Subtle and Faint, Seek Not, My Lord

Half a day later, inside a bamboo grove. Xie Danran looked at the newcomer, disbelief written across his face. "Why? Why?" He could not understand. His answers had been flawless, his disguise seamless—why would the commandery princess still send someone to kill him? If it had been before, he would never have feared her given his status. Now, however, she had saved Jining Prefecture. Ordering his death was merely a petty indulgence of her power. He had no way to resist. "The commandery princess said you did not deny being a murderer, a robber, or a brigand..." The black-robed old man spoke solemnly, the artifact trembling in his palm. A look of utter bewilderment crossed Xie Danran's face. "BUT! SHE! DIDN'T! EVEN! ASK!" How could he answer what had never been asked? Indignation burned in his chest. Alas, indignation was useless. His body went limp, and he died where he stood. The black-robed old man cast a glance at the corpse, then vanished. About a quarter of an hour later, an old man appeared, a steamed bun dangling from his mouth. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he poured out a pool of liquid from his hand. *Sizzle.* Xie Danran's body dissolved into a puddle of water, leaving neither skin nor bone. "Just as the young master said, he won't even have the chance to turn into a guiling now." Wearing a cheeky grin, Chen Kangbao also vanished into the bamboo grove. ... At the Heavenly Sect's stronghold. Zhou Xun's expression was terrifyingly grim. He bowed to Wang Qingyi, who stood not far away. "Some days ago, Danran was insolent toward Lingxuan. I apologize on his behalf." Just moments ago, he had learned of his disciple's death. Now that Xie Danran had perished at Commandery Princess Jiang Yunxi's hands, he was furious, yet entirely helpless. First, Jiang Yunxi had slain the Luotong River Lord, riding an overwhelming wave of public prestige. Second, fresh intelligence revealed that the Luotong River Lord was deeply entangled with the Heavenly Sect, and Sorrowful Wind Hand Wei Kun had fallen because of it. The Heavenly Sect possessed no moral high ground. Third, Wei Kun's death was a severe blow to the Heavenly Sect's strength. Since Xie Danran was already dead, Zhou Xun could only apologize in his disciple's stead to prevent the Shen family from taking retribution on Xie Danran's clan over the previous incident. This was the only thing he, as his master, could still do. "Hmph," Wang Qingyi snorted coldly. "Those who commit many injustices inevitably bring about their own doom." An awkward look flashed across Zhou Xun's face. Changing the subject, he asked, "The artifact kitchen knife Commandery Princess Yunxi held... do you think it truly shattered as she claimed?" At the mention of the mysterious artifact kitchen knife, Wang Qingyi's expression grew solemn. "It is likely false. To speak boldly, with Commandery Princess Yunxi's strength, even ten of her would be no match for my disciple Lingxuan. Slaying the Luotong River Lord and an elder of Thorn Blood is an immense feat. From this, one can see that the artifact kitchen knife was truly terrifying... How could it have shattered?" "With the royal family obtaining such an artifact, their strength will surge. The Heavenly Sect and the Ancient Thunder Sect will have harder times ahead," Zhou Xun remarked with a sigh. In the State of Ning, the royal family was in decline, weaker than both the Heavenly Sect and the Ancient Thunder Sect. Yet with that artifact kitchen knife, the balance of offense and defense had shifted. "How did Commandery Princess Yunxi obtain such an artifact? And which master crafted it?" Wang Qingyi wondered, her eyes filled with perplexity. It was an enigma. After all, everyone knew the State of Ning currently lacked a Heaven-rank implement master. As for the neighboring realms and capitals, no one had ever heard of a grandmaster forging an artifact in the shape of... a kitchen knife. A kitchen knife... seemed excessively slapdash. Even though it was undeniably powerful, in everyone's eyes, it seemed somewhat comical. At this moment, Zhou Xun thought of something and murmured, "An artifact like this will likely draw great interest from those who came from Rakshasa Country. I wonder if Commandery Princess Yunxi will be able to keep it." Wang Qingyi's expression shifted slightly. "Zhou Xun, no matter what, this is an internal matter of our State of Ning. Whether the artifact kitchen knife remains with the royal family or anyone else, it is a good thing for our State of Ning. If you dare to..." "Senior Sister, you misunderstand! I would never do such a thing!" Zhou