Chapter 28: Praise

Chapter 28: Praise

"Yes, Teacher!"

Chen Shouyi immediately went to put on his protective gear. A few minutes later, he stood ready in front of the Female Instructor.

"Everyone, watch my demonstration carefully!" Seeing that Chen Shouyi was prepared, the Female Instructor thrust her sword forward.

Chen Shouyi felt that her sword was somewhat slow, not posing any pressure at all. In the next moment, his body slid backward as if gliding, easily dodging the Female Instructor's thrust.

Having spent half the morning in the Otherworld, he still felt somewhat light on his feet. At this speed, evading her attack was almost effortless for him.

The Female Instructor paused for a moment, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Chen Shouyi.

This wasn’t part of her teaching plan. He was supposed to fail to dodge, get hit awkwardly, and then she would explain the reasons for his failure to all the students, making her teaching skills evident.

But unexpectedly, this kid had managed to evade.

Snapping back to reality, she continued, "Hmm, Chen Shouyi did fairly well. Let’s try again!"

Unfortunately, Chen Shouyi was oblivious to her thoughts and quickly repositioned himself in front of her.

No sooner had he steadied himself than she executed a Lunge Thrust, the safety sword whistling as it shot toward him.

Before the sword even reached him, his body reacted instinctively. The muscles in his legs burst into action, and his sliding motion was three times faster than before, allowing him to evade effortlessly once more.

Perhaps due to his heightened Perception, his intuition had grown sharper. Even before his mind could process her movement, his body had already begun dodging.

The tip of the sword missed Chen Shouyi by a mere inch, but that inch might as well have been an insurmountable distance.

All the students watched in stunned silence, their minds reeling.

"This can’t be!" The Female Instructor’s eyes widened slightly, her shock evident.

If the first time could be chalked up to her underestimating his true ability, this time she had exerted nearly 70-80% of her strength, even catching him off-guard. Yet he had dodged again.

His terrifying reflexes and ability to predict movements in an instant left even her feeling inadequate.

She stared at Chen Shouyi, and through his visor, she seemed to catch a faint, self-satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Good, very good. Chen Shouyi did excellently. Once more."

Her voice sounded as if it were forced through clenched teeth.

She refused to believe this was happening.

Even the most oblivious person could sense the shift in the Female Instructor’s mood. Chen Shouyi noticed that her once gentle and serene face had turned expressionless, radiating an unapproachable coldness. He suddenly understood.

No matter how gentle a woman might seem, she was still a woman at heart!

Bracing himself, he obediently took his stance again.

The Female Instructor’s face darkened as she silently thrust her sword again, this time as fast as a bolt of lightning.

This time, Chen Shouyi suppressed his instincts, deliberately slowing his reaction by half a beat. His foot had barely lifted when— Thwack!

A numbing sting spread across his chest.

The Female Instructor's expression softened slightly: "Chen Shouyi didn't perform very well this time. Let's analyze why his Defense failed. First, his mind wasn't focused—his gaze was vacant. Distraction during combat is a major taboo. Second... Third..." Chen Shouyi stood motionless, his face expressionless.

After the explanation, the Female Instructor dismissed Chen Shouyi. During subsequent demonstrations of body dodging, Defense techniques, and weapon Defense, Chen Shouyi wasn't given another chance to participate.

After class, just as Chen Shouyi was about to leave, the Female Instructor called out to him. "Chen Shouyi, wait a moment!" "Teacher Wang, what is it?" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, seeming somewhat hesitant. "Actually... at your current level, you don't need to attend these classes anymore." Chen Shouyi was momentarily stunned, understanding the implication but unwilling to accept it. "But there's still so much I haven't learned!"

The Female Instructor's face flushed slightly as she quickly clarified, "You misunderstand. What I mean is your learning ability is too strong—it would be a waste for you to continue following the standard class progression. I can spare a few evenings to give you private tutoring when I'm free. How does that sound?" Chen Shouyi felt a surge of delight. He'd long felt the training class was inefficient, so this arrangement was perfect. He respectfully replied, "Thank you, Teacher Wang."

"Good. Take down my phone number: 1348392####. I'll only tutor you for three evenings. Call me in advance when you're free." Chen Shouyi immediately noted the number in his phone and called it to confirm. "I'm free tomorrow evening. Would that work, Teacher Wang?" "Tomorrow?" The Female Instructor hesitated briefly before nodding. "Come over then. I live in Building 12, Unit 1201 of Shanshui Community. Call me when you arrive."

...

After returning, Chen Shouyi entered the Otherworld again. It was still morning there. A small pile of gold grains had accumulated on the ground—clearly, the Shell Woman hadn't slacked off in his absence. Sitting down to relax, he suddenly had an idea and tugged the rope tied to the Shell Woman, pulling her toward him from a distance.

"Bozhalokebado!" "We are friends!" "Puduo!" The Shell Woman glared at him, turned her head away, and huffed angrily. Listening carefully, Chen Shouyi recognized this word—it was an insult, roughly meaning "scoundrel" or "villain." Unfazed, he felt excited; at least they could communicate now. He spoke again: "Puluolanzeikaku!" "I bring peace and friendship!"

The Shell Woman immediately became agitated. Pointing a tiny finger at Chen Shouyi, she launched into a rapid tirade before finally spitting at him in disgust. Chen Shouyi wiped off the spit without concern, though he couldn't decipher her words after listening intently. Noticing her growing instability and refusal to cooperate...

Chen Shouyi had his own way to handle the situation. He immediately fished out a small glass bead from the corner of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. In the next moment, she quieted down at once.

However, he also sensed that such words were somewhat inappropriate for the occasion.

He retrieved Common Dialogues for Communicating with Barbarians from his briefcase, flipped through it for a while, and finally found a suitable phrase.

"You look really beautiful!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the Shell Woman stiffened, her eyes widening as if struck by lightning.

Immediately, Chen Shouyi noticed her skin turning visibly red at a rapid pace.

Seeing that it worked, Chen Shouyi perked up and quickly flipped through the book again, finding another line.

"You're such a kind-hearted girl."

"You're so hardworking!"

"Even the sun above pales in comparison to the radiance you exude."

...

Chen Shouyi kept searching for similar phrases.

Having lived alone on a small island since childhood, the Shell Woman had never heard such praise before. Her face grew redder and redder, her head drooping lower and lower, until soon her entire body resembled a boiled crab—so flushed it seemed as if steam might rise from her at any moment.