"Achoo!"
I sneezed myself awake from a dream, and the moment I opened my eyes, I heard the sound of swordplay outside.
So, I climbed to the window and looked out to see Mo Zhidou practicing his sword.
The Crimson Flame Dragon King was sitting in his usual spot, watching intently.
As I gazed at the red-clothed figure fluttering in the cherry blossom rain, I couldn't help but think of Liu Xiang.
However, the mere thought of Liu Xiang's face sent an involuntary chill down my spine.
Then, looking at the red-clothed man before me, laughing and talking, so cute, lively, and active, it made me wonder why there was such a big difference between people wearing red.
I pushed open my room door and walked out, arriving under the cherry blossom tree. Mo Zhidou stopped and called me over.
"You're here. It's perfect timing to practice the Dragon's Roar Swordplay that Crimson Flame taught you."
Saying this, he tossed the sword in his hand to me. I caught it without delay.
Immediately, I began to practice. Mo Zhidou walked to the base of the tree and sat down, side by side with the Crimson Flame Dragon King.
He watched with unwavering focus. The exquisite cherry blossoms, combined with the graceful, dancing posture, captivated him to the point of daze, and he couldn't help but grin foolishly.
The Crimson Flame Dragon King turned his head and saw the infatuated look in his eyes and the foolish smile on his lips. He immediately sensed that Mo Zhidou had impure thoughts.
He then nudged him with his elbow to remind him.
"You are a senior now."
Only then did Mo Zhidou snap back to reality. He smiled slightly and pointed at me, saying,
"Look, although she hasn't been practicing for long, she has still made some progress."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King nodded slightly in agreement.
After I finished a sword move, he called me over, "Muye, come here."
It was the first time he had called me by my name.
I walked up to him, and he examined me carefully for a long time, murmuring, "She looks so much alike."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King looked at him with suspicion.
He chuckled and suddenly made a bold suggestion.
"Muye, since you can't leave for now, why don't you stay and marry both of us?"
My eyes widened instantly. I took two steps back and laughed awkwardly, "Senior, you jest."
Mo Zhidou suddenly burst into laughter, strode forward, pulled me by the hand, and confessed,
"The more I look at you, the more you resemble a friend of mine. For some reason, my heart has become restless. Stay and marry me, will you?"
The Crimson Flame Dragon King was also stunned by his sudden move. He stepped forward, pulled Mo Zhidou away, and tried to smooth things over for me, saying, "He has been here for a long time and hasn't seen outsiders. He couldn't control himself for a moment and spoke some nonsense."
Mo Zhidou shook him off and came forward again, grabbing my hand.
"Marry me. You don't have to marry him."
I was astonished. He had been fine before, so why was he acting so strangely today? I reached out and touched his forehead; he didn't have a fever. Looking at him, he didn't seem to be joking, so I asked helplessly,
"Senior, what's wrong with you today?"
He chuckled and explained, "I don't know why, but my heart races whenever I see you. Is this what they call love at first sight?"
But he had been so indifferent before.
I hurriedly said, "Senior, I cannot stay here. I have to go back and manage things."
His expression suddenly turned somber, and he asked me, "Am I not good-looking?"
"No, no, no, you are very good-looking."
"You don't like me?"
"No, no, you are very good."
"You just don't like me."
"No, no."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King found his behavior today very strange, but he didn't know what to say. He could only pull him into the house.
"Let's go. Don't disturb Muye's sword practice."
Watching him being pulled back into the house, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, wondering what had gotten into him today to say such mushy things.
I shivered and then resumed my sword practice. I was much more familiar with these three moves now, but I still hadn't achieved the results I desired.
After practicing for an unknown amount of time, I stopped and returned to my room.
I walked into my empty room and lay down to rest. Suddenly, a flash of red figure drifted in, followed by a head peeking over mine.
"Ah!" I jumped in fright and quickly sat up on the edge of the bed.
He rushed forward, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
I coughed a few times to ease the awkwardness. I found him very strange, so I asked again.
"Senior, have you been stimulated by something?"
He suddenly leaned in, almost kissing me. Shy, I quickly turned my face away.
He laughed heartily, got up, and said,
"I was just testing your composure. It seems to be quite good, so I've decided to teach you my Crimson Blood Swordplay."
"Really?" I knew he couldn't possibly be genuinely interested in me. "Thank you, Senior."
"Follow me."
"Yes."