Xun said hurriedly. "Hmph!" Wang Qingyi snorted again. Cold sweat beaded on Zhou Xun's forehead. He felt anxious—why did changing the subject only manage to anger his senior sister today? It seemed he had to change it once more! He looked toward Shen Lingxuan and said in a measured tone, "I hear that Grandmaster Hengshan, the flower-plucking bandit, has been lurking in wait, intending to do harm to Lingxuan. Strangely, why haven't we seen any trace of him lately?" "Hmph! If he dares show himself, this old woman won't let him walk away!" Wang Qingyi said. Beside them, Shen Lingxuan wore a light veil that concealed her features, yet the piercing, icy chill radiating from her remained palpable. She recalled the young man holding a water sword outside the temple that day. She was exceedingly curious about his identity. Without achieving unity of heaven and humanity, he had effortlessly cut down a peak Earth-rank opponent. Such strength was truly frightening. "If he appears, this old man won't let him off either!" Zhou Xun chimed in hastily. "Alas," Wang Qingyi sighed. "Lingxuan... perhaps you should return to the sect for now." The Mysterious Yin Physique was too domineering. It was only because Shen Lingxuan had not yet reached peak Earth-rank; otherwise, even old Heaven-rank monsters from other nations would step forward to seize her. To unleash the true effects of the Mysterious Yin Physique, Shen Lingxuan needed to be at least Earth-rank, preferably peak Earth-rank. Now, Grandmaster Hengshan was hiding somewhere unknown, and those Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country in the Central Land had likely caught wind of the events at Yeshan Lake. What if they developed designs on Shen Lingxuan? Wang Qingyi harbored this hidden worry. Shen Lingxuan's gaze remained calm. Ultimately, she nodded. "Very well." Within the sect, the Dao Head was present, alongside other Earth-rank weapon wielders and an array formed of Earth-rank artifacts; even a Heaven-rank weapon wielder would find it difficult to breach. Furthermore, the sword from her past life was also kept in the sect. If a great enemy appeared, she would have some power to protect herself. Now, surrounded by circling wolves, it was indeed unwise to remain outside. In particular, when she prepared to slay Grandmaster Hengshan last time, she had already revealed her strength as an Earth-rank weapon wielder. If that young man were to spread the word, it would undoubtedly trigger a storm of blood. A late-stage Earth-rank Mysterious Yin Physique was enough to drive Heaven-rank weapon wielders mad. Leaving the main hall, Shen Lingxuan returned to her residence. The tall, slender Zhishuang came up to greet her. Shen Lingxuan asked in a cool voice, "The son-in-law has not yet returned?" "No." Zhishuang shook her head, indignation on her face. "He has gone too far! Coming all the way to Yeshan Lake, he didn't even meet with Miss once, and now his whereabouts are completely unknown!" "He didn't run into any danger, did he?" Shen Lingxuan asked, then immediately shook her head. Before Master Qi died, he had left a gift for his son Qi Yuan. Ordinary weapon wielders could not harm him. "I am departing for Tianmu Mountain now. Pack your belongings and come with me," Shen Lingxuan said. "Should we make a trip back home?" Zhishuang asked. Shen Lingxuan shook her head. "Forget it. It would only bring unnecessary worry to Father and Mother." ... At the Shen family stronghold, Qi Yuan and Chen Kangbao returned at a leisurely pace. This stirred up quite a commotion. Yet to Qi Yuan, it was nothing. At this moment, holding the Divine Wood Token, he sipped tea and chatted. "I heard a peculiar event occurred at Yeshan Lake in the State of Ning over the past few days. Commandery Princess Yunxi wielded a special artifact kitchen knife and slew the Luotong River Lord. At the same time, Elder Water Snake of Thorn Blood perished as well. Brother Kitchen Knife, could this artifact kitchen knife be related to you?" A Thorn Blood staff member asked in the group. Seeing this, Ji Wuyun felt somewhat speechless. "You don't actually suspect Brother Kitchen Knife is that artifact kitchen knife, do you? Artifacts have no true consciousness of their own, so how could one chat with us? Even if it did, it would be a divine artifact, and a divine artifact's intelligence is at most like that of a six- or seven-year-old child. Does Brother Kitchen Knife look like a child to you?" This time, it was the Thorn Blood staff member's turn to be speechless. He had clearly meant to ask whether Brother Kitchen Knife was the Heaven-rank implement master who had forged