Chapter 31: New Day

The soft morning sunlight filtered through the glass balcony door, its curtains drawn just enough to let the warm glow fill the room. Wong Yazhu shifted in her bed, unconsciously hugging something close. For a moment, she stayed still, nestled in the warmth, but then she froze. The thing she was hugging felt… solid. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking as her vision focused on Wong Tengfei, who was peacefully sleeping beside her, her arm and leg wrapped around his toned right arm.

It took every ounce of willpower not to scream and jump out of bed but stayed still, staring wide-eyed at the man's sleeping face. His breathing was calm, his face peaceful, but as if sensing her gaze, his eyes fluttered open.

"Morning, Xiao Yazhu," he mumbled, his voice groggy, a lazy smile on his face. "Came to check on you last night, couldn't resist sleeping next to my cute little sister," he added with a grin, wrapping her in a bear hug and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Did you sleep well?"

Wong Yazhu stifled the urge to shove him away immediately. She had planned to do some closed-eye cultivation, but the moment her body hit the bed, exhaustion took over, and she had passed out. The sleep was good, she admitted mentally. But waking up next to this stray 'Genjutsu' victim ruined it.

"Yeah, but waking up to your face ruined it," she muttered, trying to push herself away from his chest, struggling to break free of his bear hug.

Tengfei chuckled and patted her back. "Still as cute as ever." He finally let her go, allowing her to get out of bed. He pulled the sheets over himself, snuggling into them. "Don't forget to brush before talking to anyone," he teased, hugging the blanket like a child.

"Not a kid," Wong Yazhu responded while stretching her arms over her head, but the man was asleep once more. She bent down to touch her toes, then hugged her legs, glancing at Tengfei from between them. 'He will be annoying.' She sighed, standing up straight and cracking her neck before heading to the bathroom.

Standing before the sink, Wong Yazhu stared at her reflection. Sand-toned skin, a slim and angular face, small mouth and lips, large round brown eyes with double eyelids, straight nose with a high bridge, and shoulder-length black hair with a few white strands. 

She brushed her bangs aside to get a better look at the small black dot on her forehead. 'What's the point of having this if it doesn't do anything?' She closed her eyes, focusing all her senses on the mark. 'Nothing.' As usual. But it's not like she will stop cultivating it. It still helps with her spiritual sea.

Shaking off the thought, she turned on the tap, brushed her teeth, and cleaned her face before heading back into the room. Wong Tengfei was snoring softly on her bed, still wrapped up in the sheets. Ignoring him, she quickly dressed in gray simple trouser, a black short-sleeve shirt, and sleepers before walking to the door.

As she left her room, she immediately noticed a middle-aged woman sweeping the floor. There wasn't a speck of dirt in sight, but she was sweeping diligently. The woman looked up with a warm smile. "Good morning, young mistress."

Wong Yazhu returned the smile, her mind a little puzzled. 'Young mistress?' she thought but brushed it off. "Good morning," she greeted as she walked past the woman, heading toward Yun Ho's room. 

As she was about to turn down the hallway leading to his chambers, the woman's voice called out. "If you're looking for the Lord, he's in his office," the woman informed with a gentle smile.

Wong Yazhu nodded, pausing for a moment. "Would you mind taking me there?" 

"Of course, young mistress," the woman replied, sweeping the imaginary dirt into a dustpan before walking over. "Follow me." 

The woman led her through the maze-like passageways of the manor until they arrived at a set of grand double doors. Knocking lightly, the woman called out, "Lord, your disciple is here to meet you." 

"Let her in," Yun Ho's voice came from the other side. 

The woman opened the doors, revealing a spacious office bathed in shades of purple, blue, and white. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, scrolls, and various artifacts. A traditional painting of a blue eastern dragon soaring through a storm, lightning surrounding it was one wall. Below it, in gold lettering, were the words Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. 

There was a resting area to one side, where four couches formed a square around a coffee table, with two armchairs opposite each other and a chaise lounge across from a long sofa. Next to this seating area was a glass door leading to a balcony, its curtains drawn to allow the morning light to filter in. 

In the middle of the room was a large table covered entirely by a map, and directly across from the entrance, across from this table map, was Yun Ho's desk, cluttered with papers and scrolls. Behind him, the window let in more natural light, casting shadows over the room. 

