Meng Li nodded and raised his head, his expression unchanged. He handed him the saber and turned toward the house. "Then I'll get back to work-"
His body suddenly pitched forward. It was as though an invisible thread had tugged his left foot, sending him toppling. He hurriedly shifted his right foot, only to catch it on another thread, which jerked his left foot forward again. The next instant, he poured in true qi, snapping the tangled threads. Meng Li staggered several steps before escaping the fate of falling flat on his face and eating dirt.
Behind him, Yang Yan had long since lost all restraint. Hugging the saber, he laughed like a wriggling shrimp.
Meng Li turned back, eyes wide. "What was that?!"
The boy's face brimmed with delight. "I found this myself."
"...You're getting bolder and bolder. You sneaked over there yourself?"
"Hmph." Yang Yan laughed. "That's what you get for always playing tricks on me with new things."
"...What is it?" Meng Li stepped closer with interest.
"It's called 'Blade-Tethering Thread.'" Yang Yan retrieved the tangled threads and proudly showed them to his Senior Brother. "Leave it on your weapon for a while, and when it clashes with another weapon, the thread will climb onto that one by itself, then quickly spread over the wielder's body."
Meng Li took the tiny, cold bundle and examined it curiously.
"I tested it. When you pour true qi into it, it turns into a vapor like a light mist. Once the true qi stops, it condenses back into tangled threads," Yang Yan said. "So it's still triggered by true qi, invisible and imperceptible. It just snaps as soon as you struggle."
"Then it's another little thing for playing tricks on people." Meng Li pinched it between his fingers and held