After making a fifteen-day agreement with Scott, March 7th initially had no intention of continuing the tea-based apprenticeship. However, at Lumina's insistence, she reluctantly bought a cup of milk tea and performed a simple apprenticeship ceremony for Yanqing and Yunli.
Having concluded the milk tea-themed ceremony, the group soon returned to the rear garden of the Palace of Astrum.
"Ah... Fifteen days? Can I really master swordsmanship and defeat those giant Rogue Mechas in that time?"
Back in the garden, March 7th scratched her head, her face etched with worry and apprehension.
Losing the bet and having to bark like a dog in public was a minor embarrassment. But if she were to disgrace Xianzhou Swordsmanship because of this, that would be a serious matter indeed...
"Don't worry, little March," Lumina said, holding an oversized cup of taro boba milk tea. She took a deep sip through the clear straw, savoring the flavors of taro, boba, and milk tea blooming on her tongue. With a smile, she quoted a famous saying to March 7th: "Fifteen days east of the river, fifteen days west; never underestimate a young girl's potential."
"Fifteen days? Forget learning swordsmanship—you could crush those giant mechas!"
"Why, you could even become the supreme ruler of the Galaxy and dominate the entire Cosmos with no problem at all!"
"Uh... Sister Lumina, what are you talking about?" March 7th scratched her head, her cute face full of confusion. "I just want to defeat those big mechas. I have zero interest in ruling the entire Cosmos."
"But thanks anyway, Sister Lumina! I'll definitely master swordsmanship. Then I'll punch Scott and kick the IPC mechas... uh, wait, that's not right."
"Kick Scott, slice the IPC mechas with my sword!"
Though March 7th couldn't quite grasp the nonsense Sister Lumina was spouting, she vaguely understood that Sister Lumina was encouraging her.
Fueled by this unique encouragement from Sister Lumina, March 7th suddenly felt her spirits soar. She waved her tiny fists in the air, her small face radiating determination.
"Hmm... well, even so, mastering swordsmanship in just fifteen days will be quite challenging." Yunli didn't want to dampen March 7th's enthusiasm, but felt it necessary to offer a gentle reminder.
After all, March 7th's enthusiasm was unlikely to last more than three days...
"Ah... Master Yunli, I..."
"But it's just a little difficult."
Hearing Master Yunli's words, which felt like a bucket of cold water, March 7th was about to try to rally her spirits when Yunli abruptly shifted her tone. She planted her hands on her hips, a confident smile curving her lips as her small face radiated self-assurance.
"Mere IPC mechas? Just learn a little Zhuming Swordsmanship, and you can hack them to pieces."
Clap, clap, clap! Clap, clap, clap! Clap, clap, clap!
March 7th froze for a moment, then quickly caught on and clapped enthusiastically. Though she said nothing, her applause spoke volumes.
Master Yunli is peerless in the world! Master Yunli is brilliant beyond measure! Master Yunli is as beautiful as a submerged fish and a migrating goose!
"No, no, no, Miss March," Yanqing interjected as soon as Yunli finished speaking and March 7th's applause began. "With fifteen days, why not learn Luofu Swordsmanship instead?"
"Those mechas are made from advanced materials. Confronting them directly wouldn't be wise."
"Ha? Are you implying that Zhuming Swordsmanship is inferior to Luofu Swordsmanship?" Before March 7th could respond, Yunli crossed her arms, her expression hostile as she glared at Yanqing.
"And who told you Zhuming Swordsmanship relies solely on brute force, sacrificing agility?"
"I never said that," Yanqing replied, unfazed by Yunli's hostility. He met her glare with a faint smile, locking eyes in a silent, intense standoff. Sparks seemed to crackle between their gazes, a visual testament to the ferocity of their silent battle.
"Ah... here we go again..." March 7th sighed, rubbing her temples as her two masters, Yanqing and Yunli, locked horns once more.
She had known from the Alchemy Commission that Yanqing and Yunli couldn't stand each other. But she hadn't imagined their animosity ran so deep... they could argue over the smallest things.
