The climb grew steeper as they ascended the mountain, the cold wind biting at their faces. Shui Yi, accustomed to Long Fei's quiet presence by her side, reached for the nearest arm and was surprised that it was Ling Yue's. He had already moved ahead.
Ling Yue shot her a sidelong glance, rolled her eyes, and shook her head with a soft tsk. Swiftly, she unsheathed her sword and sliced through a sturdy branch about her height from a nearby tree. She trimmed off the sharp edges and leaves, then handed the walking aid to her. "I told you before. Keep your hands to yourself."
The mermaid paused, scratching her head as she held the branch awkwardly. The sudden shift in roles from her companions made a knot in her stomach.
"Don't give me that look," she flicked her hair, hand on hip. "I reckon you can manage just fine."
Shui Yi bit her lower lip and fiddled with the lifeless branch, her grip betraying the unspoken words she couldn't bring herself to say. She wanted to protest, but her companion's confident gaze made her hesitate. She reluctantly accepted the branch, her thoughts like a whirlpool.
The two had only recently became amicable, and she couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt amiss. Usually, it would be Long Fei who was attentive to her, but he seemed to be gentler to wild beasts. Whereas Ling Yue would run off ahead. Her companions seemed to reverse their roles all of a sudden.
Her gaze lingered on his back. His posture was straight, but his head was downcast, as though storm clouds loomed over him.
Then Ling Yue dashed off after him while leaving her to struggle. "Master," she called, "Can I have a piggyback ride? Pretty please? I swear by the sea, I'll be good until we reach our next stop."
To her surprise, he turned his head slightly and nodded in rare approval. The guardian grinned from ear to ear and eagerly hopped onto his back. Her silver-blue hair bounced as he carried her up the rugged stairs.
The mermaid exhaled, a weary breath that echoed louder than words. She couldn't block out the cheerful humming of her companion, and a faint pang twisted inside her chest. There was a growing distance between them as the mountain air grew heavier, and the climb became more strenuous.
Long Fei paused at the summit, effortlessly carrying his guardian on his back. They both took in a deep breath, then waited for her to catch up without sparing a glance at her.
The realm stretched before them in a breathtaking view of a sea of stars. Atop the mountain, a small shrine awaited them. Similar to the previous weathered, ancient sanctuary, but more tranquil, as if it had not been disturbed in centuries. He indicated they should rest here.
She waited for him to offer his hand or make some chivalrous gesture. But this time, he nudged the guardian to get off and entered the shrine without a word. A lump caught in her throat as she tried to speak but found herself speechless.
She had no right to object, no reason to demand anything from him. Still, the confusion lingered. She tossed the branch aside, made her own space in the shrine, and turned her back to them as she settled in her corner.
***
The morning sun had barely touched the mountaintop when a sharp prick at Shui Yi's nose stirred her awake.
Ling Yue popped her head over with a stalk of wheat grass, clearly enjoying herself. "Rise and shine!" she chirped, tickling her nose again.
She swatted at the offending grass, sitting up with a groggy groan. "What time is it?" Before she could protest further, the guardian had already dragged her outside.
"Tada! It's training time!" she spread her arms with a flourish, revealing the elaborate obstacle course laid out for her. Logs, ropes, and even a few cleverly placed rocks created a precarious maze.
The mermaid stared, incredulous. "Where did you even get all this?"
"From my trusty satchel, of course."
"I'm beginning to hate that satchel of yours."
"Oh, you'll learn to love it."
Shui Yi groaned, already suspecting a long day ahead. As she took her place at the start of the course, Long Fei stood at the far end, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in the way only he could manage; stern and unyielding. She perked up as their gazes met. "Begin," he said curtly.
She hesitated, but the guardian nudged her forward with a pat on her shoulder. "You got this!"
