The whip had somehow looped itself neatly around He Yuying's long, dark hair. Not too tight, but just tight enough to cause immediate panic.
Linyue froze.
He Yuying stood stiffly, eyes wide. "You want me bald? Is that what this is?!"
Song Meiyu burst into laughter so loud it echoed across the training ground. She clutched her stomach, tears already forming in her eyes. Shen Zhenyu let out a long-suffering sigh and rubbed his forehead. Shu Mingye also laughed loudly, with absolutely no attempt to hide his amusement.
Linyue stared at the tangled whip in confusion. "How did it fly that way?"
"Because it's cursed," He Yuying answered grimly.
"I warned you," Linyue said with a straight face, handing the whip carefully to Shen Zhenyu. "It doesn't listen to me."
"I don't think it likes you," Song Meiyu added between giggles.
He Yuying worked on untangling his hair, each gentle pull followed by a quiet, pitiful groan. "Next time, I'm wearing a helmet," he muttered darkly.
Before Linyue could comment, Song Meiyu suddenly clapped her hands, her grin mischievous and bright. "What about a bow? Sister Linyue, have you ever used a bow?"
Linyue shook her head. "No."
Shu Mingye turned to her, amusement flickering in his sharp eyes. "Do you want to try?"
Linyue thought about it for a moment. A bow sounded… safer. At least it wouldn't wrap around her legs or kidnap anyone's hair. Probably.
She gave a small nod. "Alright."
Shu Mingye gave a quick command to a nearby guard who ran off to prepare the shooting arena. After making sure He Yuying's hair had survived the attack, the group moved over to the open field next to the training ground.
The shooting arena was wider and open, with five round targets standing neatly in a row. Each had a bright red circle in the center, practically begging to be hit or missed spectacularly.
Shu Mingye stepped forward, looking far too handsome for what was supposed to be a serious weapons demonstration. "Do you want me to show you?"
Linyue nodded again.
The others stood back to watch, forming a very unhelpful but very eager audience. Song Meiyu leaned toward He Yuying and whispered with a grin, "Let's see if he's as good with a bow as he is at glaring."
He Yuying nodded. "If he misses even once, we'll never let him live it down."
Shen Zhenyu crossed his arms and said nothing. But even he didn't look away. This was going to be interesting.
Shu Mingye took a bow, tested the string with a light pull, and notched an arrow in one smooth motion. His arms were steady, his eyes sharp and focused. With one swift movement—thwack!
The arrow flew straight into the center of the target, hitting the red circle perfectly.
Song Meiyu let out a low whistle. "Well… okay, that was cool."
He Yuying crossed his arms, unimpressed. "I still vote for the helmet."
Shen Zhenyu simply nodded like this was all perfectly expected of the Demon King.
Linyue gave one small, approving nod. "Alright," she said. "Let me try."
Song Meiyu immediately waved her hands in alarm. "Wait, wait, wait! Everyone take cover. Especially you, Brother Yuying."
He Yuying didn't argue. He took two steps back. Then a third. And finally a fourth for good measure. "I want my hair to live another day," he said seriously, lifting his arms to shield his head like arrows might rain from the sky at any second.
Linyue ignored him. She took the bow and notched an arrow, copying what Shu Mingye had done earlier. Her stance was steady, eyes focused. For someone who had never used a bow, she looked oddly serious. She drew the arrow back, aimed at the center… and released.
The arrow flew forward with surprising speed until a random gust of wind blew through the arena with perfect comedic timing. The arrow wobbled, lost its direction, and fell pathetically to the side, landing far from the target with a soft plop.
Everyone stared in silence.
Song Meiyu clamped her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. He Yuying pressed his knuckles to his lips, trying (and failing) to look supportive. Even Shen Zhenyu raised an eyebrow.
Shu Mingye let out a soft chuckle. He clearly wasn't trying very hard to hide his amusement. "It's okay," he said, his voice warm and teasing. "Try using more force next time, or maybe add some spiritual energy."
Then he casually grabbed another bow. The bow was sleek and black with silver streaks that glinted in the sunlight.
"This one's mine," he said with a faintly smug smile, clearly showing off.
He notched an arrow, and this time, he added fire spiritual energy to it. The arrow glowed softly, red flames flickering along its length. When he released it, the arrow shot through the air like a comet, heading straight for the target.
Thwack!
The target didn't just get hit—it shuddered.
Dead center. Again.
