Chapter Three: What’s the Use of Learning the Way of the Sword!?

“Everyone, please forgive me for not seeing you off any further.”

“Please wait, Marquis Chen.”

One carriage after another sped through the wind and snow along Fengtong Street, where the Marquis of Wuan’s residence stood, leaving tire tracks behind.

Chen Taiping bid farewell to the last group of guests who had come to observe the ceremony. He glanced at the person beside him and smiled bitterly. “I’ve made Prince Wang laugh at us.”

Waiting until the very end was Duke Du Qing, the Northern Guardian King, dressed in a plain blue robe, his face pale and beardless, exuding an elegant scholar-like demeanor.

His figure was somewhat slender, more like a scholar than a warrior.

“It was merely childish mischief,” Du Qing dismissed the farce at the “Zhuazhou” ceremony with a smile. “But I fear that Chen Yi’s days ahead will not be easy. Even if your sister-in-law does not say anything, Zhou Tiance certainly won’t be forgiving.”

“Grandfather?” Chen Taiping frowned. “Could he really still be holding a grudge against Yi’er?”

“That old man is on the verge of death, yet he entrusts his only daughter to you. Don’t you understand his intentions?”

“This…”

Du Qing paused there, looked up at the sky where snowflakes drifted like goose feathers, and then stepped out from under the eaves of the marquis’s residence.

“Martial contests are like rowing against the current, but that young fellow Chen Yi is quite remarkable!”

Hearing the Northern Guardian King’s words from afar, Chen Taiping’s expression turned solemn, and he respectfully saluted the departing figure.

At first, the words seemed unrelated, but upon reflection, Chen Taiping understood that the king did not wish for Chen Yi to be punished.

Thinking further—did the prince dislike Zhou Tiance?

After a moment’s thought, Chen Taiping shook his head and turned back into the residence.

…

At this moment, inside the main hall of the central courtyard.

More than ten tables were arranged in a circle. Snacks and drinks remained untouched on the tables, but the ceremonial “Zhuazhou” objects had vanished from the cloud crane carpet at the center.

Everyone from the Chen family, except for the two children Chen Yi and Chen Yuan, sat quietly at the tables.

Their expressions varied—some calm, some angry, some indifferent, and some smiling faintly.

Among them, Xia Wanwan’s expression was the most complex; she bowed her head, appearing resigned.

Zhou Wanyi sat beside her, serene as if the ruined ceremony was someone else’s concern.

Thud!

At that moment, the Chen family matriarch tapped her golden sandalwood cane decisively on the creamy white floor and said firmly, “Enough with bowing your heads. Speak up now.”

Xia Wanwan trembled, gritting her teeth as she rose, “Grandmother, punish me if you must. It was my fault for not disciplining Yi’er properly. I…”

“Your matter will be addressed later,” the matriarch interrupted. “What I want to hear is how you intend to make up for Yuan’er’s missing Zhuazhou object!”

Xia Wanwan was at a loss. Weren’t they here to punish her and her son?

She hesitated a moment, then reluctantly sat down.

“Mother, the effectiveness of Zhuazhou objects varies from person to person. Taiping only chose the seal at the ceremony, yet his martial cultivation remains unaffected.”

“That’s right; the ceremony is a matter of fate and luck, hard to be certain.”

“I think differently. Yuan’er is the legitimate eldest son; we cannot let his martial path fall behind. Why not reopen the ancestral hall and have the ancestral spirits decide?”

“No! The ancestral spirits are weak. Each time the hall is opened, they need a long time to recover. How can we do it again so soon?”

“…”

The matriarch looked toward Zhou Wanyi and said, “What compensation do you think Yuan’er should receive? Speak freely; anything the Chen family has is yours to ask.”

“Grandmother is too kind. I, your granddaughter-in-law, dare not,” Zhou Wanyi declined, then added, “Later, I will petition Grandfather to reopen the Zhou family ancestral hall to bestow blessings upon Yuan’er.”

…

Hearing this, the elders fell silent, wanting to say something but unsure how to begin.

“The Zhou family…”

The Chen family matriarch gave her a deep look, her golden cane pausing before she slowly rose and walked outside.

“Very well, so be it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The others stood and left accordingly.

Xia Wanwan’s heart was a tangle of emotions.

The Zhou family ancestral hall’s blessing was of the same effect, but for a noble marquis family like the Chens, it was somewhat humiliating.

She looked at Zhou Wanyi, still composed, and said apologetically, “It was my fault for not disciplining him well enough, causing Yuan’er’s problem at the ceremony.”

