Chарtеr 11 (15/18)
“Yоu rеаllу have sо mаnу rаrе treasures hеrе at Xuе Manоr. Snоw Lоtusеs аrе incrediblу precious in the Front Моuntain, оften оut оf stосk at thе mеdiсаl hаll. Cоuld you give mе а few?”
“Nо.”
Seeing Gong Ziуu’s calсulating eхрrеssiоn аs hе triеd to takе sоme Snоw Lоtusеs from Хue Маnor befоrе leаving, Young Mastеr Xue shoоk his hеаd and rеfused.
“Hmph, stingу,” Gоng Ziуu mutterеd. “I didn’t еvеn аsk fоr thе prеmium Snоw Lotusеs from thе Frost Lotus Рond, аnd уоu won’t еvеn givе mе the ordinarу ones from this lake? Yоu finished all my рastries!”
Yоung Mаstеr Xuе pursed his lips. “Pastries can be made anytime, but these Snow Lotuses take years to bloom…”
Hearing this, Gong Ziyu was displeased. “These pastries aren’t just made anytime. They’re hometown pastries made by Ah Yun herself, something you can’t buy with money. Hmph.”
Listening to their bickering, Xue Zhongzi spoke up. “You’ve already passed the First Domain Trial. Can’t you act a bit more like a Blade Master? We are about to teach you the Xue Family blade technique.”
Gong Ziyu was surprised. “I thought you were tricking me. So there really is a Blade Technique Manual…”
Xue Zhongzi held a scripture in his hands.
He looked seriously at Gong Ziyu and declared solemnly, “Gong Ziyu has passed the trial of the Frost Lotus Pond. The Xue Clan of the House of Gong acknowledges his determined heart, focused spirit, gathered energy, and steadfast will. We hereby impart the Xue Clan Blade Technique, the Three Snow-Brushing Forms—Fresh Snow, Frost, and Great Cold—to Gong Ziyu. ‘Fresh Snow’ initiates, ‘Frost’ controls, and ‘Great Cold’ attacks fiercely. May Gong Ziyu practice diligently. Witnessed by the clan spirits, may they protect our valley.”
Young Master Xue added from the side, “Although the blade technique has only three forms, its moves are intricate and elusive. Whether you can master it depends entirely on your own comprehension.”
“Will it take long?” Gong Ziyu asked curiously, noticing their solemn expressions.
Young Master Xue looked up at the sky, thinking for a moment before answering, “It’s manageable…”
Did that mean he wouldn’t take long to learn it? Gong Ziyu immediately relaxed his expression.
Then, Young Master Xue’s voice shattered his imagination: “It took me seven years.”
Manageable… just seven years.
Gong Ziyu’s face fell instantly. “Seven years?!”
“Your innate aversion to cold is actually because your extraordinary meridians differ from ordinary people’s, making you perfectly suited for the House of Gong’s internal energy cultivation method, the Melting Snow Heart Sutra. If you can also master the Three Snow-Brushing Forms, you will no longer be someone with only determination but no skill.”
Hearing Xue Zhongzi praise him like this, Gong Ziyu felt a bit embarrassed.
“Am I really that remarkable?” Suddenly remembering something, he couldn’t help but ask Young Master Xue, “By the way, my elder brothers Gong Huanyu and Gong Shangjue both passed the trial of the Frost Lotus Pond… You mentioned determination and skill as two separate aspects. I’d like to ask… how did Gong Shangjue pass this trial?”
Thinking of Gong Shangjue, Gong Ziyu felt inexplicably dejected. He knew all too well how much he cared about this.
Xue Zhongzi replied calmly, “He possesses both determination and skill. Passing this trial was only natural.”
Gong Ziyu fell silent, his emotions complex, a mix of conflicting feelings swirling within him.
Young Master Xue continued, “He relied on unwavering willpower to dive to the bottom of the pond while using powerful Inner Force to control his breathing with extreme precision. After retrieving the iron box and surfacing, he remained completely lucid, suffering only some superficial frostbite. Gong Shangjue possesses both the character and ability to pass the trial.”Gong Ziyu responded indifferently, then asked again, "Did you also teach him the Three Snow-Brushing Forms? Has he mastered them?"
OpenNovel