The morning sun reflected off the dew-kissed lotus pond, turning every droplet into a tiny prism. Shen Yu and Xiao Rong were already awake, much earlier than they should have been, and much earlier than anyone sane would dare. Shen Yu had decided today would be the perfect day to "practice sword skills," even though he had absolutely no clue what he was doing. Xiao Rong had tagged along, mostly to tease him—and secretly because he enjoyed watching Shen Yu flail like a newborn crane.
Their first "exercise" involved a training dummy that stood innocently near the edge of the courtyard. Shen Yu gripped his sword, narrowed his eyes, and, with all the concentration a reckless teenager could muster, swung… and promptly missed by about three feet. The sword clipped the dummy's shoulder, ricocheted into a discarded fire talisman, and—before anyone could react—a small flame erupted.
Xiao Rong burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, doubling over on the grass. "Shen Yu! You just set the dummy on fire! Did you even plan to hit it, or were you aiming for comedy?"
Shen Yu swatted him angrily. "It was an accident! Clearly I miscalculated the trajectory of fate, okay? Or maybe the sword hates me!"
From the edge of the courtyard, Ling Wei appeared as if summoned by sheer logic itself. His robes flowed gently in the morning breeze, his expression calm, unimpressed, and entirely unamused. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, waved a hand, and extinguished the small flame with the precision of someone who had put out a thousand fires before breakfast. Not a single hair was singed. Not a single eyebrow twitched.
Yu Zhen, leaning casually against a nearby pillar, let out a slow whistle. "That's… impressive," he said dryly. "He makes saving you from your own incompetence look effortless."
Shen Yu opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by Xiao Rong, who was still laughing. "He does, doesn't he? Admit it, Shen Yu, you love watching him do that."
Shen Yu's cheeks flushed a perfect shade of crimson, though he tried to hide it behind an exaggerated scowl. "I do not! I just… I didn't want the dummy to burn completely!"
Xiao Rong smirked. "Uh-huh. Sure. That's why you nearly fell into the pond when you tried to douse it yourself."
Ling Wei raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Yu Zhen, ever patient, merely shook his head, lips twitching. Watching Shen Yu and Xiao Rong bicker like mischievous children was mildly entertaining—provided he didn't have to intervene too often.
After the fire was safely out, Shen Yu slumped against Xiao Rong, exhaling dramatically. "Why is everything I touch such a disaster?"
"Because the heavens clearly want us entertained," Xiao Rong replied, flicking water droplets from his fingers with a grin. "And because you're incompetent."
"YOU'RE the incompetent one!" Shen Yu shot back.
"Details!" Xiao Rong shouted triumphantly, making Shen Yu groan in defeat.
Ling Wei finally spoke, his voice calm and precise. "The goal of this exercise is to learn control, not to cause chaos." He gestured to the dummy, now slightly scorched but otherwise intact. "Shen Yu, step aside. Xiao Rong, stand behind the dummy. Watch and learn."
As Ling Wei demonstrated a simple sword sweep, guiding the energy of the strike with exacting focus, Shen Yu and Xiao Rong both blinked, trying to process the elegance of his movements. Shen Yu's jaw slackened slightly. "How does he make it look so easy?"
Xiao Rong nudged him. "Because he's not you."
Yu Zhen, watching from the sidelines, allowed a small smile to escape. It was rare to see Ling Wei so graceful without being distracted by some chaos—but even now, there was a faint glimmer of warmth in the calm precision of his movements.
By mid-morning, Shen Yu and Xiao Rong had tried to replicate the movement at least a dozen times. Each attempt ended in minor disasters: Shen Yu tripping over his own feet, Xiao Rong spinning too wildly and smacking a pillar, the occasional burst of magical sparks landing harmlessly on the grass. Yet somehow, each time they failed, they couldn't stop laughing, and each time, Ling Wei stepped calmly in to correct them, and Yu Zhen quietly offered small pointers or hand gestures from the sidelines.
At one point, Shen Yu dramatically collapsed onto the grass, waving his hands at Ling Wei. "I'm done! I will never be graceful! My life is a tragedy!"
Xiao Rong rolled onto his side beside him, giggling. "Relax. It's supposed to be a tragedy. Makes your eventual triumph way more entertaining."
Ling Wei knelt down just close enough to tap Shen Yu on the shoulder with a gentle hand. "Persistence is the measure of strength. Try again, and this time focus."
Shen Yu blinked at him, startled by the calm authority in his voice. There was no anger, no harshness, just quiet confidence—and somehow, it made Shen Yu want to try again, even if he still stumbled.
Xiao Rong, not to be left out, leaned toward Yu Zhen. "Hey, you have to admit, he's cute when he's frustrated, right?"
Yu Zhen's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Cute, if you ignore the chaos trailing behind him."
The morning stretched into afternoon, laughter mingling with small bursts of smoke and misfired sword techniques. Shen Yu and Xiao Rong had learned nothing about grace yet everything about how to annoy each other—and themselves—while forming a bond they didn't even realize they were building. Ling Wei's calm guidance contrasted perfectly with the chaos, while Yu Zhen's patient presence subtly kept Xiao Rong grounded.
By the time the sun tilted toward evening, Shen Yu had burned two more talismans, Xiao Rong had tripped over a stray lotus root, and the courtyard looked like the aftermath of a small storm. Yet somehow, everyone was still smiling, tired but happy. Even Ling Wei and Yu Zhen, calm as they were, exchanged a look of quiet amusement—though neither would admit it aloud.
As they gathered their belongings to leave, Xiao Rong whispered to Shen Yu, "Best training day ever?"
Shen Yu snorted. "If you call near-death, minor burns, and humiliation a 'best day,' then yeah. Totally."
Xiao Rong grinned, nudging him. "Wait until tomorrow. We haven't even started the second round yet."
Ling Wei and Yu Zhen simply followed, unfazed—but even in their calm composure, there was the faintest trace of curiosity about what these two reckless boys would do next.
And thus, the Celestial Veil Sect courtyard remained peaceful only in name, while chaos, laughter, and the beginnings of unexpected friendships unfolded naturally under the soft morning sun.