Zhou Wanyi shook her head. “Second uncle was right: it was fate and timing. It’s not Yi’er’s fault.”

“But once Wanwan returns, she must be stricter—Yi’er must not cause such a scene again.”

“Absolutely not!”

Not far outside the door, Chen Taiping heard the outcome and understood.

He had originally planned to feign punishing Xia Wanwan to ease tensions between the two ladies.

Now that the matriarch agreed to Wanyi’s proposal, it compensated for Wanwan’s failure to properly educate Yi’er, sparing him the trouble of mediation.

As for Chen Yi, Chen Taiping had no intention to punish him, treating his antics at the ceremony as mere childish play.

He even considered rewarding Chen Yi for successfully obtaining the jade sword Zhuazhou object.

But that was for later.

Now, Chen Taiping’s main concern was Chen Yuan receiving the Zhou family ancestral spirits’ blessing.

It reminded him of the Northern Guardian King’s words earlier, stirring a strange feeling within.

I married my wife properly; why do I feel like a live-in son-in-law?

…

…

Chen Yi, back in the right wing room of the rear courtyard, was still unaware of what had transpired in the main hall.

He lay on the bed, small frame playing the part of an adult—hands behind his head, legs crossed casually.

Even if he knew the outcome, he would not regret it.

Besides, with the task of turning his fortunes around, he and Chen Yuan were bound to fight sooner or later.

Might as well get it over with now—avenging being drugged and completing his mission simultaneously.

No time wasted.

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Don’t underestimate the middle-aged poor.”

“Thank goodness I’m not a poor youth, or I’d be like Xiao Yan.”

Muttering to himself, Chen Yi got up, glanced at the wet nurse guarding the door, and opened the panel to claim his reward.

[Entry-Level Swordsmanship: A comprehensive collection of foundational sword techniques from across the world, integrating technique and method, capable of initially forming sword qi.]

Basic Xuan Crystal Sword Techniques, Basic Tianyuan Sword Techniques...

Stances, postures, chops, hisses, lifts—sometimes light and agile, sometimes heavy and forceful...

One set of foundational sword techniques after another flashed through Chen Yi’s mind like illusions, analyzed and then formed into a single character: “Sword.”

After a long moment, Chen Yi shook his slightly dazed head.

“This is entry-level swordsmanship?”

With so many foundational sets, if he practiced each one, even with a high talent, it would take at least thirty thousand days and nights.

But now, he only needed to complete one mission.

“Too powerful!”

Chen Yi looked at the information on the light screen with secret delight.

[Name: Chen Yi]

[Age: 30]

[Cultivation: None]

[Talent: Late bloomer—older bone age accelerates cultivation speed]

[Swordsmanship: Entry-level—solid foundation, forming sword qi]

[Counterattack Points: 0/100]

Sword qi?

Chen Yi’s heart stirred. He grasped the jade sword Zhuazhou object hanging from his wrist.

A strange sense of familiarity came over him, and he instinctively flexed his wrist.

Straight thrust!

Swoosh!

A sliver of blue energy blade emerged from the palm-sized jade sword.

Chen Yi examined the faint sword qi before the jade sword, momentarily speechless.

“The sword qi stretches only one centimeter—shorter than, well, me.”

In less than three seconds, the sword qi vanished.

“Tsk, the endurance isn’t great either.”

Looking at the dimming jade sword, Chen Yi knew clearly this sword qi was not generated by his own strength.

It was the blessing of the Chen family ancestral spirit inherent in the jade sword.

If it were him, the sword qi would last at most half a second before he would collapse.

“Martial cultivation, stamina, foundation.”

Chen Yi’s excitement gradually subsided. To truly wield swordsmanship, he still had a long way to go.

But at least now, he had some means of self-defense.

Next time that woman dared to drug him again, he would definitely wield his sword to protect himself!

“Yi’er.”

Just then, Xia Wanwan pushed open the door, her expression complicated as she looked at him.

“Eee-eee-ya-ya,” Chen Yi immediately switched to an innocent, adorable face, hands extended as if begging for a hug.

“How can you be so reckless?!”

Damn!

Chen Yi’s heart jolted as Xia Wanwan, tears in her eyes, pushed him onto the bed and spanked his bottom with a feather duster.

“Let you be reckless, let you be reckless…”

“Waaah!”

What use is entry-level swordsmanship!?

Trash that can’t even withstand a feather duster!!