Volume One: The Youth Enters the World Chapter Nineteen: A Heart-to-Heart Between Father and Daughter

After Fang Tian had made up his mind, he stopped pondering over the spirit array. He planned to try again in a couple of days; there were still things he needed to figure out, and there was no need to rush. With these thoughts set aside, Fang Tian yawned, blew out the candle, and went to bed. As for having crippled someone earlier, he didn’t dwell on it—since conflict had already arisen, if they wanted revenge, so be it; he would simply deal with it as it came.

He thought for a while, but soon drowsiness overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.

The night passed, and with the break of dawn, Fang Tian rose and washed up. Afterward, the maid who served him brought breakfast as usual. Looking at the meal, Fang Tian thanked her, “Thank you again for today.”

“No need to be so polite, sir. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Very well.”

After the maid left, Fang Tian began to eat. Once finished, he didn’t linger in the room, but opened the door, stood at the threshold, and stretched. Sunlight shone on his face, filling him with comfort. He couldn’t help but sigh, “The weather today is as pleasant as ever.”

Without further delay, he set off in the direction of the martial training ground. He recalled he hadn’t visited yesterday and wondered how their practice was going—he ought to take a look. In no time, Fang Tian arrived at the field.

He stood a short distance away, not approaching at once, wanting to observe them for a while. But before he could watch for long, Zhou Quan suddenly turned and spotted him. Zhou Quan grinned, waving him over enthusiastically.

Fang Tian smiled wryly to himself, thinking how Zhou Quan always seemed to have a sixth sense—every time Fang Tian came, he would be noticed right away.

He walked up to Zhou Quan, who immediately threw an arm around Fang Tian’s shoulders and whispered, “Brother, thanks a lot for last night. Who would have thought I’d get drunk? That’s really embarrassing. Don’t go telling the others, all right?”

Fang Tian nodded, signaling with his expression that he would keep the secret.

“But on another note,” Zhou Quan continued, “I heard you had a run-in with Chen Yufeng—flattened him in a single move, no less. That’s impressive, but you’ve made enemies of them now. You’ll need to be careful; those bastards are sly. Best not to leave the Zhou estate for a while. Even though your cultivation isn’t low, they have numbers. I’d hate for you to come to harm.”

Fang Tian, realizing Zhou Quan knew about the incident, guessed Zhou Xiaodie must have told him. He replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

“That’s good. Don’t worry—in our Zhou family, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble openly. They’ll only look for chances when you’re alone.”

“Understood.”

Afterward, Zhou Quan called out to Fang Tian, inviting him to continue instructing the Zhou family’s younger generation. Fang Tian agreed.

As soon as the younger disciples on the training ground saw Fang Tian, they perked up and crowded around, each clamoring for him to guide them first. Their sudden enthusiasm caught him a little off guard.

Zhou Quan turned to Fang Tian and said, “You have no idea—yesterday, when you didn’t come, everyone kept asking where you were. I didn’t know what to say, so I just told them you were busy.”

Then, sidling up to Fang Tian with a mischievous smile, he whispered, “Little do they know you went to see Xiaodie, ha!”

“And after you took me home last night, did anything happen between you two? Come on, tell me!”

Fang Tian could only reply helplessly, “Nothing happened.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe.”

“Truly, nothing happened.”

“Fine, have it your way. I’m off to train.”

Fang Tian watched Zhou Quan in amusement. He liked to tease, but his intentions were never bad, so Fang Tian didn’t mind.

Turning back to the younger disciples, he smiled and said, “No need to rush—one at a time.”

Thus, Fang Tian resumed instructing the Zhou family juniors, and the day sped by.

As for Zhou Xiaodie, since he’d visited her yesterday, Fang Tian decided not to disturb her today—he’d wait a few days.

Meanwhile, in her own courtyard, Zhou Xiaodie was alone, practicing sword techniques. Before long, the gate swung open, and her father, Zhou Yunshu, entered.

Seeing her father, Zhou Xiaodie thrust her sword forward, but Zhou Yunshu caught it easily with a gentle hand, smiling at her.

She looked displeased. “Why are you here?”

Zhou Yunshu chuckled, “What, can’t a father come and see his daughter?”

“Hmph! What’s there to see? I’m just the same as always.”

“I know you’re still upset, but I only want what’s best for you.”

“For my own good? If you wanted that, you wouldn’t stop me from training.”

