Legacy World 1.3 Catching ZhangYong's Interest?

A fluctuation in the air caused a handful of people to look up from eating or pause their conversations. However, many resumed what they were doing, unbothered by the slight oddity.

"What happened?" Hui Shan asked the boys, who had also been disturbed.

Wang Wei passed the question to ZhangYong to answer by looking at him. Zhang Yong was the highest level among them, so he could provide the most accurate answer.

"Did someone high level appear?" Hui Shan enthusiastically guessed in a hushed voice.

Zhang Yong shook his head. "It's just a breakthrough, and only into Sky realm."

Hui Shan relaxed, but Wang Wei and Zhang Yong stayed pensive. "Hui Shan, do you know anyone invited who's around 12 years old?"

"En, but from what I know, they've all broken through to Sky realm already." As soon as she answered the question, she caught on to their worry and so contemplated along with them.

/ Was this person a late bloomer or a genius? /

"Isn't it also weird that there'd be a breakthrough here and now? Who'd cultivate during a party?" Hui Shan's question inadvertently made Zhang Yong recall the girl by the cherry blossom tree.

"I'll do a proper investigation later. Let's eat." Zhang Yong said.

Meanwhile, Xinyi was searching through her courtyard for something that she could use as a weapon.

Now that she broke through to Sky realm, she was curious about the experience of fighting with spiritual energy. Her curiosity led her to practice her martial arts even though it would break her routine.

At Earth realm, attacks are just significantly stronger than the attacks by people without spiritual cultivation. It was at Sky realm that attacks would begin to release a little spiritual power. This made it possible to land an attack without needing to make direct contact with the target.

Since she was a neglected character, her courtyard looked dull and was pretty much basic. She looked behind and through the small bushes with small white flowers, but only found weeds and more weeds. Besides the white stone table, well, and self-built stove, there was only a run down tool shed hidden in the far corner of her courtyard. After rummaging through it, she found something useful. There were bamboo poles and gardening tools. Everything was in poor condition, but she could make do. She chose the pole that looked to be in the best condition, then warmed up before treating the pole as if it was a spear.

Unbeknownst to Xinyi, BaoBao had disconnected their telepathic connection to sulk by himself. He looked at the bamboo pole with disdain and compared it to the plethora of weapons in the system market.

[If only the system market was available for her to use…]

The sun began to set. The birthday celebration was coming to an end.

Xinyi was only beginning to get used to having a pole as a weapon and assimilating her spiritual energy into her attacks through a weapon. Very faint scratch marks were left on the floor and brick walls that surrounded the courtyard.

Since she got used to it, she decided to try maximising the output of spiritual energy in her next attack. She spun 360 degrees to use the momentum in her attack.

Just as she did so, BaoBao warned her that ZhangYong was quickly approaching her courtyard. His warning ended up meaningless because XinYi saw ZhangYong in the next second.

Seeing how he was in range of her attack, she reflexively tried to stop her movement, but it was too late. The momentum she had gained continued to carry the pole forward.

The leaves of the bushes that were beside him got harshly blown off. The pole swung past his throat at a hair's breadth away.

Xinyi froze in shock with her eyes glued to his neck. It took her awhile to realise there was not a scratch or mark left on him. Sighing in relief, her gaze shifted up to meet a pair of obsidian black eyes.

/What's he doing here?/

ZhangYong had carried out his investigation like he said he would. While the other two waited for him at his request, he quickly made his way to the plum blossom tree to check on the girl. When he found that she was not there, he wandered around aimlessly until he sensed brief and tiny fluctuations in the air. This happened whenever someone was practicing or whenever there was a fight going on.

Following the source of the fluctuations that people would normally miss or ignore, he found himself in her courtyard in no time. Because he had run so fast, none of the servants and maids saw him approaching Xinyi's courtyard.

Although he appeared while she was in the midst of executing a full spin, he did not bother to move. He felt slightly amused to see an expression of panic fleet across her otherwise slack face. Everyone knew how strong he was, there was no way she could hurt him at the level she was at, unless she did not know who he was.

He waited patiently to get her full attention before he spoke, ""It was you who just broke through to Sky realm, right?"

