<h4>Chapter 24-Foundations 5</h4>


    The exhausting routine of Elder Zhou’s training the next day passed by in a blur. The Elder worked them to the bone, drilling the basics of unarmedbat into her and the other students unfamiliar with it on top of the usual physical conditioning and qi diffusing.


    The training was rewarding. Ling Qi could feel herself gradually growing stronger and tougher with every day even as her dantian continued to grow as well.


    That didn’t mean she wasn’t relieved to finally settle into the mineral spring with Gu Xin afterward. The water felt amazing as the warmth seeped in and sapped the aches and fatigue from her limbs.


    She almost felt a little bad for kind of tuning out on what Gu Xin was actually talking about. Gu Xin had gone off on a tangent about some kind of skin cleansing and protecting oils from her home province, how she wished she had brought more to the sect with her, and how she was worried she might begin to tan. Ling Qi wasn’t foolish enough to actually ignore the other girl, but it could be hard to keep her attention on Gu Xin’s inane ramblings.


    “That aside, I hear you managed to receive a prize from Elder Su yesterday afternoon. Congrattions. It’s good to see that you aren’t satisfied with only excelling in one branch of cultivation.”


    Ling Qi forced herself to focus on the blurred form of herpanion through the steam rising from the gently bubbling spring.


    “Ah, yeah. I need all of the advantages I can get, right?


    “Thank you. I just wish I hadn’t had to stand up in front of everyone and make even more of a target of myself.” Ling Qi sank further down into the water with a gloomy expression.


    “I will never understand your aversion to attention.” Gu Xin responded with a sigh, resting her cheek in her hand as she looked at Ling Qi through the steam. “But I suppose that is a different kind of charm. Perhaps it is for the best anyway.”


    Ling Qi didn’t want the other girl to start rambling again so she quickly changed the subject. “Why don’t you attend Elder Su’s lessons anyway? I’ve seen Han Jian there a couple times and now that I think about it, Fan Yu and Han Fang as well never you though. Howe?”


    “Well as much as an Elder’s teaching is useful, I know the majority of what she is teaching already.” Gu Xin shrugged, idly brushing a few damp strands of her loose hair out of her eyes.


    “My family has a strong focus on the spiritual arts so I have quite a lot to practice as it is. I intend to master the second technique of my n’s movement art soon. I have been preparing to open another channel for it this week.”


    “Oh,” Ling Qi responded, leaning back against the wall of the chamber. “Should I be focusing more on arts instead of the lessons?”


    “No. For one of your station, they are quite necessary. I imagine I could learn quite a lot about the theory if I took the time to attend. I admit, I have no talent for such things, and I have little use for academic minutiae,” Gu Xin said. Ling Qi had a sneaking suspicion that Li Suyin and Gu Xin wouldn’t get along.


    “Spiritual cultivation should be a thing of passion and instinct, not rote memorization and repetition. I could hardly master my n’s arts with such a mindset.”


    Ling Qi frowned, feeling a little offended on Elder Su’s behalf, but she knew Gu Xin probably had more reasons than she was sharing. “Alright. Do you know if Han Jian has any free time?”


    Gu Xin gave her a sharp, dangerous look, and Ling Qi winced.


    “I was wondering if you and the others were getting together for any training is all,” Ling Qi hastily rified. “I – I thought that we could try to share some insights and work on our group tactics or... something?”


    Gu Xin’s expression softened, and she nodded.


    “Hm. Now that Yu hase back out from seclusion, I believe Jian was considering something like that for this afternoon. I suppose you cane along.”


    Later, when descending the mountain with Gu Xin, they met up with Han Jian and Han Fang.


    “Oh, Ling Qi?” Han Jian greeted politely. “I didn’t know you wereing.” Han Jian’s cousin merely gave her a curious look from where he stood behind Han Jian.


    “I shall have to take responsibility,” Gu Xin replied airily. “I thought I might like another sparring partner.”


    “Well, that’s fine,” Han Jian said with a pleasant nod.


    “Congrattions on winning Elder Su’s contest this week,” the tall boy said sincerely.


    “Thank you,” Ling Qi replied with a small bow.


    “If you’re going to join us, you should know that I’m going to be absent for most of next week,” Han Jian said with a wry smile. “So this will be the only session for a little while.”


    Ling Qi fell in beside Han Fang as they began to leave the training field, returning the mute boy’s friendly nod as she did so. “What do you mean? Did something happen?”


