Free Web NovelChapter 113: Chapter 109: Two Worlds
Velin raised an eyebrow.
"A request?"
He gently tapped his knuckles on the desk.
"That depends on the nature of the request."
Kael took a step forward, his posture almost pleading.
"I want to be Xiaolan’s mentor." His voice was incredibly firm. "You’ve only taught her how to swing a blade, but not how to walk in the darkness. The loneliness and distortion of this path will consume her. She’ll become... someone like me."
"No, I can’t let her become like me."
"Let me teach her. This is my only condition for staying."
Velin leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers over his stomach.
He watched the scene before him. This was a pleasant surprise.
Not only had he acquired the sharpest of blades, but more importantly, he had found a sheath for it.
And for that uncut jade, he had found a guide.
Velin was well aware of his own limitations.
He could enlighten, analyze, and provide the most optimized path for growth, but he could not impart experiences forged in blood and fire.
Kael’s appearance filled this critical gap perfectly.
He would be the bridge connecting Xiaolan to that world of shadows, able to both guide and protect her.
And this bond, woven from empathy and the master-apprentice relationship, was far stronger than any contract or currency.
He nodded slowly, his voice calm and steady.
"Very well."
Kael’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and the tense line of his jaw softened slightly.
Velin’s finger traced a circle on the surface of the desk.
"Now then, let’s discuss your compensation. As a member of the Newly Town guard and a special consultant, you’ll need a salary to match."
Kael seemed unconcerned with money.
"I only require a place to live and enough food."
He paused, then added.
"Also, all resources required for Xiaolan’s training must be the best. Potions, equipment, nutrition—there can be no stinginess on these matters."
Velin smiled.
This was exactly what he wanted to hear.
He stood up and walked over to Kael.
"Your salary will be five Golden Suns per month, the standard for a Level 4 professional. As for Xiaolan’s resources, you needn’t worry. I never shortchange those who work for me."
He extended his hand.
"Welcome aboard, Mr. Kael. I trust our collaboration will be a very pleasant one."
Kael looked at Velin’s outstretched hand, silent for a moment, then gripped it tightly.
His hand was cold, but very strong.
"I am at your service, Lord Velin."
After the meeting concluded, Kael was led away by a guard to be shown to his quarters.
Silence returned to the office.
Velin sat back down behind his desk, his gaze falling on the girl who was still holding her backbend, her body trembling slightly.
He walked over and helped her up.
Xiaolan’s body was soft and light, like a boneless ball of cotton.
Her face was flushed red, and her eyes darted away, not daring to meet Velin’s gaze.
Velin’s voice was gentle.
"Xiaolan, raise your head and look at me."
The little girl’s body shuddered, but she obediently raised her head. Her moist eyes were filled with confusion and unease.
"Starting tomorrow, Mr. Kael will be your professional mentor."
Velin stared into her eyes, speaking word by word to ensure she heard him clearly.
"What I have taught you is how to recognize and control your talent. That is the foundation, the principle. What he is going to teach you is how to use that power to fight, to survive."
"You will learn to track, to move stealthily, to kill with a single strike. You must learn how to hide yourself in the shadows, and you must also learn how to become the deadliest shadow."
Velin’s finger tapped gently on Xiaolan’s forehead.
"Do you understand? This is no longer training. This is the path you must walk—a lonely road to becoming one of the strong."
Xiaolan nodded, only half-understanding.
Her mind was a chaotic mess; she only caught the terrifying words "fight" and "deadly."
"Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow, your new lessons begin."
Velin waved his hand, dismissing her.
Xiaolan left the office in a daze, her steps unsteady. The torchlight cast her wavering shadow on the wall.
Kael’s words echoed in her mind: "She’ll become... someone like me."
A sudden chill ran down Xiaolan’s spine.
This wasn’t what she wanted.
She wanted to earn money, to work hard and be a capable maid, and maybe become a guard in the future.
She wanted to bring her sister over to live with her;
she wanted to save up to buy pretty dresses;
she wanted to buy hot, buttered bread from the market in Newly Town.
These lively, warm, wonderful dreams belonged to a different world from a being like Kael.
She returned to her room. The moonlight was bright.
Xiaolan walked to the washbasin and looked at her reflection in the water.
’Will I lose this face, still a little chubby with baby fat? These eyes, always a bit timid?’
’When I learn to kill with a single strike, will my eyes still look the same?’
’When my hands are stained with blood, will I still be able to embrace my sister with a clear conscience?’
She didn’t know.
An immense panic seized her.
She shot to her feet and instinctively moved to the center of the room to begin her practice.
’Perhaps the exhaustion and soreness of my body can drive away the increasingly clear image of "Kael" in my mind.’
Deep breath.
She began to repeat the movements that were already ingrained in her bones.
Stretch.
’Killing... does it mean stabbing a knife into someone’s body?’
Bend.
’There’ll be a lot of blood, won’t there?’
Twist.
’Will that person die in agony, like everyone who was burned to death in the village?’
Just as she was executing an extremely difficult backbend, Kael’s cold eyes flashed in her mind.
Her concentration shattered.
She didn’t even have time to cry out before her body lost all control.
Her center of gravity was gone in an instant, and her whole body tipped backward.
But her body’s instincts remained.
In the moment before she fell, her body still tried to regain its balance.
Like a fish out of water, she made a strange and futile flip in mid-air.
This time, no miracle occurred.
THUD!
With a dull thud, she crashed heavily to the ground, her cheek pressed against the cold floor.
The girl scrambled to get up, and in her panic, the toes on her right foot scraped hard against a splinter on the floorboards.
A piercing pain shot through her as crimson beads of blood oozed from her delicate little toe, looking particularly stark in the moonlight.
Enduring the pain, she shuffled to the washbasin, wet a strip of cloth with cold water, and carefully wiped the wound and blood from her toe.
The cold water touched the wound, bringing a sharp sting.
Xiaolan hissed in a sharp breath of cold air, tears welling in her eyes.
The girl clumsily wrapped the cloth strip around her small toe, circle by circle. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her slightly arched back, her sweat-soaked clothes clinging to her skin, revealing the budding yet full contours of her youthful figure.
Once it was bandaged, Xiaolan lay on her cold, hard plank bed, staring blankly at the swaying shadows of trees on the ceiling.
The night was so long, so quiet—quiet enough to hear the fear growing louder in her own heart.
The wound on her toe throbbed with every beat of her heart.
