WangXian Forever

Chapter 12 Second Day

Wen Ning waited until it was dark, and the two people left at the campsite were asleep. He wasn't sure why he waited, because the Grandmaster had definitely made eye contact with him, and he couldn't have imagined that she winked, because she had smiled kindly at him too. But the soft nod in his direction seemed to be an invitation, so warily, he approached the oak trees and stroked the bark. The trees shivered and opened to make way, just as he had seen before.

*****

After breakfast, Baoshen Sanren led them out of the cave.

"You both were distracted yesterday," she said, "and that won't do. I need your full concentration if we are to make progress."

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying looked at each other, holding hands and followed behind, quietly.

She led them to the cherry grove. They were surprised to see the tent, and even more surprised to find SiZhui and JingYi meditating while Wen Ning watched over them.

"Master Wei!" He came over immediately and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm glad to see you are much better."

Lan Zhan nodded at him and then grabbed Wei Ying's hand again, the moment it was free.
The children stirred, alerted by their greetings.

"Fathers!" SiZhui came and hugged them both.

JingYi bowed and hugged Wei Ying.

Wei Ying turned to his grandmother. "Thank you for bringing them here. You are right, I couldn't stop thinking about them yesterday."

"Jin Ling and Sect Leader Jiang Cheng are still at the bottom." SiZhui said, keeping an eye on the Grandmaster.

"Are they?" Wei Ying bounced excitedly.

His grandmother frowned and he noticed.

"What's wrong, Grandma?"

She shook her head, refusing to talk about them and instead, turned to the children. She waved an elegant arm in the middle of the room and their breakfast appeared.

"Eat now. I shall return in an hour to start your training."

Wei Ying clapped his hands joyously. "Grandmother! You're so amazing!"

She beamed at him, pleased, and Lan Zhan was taken aback at how similar she looked to Wei Ying. Their brightest smiles were truly a gift.

She brought them back to their cave and pointed at the glowing tub in the corner.

"Get in, both of you."

Wei Ying blushed and groaned.

*****

"Show me what you've got." Baoshen Sanren demanded, when she returned to the young ones.

They had been relaxing, chatting with Wen Ning and watching the drifting blossoms whenever a breeze shook the trees. They quickly stood up and bowed.

"What do you mean?" JingYi asked.

"How do you fight? Show me your fighting skills." She walked out of the tent and gestured in front of them.

The grove expanded to give them more space.

"I'll never get used to her," JingYi whispered, drawing his sword.

She watched them spar, asking questions now and again, but for the most part, observing.

"Now, I want you to learn this. It's my own style, but you can adapt it to suit your Lan Clan style."

She held out her hand and a beautiful sheathed sword appeared. Intricate carvings graced the scabbard and the handle, but the name was obscure. She whipped out a black blade and began her form.
For the children, they were awestruck at her dynamic ability, a flurry of movement in the air and on the ground, whirling with speed and efficiency.