Domestic Zone: You already have a system, why join a chat group?

Chapter 14 Martial Arts Sparring

After a few polite compliments, a brief silence fell around the stone table, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the morning breeze and the faint sound of morning chanting in the distance.

Russell wasn't in a hurry, and simply picked up his teacup to savor it.

This tea is a real gem; it's the Cangshan Snow Bud, a special tea supplied to the Tibetan royal family. Russell had never tasted such a fine tea in his two lifetimes combined.

Just then, the door to the courtyard was pushed open, and Duan Yu yawned and walked out sleepily, his dark circles under his eyes particularly noticeable. He hadn't slept well for most of the night because of Mu Wanqing's comment that he was effeminate.

"Brother Duan, you're awake? Come and try Ming Wang's fine tea." Russell greeted him with a smile. Just then, Mu Wanqing appeared at the entrance of the courtyard and sat down with him.

She had clearly taken great care of herself today; part of her long hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, while the rest cascaded down her shoulders like an ink waterfall.

She had changed into the lotus-colored dress that her mother had sent her yesterday. This color was not her usual black, but it unexpectedly made her skin look even whiter. She looked less stern and cold than before, and more elegant and refined. Combined with her cool and aloof temperament, she looked both dashing and regal, with a unique charm.

Not only was Duan Yu completely mesmerized, but even Russell couldn't help but swallow hard.

Mu Wanqing tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a smug look on her face; she was very pleased with Russell's reaction.

Then, she noticed Duan Yu's expression, and her face immediately turned cold, her disgust evident. Ugh, not only is he a sissy, but he's also a lecherous sissy. Disgusting.

Duan Yu understood Mu Wanqing's meaning. He looked at Mu Wanqing in disbelief, then at Russell, feeling as if countless alpacas were stampeding through his mind.

Seriously, is this double standard necessary? Is he even human?

Ignoring Duan Yu's heartbreak, Mu Wanqing asked Luo Su, "When will today's detoxification begin?"

While she claimed it was to detoxify, she actually wanted to create time alone with Russell.

She thought about it all night and felt it was time to tell him the vow she had made.

If he is willing to marry her, then she should continue the treatment; if he is not willing to marry her, then she should commit suicide immediately.

"No rush, you haven't fully absorbed the effects of yesterday's medicine yet. We'll start the second course of treatment this afternoon," Russell said after taking Mu Wanqing's pulse.

Mu Wanqing nodded and didn't say anything more.

"Since we have nothing else to do, why don't we go to the palace to listen to the sutras?" Duan Yu suggested, preparing to regain some confidence in his familiar territory in front of Russell and Mu Wanqing.

"No, I have things to do this morning. Go by yourself." Russell refused without any hesitation. Math and English could at least help him fall asleep, but Buddhist scriptures were something that gave him a headache just by looking at them, let alone listening to them. He would rather spend his time chatting in a group chat.

"Boring." Mu Wanqing was even more direct, not even bothering to come up with a reason. She glared at Duan Yu, signaling him not to provoke her.

"Sigh..." Duan Yu sighed, not feeling isolated at all, but thinking that Luo Su and Mu Wanqing lacked wisdom. He then looked at Kumārajīva and extended an invitation with great interest: "Your Majesty, I listened to Your Majesty's sermon yesterday and was deeply moved. I have some questions I would like to ask Your Majesty."

"..." Kumārajīva forced a smile. To be honest, he didn't want to pay attention to Duan Yu, that silly boy. After seeing the magnificent scene produced when Russell used his power, his mind was filled with nothing but Russell.

He really coveted Russell's martial arts techniques!

But Duan Yu truly admired him, and a hasty refusal might hurt the feelings of this believer, which would also make him feel uneasy.

Whether to show off in front of others and indulge in a bit of bravado, or to ask for martial arts skills to fulfill his wish, that was the question. Kumārajīva was completely torn, glancing at Duan Yu several times without offering an answer.

Fortunately, Russell spoke up to help him out, saying, "Brother Duan, the Imperial Preceptor has already agreed to spar with me, so you can't cut in line."

"A friendly sparring session? Are we?"

Russell replied earnestly, "Yes."

Duan Yu scratched his head. He had only heard fragments of what he heard in the room, and it seemed like he heard something about Xiaoyaozi from the Xiaoyao Sect, but then there was no sound. However, seeing how confident Russell was, he couldn't help but start to doubt his own memory again.

"Amitabha, as Benefactor Luo said, that is indeed the case." Kumārajīva nodded in agreement. Although monks do not lie, he had indeed been noncommittal about the sparring earlier. Now, by agreeing with Russell's words, it was not a lie.

Coincidentally, he also wanted to try Russell's martial arts skills. Seeing is not necessarily believing, and hearing may be deceiving, but the martial arts skills he cultivated could never lie.

He really wanted to assess the capabilities of this successor of the Free and Unfettered School.

"Alright." Since Kumārajīva had said so, Duan Yu had no choice but to suppress his desire to continue asking questions. Somewhat reluctantly, he picked up his cup of tea, which had already cooled down, and silently sipped it, but his eyes couldn't help but curiously dart between Russell and Kumārajīva.

Seeing this, Russell turned to Kumārajīva and said directly, "King of Wisdom, shall we test our skills together?"

"Please wait a moment, allow this humble monk to change his clothes." Kumārajīva quickly got up and hurried away.

He was still wearing the same robes he wore yesterday when he gave his sermon; his appearance was dignified but not suitable for fighting.

When Kumārajīva came out after changing his clothes, the courtyard was already surrounded by monks from Miaofa Temple, all of them craning their necks and whispering among themselves.

There was no way around it; the name of the Great Wheel King was simply too great. If he wanted to spar with someone, it was impossible to hide it in a small place like Miaofa Temple.

As the crowd grew larger, the small courtyard was clearly no longer a suitable place for the contest. Reluctantly, Russell and Kumārajīva had to move their contest from the small courtyard to the square outside the main hall.

In the square, even more pilgrims and monks from the temple came after hearing the news, forming a loose circle.

Russell's gaze swept across the crowd and unexpectedly spotted Ayan, the little glutton from yesterday. Ayan was now standing next to a pretty young woman who was holding a baby in her arms.

According to the monk Jingxin, this is Su, Ayan's mother, and the other child is her younger brother.

When Su saw Luo Su looking over, she quickly picked up the child and gently curtsied to Ayan.

Russell nodded slightly in return, then focused all his attention on Kumārajīva.

This person is completely different from Zhong Wanchou. Zhong Wanchou can only be considered a minor Kalami, and he can't even beat Duan Zhengchun. But Kumārajīva is one of the Four Great Masters of Tianlong, and belongs to the T0 tier of combat power in the entire novel.

Russell challenged Kumārajīva to a duel in order to ascertain the gap between himself and such top-tier combat power.