He sighed. “I just don’t want you to work so hard. Besides, people like us, who’ll never rise above the Spirit Gathering Realm—what’s the point? It doesn’t even add years to our lives, does it?”

“You just think my cultivation’s low and I’m an embarrassment to you.”

Zhou Yunshu sighed helplessly. “Let’s not talk about that. Tell me, what do you think of Fang Tian?”

Zhou Xiaodie looked puzzled. “He’s great—so young and already at the Spirit Gathering Realm, that’s remarkable. Why do you ask?”

At this, she found herself thinking of Fang Tian again. His absence today irked her, and she muttered inwardly that he was a fool, a complete blockhead.

Zhou Yunshu, hearing her response, seemed lost in thought and murmured, “What a pity, what a pity…”

She looked at her father, confused. “What’s a pity?”

He came to himself and sighed, “Xiaodie, I’m thinking Fang Tian probably won’t stay here long. If you have feelings for him, you should let go. We can’t keep someone like him—you understand?”

Her face fell, and she replied quietly, “I understand. He’s like a wandering dragon—he won’t stay in a small place like this. Besides, he has important things to do. I can’t hold him back.”

Zhou Yunshu’s eyes flashed. “Oh? He has something important to do?”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t said. But it doesn’t matter—he’s still here now, and I don’t want to think that far ahead.”

“Silly child. Do as you wish.”

“Is this all you came here to talk about today?”

He hesitated. “Yes, that’s all. I saw you went out with Fang Tian yesterday and got curious, so I came to ask. I also heard he broke Chen Yufeng’s arm for you—was that true?”

“It was. I’m surprised at how quickly news travels to you.”

“Naturally. It’s no small matter. You know what the Chen family is like—they’re not to be trifled with. Fang Tian should stay inside for now.”

“I know, I’ve already told him.”

“Good. As long as you have. He’ll be safe here in the Zhou estate.”

“Father, if you have nothing else, I’d like to get back to training.”

“What, I can’t even have a conversation with my daughter?”

“Of course you can. But if you came all the way here just for this, I’d say you’re really quite bored.”

Zhou Yunshu pretended to be affronted, “You child—such disrespect! Can’t a father care about his daughter’s future? That lad seems decent enough. We can’t let anything happen to him.”

At this, Zhou Xiaodie grew flustered. “Father, what are you talking about—my future?” Her cheeks turned crimson with embarrassment.

Zhou Yunshu laughed, “All right, I’ll say no more. I have other things to do. Remember to tell Fang Tian for me—I’m busy these days and can’t visit, but I’ll speak with him when I have time.”

“Got it, Father. If you’re busy, go on—don’t disturb my training.”

He laughed heartily. “Very well, I won’t bother you any longer. I’m off.”

“Take care, Father.”

“No need to see me out.”

With that, Zhou Yunshu left. After their conversation, Zhou Xiaodie’s mind was a jumble, unable to settle. She’d only known Fang Tian for a day, yet already he occupied her thoughts.

She grumbled inwardly, wondering what strange power Fang Tian possessed to make her miss him so much—it was infuriating. Shaking her head in frustration, she grew angry again at his failure to visit her, muttering to herself, “Next time I see you, I’ll show you just how formidable I am!”

With that, she gave up practicing swordsmanship, shut her door, and flopped onto her bed, doing nothing.

Meanwhile, Fang Tian was still instructing the Zhou family juniors, having no idea Zhou Xiaodie was so upset. How could he understand the intricacies of a woman’s heart? If he’d heard her words, he would likely have marveled at how changeable a woman’s moods could be.

Observing the steady improvement in the Zhou juniors’ cultivation, Fang Tian nodded in satisfaction.

At this moment, Zhou Quan, having paused his own training, saw Fang Tian’s pleased expression and said, “Well, brother? How are the Zhou family disciples doing?”

“They’re doing quite well. They’re diligent in their training, which is excellent, and their cultivation levels are clearly advancing.”

“That’s what I think too. But it’s all thanks to you—without your guidance, they wouldn’t be making progress so quickly.”

“Zhou Quan, there’s no need to flatter me. It’s their own hard work.”

“Haha! Still, you deserve some praise.

“By the way, there’s still a bit of time left in the day. I’ve hit a bottleneck in my training—how about we spar for a bit?”

The suggestion sparked Fang Tian’s interest, and he agreed. The two of them began exchanging moves, matching each other blow for blow.