I followed him into the courtyard, and he said,
"I will only teach you three moves. The first is 'Demons Dancing in Chaos.' Watch carefully."
With that, he leaped into the air, drew his sword, and began to dance. His sword moves were swift and his style elegant. Upon closer inspection, it truly looked like he was battling a horde of demons.
After finishing his swordplay, he landed and tossed the sword to me, saying, "Your turn."
I immediately began to practice. My sword movements were graceful, and my stances were correct, but I still hadn't reached the level of "Demons Dancing in Chaos."
"Not bad, but you need more practice."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King watched from the side and proactively offered his sword, "Use my sword."
Mo Zhidou shook his head and tossed the sword back to him. "I'm not used to using your sword."
Saying this, he leaped up and broke off a branch from the tree. "I'll use this."
"Now, I will teach Muye the second move, 'Ghosts Entangled.' Watch carefully."
With that, he threw the branch out and then drew branches from all directions, slashing them. His figure was so elusive that only the branches were visible, not the person.
Then, he leaped up again, grabbed a branch, spun around, and slashed. I could almost see an invisible opponent being brutally defeated by him.
"This move of yours is excellent. I didn't pay close attention to it before," the Crimson Flame Dragon King praised him.
Mo Zhidou teased him, "You were only focused on sparring with me back then, so how could you have noticed my swordplay?"
"That's true, but my eyes have been opened today."
"Indeed."
He then pointed at me and said, "Your turn."
I stepped forward, recalling his swordplay, and then threw my sword, leaping to catch it. However, it still felt a bit strenuous, but I managed to pass.
Mo Zhidou shook his head and said,
"Although you can imitate it, your speed is limited. A true martial artist,
if they lack agile movements, must have a strong physique. Clearly, you have neither. You need to practice more."
Listening to his words, I felt a sense of enlightenment.
He then continued,
"I will now teach you the third move, which is also the ultimate move of the Crimson Blood Swordplay, 'Crimson Blood Break.' This move possesses immense power. Do not use it unless absolutely necessary.
Using Crimson Blood Break will summon the resentment within the Crimson Blood Sword. The resentment will surge out with the sword energy. The person struck by the sword will be instantly consumed by the resentment, poisoned, and die. Watch carefully."
After the introduction, he leaped into the air with the branch. He then landed on one hand upside down, leaped up again, spun halfway, and unleashed a powerful sword strike.
Instantly, a gust of fallen blossoms flew in the same direction.
He then explained,
"The first half of this move is used to deal with multiple enemies, creating space for yourself to wield the sword."
I nodded, somewhat understanding, and then picked up my sword to practice. I followed his movements and performed it once.
Although it didn't create any ripples, at least the posture was correct.
"You must practice these three moves diligently."
"Okay."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King suddenly asked me, "I want to know if the Dragon's Roar Sword and the Crimson Blood Sword are both in your hands?"
Only then did I recall that after Jin Yulan stabbed me, I vaguely heard them say they hadn't taken the Crimson Blood Sword. So, I confirmed, "Yes, they are both in my hands."
"That's good. If you can wield both these swords proficiently simultaneously, then very few people will be your match."
Mo Zhidou also became interested. "Hey, I hadn't thought of this. If the Dragon's Roar Sword and the Crimson Blood Sword can truly be wielded together, you would be a peerless master."
If that were the case, wielding the Dragon's Roar Sword in my left hand and the Crimson Blood Sword in my right, how could I master them? Moreover, my left hand wasn't as flexible as my right. Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a sense of difficulty.
Mo Zhidou noticed my worry and walked over, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you." With that, he winked at me.
His smile, with its unique meaning, seemed to say that he wasn't just testing me earlier. I sighed, thinking that I had faced many storms before.
Even a lecherous madman like Liu Shinian was my defeated foe, let alone Mo Zhidou. Since there was no way to avoid it, I might as well face the challenge head-on.
So, a bold idea formed in my mind. I quietly and suddenly leaned close to him, grabbed his chin, and pretended to kiss him. He was startled and quickly closed his eyes.
Seeing him like this, I burst into laughter. "See? You have the desire but not the courage. Look how scared you are."
He was speechless, his face turning as red as a fire. I covered my mouth, laughing, and turned back into the room.
The Crimson Flame Dragon King couldn't help but laugh at him. "Hahaha, look at you, you tried to tease her but ended up being teased."
Mo Zhidou quickly raised his hand to cover his face, guiltily saying, "I, I didn't! It was just too sudden."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King ignored him, pulled his hand down, looked at his flushed face, and laughed until he was out of breath.
