Path of the Lilies

32. Arrangement

Ye Jiao didn't know how many hours passed when she heard the sound of the door opened. Her eyes fluttered open as she stared at the door where Mu Hong was standing with stoic face.

"Father," Mu Xin greeted.

"General Mu," Ye Jiao quickly followed suit.

Mu Hong nodded and came closer. His eyes scrutinized Mu Xin's body. "How's the training with Ye Jiao today?"

"I spar with her once."

"Do you want to practice with her again?"

Mu Xin furrowed her brows. "She's too far from my level, Father. I feel like bullying a little kid when I spar with her."

Ye Jiao smiled embarrassedly. There was a gap of four years between her and Mu Xin. It was obvious that she was lacking far behind Mu Xin in many aspects. Asking her to have the same strength as this girl was clearly impossible.

Mu Hong nodded his head. He also knew that. "I know, but I don't ask her to be your practice partner because she has sufficient skill. Rather, I want you to learn how to control your power."

Control her power?

Mu Xin looked back at her father. "Father, what do you mean?"

"Most of the time, you're always using your full power when you're fighting. It's indeed necessary when your opponent is strong. But if you're fighting against someone far weaker than you, you'll have to limit your strength unless you want to kill that person."

Kill.

This one word sent chills to the two girls. Even though Ye Jiao had seen numerous beasts killed by her father before, not a single one of them was human. The thought of killing other people terrified her a bit as her young age made her knowledge rather limited.

"You wouldn't want that, would you?" Mu Hong was satisfied when he saw the two's reaction. "There are a lot of ways to learn how to control your strength. One of them is by purposely sparing with someone weaker. Of course, you'll still spar with me from time to time to make sure that your skill wouldn't get rusty. Do you understand, Xin'er?"

Mu Xin nodded her head. All these times, she always thought of fighting using her entire strength even against far weaker people. There were already a lot of them whom she sent to hospital because of her excessive strength. What she needed to do was to learn how to control her strength and gauge opponent's strength correctly.

"I understand, Father."

"Good. I also want you to start training your skill against someone else. You don't like fighting with other students your age, but what about her?"

Mu Xin glanced at Ye Jiao. The fight with Ye Jiao didn't last long, but it was full of unexpected situations. Besides, the determination in Ye Jiao's eyes made it clear that this girl didn't have any other intention other than training.

"She's not that bad," Mu Xin admitted.

Internally, Mu Hong was smiling. He knew that only someone who was equally stubborn as his daughter could possibly make this cold girl to acknowledge. Other people who only got close to her because of her talent was clearly out of the question.

They only wanted connection and not training partner.

"Do you have any objection for my arrangement?"

"None, Father."

"Good," Mu Hong pointed to the door. "It's nearly time for dinner. You should take a bath and go to the dining room."

"Yes, Father."

Ye Jiao listened to their conversation attentively. This was the first time she knew that there was a method of training like this. Her eyes were locked on Mu Hong before she bowed.

"Thank you for this chance, General Mu."

Mu Hong looked at Ye Jiao. Actually, there was no need for him to purposely ask this little girl to come here and helped his daughter. After all, he only planned on teaching this thing to Mu Xin a year after this because at that time, his daughter would have formed her core.

However, the stubbornness and faint sense of threat he received from Ye Jiao made him realized that this girl might have a bright future. This was just an instinct, so he decided to give it a try. Seeing that Mu Xin didn't have a lot of rejection to Ye Jiao meant that it was possible for him to make the two of them got close.

"You have to train hard too, little girl."

"Yes, General," Ye Jiao looked back at Mu Hong timidly. "May I ask something?"

"Ask away."

"Why do you help me, General Mu? There shouldn't be any benefit, right?"

Mu Hong stared back at Ye Jiao. The girl was staring back at him with her large eyes filled with confusion. Normal people would think the same way because there was no reason for him to take this girl in.

"You can help Mu Xin practice. Besides, that stubbornness you show saying that you want to get strong when you're this weak," Mu Hong stopped for a moment. "I don't dislike it."

Ye Jiao could detect melancholic tone from the general before her. Even though she didn't know why, she was sure that the topic made the general remembered something in his past. This tone made her felt rather uncomfortable.

"Ye Jiao thanks General Mu for your help."

"Train hard. Mu Xin will be a great sparring partner for you," Mu Hong said calmly. "Also, remember that you have to start gauge your own strength better if you want to become stronger."

"Yes, General," Ye Jiao was not sure what this general meant by gauging her strength. She had to do some test one way or another to find out her real strength. But it might be for the future as the current her was still extremely weak without any remarkable traits.

"Wang Jun."

"Sir!"

"Take Ye Jiao home."

"Yes, Sir."

With that, Ye Jiao was escorted home using a peculiar transportation means.