Chapter 96

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Inside the Shen Wei Jiang Jun Fu training ground, fierce winds howled, and the crisp sounds of weapons clashing rose and fell in succession.

Xuan Ge stood with hands behind his back at the edge of the training ground, his eyes full of satisfaction, his gaze firmly locked on Fei Xiao practicing swordplay in the field.

In just a few days, Fei Xiao had completely adapted to the high-intensity training, shedding the greenness of when she first arrived.

Her sword movements became increasingly crisp and powerful, every move and stance exuding a tough resilience.

Even her basic stances, though occasionally not standard enough and requiring Xuan Ge to personally step in and adjust, she could grasp instantly.

She could remember the key points after just one run-through; such talent made Xuan Ge extremely gratified.

Qi Ningli sat obediently, her fox ears drooping slightly, a pair of clear eyes staring tightly at Fei Xiao in the field; seeing Fei Xiao learn martial arts so fast, she suddenly felt utterly useless....

Xuan Ge withdrew his gaze and walked slowly to her side, asking softly: "Little Ning Li, didn't Lao Bai teach you the basics of martial combat?"

Hearing Xuan Ge's voice, Qi Ningli's body stiffened slightly, her fox ears subconsciously flattening, her voice soft and glutinous, carrying a hint of grievance: "Master... Master Bai... taught me... but I didn't learn it."

As she spoke, her fox ears drooped even lower, her voice growing even weaker: "Master Bai said... I'm more suited to advancing in his military strategy; as for martial combat, I simply have no talent."

"Hehe~ No matter."

Xuan Ge let out a low chuckle, his tone devoid of any blame, instead carrying a few parts teasing, and took the opportunity to spill Lao Bai's old background.

"Lao Bai was never good at martial combat to begin with; among the Five Armies Commanders, he's the worst one, so it's normal he couldn't teach you."

Pausing, Xuan Ge shifted the topic, his tone turning serious:

"However, learning military strategy from him is indeed a good choice; his attainment in military strategy ranks among the top in the Xianzhou Alliance. You study well, and it will definitely be of great use in the future."

Finishing speaking, Xuan Ge lightly patted Qi Ningli's shoulder, the force gentle, carrying a few parts encouragement.

Afterward, he straightened up, turned, and walked toward Fei Xiao in the field.

He had long known about Xing Xiao leaving Shen Wu, but he never expected that Xing Xiao would actually bring Huan Long back with her; this was somewhat beyond his expectations.

But right now, he had no mind to think about Xing Xiao and Huan Long's matters; the pressing priority was to broaden Fei Xiao's horizons.

His disciple couldn't just keep circling around Abundance abominations; a Patroller like that would be too narrow.

Only by experiencing more people and things could she truly grow into a Patroller who can hold her own.

"Fei Xiao, stop and rest for now."

Xuan Ge's voice was gentle, piercing through the training ground's fierce wind, entering the ears of Fei Xiao who was practicing swordplay.

Hearing this, Fei Xiao immediately sheathed her sword, the motion clean and decisive.

She ran toward Xuan Ge panting, fine beads of sweat seeping out on her forehead, wetting the stray locks at her brow.

A faint blush rose on her cheeks, yet she still subconsciously closed her eyes, tilted her head up slightly, looking every bit the obedient picture of waiting.

She had long since grown used to the fact that after training ended, Master would wipe her sweat and massage her to relax.

Xuan Ge looked at Fei Xiao's slightly trembling white fox ears, looked at her small mouth, obedient like a kitten's;

looked at her eyes closed, her heart full of reliance, and shook his head helplessly, yet his eyes were full of tenderness.

He reached out, lightly grasped Fei Xiao's wrist, and said in a gentle tone: "Come over, sit beside me and rest."

But Fei Xiao did not comply as Xuan Ge wished; she lunged along with the momentum and sat directly on Xuan Ge's thighs, her voice coquettish, soft and glutinous:

"Master~ it's comfortable here."

Finishing speaking, she closed her eyes again, waiting obediently for Xuan Ge to wipe her sweat, her expression full of contentment and reliance.

Xuan Ge froze for an instant, the aura around him pausing slightly; no one knew what thoughts flashed through his mind in that brief moment of stupor....

A moment later, Xuan Ge recovered, did not push her away, merely picked up the towel to the side and began gently wiping for her.

The movements were still gentle, from the fluffy fox ears atop her head, to the smooth forehead, the flushed cheeks, then to the slender neck, the straight shoulders and back, finally to the slender waist.

"Mmm~~~~" Fei Xiao couldn't help but let out a faint soft moan, her body stiffening slightly.

Master's fingertips carried a warm touch; as they wiped across her skin, a tingling, numbing sensation spread, making her whole body go a little limp.

She forcibly endured this strange feeling, trying hard to feign calm on her face, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, her hands tightly clutching Xuan Ge's sleeves, secretly gritting her teeth and holding her breath, not allowing herself to show a discomposed appearance.

Xuan Ge saw all this in his eyes, a flash of amusement flickering in his eyes, but he didn't point it out, merely speeding up the wiping.

Finished wiping, he set the towel aside, lightly rubbed Fei Xiao's fox ears, and said softly:

"Next, Master will take you to meet some people, and incidentally teach you some principles, so you know that a Patroller is not merely about slaying abominations, but must also understand reading people and discerning the situation."

