"Selene—"
"…What would Cousin say if he saw this?"
There it was again.
That old wound.
'Sigh… this brain-washed klutz…'
That imagined version of her cousin, the pride of her family, always just out of reach.
Always the one she had been told she needed to catch up to. Impress. Earn approval from.
She bit her lip, eyes stinging. Her heart felt tangled.
Riven let out a breath and decided to change his approach. When it came to things like this, a softer approach is mandatory.
"I'm not your cousin," he said in a serious tone. "And you're not the girl they all think you are."
She turned, meeting his gaze through glassy eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said, "you don't have to prove anything to anyone."
He walked around her, voice dropping.
"Not to Murong Fu. Not to your mother. Not even to me."
"…Then why did you bring me here?"
Riven looked at her for a long moment.
"To help you win," he said finally. "You want to beat your cousin, don't you? Make him actually see 'you'… and not some prize?"
Selene swallowed.
"…Yes."
"Then let me help you."
She hesitated, blinking away the last of her tears, not understanding what he meant. "Help me… how?"
Riven grinned again—just a little—and gestured toward the side of the interior.
There, sitting neatly on the table, was a thin book with an exquisite jade cover.
"The Sunflower Manual," he said. "A very… very special manual."
Selene frowned. "…Huh—?"
"Mediocre name. Powerful method," he cut in smoothly. "I've already mastered it. And now… I'm going to teach you."
She stared at the book… then at him.
"…Why are you doing all this for me?"
Riven didn't smile this time.
"Because you saved my life, Selene Virelyn. You're my second chance.
And because whether you like it or not… I want you to be someone incredible."
Selene didn't know what to say.
She kept her eyes on the Sunflower Manual, pretending to study the jade cover. But her thoughts were a whirlwind.
Her hands were trembling slightly.
She wasn't even sure why.
Maybe it was the way he said her name just now. So steady. So warm. Like it had weight. Like it mattered.
"…You think I'm going to be someone incredible?" she asked, almost in a whisper.
Riven stepped beside her, his voice low and smooth. "I don't think it, Selene. I know it."
She looked at him, a little dazed.
"I… I've always just been someone standing in the background. Cousin's the one who's talented. The one who's supposed to be better. The one everyone bets on."
"You've been trained to think that," Riven said gently. "But it's not true."
He leaned down slightly, so their faces were closer now. "You're a fast learner. Incredibly smart. Calm under pressure. Do you know how rare that is… especially in a woman?"
Selene looked away, too overwhelmed to respond.
She tried to find her voice. "…And this manual? You really think I can learn it?"
"It's going to be tough," he admitted. "But I'll be with you all the way to teach you."
There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "What if I mess up?"
He chuckled. "Then you mess up. That's what training is for."
"…What if I hurt myself?"
"Like you healed me, I'll heal you."
Selene hesitated. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"…What if I can't do it?"
Riven gently took her hands in his, twirling her around with joy before softly catching her waist, while her hands rested on his chest.
"Then we'll try again."
She looked up at him—really looked this time. His expression wasn't teasing anymore. It was openly serious.
She hadn't expected that.
She hadn't expected that from him.
"…You really believe in me?"
Chuckling, he said, "More than you know, little girl."
That made something inside her ache.
Her defenses started to crumble—not from his charm, but from how easy it was to want to believe him.
Selene took a breath. "…Okay. I'll try."
Riven smiled. "Mm…That's all I ask."
...…
He guided her to the small table where the prepared items were laid out, their pages buzzing with quiet energy.
"Sit," he said gently.
Selene obeyed, folding her legs beneath her on the mat.
Riven sat behind her, his presence like a warm current at her back.
"Don't panic," he said softly. "The method starts by guiding internal energy to your lower dantian. I'll help stabilize the first circulation."
Selene closed her eyes.
"Okay…"
"Relax your breath."
She did.
"Now feel the warmth in your core. The place where your energy gathers."
"…I feel it."
"Good. Now, let me show you something."
His fingers pressed lightly against the center of her back.
Her breath hitched.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm just adjusting your qi flow. Nothing else."
She nodded faintly, face already burning.
But slowly—strangely—the warmth inside her began to spread.
It was subtle at first, then flowing like a soft river.
She felt it curl up her spine, past her shoulder blades, swirling through the Sun and Moon veins her mother had spoken of.
"…It's… moving," she whispered.
"Let it move. Don't resist it."
His voice was calm. Patient.
He took his time, never rushing or teasing, fully embracing the moment without breaking its magic.
As she let herself get lost in the moment, Selene's awkward situation slipped her mind.
She forgot about the sparring match. The expectations. The eyes watching her from all directions.
It was just her. And the warmth. And Riven—guiding her quietly through the dark, one breath at a time.
One circulation was enough for her to remember everything.
Once done, Riven stood up and walked in front of her, who was sitting on the bench, and looked down with a somewhat playful smile.
"Well… now to tell you about technique~"
Selene looked up at him and instantly realized she had been tricked.
Before she could inquire anything he went on-
"This method…. It'll unblock your Sun and Moon vein instantly—and might even push you straight into the brink of the Innate life realm."
"…Huh?"
Selene blinked, caught off guard.
That kind of breakthrough—instantly? Reaching almost the Innate life realm in one step?
"You're messing with me," she said, frowning. "There's no way that's possible."
She had been practicing for weeks now, and she knew how difficult it was to gather and refine internal energy.
Unless you had some divine pill—or someone forcibly transferring their essence—it didn't happen overnight.
She squinted at him.
"You're not gonna hand me another weird pill that'll nearly kill me in ten days, are you?"
Riven laughed softly. "No pills. Those things are way too rare."
He stepped closer. "But… we are going to cultivate… together~ Because this needs dual cultivation."
"D-dual cultivation?" Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. "Wait, you don't mean… that kind of…"
Her voice trailed off, face reddening faster than sunrise.
"We're not married! We can't just—how can we—!"
Her voice shrank into a whisper. Her head lowered. Her entire neck had turned red.
Riven blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down. It's not that kind of martial art."
"…Oh."
Selene froze, her breath catching as she realized what she'd just implied.
Oh no.
She covered her mouth.
Why did I say that?! Now he knows I've read about those kinds of arts…
Her thoughts spiraled.
She remembered some of the racier scrolls hidden deep inside the Jade Library Cave.
She hadn't meant to read them—they were just mixed in with the others! Really!
Now, she wished she could crawl under the floor.
"Oya~? Oya oyaa~? Would you look at that~? The pure maiden knows a lotta stuff, huh?"
At this moment, Riven almost forgot about what they were doing and had the thought of teasing her to death.
But they had work to do….