Lies and Deceit*

"Urgh..."

Xin Guang's head throbbed as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying on the ground. The memories of his training with Jianyu flooded back, and he groaned, clutching his head in pain.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

A voice cut through the haze of his thoughts, and Xin Guang turned his head to see Jianyu, looking rather nonchalant.

"Huh?" Xin Guang mumbled, his voice still groggy.

"You fainted while training. I was quite worried, you know?" Jianyu said, his tone oddly calm and concerned.

"It's you!!" Xin Guang's eyes widened as he recognized Jianyu. He struggled to sit up, his body feeling heavy and sore.

"Hey, what's with that attitude?" Jianyu said with a slight frown etched across his exquisite features.

Finally gathering his wits, Xin Guang stood up abruptly, backed away a few steps, and pointed a trembling finger at Jianyu, his anger resurfacing. "You! You still have the gall to say that after you knocked me out?!!"

Jianyu raised an eyebrow, seemingly unruffled by Xin Guang's accusation. "Knocked you out? You fainted by overexerting your qi, and now you're blaming me for your own foolishness?"

"You liar! I saw you laughing at me as I fainted!" Xin Guang's voice quivered with indignation.

Jianyu sighed as if dealing with a troublesome child. "That I did, however, you did faint due to qi exertion. To begin with, why would I even need to lie about something like this? If I wanted to, I could just 'spar' with you again."

Xin Guang, his anger subsiding slightly, began to doubt his own recollection of events. "Then why did I run out of qi so quickly?"

Jianyu leaned in, his voice filled with a mix of disappointment and reproach. "This is why you lost to that fool Xiao Dong."

"You!!" Xin Guang seethed, his face flushing with frustration.

"The fact that you cannot even comprehend your own mistakes just makes you seem more foolish," Jianyu continued, his tone growing colder.

Feeling a mix of shame and anger, Xin Guang finally lowered his head. "Sigh... just look at your surroundings," Jianyu said, his voice shifting to a more instructive tone.

Xin Guang glanced around, taking in the damaged training grounds, the table and chairs, and the peculiar vegetation with white-bladed grass and bluish silver leaves. The air felt cold, and Xin Guang noticed a distinct presence of spiritual qi.

"Spiritual qi!" he exclaimed, realizing what he was sensing.

Jianyu nodded, confirming Xin Guang's observation. "That's right. The frost and yin qi are abundant here, and the vegetation absorbs yin qi from the moon at night and stores it."

As Jianyu explained, Xin Guang started to understand that the environment itself was affecting his training. The excess frost qi in the air had interfered with his fire-based techniques, causing his qi to deplete rapidly.

"Now, with so much frost qi in the ambient air, what would happen to the flames of a mere qi condensation realm disciple who doesn't even know how to control his own qi properly?" Jianyu posed the question.

Xin Guang clenched his fists, his earlier indignation turning into self-reflection. He realized that his arrogance and lack of awareness had led to his defeat.

"At least you have enough shame to not say anything else~," Jianyu remarked. "It was because of your arrogance and pride that you didn't even check your surroundings... That you didn't even check your opponent's abilities."

Xin Guang nodded, acknowledging his mistakes and the consequences they had brought. Finally, he looked Jianyu in the eyes with a hint of determination.

"You... Why are you trying to train me?"

Jianyu's smile took on a mysterious and profound quality. "I believe you should already know why."

"You want me to get rid of the shame caused to the family... by winning in the disciple competition," Xin Guang stated.

"That's right," Jianyu replied, though he lied effortlessly. His real motives remained highly associated with his own amusement.

"Other than that, I want you to be my subordinate and trusted aide," Jianyu added, weaving another lie to mask his true intentions.

Xin Guang scoffed, defiant once more. "As if I would become your subordinate!"

Jianyu's tone shifted again, this time becoming more ominous. "We'll see about that in the future~, but remember that betraying me is the same as betraying the clan, and if you do that, there is no one who can save you..."

Xin Guang felt a heavy pressure bearing down on him, making it hard to breathe. He couldn't help but lower his head in submission.

The oppressive aura dissipated, and the groan of the girl with her head on the table drew their attention.

"Oh, you're finally awake," Jianyu said, moving toward Mo Suyin with a smile.

"Yes..." Mo Suyin replied groggily, her eyes half-lidded as she slowly woke up.

Jianyu then called Xin Guang to join them at the table. Xin Guang obediently took a seat, still feeling the cold sweat on his back from the earlier confrontation.

Jianyu dramatically opened the lid of a pot on the table, releasing a tantalizing fragrance into the air. The aroma stimulated their appetites, and both Xin Guang and Mo Suyin couldn't help but salivate.

It was a simple dish, yet the sight and smell of it made their stomachs rumble. Jianyu had prepared chicken fried rice, but to the starving disciples, it felt like a feast fit for immortals.

