Chapter 22: Eyes Ablaze

Walking out of the library, Duguy Bieli was still lost in admiration, deeply moved by the great emperor he had just learned of. For the entire human race, this was an emperor among emperors, deserving of every accolade. The thought of a single man charging alone for ten days, sweeping aside the Celestial Clan, made his blood surge with excitement; he longed to find a worthy opponent, to engage in a fierce and exhilarating duel.

A sudden cry of pain interrupted his reverie. From the row of houses where the men resided, someone groaned, “Ouch… take it easy…” Duguy Bieli entered to find Xiaohua wincing in pain as he tended to Lang, who lay there, clearly suffering. Lang’s ribs were broken—three or four at least—and he whimpered in agony.

Duguy Bieli scowled, anger rising. “Leng Sha went too far! Attending his lessons has almost cost you your life. This won’t do—I’ll go confront him about this.”

“How can you confront a teacher?” Xiaohua replied, exasperated.

He sneered, shaking his fist. “How? With these, of course.”

“That’s not right.” Su Xiruo entered quietly, gently advising, “Every teacher has their own methods. Even the deans turn a blind eye, which means he hasn’t truly done wrong. I also know this wasn’t intentional. I’ve heard that in his classes, students are often required to spar. Most likely, another student was too rough and injured Lang.”

“Is that so?” Duguy Bieli turned to Lang for confirmation.

Lang, breathless and weak, managed to say, “Yes… Sister Su is right. It was another student who hurt me…”

“But it was on purpose!” Xiaohua’s face flushed with anger as he recalled the incident. “They look down on us for not coming from influential families, mocking us for not knowing enough techniques…”

“I see…” Duguy Bieli glanced between Lang and Xiaohua. Considering their pride, he spoke with deliberate care, “If it’s about techniques, the library has plenty. I never said you couldn’t go. You can find something suitable, practice it, and reclaim what you’ve lost.”

“That’s right!” Xiaohua’s eyes lit up, leaping in excitement. Lang’s spirits lifted as well, his gloom dispelled. “Exactly… Ah, how could I not have thought of that…”

“But what technique is right for us?” After the excitement faded, Xiaohua confessed, a little embarrassed by his own ignorance. “My vision is limited. Even if I see countless manuals, I wouldn’t know which one I should train in.”

“That’s what our leader is for,” Lang said matter-of-factly, not the least bit self-conscious.

Duguy Bieli was about to reply when Su Xiruo interjected, “I’ve sorted through most of the library. I’ve finished organizing three floors. I remember there’s a shelf of technique manuals on the second floor—perhaps you’ll find what you need there.”

“Techniques are one thing, but combat skills are what matter most now,” Duguy Bieli said gravely. “A good combat skill can make up for our current shortcomings far better than a cultivation manual, which takes much longer to master.”

“Combat skills?” Su Xiruo blinked her large, clear eyes, recalling, “There are some, but not many on the lower floors. I’d guess there are more between the fourth and seventh floors, but my uncle once told me, the higher up you go, the greater the requirements. Combat skills are matched to cultivation level.”

“We’ll start with the second floor,” Duguy Bieli decided. “Lang, you rest. Xiaohua, come with me, and remember to get him a leave of absence before the next class.”

“I can ask my uncle to do it,” Su Xiruo offered quickly. As a vice-dean, Wu Ying’s authority and strength made such matters trivial. Requesting a sick leave was a small favor.

Duguy Bieli nodded in approval, then left with Xiaohua. Su Xiruo watched them go, still immersed in excitement, her heart sweet and light. Lang saw this, and, not wishing to interrupt, tried to suppress his pain, but eventually couldn’t help but groan, snapping her out of her reverie.

...

“Let’s pick together.”

On the library’s second floor, Duguy Bieli found the shelf marked “Combat Skills” among the section of technique manuals and began to browse.

Xiaohua took a piece of beast hide, examining it with great care. “This one won’t do, too weak—probably a rough record by some would-be warrior. And this one… too many flaws, all offense, no defense. If you don’t win with the first strike, you’re in trouble…” One by one he filtered through them, but none satisfied him; each had merits, but the flaws were just as glaring. He rolled the beast hide back up, returned it to its place, and turned to see Xiaohua caressing another piece with a tenderness almost lover-like, as if he were holding a priceless treasure.

Curious, Duguy Bieli asked, “What is it?”

Startled, Xiaohua blushed and stammered, “This beast hide is strange—so light and thin, yet it doesn’t rot…”

“It is special,” Duguy Bieli explained. “It’s made from the hide of a star beast that has awakened its bloodline talent, and treated with special arts for preservation. So, how is it?”

“Um… I…” Xiaohua lowered his head in embarrassment, mumbling, “I… can’t read…”

Duguy Bieli was taken aback, nearly laughing but quickly catching himself to avoid hurting Xiaohua’s pride. He replied seriously, “That’s not a problem. I can barely read some of it myself. For what I don’t understand, I just reason it out and try to grasp the gist. Oh, by the way, should we have someone from the Apothecary Group treat Lang’s injuries? His ribs are broken, and it’s not a minor wound.”

“Wait, we can ask for help?” Xiaohua exclaimed, mortified by his own ignorance. “I’ll go right away!”

