He just gave her a faint glance, as if all of this were only natural, before getting up, turning around, and leaving.
The surrounding cheers seemed to become somewhat piercing at this moment.
Standing atop the ruins of the arena, Jingliu felt her heart turn cold bit by bit.
If only... if only he had just nodded... I exceeded all the special training requirements and stood until the very end of the Martial Examination; I... I've also become a Vanguard capable of standing on my own.
Why, Master... why do you still refuse to look at me?
Jingliu bit her lower lip, an indescribable mist of tears welling up in the depths of her eyes, which she then forced back.
Loss, grievance, resentment... all sorts of emotions mixed together, weighing heavily on her heart.
She watched that gradually receding back; her own spine, which had been held straight, slumped ever so slightly.
Just how much do I have to do to earn Master's recognition and stand by his side?
Since Master wouldn't speak, she would use her actions to prove herself.
Since the status of a Cloud Knight Vanguard wasn't enough to stand by his side, she would go kill Abominations and become even stronger.
As long as she killed enough, as long as her sword was fast enough, as long as she was strong enough to surpass Master... at that time, his eyes would surely have room for her, right?
There was still plenty of time.
Carrying a desire that bordered on obsession, Jingliu became a tireless blade upon the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
The next two years were a heart-pounding time for the Cloud Knight combat dispatch officers.
The word "ridiculous" wasn't enough to describe the actions of the newly appointed Vanguard named Jingliu.
In two years, she participated in all eight of the only large-scale campaigns.
Eight large-scale campaigns in a short period, and eight great victories.
Even in the martial-focused Yaoqing, such a record was enough to leave people speechless.
Every time, she charged at the very front; every time, her sword left behind piles of Abomination corpses.
Every time she returned, she took no leave, ignored the victory banquets, and didn't even drink a drop of celebratory wine before applying to lead a standby detachment and set out once more.
When Jingliu, dragging her body full of exhaustion and glory, finished her ninth campaign and returned to Yaoqing for a temporary rest, she found the house empty; even Master's jade message could not be reached.
She checked the combat dispatch records and received this answer:
"Lady Jingliu, Lord Zhimu and his personal guards set out with the army yesterday, heading to the Feige Galaxy to suppress the chaos caused by the Wing-Makers."
Hearing the report, the light in Jingliu's eyes dimmed for a moment.
Another two years passed, and she still hadn't seen even a glimpse of her master.
This suffocating cycle of missing each other seemed to have become some sort of established curse.
While she was fighting bloody battles, Master was in another place of Abomination calamity, severing their heads.
Just as she returned in triumph, he would set out.
Just as she was about to rest, he would happen to return to report his mission, only to leave again soon after.
For four whole years, the battlefield trajectories of the master and disciple were like two parallel lines that never once intersected.
At first, Jingliu thought it was just a coincidence, a helpless result of the busy war.
She didn't lose heart; instead, she transformed this disappointment into a purer motivation.
And so, the Hunt expeditions continued... star calendar 6370, winter.
News that shook the Yaoqing military arrived.
Leading a lone army against overwhelming odds, Jingliu had struck deep into the enemy camp and slain the Great Nest Father of the Zaochi Hunting Pack.
Not only that, she had also framed other Borisin hunting packs for the attack, causing a significant internal conflict.
One must know that the prototypes for the Artifact Beasts and weapons used by the Borisin mostly came from the Gene-shamans of the Zaochi Hunting Pack.
Even in the most brutal eras of civil war, no hunting pack dared to attack the Zaochi.
Attacking these Gene-shamans would provoke public outrage among the Borisin, potentially leading to being collectively attacked by all other packs.
Because of this, the Zaochi Hunting Pack was usually strictly protected and their movements were extremely hard to track, causing countless Cloud Knights to return in defeat.
But now, the head of their Great Nest Father was hanging high above the bow of the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
This military achievement was enough to be recorded in the annals of Yaoqing history; in the entire history of Yaoqing, she was the first Cloud Knight Vanguard to slay a Great Nest Father of the Zaochi Hunting Pack.
Upon her triumphant return, Jingliu finally caught up—
Qi Zhimu had not set out and was currently in a rest period.
After the victory banquet, Jingliu returned home with a slight hint of intoxication and knocked on the door of Qi Zhimu's study.
"Master."
She stood before the desk, her posture straight, with a sliver of cautious anticipation hidden in her eyes.
"For next month's extermination operation against the Shishou stronghold, I would like to apply to fight alongside Master's First Detachment."
Qi Zhimu didn't even look up.
"No need."
His voice was flat, just as it had always been.
Jingliu's heart sank, and she couldn't help but press further.
"Why? I have enough strength now! I've even killed a Great Nest Father; I'm no worse than anyone else, and I definitely won't hold Master back!"
Qi Zhimu finally looked up, gazing at her calmly.
"According to Cloud Knight regulations, unless it is a specific ultra-large-scale campaign or by the General's order, a Vanguard must lead their own team and guard a region independently."
"But..."
"No 'buts'."
Jingliu opened her mouth, but the remaining words were stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken.
Regulations?
Such a reason might fool a recruit, but that was all.
In the Cloud Knights, examples of masters and disciples joining forces or brothers going into battle together were everywhere.
For such an important Hunt expedition task, as long as a Vanguard applied to the General on the grounds of ensuring absolute success, there was a ninety percent chance it would be approved.
Was Master... unwilling to fight side-by-side with her?
Walking out of the study, Jingliu looked back at the closed door, an indescribable resentment welling up in her heart.
Even an absurd thought began to grow uncontrollably in her mind.
When Master had her take first place in the Martial Examination... could it have been for this very day?
Using the authority to lead an independent army as an excuse to rightfully and completely send her away?
But why do this?
It couldn't possibly be just to stay far away from her, could it?
"..."
Jingliu's face suddenly froze.
This possibility began to spread in her heart, gradually welling up into her eyes and staining those crimson pupils with a hint of darkness.
No... it shouldn't be like this... Master couldn't possibly do that; she hadn't made him angry, nor had she made him annoyed.
But Master always took Mianxue and Qinghan with him, and even though the sisters clearly had the strength to become Vanguards, they didn't participate in the Martial Examination at all.
They didn't sign up for her year, nor did they for the one five years later.
That way, they could rightfully remain as Master's personal guards... Thinking of this, the darkness in Jingliu's eyes completely took over the highlights, and her body trembled slightly...