Liu's Growth

[Four Years Later]

>FWOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!<

A blur moved at a speed that defied its little build. Like a stroke of the wind, it flowed without any interruption, lunging straight for the target.

"Eeek!" A young boy, appearing not older than fifteen, clung to his wooden sword as he watched the blur approach him with unexpected vigor.

His training robe was already roughened up and dirty, proving that the fight had been on for some time now. The disheveled hair hanging on his head, and his swollen cheeks were additional indications of how the fight had progressed.

Despite being much bigger and older than the incoming threat, he couldn't stop trembling. Still, how could he just surrender like that? After challenging his junior, how could he do something as shameful as losing?

"Hiyaaa!"

Swinging his blade downward, calculating the exact time that the blur would reach him, he poured all his strength into the attack.

'Let's see if you can dodge thi—'

His face paled the moment the blur navigated away from the downward stroke, swiftly easing its way past the wooden blade's reach.

'Shit!' He found his thoughts echoing in his head. In a quick, precise motion, the blur had dodged his fastest—most powerful stroke—and was now past the blade. 'I can still…'

Trying quickly to raise his weapon and strike before he was struck, the teenager pushed his muscles to their limit and began his counterattack.

Unfortunately for him… it was too late.

>WHOOSSSHHHH!!!<

The blur was already right behind him, and an inevitable strike approached. It was too late, yet this desperate boy wanted so badly to win. He thought if he tried harder, he would be able to strike faster than he was struck.

That childish ambition was instantly crushed.

"Guark!"

In one swift thrust of the blade, the blur—or more accurately, the child in the blur—struck the senior from behind, causing him to make the most embarrassing noise as he fell to the pavement floor.

Finally, all the pain and exhaustion he had tried to ignore all came rushing back, and he could feel the last ember of his morale being snuffed out.

"I… I've lost." He whispered, nearly in tears.

He could hardly even stand at this point, leaving him no choice but to hug the cold, dirty pavement as he basked in his shameful defeat.

"Haa…" A calm breath suddenly echoed in his ear, as the victor smiled gently. His short black hair danced with the wind, and his childlike face was completely unscathed. His white robe was also a little dirty, but that was simply the result of the boy's training before the fight.

So far, unlike the defeated teenager, this ten-year-old had not even a scratch on his body.

"You've improved Senior. You just need to work more on your stamina. Even if you could match my speed for some time, it wears you out very quickly. There's no point in having speed if it isn't sustainable."

Hearing these words, the defeated stranger could do nothing more than utter the words, "U-understood."

Yes, despite how shameful it sounded, this wasn't the first time he had been beaten to a pulp by the ten-year-old. Plus, he wasn't the only one.

Merely raising his sight a little further, he could see over a dozen bodies on the ground, all in the same state he currently suffered. It was this very same boy who dealt all of them the same defeat he had to swallow.

But how could he feel resentment for it? How could he despise the young man for his immense talent and unrivaled dedication within the Sect? It had only been four years since he arrived, yet he had surpassed pretty much every other student here.

At just ten years old, he was the strongest in the entire Sect.

"T-thanks for the training, Liu. I'll work on it." He smiled weakly, extinguishing the last of his strength before passing out.

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"Looks like that's all for today," Liu mumbled, placing his wooden sword beside his hip as he walked away from the training grounds.

The sight behind him consisted of a score of bodies, all passed out from overexerting themselves in their fight against him. "They're fewer today. Are the rest in the infirmary?" He muttered to himself.

'Ah, I can already picture Yisheng's exhausted expression. It's a good thing he has an assistant to help him out with already.' Liu thought to himself, 'I still feel bad for the both of them.'

Whistling as he casually walked out of the training grounds, he ventured to his dorm—well, more accurately, it was the junior boys' dormitory. His Sect Uniform was already soiled with dirt and drenched with sweat.

All thanks to his early morning training routine—involving hours of personal training, and then beating up his seniors. Both were equally important, but Liu thought the latter was more fulfilling.

'I get to train, and then practice on the fodders that present themselves to me.' It was both efficient and mutually beneficial.

With all of that out of the way, he really needed to freshen up and resume his most important activity for the day. A smile formed on his face as he cast his gaze on the tallest mountain he could see, and a mellow feeling coursed through his heart.

'I can't keep her waiting, can I?' He would have preferred rushing to the Sect Leader's abode immediately, but how could he present himself to her in such a state?

No, that was completely unacceptable.

"I should freshen up, look my best, and then I'll see her."

Living on the peak of the mountain would have also been better, but according to her, he had to live among his peers so he could socialize with them and form bonds. At first, he didn't see the use, but he understood her words more clearly the more he stayed here.

Besides, climbing up the mountain was a good way to train, so he had no problems with it.

If there was one complaint he had about the whole arrangement, though, it was the fact that he missed seeing the sunrise with her.

'I should ask Yui one of these days.' His smile widened as he went his merry way, whistling even more. ' A sleepover shouldn't be a bad idea.'

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[A/N]

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