Wen Siyi's Kept Man

"Tut, tut..."

The girl watching the fight let out a cry and jogged over excitedly. She glanced at the assassin a few times, then looked at Mei Ye, who sheathed his blade with an indifferent expression, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Even that couldn't stump you?"

The girl circled Mei Ye, clicking her tongue in amazement.

"What are you doing here?"

Mei Ye did not look at the girl. He had already guessed who she was.

That tone was hard to forget.

"Just passing by, just passing by..."

The girl—Wen Siyi—smiled with narrowed eyes, though it was clearly a lie.

"Since you were just passing by, then please be on your way, young miss."

Mei Ye spoke to the high school student. For some reason, he had always felt that women were a huge nuisance. Whenever women were involved, nothing good ever came of it.

"Is that any way to treat a beautiful girl?"

Wen Siyi pouted and kicked a pebble by her feet. "That man attacked you. If not for me, you'd be the one lying here tonight."

Mei Ye knew that Wen Siyi's warning had indeed helped him somewhat, but what concerned him more right now was why the assassin had come to kill him, so he had no mind to respond to her.

"I have something important to deal with right now. I'll personally thank you another day."

Mei Ye spoke to Wen Siyi. Though the girl was exceedingly cute, Mei Ye was not a pedophile. He would not get close to an underage girl.

"The important matter you mentioned is this Limit-Breaker?"

Wen Siyi lifted her chin and nodded toward the corpse on the ground.

Mei Ye froze and looked at Wen Siyi again.

"A Limit-Breaker? What Limit-Breaker?"

Wen Siyi smiled. "Just a term for a certain group of people."

Mei Ye recalled how the assassin's strength had suddenly surged earlier. That had put immense pressure on him.

"That assassin suddenly became stronger because he was a Limit-Breaker?"

"Yes." Wen Siyi nodded. "But Limit-Breakers aren't a special exception. Every martial artist may become one."

Mei Ye raised an eyebrow. So this seemed to be a path to becoming stronger?

He considered the girl's bearing and attire. She likely came from a family of bells and cauldrons, a house of wealth and privilege, and knew much intelligence unknown to others.

"Then how does one become a Limit-Breaker?"

The assassin's threat had just passed, but he might often encounter Limit-Breakers in the future. It was necessary to understand the information.

"That isn't something that can be explained in a sentence or two. I'll tell you another day."

Wen Siyi turned her back to him and spoke lazily.

She stretched out her long legs and walked away as soon as she finished speaking.

"Wait," Mei Ye hurriedly grabbed her hand. After hesitating, he said, "It's already so late. There's no harm in having a meal before you leave."

"Hmph." Wen Siyi curled her lips arrogantly. "Didn't you have something important to do? Let's talk another day."

"Another day? What other day? Better to choose a day than stumble upon one!" Mei Ye declared righteously, without a shred of embarrassment. "I, Mei Ye, always repay kindness. No matter what, I must thank you properly today!"

Wen Siyi looked disdainfully at this shameless adult.

"Unfortunately, you may have time, but I might not. Goodbye, big brother."

With that, the girl started walking away again.

"Don't say that! My treat, you pick the place!"

Mei Ye grew anxious and hurriedly tried every soft and hard approach to keep the girl.

In the end, the wealthy young miss finally let go of her anger beneath Mei Ye's silver tongue.

The two turned into a homestyle restaurant by the street and found seats by the window.

The dishes arrived quickly, steaming hot.

"So... what exactly does Limit-Breaker mean? And how does a martial artist become one?"

Mei Ye shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice, wiped his mouth, and looked at Wen Siyi across from him.

"Limit-Breaker is merely a flattering term for pitiful people. Don't really think it's a good thing." Wen Siyi took a sip of juice and slowly set down her cup.

"What do you mean by that?"

Mei Ye frowned. "Is the price of becoming a Limit-Breaker very high?"

"Limit-Breaker is the name given to people whose martial foundations have accumulated to a certain point and broken past their limits," Wen Siyi explained. "But the accumulation of a Limit-Breaker's foundation is often flawed. They lack advanced martial arts, fail to nurture their bodies properly, spend every day running themselves ragged, and have no elder to guide them... Every link in martial arts is important. One wrong step may lead to breaking one's limits.

"And breaking one's limits means being beyond redemption."

"Qi deviation..."

Mei Ye weighed Wen Siyi's words and immediately understood what she meant.

"After these Limit-Breakers suffer qi deviation, what other difficulties do they face?"

"The most obvious one is a shortened lifespan." Wen Siyi smiled. "The powerful combat ability of Limit-Breakers comes from burning their lives. Every time they use their post-breakthrough power, they squander their remaining years."

"No wonder..." Mei Ye recalled the assassin's resentful gaze. That explained it. That fellow had been spending his life like currency.

If Mei Ye had held any thoughts about becoming a Limit-Breaker before, now he did not envy them in the slightest.

Clearly, martial artists who broke their limits were twisted.

"Once these Limit-Breakers suffer qi deviation, I'm afraid they can no longer make progress in martial arts, right?"

"Of course." Wen Siyi picked up some food and spoke while chewing. "Though it depends. My family has several Limit-Breakers. With careful recuperation, they successfully restored their physical condition."

"Oh? So Limit-Breakers aren't necessarily at death's door, beyond the reach of medicine?"

Mei Ye grew curious.

"Limit-Breakers vary in severity. Those with milder conditions can recover through recuperation, but those with severe conditions cannot."

As she spoke, Wen Siyi smiled. "The person who attacked you just now still had hope of being cured. I reckon he attacked you because he was trying to raise money for medicine."

"Are those medicinal ingredients expensive?"

"Of course they're expensive." Wen Siyi said it as if it were only natural. "The medicinal gardens across the Divine Land are managed and monitored by the authorities, to say nothing of that. Even on the black market, the relevant herbs often cost several million yuan."

"Why are they so expensive?"

Mei Ye frowned. This was already the second time he had lamented how extravagantly luxurious the resources required for martial cultivation were.

"I don't know. Everyone prices them that way. In any case, the court will not allow crucial martial resources like these to slip beyond the market's control."

Wen Siyi shrugged.

Mei Ye thought of the herbs he needed for his own breakthrough. They were similarly expensive.

He put down his chopsticks. If the herbs were not so costly, he might have been able to break through tonight.

Wen Siyi glanced at him. The light from afar happened to reveal the fine line of his jaw, while a flood of melancholy filled his eyes. Quiet as a prince.

Without realizing it, Wen Siyi's voice softened.

"Actually, big brother, martial artists within the system like you don't need to be so eager for quick success."

"I can't afford such precious things either." Mei Ye saw that she had read his mind and smiled to cover it up. "I can only muddle through day by day."

Wen Siyi knew he was saying the opposite of what he meant. In this world, who did not harbor some pursuit of martial cultivation?

"My teacher told me that haste makes waste.

"In martial cultivation, if you don't solidify your foundation and rashly attempt a breakthrough, you'll become a Limit-Breaker."

Mei Ye paused, seeming to hear the meaning beneath Wen Siyi's words.

"You mean... failing a breakthrough can turn someone into a Limit-Breaker?"

Mei Ye asked in shock.

"Limit-Breakers are not an accidental phenomenon. They are a chronic disease of the entire cultivation system." Wen Siyi stared into Mei Ye's eyes, her tone extremely solemn. "Other than the Body Tempering Realm, a beginner realm only somewhat stronger than ordinary people, everyone in every other realm has a Sword of Damocles hanging above their heads."

"For Limit-Breakers, it isn't that they cannot break through because they became Limit-Breakers. It is because their martial foundation is flawed that they became Limit-Breakers."

"Martial foundation..."

Mei Ye muttered. If one did not know whether one's martial foundation was complete, then one truly could not rush into a breakthrough.

"How do you determine whether a martial foundation is complete? With the naked eye?"

Mei Ye asked again.

"Big brother, are you really a Demon-Suppressing Guard?" Wen Siyi gave Mei Ye an odd look. "Why does it feel like you returned everything you learned in school to your teacher?"

Mei Ye felt somewhat embarrassed at that. He was not a native of this world, so he was not that familiar with martial knowledge.

"Could it be that Brother Mei did not graduate from the Five-School Alliance?"

Seeing Mei Ye's expression, Wen Siyi could not help guessing.

"No, I... I just happened to forget..."

Mei Ye said awkwardly. The Five-School Alliance referred to the Southern High-Level Universities Alliance. Every year, these schools supplied large numbers of talents to the southern political and business worlds.

Jiangnan Martial Arts University, where Mei Ye's former self had studied, was naturally among them. But unlike ordinary people who entered university through examinations, a large part of the reason he had been admitted was political posturing.

During all four years of university, every autumn, school staff would bring state subsidies to Mei Ye's dormitory and hand them to him personally, making him smile for photographs with them.

Jiangnan Martial Arts University had an extremely prestigious name, competing for first place in the country while assuredly holding second.

Yet its excessively high threshold also led people to question the unfair distribution of educational resources.

So, in order to pass the Ministry of Education's audit ratings and obtain more funding, Jiangnan Martial Arts University gave a small number of slots to high schools around the country.

Naturally, those slots had to be given to poor students.

Diligent and hardworking poor students, supported by Jiangnan Martial Arts University and nurtured at the nation's highest institution—this undoubtedly displayed the mercy and fairness of the Divine Land's most badass university.

But when all was said and done, these measures were merely a face-saving project devised by the university.

Mei Ye's former self had been grateful for this policy, because Jiangwu University was truly difficult to enter.

But his former self had also resented the policy, because funding him in front of his classmates was no different from publicly humiliating him.

Much of the bullying over the following four years had also stemmed from that.

...Of course, that was merely the pitiful tale of Mei Ye's former self.

What interested the current Mei Ye more was the knowledge Mei Ye had learned at Jiangnan Martial Arts University.

"Qi Gathering Condenses a Flower, Dragon-Extreme Golden Bone, Palace Conceals Five Forms..."

Mei Ye recited a mnemonic, and an image automatically surfaced in his mind: attending lectures by the corner of the university wall.

"Exactly, that's it! Qi Gathering Condenses a Flower!"

Wen Siyi nodded and smiled. "I thought Brother Mei had forgotten it long ago."

"When Qi Gathering Realm martial artists reach martial completion, a small flower appears in the qi sea at their dantian. The appearance of the small flower means they can break through safely.

"If there is no small flower, then there is a risk of becoming a Limit-Breaker.

"And the small flower differs in form at every stage of the Qi Gathering Realm.

"At the initial stage of Qi Gathering, the flower has three petals.

"At the middle stage, it has five petals. At the late stage, seven petals... These are the signs of martial completion in the Qi Gathering Realm.

"A complete martial foundation is the prerequisite for a breakthrough."

Mei Ye nodded lightly. It seemed he could not rush to buy breakthrough herbs. Attempting a breakthrough before his martial path was complete might turn him into a Limit-Breaker.

"Did big brother only just graduate from university?"

Seeing Mei Ye remain silent for a long while, Wen Siyi suddenly asked.

Mei Ye raised his eyes, puzzled. "Didn't you know that already?"

She had found his home, and her background was far from simple.

Mei Ye guessed that the girl had already investigated his identity.

Wen Siyi smiled without confirming or denying it.

"Although big brother has less experience than others, your cultivation is quite good," Wen Siyi praised him sincerely, though the tone was somewhat unpleasant to hear.

"Perhaps you'll break through within this year. But be careful, big brother. Being too fast isn't a good thing either, even if your martial foundation is complete."

"What do you mean?"

Wen Siyi smiled faintly. "A tall tree catches the wind. After all, big brother comes from a commoner background."

She spoke as though discussing lunch, stating an objective fact without the slightest emotional color.

Mei Ye frowned. He was not stupid. He could sense the rejection toward his style within the Demon Suppression Bureau.

But in terms of law and reason, he had done nothing wrong.

Naturally, he had no reason to care about other people's opinions.

"You worry too much, Miss Wen. The situation in my unit isn't as serious as you imagine."

Mei Ye used an honorific, both out of courtesy and respect for her.

"Is that so?"

A surprised expression appeared on Wen Siyi's face. She tilted her head. "Was my intelligence wrong? Or have my excessive worries annoyed you?"

"No." Mei Ye denied it politely. "I'm merely stating the facts."

"The facts..."

Wen Siyi appeared thoughtful. "But do you know how many bureau officers die each year? And what proportion of the Demon Suppression Bureau they make up?"

Mei Ye's heart stirred. It was probably not a small number.

After all, he had been in this world for a month. Though the Demon Suppression Bureau had not said anything, the situation was likely far from good.

"Ten percent."

Wen Siyi crossed two fingers, her tone full of amazement. "Ten percent every year. Any higher, and the Demon Suppression Bureau would be unable to function."

There had to be a balance between the old leaving and the new replacing them.

If too many veterans left the stage, the newcomers who followed would face immense pressure. They would receive neither protection nor training, and then the casualty rate would climb ever higher, forming a vicious cycle.

And ten percent was already extremely high.

Wen Siyi stared at the silent Mei Ye and chuckled. "The Demon Suppression Bureau isn't a welfare center. With such a high casualty rate, big brother should learn to preserve himself wisely. Especially a commoner like you—you'll be used as cannon fodder."

"You don't need to create anxiety for me." Mei Ye looked coldly at the girl, his gaze resistant. "I'll resolve my own matters. I won't accept another person's kindness for no reason."

"Ah..." Wen Siyi sighed softly at his words and gave Mei Ye a reproachful look. "Big brother, why do you always try to push me away?"

She propped up her cheek and studied Mei Ye's handsome face. With a grin, she said, "I'm only seventeen this year. Even if I wanted to keep a man, I couldn't."

"Hmph." Unable to withstand her gaze, Mei Ye turned his head aside. "Then what do you want?"

"To give you a soft... shortcut!"

You really meant living off a woman, didn't you?!

Mei Ye ranted wildly in his heart, then closed his eyes in speechless resignation. "No need. I'm not interested."

"It really is a shortcut, big brother."

Realizing she had misspoken, Wen Siyi's cheeks grew a little hot and her gaze darted away. "You're a civil servant, right? This definitely suits you. Do you know about the lists?"

Mei Ye raised his head and glanced at Wen Siyi, signaling for her to continue.

So Wen Siyi went on,

"As long as you get onto one of those lists, you can receive the system's protection."

"What are those?"

"They exist in every martial arts field, as part of the nation's strategic talent protection policy." Wen Siyi shrugged. "The list I got onto is called the 'River Elite Program.' It guaranteed my admission to the Five-School Alliance, and in the future, I'll receive certain special preferences at university as well."

"How do you get onto those lists?"

Mei Ye felt that this policy sounded familiar, yet he could not recall exactly what it was.

Wen Siyi smiled mysteriously and said in a coaxing tone, "The review requirements for these lists are extremely complicated. I can't explain them clearly in a short while, but if... if big brother is willing, I can help."

Mei Ye rolled his eyes.

After all that, wasn't she still asking him to live off a woman?

"No need." Mei Ye sighed. "I'm not fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits offered by that list."

There were fewer and fewer customers in the restaurant, and outside, the sky had turned completely dark.

The dishes on the table had gone cold, gleaming with oil.

"Thank you for the explanation, Miss Wen."

Mei Ye wiped his mouth and said coolly, "It's late. Hurry home and stay safe."

He stood and called for a waiter to pay the bill.

Seeing this, Wen Siyi also set down her utensils, rose, and followed him.

The two left the restaurant together. The moon shone bright in the night sky, neon lights and revelry spread in every direction, and a cool night breeze drifted over them.

"Brother Mei,"

Wen Siyi suddenly said. The night wind stirred her soft, flowing hair, and her voice came unusually clear.

"Although the Demon Suppression Bureau has complicated factions and waters deeper than they look, getting onto a list isn't the only way to gain protection."

Hearing this, Mei Ye turned and fixed his gaze on the girl.

"The system's strict hierarchy and authority cannot be questioned, but that only applies to ordinary people." Wen Siyi looked into his eyes, her smile faint. "If someone's achievements are dazzling enough and their reputation great enough, then even if those above want to block his future, they'll have to think twice."

"This is the only path for an ordinary person to rise against the odds."

Wen Siyi looked at Mei Ye and paused. "Become a hero."

"A hero..." Mei Ye repeated the word.

He sighed with feeling. "A hero?"

Wen Siyi smiled, her eyes curved as she stared at Mei Ye's face as though she were looking at a priceless treasure.

"I believe you'll become a peerless hero."

Mei Ye froze.

"Miss Wen, you investigated my background." He looked into the girl's eyes. "We've only met twice. I'm just a lowly Demon-Suppressing Guard. I'm not worth your special attention."

After meeting her only twice, Mei Ye had already noticed that this girl held an unusual interest in him.

She had appeared near his home. It seemed she had investigated his information.

Every now and then, her words revealed knowledge beyond the ordinary, and she had even expressed willingness to help him.

Mei Ye could not figure out what this girl meant.

If she was merely looking for amusement, there was no need to go this far, was there?

Besides, he had no such thoughts toward a minor.

"Who knows?" Wen Siyi smiled, tapping the corner of her lips. She tilted her head and thought about it seriously. "Anyway, you're quite interesting. I don't want you to die too early."

Mei Ye fell silent, unable to tell whether she was speaking the truth or lying.

After a long while, since he could not figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it.

A faint engine sound came from the roadside.

A black sedan silently pulled up by the curb.

At some point, a man in black whose martial cultivation was impossible to gauge had appeared beside them. He opened the car door and bowed to Wen Siyi with an inviting gesture.

Mei Ye stared at the mysterious attendant and the car, utterly startled.

He had not sensed these people's presence at all. Was this how a noble young lady's security detail operated?

Wen Siyi glanced at Mei Ye, bent down, and entered the car.

After the door closed, the black window rolled down, revealing her lovely and delicate face.

"Brother Mei,"

She waved at Mei Ye. The streetlights reflected off her perfect smile.

"Do your best. I believe in you."