He hurried off, and when he returned to the quarters, he saw an old man just stepping out, with Su Xiruo accompanying him. She smiled as she saw Xiaohua return, “Finished so quickly?”

Xiaohua stuck out his tongue, replying evasively, “Our leader said we could ask someone from the Apothecary Group to help Brother Lang, so I thought…”

“The elder has already come and treated him,” Su Xiruo said, pointing to the old man. The elder chuckled, “No need for honorifics; I’m just a few years older. I estimate he’ll recover in two or three days—his bones are set. Well, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Goodbye, sir,” Su Xiruo said sweetly, then turned to Xiaohua, “So, what combat skill did you pick? Is it any good? Train well and win back your pride. Those from noble families aren’t so special.”

Without replying, Xiaohua just said, “Thank you, Sister Su. I’m going to check on Brother Lang.”

Watching Xiaohua enter the room and start whispering with Lang, occasionally glaring in anger as they plotted revenge once their skills were honed, Su Xiruo smiled quietly, her tiger teeth showing. “I wonder what Duguy is up to? I’ll go take a look.”

With their greatest worry resolved, the simple-hearted Su Xiruo skipped happily toward the library. Just then, Wawa and her sister were returning. Seeing Su Xiruo from afar, Wawa wondered, “What’s wrong with Sister Su? Did she hurt her foot? She’s walking so stiffly. Poor thing.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Her sister laughed, tapping her on the head. “Think about it—when do you hop around like that?”

Wawa’s bright eyes spun as she thought, then said, “I think… it’s when I’m happy…”

“There you go. Your feet aren’t hurt, are they?”

“Oh, I get it now!” Wawa grinned. “Sister Su must be happy too.”

“Clever girl.”

...

“What a pity. This set of combat skills is too defensive, focused solely on dodging. No matter how nimble, at best it’s self-preservation—how can one fight back?” Duguy Bieli spread a piece of beast hide in his hands, clicking his tongue in regret.

The library’s collection, to be fair, was mostly flawed—lacking in both depth and insight, with strengths and weaknesses equally apparent. Yet, in terms of creativity, there was something unique in many of them—enough to provoke thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Su Xiruo ascended the stairs lightly, her voice gentle. Dressed in a white skirt, her youthful presence seemed to light up the quiet library.

Duguy Bieli shared his conclusion. Su Xiruo listened intently, then mused, “It really is a shame. The students back then lived in harsh conditions, so they focused on their strengths—either attack or defense—leading to such extremes. The manuals from noble families were mostly mediocre, just perfunctory submissions. Later, a great rebellion broke out, and the library was sealed, so even now it hasn’t been properly sorted.”

“Rebellion?”

The term caught Duguy Bieli’s attention. “What kind of rebellion? Was it in the academy? Among students? Teachers?”

“All of those,” Su Xiruo replied crisply. Having spent years by Wu Ying’s side and mingling with the deans and teachers, she knew some of the past. “It happened after I was entrusted to Uncle Wu Ying. Because of his strength, he was chosen by the Butterfly Queen and assigned to Butterfly Academy. The head dean then was named Ling Yi, also a Seer, the Queen’s first Seer, just a step away from enlightenment and the title of King… Later, Uncle built the library and storerooms, and spoke up for common students, which caused tensions to explode. Incited by some noble families, Ling Yi led their students in an effort to expel Uncle and all the commoners… The Queen herself had to intervene to suppress the rebellion.”

“Incredible,” Duguy Bieli sighed, “Behind every shining success is bloodshed. Every victor stands atop countless corpses, and power is always shadowed by filth.”

Su Xiruo couldn’t help but laugh, “What are you sighing for? You sound like some old monster reflecting on his youth after decades or centuries.”

He chuckled, her melodious voice like pearls falling on jade, soothing and infectious; his own spirits lifted, a smile coming naturally.

Su Xiruo glanced at him, seeing him staring intently, and immediately blushed, head lowered so her dark hair fell like a waterfall. Then she noticed the coarse, almost unbearable linen robe he wore. Knowing his background, her gentle nature made her hesitate before saying, “You helped heal me. I have nothing proper to thank you with, so let me weave you a shirt.”

“Oh? A shirt?” Duguy Bieli looked at himself, then at Su Xiruo, and quickly declined, “No need. My sisters don’t have one yet—let them have theirs first.”

“It’s fine, I can weave for them too. When they have theirs, I’ll make yours… Oh!” Su Xiruo’s words trailed off as she noticed Duguy Bieli’s gaze lingering on her clothing, for a fleeting moment drifting across the gentle slopes of her chest. She could almost feel the heat and dominance in his eyes, a burning sensation that left her chest tingling and itchy. With a cry, she turned away. “Don’t stare!”

“Ah…” Duguy Bieli had only glanced for an instant, but was caught all the same. Embarrassed, his face flushed as he forced his eyes to look away, though reluctant, tracing the enticing lines downward, catching the faint outline of long, shapely legs hidden by her silken skirt.

He swallowed, fighting the urge to look back up, but his thoughts warred within him… At the top of those thighs, two graceful arcs swayed in the half-light.

Though her back was turned, Su Xiruo could feel it as if two invisible insects crawled up and down her legs, then a sudden tightness at her hips, as if a large, rough hand were caressing her there.

That hand was calloused, its palm burning hot.