When Qin Xiyan woke up the next day, she noticed that her body felt a bit sore. "Oh yeah, last night." She blushed at the thought. She had slept with the protagonist, and the events were still fresh in her mind.

As she tried to sit up, she felt a pair of arms around her waist, and heard a soft groan.

"Don't go," Xing Yuan mumbled, as he pulled her closer.

"We can't stay in bed all day," she protested, a small smile forming on her lips.

"But it's so comfortable." He nuzzled her hair, and pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

"Come on, we need to get up." Qin Xiyan reluctantly disentangled herself from the protagonist, and got out of bed.

"Fine." Xing Yuan pouted, but followed suit.

Getting ready for the day was a matter of routine. Both of them were accustomed to rising early. Only this time the two had to move around one another, which proved to be difficult.

Xing Yuan kept bumping into her, and Qin Xiyan would end up getting distracted by his presence. The young man would purposely brush against her, or place a hand on her hip.

"Shijie, are you going to get dressed?" Xing Yuan asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I am," she huffed, and continued to change into her inner robes.

"Let me help with that." He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close.

"Don't do that," she protested.

"Do what?" He feigned innocence.

"You're a menace," she grumbled, as she elbowed him in the gut.

"Ow," Xing Yuan whined, and released her.

"Stop being a brat," Qin Xiyan said, a teasing smile on her face.

"Sorry, I can't help it." He gave her a sheepish grin.

The Qin Estate was silent, save for the birds chirping and the rustling of the trees. A light breeze blew, causing the leaves to dance. The sun was just beginning to rise, its rays peeking over the horizon.

The two finished getting ready, then left Qin Xiyan's room. A few servants were up and about, but the atmosphere was peaceful.

While Qin Xiyan got along with her family she was also something of a black sheep, her interests differed from those of her siblings.

They were focused on politics and money, she was more interested in martial arts and cultivation. As the third daughter of a moderately wealthy family and a neglected spare heir she had the freedom to do what she pleased.

Xing Yuan had the opposite problem. He was the last scion of a fallen noble clan from one of the higher realms apparently, although as part of the obligated tragic backstory he shouldn't know much about his origins.

Master Wei, was a wandering swordsmen, who found Xing Yuan as an infant, and took him under his wing.

Subsequently Master Wei had been hired by the Qin Family to tutor Qin Xiyan in the way of basic martial arts. This had the unexpected consequence of Xing Yuan being forced to live in the same place as his future love interest.

Which, if it was a shoujo manga, would be a bad trope. In reality, this was a stallion novel where the rule of cool applied to most things so it didn't count. In other words, a convenient and contrived way to set up a doomed romance between a protagonist and forgotten cannon fodder.

However, while Qin Xiyan averted that particular death flag there were other ways to meet an early end. So, in theory, the best thing would be to disappear from the novel and live the rest of her days in peace.

Although the thought of amassing enough power so no one would dare bother her was another appealing idea. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Xing Yuan tugged on her sleeve.

"What is it?" She turned to face him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Shijie, you almost walked into a tree." He pointed out, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, right." She laughed nervously, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Waiting in the courtyard was Master Wei, he was leaning against a tree. The older man had a calm demeanor, and his posture was relaxed. There was a scar across his eye, and his hair was pulled back into a bun. He wore a simple black robe, and his sword was strapped to his belt.

"Good morning," Master Wei greeted.

"Morning," the two chorused.

"Did you two sleep well?" He asked, a knowing look on his face.

"Uhh, yes." They were both flustered, and averted their gaze.

"Good, I expect you're both ready to start training," he said, his voice taking on a serious tone.

"Yes," the two replied in unison.

"Let's begin," he said, drawing his sword.

The two youngsters readied their stances, and prepared for the first lesson of the day. Training swords clashed with a real blade, and the air was filled with the sound of footsteps.

There was a flurry of movement, as the three fought. The training session lasted for hours, and by the end of it, only thetwo youngsters were exhausted.

Master Wei's fighting style was based on agility, and evasion. He was known as the "Swordsman Without A Shadow," and his movements were difficult to track.

His attacks were swift, and unpredictable. It was a challenge to keep up with him, and Xing Yuan's skills were still lacking. Qin Xiyan's own abilities were adequate. But compared to the future protagonist, she was average.

As Qin Xiyan collapsed to the floor, a wilted mess, Xing Yuan knelt beside her. "Shijie, are you alright?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine," she reassured. "Just tired."

"You did well," Master Wei praised.

"Thanks."

"Now, you two should take a break, and then continue going through the forms."

The two students nodded, and sat down in the shade.

While Qin Xiyan had a golden core, and could somewhat use Qi, it was a very weak one. Not only that but her cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment level. Suffice to say to reach the top she had a long way to go.