the knife. "Speaking of which, shouldn't your Thorn Blood compensate me? That Elder Water Snake grossed me out. I'm claiming mental damages!" Qi Yuan chimed in on the group. "If Brother Kitchen Knife comes to Divine Wood Abyss, I will compensate you with a hundred thousand taels of silver." "You said it—no backing out!" "Brother Kitchen Knife, don't go! Thorn Blood has definitely laid an inescapable net outside Divine Wood Abyss!" "How could that be? I think the people of Thorn Blood are quite nice, and they have money," Qi Yuan dismissed breezily. "Brother Kitchen Knife has sharp eyes. We at Thorn Blood harbor no ill intent." "No ill intent? Isn't turning people into guilings harming them?" "A guiling is merely another form of existence for living beings. Just as you disguise yourself as a man to avoid Thorn Blood—does that not count as altering your form of existence?" Ji Wuyun fell silent, not daring to speak. The Thorn Blood staff member continued: "Human life is far too fleeting, surviving in this world for a mere few hundred years. Unless favored by heavenly destiny, one might live a bit longer. All others are merely transients in this world; even if they leave some traces behind, what does it amount to? Becoming a guiling grants at least a thousand years of lifespan. Furthermore... Brother Kitchen Knife, with your talent, if you join Thorn Blood and surrender the Divine Wood Token to pursue the great cause with us, our merits will suffice for us to venture beyond the heavens, pay homage to the Ancestral Statue, and be transformed into undying, unperishing beings!" The Thorn Blood staff member tempted him. "I am already immortal and unperishing," Qi Yuan refused flatly. He was exceptionally vain and would never consent to being remodeled into a creature like a guiling. "Alas, Brother Kitchen Knife, you misunderstand Thorn Blood too deeply. How could Thorn Blood be destroying the world? We are actually saving it. Have you not noticed this world is sick? The rulers are tyrannical, noble clans run rampant, corrupt officials flagrantly flout the law as if it were nothing, and the common people suffer in dire misery." "You make a lot of sense. The moral atmosphere is indeed rotten," Qi Yuan agreed deeply. The Thorn Blood staff member showed delight. "Is Brother Kitchen Knife willing to join Thorn Blood in changing the world?" "Forget it. Your atmosphere in Thorn Blood isn't much better either. That old man even wanted to keep me as a sugar baby. Better let me change you guys instead!" "Alas, it seems Brother Kitchen Knife is unwilling." The Thorn Blood staff member sounded somewhat disappointed. "I thought Brother Kitchen Knife was a kindred spirit." "Don't say such disgusting things!" "..." Withdrawing from the Divine Wood Token, Qi Yuan showed a contemplative expression. "Based on the plot information obtained so far, this Thorn Blood can probably be considered a mini-boss?" "That's not important. What matters is raising my strength, and... roleplaying." "Sigh, leveling up is too hard. I'm only level 119 right now." After slaying countless guifish and the Luotong River Lord, Qi Yuan's exp bar had reached level 119. Converted to this world, that was peak Earth-rank weapon wielder. One step further was Heaven-rank weapon wielder. This time, roleplaying the kitchen knife had bumped him up twenty-some levels, which Qi Yuan considered rather slow. "It's a bit strange. Logically speaking, given my exp bar, after slaying so many guilings and the Luotong River Lord, I should have reached level 120. Yet I haven't... Could it be the world's rules at play?" Back in the Moon Gazing Continent, Qi Yuan had experienced level capping before. The exp bar skyrocketed, but the level would not budge. Now, he encountered the same issue. "It should be the restriction of this world's rules." "For their weapon wielders to break through, they need to comprehend the unity of heaven and humanity before stepping through." "So, do I also have to achieve unity of heaven and humanity?" Qi Yuan deduced. In his memory, he had the memories and experience of the Blind Implement Master breaking through to Heaven-rank implement master. In addition, he was originally a Purple Mansion mighty figure, so this so-called unity of heaven and humanity was... very simple for him. In an instant, he entered the state of unity of heaven and humanity. In Qi Yuan's perspective, heaven and earth fell silent. The wind ceased; the rain stopped. The river halted its flow. A ripe apple hung frozen in midair. He seemed to meld into this world, becoming one with it. The rules of heaven and earth flowed in his hands, the origin drawing close