Fei Xiao slowly opened her eyes; the instant they opened, a trace of utter bewilderment flashed in her eyes, clearly she had not yet recovered from the tingling sensation just now.

But in just an instant, she quickly steadied herself, nodded forcefully, her gaze firm:

"Good, Disciple will listen to Master in all things."

Simultaneously, in the Ship yu beyond the Shen Wu Xian Zhou, Xing Xiao and Huan Long were treading on starlight, speeding rapidly toward the direction of the Shen Wu Xian Zhou.

Xing Xiao wore a pure white bodysuit, her expression icy cold, a biting cold aura radiating from her whole body, her gaze deadlocked on that speck of light ahead representing the Shen Wu Xian Zhou, not uttering a word.

Huan Long followed at her side; though a bewitching smile hung on her face, the unease in her eyes grew ever more intense.

She once again turned her head to look at Xing Xiao, her tone carrying a few parts uncertainty, asking again that question she had already asked countless times:

"Xing Xiao, are you really absolutely certain? Xuan Ge, he really won't kill me?"

Hearing this question, Xing Xiao's brows furrowed slightly, her tone carrying a few parts impatience she could hardly conceal.

This question, Huan Long had asked her all along the way; though she was unwilling to repeat the answer, looking at the unease in Huan Long's eyes, she still forced herself to be patient and said once more:

"I am absolutely certain; with me here, Xuan Ge won't kill you."

'Really fake?'

Huan Long muttered inwardly; a woman's sixth sense was frantically warning her, just like last time when she and Gui Ji went to the Shen Wu Xian Zhou together, that fear originating from the bottom of her heart, impossible to dispel.

She really wanted to keep pressing, but seeing Xing Xiao's increasingly cold expression, she ultimately swallowed the words back down.

She knew Xing Xiao had run out of patience.

Just then, ahead in the Huan Yu, the light specks of the Shen Wu Xian Zhou were already clearly visible, and a dense Patrol Pressure rushed at them.

Huan Long's heart tightened, and she subconsciously slowed her speed.

Given Xuan Ge's temperament, if he knew she had come, he would probably have personally chased out long ago......

"Scum, how did you get here?"

Xing Xiao's gaze sharply swept forward, only to see Xuan Ge embracing Fei Xiao, standing in the Huan Yu, his whole body wreathed in a faint Blue-Gold Patrolling Aura.

Her gaze quickly swept over Fei Xiao in Xuan Ge's arms, not caring about this little fox in the slightest, and her gaze returned to Xuan Ge.

Xuan Ge heard this, the corner of his mouth hooking a faint smile, and he gently set Fei Xiao down, his fingertip moving slightly as a gentle force passed into Fei Xiao's body, protecting her surroundings.

Allowing her to breathe, move, and even speak freely in the vast Huan Yu.

"You leading your colleagues to my Shen Wu Xian Zhou, I naturally must personally welcome you; otherwise, wouldn't that make my Xuan Ge seem too petty?"

Fei Xiao adapted for a moment, then completely steadied her figure.

She raised her eyes and recognized Xing Xiao at a glance.

That woman who hogs Master's blanket every day!

Every morning when she got up to pay respects at Master's Qin Gong, she would either see Da Li Hua wearing Master's sleepwear;

Or she would see Xing Xiao lying on Master's bed.

She had secretly inquired from Bai Tongjun, but even Bai Tongjun couldn't figure out Master's current sleeping habits.

Sometimes he would stay at the Dan Ding Division, sometimes in the General's Mansion's Shu Fang reviewing documents all night, sometimes even the personal guards didn't know where Master ran off to sleep.

Anyway, just thinking that Master's daily attention had to be divided among Xing Xiao, Da Li Hua, and those other women made her feel stifled and very uncomfortable inside.

An inexplicable jealousy quietly sprouted in her heart.

Fei Xiao tightly grabbed Xuan Ge's sleeve, a pair of wet, glistening eyes warily staring at Huan Long beside Xing Xiao.

That black-haired woman, she had never seen her before; she looked bewitching and dangerous, and presumably, like Xing Xiao, she was someone who wanted to snatch Master away.

"Xuan Ge...."

Hearing Xuan Ge's words, Huan Long subconsciously retreated a step, the bewitching smile on her face instantly fading, replaced by thick wariness, and the aura around her body also became tense.

"Huan Long, is that step back of yours serious?"

Xuan Ge looked at her with interest, a trace of playfulness flashing in his eyes, his tone carrying a few parts teasing.

"I thought since you dared follow Xing Xiao back to Shen Wu, you'd have some guts; didn't expect you're still this afraid of me."

Huan Long bit her lip, didn't speak, just stared dead at Xuan Ge, her expression growing ever more wary.

Xing Xiao then stepped forward, blocking in front of Huan Long: "I brought her back; Huan Long will just behave and stay put."

Xuan Ge raised an eyebrow, clearly not intending to let Huan Long off.

Just as Xuan Ge, Xing Xiao, and Huan Long the three faced off, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense....

The Shen Wu Xian Zhou's Tianbo Division Port...

A white-clad figure quietly stepped onto the Shen Wu Xian Zhou's deck.

The figure's posture was graceful, white hair like a waterfall, a faint cold aura wreathing the whole body; the moment the foot landed, it seemed ice lotuses quietly bloomed on the deck.

The petals were crystalline and transparent, yet in the blink of an eye they slowly dissipated into the air, leaving only a wisp of faint, barely-there cold aura.