Zhuge Pen

"I am truly sorry, but our shop does not carry the Zhuge Pen you are looking for."

Hearing the clerk's words, Huang Shang nodded and walked out of the shop.

During this period, he had been studying with even greater thirst and hunger.

Knowledge is power.

This saying had become reality.

Through observing his fellow students, he also discovered that literary qi was not unique to him.

Every scholar was shrouded in this power to some degree; among Zhang Zai's disciples, there were several whose literary qi was not inferior to his own.

It was just that they were unable to utilize it, sitting on a mountain of treasure yet unable to enter.

There was no helping it.

After all, using the Dao Scripture as a foundation, requiring peerless talent for inspiration, and needing rare treasures for propulsion—these conditions were far too harsh.

Fortunately, by treating literature as martial arts, he had already carved out a path unique to this world.

Being unique was certainly impressive, but it also had its inconveniences.

He had hit a wall regarding his weapon.

An ordinary writing brush simply could not withstand his literary qi.

Xu Feng was ignorant of this path, so he had to find a way himself.

After consulting many of his fellow students, Huang Shang received a recommendation—

The Zhuge Pen.

The Zhuge Pen became famous in later generations and was highly praised by Su Shi.

At that time, Su Shi had been demoted to Lingnan and, upon finally returning to the capital, was amazed when he used a Zhuge Pen.

Note that the Zhuge Pen was not invented by Zhuge Liang, but by the Zhuge family, masters of brush-making from the Southern Tang.

Passed down to the present, there was a Zhuge Gao in Xuanzhou who excelled at making them.

The brush-maker Zhuge Gao was renowned throughout the land as the best.

What Huang Shang wanted was a Zhuge Pen crafted by the hands of Zhuge Gao himself.

It could not be called a spiritual object, but among the mediocre, it was the best, and it should suffice for his current needs.

Unfortunately, there were too many scholars, and brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were the most sought-after goods.

Let alone a brush made by Zhuge Gao himself, even those made by other members of the Zhuge family were not things a commoner like Huang Shang could purchase.

Demand far exceeded supply.

"It is time to return home for the provincial examinations."

Huang Shang sighed, his mind made up.

With the fifty strings of cash from Xu Yue buying his paintings, Huang Shang was not short on money, but in the Great Song, status had to be earned through academic rank.

Ever since he began cultivating literary qi, his senses had become sharp, his mind refreshed, and his thinking efficiency had doubled.

Zhang Zai had already left, but he could still learn knowledge from his fellow students.

He had already grasped the essence of the Guan School for the most part.

The mere provincial examination would be no problem.

And the process of taking the exam was also a process of accumulating literary qi.

The cultivation path of a scholar was just this plain, unadorned, and boring.

Before returning home, Huang Shang knocked on the door, but no one answered.

He could not help but feel a bit strange.

Ever since Xu Feng moved in, the servants had been dismissed.

Cultivation could not be disturbed by outsiders.

Originally, Huang Shang thought Xu Yue would appear quickly, but this "elder sister" mentioned by Xu Feng had remained elusive, like a dragon hiding its head and tail.

This placed great pressure on him.

If both reincarnators were present, he would have a chance to remedy any slip-ups.

Now, with one in the light and one in the dark, the person involved is confused while the bystander sees clearly; Xu Feng was easy to deal with, but if Xu Yue observed anything, it would be dangerous.

Fortunately, my energy is much stronger than before, otherwise, with my nerves constantly on edge, I really wouldn't be able to hold on!

"Eh? Where is everyone?"

Retrieving his key and walking into the house, Huang Shang looked left and right; Xu Feng was actually gone.

This reincarnator had been hypocritically feigning injury just to build a rapport with him.

Huang Shang did not hesitate to learn quite a bit of experience from Xu Feng.

Knowledge is interconnected, and the same holds true for experience.

Although the cultivation systems differ, many of the underlying principles offer valuable inspiration.

Stones from other hills may serve to polish the jade of this one.

Therefore, Huang Shang found himself quite fond of Xu Feng.

It was only the thought of Xu Yue, who had been observing from the shadows, that gave him a headache.

But now, Xu Feng had suddenly departed without a word.

Huang Shang touched the bedding; it was still warm. He frowned slightly. "He left in such a hurry..."

After a moment of thought, he did not venture out. He remained in the room, reading and reviewing his studies, waiting for Xu Feng to return.

From their previous interactions, he had roughly gauged Xu Feng's strength.

While this fellow could be a bit dim, he was absolutely formidable in combat.

He was not merely a Star-level powerhouse; he was likely a standout among the one-star ranks.

When choosing his target for infiltration, Huang Shang had obtained the peak combat power data for all key plot characters.