to him like a child. Qi Yuan felt that as long as he reached out and grasped the origin, he could achieve unity of heaven and humanity. Immediately afterward, however, a bitter look appeared on his face. "Unity of heaven and humanity... Heaven is vast, man is minute, so they can unite as one. But I seem to be... too big, turning it into unity of heaven and heaven?" He had dripped his essence blood into this game; he was practically a developer and shareholder of this game. When he conducted unity of heaven and humanity, it turned into unity of heaven and heaven. "So, I cannot achieve unity of heaven and humanity?" Qi Yuan found himself in a dilemma. "Looks like I can only... devour someone else's unity of heaven and humanity," Qi Yuan sighed. The Wushi Holy Mother had once given him the Devouring Primordial Physique, so he possessed the ability to devour. Unity of heaven and humanity could also be devoured. "Looks like I need to find some white moonlights at the Heaven-rank weapon wielder level." Right now, he could only do unity of heaven and heaven, unable to do unity of heaven and humanity. To break past the level cap, he needed to slay Heaven-rank weapon wielders and devour their unity of heaven and humanity. Just as Qi Yuan was pondering where he could find some old darling white moonlights, a voice suddenly drifted into his ears. The voice was ethereal, its origin unknown. "Subtle and faint, seek not, my lord..." Qi Yuan's comprehension came to an abrupt halt. He immediately withdrew from the state of unity of heaven and humanity. Curiosity surfaced in his eyes. "Am I having auditory hallucinations again?" He looked toward the sky, trying to locate the voice's owner, but discovered nothing. "Hey, who's talking?" Qi Yuan activated his superpower to converse with the voice's owner. Yet all around was dead silence, without a sound returning. "Could this game have a bug?" "That's normal too. After all, this game nearly collapsed, and my blood helped it resume running. Having bugs is totally normal." "Can I exploit this bug?" "This shouldn't count as hacking, right?" Qi Yuan's thoughts drifted wildly. At this moment, he took out the Divine Wood Token. "Hey, do any of you know the origin of 'Subtle and faint, seek not, my lord'?" When running into things he didn't understand, he used to search Baidu or ask an AI. In the game, naturally he had to ask that Thorn Blood staff member. "Brother Kitchen Knife has indeed visited Divine Wood Abyss." The Thorn Blood staff member seemed to have plenty of free time, answering immediately every time he saw a message. "Oh, what does this have to do with Divine Wood Abyss?" "There are characters inscribed on the Divine Wood Token, as Brother Kitchen Knife surely knows." "There is wood... dark and chaotic," Qi Yuan replied. On the Divine Wood Token, the front bore the words "There is wood," while the back was inscribed with "Dark and chaotic." "At the entrance of Divine Wood Abyss, there is a shattered stone stele bearing an inscription." "Does it have the words I mentioned?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. "In years past there was wood, standing silent in dark chaos. Today I miss my lord, like wood yearning for spring. Subtle and faint, seek not, my lord." "These are the words inscribed on the stele. By the way, the first character for 'wood' is damaged, missing a part on the right, so it's unknown what character it was." "Indeed, 'wood' and 'chaos' don't rhyme, so a character might truly be missing. Who carved these words?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. "According to the *Secret Essentials of Origin*, it might be related to the divine wood within Divine Wood Abyss." The Thorn Blood member sent a calm message. "These mythological legends are far too ancient. Why is Brother Kitchen Knife suddenly interested in this?" "Because I am benevolent!" ... Over the capital of the State of Ning, black clouds loomed. *Clatter!* The sound of hailstones echoed in an unending rattle. A young man wearing a purple robe embroidered with gold borders reached out, caught a hailstone, and sucked on it. "The hailstones of the State of Ning, in the end, cannot match the sweetness of Rakshasa's." An old man dressed as a eunuch bowed low and said hastily, "It is precisely because the imperial family exists that even the hailstones and air in Rakshasa Country are sweet and fragrant." "Haha." Diwu Wei chuckled, thoroughly pleased with himself. The imperial surname of Rakshasa Country was Diwu. The Emperor, Diwu Yuxian, was the sun of Rakshasa Country. After all, since the destruction of Shenlin, the imperial clan of Rakshasa