The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - Chapter 8

The mountains were lush and verdant, layer upon layer.

Mist and haze draped the peaks in a veil of gauze, sheer cliffs leaning together as if forming a lotus in full bloom. Countless jagged stone blades pierced the sky, as if eager to shred the clouds to pieces. This spectacle of bizarre rocks was what earned the mountain its name: Lotus Peak Mountain.

The Training Ground was located atop the main peak of Lotus Peak Mountain, open to all disciples of the Lotus Flower Sect, and occasionally visited by an Elder. After leaving the Lecture Hall, entry-level disciples would apprentice themselves to different Elders and spend long periods practicing at the Training Ground.

From above, the Training Ground resembled a massive lotus pod, riddled with countless holes-each a separate arena. In front of the imposing main gate, two disciples in white stood guard, each overseeing an entrance.

The left entrance led to the ordinary Training Ground, for disciples from One Leaf to Five Leaves; the right entrance led to the Transcendent Realm Training Ground, reserved for Six Leaves and above, as well as Elders. A Six Leaves cultivator could create a Flower Realm, a space unique to themselves, where all forms of cultivation changed.

Chu Zaishuang and Fei Wanghuai, as entry-level disciples, naturally headed for the left entrance.

“Hold on, you must wear the sect robe to enter the Training Ground.”

Chu Zaishuang was stopped by the gatekeeper, as if struck by a pie from the heavens. She turned back with delight, “What an unfortunate coincidence. Perhaps another day, I’ll definitely-”

“No need to wait for next time. This time will do.” Fei Wanghuai was prepared; he handed her a Cloud Water Robe and said calmly, “A newly issued sect robe. There’s a room over there-you can change.”

Chu Zaishuang felt utterly defeated. “Why do you have a new sect robe?”

Fei Wanghuai smiled, eyes bright. “Not only do you think I’m easy to bully, you also think I’m not smart enough to know what you’re up to?”

She lamented, “You’ve changed. You weren’t like this before.”

“How have I changed?”

“You used to be so gentle, seeming modest and courteous. Now you’re…” Chu Zaishuang paused, “so odd and sarcastic.”

“Oh-maybe I’ve been annoyed too much, so I’ve become rather odd.” Fei Wanghuai wasn’t offended; he raised his brows lightly. “And whose fault is that, do you think?”

“Mine, mine. I’ll go change.”

Seeing his insincere smile, Chu Zaishuang quickly changed her tune and dashed off to the changing room.

The grand and solemn gate towered above, with disciples coming and going. Holding her brand-new sect robe, she passed a massive stone stele. On its blue-gray surface, powerful characters were carved, like a dragon soaring into the clouds, radiating an awe-inspiring force.

The stele read: “Seek the truth and fulfill your nature; reach the heavens and commune with the divine. Speak and act with caution; discipline yourself and keep a clear heart.”

Chu Zaishuang paused before the stele, silently reciting the familiar sect precepts. She had memorized these words since childhood-they were her earliest lessons, and the meaning behind the Cloud Water Robe.

Perhaps for this reason, she rarely wore the sect robe. Unable to live up to its ideals, she dared not put it on.

The honor of the lotus-patterned white silk should not rest on her shoulders, just as a lotus must bloom above the water, not entangle itself with the weeds and mud below. Born without a Dao heart, she was merely a pebble in the pond-a seed that could never blossom, unlike Golden Lotus Condensing Emerald.

The bitterness of life often comes from endless cycles-either too lazy to act, or striving for perfection. The worst is wanting both, fearing exhaustion yet envying others, naturally torn between gain and loss, breeding endless sorrow.

Since she had already decided to be useless, by rights, she shouldn’t change into this robe.

[Are you not going to change yet?] Xiao Shi noticed her standing still and urged, [Your desk mate is waiting!]

Chu Zaishuang lowered her head, gazing at the Cloud Water Robe in her arms, lost in thought.

