He couldn’t say the power had increased, but Fang Shuwen reckoned it was roughly comparable to the might of the Unskilled Saber Technique when he wielded a Heavy Saber.

And it was more nimble and concise.

With a mere thought, he executed the first move, Clumsy Blade Concealing Intent. His form was wide open, seemingly riddled with vulnerabilities. In truth, it was a lure. Any opponent who took the bait would be trapped by an endless barrage of Palm Power.

He renamed the seven moves. This first one was now Hidden Blade!

The other six were: Mountain Splitting, Broken Stream, Stone Carving, Returning to Simplicity, Defending the Foolish, and No Work!

After performing the entire Palm Technique set, Fang Shuwen slowly came to a stop. He drew the dispersed True Qi back into his Dantian and let out a long, slow breath.

"This martial art is no longer a Saber Technique, but a Palm Technique. I’ll call it the Unskilled Palm Technique."

"The Great Black Heaven God Palm is powerful and heavy, relying on overwhelming force to conquer all techniques. This Unskilled Palm Technique, however, embodies the principle that the greatest truths are simple, and true mastery appears effortless."

"It seems crude and shallow on the surface, but its true depth lies in its hidden variations. It’s truly brilliant!"

Fang Shuwen didn’t know to what level Xu Zeyuan had trained the Unskilled Saber Technique, or how deeply he had understood it.

But with his own insight and Talent, as he delved into the technique’s mysteries, he found them endlessly fascinating.

It was in no way inferior to the Great Black Heaven God Palm. In fact, with its unique approach, it presented a completely fresh perspective.

"Finally done?"

A voice suddenly drifted down from above.

Fang Shuwen glanced up to see Miao Feichan looking down at him with a peculiar expression.

He wasn’t surprised. He had spent the entire afternoon and half the evening almost completely immersed in his Unskilled Palm Technique.

Even so, he had kept a part of his awareness focused on his surroundings, just in case.

So he had noticed the woman peeking long ago...

No, ’peeking’ wasn’t quite right. She was watching him openly.

Of course, with the discretion of a true expert, she hadn’t stared a hole through him. The first time, she’d only glanced for a moment before leaving.

She had come to the roof five times in total, and each time, she left after a single glance.

Only this final time, after hearing him fall silent, did she come to the roof and speak.

’Miao Feichan’s room must be right next to mine,’ Fang Shuwen mused.

’It’s funny. Chen Yan was on guard day and night, but he never expected Yuqing Pavilion would make me and Miao Feichan neighbors.’

He leaped up onto the roof as well.

SWOOSH! Just as Fang Shuwen landed, something came whistling toward him.

He caught it casually. It was a wine gourd.

Slightly taken aback, his gaze shifted to Miao Feichan. He hesitated for a moment.

"Are you inviting me for a drink?"

"Is it not obvious?"

"I’m just worried it might be inappropriate."

Miao Feichan let out a chuckle.

"You’re an interesting one. Don’t worry, I can hold my liquor..."

"That makes me even more worried."

Fang Shuwen sat down beside her.

Miao Feichan seemed to ponder this for a moment before sighing.

"I finally understand why you’ve attained such high-level Martial Arts at your age."

"It’s because of my Talent and insight!"

"And my tireless effort!"

Fang Shuwen said shamelessly. After all, no one knew he had a system.

Miao Feichan had been watching him all day. If he claimed he was hardworking, she would be his prime witness.

But Miao Feichan just shook her head.

"No. It’s because if your Martial Arts weren’t so good, someone would have beaten you to death by now."

"..."

Fang Shuwen was speechless. ’Can this woman even hold a normal conversation?’

He opened the wine gourd and took a sniff, his eyebrows arching slightly.

This era lacked distillation technology, so the alcohol content was generally low, but it suited Fang Shuwen’s palate perfectly.

He raised the gourd to his lips and took a drink. The taste was excellent.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but in the nineteen years since he’d transmigrated, Fang Shuwen could count the number of times he’d had a drink on one hand.

The main reason, of course, was poverty. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

When you could barely afford to eat, where was the spare money for wine?

The only times he got to drink were when he managed to scrounge a meal and a few cups of wine off Mo Beidou.

He took several large gulps—GLUG, GLUG, GLUG—before stopping and offering the gourd back to Miao Feichan.

Then he watched as Miao Feichan produced another wine gourd from behind her back.

Fang Shuwen: "..."

After a moment of silence, he said:

"I didn’t realize you were so fond of a good drink."

Miao Feichan took a sip, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Spend enough time in the Jianghu, and you’ll find that everything is fleeting. Only silver and wine will never betray you."

"’A cup of wine amid the spring breeze and blooming groves; ten years of lamplight in the lonely rains of the Jianghu.’"

Fang Shuwen chuckled softly.

"Do you have some unresolved sorrow, senior?"

Miao Feichan paused.

"You’re Fang Shuwen?"

"Yes."

"The name suits you."

Miao Feichan smiled.

Fang Shuwen nodded.

"I think so, too."

’Of course, it wasn’t Fang Mingxuan who gave me the name. I was called Fang Shuwen before I transmigrated.’

’It was just a coincidence that my biological father in this world also had the surname Fang...’

Miao Feichan didn’t tell him her story. It seemed she had only wanted to share a drink with him.

The two of them sat on the rooftop, drinking and making small talk about nothing in particular.

But Miao Feichan didn’t limit her travels to the Eastern Domain. She had roamed all across the Five Domains Under Heaven and was genuinely worldly and knowledgeable.

As their conversation drifted from one topic to another, Fang Shuwen learned many fascinating things from her, broadening his own horizons once more.

Just as their conversation was getting interesting, a startled cry echoed from the distance.

In the dead of night, the sound, though distant, reached their ears with perfect clarity.

The expressions on both their faces changed slightly, and they shot to their feet in near-perfect unison.

But in the next instant... Fang Shuwen could only watch as Miao Feichan vanished before his eyes.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"...As I thought. Can’t help but be a little jealous."

He executed the Cyan Cloud Step, and moments later, arrived at the source of the sound.

A group of Yuqing Pavilion disciples on night watch were huddled together.

Everyone in Yuqing Pavilion, from top to bottom, was a woman. It wouldn’t be proper for him to push his way into the crowd, so he leaped to a high vantage point to look down.

In the center of the crowd, he saw Miao Feichan crouching before a Yuqing Pavilion disciple. The young woman’s eyes were wide with terror, her face a mask of horrified agony, as if she had seen something unspeakable. She had been dead for some time.