After two roasted chickens were devoured, Zhu Yu took his little disciple to warm up and digest, then began teaching her sword qi.
"Watch closely," Zhu Yu gathered his sword qi. "Sword qi is different from a sword embryo; it requires the heart to guide the qi, and the qi to take form."
Su Jinxue stood straight and attentive beside him, her eyes fixed on her master's hand.
The sword qi, at one moment, was like a swimming dragon, at another, like a startled swan.
It traced a graceful arc in the sunlight.
The most miraculous thing was:
Wherever the sword qi passed, it created ripples on the lake's surface, as if merging with the water.
"Superior Virtue is Like Water, benefiting all things without contention," Zhu Yu's voice was gentle, like flowing water. "Our sword qi should also be like this: soft but not weak, firm but not violent."
Su Jinxue pondered his words.
As she watched, she seemed to have an epiphany.
She reached out her small hand to touch the lake's surface, feeling the water flow through her fingers.
"Master, I... I think I've... grasped the knack..."
"Is that so?" Zhu Yu was surprised. "Then show it to your master."
"Yes!"
Su Jinxue held up her wooden sword and gently closed her eyes.
She recalled the sensation of practicing water sword techniques like "Flowing Blade" and "Piercing Stone" over the past two months.
She imagined the sword in her hand was a clear spring.
The sword moved with her will, and the qi was guided by her heart.
Suddenly, a faint green light appeared at the tip of her sword.
Zhu Yu was once again shocked by her talent.
This girl actually managed to summon sword qi on her very first attempt!
"Mas-Master!"
Su Jinxue's face was full of joy as she gazed at the wisp of sword qi at the sword tip, which undulated like flowing water.
"Did I... did I succeed?"
Zhu Yu suppressed the shock in his heart and praised her without reservation: "Excellent, our Xue'er is indeed a sword dao genius!"
Back when he was a tutor, he always praised the children in the private school.
His main approach was encouraging education.
Upon hearing his praise, Su Jinxue's eyes crinkled with a smile.
"But don't get conceited. Keep up the good work and try to use sword qi to splash water."
"Mhm!"
Su Jinxue responded and swung her wooden sword with full concentration.
The slender green sword qi floated towards the lake surface like a ribbon.
The moment it touched the water, it actually stirred up a small splash.
"Suc-succeeded!"
She cheered with joy, nearly jumping off the bluestone.
However, with this distraction, the sword qi vanished in a blink of an eye.
"Focus," Zhu Yu pressed down on her small head. "A chaotic mind disperses qi."
Su Jinxue stuck out her tongue, then calmed herself down again.
This time, the green sword qi at her sword tip was even more solidified than before.
It was like a nimble snake, winding and flowing in the air.
Zhu Yu's face remained placid, but his heart was already churning with tumultuous waves.
It usually takes sword cultivators at least three months, and often up to half a year, to cultivate sword qi.
Yet this girl succeeded after just one demonstration!
Not only that, she directly cultivated water-attribute sword qi, which was the most compatible with the Superior Virtue is Like Water cultivation method!
Darn it, why don't I have this kind of talent?
If I had this cultivation speed, would Xuan Ying still be able to ride over my head?
I would have long since taken charge and asserted my husbandly authority!
Under the warm sun, the lake surface shimmered with golden light.
Su Jinxue practiced tirelessly.
Her sword qi became more and more refined, eventually able to draw complete circles on the water's surface.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Zhu Yu finally spoke. "Cultivation should be gradual; biting off more than you can chew is not good."
Only then did Su Jinxue reluctantly put away her wooden sword.
Her small face was slightly pale from the depletion of spiritual energy, but her eyes were remarkably bright.
"Master, did I... did I do well?"
Zhu Yu understood.
He placed his large hand on her head:
"Our Xue'er is the best!"
"Hehe~"
Su Jinxue lifted her small face, her laughter drifting far away.
"Tired, aren't you?"
Zhu Yu conjured a wild fruit from behind his back as if by magic:
"Here, replenish some energy."
Su Jinxue cheered, took the wild fruit, and took a big bite.
Sweet and sour juice filled her mouth.
She leaned against her master, admiring the sun-drenched lake surface.
She thought to herself:
Such days are truly wonderful.
"Let's go, time to hunt," Zhu Yu waved for her to follow. "What do you want to eat? Rabbit or wild boar?"
Su Jinxue trotted to his side:
"Disciple wants... wants to eat fish!"
"I want to eat the fish Master catches!"
Zhu Yu's steps paused.
"Ah, fish... that's fine too."
He coughed and said to Su Jinxue:
"Xue'er, you've been practicing sword all day and must be tired. Your master will send you back to rest first. For fishing, your master can go by himself."
"Master, disciple... is not tired!"
Saying this, she even bounced in place to show how energetic she was.
But was it a matter of whether she was tired or not?
This was a matter of her master's dignity!
Zhu Yu met his little disciple's expectant gaze and coaxed:
"Xue'er, fishing is about calming the mind and cultivating one's character; it requires absolute focus..."
"Dis-disciple can be quiet!"
Su Jinxue immediately covered her small mouth, blinking her eyes at him, and muffledly said:
"I promise... not to make a sound..."
It wasn't that Zhu Yu didn't want to bring her.
It was just that...
He couldn't fish!
In the past, he always caught fish by using sword qi to blast the lake.
If he came up empty-handed in front of his disciple, his master's dignity would be completely swept away!
"How about this," Zhu Yu had a sudden inspiration, "Your master will teach you a fun little trick today, which happens to be related to fishing."
Su Jinxue's attention was indeed diverted: "A lit-little trick?"
"Precisely," Zhu Yu pointed his sword finger towards the lake. "Watch closely, this move is called 'Swimming Fish Playing in Water'."
He watched as sword qi swirled at his fingertip, transforming into a small green fish that leaped into the water.
The sword qi fish swam agilely in the water.
It actually started chasing the schools of fish in the lake.
"Wow!" Su Jinxue lay on the bank, captivated. "Mas-Master is so amazing!"
Zhu Yu felt a lightness in his heart and continued to demonstrate:
"Simple sword qi transformation, would you like to give it a try?"
His little disciple's spirits lifted, and she mimicked his actions, condensing sword qi.
Although the shape wasn't quite like a fish yet, it could still manage to swim in the water.
"Yes, just like that."
Zhu Yu stroked his non-existent beard with satisfaction.
"Once you've mastered it, we'll have our dinner sorted tonight."
As the sun set, the reflections of the master and disciple, one large and one small, gently swayed on the lake's surface.
Su Jinxue focused intently on practicing the newly learned sword technique.
She had completely forgotten about fishing.
Zhu Yu looked at her profile, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving upwards.
Having such a cute and exceptionally talented little disciple certainly made life less boring.
"Master, look!"
Su Jinxue suddenly cheered.
"I... I caught a fish!"
Zhu Yu looked into the water.
The small fish formed by Su Jinxue's sword qi was pushing a real fish towards the shore.
He clapped his hands and laughed:
"Good Xue'er! Your master will also lend you a hand! Tonight we'll have a full fish feast!"
Then, he shot sword qi from his fingertip, which flew into the lake to catch fish.
Although the efficiency was not as high as blasting the lake, it was full of fun.
Especially when it was with his little disciple.
With her master joining in, Su Jinxue became even more enthusiastic about catching fish.
Soon, two small fish were thrown onto the bank.
These two are for Master to make soup with!
By the lake.
Two figures, one large and one small, were stretched long by the setting sun.
In the distant mountain forest, a few bird calls could be faintly heard, as if providing accompaniment for this joyful time between master and disciple.