Country had been unstoppable—the true monarchs of Rakshasa Country! "Regrettably, some treacherous scoundrels refuse to see Rakshasa Country remain so splendid, and actually think of welcoming back the God of Judgment!" Mentioning this, Diwu Wei's expression turned frigid, killing intent surging forth. The expressions of the others around him also changed; some even began trembling involuntarily. The name "God of Judgment" exerted far too much pressure on them. A hundred years ago, it was a sharp sword hanging over their heads; no one knew when that sword might fall. "What, are you afraid of Him?" Diwu Wei sneered, disdain flashing in his eyes. He had been born after the destruction of Shenlin and had never seen Shenlin himself. Naturally, he held no reverence for Shenlin. Moreover, young as he was, having stepped into Heaven-rank in under a century, he was the youngest Heaven-rank weapon wielder in the imperial family today—basking in unmatched glory, supremely arrogant. "No," the eunuch elder said hastily. "Merely a destroyed implement. Why would we fear it?" a burly man said. A radiant smile appeared in Diwu Wei's eyes. "Shenlin is already destroyed. Even if remnant fragments remain out there, they are nothing more than lonely ghosts and wild spirits. Any one of us could suppress them with a wave of the hand. Furthermore, back then our imperial family could suppress Shenlin; even if He were to return at His peak, our imperial family could suppress Him a second time!" Hearing this, the other Heaven-rank weapon wielders took a deep breath. They dearly wanted to tell him: Prince, don't be too arrogant! The God of Judgment at full strength was capable of overpowering an entire nation on His own. How the God of Judgment fell, they knew best of all. Back then, resentful of Judgment hanging over their heads like a sword, the imperial family and several aristocratic clans prepared to join forces against Shenlin. Yet how could they have had the courage to confront Him directly? In the end, they snapped their own spine, colluded with an enemy nation, and used a venomous scheme. Shenlin was, after all, only an artifact. Operating strictly according to rules, He was easy to target. So the imperial family conspired with the enemy nation. The enemy nation dispatched a grand army to lay siege, and the imperial family took the opportunity to summon Shenlin. Shenlin descended from the heavens. Merely an artifact without a wielder, He repelled the enemy army outside Fallen Phoenix City seven times. Meanwhile, the imperial family exploited the rules, refusing to allow Shenlin back into the city; even when Shenlin was damaged, they forbade divine-rank implement masters from repairing Him. A mere artifact with no supplies whatsoever, Shenlin fought alone outside Fallen Phoenix City against the enemy army for half a month before finally being destroyed. From then on, Rakshasa Country had no Shenlin, and the sword hanging over the heads of the imperial clan and the noble families vanished. Diwu Wei knew this history, but having never witnessed the brutality of that battle, he looked down on Shenlin from the bottom of his heart. The others, however, were different. They knew the renown of Shenlin, knew His terror. "Shenlin is indeed shattered. That an anomaly has appeared now only means some fragments have surfaced; there is nothing to fear," the burly man said in a deep voice. Indeed, Shenlin had been destroyed long ago. With the cruelty of the imperial family, how could they have let Shenlin survive? Back then, after the battle at Fallen Phoenix City, the imperial family gathered Shenlin's fragments, convened three divine-rank implement masters to melt down the shards into ashes, ensuring Shenlin ceased to exist. Afterward, they launched massive manhunts to track down statues of the God of Judgment, destroying every statue they found to completely erase Shenlin. One could say that even if Shenlin had fragments left behind, without statues or anything else, at most they would possess Earth-rank combat power. Even if Shenlin was exceptionally special as Rakshasa Country's foremost divine artifact, it would barely approach Heaven-rank combat power at best—nothing of consequence to Diwu Wei. "Hmph, if not for those sewer rats of the Council of Judgment haunting us like ghosts, why would a mere fragment of Shenlin warrant this prince coming here in person?" Diwu Wei said. Although Shenlin was not worth mentioning, the Council of Judgment was somewhat troublesome, with quite a few Heaven-rank weapon wielders among them. If they found a fragment of the God of Judgment and used the entire council's strength to slowly