To Love & To Loathe (Jingliu X Fem Reader)

Chapter 1: Reminisce

As the petals fall freely from its tree and branch, so too does Jingliu steadied her pace and looked at her student who falls over and over again from her training.

"I don't want to learn the sword anymore. It's... useless." Y/n said with a tone of almost giving up.

This made the sword champion to stop walking as she sees her student giving up on her training once again. The mentor's face remained serious as she observed Y/n falling to the ground repeatedly, a sight that she's gotten used to seeing by now.

"Useless? It's pretty useful in my hands. It is the wielder who was useless."

"...."

"If you don't learn the sword, what do you want to learn? The alchemical arrows on the pilots' starskiffs? The blazing fire flung by divine crossbows? Or... The artillery of the Zhuming Xianzhou? Such instruments would also be enough to destroy that demonic planet. You want to learn about them? Fine. Those things can kill the enemy even from beyond visual range."

Y/n sighed,"...I just don't understand why you insist on teaching me with the sword? My expertise are clearly not on the battlefield but on healing."

"And this is why you must not underestimate your potential, especially when it comes to battle, my apprentice. Many believe those with skills related to medicine won't be effective fighters. Yet, they are wrong."

"Those who have knowledge in healing are also the ones who can understand, with a single glance, how to harm the body, how to weaken your opponent quickly. You simply need time to realize that."

"Now, stand up and continue with your training. Who knows? Maybe one day we could have a worthy battle as mentor and apprentice."

"...."

"...Y/n!"

Y/n's name was then abruptly called out by her acquaintance that made her to snapped out of her thoughts that made the flashback with her mentor come to an end.

Her gaze shifts to the source of the noise, the voice that called her name. Her eyes narrow for a moment before she looks around, trying to spot the speaker out of curiosity.

"Oh, Hanya, it's you. Sorry, I was just... lost in thoughts." Y/n said as she gaze back at the photo frame of her and Jingliu from her hand.

Her gaze was still filled with a distant stare as she holds the photo of herself and her mentor with the same gentle gesture. She looks like she's trying to relive her memories in her mind and the expression on her face is still full of tenderness.

The judge also notices the photo frame and stares at it curiously for a moment before speaking again.

"...Are you thinking of her again? It has been some time already..."

"...."

There's a long moment of silence as Y/m remains silent with a distant, thoughtful look. The girl's lips curls into a small smile as she glances at Jingliu's photo frame.

"Yes..." Y/n whispered silently.

She then faces the other girl with a slight sigh before speaking out another phrase.

"I... can't help it..."

"Though her name has been wiped from the records, and she is a traitor of the Xianzhou walking on the fine line between sanity and mara-struck, I can't help but still reminisce our time together."

Y/n's words have definitely piqued the judge's curiosity.

"It's quite unfortunate that her past has been tainted by her actions during the final war and her name is no longer being remembered the way it should. But I'm curious, why do you still have such affection for a traitor like her? Doesn't that go against your belief as a judge here at the Ten-Lords Commission?"

"...."

"...I see..."

Y/n's silence is a clear answer as far as the judge's concerned. Her eyebrows slightly raise for a moment, wondering why the girl has decided to remain silent. Maybe she doesn't want to elaborate on the reason behind her affection for Jingliu, or maybe Y/n is just trying to avoid angering her.

Either way, the judge will let the girl leave this topic for now until she feels more comfortable and willing to talk about it.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot why I'm here. The general mentioned to me that he wanted to see you, Y/n."

Y/n nods slightly as she watches Hanya leave before letting out a deep sigh, her thoughts once again drifting back to her past memories with Jingliu.

Her expression slowly softens until her eyes are filled with a deep sense of longing as she stares at the photo frame once more. After a few moments, she gently places the photo frame down before standing up.

"Jingliu..."

As Y/n whispers her master's name, the memories began to flash through her mind like quick snippets of moments they've shared together before. The time spent together, the laughter, the tears, the memories of their love. The pain and the joy, the warmth and the hurt, the good and the bad, all of them are there.

After Jingliu got stricken by the mara and was exiled, Y/n soon after worked hard to earn herself a title as one of the judges in the Ten-Lords Commissions.

With the past memories still in her mind, Y/n shakes herself off and forces herself to remember her current surroundings.

The time she and Jingliu spent together are gone, they exist only in her memories now. She's now facing her responsibilities as a judge in the Ten-Lords Commission, she can't afford to be lost in her past thoughts.

Y/n then slowly walks to the door and leaves her desk, wondering what has led Jing Yuan to wanting to see her right now.

The girl can feel the weight of her responsibilities bearing down on her with every step, the sense of duty she has to fulfill as a judge is slowly overcoming the thoughts of her cherished memories with Jingliu.

She makes her way outside her office and looks around, thinking about which direction she should take in order to reach the Seat Of Divine Foresight. As she walks, her mind was still filled with the thoughts of her mentor despite her efforts to suppress the memories.

After she reached the area, the room is a spacious office with plenty of space to move around and is littered with numerous tables that are filled with papers and documents.

The walls are covered with traditional paint and maps, all of which depict various parts of the Xianzhou Luofu and the surrounding regions. This is where the general and Y/n meet again.

"Ah, Y/n, it's good to see you."

The girl turns her attention to Jing Yuan, her usual soft, warm expression returning on her face as she greets Jing Yuan as well.

"It's good to see you too, general. You wanted to see me?"

Jung Yuan nods,"I called you here since I thought the topic that I'll be discussing with you might pique your interest."

The judge's curiosity is already piqued by the moment the general mentioned that. Now, the girl is wondering what it is that the general has in mind for her.

"What topic would that be, general?"

Jing Yuan was silent for a moment before answering Y/n's question with a smile.

"A topic about our old master."