Song Meiyu gasped. "Did it just sparkle? Why did it sparkle? I want a sparkling arrow!"
He Yuying muttered, "Great. As if he wasn't already dramatic enough."
Shu Mingye ignored them both. He turned to Linyue with the smuggest little smile the world had ever seen and handed her the bow.
Linyue took it. The bow was light, much lighter than she expected. It looked expensive too, made of something smooth, dark material with little glints of silver when the light hit it. She had no clue what it was made of, but honestly, that wasn't her problem.
She picked up an arrow and got into position. Her eyes narrowed in focus, but just before she pulled the string, she paused. "Wait. How much spiritual energy should I use?"
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow. "The target's not that far. Try using a little bit at first."
Linyue stared at him. "A little bit?" That wasn't very helpful.
"If it doesn't hit," he said casually, "just use more later."
Right. Very scientific. She nodded anyway and turned her eyes back to the target. She notched the arrow again, took a deep breath, and lightly infused it with her spiritual energy.
The arrow ignited. A flicker of blue flame danced along the shaft, bright and sharp. It looked beautiful. Promising. Then she released it.
Whoosh.
It flew fast. There was a loud CRACK as the arrow slammed into the target board. Or what used to be a target board, because now it had exploded into splinters, flying in every direction. But the arrow didn't stop. It kept going.
BOOM!
The arrow buried itself deep into the palace wall behind the target, sending a thunderous echo across the training grounds. The stone cracked around it, a jagged spiderweb creeping outward. Dust trickled down as the wall trembled ominously, like one more strong breeze might be enough to bring the whole thing down. The arrow stuck out proudly, still flickering faintly with blue flame.
Linyue lowered the bow slowly. "...That was a little bit."
Song Meiyu gasped in horror.
Shen Zhenyu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He Yuying hadn't moved, still crouched with both hands shielding his head. "Is it over?" he asked cautiously. "Is the wall still alive?"
Shu Mingye stood frozen, arms crossed but fingers twitching slightly. He turned his head stiffly toward Linyue, his eyes wide with disbelief.
That was a little bit? Of course it was. What else did he expect? This was the same woman who once casually turned a courtyard into a volcano and called it "a little chaos." He should've known. He really should've known. Should he be concerned that she might accidentally bring the palace down one day? Or relieved that she hadn't done it today?
Linyue stared at the arrow buried deep in the wall. The crack in the stone spread a little more with a faint creeeeak. With a small satisfied nod, she said, "I hit the target."
Shu Mingye chuckled helplessly. "You did," he said, half in awe, half in disbelief.
Linyue's eyes lowered, and she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, "I'm sorry."
Then like it was planned—like she knew exactly what she was doing—she puffed out her cheeks and pouted, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, as if she were the real victim here.
Shu Mingye froze.
No. Absolutely not. That was unfair. That was illegal. She looked adorable. Way too adorable. How was he supposed to scold her when she looked like a tiny lost rabbit who accidentally set a palace on fire?
He looked back at the palace wall, now proudly cracked and trembling. Then back at Linyue. The gap between "I'm sorry" and "I'll do it again if I feel like it" had never felt smaller. He pressed a hand over his mouth and turned away like he was thinking deeply. (He was not. He was just trying very hard not to smile like a fool.)
What could he say?
Nothing. He was already doomed.
Then Linyue said seriously, "I don't have money to pay for the repair. Do you accept candy? Or does your palace need workers? Or… I can kill demons."
Shu Mingye stared at her. Was she actually offering to pay? With candy? Again? Or demons? What kind of weird multiple-choice payment plan was that?
She even said it so earnestly, as if demon-slaying was a casual side hustle she could use to cover damages. Other people might take up sewing, farming, or selling buns. But Linyue? No. She'd just hunt down demons with blue flames and call it even. Which, knowing her, was probably true.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Then a wicked little thought tiptoed into his mind. Soft, dangerous, and tempting.
Technically… if she's offering to work it off…
His dark eyes glinted with mischief as he leaned closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "I'll think about how you can pay it back. You're not allowed to leave Shulin until then."
Linyue nodded seriously. "Alright. No more shooting for me," she said, then promptly handed the bow back to Shu Mingye.
Shu Mingye took it, fingers brushing hers. His lips twitched upward in a small, traitorous smile.
And so, the day's "training" came to an end with a half-destroyed palace wall, several training dummies in critical condition, and one Demon King quietly plotting how to keep her in Shulin forever.
—End of Volume 1—