“Utter nonsense. How could this possibly be some paper-hitting game? This is clearly an advanced cultivation technique—you just don’t understand it.”
Su Chen spouted nonsense with a completely serious expression.
Although it really was just a simple game with paper, there was no way he was going to admit that.
“I can’t believe you. I told you to teach her something serious, and you’re out here tricking her again. Don’t you feel even a little guilty?”
The miniature version of the Imperial Mentor System, now materialized as a tiny human figure, was still making one last attempt at resistance.
“Sigh… A frog in a well cannot fathom the sea. A summer insect cannot speak of ice. How can a mere system like you comprehend the depth of my thoughts…”
Su Chen’s tone turned airy and unfathomable, as if he were discussing some profound truth.
***
On the other side, Ruo Ximeng had already started cultivating the power-based technique.
She casually tossed a piece of rice paper into the air and, like a child at play, threw out a delicate punch.
Seeing her earnestly practice, Su Chen felt proud of his teaching methods.
He had only demonstrated the technique twice, and Ruo Ximeng had already mastered it.
She spent the entire morning diligently working on her strength technique.
In the spacious courtyard, sheets of rice paper fluttered upward, while graceful fists struck out one after another.
With each punch she delivered, another sheet of paper was torn apart in midair.
Of course, even someone without any cultivation could break a sheet of rice paper.
So to Su Chen, all of this looked perfectly normal.
While Ruo Ximeng continued her rigorous training, Su Chen headed off to the kitchen—to blow it up.
Well, at least that was what it looked like on the surface. In truth, he was researching new dishes.
***
Back in the courtyard, Ruo Ximeng had been practicing for quite a while and was now drenched in fragrant sweat.
Though tired, she was pleased with her results.
At first, she couldn’t even tear the paper.
Now, she could easily destroy it with every punch.
With each strike, another sheet of rice paper would burst apart on impact.
That was clear progress.
“Master said that once I understand explosive force, I’ll be ready to work on penetration power…”
“But… how exactly do I train for penetration?”
Ruo Ximeng sat quietly on the stone steps, resting her delicate chin on her palm as she pondered.
Su Chen had told her that cultivation was all about drawing inferences from one example.
If she could grasp explosive force, then naturally she should also be able to figure out how to develop penetration power.
Yet for some reason, her mind was completely blank right now.
A light breeze swept through, lifting a strand of her dark hair across her forehead, and causing the nearby rice paper to rustle in the wind.
In that moment, a spark of inspiration flashed across her beautiful eyes.
“I understand now!”
Suddenly, Ruo Ximeng leapt to her feet.
This time, she threw out two sheets of rice paper, one slightly ahead of the other.
As the sheets floated forward in staggered formation, she released another delicate punch.
A blast of invisible force rippled from her fist, carried by her punch’s wind—there was now a hint of true intent in her strike.
Crack!
Both sheets of paper were shattered one after the other.
Still, Ruo Ximeng shook her head.
To her, this wasn’t true penetration power.
In her understanding, true penetration meant that the first sheet of paper would remain completely untouched, while the one behind it would be destroyed.
Now that she had found the right direction, Ruo Ximeng resumed her long and focused training.
Boom!
Just as Ruo Ximeng continued practicing in the courtyard, a loud explosion echoed from the kitchen once more.
Su Chen had spent the past few days watching many renowned chefs in the imperial capital cook, but while his eyes had learned, his brain certainly hadn’t.
And so, as expected, another culinary disaster erupted in the kitchen!
***
Outside the courtyard where Su Chen and Ruo Ximeng lived, a familiar figure arrived once again.
As the War Goddess of Great Yan, Yanhuang believed that only by becoming ever stronger and wielding overwhelming power could she protect the people of Great Yan.
Unfortunately, her cultivation had hit a bottleneck several years ago, and she hadn’t been able to break through since.
Now, the only method she could think of… was to steal a few techniques.
There was no doubt about Su Chen’s strength.
Even if she could only learn a move or two by staying near him, it would still be of immense benefit—and might even help her break through her bottleneck.
After knocking on the door, a servant quickly invited Yanhuang inside.
By now, all the attendants at Ruo Ximeng’s residence knew that the mighty War Goddess of Great Yan was a close friend of both Princess Ruo Ximeng and Mister Su Chen.
This time, Yanhuang had come not only to seek guidance from Su Chen, but also to visit Ruo Ximeng.
As she stepped into the estate, the first thing she saw was Ruo Ximeng in the courtyard… playing with paper.
“So Ximeng is here playing by herself,” Yanhuang said with a gentle smile.
Her stunningly beautiful face lit up with a charming expression.
Though Ruo Ximeng was clever and well-mannered, she was still just a child.
It was perfectly natural for her to enjoy a little fun now and then.
“Wait—no!”
A moment later, Yanhuang’s body suddenly tensed.
As she looked more closely, her pupils contracted sharply, and waves of shock surged in her heart.
‘What profound and exquisite mastery of power control! This technique of shifting weight so naturally—making the heavy feel light and the light feel heavy—there’s no way this can be achieved without decades of painstaking cultivation!’
‘Young Master Su is truly extraordinary! He’s only been teaching Ximeng for a short time, yet she’s already mastered such a technique!’
Yanhuang was utterly shaken.
She had never imagined that Ruo Ximeng could reach this level.
Now, more than ever, she was curious—just how exactly had Su Chen been training Ruo Ximeng?
But this wasn’t something she could ask the girl directly.
A technique of this level was clearly a closely guarded secret.
Asking Ximeng outright would only put her in a difficult position.
“Brilliant! Truly brilliant!”
Yanhuang’s eyes sparkled with wonder as she watched Ruo Ximeng play the “paper game” in the courtyard.
Her heart was filled with astonishment and admiration.
‘This technique may appear as gentle and ordinary as a stream flowing quietly through a valley, but in truth, it is the epitome of effortless perfection—supreme mastery disguised as simplicity!’
‘To be taught such a technique… Ximeng is truly blessed!’
At that moment, Ruo Ximeng was completely absorbed in her training, unaware that her beloved Yanhuang jiejie had arrived.
In fact, she didn’t even know that what Su Chen had taught her was nothing more than a simple paper-folding game.
The mysterious and profound power control technique she was now displaying had nothing to do with the game—it was the result of her own monstrous talent and natural insight.
Unfortunately, Su Chen was currently busy blowing up the kitchen again and had no idea how much progress Ruo Ximeng had made.
And as a beginner in cultivation, Ruo Ximeng herself had no idea how remarkable her current level of power control truly was.
As for the War Goddess Yanhuang, she had seen only the results—without any understanding of the events leading up to them.
So now, all she could feel was awe.
Pure and utter awe.
“Yanhuang jiejie, you’re here!” Ruo Ximeng suddenly called out with delight after finishing her practice.
At this moment, the two people she loved the most—one was her master, and the other was, of course, her Yanhuang jiejie.