Zero Succubus in the Territory: Starting with Apprenticeship to the Yi Xuan Sisters

She fell silent, perhaps waiting for him to laugh at her, or perhaps waiting for him to think she was joking. But Yi Xue simply burrowed her face deeper into her neck, pressed her lips against her skin, and whispered.

"We promised...forever..."

"...Xue'er?"

Mu He'er called softly, but the person in her arms did not respond. Only steady breathing could be heard. Her tail was still wrapped around his waist, and her fingers were still idly combing his hair.

Sweet dreams... my light (hope).

Chapter 41 The Popular Ceremony

Since that night, Mu He'er seems like a completely different person.

It's not that she treated Yixue badly before; she treated him very well. She would secretly save food for him, give him extra snacks, and even alter his clothes. She did everything she should and shouldn't have done.

But things are different now. They've gotten so good that simply describing them as good is hardly an accurate description. Now she openly and honestly pulls him into the dining hall. Often, as soon as training ends and before he's even left the back mountain, she'll pop up from around some corner, holding freshly steamed pastries, and smiling as she says to him, "I just steamed too many. Xue'er, eat them while they're hot."

Then he was pulled away so fresh and clean. From then on, he had a fixed spot in the corner of the dining hall. The small table next to the stove used to be Mu He'er's place to rest, but now it became Yi Xue's exclusive seat. There was always a cup of warm tea and some snacks on the table. The tea was at the perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, and the snacks were delicious. They were a perfect match for the tea.

His two masters had something to say about this, especially Yi Jiang. Ever since that night in the bathroom, she had developed a possessiveness in her eyes when she looked at Yi Xue that she herself was unaware of. She also wished she could keep him by her side and pamper him every day.

But ever since Yi Xue became an apprentice at the vegetarian hall, the two of them have had less and less time together. Apart from teaching magic in the morning, they can hardly see each other at other times. He often doesn't even come home at night. When asked, he always says that he was too tired from playing at Senior Sister He'er's place and fell asleep.

For this reason, she even confronted Mu He'er in the middle of the night, dragging Yi Xuan, who was about to go to sleep. As a result, she happened to run into Mu He'er, who had just finished taking a shower, carrying Yi Xue, who was only wearing shorts, to the bed. She felt as if something inside her had shattered, and felt a chill. Then, a surge of anger rose up. Yi Xuan, who was standing next to her, also looked a little strange when she saw this, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what she was feeling. She just felt a tightness in her chest.

Yi Jiang thought to herself that something must have happened between the two of them, just like what had happened to her before, but there was no evidence. Moreover, Mu He'er was her respected senior sister, so she couldn't possibly suspect her.

Mu He'er simply made a shushing gesture, then settled the sleeping Yi Xue on the bed under their gazes before calmly facing them.

That night, the three of them had a long talk. Mu He'er told them that Yi Xue could cure her blocked meridians. The two were initially surprised, but when they saw that Mu He'er could really feel the Empress Dowager, they had no choice but to believe it. They knew about Mu He'er's physical condition and naturally understood how important this matter was to her.

There was just one thing they couldn't understand: why Xue'er? Although the child usually practiced her skills diligently, they didn't see her possessing such a unique skill.

Besides... since you've already learned massage, why not let the masters massage you first? They work very hard every day!

Yi Xue: Sorry, I forgot...

Yi Jiang remained silent for a while, then nodded somewhat reluctantly. She didn't say anything more after that. She secretly comforted herself: she was Xue'er's master, and they had even bathed and slept together. As things stood, Mu He'er couldn't reach that level yet, so there was no need to worry too much.

Yi Xuan gave a soft hum after hearing this, but did not object. After all, the decision to send Yi Xue to the dining hall as a junior apprentice was their own, and it would be too deliberate to go back on their word now.

However, Yi Xue and the other two should still try to make time for each other during their free time after treatment.

Yi Xue's attitude towards this was one of helplessness, but also a certain degree of enjoyment. After all, the feeling of being remembered is not bad. Although it can be a little suffocating at times, at least the snacks in the dining hall are really delicious, and the embraces of her master and senior sister are truly warm.

Several days later, in the back of Yunkui Mountain, on an empty area that no detector could find.

As dawn broke, a thin mist drifted slowly along the mountainside, carrying the cool scent of dew and grass. Yi Xue slowly drew her wooden sword from her waist, her movements unhurried: draw, swing, sheath, draw again, swing again, sheath again.