Xinyi stiffly nodded. She was afraid that this was a sign that something bad was going to happen. After all, nothing went well whenever Victor and Lucas paid attention to her.

"Why so late?"

Xinyi shrugged.

"What a pity. I can tell that you're very hardworking." He looked at her with a hint of admiration.

He would not be surprised if she has been regarded as a waste in her family. The wastes he knew and heard of always stopped trying to change their fate, resorting to other underhanded means of living, but she did not give up. She fought valiantly against her fate to die a weakling.

This was an attribute greatly treasured in the military and on the battleground. It was what could turn a seemingly hopeless situation around. He had personally witnessed the few times when a weaker person overpowered and scared a stronger one through sheer tenacity and the desire to be stronger. Although he was still considered an immature 15 year old brat in his father's eyes, he felt like he had found a diamond that was waiting to be polished.

While Xinyi continued to stare at him dispassionately, he continued to speak. "You did just skip an entire grand celebration to practice by yourself. Would you not get punished or scolded for it? The baby's your… Brother? Half-brother?"

"Brother."

"All the more reason to expect your attendance. Will you not get scolded?"

Xinyi shook her head.

"Why?"

She refused to answer his question and instead ushered him to leave. "Thank you for your concern, Commander Zhang, but I believe that your companions are waiting. You would not want to be held back and bored by small little me."

Understanding that she was not in the mood to talk and that his companions were indeed waiting for him, he dismissed himself. "I'll see you another time then."

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him not to find her however she knew that she could not be so rude, so she ended up saying through gritted teeth, "Have a good evening."

The moment ZhangYong left her courtyard, BaoBao started screaming excitedly in her head. 

[He's interested! He's interested! I've cross-referenced his behaviour with my database! That was definitely a sign of interest! If you make use of such an overpowered character, I'm sure you can clear your mission with a perfect grade! Heck, you could dominate this world if you wanted! Oh, but, please don't overdo it. It won't be good if you overdo it.]

Finding that he was met with dead silence and that her thoughts were only about what she should have for dinner tonight, his mood plunged down.

[Xinyi…?]

/ Hm? You're done fanboying? /

[Fan… Boying…?]

/ Now that you're done, let me just warn you when a character like him pays attention to a character like me, nothing good comes out of it. Look through my memories again if you need convincing. /

[Xinyi…]

/ I'm sorry, BaoBao. It's just… Not possible. At least not with someone like me. /

BaoBao felt a strange ache and pain in his chest.

Later, when ZhangYong returned to his friends' sides, he reported his findings. "I found the person. HuiShan, did you know your sister was a late bloomer?"

"Ah? Which sister? The only one who has not reached Sky realm is my Er Jie who can't cultivate."

"She can't cultivate?"

"Mm. She was born sickly and weak. Her body eventually collapsed when she was around 12 or 13 years old."

ZhangYong's eyes filled with greater admiration for Xinyi. Besides WangWei, she was the only other person that could make him feel this much respect for fighting against their fate.

"So it's impossible for her to be the one. Did the person give you a false identity? Is this a matter for concern after all?"

"No. Even if her identity's a mistake, I'm sure that she's a late bloomer, so there's no imminent danger."

HuiShan heaved a sigh in relief. "Alright." Nonetheless, she decided to check on Xinyi after sending her friends off. For all she knew, Xinyi had gotten better without her knowledge and it was her knowledge that was outdated.

Later that evening, BaoBao was completely dumbfounded when Xinyi put on makeup to look sickly again. [Who would co-]

Just then, he saw HuiShan making her way into Xinyi's courtyard.

[HuiShan's here.]

Xinyi finished her makeup just in time, went to bed, and pretended to be deep asleep, coughing and wheezing every now and then.

HuiShan knocked on the door several times. When she did not get a response, she opened the door herself and peeked in. Witnessing Xinyi's small frame in the bed and listening to the noise made her heart ache out of pity. /She still looks like she's on her deathbed.../ She slowly closed the doors, careful to not make a sound that might disturb Xinyi's rest. /ZhangYong must have made a mistake./

On the other hand, ZhangYong was sure that he was right. Since he did not give them the details of how and where he met Xinyi, he knew that it was easy for them to think that he had gotten the mysterious girl's identity wrong.

