June 10, 2017, Rain
The cohabitation life with my mount, Li Qingming, is nearing its monthly anniversary. After spending twenty days together, Wang Jiu has gained quite a comprehensive understanding of his mount. Based on this understanding, coupled with the Celestial Divine Sword's all-encompassing tolerance, their relationship is becoming increasingly harmonious...
"Wait, wait, wait." On the school field, Li Qingming stopped her movements and turned her head to question the sword spirit Wang Jiu who was watching behind her.
"Is your so-called broad tolerance about giving me malicious IQ tests, teaching me the Immovable Tyrant Body that keeps me bedridden, and then mocking my aptitude and comprehension every now and then?"
At the edge of the school field, the sword spirit, who had perfectly simulated his true form with Illusion Sword Technique, oddly said: "Eh? When have I ever mocked you?"
Li Qingming angrily said: "For instance, when I asked to borrow your Sword Manual to practice Nine Dragon Divine Sword, you said 'with your aptitude, I find it hard to expect you to practice your ancestral Nine Dragon Divine Sword successfully'."
Wang Jiu asked in confusion: "Did you eventually succeed in practicing it?"
"...No, I didn't even reach the stage of extracting the hundred thousand Spirit Stones, but your comment is really infuriating!"
Wang Jiu said: "So how should I say it? That you're immensely talented, your aptitude is unparalleled, and if you can't succeed in practicing Nine Dragon Divine Sword, it must be the swordsmanship itself that's wrong?"
Li Qingming was momentarily speechless.
"Forget it, expecting you to understand people's minds as a White Sword is too naive of me."
"I think your comment is mocking my way of dealing with people."
"...I'm sorry, I was wrong," Li Qingming was nearly in tears.
After a while, the young girl stretched her body in the academy's school field and suddenly asked uneasily: "Wang Jiu, is my aptitude...really bad?"
"It depends on how you define aptitude. Generally speaking, aptitude is only about suitability, not directly comparable in terms of good or bad. For instance, some people are only good at swordsmanship their whole life but happen to excel in it; do you think their aptitude is good or bad?"
Li Qingming asked with doubt: "Is there someone like that?"
Wang Jiu pointed at himself.
"...I suppose I believe you."
In fact, even today, Li Qingming remains somewhat skeptical about this bizarre origin sword spirit—she doesn't doubt Wang Jiu's goodwill towards her, but the tales of the Jiuzhou Immortal Demon Wars are extremely absurd, and many of the Jiuzhou Era immortal cultivation knowledge Wang Jiu describes are vastly different from today's, making it hard to gain a tangible sense of credibility.
Wang Jiu explained: "Although you're indeed not suited for sword practice, and even your methods for Qi cultivation and refining True Essence are unimpressive, you've still inherited Shen Kaishan's Immovable Tyrant Body, and that's quite promising. However, aptitude isn't the only determining factor, it makes up at most two-tenths of a person's achievements."
"Hmm, I'll keep trying, thank you...for encouraging me."
Li Qingming smiled and started seriously practicing the subsequent movements of the Immovable Tyrant Body. After more than half a month's effort, she could now continuously do the third movement. Forcing the fourth movement would cause severe strain and lead to bed confinement. The first three movements couldn't be done more than three sets at a time. Li Qingming already did two sets today and pushed herself to finish the remaining set, feeling pain all over, but still barely able to endure it.
The young girl sighed and walked to the door: "I have things to do and need to go out today, please take care of the house."
Wang Jiu, engrossed in reading the encyclopedia, waved her off: "No problem."
Right after speaking, he saw Li Qingming at the door stiffen, her body beginning to sway uncontrollably, and in the next moment, with a thud, she fell to her knees.
"Uh, I said there's no problem, you don't need to bow so solemnly."
But Li Qingming immediately faced down and fell completely, her posture identical to the used Qingming Barrier-breaking Diagram.
Wang Jiu suddenly realized this was a backlash from practice, hurriedly ran over, supported her using a Shape Manipulation Array, and started pouring hot water down her throat until the girl was almost about to throw up.
"Can you, this guy, do anything besides advising people to drink more hot water!?"
Wang Jiu said joyously: "Seeing how well you're recovering, you can even scold people with full breath."
"I…" Li Qingming couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, but quickly remembered the task she had today, no longer wasting her energy talking to the dumb sword spirit. Instead, she tried to stand up but quickly realized…probably misjudged her limits, after several rounds of practicing Immovable Tyrant Body, she's now in an immovable state.
Other than lying in bed to recuperate, waiting for the blood's power to gradually stimulate the body, any other attempts would be unwise and only worsen injuries—this is the miserable lesson Li Qingming has repeatedly learned over the past month.
Thinking of this, the girl almost cried out of anxiety.
Wang Jiu frowned while watching: "What's wrong? Do you need me to get a jar from the warehouse again?"
Li Qingming's face instantly flushed bright red.
"Arghhhhhh, go to hell!!"
——
After calming down, Li Qingming then expressed her purpose for going out today.
"Today is my mother's memorial day..."
