending on that staff's power to eliminate your enemies."

MK groaned, slapped with the hard truth. He pushed himself up slightly, only to realize Lian Xiu was still perched on his back, her weight a constant reminder of his current struggle. "You need to work on your core muscles to manage that weapon smoothly like it's merely a stick," she continued, her tone unwavering. "Other than that, what do you aim to do without that staff?"

"Get the staff back," he replied immediately, his voice muffled against the floor. His response was met with a flick on the back of his head, making him groan again.

She sighed and shook her head, shifting slightly but still firmly seated on his back. "Looks like you'll be starting at level zero."

MK couldn't help but feel a bit defeated, but he knew she was right. He had been relying too much on the staff's power. He needed to be strong enough to fight without it. He needed to be able to stand on his own.

"Level zero, huh?" he said, trying to muster some humor. "Well, I guess there's no way to go but up."

"Exactly," Lian Xiu replied, a small smile forming on her lips. "We start from the basics. Strength, endurance, agility. You need to build a strong foundation before you can handle the more advanced techniques. That's the basics of everything."

The blue giant emerged from his humble abode, carrying a tray of aromatic herbal tea, his main feline friend following close behind. "Wanna take a little break? It's pretty cold out here, so I made you guys some tea and cookies," he offered with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Wuji— Oh, uh, I mean, Sandy." Pigsy and Tang's names were easy to remember since they resembled the ones she knew from her past. But this guy, who looked so much like Sha Wujing, was called Sandy, a name that felt like a far cry from her past memories. "I apologize if we're bothering you this late at night," she added, feeling slightly awkward.

"Don't worry about it, Miss Ying Xiu. My place is always open for my dear friends. Besides, I haven't seen you guys in a while. I'd love to hang out with you and MK," he said with a dopey smile that was both comforting and disarming. Lian Xiu couldn't help but feel a sense of luck and gratitude for befriending these kind people in her current life.