ZhangYong visited the Chen family with the intention to see Xinyi the very next day. The servant that received him was floored when he found out that he had to call for someone else besides HuiShan or ZiYao. The servant insisted that Xinyi was still as sick as ever and could not receive guests. Under ZhangYong's pressure to confirm Xinyi's health status, the servant obediently left, then returned with the same news.

ZhangYong became puzzled. / Did I really get her identity wrong? Impossible. /

He then asked to meet HuiShan and did so. Afterwards, without anyone's knowledge, he overbearingly went to find Xinyi at her courtyard.

When ZhangYong told her that he would see her again, Xinyi did not expect it to be so soon.

/ Does he have too much free time on his hands? /

She coldly stared at him, who stubbornly stood before her bed.

/ Does he have no sense of decency? Barging into a female's room just like that. /

"Didn't you hear that I'm unwell?" Xinyi tried her best to continue her act.

"Your poor acting can't fool me."

Xinyi sighed and gave up the act. She did not want to look stupid once she was seen through.

"Do you want to try practicing with a sword?" He asked as he suddenly threw a sword onto her bed.

She stared at the sword with a contemplative gaze for a long while. After deciding that it would be highly beneficial for her to take up this opportunity, she picked it up.

ZhangYong grinned and asked her to follow him out.

He later dug out the bamboo pole that she used and easily broke it into two.

His action made Xinyi's lips twitch slightly in annoyance. 

/ My only good pole… /

Seeing him hold the broken bamboo like he was dual wielding made her raise an eyebrow. 

/ Bamboos against a sword? /

Zhang Yong chuckled and said confidently, "Just attack. You'll see."

He put a decent distance between them and assumed a defensive stance. It was an invitation for her to attack him.

Xinyi observed him for a while before she finally made her move. She dashed directly at him, then swung her sword. There was no mercy in her attack and she went straight for his throat.

However, he easily parried her blow and threw her back.

She stayed at the spot where she got thrown back at.

In that brief moment of exchange, it felt like her spiritual power got swallowed up by something. It was a slightly creepy sensation that gave her goosebumps. She then noticed how even though the wall behind him has a clear mark caused by her attack, there was not even a scratch on the bamboo. Surprise fleeted across her eyes.

/ It's not an issue with my attack. What did he do to the bamboo? /

She dashed forward again to exchange blows. This time they were held in a stalemate.

Pressing her sword against his crossed bamboo poles, she got a closer look and noticed with shock that her sword was not even in contact with the bamboo.

When he noticed that she learnt something, he smiled and threw her back again.

Xinyi took several steps back to regain her balance. "I didn't know that it's possible to manifest your spiritual energy into things that way."

"There's much more to learn in the world of martial arts. There's only so much you can know without a proper teacher." He gestured for her to come at him again and resumed a defensive stance.

Xinyi bowed formally this time out of respect before she jumped at him, trying for an overhead attack.

They exchanged a number of blows repeatedly with Xinyi coming at him from different directions and angles.

ZhangYong parried every single attack. When he saw her attacks repeating a second time, he finally parried the sword with enough strength to knock it out of her hand. The sword flew upwards and he easily caught it with one hand as it dropped back down, while returning the bamboo poles to her with his other free hand.

"Now, do you understand that weapons can become meaningless in the face of a far stronger opponent? Practice your martial arts but never neglect your strategy and cultivation." ZhangYong repeated what he was told by his father.

Xinyi acknowledged his advice with thanks, then walked him to the courtyard's entrance to send him off.

She later sat down at the stone table and kept awfully silent.

/ He's really strong… /

That single thought suddenly popped up in her mind, surprising BaoBao. Usually, she would merely end her review with more plans. So, Xinyi had actually been dazzled by ZhangYong's show of power. No matter how slight, it was something! [Are we going to use him after all? Let's go get him!]

BaoBao then witnessed how Xinyi's expression fell completely flat. He did not know that it was possible for her expression to look any flatter until now.

/ How did feelings of awe, from learning something so significant in such a short amount of time, become something so twisted? /

Xinyi had been thinking to herself but BaoBao, of course, heard it. He blushed and lowered his head in embarrassment.