Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha: Now I Have a Wife via the Heartless Dao - Chapter 16

Although Yu Qianyan said she would come to teach Rong Shu sword practice the next morning, it was never going to be that simple.

Rong Shu was an Omega, physically delicate, and had never been exposed to any of this. She hadn’t even soaked in the medicinal bath formula yet, and she had an etiquette class scheduled for the afternoon that was equally draining. How could she possibly be expected to do the intense horse-stance training and sword-swinging, like Yu Qianyan’s sturdy, rough-and-tumble fellow disciples—on the very first day?

Yu Qianyan didn’t have the heart to be that harsh. Even if she had lost her mind and decided to run a 1-on-1 intensive sword-training crash course, Rong Shu’s body wouldn’t last more than a few sessions; she would likely fall ill after just one day.

So, for the first sword lesson, Yu Qianyan took her to the empty space in the garden where she usually practiced and taught a pure theory class.

This world lacked spiritual energy, and no matter how hard Rong Shu practiced, she could never cultivate sword intent, communicate with sword spirits, or move mountains with a single strike. However, the fundamental principles of swordsmanship remained the same.

How to hold the sword, where to direct force when swinging to achieve both overwhelming momentum and agile redirection, the differences between “piercing,” “swinging,” “chopping,” and “hacking,” identifying the sharp and weak points of the blade, and how the sword’s size and weight corresponded to different power levels and techniques… These were all hard-won lessons from Yu Qianyan’s century of sword practice. Any single point, if pulled out, could have fueled a three-day, three-night debate in the cultivation world.

Though Yu Qianyan’s soul-bound sword was a heavy blade, when she first embarked on the path of the sword, she had tried almost every type. It took her years before finally settling on the heavy blade that suited her best. As the sect’s most gifted senior sister, who had also dealt with an impatient and unreliable master, she had essentially been the one to train all the junior brothers and sisters in the Sword Peak. Her teaching experience was vast and seasoned.

The value of such a teacher’s instruction went without saying. Even though Rong Shu was not a cultivator and couldn’t grasp that being guided by such a prodigy was equivalent to saving a hundred years of aimless training, she couldn’t help but calm her mind the moment Yu Qianyan began to speak, soaking up knowledge like a parched sponge.

All the flirtatious thoughts she had entertained before the lesson vanished. The tricks she had planned—relying on the pretext of “guidance” for physical contact or letting her pheromones drift while sweating from the exertion—all dissolved into the harmonious, pure atmosphere of the classroom.

By the time the sun hung high in the sky and the four-hour theory class concluded, Rong Shu still felt unsatisfied.

“Are we learning the sword at the same time tomorrow?” As soon as Yu Qianyan announced the end of the lesson, Rong Shu couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.

She didn’t know why a pampered Omega like her was so interested in something as crude and unrefined as sword practice. Upon reflection, she could only attribute it to Yu Qianyan being such a good teacher—explaining things so clearly, with a voice as gentle as jade and as low and alluring as a cello. More importantly, she was incredibly patient, never dismissing Rong Shu’s naive or shallow questions.

Yu Qianyan shook her head, “Today is the first day, so I gave you time to adapt. Tomorrow we need to start half a shichen (one hour) earlier than today. But don’t worry, I will go wake you up ahead of time.”

“Deal!” A flushed glow of excitement still lingered on Rong Shu’s face, and her eyes were as bright as stars, clean and reflective like blue stone slabs in an alley washed by a rainstorm.

Yu Qianyan walked side-by-side with Rong Shu, smiling softly as she looked at her chattering on about her insights into beginning the path of the sword. She found her as lively and noisy as a pearl bird, which was quite adorable.

This vibrant, pure version of Rong Shu, without a hint of gloom or calculation in her eyes, was finally beginning to look like the Rong Shu Yu Qianyan had hoped for.

Yu Qianyan wasn’t stupid. Rong Shu’s repeated flirting and lures were too deliberate, and the manipulative nature of her words was quite obvious. If even with someone she was supposedly infatuated with, she had to rely on schemes and couldn’t be sincere, what kind of bitter life must Rong Shu have lived at the Rong family? She had only just come of age!

