Practicing Martial Arts

The next day, Baili Xue woke up before the rooster was even awake.

"Princess, where are we going this early?" Jinlan asks while helping Baili Xue with her hair.

"We're going to a special place today," Baili Xue said with a confident smile.

Jinlan doesn't understand. She helped put Baili Xue's hair into a bun and dressed her like a young man.

"Princess, you look so handsome!" Jinlan said with admiring.

Baili Xue smiles. "Our Jinlan looks stunning too. Bet those girls won't keep their eyes off you," Bai Li Xue said teasingly.

Jinlan's face blushed.

Baili Xue often goes out of the palace so the guards know about this and didn't stop them.

Once they left the city, they came to this mountain and there was a small cabin.

"Princess, you know somewhere that lives here?" Baili Xue asks.

Baili Xue walks into the cabin and it's the same as before. "This place is my grandma's old home."

Baili Xue's grandma, Fu Yao is a doctor and is a martial artist. When her daughter Fu Qing married the emperor, she has been living here all her life.

Fu Qing would teach her daughter archery and medicine. From time to time, her grandma would come to the palace to visit them. But of course, she does it sneakily at night. Even though Fu Yao could come to visit them openly, she likes to do it the opposite way.

Baili Xue loves her grandma. Her grandma would teach her things that her mother doesn't, and would even bring her out of the palace late at night. They would come to this cabin and her grandma would bring her to see the night skies and fireflies.

Ever since Baili Xue's mom passed away, Fu Yao has come to the palace less often. But from time to time, she would send message to the palace and asks how Baili Xue is.

"Who are you guys?" a man walks into the cabin and looks at Baili Xue.

Baili Xue turned and looks at him. The man is wearing all white and holding a sword in his left hand.

"Senior Yige?" Baili Xue asks.

Li Yige looks at the girl that calls out to him. Fu Yao has only taken one apprentice in her lifetime, which was Li Yige.

Li Yige is five years older than Baili Xue and the last time that he saw Baili Xue was when she was six.

"Xue Er?"

Li Yige couldn't believe that the person standing in front of him is Baili Xue. All these years, his master wouldn't allow him to go visit Baili Xue.

Baili Xue nods. "How have you been? How is grandma?" she asks with concern.

It's been a year since she last heard from her grandma.

"Master is down by the lake. She's been just sitting there and feeding the birds and fishes." Li Yige said with a smile.

"Want me to bring you to master?" Li Yige asks.

Baili Xue shakes her head. "I'll go to her myself," she said and then told Jinlan to stay there and waits for her.

As she walks down where the lakes are, she can hear the birds chirping and the water stream running.

In a faraway distance, stood a woman and birds by her side. Fu Yao is in her 60s, but you couldn't see any white hair on her.

"Grandma!" Baili Xue calls out to her.

Fu Yao stops feeding the birds and turns around.

This is the first time they've seen each other since ten years ago.

Fu Yao smiled and Baili Xue went up to hug her.

"What happened? Did those people hurt you again?" her grandma asks while soothing her hair.

Baili Xue shakes her head, "I just missed you!"

Fu Yao smiles and takes her hand. They both sat down and Baili Xue hands her the rock that Fu Yao gave her when her mother passed away.

"Grandma, I think I'm ready!" Baili Xue said confidently.

Fu Yao looks at the rock in her hand. "Are you sure?"

Baili Xue nods.

When Fu Qing passed away, Fu Yao wants to take her granddaughter away from this cold

palace. But she knows that she can't make this decision for Baili Xue. Fu Yao told Baili Xue that whenever she's ready to learn, just bring this rock with her.

In Baili Xue's past life, she didn't go to her grandma and she regrets it. This time she came, not only to see her grandma but to learn skills to protect the people she cares about.

Because Baili Xue has some basic skills, her grandma brought her inside this cave.

"I'm going to impart my inner strength to you," her grandma said and place her hand on Baili Xue's back.

"But won't that affect you?" Baili Xue asks and wants to stop her grandma.

"Niu Niu, grandma is old. Even without this, grandma can still protect you. Just trust me," Fu Yao said and then closes her eyes while imparting her inner strength to Baili Xue.

Niu Niu is Baili Xue's nickname. When she was still a kid, her mom and grandma would always call her by that.

Baili Xue felt that heat growing inside as she felt that power circling her inner core.

"Try to focus on that energy," Fu Yao said.

Not so long after, Fu Yao slowly catches her breath and Baili Xue can feel the difference inside of her body right now.

"Grandma, this feels very weird," Baili Xue said.

Fu Yao smiles, "It's normal. Now, to become the world's number one, you have to stay here. In here there's the thing that you need."

Baili Xue helps her get up and watches Fu Yao walks out of the cave.

Fu Yao closes the cave door.

"Niu Niu! When the time comes, you'll be able to get out!"

Baili Xue understands what her grandma means.

Inside the caves, there are walls of books and weapons. All these martial art books were collected by Fu Yao and some are invented by her.

Baili Xue looks around while trying to find one that is best for her. As she scrolls through the books on the wall, she found this small rectangular box at the end. Baili Xue picked it up and brush the dust away. Opening the box, there's a letter and a book.

"To my future daughter, "

The letter was written for her mother, Fu Qing. Her grandma Fu Yao wrote this when she was pregnant with her mom.

Baili Xue couldn't help but laughs a little. Baili Xue wonders how could her grandma know that she was carrying a girl and not a boy.

This martial art book that's in the box was invented by her grandma and grandpa. It was a gift for Fu Qing, but somehow Fu Yao never gave this to Fu Qing.

Inside the book are drawings and explanations. Baili Xue sat down and carefully reads it.