"Look at you, your face is as red as a monkey's backside, hahaha."
Mo Zhidou broke free from him, covering his face and angrily saying, "If you keep laughing, I won't play with you anymore."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King comforted him, "Alright, alright, I won't laugh anymore. But tell me, are you serious about her, or is this intentional?"
His sudden question struck a chord. He said,
"Don't you think she looks very much like that person from ten thousand years ago? Both her appearance and demeanor are so similar."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King shook his head. "There are many people who resemble each other. How could it be the same person? Ah, I'm a bit sleepy. I'm going to take a nap."
Even though he said that, Mo Zhidou still developed different feelings for Muye. He felt this sensation was very warm and familiar.
Lying on the bed, I recalled Mo Zhidou's expression from earlier and felt very happy.
Suddenly, I realized I hadn't been this relaxed in a long time. I unconsciously remembered the beginning, remembering how everyone I met initially was as cute as they are now.
Thinking this, I turned over and saw his sword placed by my bedside. Only then did I remember that I had brought his sword in with me when I entered. So, I got up, took the sword, and went outside.
At this moment, they seemed to have returned to their room and were no longer under the tree.
I then picked up the sword and resumed practicing the three moves Mo Zhidou had taught me: "Demons Dancing in Chaos," "Ghosts Entangled," and "Crimson Blood Break."
His words echoed in my mind again.
"Although you can imitate it, your speed is limited. A true martial artist, if they lack agile movements, must have a strong physique. Clearly, you have neither. You need to practice more."
As I practiced, I seemed to hear Liu Shinian's call in my mind, "Muye, you must come back, you must come back."
I stopped my sword and looked around. Apart from the vast white mist and this small courtyard, I could see nothing else.
Just then, a wine bottle was thrown from the tree. I looked up and saw Mo Zhidou and the Crimson Flame Dragon King, who had somehow climbed onto the tree. They were talking and laughing while drinking.
Mo Zhidou looked down at me and asked, "Do you want to come up?"
I shook my head.
He said, "Although you can't see anything from here, you can find the most peaceful tranquility."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King then asked, "Do you drink?"
"Yes," I replied.
He picked up a bottle of wine from his embrace and threw it into my hand. "Let's drink together."
I uncapped the bottle and took a large gulp, then praised, "This is truly good wine."
"Cheers," he said, clinking his bottle with mine from afar. Mo Zhidou also followed suit, clinking his bottle with mine from afar.
After drinking for an unknown amount of time, I began to feel a bit unsteady and swayed slightly. Seeing this, Mo Zhidou suddenly had a mischievous smile and jumped down from the tree.
"What are you doing?" the Crimson Flame Dragon King asked.
He pulled me into his arms and sat me down under the tree. The Crimson Flame Dragon King, realizing he had mischievous intentions again, also jumped down and sat beside him, hitting his hand to warn him.
"Don't touch her carelessly, or you'll be embarrassed like last time."
Mo Zhidou laughed heartily and replied, "Not this time. I didn't expect her to have such a low tolerance for alcohol. Let me see what I should ask. Right, I'll ask this."
He suddenly thought, "Where are you from?"
My head was fuzzy, and I replied dazedly, "You're asking me? I'm from the human world. I was brought here by a shameless person."
He then asked, "Who is Liu Xiang to you?"
I waved my hand, feeling a bit angry.
"Him? He used to be my subordinate. Later, he threw a tantrum and parted ways with me. Now he even wants to kill me. Honestly, men are all petty."
He looked thoughtful and wanted to ask more questions, but the Crimson Flame Dragon King stopped him. "Alright, alright, you've already learned enough."
"Then I'll ask just one last question," he said, and then asked, "If I had fallen in love with you ten thousand years ago, would you have been willing to marry me?"
The Crimson Flame Dragon King frowned, unable to understand why he would ask that.
I tilted my head, looking at him hazily, and said, "If I could go out, I would marry you."
He was both surprised and saddened, but still shook his head. "Not now, but ten thousand years ago."
I mumbled vaguely, "Ten thousand years ago, I definitely would have fallen in love with you."
Having received the answer he wanted, he smiled slightly and finally let me go.
The Crimson Flame Dragon King, however, was somewhat helpless. "You are still fixated on that person from ten thousand years ago."
"Whether it's her or not, I have already received the answer I wanted. I am content."
Saying this, he scooped me up and carried me back to my room.