He had repeated the same action countless times. His muscles had ached and cramped before, but now they no longer protested. The trajectory of drawing the sword changed from the initial crooked and distorted path to a clean straight line, and the sound of the blade returning to its sheath changed from a dull wooden clatter to a clear and crisp sound.

A few steps away, Mo Yun'er was also practicing, still carrying her sword blank on her back. However, she never drew a real sword when practicing; instead, she held a wooden practice sword just like Yi Xue's.

Through these few days of observation, she learned a lot, but her movements were completely different from his. Yi Xue's Chixiao sword technique was skillful yet powerful, always able to deliver a fatal blow at an unexpected moment, while Mo Yun'er's sword style was domineering yet skillful. Every sword strike seemed to be all out yet left room for maneuver, as if there were several invisible threads hanging on the tip of the sword, ready to pull the force back at any time.

Although they used the same moves, the two wielded their swords in two completely different ways. The sounds of their swords clashing echoed repeatedly on the same open space, without interfering with each other yet subtly responding to one another.

After practicing for another half hour, Yi Xue stopped to wipe her sweat. Mo Yun'er stopped as well, but didn't wipe her sweat. She just stood there staring at the wooden sword in her hand, lost in thought. She had probably reached a bottleneck in her practice. There was a move she had tried several times but was not satisfied with. Her sword-swinging movements were always a beat too slow.

Even without her saying it, Yi Xue could see it himself. Perhaps because he had spent a lot of time with the other person, he would consciously or unconsciously learn from him, such as his meticulous concentration when practicing swordsmanship.

He had tried to guide her before, as some things are easier to understand when spoken aloud, but Mo Yun'er refused and just practiced on her own. She didn't complain or scold herself for being stupid; she just repeated it over and over again, as if she were competing with the sword.

Yi Xue stared at her for a while, and was about to remind her to "take a break" when a system notification popped up.

[Limited-Time Mission Released: Real-World Testing]

[Content: Engage in a one-on-one duel with Mo Yun'er and defeat her in the battle.]

[Additional Note: This duel will not consider changes in favorability or contribute to favorability points. It serves only as a comprehensive assessment of the host's recent training results, and rewards can only be obtained upon victory.]

[Recommendation: Mo Yun'er has rich combat experience and is very strong. A direct attack will likely be neutralized. It is recommended to use a variety of abilities to flexibly deal with the enemy. Good luck.]

"Um……"

Yi Xue remained silent, and then in just 0.5 seconds accepted the fact that she would be challenging the strongest swordsman in the sect as a child.

"Senior Sister Mo, I need to discuss something with you."

Chapter Forty-Two: Clash

"Senior Sister Mo, I need to discuss something with you."

Mo Yun'er raised her head, her white cat ears turning half a circle forward to indicate that she was listening. As a cat-human, her hearing was extremely sharp. She could always detect Yi Xue's movements before he even spoke, and today was no exception.

Anyone else who saw this would be surprised, since there aren't many people who could make Mo Yun'er divert her attention from the sword.

"Fight me."

The cat ears flicked slightly. Mo Yun'er looked puzzled and didn't answer immediately. She just stared at him with her amber eyes for a while, then looked down at the wooden sword in her hand before looking up at him. Her lips moved slightly, but before she could make a sound, Yi Xue could vaguely make out two words from her lip movements.

"reason?"

"I want to know how far I've progressed in my training."

Yi Xue shrugged. Just then, the system brought it up, and he was also curious about how far he had progressed in his swordsmanship.

Mo Yun'er was silent for a moment, then under his gaze, she switched the wooden sword from her left hand to her right. She usually practiced swordsmanship by alternating between her left and right hands, but when she was ready to get serious, she always used her right hand.

Yi Xue had noticed this detail several times, and each time she saw it, she couldn't help but marvel at how serious this person was about the sword, which seemed to have reached a point of near-obsession. This also indicated that the other party intended to take the upcoming duel seriously, meaning that he would not hold back.

Thinking of this, his expression became slightly serious. When Mo Yun'er got serious, it was no joke. She could swing such a large iron block like a sword. If you were hit by it, you would be badly injured even if you didn't die.

"You will get hurt," she said softly.

"Hmm? Is Senior Sister concerned about me?"

Yi Xue was taken aback when she heard this, and then smiled and said, but all she got in response was Mo Yun'er's silence for several seconds.

"...Uh, I won't blame you."

He gave an awkward laugh, then gestured for the other person to relax. But what he had just heard... was the longest sentence he had ever heard Mo Yun'er say since he had met her.

From initially remaining silent to now expressing genuine concern despite his words, this shows that their relationship is gradually improving.

Then the two of them separated and each assumed their starting stance.