Because of this pity, Yu Qianyan always hoped that Rong Shu could live more happily and openly. She was more tolerant of Rong Shu’s little tricks and didn’t hold them against her.

Rong Shu’s excitement lasted until after they had lunch, when they welcomed the etiquette instructor sent by the Royal Palace.

She was a middle-aged female Omega who always wore a smile, looking very kind, though the deep lines between her brows and the corners of her mouth looked slightly incongruous with her compassionate expression.

The instructor introduced herself as surnamed Li, and everyone in the palace called her “Li Momo” (Nanny Li). Her resume was frighteningly impressive. Having entered the palace young and staying for a long time, she had served as the etiquette instructor and governess for two imperial consorts, three princesses and princes, and over a dozen imperial sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. Even the Empress held her in high regard, having exchanged ideas on palace etiquette with her after marrying the current Emperor. While it wasn’t a formal apprenticeship, the Empress always addressed Li Momo as “Teacher” upon seeing her. Who would dare slight her?

The fact that the Emperor sent an etiquette instructor of this stature to guide Rong Shu showed how highly he valued Yu Qishan. Unlike Yu Qianyan’s accessible teaching style, Li Momo was strict, demanding, and very overbearing.

Upon hearing that Rong Shu was also practicing the sword with Yu Qianyan, she maintained an unmoving, pleasant expression and said slowly, “I naturally have no say in what else Miss Rong wishes to learn in these two months. However, since His Majesty has sent me, and the Duke has instructed me that everything must be done according to the etiquette and rules of the royal wedding, I cannot disobey the wishes of the two nobles and relax my requirements for Miss Rong, can I?”

“Moreover, since Miss Rong has become my student and the wedding is only two months away, it is absolutely unacceptable not to graduate within these two months. Otherwise, if word gets out, I will have nowhere to hide my old face, and neither of you will look good either. Palace rules are numerous and complex. To learn them with precision and elegance, one must be trained day and night; missing even a single day won’t do. I ask that Miss Yu and Miss Rong agree to my requirements, or else, if anything goes wrong, I will not be held responsible.”

Yu Qianyan naturally understood Li Momo’s meaning—she was shifting responsibility and hogging class time. After glancing at Rong Shu and seeing she had nothing to say, Yu Qianyan turned to Li Momo and asked, “Then, in Li Momo’s view, how long of an etiquette lesson is appropriate for one day?”

Li Momo smiled and counted on her fingers for Yu Qianyan, “The princesses and princes in the palace only attend class for half a day, but they start preparing half a year before they marry off. They weren’t completely ignorant to begin with; they had some foundation. As for the imperial consorts and spouses marrying into the palace, they have to study for however long is necessary, and that is full-day schooling. As for Miss Rong… it would have to be the better part of the day, and that requires Miss Rong to study with focus and be unafraid of hardship.”

“The better part of the day?”

“Exactly,” Li Momo chuckled as she looked at Rong Shu, asking in a thick, kind, and affectionate tone, “Miss Rong practices the sword in the morning, right? Would it be alright if you give me your time in the afternoon and evening?”

Rong Shu thought about the sword lesson this morning and felt that after learning, her spirits were unexpectedly high, her body was filled with endless strength, and she couldn’t wait to start practicing. She assumed it wouldn’t be much different later.

Yu Qianyan had told her that after soaking in the medicinal bath and starting body cultivation, her tendons and bones would become stronger, her physique would improve significantly, and her energy would be more vigorous. Since that was the case, just extending the lessons through the afternoon and evening should be manageable.

Besides, she hadn’t heard any young nobles who hired etiquette instructors complain about the lessons being too difficult or tiring. Rong Shu thought that learning more was always good, so before Yu Qianyan could speak, she agreed to Li Momo’s request.

Li Momo smiled even more happily, praising Rong Shu for being diligent and studious, a model student, to the point where even cold-hearted Rong Shu blushed.

Having gained two heavyweight teachers in one day, Rong Shu immersed herself in the freshness of her upcoming fulfilling and interesting academic life. She failed to notice Yu Qianyan’s hesitant expression and was joyfully led away by Li Momo to the etiquette classroom prepared by the Yu family.

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