"Oh? So what?"
"I…" Li Qingming said, "I want to go see her."
Wang Jiu put on a surprised expression: "Although I always respect the subjective wishes of my mount, I strongly advise against you doing this."
"Huh?!" Li Qingming was startled, "Why?"
"Firstly, I have to say, I respect the familial bonds between you humans, but life must always come first, with all emotional factors being secondary. Secondly, your mother has been deceased for twelve years now, isn't it a bit late to join her in death? Finally, a mount as compatible as you is quite rare..."
"Wait a minute!" Li Qingming hurriedly interrupted, "Who said I was going to join her in death!?"
"You did."
"...Sorry, you must have misunderstood. I'm just going to pay my respects to her, and every year on the anniversary, I chat with her, even though she might not hear it at all."
"Ah, I understand, it's an annual commemorative event. In that case, I can relay a message for you."
"You..." Li Qingming wanted to refuse, but on second thought, she nodded, "Alright then, I'll trouble you. Later, I'll write a letter with what I want to say, and you can burn it at her grave for me. Make sure not to peek, okay?"
"Okay."
After a while, Li Qingming lay on the bed, using her two fingers on her left hand, which she could barely move freely, to begin writing a letter. After writing just a few characters, she let out a sigh.
"Oh my, this looks just like your handwriting! How do I explain this to Mom..."
"You could introduce her to your IQ test results."
"..."
Li Qingming immediately closed her mouth and continued writing the letter earnestly. It took her about half an hour to finish, nearly exhausting her.
Finally, when she folded the paper and placed it in the envelope, she earnestly reminded Wang Jiu: "Be sure not to peek!"
"I won't look." Wang Jiu nodded, taking the letter, he said, "Well written, especially the last part about working hard."
Li Qingming immediately twitched all over — if it weren't for her paralysis, she would have jumped through the roof. Her face flushed with excitement: "You, you peeked!?"
"I didn't, there's no need to peek. Your thoughts when writing are like they're right beside my ear."
"You're peeking at my thoughts again!"
"'Peeking' is a term..."
"You're so annoying!" Li Qingming was ashamed and enraged, and she began to shoot the spirit wind inside her with her remaining two fingers, the wind from her fingers like swords, making a hissing sound in the air.
Of course, Wang Jiu was completely unharmed, not even needing the energy gathered by the Wind Gathering Array, easily deflecting the wind with just his sword body.
After venting for a while, Li Qingming finally felt a bit less angry.
Wang Jiu, whether she liked it or not, had become an indispensable part of her life.
"Since you read it...then please honestly deliver it, and let my mother see you too, hehe."
At the end, the young lady couldn't help but burst into laughter.
——
When Wang Jiu left the house, he turned into that colorful little dwarf again.
Although the Illusion Sword Technique allowed him to change into countless forms, and with the Wind Gathering Array, Wang Jiu could compensate for the lack of paint quality, turning into the appearance of a blooming young girl really damaged his sword dignity.
Zhao Yuming had already told him during the Immortal Demon War.
Li Qingming's dear mother Shen Yue'e was buried outside the city, according to her will in life, away from the Li Family's ancestral cemetery. While it was a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, on the map it seemed quite lonely.
However, when Wang Jiu arrived at the site, he found that the atmosphere of this cemetery was not as cold and solemn as usual. Green hills and clear water, chirping birds and fragrant flowers, a spotless jade monument stood on an equally white stone slab, simply inscribed with 'Beloved Wife Shen Yue'e's Tomb.'
Wang Jiu walked up to the grave, observing the surroundings. Sure enough, there was an exceptionally powerful Array Barrier, unless one possessed the Li Family bloodline, or was authorized by the Li Family, or was a Celestial Flying Sword that had signed a Master-Servant Contract with the Li Family bloodline and could perfectly conceal its aura like a dead thing...any living creature approaching abruptly would suffer intense repulsion, from mental rejection escalating to heavenly lightning strikes, especially within ten meters of the tombstone where even birds and insects were completely absent.
"Quite well-protected. According to the Dobao Pavilion's manual pricing, this cemetery must have cost at least one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Remarkable for a concubine."
Wang Jiu nodded, took out the three sticks of Spiritual Incense Li Qingming had given him, preparing to light them for Shen Yue'e, but just as he placed the incense on the censer in front of the grave, Wang Jiu realized he had forgotten to bring a fire starter.
"...Indeed, one cannot expect someone with an IQ of 3.3 to prepare all the tools."
Thinking for a moment, Wang Jiu waved his hand — of course, he actually used the high-speed motion of his real sword blade to ignite the air, a flash of flame appeared, and the three sticks of incense slowly burned.
With the incense, Wang Jiu proceeded to take out the written letter to burn, when suddenly, a clear, high, yet distinctly girlish voice sounded from behind.
"Dressed up so ridiculously in this setting, don't you find it shameful?"
Turning around, Wang Jiu saw a girl of about the same height as Li Qingming, clad in lavish attire like a princess at a ceremony, slowly descending from mid-air.