Mo Yun'er lowered her body, like a feline preparing to hunt, with the wooden sword at her side. She was like a taut bowstring, ready to be released at any moment.

Yi Xue's movements at this moment were even more relaxed. The wooden sword was loosely placed at his waist, his feet were shoulder-width apart, and his breathing was steady. He seemed not to be nervous at all. This was what he had learned in the past few days: the key to the sword-drawing move, where the power starts from the soles of the feet and is then transmitted to the whole body in an instant.

The key lies in the rapid switching between muscle relaxation and tension. Don't prepare in advance; get into the state instantly. This way, you can exert force more quickly and save more energy than if you keep your muscles tense. It was Mo Yun'er who helped him understand this.

Unlike Mu He'er, who expresses her feelings with words and actions at all times, and unlike Yi Jiang, who never hides her concern, Mo Yun'er expresses her concern only through silence. She never praises, encourages, or says "You've made progress." She simply watches you silently while you practice.

However, sometimes she will turn her ears slightly forward, or her tail will flick gently, which means she thinks it's good.

That's why Yi Xue sometimes finds the other person difficult to get along with, because even if she has something to say, she won't say it directly.

The next second, Mo Yun'er moved first.

Like an arrow released from a bow, Xi Ren's excellent physical qualities and long-term training made her speed unbelievable. She had already closed in almost an instant, and her wooden sword slashed diagonally to Yi Xue's ribs. There were no fancy feints, and the angle was extremely tricky.

He initiated the auspicious step, and golden light flowed beneath his feet. He suddenly retreated, and the opponent's sword just grazed the hem of his clothes, barely avoiding the attack.

Her next sword strike followed immediately. After the first strike missed, she did not retract her sword to regroup. Instead, she used the momentum from the initial strike to twist her wrist, and the wooden sword drew a half-circle in the air before turning into a downward slash.

Yi Xue raised his sword to parry, the wooden swords clashing together with a crisp sound. The immense force made his hands go numb. He used all the power amplification from the Lin Guang Fist on defense, but he still couldn't help but retreat, one step after another.

Mo Yun'er pressed him hard, stepping on the spot he had just retreated with each step, her sword moves constantly probing the edge of his defensive circle, like a cat reaching out its paw to poke a mouse cornered against a wall.

On the surface, Yi Xue was forced into a passive defensive posture, but his mind was calmly thinking. He was waiting, waiting for his opponent to adapt to his defensive rhythm, waiting for her to think that she had completely figured out his moves, waiting for the moment when she would lower her guard.

Mo Yun'er swung her sword again, but this time she did not choose to block. Instead, she slightly shifted half a body position to the left, letting the blade of her sword graz her chest. Just as she hesitated and failed to retract her sword in time, her right hand, which was on the hilt of the sword, finally moved.

The explosive power of the sword-drawing move was fully poured into this one sword. The wooden sword was suddenly drawn from the waist, shattering the morning mist with the force of a slash. The wooden sword cut in from the outside, close to Mo Yun'er's wrist, and smashed straight into her wrist that was holding the sword.

The duel didn't have any strict rules; the winner was simply the one who knocked the sword out of their opponent's hand.

Mo Yun'er was startled. She hadn't expected Yi Xue's sword to be so fast, but she still reacted quickly. In a flash, she released her right hand from the sword, causing Yi Xue's sword to miss. At the same time, her left hand quickly caught the falling wooden sword from below.

He caught the sword, stepped back, and readjusted his stance in one fluid motion. His amber eyes were fixed on Yi Xue behind the wooden sword, his pupils slightly dilated—an instinctive reaction that only occurs in felines when they are highly excited.

The two men stared at each other, their swords drawn, neither daring to make a move.

"clever."

Mo Yun'er said softly, her voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

"Thank you for the compliment, senior sister."

Yi Xue looked down at her slightly trembling right hand and couldn't help but smile bitterly. All her efforts in the sword strike had only earned her this kind of evaluation.

However, by Mo Yun'er's standards, this is indeed a very high evaluation.

Moreover, now is not the time to be complacent. After what just happened, the other party will definitely be on guard against similar actions. Even if he can find her weakness again, it will be difficult to achieve the same effect.

"……what to do."

Chapter Forty-Three: You Swordsman!

The sound of swords clashing echoed in the back mountain, startling several unknown birds. Mo Yun'er's attacks were swift and cunning, and her continuous sword strikes wove a tight net. Yi Xue could only raise her sword to defend in a panic, while using the Stepping Auspicious Step to move around and look for a way out.

