Legend of the Heavenly Fruit
Eps. 10 — Sword Exercises
"I thought it was a long time ago that I didn't hold this thing..." Zhou Yuan smiled widely as he swung the wooden sword in his hand.
For seven years after he was reborn, Zhou Yuan had indeed not done sword training, he had spent his time reading books in the library or doing his physical forging training.
Zhou Yuan remembered that in his first life he could not escape from the weapon, since his teacher died Zhou Yuan was always with the sword that his teacher gave him everywhere even until he breathed his last.
"It's a little nostalgic so let's do our best..." Zhou Yuan muttered softly before making the sword move that the girl had done before.
Xiao Rou's eyelids slowly shot up realizing Zhou Yuan could perform his sword technique in one try.
"You can master it in one look?" Ask the girl.
"I've only memorized his movements from books, so it's not hard to do it..."
Zhou Yuan reasoned that he often read books in the library including books on sword techniques, the movements Xiao Rou had previously seen in the books.
Xiao Rou nodded and quite understood, indeed the sword technique he had done earlier besides being easy to learn was also common in the martial world, so it was no wonder that Zhou Yuan had learned it from the library books.
Xiao Rou then used another sword technique but the difficulty this time increased a little, Zhou Yuan who saw it could exemplify it easily.
The girl's expression changed slightly, she again tried another more difficult technique and again Zhou Yuan was able to do it in one try.
Xiao Rou seemed clueless with Zhou Yuan's abilities but he also did not think any further. That day Xiao Rou taught all the sword techniques he knew to Zhou Yuan except his clan's sword techniques.
"You seem to be the one who likes to read?" Ask the girl when the two rest.
Zhou Yuan scratched his head, then said that he had read every sword technique from the book, be it from the most common or the most difficult technique to learn.
"It's strange, according to my grandfather, understanding and practicing are two different things, even though you memorize the movements of a technique but doing it is another story..." Said the girl with a face that was still flat expression.
Zhou Yuan smiled faintly, after a few hours together, Xiao Rou began to dare to chat with him. The girl was not as quiet as her grandfather had said.
"I don't know Miss Xiao either... I just do what I remember. Isn't Miss Xiao the same as me, let me guess, Miss Xiao can definitely do a sword technique with a single look as well isn't she?"
Xiao Rou's eyelids widened, "How did you know?"
Zhou Yuan coughed softly. "Miss Xiao, it's not hard to see it, the fact that you can play the Xiao clan's sword technique is proof that you're a true genius."
"Are others not like that?" Ask the girl innocently.
"No, not even very rarely... The swordplay you taught earlier should take several months to master, the sword techniques of your clan are much more difficult than that, being able to master it even if only one of them takes years but you at an early age can already do it it is an incredible achievement."
Xiao Rou did not seem to react with Zhou Yuan's remark, "Grandfather also often said like that, he said I was a gifted child, but I don't know what the talented word meant..."
Unsolicited, Xiao Rou told me that since childhood he had only lived in his home residence with his grandfather. Xiao Rou's parents had not been around since he was a baby, he had never seen the faces of his mother or father.
At the age of five, Xiao Rou was kidnapped by someone who had infiltrated his residence.
The abduction made Xiao Rou almost lose her life, lucky that her grandfather came and saved her but as a payment Xiao Fan had to suffer a serious injury that made her critical.
It took up to two years for Xiao Fan to completely recover from her critical state, making Xiao Rou extremely sad and tormented.
"I don't understand but at that time I didn't want Grandpa to leave my life..." Xiao Rou became reminded of the incident of Xiao Fan lying on the bed in a weak condition.
Since then Xiao Rou had forgotten the emotional expression on her face, she had also learned many sword techniques from her grandfather for not wanting her grandfather to be in such a state anymore.
Zhou Yuan heard the red-haired girl tell him, he scratched his head, confused as to what to respond to but in the end he chose silence until Xiao Rou ended the story.
The day was getting darker, Zhou Yuan said goodbye to Xiao Rou and said he would be back tomorrow.
In the morning when Zhou Yuan left the girl's residence again, he discovered Xiao Rou was practicing the Xiao clan's sword technique from the book that his grandfather had given him earlier.
Zhou Yuan observed the girl's swordplay for a moment before stepping to greet her.
"Good morning Miss Xiao."
"Ah, good morning..." Xiao Rou stopped his sword movement.
"Are you practicing?"
The red-haired girl nodded, "Sorry Brother Zhou, can you wait a little longer."
Zhou Yuan nodded, no problem. The girl then continued her practice again, repeating the movements until she finally felt exhausted.
"Miss Xiao, sorry but you should not hold the sword like that, the weight of the sword will feel heavier if the way to hold it is also wrong..."
Zhou Yuan initially would not comment on the girl's sword technique but after seeing the mistake of her movements repeatedly he felt he could not stay still.
Zhou Yuan's statement made Xiao Rou stop his training, he looked at Zhou Yuan in confusion.
"Miss Xiao, try holding the sword in this way..." Zhou Yuan exemplified how to wield a sword with his wooden sword.
"Is it like this..."
Zhou Yuan nodded, "Also do the breathing technique in this way, it will make you not get tired quickly when doing a lot of movements."
One by one Zhou Yuan conveyed the girl's mistake in swordplay, which made Xiao Rou feel a difference in her abilities.
Actually the way Xiao Fan taught Xiao Rou was not so wrong it was just that Zhou Yuan had a better way of playing the sword thanks to his experience in the first life.
"I didn't expect you'd understand me better..." After it was over Xiao Rou conveyed her heart. "Grandfather always said that I was a girl who was more genius among geniuses but it seemed like Grandpa' words were wrong. Then aren't you more of a genius than I am?"
Zhou Yuan smiled faintly, "I only read books often, maybe that's why my understanding is a little broader."
Xiao Rou looked at Zhou Yuan for a long time, he wanted to say something but was speechless.
According to his grandfather, Xiao Rou would teach Zhou Yuan the sword for the next three years with the techniques he taught but it turned out that Zhou Yuan could master it in the day they met.
Not to mention that Xiao Rou was surprised by Zhou Yuan's understanding of the sword that turned out to be on it. Compared to patronizing precisely her who was patronized by Zhou Yuan.
"Miss Xiao, do you want to say something?" Zhou Yuan saw the girl's gaze slightly different.
"Brother Zhou, it's actually me..."