With the Blade

At this moment, both Shan Bing and Jiang Wenyuan stepped into the palace once again.

The main reason was that Jiang Wenyuan needed to come over, after all, the old eunuch hadn't been out these days, leaving Jiang Wenyuan unable to find anyone to report to—moreover, Jiang Wenyuan wanted to do more than report, he wanted to understand what exactly had happened in the Jian Kang royal city during his absence.

And the moment he entered the palace, Jiang Wenyuan keenly sensed the subtle change.

The people hadn't changed, the place hadn't changed, but the feeling this place gave him, the atmosphere lingering in the palace, was utterly different.

"Looks like everyone's trying to find something to do!"

Shan Bing laughed, his renewed demeanor thriving in this atmosphere, like a fish in water, as if coming home.

Indeed, coming home was exactly how it felt, Jiang Wenyuan knew this, and it was at this moment he realized the palace's atmosphere was identical to the street where Shan Bing lived—of course, compared to that street where everyone seemed serious, the current public atmosphere was still nascent, but the similarities were undeniable.

And why had that street changed... Of course, it was because of Shan Bing.

No one knew when it started, perhaps when Shan Bing went out to buy buns, or chatted with passersby, or charged into battle against monsters... Either way, people on that street had begun to gradually emulate Shan Bing, learning his ways.

"That's amazing."

When Jiang Wenyuan asked, the short man selling buns said this.

"He's smart and a good fighter... I know I can't be as good a fighter as him, but maybe I can be as smart?"

So where exactly was Shan Bing smart?

Jiang Wenyuan was dumbfounded; he had no idea what clever qualities his old friend possessed, but the short bun seller spoke as such—or maybe even the bun seller didn't know what he was emulating, perhaps he was subconsciously imitating, with reasons found afterward.

If this influence affected just one person, Jiang Wenyuan could say it was a coincidence, but if it affected an entire street...

"It shows life is getting better."

That's the answer Shan Bing gave.

"Aren't they learning from me? You see, I make braised lion heads, and they haven't learned that... As for the attitude of seriousness, isn't that a good thing?"

"..."

Jiang Wenyuan was speechless, not knowing how to respond to such a strange, dim-witted remark.

Moreover, he once again saw that indistinct shadow upon Shan Bing.

So he had to come to the palace to see, unsure if it was good or bad, some doubts pressed in his heart needing clearance—though he respected Master Du greatly, he was ultimately part of Da Chen, and if the other planned to act against Da Chen under the guise of a top expert, he...

He seemingly had no way.

Still, even unable, there must be a question asked; after all, they were acquaintances, what couldn't be said—besides compared to the almost inhuman Emperor, Master Du was much more approachable, what couldn't be discussed?

"At worst, give whatever he wants."

Jiang Wenyuan made up his mind.

This wasn't an ordinary decision, but a resolve to risk it all, even if Master Du desired the Empress Dowager, he would attempt persuasion, see if it worked out.

However, contrary to Jiang Wenyuan's assumptions, Master Du didn't make any exorbitant demands.

"What? You're asking what I want?"

Upon seeing Jiang Wenyuan and Shan Bing arrive together, Du Chengfeng was happy.

"Perfect timing, the old man just went to the bathroom, can you come help me with the cat's cradle?"

"...This is it?"

Jiang Wenyuan was dumbfounded, feeling a slight insult on his intelligence.

Though he respected Du's identity and strength, cat's cradle... was this serious?

"What's wrong with it?"

Du Chengfeng was immediately displeased.

"You don't think this is simple, right?"

"Uh..."

Jiang Wenyuan couldn't respond, unsure how to engage.

So he simply moved closer.

"Alright then, where's the string?"

"Didn't you see it?"

Du Chengfeng started scratching his head.

"The string is on the table."

"On the table? Where?"

Jiang Wenyuan frowned.

On the table, there was no string—only a set of tea ware on the tablecloth, steam rising from the teacups, with leaves but no visible string.

Could this be some new master-level play? Invisible string woven from Evil Qi? Testing his eyesight and perceptiveness?

If that was the case, he admitted, for Du Chengfeng to play cat's cradle with him, perhaps wasn't unfounded, maybe it was a way masters maintained their feel, using this so-called "cat's cradle" to familiarize with controlling Evil Qi—like how many a swordsman kept their sword close while eating and sleeping to hone it, if Evil Qi was used as a weapon, it naturally needed regular use for mastery...

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

While Jiang Wenyuan held his breath, observing the Evil Qi string, Du Chengfeng spoke again.

"Why haven't you started yet?"

"I'm still looking..."

Jiang Wenyuan meticulously scanned around, his perception never so thorough.

"Wait, I'm about to find..."

"There's no need to find it?"

Du Chengfeng pat the tablecloth.

"This is it."

"...Ah?"

Jiang Wenyuan was stupefied.

But Du Chengfeng didn't stop, continuing to explain, pointing at the tablecloth.

"Let's set the rules, no moving the teapot, no moving the table, the cups' water mustn't spill, and based on this, unravel this knitted cloth's string, then weave it into something else... Do you understand?"

"I..."

Jiang Wenyuan began to sweat.

He could understand the words themselves, but altogether he just couldn't—disregarding these convoluted rules, the concept of this cloth, how was this cat's cradle?

This seemed different from his understanding of cat's cradle.

No wonder the self-proclaimed world's best eunuch fled to the bathroom, is this unraveled by humans? Or can this really be woven from merely string?

Even Evil Qi couldn't accomplish this!

"Humans... have just ten fingers."

Jiang Wenyuan forced a smile.

"How could something like this be done with ten fingers alone..."

"Why couldn't it?"

Seeing his work falsely questioned, Du Chengfeng was displeased.

"Humans have ten fingers, right? If each finger controls ten portions of Evil Qi, with ten fingers, you can control a hundred portions of Evil Qi, and considering the feet..."

This followed by complex words, mentioning using both hands and feet, or if monkeys could do it humans could too, none of which Jiang Wenyuan understood.

Yet the knowledge poured into Jiang Wenyuan's ears endlessly, breaking his conventions, challenging his cognition.

"I..."

Like a red-hot rod stabbing into his head.

Jiang Wenyuan suddenly understood what Shan Bing and the others went through.