The sky hung heavy and dark as if about to rain again. Near Jiangning's city gates, soldiers strictly inspected travelers entering and leaving. Vegetable sellers coming into the city faced exceptionally rigorous checks, while those wanting to leave found it even more difficult. More than ten days had passed since Song Xian's assassination attempt, yet the area around Jiangning's gates remained filled with a murderous atmosphere.

When a squad of soldiers walked by from nearby, she melted her body into an adjacent alley.

"...It's been nearly half a month. These past few days have been relatively better—earlier they'd have turned over even a cockroach leaving the city to check it... Three notorious bandits were caught, so in a way, they've indirectly rid the people of harm... It shouldn't continue much longer. Jiangning is a major city after all, and if this goes on, everyone will complain. Business in the shops has already been affected these past few days. Court officials... what do they have to do with common people? That Song Xian had a poor reputation to begin with... But regardless, I still think it's too risky for you to go out like this... How are your injuries?"

In the room, Ning Yi rambled on while conducting his experiments. Lu Hongti stood not far from the experiment table, watching him mix various solutions before lighting an alcohol lamp. She didn't answer his question about her injuries.

"What exactly are you doing?"

She finally spoke when Ning Yi poured the liquid into a cup and dropped a rusty iron rod inside, causing it to emit hissing smoke.

"Some chemical reactions. I don't really know what I'm doing either..."

"Chemical reactions?"

"Let's assume the world is made up of very small atoms. Atoms are... uh, for instance this table—if we magnified it again and again and again, then perhaps we could see those smallest things clustered together. Those things are atoms... There are certain different types of atoms. These basic atoms make up everything in heaven and earth. Different atoms sometimes attract each other, sometimes repel each other, producing... chemical reactions."

"..."

"Hmm?"

Ning Yi shrugged, looking at Lu Hongti's strange expression. She then smiled: "I don't believe it. How do you magnify things?"

"Oh, there are certain principles. Let me show you the most basic one." Ning Yi took a small box from the nearby shelf, pulling out an irregularly shaped piece of glass, then pushed over a book.

"This is a fragment from glass lanterns sold in the market. It's not easy to find ideal pieces that are convex on both sides, but they can still be used for viewing. Look—aren't the characters magnified?"

Glass was already being sold in markets at this time, called liuli. Though different from Western soda-lime glass, its transparency was already quite high. Ning Yi hadn't planned to research this area yet, otherwise he'd probably try to make a telescope. Showing off now, the woman squinted: "Water droplets can also magnify, but I've never seen anything that can magnify more."

"Once you understand the principles, you can magnify things. Investigating things means investigating the principles of all things, haha..."

"But why haven't you scholars, after investigating things for so many years, seen anything that magnifies more than water drops or icicles?"

"Uh..."

Ning Yi was momentarily speechless. She smiled: "Actually, following your logic, are you doing these chemical reactions hoping to find the philosopher's stone¹?"

"When we truly understand, we can do anything. Some chemical reactions are unstable—if the unstable ones are triggered, they produce high heat and expansion, then boom... Like that gunpowder on the shelf beside you. If its power could be increased five or ten times, what do you think it could be used for? Ah, right..." Ning Yi said, pulling the rusty iron rod from the cup and rinsing it with water. "Look, the rust is gone."

"You boiled it once, then washed it off with water." The woman said expressionlessly. Ning Yi rolled his eyes, but she laughed.

"This is unorthodox trickery. Though I don't understand it, I don't believe you."

"If you truly understood, I wouldn't tell you..." Ning Yi shook his head and sighed. "By the way, all martial arts experts have impressive nicknames. What's yours?"

"Lu Hongti."

"Having no nickname is too uncouth. You need to get an impressive one, otherwise when people hear you have no nickname, they'll laugh at you. Look at that Fang La rebelling outside—he calls himself the Holy Duke. So domineering! That's why when he rebelled, many people joined him... I think this matter needs preparation. How about we discuss it—call you Iron Fist Invincible Lu Hongti... That doesn't fit. You run pretty fast, so maybe Leg Through Forest. But nowadays everyone talks about serving the country and people, so how about Iron Sword of Rivers and Mountains Lu Hongti? Is that too domineering... Or do you want something more low-key? Hey, come out and chat..."

"Boring."

Lu Hongti coldly turned back to the inner room, closing the door behind her. Propping her long sword on the ground with both hands, she couldn't help but laugh. After suppressing this smile for a moment, she asked: "Why weren't you disappointed at all when I said you couldn't learn martial arts?"

"You didn't say I couldn't learn martial arts." Ning Yi was probably mixing reagents again. "You said I couldn't learn your internal energy."

"Oh? You're that confident there's internal energy you can learn?"

