My right hand disagrees

"Where... did this fist manual come from?"

At Chen Yi's words, Director Wu stopped walking.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Wu Qingsheng paused.

"A close friend of mine. Have you heard the name Min He, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Southern Pacification Commissioner?"

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes.

Wasn't Min He the Min sisters' grandfather?

"Old Master Min wasn't a Capital City native. When he first arrived, he carved out a place for himself with his fists and feet alone. Then a martial arts school recommended him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he worked his way up from a rank-and-file strongman to Pacification Commissioner."

Puzzled by this, Chen Yi asked,

"If Min He left the Cangshan Fist behind, why didn't he leave it to the Min Household?"

Recalling the past, Wu Qingsheng said slowly,

"I have the same question, but Old Master Min never revealed the answer. I can only piece together a few scattered remarks.

There were reasons Old Master Min didn't pass this fist manual down.

First, his only son's martial skills were poor. He feared that an innocent man would become guilty merely by possessing a precious jade.

Second... it might have been because Old Master Min had broken away from his sect. He felt guilty and didn't dare pass it on to his descendants."

Broken away from his sect...

That phrase was far worse than being expelled.

Wu Qingsheng took a deep breath, patted Chen Yi on the shoulder, and said,

"Thousand Household Chen, Old Master Min gave me this book for safekeeping, asking me to pass it on once I found someone worthy of the trust."

"I watched every move you made while speaking to Second Young Master Lin just now, and I knew you were worthy. I, Wu Qingsheng, am a eunuch, with neither son nor daughter, not even an adopted son. If I don't entrust it to someone, this book can only gather dust in the palace scripture repository."

Chen Yi cupped his fists.

"Thank you, Director."

Wu Qingsheng smiled, closed the hidden compartment, and said nothing more.

After leaving the Western Depot, Chen Yi went to the Jiaofang Bureau first.

Today was the day the Jiaofang Bureau took stock of the women from the Xiang Prince's Residence. If he didn't tamper with things and make arrangements beforehand, his taking the Xiang Prince's Daughter away would come to light sooner or later.

Upon arriving at the Jiaofang Bureau, Chen Yi unexpectedly saw Min Ning.

Spotting Chen Yi's new official uniform from afar, Min Ning froze, a trace of complicated feeling flashing through her eyes.

That uniform was worn by a Thousand Household... it had originally been hers.

She had never expected that, in a single day, she would become the subordinate and Chen Yi her superior.

"Moon Pond, what are you doing here?"

Chen Yi walked straight over and greeted her.

Hearing him address her so intimately by her courtesy name, Min Ning stared blankly, then instinctively backed away a few steps.

"I... I'm helping check the register."

Min Ning turned her face away rather than look at him, then placed the register in Chen Yi's hands.

Feigning nonchalance, she said,

"It's already been checked."

Chen Yi casually leafed through the register and found that all the sections concerning Yin Tingxue had already been altered.

"Who would've thought that our chivalrous, warmhearted young hero Min would do something like this?"

With that trouble saved, Chen Yi closed the register and placed it back in Min Ning's hands.

Hearing only mockery in his words, Min Ning said in humiliation,

"Don't humiliate me.

I was only, only..."

How could Chen Yi not know what she was thinking?

She had done this for herself and her older sister.

To... spare herself and her sister from his demonic clutches, she was trying to curry favor with him.

Min Ning had done something that went against her conscience. Struggling to suppress her humiliation, she said quietly,

"Let my sister and me go.

Even though I've been demoted, I'll make things convenient for you from now on."

Chen Yi said meaningfully,

"Not convenient enough."

Min Ning turned back and glared furiously at him, but had nothing to say.

After a long while, her voice softened, and she pleaded,

"Let my sister go... just my sister would be enough."

Chen Yi gave a sinister smile, curled a finger, and tapped the back of her head.

"You've gotten smarter.

You know how to beg me now."

