“I’ve studied acupuncture since I was a child, and after practicing diligently for many years, I’ve achieved some results. Moreover, I have a medical book that happens to mention how to treat paralyzed and crippled legs. Rest assured, I will definitely be able to get you back on your feet.”
Qi Yan had a dark complexion, and whenever he silently looked at someone, he always gave off an honest, steadfast vibe. After a long moment, he slowly nodded.
Yun Zhensong smiled, stood up, and pushed him back inside the room before saying, “It’s time for Young Master Qi to take his afternoon nap, so I won’t disturb you any longer.”
“Mn.”
Yun Zhensong glanced toward the doorway, and before Wang Younian could step inside, he lowered his voice to explain to Qi Yan: “I am not someone driven solely by profit. I genuinely want to get you better, and once your illness is cured, escape from here.”
He had agreed with a swift, carefree attitude, but when it actually came to execution, Yun Zhensong ran into a major roadblock.
The original owner’s vague scraps of memory were simply not enough to support Yun Zhensong in administering acupuncture. The last time he managed to stop Hongke’s bleeding, it was purely a stroke of sheer luck.
Right now, Yun Zhensong needed to purchase a medical book from the “Shop.” He had enough funds, but he originally had other plans for that money.
Yun Zhensong finally understood: without gold coins, he was moving forward under extreme duress. Forget about fulfilling the grand ambition of making Qing County prosperous and wealthy; he couldn’t even save Qi Yan.
Outwardly, Yun Zhensong was eating his meal quietly and peacefully, but internally, he was calling out to the system in a flurry of fiery urgency.
[Hello, host. May I ask…]
How can I get more gold coins? Can you issue daily quests or other dungeon-style tasks?
Yun Zhensong interrupted the system’s standard prompt, asking straight to the point.
[Ding! Due to the host’s high level of clearance enthusiasm, five hundred gold coins have been rewarded.]
…You can even do that.
[Answering the host: If you wish to obtain more rewards, you can submit an application to increase the script’s difficulty. This increased difficulty includes, but is not limited to: a decline in the host’s physical attributes, the host needing to display greater wisdom and courage, a closer connection between the host and the script, and a reduction in the host’s light screen icons—meaning you will be unable to access certain information.]
Yun Zhensong lowered his head, his eyelashes as long as crow feathers masking the heavy, solemn emotions in the depths of his eyes. As he poked at the food in his bowl with his chopsticks over and over again, he asked:
Will other people get hurt because I increase the difficulty?
[Yes. Please be clear on one point, host: protecting others also counts toward the requirements of “wisdom and courage.”]
[Additionally, script characters are not simple, flat entities; they possess self-consistent behavioral logic. Even if the host increases the script difficulty, the underlying story of the script itself does not change, nor will the characters’ behavioral decisions change. Therefore, the host does not need to feel any sense of guilt.]
Yun Zhensong fell silent. The backwardness of this era was something that already existed, and if he wanted to bring about change so that the common people wouldn’t have to be slaughtered at will and soldiers wouldn’t be left helpless, all of this demanded a price.
He could not ask for everyone’s consent, just as everyone could not fully understand his previous efforts. Therefore, he decided to offer up his own efforts first.
System, increase the difficulty.
He needed gold coins, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to take a single step forward.
[Understood.]
[Modifying. Please wait a moment…]
Hearing the sound, Yun Zhensong raised his head.
Qi Jianshuan was carrying a long, slender object, which was tightly wrapped in cloth. Yun Zhensong tilted his head, set down his chopsticks, and stood up.
[Modification complete.]
[Daily quests will be updated at midnight. Please check them in time, host.]
“What is this?” Yun Zhensong asked.
Qi Jianshuan replied, “The item I promised to give you earlier.”
At the same time, he calmly checked the newly appeared icon—Quests.
Tapping into it level by level, he saw the pending tasks:
Protect Qi Yan.
Cure Qi Yan’s legs.
Gain Qi Yan’s trust.
Quite simple, really. Even without these quests, Yun Zhensong had planned to do those exact things anyway.
With a firm tug, Qi Jianshuan unwrapped the thick cloth band, and the object inside was instantly laid bare before Yun Zhensong’s eyes. He immediately redirected all his attention, staring unblinkingly at the sword in front of him.
