66: Chapter 66 With Qingge's help, strength increases.

By the time Chen Xuan pushed open the creaking wooden door of the Old Bookstore in the South of the City, the sun was already setting in the west.

He downed the half-bowl of cold tea handed to him by the Old Shopkeeper, the faint scent of aged paper and ink still lingering in his mouth.

The man spoke vaguely, mentioning only that a Sword Cultivator knows best how to hide their edge, before lowering his head to continue flipping through his ledgers, as if afraid that saying one more word would bring trouble upon him.

Chen Xuan didn't press him; he knew that for some things, it was safer to leave them at that.

He stepped out of the front hall, passed through a narrow alley, and the bamboo forest in the backyard appeared before him.

The wind blew through the treetops, the bamboo leaves swayed gently, and shadows broke into fragments on the ground.

He sat down against a thick bamboo stalk and rubbed his temples.

After days of running around, his brain felt like it was filled with paste, his ears were ringing, and even breathing felt heavy and laborious.

He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, but just as he calmed down, a sudden chill ran down his back—someone had arrived.

It wasn't Killing Intent, nor was it hostility, but a cold aura carrying Sword Intent, sliding across the ground like mountain morning mist.

He opened his eyes and turned around; Li Qingge was standing three paces away, dressed in white clothes and boots with Green Soft Armor fitted to her body. The long sword at her waist was unsheathed, its tassel swaying gently in the wind. She looked at him, her brow slightly furrowed.

"In your state, forget about investigating cases; you'd fall into a ditch just walking at night."

Chen Xuan grinned. "I haven't even started walking at night yet. Besides, to fall into a ditch, there has to be a ditch. Look at this backyard—it's all bamboo. At most, I'll bump my backside."

Li Qingge didn't laugh. She stepped forward twice, her gaze landing on his wrist.

When he came in earlier, his movement to support himself against the doorframe had been too hurried; his wrist bone was slightly red, a sign of congested Meridians.

"Have you had a full night's sleep lately?"

"A full night's sleep?"

Chen Xuan rubbed his chin. "I'm lucky if I can close my eyes for ten minutes. You know, checking old archives is more exhausting than chasing three thieves. Especially those characters—they look like earthworms fighting. I have to recognize them one by one."

She sighed and suddenly raised her hand, tracing a line in the air. A Sword Qi as thin as a hair swept past, severing a drooping bamboo branch. The branch fell and landed perfectly upright right by his feet.

"Stand up."

"For what?"

"A spar."

"Now? I didn't even bring a sword."

"I won't use a sword, so don't make excuses."

She stared at him. "I've been watching you for a long time. You investigate your matters, and I watch you do it. You're so exhausted you're about to fall apart, yet you're still forcing yourself. If this continues, you'll collapse on your own before anyone else even makes a Move."

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment before slowly standing up. He didn't argue. He knew she was telling the truth.

"How do you want to spar?"

"I attack, you defend." She took two steps back, her feet shoulder-width apart, one hand stroking her sword tassel, her gaze gradually sharpening. "No using Moves; dodge based on instinct alone. I'll stay with you as long as you can hold out."

Before she finished speaking, her figure flashed, and she was already close. Chen Xuan instinctively retreated, but he was half a beat too slow. His shoulder went numb—a Sword Qi brushed past, and although it didn't break the skin, the vibration made his entire arm ache.

"Calm your mind." She backed away. "Flow with it, don't resist. The more you try to hide, the less you'll be able to escape."

A second Sword Qi attacked from the right, aimed straight at his wrist. Chen Xuan shifted his body and misstepped, barely avoiding it, but his feet slipped and he almost tripped. He took a breath and wiped his nose, his gaze finally turning serious.

"Again."

A third Sword Qi came from below, targeting his knees. He leaped and flipped, stumbling slightly upon landing, but he managed not to get hit.

Li Qingge nodded. "Now you're getting somewhere."

For the next fifteen minutes, she continued her assault. Sword Qi fell like rain, yet it didn't harm him.

Every approach was a tempering of his reactions; every brush past forced him to mobilize the deepest perceptions of his body.

At first, he was still thinking about how to dodge, but later he simply stopped thinking. His ears listened to the wind, his skin felt the air currents, and his feet stepped to the rhythm. He felt as if he had been pulled back to his early days of martial arts training. Back then, there were no conspiracies, no System, and no countless beauties—only his Master's words: "When you feel it, you've got it right."

The fourth time, he sensed a slight movement in the air to his left. Almost as a reflex, he turned, misstepped, and raised his arm in a phantom block. In that moment, he hadn't even seen her movement clearly, but his body had already responded.

The Sword Qi stopped three inches from his throat.

Li Qingge withdrew her stance, the corners of her mouth curling slightly. "Now that's more like it."

Chen Xuan panted, sweat on his forehead, but a Clear Qi was slowly circulating within him. His blocked Meridians felt as if they had been combed through, becoming much clearer.

"This isn't a spar; you're clearly giving me a massage." He sat down with a laugh, leaning against the bamboo. "But it really feels good."

"You're pushing yourself too hard." She stood where she was, neither approaching nor leaving. "You could clearly go slower, yet you insist on rushing to the end in one breath. You think you're chasing clues, but in reality, the clues are wearing you down."

"If I don't rush, who will?" He looked up at her. "Some things will rot in the ground if no one looks after them. I don't want to wait until they stink to start digging."

She looked at him quietly, the wind blowing her hem and hair.

"Is it worth it for you?"

"What did you say?"

I'm asking you," her voice softened slightly, "is it worth pushing yourself so hard? Is it worth making others worry about you, and worth having me step in to help you?"

Chen Xuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "If you really thought I wasn't worth it, you wouldn't be standing here talking, right?"

She didn't answer.

He gazed at the sky through the gaps in the bamboo leaves and said slowly, "I know I'm no great hero. I've been lazy, I've been cowardly, and I've thought about washing my hands of everything. But when things come, you can't hide.

The people I've saved, the people who trust me—they're all watching. If I don't Move forward, they'll have to retreat. If I don't shoulder it, someone else will have to do it for me. So, I have to be worth it."

The wind stopped for a moment.

Li Qingge nodded. "That is the reason I am helping you."

Having said that, she turned and left, her steps light and silent, just as when she arrived.

"Wait!" Chen Xuan called out to her. "You're just leaving like that? Not going to say something like 'be careful in the future' or 'don't fail my trust'?"

She looked back and said indifferently, "If there is a need, I am here."

Her figure grew distant, disappearing at the end of the bamboo forest.

Chen Xuan sat where he was, feeling that Clear Qi slowly wandering through his body. His ears were sharp, his eyes were clear, and even his heartbeat had stabilized.

He slowly stood up, moved his wrists and shoulders, and a smile spread across his face.

"I certainly feel more confident now."

He walked out of the bamboo forest, pushed open the small door, and returned to the street. The setting sun shone on his face, feeling warm.

He tidied his collar and started walking toward his residence.