Zhan Chun - Chapter 42
His tears started flowing immediately and he couldn't stop them no matter what.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When Yang Shen got up, it was almost noon. He pushed open the door and saw Yi Chun sitting upright at the doorway, her back straight as a needle.
He asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"
Yichun looked up at him seriously and said, "I'm afraid you might do something rash, so it's better for me to sit here and keep watch."
He couldn't help but chuckle, but at the same time, he felt a pang of sadness. Her eyes were redder than a rabbit's, and her forced cheerfulness was both pitiful and laughable.
Yang Shen tugged at the back of her collar and whispered, "Get up and go to sleep."
Seeing him walk forward without turning his head, Yichun quickly called out, "Where are you going?"
He didn't turn around, his voice tinged with a smile: "Just getting breakfast, where did you think I was going?"
Yichun breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body went limp, and she covered her mouth and yawned.
Yang Shen took two steps and said softly, "I'm making braised chicken today. If you don't sleep, you won't get any."
She immediately jumped up from the ground and ran towards her guest room.
He suddenly turned around and shouted, "Ge Yichun! You idiot, you're a real donkey!"
Yichun scratched her head blankly at him, but he just smiled and shook his head, then disappeared like a gust of wind.
Several months passed in the blink of an eye. Life at Shujun Villa was very leisurely; to put it bluntly, it was nothing more than eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating again.
In my leisure time, I would listen to Shu Jun burn incense and play the zither; when I had nothing to do, I would play Go with Little Pumpkin; and occasionally I would follow Yang Shen to learn how to make braised chicken, only to end up with a bowl of charcoal.
In the end, Yichun discovered that what he was best at was fighting with a sword.
Often when she and Yang Shen were sparring, Shu Jun would sit beside them, half-asleep and watching, while Little Pumpkin would mischievously point and gesture: "What kind of move is that? How silly! Young Master Yang, are you imitating a frog?"
Yang Shen usually ignored him, but if the argument got too heated, he would turn around and glare at him: "Who looks like a celestial being when they practice martial arts?"
Little Pumpkin immediately followed the lead and recommended his master: "My master is him! Don't believe me? Let him show you some swordsmanship!"
The two people on the field turned to look at Shu Jun at the same time. He was wearing a pure white robe, spotless, with long hair like clouds scattered on the stone table, and his ten fingers were so white that they looked almost translucent.
I can't imagine a character sweating profusely while practicing martial arts.
Shu Jun put down his teacup, adopting an air of "I am your master, here to guide you," and lightly tapped Yi Chun with his finger: "You always rely on your small and agile body, deliberately holding back your strength and relying on tricks. That won't work. When you encounter a strong opponent, one punch will knock away all your tricks. Speed and agility are advantages, but don't forget that ruthlessness is even more crucial."
Then he pointed at Yang Shen and said, "You're very good at finding ways to dodge, very good, keep it up."
The two men simultaneously picked up stones and threw them at his head: "Who wants to listen to your instructions! Die!"
Shu Jun lightly stepped aside the two stones, walked out of the pavilion, and said with a smile, "Not convinced? I was already practicing martial arts while you were still being breastfed, so I have the qualifications. Give me the sword."
Yichun hesitated for a moment, glancing at his long robe and wide sleeves, before handing him the sword: "...Are you really good at swordsmanship? Don't cut yourself."
He wiped the hilt of the sword with a handkerchief; it was covered in sweat from her grip.
"You take the sword too." He gestured for Yang Shen to hand the sword to Yi Chun, then brandished the tip and asked her, "Are you ready?"
Yi Chun nodded. She had only witnessed Shu Jun's kung fu once before. He had tricked someone by hitting their pressure points with a stone, and she could hardly see how he did it.
He must be very capable; we need to be careful.
Just as I was thinking this, I saw his white robe flash, and the sword light was already in front of me, his movements incredibly fast.
She tried to react, but could only barely block one attack. The sword light then flickered and curved, piercing diagonally along the edge of the blade.
This is the Returning Swallow Sword Technique, the most exquisite swordsmanship of Jianlan Manor. She and Yang Shen studied it diligently for over a year before achieving even a slight level of proficiency. He's already mastered it after only watching for a few days?
Swift and precise, his sword was already at his chin. Yichun knew he was no match for him, so he simply admitted defeat and threw his sword on the ground.
Shu Jun pointed his sword at her throat, smiling broadly, without even a single hair out of place.
Yichun was very impressed: "You're amazing! My master even praised me as a genius. He'll only know what a genius is when he sees you. You've learned the Returning Swallow Sword Technique in just a few days!"
He gave a lazy "hmm" and said, "I only learned the posture. Nobody is a genius. Besides, you're still young."
As he spoke, the sword tip didn't leave her; instead, it gradually slid down her shoulder, all the way to above her chest. Because of the earlier exchange of blows, her breathing was rapid, and her chest heaved greatly. The nearly sixteen-year-old girl didn't try to conceal her figure; even in coarse linen clothing, her beautiful shape was still evident.
Her face was rosy, and much fairer than when she first met her. To make it easier to practice martial arts, she tied her hair up like a man, revealing her forehead, which made her eyes appear even brighter.
Shu Jun murmured, "Hmm... actually, it's not that young anymore."
The tip of his sword touched her chest briefly before swiftly withdrawing. He dropped the sword and walked back into the pavilion, leaning against it, and said calmly, "You're still far from good enough. You little brat, you're still far from good enough."
Yi Chun looked at him, completely bewildered. Yang Shen dragged her away with a dark expression, whispering, "Don't spend too much time alone with him in the future!"
Little Pumpkin sneakily approached Shu Jun. Seeing his indifferent expression, he knew that it was best not to say anything at this moment, as his master was not in a good mood. He had been serving Shu Jun for several years and was very good at reading people.
So he whispered, "Master, I think Miss Ge is a really nice person, and she has a great figure. Now that she's fair-skinned, she'll definitely look beautiful if she dresses up."
Shu Jun hummed in response and lowered his head to drink his tea.
Little Pumpkin clapped his hands: "Master, are we finally going to snatch him away? Well done!"
Shu Jun glanced at him, a half-smile on her face: "Nonsense, why would I want to steal her? She's blind, she's just stupid."
Tsk tsk, in the end, he's still unwilling to admit it. Little Pumpkin sighed and shook his head inwardly. Men, face is the most important thing.
"Then Master shouldn't linger around Dongting Lake. Didn't you say you wanted to go to Jiangnan to see the Drunken Snow Maiden? She's been waiting since spring, and her makeup must be worn out by now, right?" He decided to tease her.