“Draw it,” Qi Jianshuan said steadily. “Have a try.”
Yun Zhensong’s well-defined wrist bones extended from his sleeves, and his slender, articulated fingers brushed lightly against the scabbard. Beneath his fingertips, he could feel the cloud patterns fired using enameling craftsmanship. He gripped the hilt, which was wrapped in silk threads, feeling a cool yet smooth texture to the touch, akin to touching spring water.
With a slight tremor of his fingers, a crisp, resonant sound broke through the air as the sword left its sheath.
The newly forged longsword shimmered with a flowing, deep blue luster, the cold gleam wrapped in a layer of indigo halo. The blade was as thin as winter snow, its edge sharp enough to be nearly transparent, glowing with a pure, pristine white. The body of the blade was densely covered in ice-crack patterns. Delighted, Yun Zhensong raised his hand higher, lifting it into the sunlight so that tiny, fragmented points of blue light danced across his face and neck.
Excitedly, Yun Zhensong brandished the sword, the sharp edge cutting through the sunlight. Qi Jianshuan stood to the side, quietly watching him.
Abruptly, Yun Zhensong pointed the sword straight at Qi Jianshuan. His porcelain-white, flawless face was reflected in the sleek, brand-new sword body. With curved eyes, he broke into a pure, innocent smile under the brilliant sun: “I love it so much. Thank you, Hongke.”
Qi Jianshuan the corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly, saying, “Just looking at it isn’t enough; you have to know how to use it. How is your body today?”
“Healthy and strong!”
“Then let’s begin.” Qi Jianshuan tilted his head slightly.
Yusheng considerately took Yun Zhensong’s wind-blocking outer robe and stood waiting nearby. At that moment, Deng Hua returned from outside. Catching sight of the scene before him, he raised an eyebrow and teased, “Magistrate Yun, you’d better be careful his temper is both eager and fierce.”
Qi Jianshuan glanced back at him.
Deng Hua hastily raised a hand in apology, though not a trace of embarrassment showed on his face. He moved two stools out from the house, placed them beside Yusheng, and chuckled with a grin, “Sit down, little Yusheng. You and I, let’s just watch the show.”
The afternoon sun was radiant, birds chirped happily, and a mild early summer breeze swept past, rustling the loose wisps of hair by his temples.
Cherry blossoms peeked over the courtyard wall, while passing servants spontaneously halted their steps. The people inside the courtyard watched intently, and those outside leaned closer to catch a peek.
Qi Jianshuan cleanly drew his sword, unleashing a sharp, piercing hiss that tore through the air—smooth as flowing clouds and moving water, a feast for the eyes.
“Hold on a moment.” Qi Jianshuan fished a bone whistle out from his tunic. Deng Hua chuckled upon hearing him blow it casually, and stood up from his seat.
“What is it?” Yusheng asked, looking up.
“Brew some tea. We’re about to have guests.”
Holding the longsword that shimmered with a subtle, stream-like blue, Yun Zhensong found that its length matched his stature to absolute perfection. The reach of his thrusts was precisely what he had envisioned, and having watched Qi Jianshuan demonstrate it, Yun Zhensong observed with meticulous focus.
“Draw your shoulder back slightly, initiate the sword stroke,” Qi Jianshuan sheathed his sword, tapped the back of Yun Zhensong’s shoulder with the hilt, and slid it slowly downward until it rested finally upon Yun Zhensong’s arm. “Exert force here.”
Emulating Qi Jianshuan’s stance, Yun Zhensong staggered his feet apart, planted them firmly, tightened his waist and abdomen, and swayed his upper body just as instructed.
As the sword moved, wind rose and cherry blossoms drifted down, their pale, delicate fragrance permeating this small courtyard.
Stripped of heavy armor and freed from all burdens, Qi Jianshuan, barely thirty years of age, placed his calloused palm over the back of Yun Zhensong’s hand. His voice was steady and deep, like a warm brew of agarwood tea.
“Your wrist must remain steady. Although this blade looks soft and pliable, it is not easily notched, and it can shred through a thousand jun of force.”
