Chapter 24: Si Nansheng: Master, the Senior Brothers are Bullying Me

This time, Ye Yanqing and the others could clearly follow Si Nansheng’s movements with ease.

Si Nansheng slowly stepped out with her left leg, her entire body swaying with a supple yet powerful rhythm. Every joint coordinated with nimble precision, blending subtle rigidity within the fluid motions. She clenched her fists, turned her legs, and slowly delivered a punch forward, followed by a pushing palm strike.

"Incredible..." As Si Nansheng moved, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to drift slowly toward her.

"Junior sister, are you sure we can learn this?" Mo Lie watched her with a trace of concern.

"Of course." Si Nansheng withdrew her fists and nodded.

Since she had said so, why were her senior brothers so hesitant to learn?

"I think we should consult Master before proceeding. This technique is simply too mind-boggling," Ye Yanqing suggested after a moment of thought.

"Huh?" Si Nansheng’s movements came to an abrupt halt.

Consult Master? If Master asked where this technique came from, how was she supposed to answer? Oh, she was going to go crazy!

Li Tianhen returned after enjoying the spectacle at the Saint Heaven Sect, only to be immediately cornered by Ye Yanqing and the others to discuss the Tai Chi they had witnessed.

"Little apprentice, show me this 'Tai Chi' your senior brothers were talking about," Li Tianhen said, looking at Si Nansheng, who was lounging lazily on the ground.

"Oh, alright." Si Nansheng rose listlessly and performed the Tai Chi sequence.

Seeing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth coalescing, Li Tianhen was struck with astonishment. Although he knew of techniques that could attract spiritual energy, they were all notoriously difficult to master. Yet, after watching Si Nansheng perform it just once, he had already grasped the essence of it.

"Little apprentice, can you tell me about this Tai Chi of yours?" Li Tianhen poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward her.

"No problem. Tai Chi gives birth to the Two Modes, the Two Modes to the Four Images, the Four Images to the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Trigrams evolve into all things. Tai Chi is centered, balanced, and calm; it is light, agile, and rounded. It is soft and slow, steady and rhythmic, with clear transitions between opening and closing. It balances hardness with softness, moving like flowing water, continuous and unending. It uses stillness to control motion, softness to overcome hardness, slowness to defeat speed, and the few to command the many."

Si Nansheng sat opposite Li Tianhen, resting her chin in her small hands as she recited the principles.

"Truly marvelous," Li Tianhen muttered, stroking his chin. He had not expected such simple-looking movements to contain the very laws of the universe.

"Master, my senior brothers are bullying me," Si Nansheng said, looking at Li Tianhen with a pitiful expression.

Ye Yanqing and the others turned, stunned. They cherished her far too much to ever bully her!

"Oh? And how are they bullying you?" Li Tianhen found the situation amusing. He knew his disciples well; they were fiercely protective, so how could they possibly bully their junior sister? Still, since his little apprentice was putting on such a pitiful display, he decided to play along.

"Before you came back, I offered to teach them Tai Chi, but they refused to learn. They insisted on waiting for you to make the decision. They are looking down on me!" Si Nansheng sniffled, emphasizing her grievance.

"No, that’s not it, Junior Sister! We aren't looking down on you. We just thought such a rare technique shouldn't be learned lightly, which is why we waited for Master’s approval." Ye Yanqing rubbed his forehead, truly surprised that his junior sister would report them.

"Little apprentice, tell me, who is the owner of this technique?" Li Tianhen asked.

Owner? Tai Chi didn't really have an owner, only a founder. In her previous world, everyone in the park could practice it. In this world, besides her, no one else knew it. So, could she be considered the owner?

"…Me," Si Nansheng replied after a brief silence, meeting Li Tianhen’s inquisitive gaze with frankness.

"Then go ahead and learn it," Li Tianhen said, turning to his other disciples.

Everyone was shocked. It was settled just like that? Was it really that simple?

Si Nansheng put her hands on her hips and tilted her chin up at her senior brothers: "Hmph, you see? Master approved!"

Amused by her expression, everyone agreed to learn Tai Chi from her.

"Alright, practice well. The Saint Heaven Sect is in total chaos, searching everywhere for the thief who robbed them. Do not wander out unnecessarily," Li Tianhen said, yawning as he stood up. Feng Zeyan was currently infuriated and had dispatched people to hunt down the thief. Even though they hadn't seen Si Nansheng at the sect, they had still pinned the blame on her.

"Don't worry, Master. I won't go out. Besides, even if they suspect me, they have no evidence. Furthermore, in their eyes, I am just a useless person with no spiritual roots and broken meridians—how could I possibly have the ability to steal from the Saint Heaven Sect?" Si Nansheng grinned at him. Li Tianhen realized she was right and decided not to fret further. If the Saint Heaven Sect dared to show up at their doorstep, he would not be so polite.

"Come on, senior brothers, let’s start!" Once Li Tianhen left, Si Nansheng grinned at them. Ye Yanqing and the others helplessly watched the mischievous girl and obediently followed her to learn the movements.

In the following days, Si Nansheng continued her preparations for entering the secret realm, spending her time in a cycle of drawing talismans, having nosebleeds, and fainting. She accumulated a large stack of backup talismans, and her consciousness expanded significantly. During breaks, she would guide her senior brothers in Tai Chi; their aptitude was surprisingly good, and they even began to derive other techniques from the simple movements.

Si Nansheng, however, had no time for that; she was far too busy. Aside from drawing talismans, she was also brewing pills and had asked her senior brothers to find her some sturdy animal tendons.

"Master, Master, I know you are skilled at drawing arrays. Could you draw one on these for me?" She placed the tendons before him.

"You want me to draw an array on this?" Li Tianhen looked at the tendons, then at Si Nansheng, clearly unimpressed.

Si Nansheng nodded obediently, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes.

"Little one, do you have any idea how precious my arrays are?" Li Tianhen was so amused by her pitiful look that he laughed. He reached out to pinch her cheek, and she didn't resist.

"It’s precisely because I know that I came to you, Master~" She tugged at his sleeve.

"Fine, fine, I’ll draw it." Looking at her face, he found he couldn't refuse. Still, he drew the reinforcement array with a look of disdain. These tendons were far too lowly for his apprentice; he would have to find her something better, like dragon tendons, when he had the chance.

"Apprentice, you will inevitably encounter the Saint Heaven Sect before entering the secret realm. They will certainly question you about the theft. Do you need me to handle them for you?" Li Tianhen asked as he handed the finished tendons back.

"No need, I can handle it myself. You just watch from the sidelines, Master, and see how I bring glory to you." Si Nansheng grinned, and Li Tianhen placed a hand on her head.