The girl next to him elbowed him sharply. "What he means is… we don't get tired. We actually enjoy doing this."
Ace let out a quiet chuckle. "Well, it's a good kind of training. Keep it up. You're doing great."
Their eyes lit up. "Thank you, Sect Leader!"
As he walked away, he could still hear their voices behind him, bubbling with joy.
"Did you hear that? He said 'good job!'"
"Yes!!"
Their delight was genuine and pure—it made Ace smile without even realizing.
Chuckling to himself, he reached the crest of the hill and looked off into the distance.
"Well then," Ace murmured, already bracing himself, "let's see what disasters Tushan and Liu Mei are up to this time…"
Ace climbed the hill with steady steps, the wind rustling through the trees as he neared the clearing.
A strange sound met his ears, sinister giggles, playful yet somehow threatening, followed by the unmistakable whimpering of… a bear?
He sighed, already knowing who the culprits were.