Suddenly, Qi Jianshuan tightened his grip over Yun Zhensong’s hand. The longsword slid through a wooden post like a slithering snake, its cut as smooth and flat as a riverbank swept over by the tide. Wood shavings cascaded down in a flurry, leaving Yun Zhensong startled. The very next second, the wooden post split cleanly into two halves, snapping apart with absolute neatness.
It was unimaginable what kind of destructive power this sword would unleash if it were thrust against a person’s neck instead.
“Fine swordsmanship.”
Hearing the voice, everyone turned to look. Not only did Yun Zhensong spot Li Yan personally wheeling Qi Yan closer, but he also realized just how many people had been watching all this time. Stunned for a moment, he instinctively nudged Qi Jianshuan forward.
“Hmm?”
“Magistrate Yun’s bodyguard is truly extraordinary.” Li Yan dragged out the end of his sentence with a light chuckle.
Feeling that whatever the Prince of Hanchuan said was always laden with irony, Yun Zhensong simply remained silent.
Unbothered by such minor details, Li Yan pushed Qi Yan under the tree shade and unceremoniously seated himself in the chair Yusheng had vacated for him. Sipping the freshly brewed tea, he drawled lazily, “Young Master Qi suddenly took an interest and said he wanted to come out for a stroll, so I brought him along. I hope we aren’t intruding?”
As he spoke, Li Yan fixed his gaze intently upon the side of Qi Jianshuan’s face as the latter wiped down his sword.
Qi Jianshuan raised his eyes with unhurried composure and met his gaze directly.
Li Yan remained entirely still, in no rush to speak. He was probing, conducting a final confirmation.
Gripping the armrests of his wheelchair, Qi Yan suddenly spoke up: “Magistrate Yun, would you let me take a look at your sword?”
Yun Zhensong was momentarily taken aback. “Certainly.”
Watching Yun Zhensong walk away from his side, Qi Jianshuan lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he raised his eyes again, a decision had already formed in his mind. He asked with calm detachment, “Your Highness, is someone arriving shortly?”
Li Yan flicked his sleeve and pronounced each word clearly: “Naturally.”
Gongsun Lin’s presence was an unexpected variable that Qi Jianshuan had accepted. From the very first day he concealed his identity and stayed by Yun Zhensong’s side, he had anticipated that exposure would come sooner or later. Back then, he chose not to tell him simply because he felt avoiding extra trouble was better than courting it; right now, he didn’t dare tell him out of fear that it would break Yun Zhensong’s heart.
With irresistible compulsion and wholehearted willingness, Qi Jianshuan found himself sinking into the whirlpool named “Yun Zhensong.”
From then on, having a soft spot meant everyone could use it as leverage and threat, but it also meant he had developed ambition.
If shouting about wanting to become a rebellious subject in the past was just a fit of pique, then right now, it was his genuine intention.
Yun Zhensong could not do without Qi Jianshuan, and Qi Jianshuan would never kneel in submission to the shackles of Greater Xuan. He was going to carve out a domain of their own for Yun Zhensong.
Just as Yun Zhensong handed over the sword, he heard the two men behind him speaking in riddles. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat, his breathing stagnated, and in a panic, he hurried back to Qi Jianshuan’s side. “Who is coming?”
At that moment, complying with Li Yan’s summons, Gongsun Lin hurried back from outside the city. Believing he had been called back merely to ensure he wouldn’t be late for the next day’s birthday banquet, he crossed the courtyard threshold while being led by Wang Younian, bantering casually: “I was told I’d be back by tonight what was the point of cutting half a day short?”
He swept a casual, unconcerned gaze across the courtyard. “There are quite a few people here. What’s going”
Gongsun Lin’s voice stopped dead in its tracks, even his swinging arm freezing midway in the air. His eyes locked immovably onto Qi Jianshuan’s face, staring in open-mouthed shock.
Qi Jianshuan pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, bent down, and gently and meticulously wiped the sweat from Yun Zhensong’s brow.
Gongsun Lin glared daggers at Yun Zhensong once more, completely failing to force out the “Who is this?” stuck in his throat. After a long, suspended silence, a crisp slap rang out as Gongsun Lin slapped himself across the face.
Clueless and bewildered, Yun Zhensong stared at him in horror. “…What’s wrong with him?”
Qi Jianshuan straightened his back and finally allocated his gaze toward Gongsun Lin. “Probably… seeing a ghost.”