Shu Yue was careful to keep her face neutral as she read the scroll. The last thing she wanted was for Lu Baiyu to see her shock and anger and become suspicious. If Lu Baiyu claimed it was his secret manual, then Shu Yue was not supposed to know about this. She had to pretend she'd never heard of this sword technique. She needed to figure out what was going on first.
No wonder the sword stances looked familiar to her. She saw them once from her father. They even dared to change its name from Silver Moon Claws to Claw of the Eternal Beast.
The Ophiuchus Clan possessed five high-level sword arts. However, thirty-eight years ago, the seventh-generation leader of the Ophiuchus Clan was executed for treason, and the clan was stripped of its title as one of the Zodiacs--the great clans of the Luo Empire.
Following that, some clans took advantage of the clan's demise to steal their martial arts manuals, which the emperor allowed to happen. An imperial decree was even issued to confiscate their ancient sword art manuals, including the abridged versions, as additional punishment and most likely to hold them in check. Ophiuchus was once the strongest clan, so the emperor had to change that by suppressing their influence and power. No longer part of the Zodiac, Ophiuchus must be weakened to prevent them from becoming a threat to the Twelve Great Clans and the imperial family.
No one from the Ophiuchus Clan should have a single copy of any of those five powerful techniques. The previous clan leader was able to teach Shu Liang, his son and now the current clan leader the first parts of the five ancient sword techniques, which was why Shu Liang knew some of the stances even without a manual.
So, how did Lu Baiyu acquire this scroll?
Time stopped and all sound went muffled in her ears as a myriad of thoughts ran through her mind.
"...Chen." Lu Baiyu's voice snapped Shu Yue out of her reverie. "Young Lady Chen?"
Shu Yue realized she was lost in her thoughts and didn't hear the rest of what Lu Baiyu said.
Oh, damn!
Shu Yue arranged her face in a studied embarrassment and smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry, Master. I'm so engrossed and mesmerized by this sword technique. Each form has three minor sub-forms, and its attacks resemble the claws of a wild beast. It also said that this sword skill uses force chi to perform." She looked up at Lu Baiyu, her eyes full of feigned awe.
Lu Baiyu smiled proudly. "That's right. And let me tell you, the damage it causes to the target is greater than all of our clan's techniques combined."
"What a good sword technique!" Shu Yue exclaimed. It truly was an amazing sword art, but she couldn't be distracted now. She needed to figure out how Lu Baiyu got this copy without raising his suspicions. She cocked her head, summoning a curious look on her face. "Where did this technique come from, master?"
For a second, wariness shone in Lu Baiyu's eyes. Then his mouth quirked in a sly grin. "That will remain a secret. For now."
"I understand, master," Shu Yue said ever so politely. She cringed inwardly. It took her a lot of effort to keep the bitter laugh from bursting out of her mouth. She despised calling this human her master, but she had to keep up this facade.
It's not the time to strike yet.
Lu Baiyu gave her a few minutes to study the Claw of the Eternal Beast. It didn't take long for Shu Yue to understand and memorize the contents of the bamboo scroll. Ready to begin her training, she unstrapped her bamboo sword and swung it around, as if testing it out. It whistled as it cut through the air. As usual, she didn't remove the sheath.
Shu Yue took in a deep breath, and then circulated her chi to send energy into her weapon. The bamboo stick glowed with a faint blue light. She almost dropped her sword when its weight suddenly increased, although she already expected this as it was written on the scroll.
Lu Baiyu's face lit up as he watched her. "Good, you're doing quite well. Now you can notice the change in your weapon. Don't worry, once your body gets used to the sword art, the weight of your weapon will be nothing."
Shu Yue nodded with a smile on her face, and then concentrated on her bamboo sword.
"Now that your weapon is ready, I want to see you perform," Lu Baiyu said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will check your postures and movements."
Recalling the instructions in the scroll, Shu Yue tightened her grip on the bamboo stick. Then she spun around and aimed her weapon at a nearby bamboo. It hit the tall bamboo with a thump. A creaking sound echoed throughout the forest as the bamboo stalk cracked in the middle.
The clang of swords stopped, and the bamboo forest went silent at once. All the disciples turned their gaze at Shu Yue, who was still staring at the crack in the middle of the bamboo. She tilted her head, examining her handiwork, then turned to Lu Baiyu.
The old man's face creased in concentration as he stared at the cracked bamboo cane. Based on the look on his face, Shu Yue didn't do great. But she expected it because she didn't give her all, and she wasn't used to wielding heavy weapons.
"Your posture and movement are correct," Lu Baiyu commented as he stroked his chin. "But your attack did not do much damage to the target. Try to put more force into your weapon."
"Okay, master," Shu Yue said meekly.
"Ye Fan!" Lu Baiyu called, and a young man stepped forward.
Ye Fan was of average height and build, with broad shoulders, and dressed in a dark blue robe with a purple belt. His long, black hair and wide sleeves swayed in the breeze as he walked.
Shu Yue remembered him, of course. He was one of the disciples on whom she had bet three weeks ago in the sparring competition. He was the one who was able to win the spar without resorting to excessive violence.
Ye Fan bowed his head in front of Lu Baiyu. "Master."