After a while, Fei Wanghuai waited quietly at the gate, finally spotting Chu Zaishuang after she changed. For a moment, he seemed dazed.

She wore the snowy Cloud Water Robe, her face like a peach blossom, her complexion frosty-no different from the visage in his dreams. Yet for some reason, her head drooped, like a pale lotus battered by rain, listless and dispirited.

“Let’s go, it’s almost time.”

The lesson was about to begin, yet she seemed lost in thought, moving sluggishly.

Fei Wanghuai led her toward the Training Ground, only to be stopped by the gatekeeper once more.

“Hold on, you must be properly dressed to enter the Training Ground.”

Fei Wanghuai paused, scanning Chu Zaishuang up and down, quickly spotting the issue. The Red Cord at her waist was loosely tied, hanging askew-no wonder she looked so spiritless.

“Can’t even put on clothes properly?” He frowned slightly, tugged the slender cord, and pulled her closer, deftly tying a secure knot.

Her waist tightened abruptly, forcing her to stand straight, her posture instantly corrected.

Though they didn’t touch, only connected by the Red Cord, she caught a faint, cool fragrance wafting to her nose, like a hint of mint, instantly clearing her mind.

Looking down, she saw the Red Flower Knot tied tightly, resembling a small blossom-quite unlike the usual method.

Chu Zaishuang touched the knot, curious. “How did you make this?”

Chu Bingxiao always tied the Red Cord in the most proper way, so she had followed his example.

Fei Wanghuai, hearing her question, stared at the Red Flower Knot in a daze, only then realizing he’d used the method most familiar to him to save time.

“My mother taught me.” His dark lashes trembled, like a black butterfly fluttering its wings, carrying memories to unknown places.

“Teach me.” She fondled the knot, fascinated. “I’ve never seen it before.”

She hadn’t expected her first request for instruction to be this.
If it had been in the past, Fei Wanghuai would probably have been speechless by now, secretly cursing her for disliking cultivation and only learning useless things, completely unlike the capable Immortal Venerable who once stabbed him.

But at this moment, his heart was like turbulent tides, suddenly losing the desire to probe further. Instead, he simply said, “It’s time for class.”

He didn’t mention whether to teach or not, just brushed past it with a single sentence.

*

Inside the Training Ground, the two arrived late, just in time for the lesson. Chu Bingxiao had already led the disciples to prepare wooden swords and was about to begin teaching footwork techniques.

Everyone was stunned to see Chu Zaishuang and Fei Wanghuai enter together, surprised that they were inseparable and never apart wherever they went.

“Wanghuai, over here!” Li Jingjie stood in the ranks, hurriedly waving at the two, with Su Hongli by his side.

Lu Hewei and the others, having lost face in the Lecture Hall that morning, were now hiding on the other side of the group, keeping their distance from the pair. From time to time, they stole glances at Chu Zaishuang, looking still shaken, and were much quieter than usual, no longer daring to speak up in class.

Li Jingjie said, “You came at the right time, we’re about to learn Cloud Step.”

As Chu Zaishuang and Fei Wanghuai joined the ranks, Chu Bingxiao began his demonstration in the field.

“The Lotus Cloud Thirteen Forms are hand techniques, while Cloud Step is about controlling your footwork. The two must be combined and adapted to the situation to defeat your opponent in a single move.” Chu Bingxiao held a wooden sword, distancing himself from the others as he explained, “The most basic move of Cloud Step is ‘Charge.'”

The next moment, he bent low and dashed forward-a white afterimage flashed, and he appeared three steps away as if out of thin air.

“It looks like teleportation,” Li Jingjie exclaimed, turning his head. “Wanghuai, was that what you did this morning…?”

He still remembered when Lu Hewei threw a punch at Chu Zaishuang, but Fei Wanghuai appeared in an instant, moving even faster than himself, though he was closer.

“Yes, Senior Brother Chu sometimes discusses swordsmanship with me and had already taught me Cloud Step in advance.”

