Han Wujin silently glanced at Xu Ping’an.
In the blink of an eye, the bottle in his hand vanished without a trace.
“You’re not even going to ask me what I gave you?”
Han Wujin still wore that cold and aloof expression, leaning against the doorpost with his head lowered, calmly replying, “If you tell me, I’ll listen. If not, then you must have your reasons, Mister.” This guy, as always, was just asking to be beaten.
Xu Ping’an shook his head, truly wondering if a guy with this personality could ever find a wife in his lifetime.
“That bottle contains ten Ice Lotus Small Restoration Pills. If you have internal injuries or your inner strength is depleted, taking one will quickly restore both.”
At these words, Han Wujin’s face showed a flicker of emotion before quickly settling back into his calm demeanor, still leaning casually.
“What, not even a ‘thank you’?”
Xu Ping’an looked at Han Wujin with amused interest, while Han Wujin merely gave him a faint glance before lowering his head again in silence.
He knew this man called Han Wujin, also known as the Han Sword.
He was naturally someone who disliked saying “thank you,” somewhat blunt, and most importantly, genuinely reliable.
Although he never voiced it, this gift of the Ice Lotus Small Restoration Pills was something he would remember.
Watching this stubborn mule of a man, Xu Ping’an shook his head and chuckled softly.
He was about to step inside when suddenly he remembered something and quickly turned back to Han Wujin.
“I say, you’re not planning to just lean here all night, are you? Not going to sleep?”
“I have reached the Heavenly Human Realm. Sleeping or not makes little difference.”
“The Heavenly Human Realm… after Chaos Force? So you’ve really reached a level only Immortals can achieve?”
Xu Ping’an’s interest piqued, turning back to face Han Wujin, who remained cool and silent, giving only a hum in response.
Seeing him like that, Xu Ping’an casually pulled over a chair and sat by the doorway.
“Hey~ Tell me, is there a realm above the Heavenly Human Realm? There are rumors outside that once a Martial Artist surpasses Chaos Force and steps into the Immortal stage, they can rival cultivators. Is that true?”
Han Wujin sighed, a bit unwilling to talk.
“It is.”
“And the realms? Although it’s rare in Great Qi for Martial Artists to reach the Immortal stage, there must be distinctions within the realms, right?”
“There are.”
“Tell me, what are they?”
Han Wujin seemed slightly impatient, falling silent for a moment before patiently explaining:
“When Martial Artists begin, they are simply warriors—without inner strength, only training their muscles and bones.”
“When muscles and bones mature, and the blood and qi are abundant, they transform qi into strength. This is Bright Strength, officially marking entry into expert ranks.”
“Mastering Bright Strength, one gradually senses its limits, then learns to convert Bright Strength into intangible power. This is Dark Strength, signifying a first-rate Martial Artist.”
“At the peak of Dark Strength, one can freely shift between Bright and Dark forces, inner strength flowing endlessly like a river. This is Chaos Force, the supreme level of Martial Arts.”
“Reaching this is the limit for most Martial Artists, unless one has great destiny, talent, and perseverance.”
“And above that?”
Xu Ping’an grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, eating as he listened.
“Above Chaos Force, thirteen meridians are clear and no further advancement is possible. But if inner strength can flow like water, gradually solidify, and start connecting the acupoints around the body, eventually transforming strength into spirit—this is the Heavenly Human Realm.”
“So, that means Martial Artists aiming for the Immortal realm must transform their qi into spiritual energy?”
“Yes.”
“And beyond the Heavenly Human Realm?”
“Unknown.”
“Ah?”
Xu Ping’an was stunned, but saw impatience flicker in Han Wujin’s eyes as he turned to look at him.
“Mister, it’s late. You should rest.”
“Ah? But we haven’t finished talking yet~”
Xu Ping’an wanted to say more, curious about what Han Wujin had been up to recently since they hadn’t met in a while.
But Han Wujin gave him no chance to speak, raising a hand and pushing him inside.
The stool was kicked in after him, scraping harshly against the ground before landing exactly where it belonged.
The door slammed shut with a bang, and Han Wujin’s voice came from inside:
“Mister, rest assured. I will take care of things here.”
“Hey, wait, I still…”
Xu Ping’an tried to protest, remembering that Han Wujin had never acted this way before.
When did he start using force on him?
Could it be… Han Wujin finally saw him as a friend, not just a respected teacher?
Had he finally woken up and planned to treat him as an equal?
But before Xu Ping’an could feel pleased, a sudden metallic clash rang out from outside.
Through the window lattice, he caught a glimpse of sparks flying as two figures flashed by.
One figure’s shadow was cast against the window in the moonlight, and at the same time, a sharp metallic clang echoed at the door.
There was no need to see it clearly to know that it wasn’t a sword or anything of the sort. It was… an arrow!!
Someone actually dared to use arrows within the City of Chaoge to kill him?
Since the founding of Great Qi, bows and crossbows, and arrows had been forbidden weapons.
There were no restrictions outside the city, but inside Chaoge, bows and arrows were absolutely prohibited!
“An Lüzhi… No, it’s unlikely to be him.”
Though Xu Ping’an had never met An Lüzhi, the Left Prime Minister had been active in Great Qi for eight years.
Over these eight years, Xu Ping’an had seen many things, and though he hadn’t met An Lüzhi, it was unlikely to be him.
Then… where did Han Wujin’s information come from?
It was probably deliberately leaked. And this person must know him well, at least having some knowledge of his past path.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have passed the information to Han Wujin.
This person behind it first pinned the blame on An Lüzhi, but not all at once—it was a step-by-step manipulation, from the Qian Family, to the assassination attempts on the road, and finally to the arrow found within the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence in Chaoge.
All of it seemed to point toward someone opposing the Zhennan King.
And among the Great Qi court officials, only the Left Prime Minister An Lüzhi could confront the Zhennan King directly.
No evidence was left behind, only an impression that An Lüzhi wanted to kill him.
Precisely this style of leaving no evidence made people even more convinced that only the Left Prime Minister had the ability to pull it off.
Unease settled in his heart.
While he was still thinking, silence returned to the outside.
“Mister, please rest assured. With me here, nothing will happen.”