All the way back, Sun Li kept questioning Chen Sanshi about his background.
He answered each question one by one, calm and direct.
"You've had it rough," she finally said, her voice like cold spring water. "If you ever achieve something great in the future, I hope you never forget where you came from."
"I wouldn't dare forget for even a moment," Chen Sanshi replied sincerely.
"We're here."
When he knocked and opened the door, a graceful woman with a face like a lotus and a curving, delicate figure appeared—it was naturally Gu Xinlan.
"Shi ge'er?" she called, noticing the red-clad woman beside him. "Ah, a guest, isn't she? Please, come in."
She busied herself immediately, making tea, pouring water, and even sending a neighbor to town to buy snacks. From beginning to end, she didn't ask once who this visitor was.
"Flag Officer Chen truly has a virtuous and beautiful wife," Sun Li said softly, sipping her tea before changing the subject. "Before I came here, I heard Poyang County's been restless lately—first the Witch God Sect causing chaos, then people going missing. What do you know about that?"
Witch God Sect.
Chen Sanshi understood instantly.
So, the Grand Commander had sent his daughter not just for the Elite Selection—it must also be related to that hidden spiritual treasure.
"Reporting to the Selection Officer," he said, "there have been search patrols around the city lately, but they've found nothing."
In truth, he was planning to break through to the tempering bone stage within a few days. Once he did, he would go investigate the medicine valley himself and find out what was really going on there.
"No need to call me Selection Officer," Sun Li said with a faint smile. Despite her serious manner, her tone carried a touch of warmth. "Your aptitude and cultivation are both excellent. When spring comes next year, follow me to Liangzhou. At the very least, you'll stay at the Grand Commander's Mansion as an inner disciple. Since we'll be family sooner or later, just call me Senior Sister."
She leaned back slightly, her red sleeve brushing the table. "So, little junior brother, since Senior Sister has nowhere else to stay, I'll be living here for now. You're not going to kick me out, are you?"
Little junior brother.
Since she was calling him that, it meant he had passed her preliminary evaluation.
There was no reason to refuse. Chen Sanshi quickly asked Gu Xinlan to tidy up a guest room.
Besides, this was the Grand Commander's daughter—her cultivation must be extraordinary. A live-in sparring partner like that? He'd be an idiot not to take advantage of the opportunity.
That evening, Chen Sanshi ate half a bear heart and drank a bowl of Bone-Nurturing Soup.
As the warmth surged through his body, his qi and blood roared like boiling water. He grabbed his spear and stepped into the courtyard, cupped his fists, and said, "Senior Sister Sun, please give me your guidance!"
"You're quite the opportunist," she said with a faint smile. "Fine. I'll eat and drink your food tonight, but I won't freeload."
Sun Li could easily read his intentions. Her tone remained cool and confident. "I'm at the peak of tempering bone. Go ahead—attack."
Tempering bone at perfection.
That meant she was just a step away from tempering organs.
Judging by her youthful face, she couldn't be more than eighteen or nineteen. To reach such a level in just three to five years of training made her an undisputed prodigy.
A rare chance!
Chen Sanshi's breathing grew deep and steady as his internal Dragon Elephant Blood began to boil. Strength surged through his limbs and gathered in his arms. The willow-leaf spear in his hands gleamed coldly under the moonlight, like a venomous serpent coiled and ready to strike.
"Come at me whenever you're ready."
Standing beneath the plum tree, Sun Li's red robe swayed in the night wind, her high ponytail whipping behind her like a flame. The long skirt around her legs rippled with motion.
Her eyes remained closed. One hand rested lightly on the hilt of the blade at her waist—yet she did not draw.
Only when the spear's whistling point was within one step of her chest did she suddenly unsheathe it in a flash of silver.
With a single stroke, she cleaved downward.
"Clang—!"
The sound of metal clashing thundered through the courtyard like a lightning strike. Even the White Swan horse sleeping by the fence snorted awake.
The force hit like a collapsing mountain. Chen Sanshi stumbled back several steps. His spear quivered violently, the shock numbing his tiger's mouth, pain running up his arms. He had to stir his qi and blood just to steady himself.
After all, he was still at the tempering blood stage.
His opponent stood just short of tempering organs, her strength second only to Xiang Tingchun himself.
The gap between them was natural.
"Again!"
Chen Sanshi lunged once more, thrust after thrust, each strike faster and fiercer than the last.
