A Dilemma Resolved, A Mystery Unveiled

Under the bright lamplight, Yang Xuan sat at his desk, head bowed, quietly turning the pages of a book.

Bai Yuan, meanwhile, sat beside him. She pulled out a piece of fabric, arranged her silken threads, and, picking up her embroidery needle, began to stitch.

Embroidery, she mused, was something she had reluctantly learned in her previous life, a skill acquired out of necessity for her schemes. She never expected it would later prove useful when making clothes for Ling Yun.

In this life, after years had passed, she had picked it up again. It not only served to pass the time but, more remarkably, she had discovered its subtle use in refining her Sword Intent.

Of course, with the man beside her today, she naturally couldn’t reveal her true foundation in swordsmanship.

Yet, even without that, it was enough.

The inch-long embroidery needle danced up and down through the crimson brocade, moving with a unique rhythm and cadence.

Each stitch was clear and orderly, flowing like water, amply demonstrating a skill that, honed by her martial arts, was no less exquisite than that of the world’s most renowned embroiderers.

Unlike other days, the man turned his pages swiftly today. He finished the book in a short while, then leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and seemed to ponder for a moment before suddenly speaking.

“If there were an extremely intricate formation, but those presiding over its core were temporarily too weak to stabilize it, yet I wished for them to understand and practice its changes as early as possible, how should it be handled?”

“Simply use the method of ‘dismantling apertures and scattering forms,'” Bai Yuan replied without a moment’s hesitation, her needlework not slowing in the slightest.

“Dismantling apertures and scattering forms?”

Perhaps surprised by Bai Yuan’s quick response, Yang Xuan paused, then concentrated in thought for a moment before finally recalling, “Is that the one from Elementary Talismanic Arts?”

“Indeed. Talismans and formations inherently belong to the same lineage, both emphasizing the smooth flow of vital points and qi. If the core points cannot bear the load, then dismantle the formation’s core, allowing multiple people to share the burden.”

“This way, the formation can be activated earlier, and those presiding over it can familiarize themselves with its changes sooner. Once their cultivation is higher, they can then practice combining their efforts.”

This was not her original creation. In fact, the corresponding principle was laid out in the stack of books the man had left with her—it wasn’t difficult at all, arguably one of the most basic methods in talisman crafting.

However, its application to formations, at least in her previous life, was uniquely her own.

Typically, both formations and talismans emphasized ‘stacking apertures and combining forms,’ aiming to rearrange scattered vital points and cores, making them overlap and simplify. This allowed for maximum effect with minimum effort upon activation.

However, vital points and cores were the crux of talismans and formations. When they overlapped, the power they needed to bear naturally increased. While intricate talismans and formations could reduce this burden through various techniques, they couldn’t eliminate it fundamentally.

In her previous life, she had encountered this very problem: her subordinates were no elite soldiers like those of the Six Heavens Ghost Prison. Most were a motley crew of demonic cultivators and fiends. To counter the elite martial artists forming battle arrays in the Central Divine Continent and avoid being slaughtered like melons and vegetables, she had to devise a way to dismantle a series of formations.

This allowed those with insufficient cultivation among her demonic cultivators and fiends to bear the load. Of course, this also meant her battle formations were always cumbersome and sluggish, often relying on sheer numbers and resilience to overwhelm opponents, rarely achieving brilliant victories where the few triumphed over the many.

“Hmm, this is indeed a solution,” the man said, rubbing his temples. After careful consideration, he pinpointed its shortcomings. “But if not dismantled properly, the flow of qi might be obstructed, leading to inefficient operation. And… it’s also overly complex and cumbersome.”

“How can one find a perfect solution in this world? Moreover, it’s merely for early adaptation,” Bai Yuan replied simply. There was always a trade-off; expecting to have everything and more was simply unrealistic.

Yang Xuan fell silent, then slowly nodded a moment later.

“You have a point.”

A problem that had troubled him for some days had been resolved, greatly lifting Yang Xuan’s spirits. He turned his head to look at Bai Yuan.

In the candlelight, the gentle, soft-spoken woman in white sat by the couch, her head bowed in quiet concentration over her needlework.

She looked like a young wife from an ordinary household.

For a moment, Yang Xuan felt a sense of unreality. Gentle and soft-spoken, embroidering flowers… When had such traits ever been associated with this woman?

“Yang Xuan, today is the day you die!”

Amidst an arrogant shriek, a furious palm strike, like raging waves and a tsunami, bore down upon him.

“Yang Xuan, this is not a place for you!”

In a chilling whisper, an incomparably sharp sword gleam was already upon him.

The arrogant and haughty prodigy, the sinister and malicious cold-blooded demoness, the proud woman who coughed blood and trembled in his arms without a sound, and now… this gentle and quiet, virtuous young wife.

Which one was the real her?

Or perhaps… was she truly planning to atone? In this manner?

“Ugh… it’s finally taking shape.”

Just then, the woman tied a knot, then held up the piece of cloth she was sewing, examining it carefully in the light.

Yang Xuan’s gaze was also drawn to it.

It vaguely resembled the shape of a small dudou, its outline traced with silk threads, forming the base of a pattern.

Uh… a dudou?

Yang Xuan instinctively asked, “You’re making a…”

Bai Yuan beamed with pride: “A dudou for Young Master Lingwu. What do you think, Husband? Does it suit him?”

“…”

Even with Yang Xuan’s profound composure, his chest tightened at that moment. He remained silent for a long while, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Bai Yuan, making her feel somewhat perplexed.

“Given that Sister Qin went to such trouble to change our courtyard and even assigned capable servants, I must certainly give a return gift. However, I didn’t have anything suitable on hand, so I thought, why not embroider a dudou for Young Master Lingwu? What do you think, Husband?”

Bai Yuan thought for a moment, then meticulously explained the whole situation, adopting an attitude of humbly seeking his opinion.

However, after another long moment, her response was met with a rather dull, non-sequitur reply.

“Call him Lingwu.”

“Hmm? Oh, Young Master Lingwu—”

Halfway through Bai Yuan’s words, she was met with another warning glance.

She obediently shut her mouth.

‘This fellow… seems a bit off?’

As Bai Yuan’s mind whirred, she heard the man add, “Also, don’t call me ‘Husband’ anymore. It sounds unfamiliar.”

‘You’ve been called that for three years now, every day, and I’ve never seen you find it unfamiliar,’ Bai Yuan thought, secretly rolling her eyes.

However… he was a Grandmaster now, naturally entitled to his whims.

“Then… what should I call you, Hus— erm?”

“Whatever. You can also follow Wanzhao or Qian Ying’s example, either is fine.”

The man’s reply was quite shameless.

“Then, my… Lord?”

After a moment’s thought, Bai Yuan deliberately pinched her voice, raising her tone to a sweet, almost trembling, incredibly seductive call.

It held a hint of teasing, provocation, but mostly, it was a test.

In return, she received a meaningful gaze from the man.

“If you’re willing to call me that in public, I won’t object.”

“Uh…”

Bai Yuan, finding herself rebuffed, closed her mouth. But then, the man glanced at her again.

“However, it sounds quite nice in the room. How about you call me that again?”