"The atmosphere awkwardly quieted for three breaths. Helplessly, Qi Shan replied, 'Wu Dan gathers courage within, while Wen Xin commands outwardly.'
Despite Shen Tang's eagerness to claim comprehension, lest she be misunderstood as intellectually deficient, she couldn't help but admit, 'I... don't quite understand. Could you elaborate, Master Qi?' Qi Shan didn't expect Shen Tang to grasp it all at once. Perhaps this young man was indeed a wildling from some remote corner, incapable of understanding his concise and nuanced explanation.
So, Qi Shan opted for a more colloquial approach. 'Wu Dan, with "wu" as its core. Warriors, wielding weapons and halting them, venturing forth and displaying prowess. Halting weapons is martial prowess; to stop war is martial skill. Hence, most verbal arts focus on oneself, tempering the body to unparalleled strength, facing thousands alone, often daring and fearless.' Shen Tang nodded thoughtfully.
'So, you mean most verbal arts focus on oneself, but some do not?' 'Correct. Take the verbal art "one call, a hundred responses" for example. When used by lords or strategists, it can rally a hundred soldiers. But when used by a general, it can armor and mount a hundred soldiers, their unified spirit forming a sharp and elite force. With unified morale from top to bottom, the stronger the elite force, the invincible they become.'"
"Qi Shan, already experienced, anticipated Shen Tang's anticipation, preemptively answering her inquiry before she voiced it. 'Some verbal arts are common to both Wen Xin and Wu Dan, so there's no need to be curious about that.' The effectiveness of the same verbal art in different hands varies depending on individual comprehension and cultivation level.
Shen Tang remained silent, processing Qi Shan's words. He continued, 'Unlike Wu Dan, the essence of Wen Xin lies in the words "strategize" and "calculate." Therefore, verbal arts tend to focus on control and strategy, using them to always maintain control over complex, subtle, and ever-changing situations. Wu Dan's twenty levels, with higher levels indicating greater strength. Thus, people assume the same for Wen Xin—higher levels mean greater strength. However, in my view, this is a gross misconception. Wen Xin measures one's intellect.' He pointed to his head. 'If the mind isn't sharp enough, even with a Second Rank Upper-Middle Wen Xin, one should never lightly provoke someone with a Ninth Rank Lower-Lower Wen Xin, whose depths are unknown.'
Shen Tang pondered for a moment. She felt like she understood and yet didn't quite understand."
"Wu Dan is like someone getting into a physical fight personally, getting stronger involves forming a gang and taking your buddies along to brawl. On the other hand, Wen Xin doesn't get directly involved but acts as the mastermind behind the scenes, hiring others to fight on their behalf? One shows off muscles, the other shows off brains?" One is a DPS, the other is a support?
Qi Shan remained silent for a few moments after hearing this. Although he didn't understand what 'showing off' meant, he could guess the general idea from the context. Expressionless, he replied, 'You can interpret it that way if you like.'
Shen Tang carefully pondered for a moment before asking, '...but wouldn't that be quite passive?'
'Passive?'
'Even with a sharp mind, it's no match for the fists of many enemies.' Wen Xin plays a supportive role in command, and most skills are like this, with most of the output relying on Wu Dan. Once caught alone, wouldn't that mean facing imminent death?"
"Can't adults pursue both Wen Xin and Wu Dan, can't they have both? Do they have to choose only one to cultivate?" She wants both the fish and the bear's paw! Qi Shan had a slight understanding of her thoughts. "There have been recorded instances of individuals concurrently cultivating both Wen Xin and Wu Dan, but..."
"But what?" Qi Shan fiddled with the campfire, speaking faintly, "It's either an early death, idiocy, or having abilities that are no different from ordinary people." Shen Tang: "..."
Dual cultivation of literature and martial arts seems to be out of her league. She hugged the scroll, feeling dizzy. She recognized every word on it, and she could memorize Qi Shan's notes at a glance, but how to cultivate and how to use them was still a mystery. Asking the "newbie NPC" for advice was just as cryptic, leaving her completely baffled.
