The breath that extinguished the candle’s flame, compared to the palm strikes exchanged during the assassination attempt on the main street earlier, could be described as an ant trying to shake a tree.
Yet for Shi Qingruo, it was undeniably a leap from zero to one.
The wisp of smoke from the candle slowly rose before dissipating into the shadows of the night beneath the corridor, and Shi Qingruo stared at it for a long while.
Until Guan Qi stepped before her.
Shi Qingruo turned her head and saw the moonlight in the courtyard illuminating the frost-like strands at the ends of his hair and brows, as well as the unmistakable confusion etched across his face.
She did not resist as he reached out and pressed his fingers against her wrist.
“…You’ve developed internal energy?”
“Indeed.” The curve of Shi Qingruo’s lips deepened.
She had considered breaking free from the system and mastering martial arts purely through her own efforts. Even if she started later than these already renowned figures of the martial world, it didn’t matter.
If the power dynamics of this world were no different from the game she had once played, she knew of several techniques and secret elixirs that could rapidly accumulate internal energy, allowing her to bridge the gap.
Those who had reached the level of Guan Qi or the Zhuge Divine Marquis could even transfer their energy to others, instantly creating a martial arts master.
Unfortunately, shortly after arriving in this world, she had heard an evaluation from a young hero apprenticed under a top-tier master.
He said her meridians were exceptionally frail, utterly unsuited for martial arts. If she forced herself to harness internal energy, she would only be playing with fire.
Rather than gambling on the slim chance of her meridians opening—risking a fatal energy backlash—it would be better to remain an ordinary person without martial prowess.
But the one who made that judgment didn’t know—not even Guan Qi knew—
What human effort couldn’t achieve, perhaps some unexplainable, supernatural means could.
Like today, when a subordinate of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Tower, planted within the Mystic Sky Alliance, followed Su Mengzhen’s orders and signaled allegiance to Shi Qingruo, a long-sealed section of the system interface unlocked.
Having achieved the condition of being acknowledged by a member of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Tower, Shi Qingruo, as the system’s host, could feel with absolute clarity an inexplicable surge of internal energy materializing within her meridians, slowly circulating.
Like a trickle of heavenly rain gathering atop parched soil, it flowed with an unstoppable momentum until it permeated her entire body, forming a complete cycle.
When she consciously guided this energy, it even grew—albeit imperceptibly.
This made her certain that if…
If she could bring the subordinates of all three major factions under her command, perhaps this body, deemed unfit for martial arts, could transform into a prodigious talent overnight!
Or perhaps this system, which had crossed worlds with her, held even more functions waiting to be uncovered.
For example—
Her dark, gleaming eyes fixed on Guan Qi beneath the moonlight.
As if sensing her gaze, he lifted his head.
“Brother Qi, today Lei Sun came to test the waters—”
Guan Qi’s brows instantly furrowed, as if recalling the malicious “guest” who had disrupted their wedding banquet.
Shi Qingruo immediately grabbed his arm, fearing this not-quite-sane man might charge straight to the Six and a Half Halls at those words.
Such recklessness wouldn’t accomplish anything great.
Softly, she persuaded, “Hear me out first.”
“Let him test what he will—we’ll focus on our own affairs. Now that I have the chance to learn martial arts, if I can master self-defense, no matter how many schemes he devises, they’ll all come to nothing. Isn’t that right?”
Perhaps because the wedding banquet, despite its disruptions, had ultimately proceeded smoothly, Guan Qi’s temper was far more manageable now, gentler.
He didn’t truly grasp the intricacies of Shi Qingruo’s words, but before her smiling face, he instinctively nodded. “Fine. I’ll teach you.”
“Not just me—the members of the Mystic Sky Alliance will also ensure your safety.”
After the wedding ceremony, she was now the rightful half-master of the alliance.
...
The festive red silks and paper decorations along the streets of Bianjing had yet to be fully removed, remnants of the grand wedding that had taken place the day before.
But the martial world always had fresh news, and ordinary folk always found new topics. Walking through the streets, most of what one overheard was no longer about the event.
Even compared to the grudges between the Mystic Sky Alliance’s Seventh Sage and the Six and a Half Halls’ Chief Lei Sun…
When Wang Xiaoshi helped Bai Choufei hang calligraphy and paintings on wooden stands for their stall, what he heard more of were discussions about the beauty of the Sage’s new wife.
Of course, that had nothing to do with them.