Don't worry, March 7th, March 7th thought to herself, sighing inwardly. Suddenly, a hand clapped down on her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie. She tilted her head and saw Stelle grinning, flashing her pearly white teeth and giving her a thumbs-up for encouragement.
This girl... even though she usually seems so unreliable, she can actually be surprisingly dependable in certain situations.
Seeing this, March 7th felt a surge of warmth, her face lighting up with an expression that said, "Good buddies for life."
But in the very next moment, her warmth and the "Good buddies for life" look vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
It was because Stelle said this:
"March 7th, don't worry. If you ever feel like you can't beat them, just say the word."
"I'll go smash all those IPC mechas right now. Then Scott won't have any mechas to fight you with."
Stelle's suggestion made the corners of March 7th's mouth twitch uncontrollably, instantly retracting her previous assessment of Stelle as dependable.
"Mhm, March 7th... Please, rest assured."
"Those mechas... they're weak. I could beat them all with one hand."
As Stelle uttered these words, as if on cue, Little Swarm tugged at the hem of March 7th's skirt and declared with earnest conviction, "I agree."
March 7th: ...
"You! What exactly did you teach her?!"
Seeing Little Swarm gradually adopting Stelle's personality, March 7th's expression shifted from initial feeling of being moved to teeth-gritting exasperation.
"When facing a problem, solve it at its root." Oblivious to March 7th's gnashing teeth, Stelle assumed she was asking for the secret to her teaching method. Giving another thumbs-up, she replied matter-of-factly, "You made a bet with Scott, right? Then just take care of Scott and all his mechas. No more Scott, no more bet."
March 7th: ...
"When you're out there, don't you dare tell anyone you're a member of the Astral Express." After a moment of stunned silence, March 7th sighed in exasperation, realizing she couldn't change Stelle's mind.
"You're going to ruin the Astral Express's reputation!"
Hearing this, Stelle didn't show the slightest embarrassment or shame. Instead, she lifted her chin, striking a supremely proud pose, as if she thought March 7th was complimenting her.
"Y-you... you... you!" Seeing this, March 7th was at a complete loss for words.
March 7th shifted her gaze from Stelle to Little Swarm, speaking softly, "Little Swarm, as a person, you must always be honest."
"So, we absolutely mustn't do anything that violates our integrity, okay?"
"Mmm... Okay, I understand," Little Swarm nodded obediently after a moment's thought, her fingertip pressed lightly against her lips.
"Alright, no need to argue over Zhuming Swordsmanship versus Luofu Swordsmanship anymore. March 7th is naturally gifted. What harm could there be in learning both?" Lumina interjected, silencing the still-bickering Yanqing and Yunli.
Once the two had calmed down, Lumina turned to March 7th, who was glaring at her resentfully. She said with a smile, "Little March, you must understand that relying on sheer momentum won't last. You need a rigorous plan to succeed."
"If we followed the original plan at a normal pace, we'd still have time to prepare for the Wardance Ceremony."
"But now that you've made a fifteen-day agreement with Scott, you'll need to double down on your training if you want to stand a chance against those machines."
Even though March 7th's current strength would allow her to smash those mechas with random sword swings, Lumina still applied a bit of pressure. After all, pressure breeds progress.
"Oh, right! Once your swordsmanship reaches a certain level, I'll teach you a technique. One strike, and those mechas will be scrap metal!" After delivering the stern warning, Lumina took a sip of her milk tea, then added a final flourish, dangling a tantalizing carrot before March 7th amidst the pressure.
As the saying goes, with a tempting carrot, even the greatest pressure becomes bearable.
"Wow, really?! Thank you so much, Sister Lumina!" March 7th's face lit up instantly, her energy surging like a shot of adrenaline. Her spirit soared, radiating vitality.
Turning to Yanqing and Yunli, who had finally stopped arguing, she planted her hands on her hips and called out loudly, "Master Yunli, Master Yanqing, let's start right away!"
"Let's begin today's formal training!"
"I can't wait to smash those IPC Rogue Mechas into scrap metal!"