As they dug into the delicious meal, Jianyu observed their voracious appetites with a bemused expression. He couldn't help but marvel at how much they could eat, and he realized he had accidentally made far too much food.

"Lei Qiang, come and eat with us," Jianyu said, giving her a direct order.

Lei Qiang began to protest, "As your maid, I-"

"Just sit down and eat, it's an order," Jianyu insisted, not giving her a chance to refuse.

Lei Qiang appeared at the table, quietly taking a seat as well. She was usually discreet and avoided drawing attention to herself when in public or when Jianyu was with others.

...

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...

As Mo Suyin and Xin Guang continued to devour their meal, Jianyu watched in amazement. Mo Suyin had already gone through five servings, and Xin Guang, who considered himself a hearty eater, was also taken aback by her voracious appetite.

'How do they eat that much anyway?!' Jianyu wondered, his confusion evident as he observed Mo Suyin still eating enthusiastically.

Even Lei Qiang, who was a Quazi immortal, was eating more than he expected.

'Thankfully, I made too much by accident,' Jianyu thought as he continued to watch them eat.

He couldn't help but smile genuinely, reminiscing about the time when he had put great efforts into improving his culinary skills and discovering mythical ingredients.

However, his smile was short-lived as a frown crept onto his face. A strange feeling had come over him while he was lost in thought about his past.

"Young master?" Lei Qiang, always alert, noticed Jianyu's change in demeanor and looked at him with concern.

Jianyu waved it off, trying to hide his unease. "Ah... It's nothing. I just remembered something, haha..."

He laughed awkwardly, but internally, he couldn't shake the growing worry about his incomplete memories.

'Sigh... Another one of those missing memories,' Jianyu thought. He had been increasingly troubled by the realization that his recollections were fragmented. There were moments when he would accidentally remember something from his past, but it always felt like pieces of a puzzle that didn't quite fit together, leaving him frustrated and uneasy.

...

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...

"Hah~ that was delicious~" Mo Suyin beamed with satisfaction, her cheeks slightly flushed from the hearty meal.

"Well, I guess it was passable," Xin Guang remarked, still trying to uphold his dignity despite eating voraciously.

"Well, you don't have to eat from now on. Just eat nutritional pills," Jianyu casually suggested.

"Urk...!" Xin Guang choked on his words, his earlier arrogance fading as he remembered the heavenly taste of Jianyu's cooking. He regretted insulting the food and now wished he could have more.

"To begin with, not many have had the honor of being fed food cooked by the heir of the Xin family," Jianyu said, adding to Xin Guang's realization of the meal's significance.

"Huh? You made this?" Xin Guang asked, his disbelief evident in his tone.

Jianyu nodded. "I did."

Xin Guang's shock deepened, and he realized that he had unwittingly criticized the cooking of this cruel devil! His intestines turned green with regret, thinking about the consequences.

As their meal continued, Jianyu shifted his attention to Mo Suyin. He produced a small box made of black stone and handed it to her.

"This pill should be able to remove your metal spiritual root so that you could begin your journey as a cultivator. Lei Qiang will help you consume the pill and direct its effects," Jianyu explained.

Mo Suyin's eyes widened in disbelief. Changing one's spiritual roots was a monumental event, and such a pill was immeasurably precious. She felt the weight of the favor she was receiving from Jianyu, making her determination to repay it even stronger.

With clenched fists and a determined look, Mo Suyin addressed Jianyu. "I'll do my best to return this favor!"

Jianyu smiled warmly. "Sure, I'll be counting on you."

He then tossed a spatial pouch to Mo Suyin, who barely managed to catch it. "It has a cultivation method and other resources in it. Now, go ahead and prepare for your cultivation."

As Jianyu prepared to leave, he turned to address the group. "Everyone will clean their own utensils, and since Mo Suyin is busy, Xin Guang, clean the rest of the stuff as well."

With that, Jianyu walked away, leaving Xin Guang with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

...

"Haaa... Ha... Ha... Argh! I can't do this anymore! Give me a break at the very least!!"

Xin Guang lay sprawled on the training grounds, throwing a tantrum like a frustrated child. The past week had been a grueling experience for him, unlike anything he had ever imagined. His body ached constantly, and the medicinal baths that stung his skin like nether-frost bees were sheer torture.

In contrast, Mo Suyin's tasks seemed comparatively easier, which only added to Xin Guang's frustration.

Jianyu, unfazed by Xin Guang's complaints, shook his head. "Just get over it, it's not that ba—"

Jianyu abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting from amusement to concern. His smile disappeared, replaced by a furrowed brow.

Xin Guang observed Jianyu's reaction, wondering what had caused the sudden change in demeanor.

'Is he conversing through spiritual sense?' Xin Guang pondered, trying to make sense of the situation. He strained his ears, but all he heard was Jianyu muttering a single word.

"What?" Xin Guang asked, his curiosity piqued.