"I've inquired about these matters and can only guess... Since internal force is a way of exerting force coordinated with breathing, even if there are those extreme methods that require practice from childhood, there should be more people researching methods for adults. Even if the effects can't compare to yours, there should be some effect. This... shouldn't be wrong."

Silence inside for a long while: "You truly want to learn? You think I'll teach you?"

"I don't know. How about this—you teach me martial arts, then name a wish or something. As long as it's reasonable, I'll find a way to make it happen?"

"A merchant?"

"No, I never thought about taking advantage of you. Why not see it as an equal exchange?"

"My school's arts, though humble, aren't something to casually exchange with others. You saved my life, I should repay you. You can also ask me to do things. But I won't teach you martial arts. I can't see why a scholar like you wants to learn martial arts. You won't go to battlefields, nor do you want to fight for your life with martial arts. You're just... curious, learning for fun..." Her speech gradually quickened. "You scholars always talk about being enemy of ten thousand², about governing the world and saving the people. But with so many of you scholars now, I can't see how you're saving anyone... You're a talented person, yet you waste your talent on these unorthodox tricks. Why don't you help the world and save the people? Establish destiny for the people, open peace for ten thousand generations³... If we're exchanging, if you can open peace for ten thousand generations, I'll exchange anything with you. How about it?"

Confucianism had flourished in this world for a thousand years, and the Wu Dynasty particularly celebrated literary culture. This woman might not have read many books, but she'd heard many principles and understood them in her heart. These words might not be aimed at Ning Yi specifically, so he just smiled: "Opening peace for ten thousand generations—that proposition is too big and vague. Your wish isn't very reasonable."

"Heh, then one generation of peace."

"That still depends on whether it's peace for the Wu Dynasty, the world, or the common people..."

"What if it's peace for the common people?"

"Not worth it. Spending so much time, expending so much effort, betting my whole life on it. I still can't become a top expert, and to do so many things, with no time to practice, I'm afraid even becoming second-rate would be difficult..."

"Heh, such big talk. You scholars... all talk big." Lu Hongti laughed inside, probably thinking Ning Yi was joking. "Civil and martial follow different paths. You scholars, I know many are capable, just capable in different ways. You don't need to learn. You won't go to battlefields or fight for your life. Without true ruthlessness, perhaps you'd feel reluctant even killing a chicken with a knife. After learning it would be useless, only dividing your attention and delaying your original profession... I don't think there's any need to teach you."

"Tsk, consider it..." Ning Yi shrugged. "Besides, I can handle killing chickens."

There was still time; Ning Yi wasn't anxious. He then changed topics, continuing the story about Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils in the darkened room. Actually Lu Hongti was somewhat frustrated—if she heard it early today, when that little maid came tomorrow wanting to hear it, she'd have to listen again to content she already knew. But she still couldn't quite resist at this moment.

The next day when footsteps sounded at the door, they were accompanied by a hen's clucking. That fellow walked outside and knocked: "Come out, come out, I have something to show you." Lu Hongti went out to see him holding a small package in one hand and a chicken in the other, pointing at the stove over there: "Help boil some hot water, thanks." Obviously he wanted to demonstrate his ruthlessness in killing chickens before her. Lu Hongti didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This young man had a quality about him—no matter what he did, however strange or unorthodox, it seemed natural.

She went to start the stove and boil water. As the wind chimes under the eaves chimed softly, Ning Yi skillfully killed the chicken, then plucked and cleaned it, removing the organs. He then opened the small package to prepare various seasonings, brushing them on first before preparing to skewer the chicken on an iron spit.

"I received reliable news that in two more days, the defenses at the city gates will be withdrawn. The prefecture can't hold out anymore. But after the open sentries are withdrawn, the hidden ones will probably be even stricter. I don't know how your injuries are. During this time, I couldn't bring anything good to eat, so today I'll treat you. In the future when you roam the jianghu, you can't say that I, Bloody Butcher Ning Liheng, treated you poorly... Uh, better not say I treated you at all..."

"A nickname you gave yourself?"

"How is it? Overflowing with killing intent, right?"

"Ugly..."

"This chicken can testify the nickname is very fitting."

Ning Yi didn't argue with her, preparing various spices including cumin, then slightly modifying the stove. Lu Hongti said: "My injuries have recovered fifty percent. If I wanted to leave now, it would still be risky. But if I recover completely, not using the city gates wouldn't be a major hindrance for me."

Ning Yi paused: "So... I still have some time to knock martial arts secrets out of you?"

"You... are truly annoying."

"Hehe." Ning Yi laughed, not provoking her further. He began roasting the skewered chicken over the charcoal fire. These were new recipes from Zhu's head chef, and before long, fragrant aromas filled the air. Thunder rumbled outside—it looked like rain again. Ning Yi turned his head.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask—why did you want to kill Song Xian?"

Over there, Lu Hongti's eyes narrowed slightly, like a cat with its fur standing on end, just staring at Ning Yi like that...