According to the evaluation criteria of the Main God Temple, only the Sweeping Monk and Xiaoyaozi were two-star powerhouses in this world; everyone else was one-star.

Given Xu Feng's strength, he had no need to fear plot-based powerhouses in a one-on-one fight; even if he couldn't win, he could always retreat.

If the threat wasn't a plot-based powerhouse, then it must be a hostile reincarnator.

Sure enough, just as Huang Shang finished his evening meal, Xu Feng entered the room, his expression looking extremely grim. "My sister is in trouble!"

Xu Feng's acting skills were amateurish; Huang Shang could tell the truth from the lie at a glance.

At this moment, his lips were pressed tight, his hands were balled into fists, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of worry that was absolutely genuine.

Huang Shang spoke: "Calm your heart! Still your spirit!"

These four words were not empty comfort, but a channeling of literary qi to soothe his emotions.

Xu Feng took a deep breath, and his expression returned to a state of calm.

Ever since entering the space, he had always acted in tandem with Xu Yue. They worked in perfect harmony and had progressed smoothly, but now that his sister—his backbone—had met with disaster and he couldn't even reach her through their Star Mark, he had lost his composure.

When it comes to the safety of loved ones, concern leads to chaos.

However, he was a battle-hardened reincarnator after all, and he began to recount the sequence of events: "My sister and I came to Kaifeng together to investigate the conspiracy of the Western Xia. That night, she saw someone sneaking out of the Imperial City and followed them, discovering that the thief was hiding in the Worry-Free Cave."

"The Worry-Free Cave!" Huang Shang's expression darkened.

He had not forgotten that when the Beggar Sect disciples threatened him, their intent was to drag him into the Worry-Free Cave.

Worry-Free, Worry-Free—the name itself was the cruelest irony.

It was a place where filth and corruption festered beneath the prosperity of the capital. Countless tragedies occurred there; it was a forbidden zone for the authorities and a paradise for thieves.

Xu Feng continued: "My sister didn't act rashly and kept investigating for clues, but she suddenly went missing today. Her last known location was locked to the Worry-Free Cave, and her communication link has been severed. I am very worried."

Huang Shang asked curiously: "What do you mean by communication link?"

Xu Feng hurriedly improvised: "It's just a secret martial arts technique, a form of telepathic transmission. As long as my sister and I are within a ten-mile radius, we can contact each other."

Huang Shang wore a look of feigned understanding, though he was truly envious in his heart.

The perks of being a Star-level powerhouse were indeed good.

This ten-mile radius referred to a large circle with a ten-mile radius.

The area was roughly over eighty square kilometers.

Although the Eastern Capital Kaifeng Prefecture covered over six thousand square kilometers, the urban area was only about three hundred square kilometers.

This range could already encompass a quarter of the capital city.

Huang Shang asked for many more details, and Xu Feng did his best to describe them using archaic vocabulary.

Huang Shang had a grasp of the situation and made his judgment: "This looks like a trap, meant to lure you into an ambush!"

Xu Feng didn't like to use his brain, but that didn't mean he was stupid. Recalling Xu Yue's abilities, he was pleasantly surprised instead of alarmed: "Yes, they can't do anything to my sister. Heh, as long as she's safe, that's all that matters!"

Huang Shang, however, shook his head: "Saving a life is like fighting a fire; it cannot be delayed. We shall head to the Worry-Free Cave now and act according to the situation."

Xu Feng was stunned.

He had originally only wanted Huang Shang to offer some advice, knowing that his own heart was straightforward and he wasn't one for tactical maneuvering.

He hadn't expected Huang Shang to be so self-sacrificing despite knowing the danger, and he was deeply moved. After a moment of thought, he said: "Those enemies are not people you can handle, but you are more familiar with Kaifeng than I am. It's settled: you must stay on the periphery. Do not participate in the final battle."

He paused, his expression shifting: "Wait here!"

With that, he leaped out of the room.

In just a quarter of an hour, Xu Feng returned and pulled a brush from his robes: "Take it!"

Huang Shang's eyes lit up as he took it.

What Xu Feng had produced was none other than the Zhuge Pen.

The shaft was crafted from mottled bamboo, and the bristles were a blend of two types of animal hair, standing in uneven tufts. It was full and rounded, with a perfect balance of softness and firmness.

What delighted Huang Shang even more was that when his literary qi filled the brush, there was no resistance at all; it was an exceptionally perfect fit.

Xu Feng laughed, "I knew you were looking for a usable brush, so I had a buddy of mine get this for you!"

"A man of the pugilistic world, robbing the rich to aid the poor—well done!"

Huang Shang silently gave a thumbs-up, took the brush, and nodded, "No time to lose, let's go!"

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