nurture it and revive the deity, perhaps one day the fragment of Shenlin might truly gain a trace of divine charm and unleash the might of a divine artifact. That would be troublesome. "After all these years, the Council of Judgment still cannot see reality. How foolish," the burly man said. "Is there any information on the fragment of Shenlin?" Diwu Wei asked. The old eunuch hurriedly said, "In Ninghe County of Jiangzhou, traces of Shenlin once appeared." He recounted the events at Red Cloud Fortress. Hearing this, Diwu Wei could not help but sneer mockingly: "Dealing with a few dozen Yellow-rank guilings and locked in combat for so long? This fragment of Shenlin is laughably weak. There's no need for me to go; even Mo Sankong, you rootless creature, could drown it with a stream of piss." The old eunuch Mo Sankong gave an awkward smile, bowing even lower: "The prince is right." "This country is pathetically weak. Only they would view the 'great feats' of a Shenlin fragment as a god. What's even funnier is that with a mere peak Earth-rank guiling, their entire nation was helpless, relying on some Commandery Princess Yunxi wielding an artifact kitchen knife to slay it," Diwu Wei said casually. The old eunuch Mo Sankong said hurriedly, "If the Prince has taken a fancy to that artifact, this old slave will go to Yeshan Lake right now to fetch it for the Prince." "Hmph, a mere Heaven-rank artifact doesn't catch this prince's eye," Diwu Wei said disdainfully. "However, I heard there is a Mysterious Yin Physique here. That does interest this prince. She is a disciple of the Heavenly Sect. Mo Sankong, take my decree to the Heavenly Sect and tell them this prince wishes to give that Mysterious Yin Physique a chance—to be my maidservant and follow me." Diwu Wei was domineering to the extreme, exuding a terrifying aura. In Rakshasa Country, there were still figures he was wary of, but in this State of Ning, he was truly unrestrained. The only thing to watch out for was the Council of Judgment. "Understood!" the old eunuch Mo Sankong responded hastily. The other Heaven-rank weapon wielders showed expressions of envy. "Congratulations, Prince! Obtaining this woman will greatly boost your cultivation!" "With the Mysterious Yin Physique, the Prince's cultivation will surely reach greater depths!" The smile on Diwu Wei's face grew even broader: "Let us hope that Mysterious Yin Physique knows what's good for her. She had better be good-looking, or she won't be worthy of this prince's favor." ... The Luotong River Lord was destroyed. The implement master conference concluded, but the various families did not depart immediately. With numerous implement masters and experts gathered, such an opportunity was rare. Auctions and exchange meets took place continuously. In a small courtyard, Qi Yuan wore a white robe, appearing ethereal like an immortal. "'Cultivate the body to walk like a crane, in the dead of night a palace maid strangles your neck'... Wait, no, what you're learning is the *Turtle Transformation Art*. What you must emulate is a turtle. When practicing, you need to imitate a turtle walking and basking in the sun," Qi Yuan said to Zhan Wenyu beside him. Over the past few days, Zhan Wenyu had come to seek guidance on the *Turtle Transformation Art*. Third Young Master Tu's silver had not been enough to buy other lightsabers, so he had also paid to purchase and practice the *Turtle Transformation Art*. "Learn to walk like a turtle?" Zhan Wenyu was very talented and immediately dropped onto his belly on the ground. "Like this?" "Yes, you have good comprehension. The secret of a turtle's walk lies in one word: slowness." "It is because Master Qi teaches well," Zhan Wenyu flattered. Beside them, Third Young Master Tu blinked. If he had not witnessed Qi Yuan's power firsthand, he might really have thought Qi Yuan was a con man. Learning to walk like a turtle—and calling this cultivation? "But you still need to go a step further," Qi Yuan said, giving Zhan Wenyu a push. Instantly, Zhan Wenyu flipped over like a turtle on its back. Just as he was about to struggle back up, he heard Qi Yuan say, "Once a turtle is flipped over, it's very hard for it to right itself. You must remember this key principle." Zhan Wenyu found this reasonable upon hearing it, so he lay there with his limbs pointed up in the air, motionless. Seeing this, Third Young Master Tu stood quietly to the side. "Tu Jingshi, do you know where there are many Heaven-rank weapon wielders, especially the villainous kind?" Qi Yuan asked. He was currently eager to seize someone else's unity of heaven and humanity to take the next step. "This... I don't know." Third Young Master Tu shook his head. The State of Ning did not have a single Heaven-rank weapon wielder, so how would he know where there were many? "Sigh, life is hard. The State of Ning is plagued by laziness; the weapon wielders don't work hard, and even the mosquitoes don't work hard." *Smack!