Indeed, one shouldn't ask for too much from a free ride. As time passed, her stomach began to rumble again. Shen Tang rubbed her belly, looking at the words "望梅止渴" on the scroll, imagining the appearance of green plums in her mind. "Isn't it said that Wen Xin can 'create something out of nothing'... Can you give me a few green plums for '望梅止渴'? It wouldn't be too much, right?" Having extra green plums would allow her to stock up on some other supplies.
Qi Shan, with his keen hearing, poured cold water on her request. "Of course, it's too much. Though '言灵' is magical, it can't provide food. If it could—there wouldn't be so many starving people in the world." Perhaps reminded of something, Qi Shan sighed softly towards the campfire. "A few months ago, while traveling outside, I witnessed the plight of the people in a city..." He paused for a moment, voluntarily ending the topic. Without him explicitly saying it, Shen Tang could imagine the rest. It was nothing but a scene of famine and suffering.
She exclaimed, "Why not? '言灵' can conjure up swords, warhorses, and armor, enabling a mere mortal to stand against thousands of soldiers. Why then can it not produce a few small green plums? It's the same principle of creation from nothingness, so why the discrimination? Even if it truly cannot, could it not assist in farming?"
Working the land with Wen Xin and Wu Dan, while less efficient than mechanization, is still far better than toiling as an ordinary peasant under the sun. If she could conjure food—she believed she could earn some extra income by selling plums. Crossing into another world, transformed into a penniless fugitive, she, an ordinary homebody artist, faced immense challenges. If this avenue were also closed to her, she would have no choice but to pick up her old trade and offer her skills for commission. She wondered who would be willing to hire her.
Qi Shan refrained from giving a direct answer. He simply remarked, "I cannot address the former questions, but as for the latter—you will come to understand as you accumulate more experiences in the future."
In this murky and chaotic world, who would be willing to forge swords into plowshares? They would surely face collective opposition. The young man's idea is not unprecedented; there have been individuals who attempted such endeavors, advocating for change and assisting lords, but they all met dismal ends for various reasons. Thinking of these unpleasant realities, he closed his eyes in irritation, occasionally hearing Shen Tang murmuring "望梅止渴" (literally "looking at plums to quench thirst").
After about half an hour, she was still grappling with "望梅止渴". Qi Shan kept his eyes closed in exasperation. "Learning '言灵' requires fate. There are countless '言灵' in the world. If one doesn't work, it's best not to waste time on it and move on to something else. Of course, one shouldn't try to learn everything. It's better to focus on quality over quantity."
"Oh, I understand," came the response, followed by a crisp snap and the sound of chewing. Qi Shan, perplexed, wondered, "???" All the remaining dry rations and water were with him, so where was the young man eating? Faintly, he could smell the fragrance of green plums lingering in the air.
Qi Shan exclaimed, "!!!" He abruptly opened his eyes and looked at Shen Tang. The latter was sitting cross-legged on the ground, with about a dozen round, shiny green plums piled on her legs, each looking juicy, crisp, and delicious. Shen Tang wrinkled her eyebrows in sourness as she chewed, her face contorted into a grimace, but due to hunger, she could only endure and swallow.
"Where did you get these plums?" Qi Shan widened his eyes, his voice strained, his throat swallowing hard before he regained his ability to speak. Shen Tang blinked, forcing the sourness back into her eyes. "Plums? Oh, I've been trying the '望梅止渴' (literally "looking at plums to quench thirst") incantation all along, and I've been diligently activating my 文心, but I never got the effects you mentioned in your notes. After that, I tried a few more times, and suddenly, a plum appeared out of thin air... You see, just like this —"
"望梅止渴!" Shen Tang said, demonstrating again. With the incantation spoken, a green plum appeared in her palm under Qi Shan's watchful gaze.