That said, Tiger Girl's martial arts specialty was simple and direct, without any complicated variations. Her lifelong cultivation had been devoted to carrying that single trait to its utmost extreme.
In Ye Lang's words, the path of martial arts began by turning simplicity into complexity, then later turning complexity back into simplicity. In the end, one would use the simplest of moves, perhaps even nothing more than a straight punch.
Yet upon reaching that realm, even if you knew exactly what the move was and where it would ultimately strike, you would still never be able to evade it—unless you too were a peerless expert of the same rank.
Tiger Girl had not skipped the process in between. She too had gone from simple to complex, but her complexity was far simpler than that of others.
After the thunderstorm-like tempest reached its peak, it suddenly fell still. Extreme motion became extreme stillness, and the streams of force vanished along with it. The entire courtyard became calm.
Yet something was very strange throughout this process: from beginning to end, everything around Ye Lang remained tranquil. Even the large pile of books on the table beside him sat perfectly still, untouched by Tiger Girl's force.
This was not because Tiger Girl had spared Ye Lang; she was not yet capable of such control. The only explanation was Ye Lang himself. Somehow, by some unknown method, he had calmed that force.
It was truly strange. Had anyone seen it, they would have been filled with doubt. How could a Thirteenth Young Master who supposedly knew nothing actually dissolve such force?
Could it be that this Thirteenth Young Master was hiding his true abilities? Or did he possess some special alchemical device capable of pacifying such force?
Tiger Girl did not find it strange, perhaps because she had not noticed, or perhaps because she had grown used to it. Ye Lang had always sat quietly at the side like this.
Besides, Tiger Girl discovered something new about Ye Lang every day. If she were astonished by every little thing, she would have become a bundle of raw nerves long ago!
"Young Master, I have now completely mastered the Yang Family Spear Technique." Tiger Girl seemed to be seeking praise, wanting Ye Lang to commend her. A single word from him could make her very happy.
Of course, that was only because of the bond between them, not because Tiger Girl enjoyed praise by nature. If it were anyone else, she would simply ignore them. And sometimes Ye Lang would also ask Tiger Girl to praise him, wanting her to admire him.
It was a very special bond, yet also a very ordinary one. It was simply the kind of affection between childhood friends who had grown up together, something rarely seen in modern society.
Friends who did not distinguish between male and female, who could accompany each other through childhood and play together, then share joy and pain, success and failure after growing up.
"Mhm, not bad. All you need now is a little more tempering; all you need is time. Your young master is strong too—I have memorized all of Ban's notes. Now I only need to study them. That too is merely a matter of time." Ye Lang replied with a smile, though his gaze never left the book in his hands.
"Hmph! You're just brushing me off again. I'm going to take a bath. Sit there and don't run around." Tiger Girl gave a soft snort, seeming a little unhappy. After reminding him, she went inside to bathe.
She was still accustomed to seeing Ye Lang as someone who needed looking after—the foolish Thirteenth Young Master. But to her, even if Ye Lang were normal—no, even if he were someone who could not only take care of himself but also take care of others—she would still treat him as someone who needed her care.
"Oh, got it." Ye Lang answered as naturally as ever, then continued reading and enjoyed this moment of peace.
After quite some time, a young girl rushed in from outside and immediately demanded, "Little brother, why did you hire a mercenary group? They've come knocking already! What exactly are you trying to do? Don't tell me you're playing the Prodigal Son again?"
Needless to say, this girl was Ye Lanyu. From her experience, whenever Ye Lang did something like this, it was usually extravagant waste—pure, unadulterated waste.
Ye Lang blankly stared for a while, then slowly raised his head. He looked at Ye Lanyu and continued staring blankly, as though he were thinking about something.
At this point, Ye Lanyu had yet to notice Ye Lang's strange behavior. She merely continued, "It must be that. Otherwise, why would you hire the Anna Mercenary Group? They're one of the top hundred large mercenary groups on the continent, and one of the few all-female mercenary groups. Little brother, your motives aren't pure..."
"I am pure." Ye Lang replied blankly.
"..."
"Little brother, what exactly are you planning this time? Not only did you hire them, you demanded that their entire group be dispatched, not one person fewer. Since it is supposedly an escort mission, what exactly are you escorting?" Ye Lanyu could not make heads or tails of it. This situation had left her thoroughly confused.
According to what she had learned, the Anna Mercenary Group had received Ye Lang's commission request two months ago. They had only come to his door now, not because Ye Lang had requested the delay, nor entirely because they had been too busy, but because Ye Lang's conditions were rather strange.
Ye Lang's condition was that the entire mercenary group had to carry out this mission. The full group was required. The time was no issue; he could wait until all their members had gathered.
The mercenary group only knew that it was an escort mission and nothing else. Ordinarily, mercenary groups would ask for the details, then decide how many people to send based on the circumstances. They would not necessarily dispatch their entire group, and even if the client requested it, they might not agree. Yet this time, they had agreed, solely because Ye Lang had offered a commission so generous that no mercenary group could refuse it.
They now knew one thing clearly: this Thirteenth Young Master Ye truly deserved his reputation as a supreme Prodigal Son. He simply did not treat money as money!
"Are you sure this isn't some new trick of yours for playing the Prodigal Son?" Ye Lanyu asked suspiciously as she looked at the blankly staring Ye Lang.
Although Ye Lang had been much quieter over the past three months, hardly wasting money or doing anything outrageous, the impression he had left in the past was too deeply rooted. It was only natural for people to suspect that he was trying some new stunt, and to doubt that he was actually escorting any treasure.
Moreover, Ye Lanyu had been by Ye Lang's side from childhood to adulthood. She felt that he had nothing that needed escorting. He had never had anyone to send anything to; he had remained in the Imperial City from childhood to adulthood and had no contact with people outside. How could he possibly have anything to deliver?
"No!" Ye Lang seemed to snap back to his senses. Then, in a tone carrying a faint sorrow, he said, "This time, it isn't for fun. There is serious business to handle..."
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