"""
The spring rain continued, falling against Song Cheng's face as he walked, cold and itchy, flowing freely.
His eyes were sharp, unwavering, as he moved and halted at intervals, patiently tracking Ling within this maze-like, pitch-black county town.
After a long time, the ground started becoming muddy.
Ling quietly turned into the entrance of an alley.
A lantern slanted out from under an eave at the alley's entrance, casting a dim light.
Dates Lane.
Song Cheng recognized the place. He pressed against the wall and peered inside, noticing a lot of unappealing data like "1~1", "2~2", yet suddenly caught sight of an exceptionally peculiar set of data.
[Strength: 34~68]
[Affection: 30]
This data had clearly just arrived not long ago, as Song Cheng hadn't seen it during his earlier patrol of the town.
And Ling's data was aligned with that one's.
The rain drummed on roof tiles, the wind whistling through wall crevices...
The young man followed the wall into the alley, reaching the darkest, deepest corner, ducked in, visualized the Nether Pagoda, and had an out-of-body experience, heading towards where Ling and that data were.
Scaling the wall, he squeezed through a window gap.
A surge of scorching air came from afar.
Song Cheng looked up and saw a couple nestled together, the woman dainty, the man handsome.
And the core of that scorching air was precisely the man.
This made Song Cheng further comprehend a principle: A person with abundant vitality could warm their Yin Soul and repel external evil spirits.
That man was at the peak of the Force Realm, a half-step in the Form Realm, with vitality like fire, far too powerful for his Yin Soul to approach.
"Brother Yi, you say that lady is really something.
She clearly has you, so why does she still want to train another man?
You've never seen her family's 'Extreme Force', yet she can bear to let that person see it.
She even said she wants to take that person as a younger brother.
I'm really feeling unjust for you."
At this moment, Ling was far from her daytime arrogance, a bit coquettish, with a hint of sarcasm.
As Song Cheng guessed, this man was Shi Yi, the "long-missing" chief guard of the Ruyi Commerce Chamber.
Shi Yi said, "Chenyu is very independent, and I am strong-willed. She doesn't want to be a little woman, and she's also afraid I'll take her possessions, so she deliberately distances herself from me... But I have deep feelings for her, how could I take her things?"
Ling said coquettishly, "It's not taking, it's family. If Brother Yi cares a bit more, then she needs to expend less energy, wouldn't it be nice to enjoy life comfortably?"
Shi Yi gave a wry smile and said, "If Chenyu could understand me like Ling does, that would be great.
Yet, not only does she not understand me, she also wants to cultivate a younger brother to counterbalance me."
Ling said disdainfully, "He's just a country bumpkin.
Arrogant, conceited, really thinks he's some genius, so annoying to look at.
He's no match for you, Brother Yi."
Shi Yi said, "It's okay. If Chenyu wants to fuss, let her. I'll make her understand that it's futile no matter whom she nurtures to balance against me."
Ling looked at him with some worry and said, "But..."
Shi Yi smiled confidently and said, "Do you know why I'm late this time?"
Ling shook her head.
Shi Yi said proudly, "Because I have grasped an opportunity.
In less than four months, I will breakthrough to the Form Realm.
Every leap in realm brings a significant increase in strength.
Tell me, what significance is there in Chenyu exhausting all her efforts to create a genius?"
He flashed a charming smile, "It'll merely be another stepping stone for my achievements."
"Brother Yi..."
Hearing this, Ling couldn't help but feel moved.
But as she felt moved, she sneezed.
Shi Yi said tenderly, "I have deep feelings for you, Ling, too. But the deeper my feelings, the more I wish to marry you openly.
After I marry Chenyu, I'll propose taking you as my concubine, then... we will have more time together."
"Mm-hmm." Ling responded softly, coquettishly like flowing water.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, "By the way, Brother Yi, there's one more thing, I heard from the eldest young lady."
Shi Yi softly asked, "What is it?"
Ling said, "It was last month, the eldest young lady said she wanted to take a 'son-in-law living with his wife's family', targeting a weak, poor scholar."
Shi Yi thought for a moment and said, "Chenyu is afraid she can't steer the helm of Ruyi Commerce Chamber alone, so she's eager to find a son-in-law.
Otherwise, if she marries out, what ties would she have with the riches of Ruyi Commerce Chamber?
Don't worry, that poor scholar is just a decorative trick Chenyu uses to fool outsiders.
I can guarantee, that son-in-law is merely a bought ornament who can't even dream of touching Chenyu.
Chenyu is very proud."