But just as he had guessed, after what had happened before, the other party's opinion of him seemed to have subtly changed, and they would no longer give him a chance to find a weakness. Mo Yun'er was like a predator that had locked onto its prey, turning the blade into fangs and tearing at him relentlessly.

Physical strength was Yi Xue's weakness to begin with, and her breathing was already visibly disordered. On the other hand, Mo Yun'er, despite swinging her sword at an almost frantic pace, maintained a steady and normal breathing, which was simply monstrous.

This can't go on. My goal is to knock the sword out of her hand, not to outlast her. But I'm already struggling to parry her attacks, so how can I possibly launch an attack?

Thinking of this, Yi Xue couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness. There was nothing about her that she could match the other person, and she couldn't even touch the other person's weaknesses in terms of her strengths. How could she possibly win?

"...Phew~"

Calm down... If even a simple sparring session makes you flustered, how will you face the impending disaster in the future?

Think... Yi Xue... Think quickly. The system wouldn't issue an impossible task to make things difficult for you for no reason. There must be a reason why it chose Mo Yun'er as its sparring partner. There must be a way to win, but it just hasn't discovered it yet. That must be it.

He took a deep breath, his mind racing, searching for something useful. Since he couldn't win head-on, he had to resort to tricks, to make Mo Yun'er reveal a weakness. But how...?

He looked at the other person's face, those amber eyes were staring at him without blinking, the pupils slightly contracted, it was terrifyingly focused. Could he really make Mo Yun'er reveal a flaw?

"No...maybe it really is possible."

The next second, a plan appeared in his mind. Mo Yun'er was indeed very strong, but she was still a human being, a living being. As a living being, she would definitely react to external stimuli.

To do this, you must get close to the other person.

Just then, Mo Yun'er suddenly rushed in and closed in, her wooden sword aimed straight at his face. She thought she had caught Yi Xue off guard, but little did she know that she had just created an opportunity for him.

'It came to me without any effort!'

Yi Xue was overjoyed and dodged the sword by turning to the side. Her left hand instinctively tried to snatch the sword, but she failed, as Mo Yun'er's grip on the sword was very steady.

That was just right, because guarding the sword was just a smokescreen for him. While Mo Yun'er's attention was on the sword, his hand slid down the inside of her arm that was holding the sword, his fingertips gently brushing against the back of her hand. The strange touch made Mo Yun'er tremble all over, but what followed was the main event.

Yi Xue spread his five fingers slightly and gently placed his palm on her smooth lower abdomen. The touch was not as hard as he had imagined; on the contrary, it was somewhat soft. The next second, the Divine Hand was activated!

A warm sensation traveled from his palm into Mo Yun'er's body, like the tingling sensation of an acupuncture needle piercing the skin, making her entire abdomen feel hot and numb. Not just her lower abdomen, but her whole body was gradually invaded by this tingling feeling.

That feeling was something she had never experienced before.

"Meow!?"

Mo Yun'er's voice revealed a coquettishness and nervousness he had never heard before. Her pupils suddenly dilated, her sword stopped in mid-air, her body trembled slightly involuntarily, her cat ears drooped limply on both sides of her hair, and the fur on her tail suddenly stood up.

It's very similar to the reaction Xiaobai would have if he touched her until she was out of her mind.

Yi Xue naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Taking advantage of the other party's brief moment of distraction, she suddenly drew her wooden sword and struck the sword in the other party's hand squarely. Mo Yun'er loosened her grip, and the wooden sword flew out, spun a few times in the air, and stuck straight into the ground behind the two of them.

"I appreciate your concession."

[Mission Completed: Defeat Mo Yun'er. Battle Time: 8 minutes and 42 seconds.]

[Evaluation: The tactics were flexible, not confined to direct confrontation, and the fighting spirit remained undiminished even when facing an invincible enemy. Although the methods were somewhat opportunistic, the results were effective.]

[Rewards being settled--]

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the skill: Swordsman (A). Effect: Possessing this skill will lead to a more profound understanding of swordsmanship, and will increase the power of your swordplay.]

Yi Xue stared at the words "Sword Man" for several seconds, her lips twitching slightly. Was this an insult to him? It was definitely an insult to him!

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter any complaints, a force slammed into him from the side, knocking him to the ground. His back hit the ground hard, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth in pain. But what stunned him even more was the person on top of him.

Mo Yun'er straddled his waist, pressing her hands firmly against his shoulders, pinning him to the ground. Her hair was disheveled, with a few strands of white hair falling from her ears and landing on his face, tickling him.

'Uh… haven't I been tackled a bit too many times?'