Chapter 81: The truth [2]
*THOOM*
Her spear sliced through the space Klein was standing just a second ago, and the sheer force of the strike split the ground apart with a violent crack.
Klein twisted his body mid-step, barely avoiding the follow-up thrust that came for his back as he slid to the side, creating just enough distance to avoid being skewered.
"I told you," he replied calmly, even while moving at full speed, "it’s for documentation."
"DELETE IT! YOU BRAT!"
Her spear came down again with terrifying force, smashing into the ground where he was standing a moment earlier.
The impact sent stone fragments flying in every direction as the floor caved in under the pressure.
Klein leapt back, narrowly avoiding the debris as he used the momentum to propel himself further away "Damn woman, calm down."
Shui Yinran didn’t slow down for even a second as she closed the distance again.
Her spear swept horizontally, forcing Klein to duck low as the weapon passed just above his head, the wind pressure alone sending a sharp sting across his skin.
The next instant, she spun.
The shaft slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact, cracking the training floor even further as a shockwave spread outward, forcing Klein to jump back again, his feet skidding slightly as he regained balance.
"Stop running and fight me properly!"
"I am fighting," Klein replied, sidestepping another thrust that came straight for his chest, "you’re just trying to kill me over a picture, idiot."
"You took evidence!"
Klein bent backward just enough for the spear tip to miss his throat by a hair’s breadth before he pushed off the ground, creating distance again.
The training hall was already falling apart.
Cracks spread across the walls.
The floor was shattered in multiple places.
Fragments of stone and dust filled the air as Shui Yinran continued her relentless assault.
"Is that all my Master taught you?" she said with a mocking smile, her voice echoing through the chaos as she pressed forward without pause.
"To flee and not fight."
Klein’s movement stopped instantly.
The shift was so abrupt that even Shui Yinran’s next strike halted on instinct, her spear freezing just an inch away from his chest.
"What did you just say?"
Shui Yinran slowly pulled her spear back, "Heh... seems like I hit the mark," she said, straightening slightly as she rested the spear against her shoulder again.
"You learned that Dark Moon technique and spearmanship from my Master, right?"
She let out a soft chuckle, clearly pleased with herself "After thinking about it for a bit, I figured it out."
Klein’s eyes condensed in thought ’As I thought... she didn’t learn it from any manual. Her master taught her directly.’
His gaze grew colder ’But then how does this so-called Master know my technique?’
That was the real problem.
He was the one who created the Dark Moon technique.
No one in this world should know about it.
Unless...
His thoughts paused for a second.
Shui Yinran tilted her head slightly, "So basically," she continued, her lips curving into a teasing smile, "you’re like my junior brother in apprenticeship."
"Haah. Master disappeared years ago. She said she was heading toward the Dragon Territory, and after that... no one has seen her."
A brief silence followed her words as the dust slowly settled around them, "But now it makes sense. She must have taken you in as a disciple after that and taught you everything."
"Because there is no other way for you to know the Dark Moon technique."
Klein remained silent for a moment before deciding to play along with her assumption rather than reveal anything unnecessary.
"Hoh? So my Master is the one who taught you too?"
Shui Yinran let out a soft sigh and pouted her lips "Seems like my Master never told you about me, even though I was her best disciple."
"Anyway, how is Master Qiaolian? Where is she right now?"
’Qiaolian? So that’s her name...’
His thoughts paused for a brief moment ’Hmm... let’s gamble a bit.’
With a ’confused’ face, he spoke "Qiaolian? But Master used a different name with me."
"Eh?" Shui Yinran blinked, clearly caught off guard as she tilted her head slightly.
"Maybe she used a different name to hide her identity..." she murmured to herself before suddenly pausing as if something clicked in her mind.
"Oh-wait. Maybe she used her personal name."
"Annika Vogel Dravara."
The moment the name left her lips, Klein’s pupils shrank.
For a second, his composure cracked and genuine shock flashed across his eyes.
Then, a slow smile spread across his lips.
"Ha..."
"Hahahaha..."
He couldn’t stop it.
The laughter came naturally with a strange mix of disbelief and nostalgia as memories from his past life surged forward without restraint.
A bright and energetic young girl.
Always chasing after him with endless questions.
Always watching his spear with shining eyes.
"Annika..." he muttered under his breath, the name rolling off his tongue with familiarity.
"No wonder..."
Shui Yinran stood there, completely dumbfounded as he suddenly laughed out of nowhere.
"What happened?"
Klein calmed down, though the faint smile didn’t leave his face as he turned his gaze back to her.
"Yep. That was her name."
Shui Yinran nodded thoughtfully "Hmm, I am quite surprised because she doesn’t really like to get called by that name."
With a shrug, Klein replied "We were pretty close, you see, because I am her best disciple."
She stared at him for a second, and her eye twitched in irritation, though she didn’t immediately snap back like before, because despite how ridiculous his claim sounded... she couldn’t actually deny it.
"Well, I can’t exactly refute that."
"At such a young age, you’ve already reached the pinnacle of spearmanship."
"You have talent, and Master refined it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly "And she even taught you the advanced forms of the Dark Moon technique."
Klein glanced at her, and his gaze softened ’So Yinran is basically my disciple’s disciple.’
The realization was strange.
’But how did Annika come to this world?’
’Reincarnation? Transportation? Transmigration?’
But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside.
There were more immediate things to deal with.
Looking back at Shui Yinran, he spoke "Are you jealous? Do you want to learn the advanced forms of the Dark Moon technique too?"
Shui Yinran frowned as she looked at him suspiciously "...You would really teach me that?" she asked in an uncertain tone, trying to figure out whether he is serious or just messing with her again.
"Obviously. Because I’m your Master after all."
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"
"Is that how you talk to your Master? Kowtow now."
Comments