An hour has passed since Yuan woke up from his sleep, but he hasn't been able to move, much less go anywhere because of Meixiu, who was hugging his body with incredible strength.
Fortunately, Yuan only had to wait a few more minutes before Meixiu woke up and realized the situation.
"I-I am sorry!" Meixiu quickly jumped out of the bed when she realized that she had been hugging him while in her sleep.
"It's okay," Yuan said in a calm voice.
"How long have you been awake?" Meixiu couldn't help but ask him.
"I don't know, but I've been awake for a bit now," he responded.
"W-Why didn't you wake me up if that was the case?"
"You were sleeping very peacefully, and I couldn't tell myself to wake you up in that state."
Meixiu blushed after hearing his words.
'Does this mean he has been watching my sleeping face this entire time?' she wondered inwardly.
"Anyways, now that you're awake, I can finally use the bathroom," Yuan said as he got off the bed and went to the bathroom.
"Not bad, Meixiu. Looks like you're finally showing your true self." Chu Lixuiang's voice suddenly resounded, causing Meixiu to look at her.
"Chu Liuxiang… It's not like that…" Meixiu refuted in a low voice.
"Who are you trying to fool? As someone who is deeply in love with Brother Yuan, I can tell when another girl is also in love with him. You're not benefiting anybody by lying to yourself."
Meixiu remained silent for a moment before releasing a deep sigh.
"You're right. I love him." Meixiu said as she looked at Chu Liuxiang with a confronting gaze.
Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "I know."
The two of them proceeded to silently stare at each other without blinking like they were in a staring contest.
After a long moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang broke the silence and said, "I wish you the best of luck."
She then left the bed and made her way outside the bedroom.
'I really don't understand her at all…' Meixiu shook her head afterward.
Sometime later, once they all washed their faces, they made their way to the silver restaurant for breakfast.
After their breakfast, they went to the training building for another day of training.
"Hey, Yuan." Wang Ming approached Yuan with a sword in his hands.
"Sorry, but I won't be able to spar with you today," Yuan said to him.
"Eh? Why not?"
"I already have enough experience with the sword, and I want to practice with the other weapons while I am still here, so I will be going to the other floors today. I am only here to let you know."
"I see. That's fine. I should probably take a few days off too." Wang Ming nodded.
"Well, let me know when you feel like sparring again."
"Okay."
Yuan left the first floor shortly after and went to the third floor since the second floor is also meant for swords.
Inside the gymnasium on the third floor, Yuan could see many disciples swinging and twirling their spears around like they were performing for a show; it was completely different from training with a sword.
"Hmm? Instructor, isn't that Player Yuan?" One of the disciples there notified the instructor when he noticed the masked man standing at the door.
The instructor, who was a bulky middle-aged man, turned to look at the door, and sure enough, it was Yuan.
He then approached Yuan and said, "You're Player Yuan, right? How may I help you?"
"I'd like to try wielding a spear— or even a staff," he said.
"Have you used one before?"
"No."
"I can teach you the basics if you want." The instructor offered.
"Thank you." Yuan nodded.
"Follow me."
The instructor brought Yuan to one of the main weapon racks there and said, "Pick whatever you want."
Yuan looked at the weapon racks that had many different kinds of polearms and was a little overwhelmed.
"Are they all spears? I don't know which one to choose."
"They are called polearms. A spear is only a variety of polearms. This one here is called a lance, and this one is called a halberd. They all have their pros and cons, but if you prefer something more balanced, I would recommend the staff."
"Which of them is the most popular? And which one of them is best for beginners?" Yuan then asked.
"I'd say the spear since they're lightweight and very flexible. The lance is basically a larger and heavier spear, allowing it to have much more raw power at the cost of speed and control. As for the halberd, they are mostly defensive, and they specialize in disarming your opponents."
"But since you're a beginner, I would recommend training with the staff first since it's basically a spear without the head. Once you're familiar with the staff, you'll also be familiar with the other polearms to a certain extent."
Yuan nodded, "Then I will start with the staff."
The instructor then showed him two different types of staff with one longer and thinner than the other.
"The thinner staff is more flexible and has a longer reach. The other one is shorter and thicker, but it's much easier to control and has more blunt force. If you're looking to practice with the spear afterward, I would recommend the former one. If you want to use the lance or halberd, then I would go for the thicker staff." The instructor said.
"I will start with the thinner one first," Yuan said.
"Alright." The instructor placed the other staff back in the weapon sack before taking Yuan to a more spacious area.
"The first thing you need to learn about the staff— or any polearm for that matter is how to properly hold it. If you don't know how to hold the weapon, you will never be able to use it at its full potential."
"I will now show you how to hold the staff properly."
Yuan nodded and proceeded to focus all of his attention on the instructor.