Chapter 29: Midnight
Chu Qing sensed the flow of inner energy within his body and slowly stood up.
He could feel it circulating endlessly, smooth and powerful—far beyond what it once was.
Practicing sword techniques indoors was clearly unwise, so he pushed the table aside and began a set of Azure Void Palms.
Now that his inner energy followed the Purple Mist Void Scripture, each movement carried immense force. His palms glowed faintly with a layer of violet light.
Remembering the original description of the Purple Mist Divine Art, he hurried to fetch a bronze mirror.
Testing his energy circulation, he noticed that, unlike the original art, his fusion no longer caused purple mist to appear on his face.
Only his eyes glimmered faintly with violet light.
"Good… that's a relief."
Chu Qing exhaled softly. If using his inner force made him look like a purple yam spirit every time, he doubted he could live with it.
As the saying went—strength lasts for a moment, but appearance lasts a lifetime.
Violet eyes were mysterious; a violet face would just be tragic.
After finishing another set of the palm technique, he checked the time. Midnight was near.
The rain outside had weakened—perfect weather for departure.
Before, he might have debated whether to meet Wu Qianhuan or not. But with what had happened to Er Gou, he could no longer avoid it.
He changed into his night attire, donned a plain mask, and slipped out the window. With a light step, his figure soared, landing silently on the rooftop.
The movement was seamless—driven purely by internal energy without a trace of brute strength.
Then, pushing off once more, he sped toward the Duhua Pavilion.
"The depth of this inner force truly surpasses the past."
As he moved, Chu Qing felt the transformation clearly. His mastery of lightness skill had grown sharper under the Purple Mist Void Scripture's enhancement.
His breathing remained calm, his qi steady, his leaps carrying him farther with less effort.
Compared to before, his speed had increased severalfold.
The Star-Chasing Moon-Stepping technique was famed for its swiftness, allowing him to run as fast as galloping horses.
Yet his old internal strength could not sustain it long.
He used to travel in bursts, resting often to recover his energy—always keeping some in reserve in case of danger.
Now, with the Purple Mist Void Scripture and its seventh-layer power, he could likely move nonstop through the entire night.
Of course, that was only an estimate—he hadn't tested the limit, and didn't intend to.
"If I'd had this strength earlier, that girl wouldn't have stood a chance catching up to me."
Still, thinking that it was through her that he'd obtained the Purple Mist Divine Art, Chu Qing couldn't feel regret.
A thought rose quietly in his mind.
"If inner techniques can merge, then could lightness skills do the same?
"With the system's help, inner fusion was easy—but combining lightness arts will depend on my own comprehension.
"If I succeed… the Golden Wild Goose Steps could exceed thirty-seven aerial paces."
It was a tempting idea, but hardly simple.
He mused while running, but dared not experiment mid-flight. A single misstep in energy flow could cause a pulled muscle—or worse, internal injury.
Besides, he understood the Golden Wild Goose Steps completely; its mysteries were already his.
The Star-Chasing Moon-Stepping technique, though practiced since childhood, had never been perfected due to his former limitations.
Merging the two would take time and caution.
"For now, I'll focus on mastering the Star-Chasing Moon-Stepping technique. Once fully refined, whether I fuse it or not, I'll wield it effortlessly."
With that thought, he cast aside distractions. Within moments, the Duhua Pavilion came into view.
Tonight, the streets were empty under the fading rain.
Inside the pavilion, a single green lantern glowed—beneath it sat a beautiful woman and a pot of fine wine.
She had arrived earlier than the appointed time.
A cold breeze laced with raindrops swept by, causing the lantern flame to tremble; for an instant Wu Qianhuan's vision blurred, and another person had already appeared opposite her.
Her pupils contracted slightly; she felt that this man seemed even more unfathomable than during daylight.
This only unsettled her more.
After returning today she had heard certain things, and recalling Chu Qing's actions earlier, she could not reconcile him with the ineffectual third young master of the Chu family from her memories.
Especially that single sword that killed Xin Youhen—thinking of it still sent chills through her body.
Could she have been mistaken?
Might this person only share a similar gaze with him, rather than being Chu Qing himself?
But as the heiress of Tianwu City, she revealed nothing of her thoughts on her face.
She merely spoke softly: "You came."
"You always say useless things, miss."
Chu Qing sounded a little exasperated. "I am a big person sitting here; of course I came."
Wu Qianhuan bit her lip; the atmosphere suddenly felt broken.
Shouldn't a person of the jianghu carry some aloof aura?
Especially an assassin—could he not be a bit less down-to-earth when speaking?
She drew a deep breath and poured him a cup of wine.
"This is Xianren Zui from Zhiwei House, thirty-year vintage. Taste it."
"I will not drink."
"Why not?"
"Assassins do not drink publicly."
"Then eat something?"
"…Do you really have to force me to say it—will I only remove my mask if you persist?"
Chu Qing was speechless. "If I eat and drink what you offer while wearing a mask, how does that work?"
"You really are stubborn."
Wu Qianhuan curled her lip. "I suggest you change to a mask that leaves your mouth exposed. If you and someone else were trapped together with food and drink but could not leave—would you let yourself starve?"
"I think I could kill them first and then eat."
"But suppose the other person is your close friend or beloved and you do not want to reveal your identity?"
"…Then I can render them unconscious."
"You—"
Wu Qianhuan felt her temper rising again.
She forced it down, and Chu Qing spoke: "You said so much—offering wine, offering food. You're not planning to pay, are you?"
Strike!
Wu Qianhuan's forehead veins nearly popped; she drew a banknote for one thousand five hundred taels from her sleeve and flung it at Chu Qing as if to hit his face.
Chu Qing caught it casually, inspected it to confirm, then nodded in satisfaction. "Miss Wu truly keeps her word. Very well, let us speak of business."
"You have business too?"
Wu Qianhuan's tone showed she was irritated.
Chu Qing smiled. "I want a copy of the Falling Rain Hall's defensive layout."
(End of chapter)
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