During the chaotic skirmish the day before, the two had planned to seize an opportunity to make their mark. Yet when the cold-faced constable Wuqing suddenly appeared in the bride’s sedan, startling the assassins, they too were so stunned they forgot to act.
In the end, they did nothing.
As for the subsequent banquet, without connections, it had even less to do with them.
Those who belonged in the Six Gates’ prison went to prison; those who needed to recuperate went home. As for them, they had to continue scraping by in Bianjing.
Enough talk—after helping set up the stall, he still had to visit the medicine hall for his shift.
But just as Wang Xiaoshi reached for the medicine basket at his feet, a shadow stretched across his path.
“If you’re here for calligraphy—”
“Wrong. I’m not here to buy art. I’m here for you.”
Wang Xiaoshi jerked his head up.
The woman before him had an ethereal, dreamlike face. True to her words, she wasn’t looking at the displayed paintings but instead scrutinizing him and Bai Choufei with an unnervingly calm gaze. This wasn’t a customer looking to make a purchase.
What truly startled Wang Xiaoshi wasn’t her presence but the fact that, in that instant, he recognized her from her silhouette.
During the street battle the day before, the Mystic Sky Alliance’s sages had all worn masks—and the Second Sage was none other than this unexpected visitor!
Bai Choufei realized it too, rising to his feet, fingers subtly tensing within his sleeves.
Those familiar with him would know this meant he was ready to strike at any moment.
Zhu Xiaoyao observed their wariness and smiled. “No need for such caution. I’m merely here to relay a message. Our lady requests your presence. Please accompany me.”
Bai Choufei didn’t budge. “And if we refuse?”
Both he and Wang Xiaoshi could tell this invitation wasn’t backed by force.
Otherwise, she could have surrounded them with Mystic Sky Alliance members to prevent escape. Yet there were no signs of martial artists lying in ambush nearby.
It couldn’t possibly be said that, with the Second Saint Lord personally arriving, they still underestimated the capabilities of these two men and simply sent one person to capture them.
Zhu Xiaoyao lowered her voice, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. "Bai Choufei, twenty-eight years old, once went by the alias Bai Youmeng and performed opera in Luoyang, later took the name Bai Yingyang while working as a escort for the Golden Flower Escort Agency, and was even highly regarded under the name Bai Jinlong in General Helian’s household—unfortunately—"
"Enough, no need to continue," Bai Choufei interrupted with a frown, but Zhu Xiaoyao obediently stopped and then turned her gaze toward Wang Xiaoshi. "Wang Xiaoshi, currently twenty-three, disciple of the venerable Xu Xiaoyi, the Tianyi Hermit. His weapon of choice is the Unyielding Treasure Blade, once wielded by Lei Sun—"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Wang Xiaoshi tossed aside his medicine basket and vaulted over the calligraphy stall, desperate to cut her off. "You’re really going too far. We asked why we should go with you, and instead, you’ve laid bare all our secrets."
Zhu Xiaoyao replied nonchalantly, "Young Master Wang, you’re mistaken. If I truly wanted to expose all your secrets, I’d mention how Young Master Bai was once a wanted criminal by the Ministry of War, or how Young Master Wang has been in love since the age of eight and has suffered fifteen heartbreaks by now… I merely wanted to show you that it’s precisely because we understand you that we deemed it necessary to personally extend this invitation."
Wang Xiaoshi: "...You just said it."
He covered his face with a long sigh.
What should have been a serious occasion was instantly derailed by Zhu Xiaoyao’s words, and even Bai Choufei began scrutinizing his expression, as if trying to discern whether her claims were true.
What kind of mess was this?
Hadn’t it been said that the Mystic Sky Alliance, due to pressure from the Six and a Half Halls, had been forced to retreat in the capital in recent years, often lying low? How did they still have the leisure to pay attention to small fry like him?
And to such minute details, no less.
What he didn’t know was that while Zhu Xiaoyao nominally belonged to the Mystic Sky Alliance, the information she recited had actually been retrieved from the White Tower of the Gentle Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion.
If it weren’t for the impropriety of revealing everything in public, she could have even told Bai Choufei that their intelligence division knew about the small tumor beneath his left breast.
Such was the terrifying depth of the Gentle Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion’s influence, having stood firm in the capital for so many years.
Yet, within this vast intelligence network, there was no record of Miss Shi.
Nor did Zhu Xiaoyao understand how, in just a few days, she had gone from sympathizing with Miss Shi’s plight to working for her.