But every time, her blade intercepted the attack flawlessly, splitting through the spear's shadow. The returning force slammed into his arms like a hammer. Within just a few exchanges, his muscles screamed in pain, and his grip nearly slipped from the shaft several times.
Yet amid the struggle, his mastery of spear technique advanced rapidly.
"Undying Golden Serpent?"
Sun Li recognized it instantly. "Not bad, little junior brother. You're practicing the Undying Golden Serpent Spear. Your speed and power haven't fallen short at all. Hmm?"
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!
The young man didn't speak, nor did he show any sign of stopping. His focus was entirely on his spear practice—he treated her as if she were a living training post.
"…"
Sun Li could only sigh inwardly and continue wielding her blade, forced to parry the increasingly fast spear strikes.
Her weapon was a Hemiao Blade, its design slender and elegant. A streak of crimson ran down the middle of the blade like a line of dried blood. When she swung it, dazzling arcs of light rippled through the air, blooming like a fiery red lotus under the moon.
Under the silver glow of the night, a silver serpent clashed with a crimson lotus—spear and blade danced wildly.
Their fierce sparring lasted deep into the night.
"You're not tired yet?"
Sun Li began to regret agreeing to be his sparring partner.
It had already been one full hour.
Even a martial artist who had fully tempered their blood wouldn't usually have such stamina.
"I can still go for a bit longer," Chen Sanshi replied, still attacking relentlessly.
Another half hour passed before he finally lowered his weapon and exhaled.
[Technique: Undying Golden Serpent Spear (Upper Scroll) (Uninitiated)]
[Progress: 88/100]
[Effect: Dragon Elephant Blood]
Almost there.
"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sister Sun!"
He had eaten a little too much bear heart earlier and was still feeling fired up, but seeing that Senior Sister Sun clearly wanted to rest, he wisely stopped and went back to his room for the night.
"Phew…"
Sun Li wasn't exhausted to the point of qi and blood depletion—after all, the gap in cultivation was too wide—but the long journey she'd made over several days had already drained her energy.
She sheathed her blade and lay down on the guest bed, silently reviewing what she knew about Poyang County's current situation.
"Father was right. His Majesty truly did send his own agents here."
"There's word from court that His Majesty met secretly with the barbarian envoys not long ago."
"At this time, such a meeting isn't strange, but doing it in secret… something's off."
"Could it be connected to the Witch God Sect?"
"I wonder how Sun Buqi's investigation is going."
"Forget it. Slowly does it. I'll be here till spring anyway."
She had been traveling nonstop for days, and her mind was completely worn out.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, faint, rhythmic noises drifted from the direction of the main bedroom in the courtyard—sounds that were better left undescribed.
"…"
"Does that man ever get tired?" she muttered helplessly, pulling the blanket over her head.
Two days later.
Chen Sanshi, as always, rose early to practice with his spear.
Sun Li was still staying at his house, but she was constantly coming and going, rarely home. He hadn't had another chance to train with her since that night.
After breakfast, Chen Sanshi headed toward the garrison as usual.
Along the way, plenty of soldiers greeted him.
He was in charge of over one hundred men now—technically still a Flag Officer, but already commanding as much influence as a Hundred-Household. Within the Thousand-Household Division, aside from Xiang Tingchun, no one could really tell him what to do.
"When the new recruit assessment's over," he mused, "we'll see how many martial soldiers and formation grunts we end up with."
Spotting the elderly scholar nearby, he called out, "Xu Wencai, gather everyone together."
"Got it!" the old scholar replied briskly.
About ten minutes later, the soldiers arrived one after another, many still yawning from lack of sleep.
'Looks like I'll need to tighten discipline soon,' Chen Sanshi thought, frowning slightly. 'Can't let them stay this lazy.'
"Zhu Tong," he ordered, "lead everyone through stance training for one hour."
"Understood!"
Zhu Tong obeyed immediately.
While the soldiers practiced, Chen Sanshi trained with his spear nearby. Every now and then, he paused to personally correct a soldier's form, adjusting stances, posture, and breathing technique. This had been his daily routine for some time now.
Finally, his interface flickered.
[Skill: Commanding Troops (Beginner)]
[Progress: 0/500]
[Effect: Backbone of the Army]
[Backbone of the Army: Wherever the commander stands, all troops under his command remain calm, even in the face of danger.]