The system's voice abruptly cut off.
Ren Yuanhao, his hands trembling slightly, held the warm, newly acquired secret manual. He suddenly felt curious about its price in points, and upon checking, was instantly shocked. With a mournful face, he cursed inwardly, "Holy crap! I'm in the negatives, I've overdrawn! Isn't it discouraged for young people to consume in advance? You're setting a bad example for the youth!"
With negative 1000 points, the day he could save people seemed further away than ever.
"Hey, little sister, stop playing dead, okay? Hello~"
Ren Yuanhao actively and sincerely tried to connect with the system multiple times, but he couldn't wake it up.
"Stop fooling around, alright? Not only am I in debt, but I also need to earn points to prepare for saving people. Little sister, hurry up, before my Qi and Blood Pill buff disappears, find me some orders and tasks!"
After Ren Yuanhao's earnest pestering, the system finally emitted a series of cold female voices.
"To respond to the host's request, the system is adjusting its gender and age group, and increasing its signal coverage. During this process, it will not connect with the host. Please confirm."
"Holy crap, what does that mean?"
"It means what it says. Figure it out yourself. Please confirm."
The system's voice became utterly dry and cold.
"Alright, alright. To save people, I'll accept it."
"DiDi Love-Seeking System Level Two command is starting execution. During this process, please do not connect with me to avoid system disorder."
...
Ren Yuanhao suddenly jumped off the bed and began to examine the secret manual in a well-lit spot.
This newly minted saber technique was named 'Heavenly Blaze Saber Technique.' It was best wielded with Miao sabers or Tang sabers, and not suitable for short sabers, curved sabers, or throwing knives. The narrower and longer the blade, and the wider the saber, the more powerful the technique would be.
"Weapons are an extension of the body. To reach the superior realm, one must perceive the mind and see the nature, comprehend the will of heaven, and achieve unity between man and saber to reach completion..."
The opening lines of secret manuals always revolved around some form of unity. However, while this was just two words when spoken, it was much harder to achieve. It was like a teacher giving you a series of complex gravity and acceleration formulas on the blackboard, but how many people truly understood the derivation of the formulas?
Ordinary people found it difficult to get to the bottom of things, resulting in an inability to explore the true essence of matters. Therefore, achieving states like 'perceiving the mind and seeing the nature' or 'unity between man and saber' was purely a matter of fate, or true enlightenment.
Ren Yuanhao did not dwell on the wording, but flipped further. Most of the content consisted of characters, with diagrams accompanying a few difficult sections. The manual was not long, and as he progressed, each character seemed increasingly profound and obscure.
After reading this saber technique manual, Ren Yuanhao was not without some insight. At the very least, he understood that by channeling true qi to control sabers and swords, one could enhance their inherent power. At this point, he recalled the concept of 'controlling qi with intent' mentioned in the 'Azure Sea Tide Heart Art.' If this concept were applied to this saber technique, wouldn't it also be applicable?
"With intent leading the way, when an opponent makes a move, one has already devised a countermeasure. Wouldn't that make it easy to defeat every enemy with every move?"
As Ren Yuanhao was engrossed in the saber technique, urgent knocking finally sounded from outside the door.
"Coming."
Ren Yuanhao opened the door. Yang Lingxue appeared at the doorway, holding a bowl of milky white fish soup.
She was wearing high-waisted jeans and a light green long shirt, her hair tied up in a bun, with wispy bangs gently clinging to her forehead. A gust of wind brushed past, making her look like a lotus flower gently swaying in a summer pond.
"What are you looking at? Humph, you're awake but you locked the door. Are you afraid we'll eat you?"
Yang Lingxue's nose wrinkled slightly, clearly displeased with Ren Yuanhao locking the door.
But when a woman is too exquisite, even her anger has a unique charm. People compare West Lake to Xi Shi, saying she looks beautiful with or without makeup. In fact, this little girl in front of him possessed such charm.
"You're beautiful, what's wrong with looking a little longer?"
Ren Yuanhao blurted out, making Yang Lingxue feel as if they had returned to the past.
For them, although they were on the run, wasn't it also a journey?
Sometimes, the silly girl Yang Lingxue would have such a peculiar thought.
It seemed as long as Ren Yuanhao was by her side, nothing was scary. Even if she could argue with him, she would be satisfied enough to shed tears.
"Stop flattering me. Take it and drink it. Don't leave a drop. This young lady spent the entire afternoon carefully following the recipe."
After Yang Lingxue spoke, Ren Yuanhao finally noticed some oil stains on her cheeks.
"Okay, I won't leave even the bone dregs. Is that enough now?" Ren Yuanhao took the soup, but he didn't see Shen Lani and Ye Lan. So, he asked, "Where are the other two?"
Yang Lingxue scoffed and said, "Those two women were inspired by you and are now desperately practicing. I, the dignified eldest daughter of the Yang family, have been reduced to the status of a cook. Who did I offend?"
Yang Lingxue spoke pitifully, her slightly furrowed nose and pouting lips making her appear even more adorable and wronged. Ren Yuanhao knew that no amount of words would help. The best approach was to get it over with.
Gulping, Ren Yuanhao took the first sip of the fish soup. However, the soup did not seem as delicious as it looked. As soon as it hit his tongue, his taste buds felt like they had been destroyed.
Ren Yuanhao paused for two seconds, deliberately shifting his gaze elsewhere. After his throat finally adapted to the salty and fishy taste, he mustered his courage again, preparing to drink this poison, oh no, fish soup.
However, Yang Lingxue was not a fool. She immediately caught the anomaly in Ren Yuanhao's expression and snatched the fish soup back from his hands, saying softly, "Don't drink it. This is my first time making fish soup, so it must taste strange."
"No way!" Ren Yuanhao snatched the fish soup back again. "It's been a long time since I've had such nourishing soup."
As he spoke, Ren Yuanhao gulped down the fish soup vigorously, leaving only fish bones, fish meat, and fish entrails!
Fish entrails?
Seeing the fish entrails at the bottom of the bowl, Ren Yuanhao felt his stomach acid surging like boiling water. But to save Yang Lingxue's face, he channeled three parts of his true qi, forcibly suppressing the churning stomach fluids. Then, he gave a thumbs up, forcing out a smile that seemed quite sincere, and said, "Delicious, delicious."
Yang Lingxue, who was completely fooled by Ren Yuanhao, beamed. Satisfied, she took the empty bowl back to the kitchen, served herself a spoonful of soup, and before even swallowing half of it, her tongue puckered from the saltiness.
"This guy, really, he can eat something this unpalatable. Aren't you afraid I'll poison you to death? Humph, you must be an idiot."
Yang Lingxue muttered to herself, laughing radiantly, as bright and beautiful as the rosy clouds.