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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Young Master Sima, you saved my life. It is only natural that I repay your kindness. However…”
Xiaoshao’s voice trailed off, her calm grey eyes clouding over.
“It’s not important, but… could you tell me who ‘Yeonhwa’ is, and… what your relationship is?”
“Excuse me? Yeonhwa?”
“Yes. Yeonhwa.”
He blinked, surprised by the unexpected question, but Xiaoshao’s expression was serious.
Beneath her usual calm façade, her emotions were clear. She was genuinely curious.
But his relationship with Yeonhwa?
It was more complicated than a simple sibling relationship. He looked up at the sky,
and saw Yeonhwa’s face in the drifting clouds. Memories surfaced.
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After the demonic sect attack, while he was training in the courtyard, following the Esoteric Buddhist external martial arts techniques Muk-gang had taught him, Yeonhwa would often appear, bringing him food or snacks, just as he was finishing his training.
“Older Brother, you must be hungry. Here, I made you some Khoresh Fesenjan to help you recover.”
“Huh? Kho… what?”
“Khoresh Fesenjan. It’s a stew made with pomegranate molasses, ground walnuts, chicken, and spices, simmered for an hour.”
He never imagined he would be eating authentic Persian or was it Iranian? cuisine in a household in the Central Plains.
“It’s a dish that takes a long time to prepare, so in my homeland, it’s usually reserved for special occasions, or when we have important guests.”
Indeed, the ingredients, especially the pomegranates and spices, were expensive, making it a dish that wasn’t easily prepared.
“But today isn’t a special occasion, and we don’t have any guests… I feel bad that you went to so much trouble just for me…”
He savored the sweet, sour, and savory flavors of the warm stew, a truly delicious dish.
“Hee-hee~ You needn’t feel bad,” Yeonhwa said, silencing him with a spoonful of the lovingly prepared stew, a bright smile on her face. She confidently dismissed his concerns.
“After all, you are the most precious and important person (husband) in the world to me.”
She wasn’t lying. To Yeonhwa, Mancheon was the most precious person in her life, a light in her otherwise bleak existence.
And they had exchanged vows of love beneath a peach tree, hadn’t they? They were husband and wife.
It was no hardship at all to care for her beloved husband and older brother.
“So please, Older Brother, just enjoy the meal.”
He swallowed a spoonful of warm stew, his gaze meeting her red eyes focused solely on him. Unaware, he smiled.
Amused by her undeniably valid yet irresistibly adorable logic, he reached out and gently stroked Yeonhwa’s hair.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.”
Words weren’t needed. He would express his gratitude through his actions.
He ate the meal Yeonhwa had prepared for him, savoring each bite.
…
And after consuming the entire Persian feast, from the stew to the dessert, he finally surrendered, his stomach full to bursting.
“Hoo… hoo… Yeonhwa, there’s too much food… I’m not Sima Mancheon (司馬瞞天 – Deceiving the Heavens) anymore, but Sima Manbok (司馬滿腹 – Full Stomach)”
He patted his distended belly as proof,
and Yeonhwa giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. She gently placed her slender, white fingers on his swollen belly, stroking it softly.
“Hee-hee~ It’s alright. Even if you gain weight, you’ll still be the most wonderful older brother in the world. And…”
A shadow suddenly fell over Yeonhwa’s face, a predatory gleam flickering in her red eyes. She whispered, her voice barely audible.
“A little extra padding might discourage… unwanted attention from stray cats.”
He didn’t understand the connection between his weight and stray cats, but Yeonhwa continued to express her concern for his well-being, always preparing delicious meals.
From preparing the ingredients to cooking the meal, it was a lot of work, and yet she never complained. She was so kind and thoughtful.
So, he set aside his reminiscing and, with genuine gratitude, introduced his adorable younger sister to Xiaoshao.
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“Yeonhwa is my precious younger sister. She’s the one who cooks for me.”
“She cooks for you?”
“Yes, she always makes delicious food. I’ve started thinking of her, not my mother, whenever I’m hungry.”
Xiaoshao nodded slowly at his answer.
“I see… so that’s why… you called out for Yeonhwa this morning when you were hungry… I wasn’t being compared to… another woman…”
Relieved to learn that Yeonhwa was Mancheon’s sister, not his lover, Xiaoshao placed a hand on her chest and sighed.
The anxiety that had plagued her since morning dissipated, and her calm, gentle demeanor returned.
She smiled warmly at Mancheon, his amber eyes, so predatory yet innocent, meeting her gaze.
“Thank you for answering my question, Young Master Sima. Now, let us begin your training in qi control.”
Xiaoshao had booked the private onsen specifically to train Mancheon. She had intended to teach him qi control regardless of his relationship with Yeonhwa.
Yet she couldn’t fathom why she had inquired about Yeonhwa beforehand a question that might stir up unwanted emotions.
Her calm, grey eyes, usually so cold, now reflected only Mancheon.
A seed of possessiveness, a feeling unknown to her before, began to sprout within her heart who doesn’t know what love is.
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Just as martial artists were classified into different ranks; third-rate, first-rate, peak, and so on. light footwork techniques were also categorized based on their level of refinement and execution.
The most basic level was Grass Skimming Flight.