Back then, Fei Wanghuai had deliberately built a good relationship with Chu Bingxiao to find Chu Zaishuang, establishing his presence with a diligent and inquisitive attitude.

“‘Charge’ is mainly for offense. Besides that, there’s ‘Spin’ for evading enemy attacks. If you want to move quickly, you can use ‘Flash,’ moving forward or backward in succession. ‘Charge,’ ‘Spin,’ and ‘Flash’ should be used according to the situation, but all of them consume spiritual energy. So gathering qi and building a solid foundation is important, or you won’t be able to maintain Cloud Step for long.”

“Of course, don’t forget your hands while learning the footwork. Only by moving both hands and feet together will it be effective. Now, pair up and start practicing swordplay.” Chu Bingxiao’s gaze shifted calmly. “Wanghuai, you’re already at the Four Leaves Initial Stage. Come and spar with me.”

Most of the entry-level disciples in the Lecture Hall were at the Three Leaves Mid Stage, with the more advanced ones at the Three Leaves Late Stage. Only Fei Wanghuai was at the Four Leaves Initial Stage, far ahead of the rest. Of course, Chu Zaishuang, at the Three Leaves Initial Stage, was also an outlier-but in the opposite direction.

Fei Wanghuai smiled. “No worries, I’ll pair up with Zaishuang.”

Everyone was surprised at his words. Everyone knew that Fei Wanghuai used to spar with Senior Brother Chu, often holding out for a long time, not at all inferior to the senior brothers and sisters.

How could he practice swordplay with Chu Zaishuang, whose cultivation was so low? It would probably end in a single move.

The group dispersed, each pairing off for sword practice.

Chu Zaishuang tried to run away. “You may be fine, but I’m not!”

Fei Wanghuai caught her with a half-smile. “I see you’ve mastered ‘Flash’ on your own. I bet ‘Charge’ and ‘Spin’ won’t be hard for you either.”

To be fair, she really did dash forward quite quickly.

Chu Zaishuang gripped her sword reluctantly, grumbling, “Didn’t we already spar last time? Want to bully me again?”

“Relax, I promised to give you a sense of achievement.” Fei Wanghuai held his sword in one hand, calmly aiming at her. “Just come at me.”

No one else was really focused on practicing; they were all sneaking glances at the two, curious to see how their sparring would go.

In the field, Chu Zaishuang took the initiative. She suddenly charged, raising her sword and slashing down, showing the momentum of ‘Charge.’ There were no fancy moves-perhaps simplicity was the ultimate sophistication. Her light, floating footwork made her next move unpredictable.

At the critical moment, Fei Wanghuai rose to block, but the sword tip struck with uncanny precision, hitting his sword-wielding wrist. His wooden sword was knocked flying on the spot!

Her ghostly footwork, clean and decisive strike, and unstoppable sword-she seized victory in an instant!

The disciples were all shocked, staring in disbelief at the scene. The match really did end in a single move, but it wasn’t Fei Wanghuai’s sword-it was Chu Zaishuang’s.

“She really was hiding her strength, defeating Fei Wanghuai with one strike!”

“But isn’t she only at the Three Leaves Initial Stage…?”

“But she’s Senior Brother Chu’s younger sister!”

With that, everything made sense. No need to talk about cultivation suppression or strength disparity. Chu Zaishuang was Senior Brother Chu’s sister, the Sect Leader’s daughter-defeating Fei Wanghuai across realms was only natural. Didn’t her brother do the same all the time?

So, she never showed up in the Lecture Hall, but secretly practiced swordsmanship and gathering qi in private, and her sword skills were outstanding, stunning everyone!

Amidst the sighs, only one person remained clear-headed, knowing what the truth really was.

“It’s fine to go easy on someone, but you don’t have to dig a hole in the sea. You can hold back, but why hold back so much?” Li Jingjie lamented, “Watching them spar is like a stray dog getting kicked on the roadside!”