Ling giggled, "Indeed, only Brother Yi can touch me, Ying, and the eldest young lady."
They engaged in sweet talk a while longer before Ling reluctantly left.
Once no one was around, Shi Yi's face suddenly twisted in the darkness.
"Chenyu, I've done so much for you, and grown stronger step by step for you. Why don't you love me?! Why?!!
You even shared our family's secret skills with outsiders! How could you do this to me?"
"You are just a woman, managing a household and raising children is what's meant for you, isn't it? Making yourself visible in public, what reputable woman does that?"
"You should let your eldest brother manage the family business. If he can't, I am here. By then, can't you just plan and advise for me?"
"I cannot let you make mistake after mistake, I cannot let you be trapped in this cage that wasn't meant for you! Such a burden should be mine!"
Shi Yi uttered a few vicious words before breathing out heavily. Then he changed into loose clothing, fetched a secret box from under the pillow, opened it, took out a thin manuscript, and began reading by the lamp.
The night was endless, the lamplight like tiny beans.
His efforts would surely yield results.
...
Whoosh!
Song Cheng's Yin Soul quietly returned to his body.
As it hadn't been long and the night wandering distance was not far, his body hadn't grown too cold.
He took a few deep breaths, circulated his qi and blood to warm himself, then glanced at Shi Yi's house, gripped the knife on his back, focused on the lantern at the alley entrance, moved quickly, leaped lightly, with a gentle swing...
Click.
The light went out.
The only spot of light disappeared.
Dates Lane was plunged into darkness, so pitch-black that you couldn't see your hand before your eyes.
In the darkness, Song Cheng was unaffected, he quietly stepped to the front of Shi Yi's house, pressed against the wall, suppressed his tension, suddenly gathered force and raised his knife.
Inside, Shi Yi's page-turning paused abruptly, his five fingers tightly gripping the long knife handle always at his side, shouting fiercely, "Who?!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a wind-cleaving blade strike entered through the window.
Shi Yi sneered, stepped back with confidence to make space for the night intruder to enter.
He had long achieved Perfection in the Commerce Chamber's "Willow Brushing Force", and was extremely familiar with the terrain of this small room. No matter where the night intruder came from, his blade would sweep out in an instant to decapitate the intruder.
The long knife in his hand swayed like green willow in spring, poised to strike.
However, the blade strike through the window was just one slash.
That strike didn't cut him.
So although he retreated agilely, promptly, and aptly, it was... unnecessary.
Song Cheng's slash cut out the oil lamp.
Inside the room, pitch black.
Outside the room, pitch black.
The world was all black, spring rain covered the moon, no light was seen.
The young man groped for a stone from the ground, approached the door, inserted his knife into the door gap, and effortlessly snapped the bolt.
The moment the bolt broke, a deadly blade strike imbued with force cut out from inside.
The young man fended it off with his knife, deflecting it.
The two separated.
"Who are you?" Shi Yi's voice was filled with immense suspicion.
For this strike, he recognized that the force used was exactly like his, both "Willow Brushing Force", both... Perfection.
No one answered.
Shi Yi strained to see, but darkness and rain made everything incredibly blurry.
So, he squinted, erecting his ears, began distinguishing sounds.
In the blackness, there suddenly came a light "snap."
Whoosh!
Like a fierce wind brushing willows, Shi Yi twisted his head, his eyes spewing cold light, killing intent surged, qi force surged into the blade through his arm. The taut tendon produced the sharp sound of bowstring drawing and releasing.
Thump!
The knife went out, like a murderous willow, slicing toward the "snap" sound.
However, his waist suddenly throbbed with sharp pain, the pain of a blade entering flesh.
Shi Yi was aggrieved, furious, his left arm swung fiercely like a willow, pulling forcefully, a violent gust powerful enough to crack rocks surged toward the person at his side.
Time seemed to slow down.
He saw that person also strike.
That hand seemed like a cold, terrifying giant snake in the darkness, venomous, long-bodied, bursting forth, hissing, bloodthirsty, ferocious!
The two forces collided.
Crunch!
The giant snake tore apart the fragile willow twig.
Shi Yi's left arm was directly broken.
Although his heart was filled with shock, confusion, there was no second chance to strike, no second chance to speak.
His neck chilled, his head flew up, spinning mid-air, his eyes still filled with horror, unwillingness, and disbelief.
Who wanted to kill him?
Who was it?
With death, all thoughts extinguished.
The fast disappearing last thought.
Song Cheng exhaled in relief, bent down in the dark, felt out the manuscript Shi Yi had been reading, and swiftly turned away and left.
"""