"Go ahead and show her," Lu Baiyu said. "Keep your sword sheathed."
Ye Fan nodded in understanding, then walked towards the tall bamboo trees. Clutching his sword, he whirled around and thrust forward in a straight attack. As the tip of his sword sheath slammed into the thick bamboo, a gust of wind blew over, sending the bamboo stalks swaying and the leaves rustling.
Shu Yue shielded her face as several bamboo shattered into pieces.
Ye Fan raised his sword in the air. The sun glinted off the blade, and the lower hem of his robe and his sleeves fluttered dramatically in the wind. He then turned to face them and offered a small bow of his head, a little sheepishly.
Lu Baiyu was nodding, a look of pride and satisfaction on his face.
He was good, Shu Yue would give him that. Recalling the scene of him fighting in the sparring ground, Ye Fan seemed to have greatly improved. Of course he did; he was now learning the Claw of the Eternal Beast, a powerful sword art unrivaled by the techniques their clan currently owned.
Ye Fan walked over to her and stuck out his hand, a kind smile on his face. "Pleased to meet you, Chen Hui. I'm Ye Fan."
Shu Yue politely returned his smile and shook his hand. "That was amazing."
"Thanks," Ye Fan said and gave her a small, sheepish smile. "I've wanted to spar with you ever since I saw you at the sparring ground, but since I'm now learning this powerful sword art, I'm willing to wait a few days and let you train in the Claw of the Eternal Beast before we spar, just to be fair."
"I look forward to it." Shu Yue flashed him a grin. "I watched your match. To be honest, I placed my bet on you at the time, and you didn't disappoint me."
"Well, the fight took longer than I expected, though." Ye Fan chuckled lightly as he scratched the nape of his neck.
That's because you're a gentle warrior.
That was what Shu Yue observed from him back at the sparring ground. Ye Fan was careful not to seriously injure his opponent during the fight that he missed multiple chances to knock him out and almost lost as a result. The sparring match, which should have lasted only a minute or two, lasted much longer.
Shu Yue almost regretted betting on him at the time because she feared he would lose due to his hesitation.
Ye Fan seemed to be the type who detested violence and cruelty. As much as he could, he wanted to avoid them.
"You won and I got my money, that's what matters." Shu Yue shrugged nonchalantly.
The six disciples trained for two hours straight before Lu Baiyu called it a day. Shu Yue untied the bottle gourd from her waist and drank two mouthfuls of water. A warm breeze blew through the forest, bringing with it a very familiar scent. An ominous smile crept across her face as she envisioned a man with long silver-white hair, fox ears, and a tail.
You're finally here, my dear fox.
There was a rustle of leaves behind her, and then Xiao Ran emerged from the bamboo bushes. His face was still and expressionless as he ambled toward his master, his golden eyes fixed only on her. He didn't so much as glance at the others as if they didn't exist at all.
The five disciples fell silent as they followed the fox demi-human with their gaze. Meanwhile, Lu Baiyu had a frown on his face as he looked at Xiao Ran.
"Well, look who's here!" the man with sharp features exclaimed with a bitter smile when Xiao Ran walked past him. He looked at Shu Yue and said, "If I'm not mistaken, this is your pet, right?"
"Fa Xiang!" Ye Fan hissed, shooting him a look by way of reprimand.
Fa Xiang shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, what do you call an animal who follows you around? A pet, of course."
The other disciples chuckled as if Fa Xiang had cracked some very funny joke. Only Ye Fan didn't laugh, scowling at Fa Xiang in disapproval.
Shu Yue narrowed her eyes at Fa Xiang. "Animal?"
Fa Xiang furrowed his brow in confusion. "Yeah? Isn't that what he is? Look at those nasty ears and tail. How disgraceful. I'm really ashamed of those humans who hook up with beasts. Even if beasts can take on human forms, it's still unpleasant."
Shu Yue's stomach twisted in revulsion. She clenched her fists, hard, and her nails dug into her palms. Staying patient and calm were things she could do as easily as breathing. But if her fox was involved, it was a different story.
No one insults my fox. No one insults the demi-humans.
Xiao Ran's expression remained unchanged as he walked as though he didn't hear the insults thrown at him. He halted next to Shu Yue and spoke in that gentle voice of his that was only reserved for her. "Young Mistress."
Shu Yue met his gaze and knew right away what he wanted to say without him having to speak.
"How is he?" Shu Yue asked in a quiet voice.
"Don't worry, he's not unhappy."
A thin smile flickered at the corners of Shu Yue's mouth. "Well done, Xiao Ran. I knew you'd never disappoint me."
Xiao Ran smiled softly.
"Woah, have you seen that?" Fa Xiang blurted out. "He just wagged his tail! Say, did your dear master compliment you?" His shoulders shook as he gave a mocking laugh.
"Seriously, Fa Xiang." Ye Fan sighed in exasperation, shaking his head.
Fa Xiang pretended not to hear him. He turned to face Shu Yue. "But, honestly, he doesn't look bad. Maybe that's why you don't mind him following you around like a puppy."
"What's your name?" Shu Yue asked casually.
"It's Fa Xiang."
"Nice meeting you, Fa Xiang." The smile on Shu Yue's face was so gentle, yet there was something enigmatic about it, something dangerous.