Suppressing her thoughts, Zhu Xiaoyao glanced at Wang Xiaoshi’s utterly bewildered expression—he looked like a complete fool—and felt slightly comforted. At least she wasn’t the most clueless one here. Hah.
She led the two through the Mystic Sky Alliance’s compound, stopping before a reception hall. "Here we are."
Zhu Xiaoyao halted, nodding in response to Wang Xiaoshi’s questioning gaze. "By the Madam’s order, I won’t be accompanying you further. She said—old friends reuniting need not have so many onlookers."
Old friends?
Wang Xiaoshi was baffled. He couldn’t recall when he had ever crossed paths with the Mystic Sky Alliance’s Saint Lord’s wife to warrant such a term.
But now that he was here, perhaps from the moment he stepped into the Mystic Sky Alliance’s territory, those watching would have already marked him. There was no turning back.
He glanced at Bai Choufei and saw the same resolve in his eyes.
If this so-called Saint Lord’s wife had any ill intentions, the two of them could fight their way out—maybe even make a name for themselves in the capital in the process. The risk was worth it.
Let’s go in and see!
What struck both of them as unusual was that not only had Zhu Xiaoyao come to fetch them with minimal entourage, but the hall itself was also devoid of guards, as if deliberately ensuring their conversation wouldn’t be disturbed.
In the room, stripped of its wedding banquet decorations, the most striking sight was the figure standing with her back to the door.
The breeze from the opened door fluttered the vibrant red-and-green robes she wore, making her silhouette appear slender and delicate. Yet the emerald-feathered golden hairpin in her hair, its hues of black, red, and green intertwined, lent her an air of ethereal grace.
Hearing the door open, she slowly turned to face them.
Wang Xiaoshi gasped aloud. "Miss Shi? How is it you?"
When her face, now radiant against the rich fabrics, turned toward him, his initial awe at her beauty was quickly replaced by realization—Zhu Xiaoyao’s claim of "old friends" hadn’t been idle talk. It was the truth.
When he had first left his master’s mountain, he had crossed paths with a group of human traffickers in Hubei and rescued a mud-streaked, defenseless young woman.
Once out of danger, she introduced herself as Shi Qingruo, explaining she had been kidnapped by misfortune.
But on their journey to the capital, the fiery Miss Wen, whom they had befriended after a clash, had stormed off in anger. Then Miss Tian, whom they saved on the river, vanished without a word. Finally, Miss Shi, citing the dangers of the capital, announced her intention to live in seclusion and departed as well.
Only he and Bai Choufei remained, wandering the martial world and scraping by in Bianliang.
That was why he never expected to see Shi Qingruo again—let alone as the Mystic Sky Alliance’s Saint Lord’s wife, the very bride from yesterday’s wedding.
Had Shi Qingruo not appeared unconstrained and far more composed than before, Wang Xiaoshi might have suspected she had been forcibly taken by Guan Qi.
But she seemed… well.
As she gathered her sleeves and sat, the emerald waves of her robes pooled around her, reflecting golden-red patterns—infinitely more suited to her than the coarse clothes she once wore.
This peerlessly beautiful face seemed destined to be adorned with jewels and silks, all vying for her smile.
And indeed, she smiled now. "On the river that day, I was fortunate enough to hear Young Master Wang and Young Master Bai’s aspirations. Now that I have the means to help fulfill them, I took the liberty of inviting you here. I hope you don’t mind?"
"Young Master Bai once said that a man who cannot achieve immortal glory and fame might as well not live. Young Master Wang said you merely wished to try—whether or not eternal renown mattered less than the attempt itself, but to give up without trying would be a regret."
"Tell me, has that changed today?"
The river’s breeze, the mountain’s moon, the shimmering reflections on the water, the shared cups of wine—
That conversation, held just before reaching the capital, had never faded from their minds, even after months of stagnation in Bianliang.
If anything, the subsequent "partings" had made the memory even sharper.
Wang Xiaoshi never imagined Shi Qingruo would be the one to bring it up again.
But as she spoke, it was as if he could suddenly see that moment once more.
That day, Shi Qingruo sat at the stern of the boat, like the legendary beauty Xi Shi, whose charm could make fish sink beneath the waves. Yet now, she had transformed into a noble figure seated high in a grand hall, gazing down upon them with an air of authority.
Bai Choufei’s breath hitched for a moment before he replied, "Even if nothing has changed, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the Mi Tian Alliance."
Shi Qingruo shook her head. "But only the Mi Tian Alliance is in a state of revival, capable of offering you..."
"The most irreplaceable position."