Wong Yazhu stepped inside, the woman closing the door quietly behind her. She gave a slight bow. "Good morning, Master." 

"Good morning." Yun Ho looked up from his papers, a grin spreading across his face. "How was waking up to a man in your bed?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

Wong Yazhu sighed, rubbing her temple. "Made my good sleep bad." 

"I expected as much." Yun Ho laughed heartily. 

"So, what am I learning today?" she asked, eager to move past the awkward morning.

Yun Ho cracked his neck, leaning back in his chair. "You won't be learning from me today." He paused as a knock came at the door. "But from someone else." He smiled. "Come in." 

 The head servant stepped in. She stood 181 cm tall with a lean yet strong, statuesque figure. Her shoulders were broad but not overly so, tapering down to a narrow, well-defined waist that widened at her hip and flowing into her long, elegant legs, with strong calves and thighs.

She wore a finely tailored deep purple robe that flowed smoothly down her figure, embroidered with delicate silver patterns along the edges. The robe was cinched at the waist with a silver belt, accentuating her slim, athletic frame, while the sleeves flared slightly at the wrists. Beneath the robe, glimpses of traditional silk trousers could be seen, matched in color, and her feet were adorned with simple black shoes with a slight heel. 

Her high cheekbones added to the sharpness of her appearance, with her nose straight and slender, leading down to soft, full lips. Her skin was smooth and fair, with almond-shaped eyes that were dark, piercing that revealed no emotion and slightly arched eyebrows. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a tight and sleek bun at the top of her head with not a single hair out of place, secured with a silver pin that gleamed in the sunlight through the balcony glass door. 

"Good morning, Lord Yun," she greeted him with a polite bow before turning to Wong Yazhu with a nod. "Young Mistress." 

Wong Yazhu bowed. "Good morning."

"You have already been introduced to Jing Wei." Yun Ho gestured toward her with a smile. "She will be in charge of your training for the time being."

'Lazy much?' But she kept it to herself and bowed. "I will be in your care."

"Move along." The fat man waved, "Get to know each other."

Jing Wei gestured for Wong Yazhu to follow her as she turned around. "Come with me," she commanded without a glance back, her voice soft but authoritative.

Wong Yazhu followed, nodding silently as they left Yun Ho's office. Once the door closed behind them, Jing Wei spoke again, this time asking, "First, let's go over the basics. Can you read, write, and count?" Her pace quickened, the tall woman leading the way down the grand corridors.

"I can read and count, but I can't write." Wong Yazhu admitted, her steps silent as they moved through the hallway, passing servants who greeted them with polite bows.

Jing Wei nodded as they continued walking through the hallways, passing tall windows where morning light streamed in. "What about basic addition and subtraction?"

"I can do that." Wong Yazhu confirmed.

Without looking back, Jing Wei asked, "Seven plus ninety-one?"

"That's ninety-eight," Wong Yazhu replied after a brief blink of surprise.

Jing Wei didn't falter in her stride, her voice neutral. "Seven plus thirteen minus two?"

"Eighteen." Wong Yazhu answered.

Jing Wei's expression remained unreadable as she posed a more complex question: "Six plus fourteen plus nine plus seven, minus five hundred forty-eight, plus three hundred thirty-three, plus twelve, minus seventy-seven?"

"Negative two hundred forty-four," Wong Yazhu replied without hesitation.

Jing Wei's expression didn't change, but there was a slight glance backward, their eyes briefly meeting. "You understand negative numbers as well." Her voice held no praise, only observation.

"My father taught me well," Wong Yazhu replied matter-of-factly. 'He didn't teach me SHIT!'

Jing Wei didn't pause in her stride, her gaze turning forward once more. "Ninety-nine divided by three, plus fifty-five, minus four hundred thirty-two, plus sixty-six multiplied by four, plus thirty-three, minus nine hundred eighty-one, plus thirty-three multiplied by nine." She asked.

Wong Yazhu thought for a second. "Negative seven hundred thirty-one," she answered.

"Basic math is out of the picture," she remarked, continuing ahead. "I will test your reading and spelling, and we'll work on your writing." Wong Yazhu nodded silently. 

