"This is the Nocturnal Stealth, a weapon born from the resonance between the Xuanyuan Sword and my sword intent," she said.
As she spoke, the Nocturnal Stealth dissolved into a blue light, then transformed into a full set of gauntlets that attached to her hands.
"This is something that can be achieved once soul-imbuing is complete."
With that, the young girl retracted the gauntlets, and they shifted back into a jade pendant, which she hung back around her waist.
"Soul-imbuing... that's the realm often described in Liyue novels, right? Where one transcends the need for a physical blade, achieving a state where all things can serve as a sword."
Furina glanced at the pendant twice more, unable to imagine how one would actually treat such a thing as a sword. However, she soon stopped dwelling on it; after all, if she couldn't grasp it, it simply meant her own cultivation hadn't reached that level yet.
"Still, this is all far too premature for me."
She was not one to reach for the impossible, and she knew the wisdom in not rushing growth. After casting another look at the Xuanyuan Sword, she placed it back at the head of her bed and picked up her own plain, unremarkable longsword.
"Until I can wield her freely, I'll leave her in Shangshang's safekeeping."
She couldn't manage to swing it during combat yet, but for the sake of the intent, it had to remain close by, which meant she had to let Sushang use it for the time being.
Regardless, Sushang was already a master of the five elemental states; there was no risk of the Xuanyuan Sword resonating with the wrong person.
"The path of cultivation truly requires this composed and patient mindset. But... it's still a bit early for you to be handing the sword back to me, Fufu. Did you forget you're supposed to be practicing?"
Sushang said with a smile.
"Eh?"
Furina froze for a moment, then looked at the dim sky outside: "But it's already so late? And I've already been training all day..."
"That may be, but skipping your daily practice is a bad habit." The brown-haired girl had known she would think that way: "Hehe, starting today, you must keep up with your practice every single day, treating it as a mandatory part of your daily routine."
"I see... so this is what consistency feels like..."
The young girl's pronouncement made Furina sigh.
She certainly had the desire and drive to become stronger, but having to practice in the middle of the night right after the victory banquet... it was completely at odds with the lifestyle she had led for so many years.
Yet, no matter how much she sighed, the sense of responsibility on her shoulders made it impossible for her to just lie down once she had heard that.
Focalors watched with a gentle smile as Furina picked up the Xuanyuan Sword once more and walked to the side to prepare for practice. Her smile was complicated, filled with a touch of melancholy.
In truth, she had a decent grasp of Furina's daily life. It was hard to imagine that the child was now doing something like this; she truly didn't know whether to feel relieved or heartbroken.
"Usually, shouldn't this kind of thing happen in the morning?" Furina couldn't help but remark as she began her practice.
"Yes, so for tonight, you just need to memorize the sword form and run through it once."
"Alright..."
Time drifted by amidst the girl's efforts, and the morning sun began to filter through the windows.
Furina had a habit of sleeping in, and when added to the level of effort she had put in yesterday—something she had almost never experienced in her life—waking up naturally after a full night's sleep usually allowed her to face the day with excellent energy and spirits.
But unfortunately, fighting against sleepiness and laziness was also a part of cultivation.
Just as a Familia must cherish its reputation and protect its honor from the very beginning, regardless of what one becomes later, these basic foundations and rules were essential before one could truly carve out their own path.
Furina, dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn to practice, desperately wanted to collapse on the spot, yet she persevered, sustained by the constant encouragement from both Sushang and Focalors.
Other things aside, this training session made the three of them realize once again how important having one's own space was.
Not to mention a massive mansion with a private training ground, even a small house with an open courtyard would be significantly more comfortable.
Training and encouraging each other inside a private booth really took a toll on the effectiveness of the session and their overall mindset.
After the three of them finished breakfast on the first floor, they officially began their new day. Furina hadn't forgotten about the Pallum who had stolen their belongings.
Taking advantage of the energy she regained after breakfast, she decided to find the Pallum immediately and get to the bottom of the situation.
And so, after bidding farewell to Focalors, the two followed Furina's senses all the way into a small alley between West Street and Northwest Street.
How should she put it... this dim, low-light area really did have the feel of a "rat's nest."
"Even though there are two streets not far from here, this place is so full of gloom and malice... I feel like something terrifying is about to pop out... How much further are we from that little thief?"
Walking through the dark, labyrinthine alleyway, Furina moved a bit closer to Sushang and couldn't help but speak up.
"It really is! It's just like the kind of place where shady deals happen in novels!"
Sushang felt exactly the same. Just as she was about to say that they would catch the culprit soon, she sensed several unfamiliar auras moving in the direction of the Pallum.
If it were just that, it wouldn't be an issue, but within seconds, these auras had surrounded the Pallum.
"Something seems wrong? That Pallum looks like she's been surrounded by someone else!"
"Ah?" Fencing stolen goods?
Wait, didn't Lydi mention something about many Supporters being bullied by adventurers?
Although the information had flashed by quickly—and was further downplayed because the Pallum Supporter had committed a wrong first—Furina quickly linked the information to the current situation.
If that was the case, they had to act fast.
Sushang naturally felt the same. The two exchanged a glance and immediately picked up their pace, sprinting one after another through the winding alley.
"You wretch, you actually dared to dodge us yesterday."
Thud!
A solid, heavy impact echoed through the alley as a petite figure was kicked hard to the ground.
Despite wearing a dark brown cloak, it was still clear from her position on the ground that she had a thin, yet remarkably curved frame. It was clearly a young girl.
"I'm sorry..."
Without even offering an explanation, the girl fished a heavy pouch of gold coins from her bosom. She forced her body to kneel up, her arms trembling as she held the coins out toward the adventurer who had just kicked her.
There was no need for explanations. She had already converted all the high-value magic stones from yesterday into Valis and deposited them into her little stash, and she knew that the men knew she would do this.
Because this had happened many times before; every single time, she would keep more than half of her earnings and hand over the rest to these men as "protection money."
Even if they didn't beat her, she would still give it to them, yet they would beat her anyway, as if they were simply checking off a routine task.
To this, she had long since become numb.
"Heh..."
The burly man let out a cold snort, snatched the money bag, and was just about to deliver another kick to the girl's head to teach her a lesson. But before he could even lift his leg, a crisp, commanding voice filled with spirit interrupted him.
"Stop right there!"
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL