Deal

"Ding—drawing began. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the god-tier cultivation technique, the Dark Yin Sword Canon."

Li Chen Zhou leaned against the broken window of the teahouse. The frame creaked in the night wind, flakes of peeling plaster rustling down onto his shoulders; the black pattern in his right palm still throbbed faintly. Moonlight filtered through the torn window paper, casting cobweb-like shadows across his pale face. He frowned. "System, where exactly did this technique come from?"

"Sword Demon Dugu Ye's ultimate art from thirty years ago. When his sword emerged, it was like a phantom; he killed without leaving a trace," the system answered mechanically. "Would you like to fuse with it immediately?"

"Wait..." Li Chen Zhou suddenly narrowed his eyes. The wind blowing through the hall struck the bronze bell beneath the eaves, ringing out sharply. "I remember you said this was the complete version?"

"Yes. The Host has obtained the complete version of the Dark Yin Sword Canon."

"Then why..." His fingers halted in midair. A wisp of smoke from someone's cooking drifted in from outside, mingling with the damp smell of mildew. He pointed at the fine print beneath the system interface. "Does it say here: Note: cultivating the complete form requires self-castration?"

"The Dark Yin Sword Canon is supremely yin and supple. Cultivating its complete form requires a body of pure yin," the system explained calmly. An owl beneath the eaves suddenly gave a strange cry. "After cultivation, the Host's physique will gradually become feminized..."

The system paused for a moment. "The complete version contains every cultivation path, including the two options of a pure yang body and a pure yin body."

Li Chen Zhou's eyes lit up as the teahouse beams suddenly let out a faint groan. "So I can choose to cultivate it without castrating myself?"

"Theoretically, that is possible." The system's voice suddenly became distant and indistinct, as though it had blended with the echo of the night watchman's clapper at the mouth of the alley. "However, cultivating with a pure yang body is ten times more difficult than with a pure yin body, and..."

"And what?"

"And throughout history, no one has ever cultivated the complete version with a pure yang body."

Li Chen Zhou slammed his fist against the window frame, rotten wood chips scattering across the blue-brick floor. "You're screwing with me?"

"The system is merely stating the facts." The mechanical voice returned to calm as barking drifted over from afar. "It is recommended that the Host first attempt the general outline."

"Stop!" Cold sweat beaded on Li Chen Zhou's forehead. A rat suddenly darted past the corner of the wall, knocking over an empty wine jar. "I choose not to fuse with it for now."

"It has been stored for the Host and may be retrieved at any time."

Just then, a soft crack sounded downstairs, like the sound of roof tiles breaking.

"Someone's here." Li Chen Zhou's nerves instantly tightened. The wind lifted one corner of the window paper, revealing a night sky black as ink outside. "System, scan the surroundings."

"One sixth-rank martial artist detected. Profile match: Liu Xian, a Hundred Household Officer of the Eastern Depot."

"Young Lord Li." Liu Xian raised his head and chuckled, his voice like a venomous snake slithering over ice. Moonlight gleamed on the bright Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist. "This one has been waiting here for quite some time."

Li Chen Zhou quickly asked inwardly, System, what condition am I in right now?

Host's current condition: 30% of peak state

Recommendation: Avoid direct conflict

Damn it... Li Chen Zhou cursed inwardly, though his face remained impassive. The teahouse beams groaned beneath their unbearable burden. "Eunuch Liu, what brings you here so late at night?"

Before Liu Xian could answer, Zhao Da Chui's booming voice rang out. "Hahaha, even the Eastern Depot's eunuch dogs have come to join the fun?"

Grasshopper Sun San chimed in with a strange, mocking tone. "That face is prettier than the top courtesan at the House of Blossoms. What a waste to become a eunuch."

Liu Xian's face flushed crimson. His jade finger guards scraped together with a piercing shriek, while the lantern beneath the eaves swayed in the wind, throwing everyone's twisted shadows across the wall. "Clean them up for me!"

Dozens of Eastern Depot agents surged forward like a black tide. Zhao Da Chui's wild laughter came to an abrupt stop—four iron chains had already wound around his limbs. Just as Sun San tried to use his lightness skill, a streak of silver nailed him to a pillar, the cracks in the wood plainly visible.

Li Chen Zhou's pupils contracted sharply. Sanskrit characters from the Golden Bell Shield surfaced over his body, and moonlight spilled between the golden patterns, glinting with an eerie chill.

Liu Xian sneered. "Is this the confidence of the Young Duke?"

System, analyze Liu Xian's condition, Li Chen Zhou urgently demanded inwardly.

"Target's blood and qi are in disorder, and his meridians are flowing in reverse. This matches the signs of cultivation backlash. Recommendation: His weakness may be exploited."

Liu Xian's finger guards scraped across the brick wall, sending up sparks with a screech as dust rained down by their feet. "This one's Yin Shattering Finger specializes in breaking protective qi. How many fingers can the Young Duke withstand?"

A sharp gleam flashed through Li Chen Zhou's eyes, and he suddenly said, "Eunuch Liu, why not try this verse: 'When yin reaches its extreme, baleful intent is born; let qi travel through the Dark Pass'..."

Liu Xian's body jolted. "You... How do you know...?"

"This is merely a tiny scrap of the first half." Li Chen Zhou drew out a Jade Scroll from his robes. Candlelight danced over his fingertips, stretching the scroll's shadow long across the floor. "How about we make a deal?"

System, verify the contents of the Jade Scroll, he commanded inwardly.

"The Jade Scroll records the first half of the Dark Yin Sword Canon. A restriction has been set; it cannot be copied."

Liu Xian snatched the Jade Scroll eagerly and pressed it to his forehead to inspect it. A moment later, greed suddenly filled his face, while the candle flame flickered uncertainly. "Not enough! This is only the first half!"

"I will naturally offer up the latter half once I have escaped." Li Chen Zhou backed away as he spoke, his feet stepping on shards of porcelain that had fallen at some unknown time. "If Eunuch Liu does not believe me, you may kill me now. But as for the whereabouts of the latter half..."

At that critical moment, more than ten black-clad men suddenly burst out from the street corner.

"Young master, run!" the leader shouted. The clash of weapons startled the night birds beneath the eaves into flight.

"Protect Young Master Li!" The leading man in black barked low, actually stepping forward to shield Li Chen Zhou as they began fighting the Eastern Depot agents.

The leader of the black-clad men was tall and wore a bronze mask. His voice was hoarse. "Young master, come with us!"

Li Chen Zhou froze. Before he could react, the system suddenly issued a warning in his mind:

Warning! These black-clad men are Net assassins. The mastermind behind them is Prince Jin!

Li Chen Zhou's heart shook—Prince Jin had sent people to "save" him? Clearly, they wanted to capture him alive and completely nail the Li Family's charge of treason in place!

"Eunuch Liu!" Liu Xian suddenly waved his hand. "Eastern Depot, heed my command! These black-clad assassins dare to break a prisoner free—kill them without mercy!" "Yes!" The Eastern Depot agents immediately turned their blades and began fighting the Net assassins.

They turned their blades and began fighting the Net assassins.

Amid the chaos, Liu Xian gave Li Chen Zhou a look, signaling for him to leave quickly.

Li Chen Zhou understood. Taking advantage of the confusion, he rushed out of the encirclement. He had barely run a few steps when the black-clad leader suddenly flew over and seized his shoulder. "Come with me!"

This man's lightness skill was extremely high. With Li Chen Zhou in tow, he made several leaps, shook off their pursuers, and headed straight for the city outskirts.