As the name suggested, it involved moving so swiftly that one seemed to be flying across the grass, but despite the impressive name, it was simply a matter of using internal energy to enhance one’s jumps.
This was the level he had currently achieved with the Quanzhen Sect’s Golden Goose Technique.
The next level was Treading Snow Without a Trace.
As the name implied, it involved moving so lightly that one left no footprints even in the snow. It required a more refined control of one’s internal energy to lighten the body and increase the efficiency of one’s movements.
Therefore, to master the Frost Treading Ice Shattering Palm, which required precise qi control, he needed to reach the level of Treading Snow Without a Trace.
And to achieve Treading Snow Without a Trace, he needed to master the Thousand-Pound Weight.
He gave a wry chuckle.
It seemed there was no end to the training required in the martial world.
But, what choice did he have?
A thirsty man digs a well, and a student eager to learn trains diligently. And wasn’t it the endless possibilities, the constant challenge, that made it so interesting?
Martial arts training was a never-ending game.
“You have a strong foundation and excellent posture, Young Master Sima, so once you master qi control, you should be able to achieve Treading Snow Without a Trace relatively quickly.”
He watched as Xiaoshao stood on one leg on a small wooden plank floating in the middle of the onsen, her body perfectly balanced.
The water around the plank was perfectly still, as if no one was standing on it.
It was a demonstration of the Thousand-Pound Weight, a technique that increased one’s weight, used in reverse to lighten her body.
Martial arts training involved both mental understanding and physical practice. One had to experience it firsthand to truly grasp the technique.
He stepped onto the wooden plank, attempting to replicate Xiaoshao’s demonstration, only to promptly…
Slip and tumble into the warm water, his gaze fixed on the clear blue sky.
It was a memorable first dip, marking the beginning of his training in Treading Snow Without a Trace with Xiaoshao during the day and theoretical lessons on the Frost Treading Ice Shattering Palm with Wang Meiyang at night.
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Three days into his intensive training…
Thanks to the foundational training he had received from his master in his youth, he had, as Xiaoshao predicted, quickly achieved the level of Treading Snow Without a Trace, though his execution was still somewhat rough.
The problem was, he hadn’t been able to successfully execute the Frost Treading Ice Shattering Palm even once.
It was like being stuck on a steep incline just before reaching the summit of a mountain, his energy depleted.
He felt he was close, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. It was frustrating.
And he was growing increasingly anxious, as they were scheduled to depart for the Martial Alliance headquarters soon.
As he waited in the inn’s common area for Wang Meiyang, his younger master, who had stepped out briefly to attend to some business,
Xiaoshao approached him.
“Young Master Sima, I’m going to meet my cousin. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Alright, be careful. Your cousin… is she also a Nangong?”
He was concerned, knowing that some members of the Nangong family were targeting Xiaoshao after the assassination attempt.
Xiaoshao seemed to understand his concern and smiled awkwardly, shaking her head.
“No, she’s from my mother’s side of the family. I’ll be back soon.”
Xiaoshao would have preferred to continue chatting with Mancheon, but she was worried about her cousin, the princess of the North Sea Ice Palace, and what kind of trouble she might cause, so she hurried to meet her.
And unfortunately, just as Xiaoshao left the inn, heading towards the town gate,
a beautiful girl with snow-white hair and skin, and sparkling golden eyes, a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Xiaoshao, entered the inn, accompanied by her attendants and bodyguards.
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“I, Xue Yuehua, the Snow Phoenix, younger sister of the Ice Dragon, have graced you with my presence! Show yourself, Sword Dragon!!”
All eyes turned towards Yuehua as her clear, confident voice echoed through the inn, but the Sword Dragon, Nangong Xiaoshao, her older cousin or rather, her older brother was nowhere to be seen.
“We agreed to meet here! Where is he?!”
“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ll send someone to find him. Please, have a seat and wait.”
Yuehua, who had been looking forward to seeing Xiaoshao, grumbled impatiently, but she had no choice but to wait. She sat down and ordered some refreshments.
Her attendants, eager to avoid her wrath, tried to distract her by changing the subject.
“My lady, I hear that Jegal Gwahae, that monster, has also arrived at the Martial Alliance headquarters for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Hmph! Let her participate! She’ll be nothing but a frozen lizard once Older Brother gets his hands on her!!”
It would have been better if they had left it at that.
But the attendants, wanting to pass the time, brought up Gwahae’s origins, turning it into a gossip session.
And perhaps because they were speaking too loudly,
-Creak
a man with fierce amber eyes rose from his seat.
Despite his limp, he walked directly towards Yuehua’s table, his staff tapping against the floor,
and calmly introduced himself, stating his purpose.
“I am Sima Mancheon. And you have insulted my woman. Choose. Apologize, or…”
It was a reckless, foolish act, to pick a fight for no reason.
But he wasn’t a reasonable man.
He couldn’t just stand by and listen to his precious disciple being insulted. He wasn’t the type to calculate the risks and benefits before acting.
So, he threw down the gauntlet.
“face me in combat.”
He felt a phantom pain in his left arm, the arm Gwahae had bitten, and the emptiness in his right hand, where his staff usually rested, was replaced by a surge of anger.
It was time for him to become Sima Mancheon, the genius who deceived even the heavens, the Shanks of the martial world.
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Man shanks, got one hand and two legs… but you got two hands and one leg 🤣
