Now, she was no longer the little girl from three years ago who would draw her blade at the slightest provocation. Toward Richard Sullivan, she no longer harbored so much hostility.

She also knew that Richard Sullivan was a very peculiar child.

Unlike other children his age, he was not energetic; most of the time, he was as calm as an adult. Take practicing martial arts, for example—most children simply couldn’t endure the monotony. Even Lily found daily practice tedious.

But Richard Sullivan would often sit for half a day, just watching her practice.

If he had nothing else to do, he would take a small stick and draw or write in the sand in the backyard, appearing somewhat withdrawn.

Oddly enough, Mrs. Cooper was quite interested in this behavior of his, and even encouraged Lily to practice with him.

So, Lily didn’t exactly like Richard Sullivan, but she didn’t dislike him either. She just felt that being with Richard Sullivan, though a bit dull, brought her a sense of peace. It was a strange feeling, one that Lily found hard to describe.

“Dragon Subduing Technique?”

Richard Sullivan asked in a seemingly casual tone, “Lily sis, where did you learn this skill?”

At this time, Mrs. Cooper was not at home, and David Sullivan was serving George Sullivan in the study at Anyuan Hall, so Richard Sullivan finally spoke up to ask.

“Hmm... I’ve known it since I was little.”

Lily’s answer also seemed offhand, but she was tight-lipped and didn’t reveal any information.

Still, Richard Sullivan gleaned something: Lily’s background couldn’t be low!

As the saying goes, the poor pursue scholarship, the rich pursue martial arts.

Poor families have few means and can only rely on studying to seek a way out; but for those who practice martial arts, it takes money in every aspect, from cleansing the body to training. Even if a child from an ordinary family wanted to practice, they couldn’t afford the high costs.

After three years in the Zheng family, Richard Sullivan had seen and heard much, and naturally understood the meaning of this saying.

Lily wiped her face and sat down beside Richard Sullivan.

After practicing, she had sweated quite a bit, but amidst the sweat there was a faint girlish fragrance—perhaps what people often called “fragrant sweat.”

“Little scholar, you watch me practice every day—do you want to learn?”

Because Richard Sullivan liked to write and draw, Lily jokingly called him “scholar.” Originally, “scholar” referred to someone with outstanding talent, but later it became a term for those with academic honors.

Lily said, “I once heard someone say, ‘A true man should wield a three-foot sword to seek fame and fortune.’ Look at you, idling all day, just drawing in the dirt with a stick, too weak to even truss a chicken—how will you ever make something of yourself? Why don’t I teach you martial arts? Maybe one day it’ll come in handy. But I wonder, can you endure hardship?”

Her words carried a hint of disdain.

Unlike later times that valued literature over martial arts, the Sui and Tang dynasties were known for their martial spirit.

Having just gone through the chaos of the Five Barbarians and the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, even the great aristocratic families who passed down classics and histories emphasized both civil and martial skills. Take the Zheng family, for example: the Classic Hall focused on literature, while Anyuan Hall discussed martial arts. George Sullivan’s ancestor Thomas Sullivan rose to prominence through martial prowess, and later Simon Sullivan, John Sullivan, Peter Sullivan, and others were all renowned for their valor throughout the land.

George Sullivan himself was skilled in horsemanship and archery, able to ride fierce horses and draw strong bows in his youth.

It was only with Samuel Sullivan, who had poor health, that the family shifted to specializing in military strategy, though it still fell under the realm of martial affairs.

Richard Sullivan was somewhat tempted.

He knew that after the Great Enterprise, an era of chaos would come.

Learning a skill for self-defense was not a bad idea. He remembered that the early Tang era was an age of famous generals.

He just didn’t know what he could achieve.

“Lily sis, can I really learn martial arts too?”

“Why not? You’re only five—this is the best age to start. As long as you can endure hardship and stick with it, you’ll definitely succeed.”

Richard Sullivan thought for a moment, then feigned innocence and said, “Then I’ll learn too!”

“Little scholar, practicing martial arts isn’t easy. Besides the techniques, you also need all kinds of medicinal aids... That takes a lot of money. You’d better discuss it with your grandfather and see if he’s willing to let you practice. If he agrees, I can prepare some elixirs for you. But the cost of those is truly staggering!”

A sly, fox-like smile appeared on Lily’s face.

Her tone was rather tempting, making Richard Sullivan all the more cautious.

“Sis, is learning martial arts really that expensive?”

“Of course. As the saying goes: a hundred days to build the foundation, a thousand days to refine the qi, ten years to transform the spirit, sixty years to return to emptiness. Every step requires a huge amount of money as the foundation. Just building the foundation—if you’re lucky, it takes a hundred days; if not, even ten years might not be enough. And after that, you have to change your bones, change your tendons, cleanse your marrow... Every step comes at a great price.

When I was learning, ha... my master who taught me the Dragon Subduing Technique said that martial arts require talent, but perseverance is even more important. So, talent and tenacity make up sixty percent, while the remaining forty percent is three parts money and one part opportunity... Opportunity is important, but without financial support, you can’t even lay the foundation, let alone achieve anything. All four are indispensable—do you understand?”

Lily’s smile was radiant, and her tone was gentle.

After living together for three years, Richard Sullivan had rarely seen Lily speak in such a manner.