The math problems she just solved would have been impossible for her past life to solve in her head, especially after only hearing the numbers once. But her enhanced spiritual sea wasn't just for show—her perception, cognition, and memory were all vastly superior.

There was no comparison.

They continued their walk through winding hallways and down a flight of stairs, occasionally passing servants who. Finally, they reached a large double door. Jing Wei pushed one of the doors open and gestured for Wong Yazhu to step inside before following behind the girl.

Behind the door was a vast two-story library, the sheer size and grandeur of it taking her by surprise. They were on the second floor, which wrapped around the perimeter of the library like a balcony, allowing one to look down upon the first floor. Rows of shelves stretched up from the ground floor, nearly reaching the second floor, while more open spaces and sitting areas filled the second floor.

The morning light filtered through tall windows, casting a soft glow over the wooden tables and shelves. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, its light sparkling over the room, though other sources of light—lamps built into the shelves and walls—provided ample illumination. The air was fresh, carried by the gentle breeze through the open windows.

Jing Wei's voice echoed softly in the grand space. "This is where we will spend the next few weeks—or less, depending on your learning speed." She gestured toward a rectangular table near an open window. "Sit there and wait."

Wong Yazhu nodded and made her way to the table. She took a seat in one of the chairs closest to the window, feeling the fresh morning air as it gently touched her face. The smell of freshly cut grass filled her senses, and when she glanced outside, she noticed the source—a large grass maze.

Its walls towered about four meters high, and the maze seemed vast, the kind of place one could easily get lost in if they couldn't jump to see over the top. A few landscapers were working diligently, trimming the hedges and tending to the grounds.

Jing Wei returned a few minutes later, placing several books on the table. She left again briefly and returned with a scroll, a dip pen, and an ink fountain set. Arranging everything neatly on the table, she sat across from Wong Yazhu, her sharp gaze fixed on the girl. They sat in silence for a few moments, the tension palpable until Wong Yazhu decided to give her fave and broke eye contact to look down at the books.

Jing Wei gestured to one of the books. "Pick that up and read."

Wong Yazhu obediently picked up the book and began to read aloud. After only a few sentences, Jing Wei's calm voice cut her off. "Stop." There was no emotion on her face, but the judgment in her tone was clear.

Wong Yazhu sighed inwardly. 'I never said I was good at reading,' she thought, placing the book back on the table. 

Despite learning how to speak from Prime Wong Yazhu's memories, Prime had never excelled at reading, and in the year since she had taken over this body, she herself hadn't had the time—or interest—to improve.

Jing Wei opened a blank scroll. "Can you write anything?"

"No," Wong Yazhu admitted, though she added quickly, "But learning to write shouldn't be too hard." Without hesitation, she activated her Sharingan, noting the slight improvement in her vision with a bit more soul power usage.

Jing Wei showed no visible reaction to the sudden change in Wong Yazhu's eyes as the girl spoke. "If you write, explain, and sound out the letters, consonants, and vowels, I should be able to get it down within an hour."

Jing Wei gaze lingered on the girl's eyes before nodding. She decided to humor the girl and began explaining the alphabet and its nuances.

It took about forty-five minutes, with Wong Yazhu keeping her Sharingan active the entire time. The Eye of Insight didn't consume that much soul power, especially since she was only trying to copy something as simple as writing.

After the explanation, Wong Yazhu deactivated the Sharingan and Jing Wei closed her scroll, pushing an empty one along with the inkwell toward the girl. "Write your name." she instructed, handing the dip pen to the girl.

Wong Yazhu wasted no time. Holding the pen as Jing Wei had held hers, she carefully wrote out her name in a handwriting style that closely mirrored Jing Wei's, the only difference being the slight variation caused by their differing hand sizes.

Jing Wei nodded approvingly. "Now write mine."

Wong Yazhu did as instructed, writing the name flawlessly. Jing Wei then said, "Write: Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty."

Again, Wong Yazhu wrote it all down without error.

"Eat grapes without spitting out the skin, not eating grapes but spitting out the skin," Jing Wei said next.

Wong Yazhu's hand glided across the paper, writing the phrase perfectly.

"Interesting," Jing Wei mumbled, her voice barely audible although a change in expression. She looked up from the paper, meeting Wong Yazhu's eyes. "Tell me about your martial soul."