Fu Yao left the cave and went back to where she was feeding the fish earlier. She back down and looks out at a faraway distance.

"Qing Er, how I wish you are here to see that your daughter is so much like you."

Three hours have passed, and Baili Xue still hasn't come out yet.

Jinlan starts to get worried, but Li Yige told her that Baili Xue will be fine. The first time his master put him inside that cave, it took him a week to come out. So he knows that this isn't an easy process.

Soon night falls, and Jinlan wants to go bring some food for Baili Xue. But Li Yige shakes his head.

"If you go bother her, it's easy for her to get distracted. And this could cause her to go crazy," Li Yige warns Jinlan.

People who practice martial arts could easily go crazy when they are distracted. Crazy in the sense that their body is out of control and could die.

As they were about to go rest, they heard a loud bomb sound that was coming over from the cave.

Li Yige shockingly looks at Fu Yao. Fu Yao is shocked too.

Jinlan doesn't understand why they are acting like that. She just knows that her princess is inside the cave and doesn't know if she's okay.

They all followed Fu Yao over to the cave and saw the cave door slowly open.

Baili Xue walks out and smiles.

"Grandma, it wasn't that bad," Baili Xue said in a teasing voice.

Fu Yao walks up to her and puts her hand over Baili Xue's wrist. Her pulse is normal and she studies her face.

"How do you feel?" Fu Yao asks her.

Baili Xue thought for a moment. "I feel fine. Just feel more awake and powerful," she said and then throws her hand over to the tree. The tree starts to shake and leaves fall.

Jinlan worries and walks up to check on Baili Xue.

"Princess, are you hurt?"

Baili Xue shakes her head and gives a reassuring smile.

"Mr. Li said you won't be out that fast and should take about at least a week," Jinlan asks and looks at Li Yige also.

Li Yige shyly looks away. He didn't know that Baili Xue could learn this fast.

Fu Yao's eyes widen, "did you practice that book from the box?"

Baili Xue nods. "Is there a problem with it?" she asks with concern.

Fu Yao pauses a little and then shakes her head. "If you have read that letter, you should know that it was invented by me and your grandpa. It was supposed to be a gift for your mom, but it wasn't meant for her."

Fu Qing has practiced it before, but every time she couldn't get it right. She knew this wasn't meant for her and so she left it inside the cave.

Fu Yao is still quite shocked that Baili Xue could learn this fast and understand all the concepts in this book. When she invented this with her husband, it took them a few days to fully get it. Fu Yao can't deny the fact that Baili Xue is very talented.

Fu Yao warmly smiles at her granddaughter and held out the sword to her. She was going to give this to her when Baili Xue comes out of the cave. But didn't expect it'll be this fast.

"Xue Er, this sword was your mom. The day she got married to your father, she left this behind. I'm now giving this to you."

Baili Xue takes the sword from her grandma. It's a soft sword.

"Thank you, grandma!"

Baili Xue went up to hug her.

"Grandma, I'm getting married soon," she said while hugging her.

Fu Yao didn't say anything and just pat her back.

Baili Xue lets go and look into her grandma's eyes. She doesn't want to leave her grandma, but she has to be back before midnight.

Fu Yao caress her face. "You should get going. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be traveling for a few months, so if there's anything, you know how to contact me."

Baili Xue knows that her grandma doesn't like to stay here. This place is a place that brings back good and bad memories.

Baili Xue said goodbye to them and got on two horses that Li Yige prepared for them.

The sword that Fu Yao gave her is soft. She bends it and placed it around her waist. It fits like a belt on her.

Once Baili Xue arrived back at the palace, the eunuch came over and told her that the emperor wants to see her.

Baili Xue didn't have time to change, so she just went like that to see her brother.

"Huang Xiong," Baili Xue bows to Baili Yifei.

Baili Yifei eyebrows's are slightly furrowed as he noticed the way Baili Xue dressed.

He sighs and then told Baili Xue to sit down.

"I invited Gu Muyan over to have dinner with us. He should be coming soon," her brother said. Baili Xue shockingly looks up at him.

"You what?! How come I didn't know about this?" She said and raised her voice. If she knew that he invited Gu Muyan over for dinner, then she wouldn't wear this. She should've gone back to change.

"Who told you to go out and come back this late?"

Baili Xue angrily looks at her brother, and later the eunuch came in saying that Gu Muyan is waiting outside.

Baili Xue wants to dig a hole and wishes she wasn't here.

"It's too late now. I want to see how Muyan would react when he sees you like this," Baili Yifei said teasingly.

She gives a glare to her brother and didn't talk to him.

Gu Muyan walks in and saw the two siblings sitting. The first thing he noticed was Baili Xue's dressing as a boy.

Gu Muyan did his bows and Baili Yifei told him to sit down.

Baili Xue looks at him and this is the first time she ever took a close look at him. In her past life, she hasn't looked at him at all.

'How could someone be this handsome? Even more handsome than her brother?' Baili Xue's inner self said.

Baili Xue always thought that her brother is the best and most handsome person in the world, but now she's wrong.

Baili Yifei noticed Baili Xue deeply looking at Gu Muyan and coughing a little.

"General Gu, have anyone told you that you are so handsome?" Baili Xue asks out loud.

Both men look at her shockingly.

Baili Yifei doesn't feel good when he heard that. He always thought that he was the most handsome his sister and now she's saying that Gu Muyan is more handsome?? Baili Yifei deadly glares at Gu Muyan.

But Gu Muyan smiles and smirks a little.

"Really? It's my first time hearing this." Gu Muyan responds back and then gives a proud look to Baili Yifei.