Min Ning averted her eyes and forced out a reply.

"Mm."

[Min Ning's negative emotions rewarded three years of True Qi.]

Chen Yi glanced at the panel.

[True Qi remaining: 143 years.]

He was only seven years away from condensing five motes of True Essence and achieving minor success in the Grudge Yin-Yang Art.

Chen Yi glanced at his newly acquired Cangshan Fist.

Tsk...

A difficult choice...

The Cangshan Fist was a high-grade martial art, much like the Great Star-Absorbing Art. It required an extraordinary amount of True Qi, but its rewards were extraordinary too.

If he poured all 143 years of True Qi into it, Chen Yi was confident he could achieve minor success in the Cangshan Fist and gain another means of fighting his enemies. Yet while minor success was possible, attaining true proficiency was uncertain, let alone reaching absolute perfection.

But if he didn't pour it in, he could save those 143 years of True Qi. With seven more years, he could consummate the marriage and practice dual cultivation.

Chen Yi lowered his head, looked at his left hand, then at his right.

It was as though the Cangshan Fist lay on the left, and the Grudge Yin-Yang Art on the right.

"There are only ten days or so until the Prayer Daoist Grounds."

Min Ning suddenly spoke.

"Oh... I know."

Chen Yi nodded.

The Prayer Daoist Grounds was the first major event in the Capital City.

"Why bring that up?"

Min Ning took a deep breath and said slowly,

"Everyone knows that immortal masters will purge bandits and vanquish demons at the Prayer Daoist Grounds. Harbor no evil thoughts, commit no evil deeds."

Chen Yi understood at once. Min Ning was trying to use this to threaten and warn him, to keep him from laying hands on her sister.

Amused, Chen Yi said,

"I know far more about it than you do."

"But this purging of bandits and vanquishing of demons happens once a year. It's happened hundreds of times over hundreds of years, so why can they never finish purging these bandits or vanquishing these demons?"

"To put it plainly, the demons they truly mean to vanquish aren't the ones before people's eyes, but the ghosts in their hearts."

Min Ning was instantly speechless.

Chen Yi stepped closer and stroked the back of her head. Taking advantage of the lack of people nearby, he swiftly planted a kiss on her forehead.

Min Ning's face flushed scarlet. She recoiled in alarm and glared at him.

Yet the culprit merely shrugged as though nothing had happened.

"Goodbye!"

Leaving those bitter words behind, Min Ning turned to leave.

"Wait."

Min Ning stopped.

Looking at her, Chen Yi asked,

"How much do you know about your grandfather?"

Surprise appeared on Min Ning's face.

"Why are you asking?"

Chen Yi uttered three words.

"The Cangshan Fist."

Min Ning's pupils abruptly contracted, and she couldn't help asking,

"That's... Grandfather's martial art. How do you know about it?"

Chen Yi slowly walked over and smiled.

"I have it right here."

Min Ning denied it.

"That's impossible. Grandfather didn't even teach my father."

Chen Yi drew the manual from inside his robes. As those words came into view, Min Ning's phoenix eyes widened.

Just as Min Ning instinctively leaned closer, Chen Yi pulled the fist manual back.

Staring fixedly, Min Ning asked in a daze,

"Is that real?"

Chen Yi teased,

"Whether it's real or not, wouldn't you know once you got your hands on it?

Anyway, Director Wu gave it to me."

"Min Ning, you... don't want it?"

Min Ning was anxious and uneasy. She had indeed heard that her grandfather and Director Wu had been close. She tried turning her head away and not thinking about the fist manual, but whenever she remembered it was something her grandfather had left behind, she couldn't help turning back, over and over.

After a long while, as though something had occurred to her, she pressed,

"If it's real, why aren't you practicing it?"

Chen Yi glanced at the panel.

He helplessly spread his hands.

"My left hand wants to practice the Cangshan Fist, but my right hand disagrees."