Time: early morning. Location: the Imperial Guards' duty room.
Location: Xiao Wuchen's residence.
As dawn broke, Xiao Wuchen had finished his daily internal energy cultivation. Having experienced the intense conflict and system fusion of the previous night, his body was now in a peculiar state of saturation.
He could clearly feel a new power — [Purple Qi Sweeping Willow] — light, supple and faintly glowing purple, superimposed on his already powerful and abundant True Martial Internal Force.
This power was completely different from his original, forceful True Martial Technique. Rather than focusing on pure "force" and "explosiveness", it focused more on "borrowing force", "deflecting force", and controlling the trajectory. It was precisely this subtle and unpredictable quality that had successfully deceived Zhao Hu, the top assassin of the Xuan Yi Guard, last night.
The [Purple Qi Sweeping Willow] fusion depth increased by 30%, unlocking the [Willow Leaf Flying Knife] skill.
Xiao Wuchen's mind stirred and he brought up the system interface to view the newly unlocked skill:
[Willow Leaf Throwing Knife]:
Description: A high-level concealed weapon technique developed based on the Purple Qi Willow internal energy. It propels any thin, flat object (such as a leaf or a thin piece of iron) with Purple Qi internal energy, making its trajectory as unpredictable as a willow leaf in the wind. It is difficult to catch and powerful enough to tear through ordinary armour.
Consumption: A small amount of Purple Qi Willow internal energy.
"Willow Leaf Throwing Knife..." Xiao Wuchen picked up a withered leaf that he had collected and circulated purple qi internal energy through his fingertips. The withered leaf was instantly imbued with internal energy, becoming stronger than steel. He flicked it lightly and it followed an S-shaped trajectory that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye as it precisely embedded itself in the wooden table in the corner of the room, nearly an inch deep.
"Willow Leaf Throwing Knife..." Xiao Wuchen picked up a withered leaf that he had collected without much thought, and circulated purple qi, an internal energy, through his fingertips. The leaf was instantly imbued with energy, becoming harder than steel. He flicked it lightly and it followed an almost imperceptible S-shaped trajectory, embedding itself precisely in the wooden table in the corner of the room to a depth of nearly an inch.
'Compared to the rigidity of a copper coin, this willow leaf throwing knife is lighter and easier to conceal, and its trajectory is much harder to predict.' Xiao Wuchen nodded in satisfaction. This test not only preserved his secret, but also greatly enhanced his disguise as an "unorthodox master".
Xiao Wuchen knew that, although he had managed to fool the Black-Clad Guards' initial investigation, it wouldn't be the last. Zhou Chengying, the Left Commander, was a cunning and calculating man who would undoubtedly continue to keep a close watch on him.
The Black-Clad Guards' assessment: 'A mysterious master of unorthodox hidden weapons.' This was far safer than 'a peerless expert of unknown origin'. They would underestimate his ability to fight head-on while remaining wary of his assassination methods.
Xiao Wuchen's strategy: Maintain the 'unorthodox' image and exploit the Black-Clad Guards' misjudgements.
He reviewed and documented the characteristics of Zhao Hu's swordsmanship and the modus operandi of the Black-Clad Guards, gleaned from last night's encounter.
'The Shadow Blade's swordsmanship emphasises a single, decisive strike: clean and swift. This indicates that the Black-Clad Guards have absolute confidence in their own strength; they prefer to solve problems efficiently rather than drag things out.'
He took out a simplified map of the capital's defences and began to plan.
'The involvement of the Black-Clad Guards proves that my recent actions have touched upon the core interests of certain forces, or that I am under deeper scrutiny from the power centre.'
Xiao Wuchen turned his gaze to a forbidden area on the map representing his next important target: a clue to a smuggling case involving high-ranking court officials.
'The Black-Clad Guards have already regarded me as a "special subject of observation", but not yet as an "enemy that must be eliminated". Until I truly threaten their core interests, they will only test me and try to win me over in various ways. I must utilise this 'observation period'.
In order to prepare for his next move, Xiao Wuchen needed to complete two tasks.
1) Resource replenishment: Last night's fierce battle had cost him a batch of copper coins intended for concealed weapons. In order to be able to use the 'Willow Leaf Flying Knife' at any time, he decided to secretly stockpile a batch of specially made, inconspicuous, thin iron blades.
Creating a false impression: He needed to further solidify his image in the eyes of the Xuanyi Guards as a maverick genius obsessed with unorthodox martial arts and working alone. This would provide a reasonable explanation when he revealed his true Zhenwu strength.
He put away the map, a resolute glint in his eyes.
'The Xuanyi Guards' probing has become my best cover. Since you want to see my true strength, I'll show you a 'master of unorthodox martial arts' who is someone you should both be wary of and willing to exploit.'