* Qi Yuan swatted a mosquito dead. "How great would it be if this mosquito were a Heaven-rank weapon wielder?" Third Young Master Tu stood quietly, not knowing how to reply. Suddenly, he thought of something, and his expression shifted slightly: "Has Master Qi heard... In the capital, Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country have arrived. They seem to have come for a deity named 'Shenlin.'" As Third Young Master Tu spoke, he paid attention to Qi Yuan's expression. "Among them are quite a few Heaven-rank weapon wielders of formidable strength. Master Qi should be careful," Third Young Master Tu cautioned. "Oh? Really?" Qi Yuan's expression was calm, making it impossible to read what he was thinking. "Those people are divided into two factions. One faction seems friendly toward Shenlin, while the other seems intent on destroying Shenlin," Third Young Master Tu continued. "However, this is only the surface; both factions might harbor sinister motives and simply be putting on an act." "Mhm, I see." Qi Yuan stretched. Looking at Third Young Master Tu, a smile suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Do you dare take the lightsaber I bestowed upon you... and make a trip to the capital?" Third Young Master Tu froze, numerous thoughts flashing through his mind. "This..." He was somewhat afraid. Why did Master Qi want him to do this? Was this a test? What would happen if he refused? His mind was in turmoil, a thousand thoughts tangling, unsure how to answer. Right then, Zhan Wenyu, lying with all four limbs in the air, said disdainfully, "Master Qi told you to go, and you're getting cold feet? Could Master Qi possibly mean to harm you? If he wanted to harm you, why go to such trouble? He could just feed you to the fish! If you don't dare, give the lightsaber to me, and I'll go to the capital!" Hearing this, Third Young Master Tu felt deeply ashamed. Indeed, if Master Qi wanted to harm him, why bother with such convoluted roundabout measures? Not to mention Master Qi had saved his life. How could he be cowardly in a moment like this? Though full of danger, it might well be an opportunity! "I am willing to go!" Third Young Master Tu answered hastily. "Only... after I reach the capital, what should I do?" Qi Yuan stretched lazily once more: "Follow your instincts. When you feel you need to use God Summoning, just use it." Hearing this, Third Young Master Tu was stunned. He was being given full autonomy? Then, realizing something, delight surfaced on his face: "God Summoning can be used again?" After the previous battle concluded, the God Summoning function had vanished. The lightsaber could no longer be used. "Mhm. By the way, using God Summoning this time counts as doing it on my behalf. I won't let you lose out. How about I give you 3,334 taels? I'm quite generous, giving a little extra, so don't call me stingy." Qi Yuan reached to take out silver. "Master Qi, why would you need to pay silver?" Third Young Master Tu hurriedly stopped him. Like someone receiving a red envelope during the New Year, he pushed the red envelope back toward the giver's pocket, refusing to let him draw it out. Qi Yuan blinked: "Since your attitude is so firm, I won't go against a man's will. No silver then." "Of course!" Third Young Master Tu naturally didn't dare ask Qi Yuan for silver. "Still, I can't let you get the short end of the stick. If you use God Summoning once for me, I will modify this lightsaber for you to grant an extra use of God Summoning. Of course, don't go using it recklessly," Qi Yuan said. He didn't like taking advantage of others—unless that person was his white moonlight. Why? Because he loved deeply. Because the white moonlight was his most special person. Hearing this, ecstatic joy filled Third Young Master Tu's eyes. The pleasant surprise came so quickly! "Rest assured, Master Qi, this humble one will definitely not use it recklessly," Third Young Master Tu said hurriedly. "Alright, enough chatting with you two. I'm packing up to head to the Heavenly Sect to see my wife." His roleplay as the matrilocal son-in-law had to continue. To play it well, how could he not interact with his wife? As for the unity of heaven and humanity, as well as the visitors from Rakshasa Country, he would let Third Young Master Tu take the lightsaber to resolve them.