The mermaid took a deep breath and began to navigate the obstacle course. Each move felt like a test, and every time she faltered, his voice cut through the air, commanding her to repeat the obstacle. She tripped and fell, gritting her teeth in frustration, glancing at him with eyes silently pleading for mercy. Long Fei had started reading a book, not even watching her, but his voice rang out, "Again."
She tried to regain her footing, her legs shook with fatigue. Another mistake, and the cycle had to be repeated. Her arms throbbed, knees quivered, and sweat streamed down her face. Each time she thought she had made it through, he would call out a correction or, worse, a demand for repetition.
Her sense of time was lost as she stumbled through the same obstacles, each feeling like the last. The logs she tripped over were the same. The ropes she tangled with felt the same. Her mistakes were the same. He repeated the infuriating word, "Again," as he flipped a page in his book without even looking at her. He was still reading that wretched book. Yet somehow, he knew when she failed. How far did his vision go?
Ling Yue laughed from the sidelines, clearly entertained. "You're doing great!" she cheered, but her teasing only made the mermaid feel more self-conscious.
It wasn't until the sun reached its zenith that she felt an improvement and a sliver of hope that she could finish without error. The course, once feeling like an insurmountable mountain, was now a familiar landscape of pain and frustration. Sweat-slicked and gasping, she finally reached the end without falling or faltering. She stood, panting, her body shaking. She glanced at him, half-expecting a nod of approval, or maybe a hint of tenderness after all her hard work.
But instead, his face remained stoic, he impassively looked up from his book. "That's it for now."
Her lips quivered, her heart sinking. She had hoped he might offer a kind word, some sign that her efforts had been noticed. But his words were blunt, like an axe cleaving clean through her hopes. Ling Yue, who had been watching with barely contained amusement, couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. "You survived the warm-up. What did you expect?"
Shui Yi collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, exhausted. "I don't think I'll survive this training at this rate."
Ling Yue chuckled, offering her a hand. "You lasted longer than I thought you would."
Shui Yi groaned, rubbing her aching arms. "I thought he would go easy on me."
Ling Yue frowned, helping her up. "Err... At least he didn't train you with a minefield of pufferfish. My face was so swollen by the end of it. Your grandmother had to extract all the poison out." She shuddered at the thought.
Shui Yi's eyes widened, her head and shoulders slumped as a sense of doom bloomed quietly in her chest. The thought of pufferfish made her shudder too. Who in their right mind would train with pufferfish?!
Over the next few days, Shui Yi repeated the obstacle course every morning. Each time, she improved a little. The course felt like swimming through a school of jellyfish as their tentacles stung her. Her body was sore, bruised, and scraped, but she kept going; she grew stronger, even as the disappointment of Long Fei's unyielding silence weighed heavily on her.
Her legs grew more sure, her arms more capable. Yet still, after each successful run, his response was the same indifference, which fueled her to keep at it. Surely, he would notice if she did better. She refused to give up. Slowly, she began to master the course. It was grueling, painful, and repetitive, but she persisted, unaware of the strength she was gaining. She was no longer the fumbling mermaid who kept tripping over her own feet.
Finally, one day, Shui Yi completed the entire obstacle course on her first attempt, without a single mistake. Her heart hammered in her chest as she rushed toward Long Fei, her face bright with anticipation. This time, surely, he would notice her efforts. She stood before him, her breathing ragged, sweat streaming down her face, but her eyes shone with pride. She waited for him to speak, her heart pounding in her chest.
His gaze met hers, piercing, silently appraising her. Then, he finally spoke. "Now that you've got the warm-up down pat, we can commence training." He turned on his heel and walked away.
Something snapped in her after all her effort. Her fists clenched; she could no longer accept his behavior. "Why are you so engrossed in that book?"
Without facing her, he nonchalantly handed it to her over his shoulder.
She snatched it from his hand, huffed, and flicked through the pages, trying to find what kept him so preoccupied. All the pages were blank! She bit her lip, eyes shut tight, body shaking as she refrained from screaming.
And so, the grueling cycle continued.