    Han Jian’s smile grew proud. “I n to break through to the Yellow Soul Realm soon. I’ll have to inform Elder Zhou just in case the breakthrough stretches on a bit,” he responded cheerfully. “Maybe once I do, I can get that so-called tiger of mine to actually join me instead ofzing around the house like a big furry lump.”


    “Hmph. Heijin is adorable and you should not speak of him so,” Gu Xin replied yfully. “Still, I am happy for you, Jian,” she added with a genuinely affectionate smile. “I will not be far behind you.”


    It looked like Ling Qi couldn’t getcent. Even if she was advancing, everyone else was too. She watched quietly as Han Fang pped his cousin on the back.


    “Congrattions, Han Jian,” she said afterward. “Where are we going though?”


    “There’s another training field further down the mountain that’s a little more private. It has a view sealing formation and everything. I managed to reserve it,” Han Jian exined.


    “A sealing formation means nobody can watch the field from outside, at least not with the sort of arts young cultivators like us have ess to. It’s better not to show off all your tricks in public, you know?”


    Ling Qi nodded in understanding. That was a good thing. She certainly couldn’t trust random observers to have benevolent intentions. She nced at Gu Xin, wondering what the other girl thought of it. She preferred showing off, didn’t she?


    Gu Xin caught her look and pouted at her. “Come now. It’s not as if I cannot understand the importance of timing and presentation. New moves should be revealed when properly mastered, not when they are half finished.”


    “Sorry,” Ling Qi responded, not quite joining in as Han Fang cracked a smile and Han Jian chuckled.


    “Will Fan Yu be joining us?” she asked. It was probably better to get this out of the way.


    “... He’s probably already there,” Han Jian responded, smile fading. “Yu’s been going a little nuts with training since the test.” She thought he looked conflicted.


    “Look... We talked to him so try to keep calm, alright?”


    She nodded, but she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn’t dread this a bit. The rest of the walk went by quickly enough, their chatter turning to idle things until they reached a set of high gray gates that opened onto an empty grassy field.


    It was surprising watching Han Jian vanish as he stepped between them, but she had already decided to trust the group, so she didn’t hesitate to follow. She felt an odd tingling on her skin as she passed through the gate and entered the field, bringing the others back in sight.


    That included Fan Yu.


    The broad shouldered boy stood opposite Han Jian, a heavily weighted training spear on his shoulder. He was positively drenched with sweat, and she briefly wondered just how long he had been here. It only took a moment after she entered the field for his eyes to shift to her.


    Ling Qi found herself growing tense as his expression soured. She clenched her fists, but nheless, she spoke up, keeping any quaver out of her voice. She didn’t want to let this jerk ruin things between her and the others.


    “I’m sorry for snapping at you,” she said tly. “And I’m sorry that Bai Meizhen went too far.” She did her best to sound sincere despite not really feeling it.


    Fan Yu’s nostrils red and he scowled, his own fists clenching. “It is nothing,” he ground out. “I apologize for my usations.”


    “Well,” Gu Xin cut in, voice light. “Let us not dwell on such minor things. We are all friends here.” She gave her fiance a pleading look.


    Ling Qi had to hold back a snort ofughter as the other boy’s expression immediately softened. Gu Xin had the boy wrapped around her fingers.


    “Alright,” Han Jian spoke up.


    “So, this training thing... I was thinking that we’d work on our coordination and response times and get used to working with everyone’s arts running at the same time. Between Ling Qi and I, the increase in everyone’s ability is pretty significant, and that can throw us off if we’re not used to it.”


    Ling Qi let out a breath and rxed. Fan Yu obviously still disliked her, but he was willing to hold his peace for Gu Xin’s sake. She almost felt a moment of pity for the boy. It was bing clear that he had actual feelings for the other girl, which she was almost certain were not returned by Gu Xin.


    She put such thoughts aside as Han Jian began to direct them to different positions. She spent the rest of the afternoon with Han Jian and the others practicing her marksmanship with Gu Xin’s help and improving her ability to act in concert with others while following Han Jian’smands.


    It helped to simply get morebat experience as well. Despite the other girl’s statement, she found herself sparring mostly with Han Fang. Han Jian, perhaps wisely, put Gu Xin and Fan Yu together while switching in and out of the pairs himself when someone needed a breather.


    For all that he easily faded into the background, Ling Qi found that she enjoyed Han Fang’spany. The mute boy was patient and good natured about her asional blunders in their spars and partner work. She could appreciate the quiet, which allowed her to concentrate on her own efforts.


    She really felt that she was improving.