Chapter 20: Success Without Self-Castration

In the study, Lin Zhennan sat at the table, carefully reviewing the proposal Wang Jingyuan had just drafted. Whenever he encountered something he did not understand, he would ask, and Wang Jingyuan would explain it using the simplest language possible.

After a long time, the proposal was finally read through. Though many parts remained unclear, Lin Zhennan had grasped the general intent of their cooperation. He let out a soft sigh of relief, reached into his robe, and produced a small booklet, which he handed to Wang Jingyuan. On its cover were the bold characters: "Bixie Sword Manual."

Flipping through it, Wang Jingyuan noted that the opening page lacked the infamous line most associated with the sword style.

Lin Zhennan said with a complicated expression, "This is the seventy-two forms of the Bixie Sword Manual handed down in the Lin family. Although... well, since the Mount Hua Sect has shielded my family from those who covet it, as you previously suggested, Master Wang, I present this manual to the Mount Hua Sect as a token of tuition."

Wang Jingyuan leafed through the manual and was surprised to find several prescriptions at the end. These were clearly the formulas for the volatile medicinal tonics required to practice the Bixie sword techniques. He nodded with satisfaction; in his view, these formulas were likely worth more than the sword manual itself. The needs of men were, after all, an eternal constant. These recipes alone would be enough to enrich the Mount Hua Sect’s private treasury.

However, some of the herbs listed were unfamiliar to him, as they did not appear in the medical texts of the Mount Hua Sect. He pointed them out to Lin Zhennan, who began to explain them one by one. Before he had finished, a prompt appeared before Wang Jingyuan:

【Lin Zhennan is teaching you the "Bixie Sword Manual."】
【Learn: Yes/No?】

What?!

Driven by curiosity, Wang Jingyuan ultimately chose "Yes."

Because he had learned the skill, the entire content of the Bixie Sword Manual was etched into his mind. He returned the booklet. Lin Zhennan looked at him with a puzzled expression. "This is..."

"I have memorized it all."

Lin Zhennan nodded and tucked the booklet away. He had heard of photographic memory but had never seen it in person. Still, to be a disciple capable of descending the mountain to recruit others within months of entering the sect, such an extraordinary talent was perhaps to be expected.

Back in his own guest room, Wang Jingyuan, his hands itching to try, drew his long sword and began to practice the Bixie Sword Manual. Unlike the elegant Mount Hua sword style, the Bixie sword forms were not particularly refined—they even appeared somewhat crude. Yet, when combined with their astonishing speed, these flaws became irrelevant.

The sword moves were executed with extreme velocity. Within moments, he had practiced the entire set of seventy-two forms. As expected, a notification appeared:

【"Bixie Sword Manual" proficiency +1】

However, this did not mean he could practice the Bixie sword techniques without cost using his game system's mechanics. Wang Jingyuan looked down at his crotch, where his trousers were strained tightly, and sighed in frustration. His body was burning with heat, and a tide of carnal desire flooded his mind. Alongside this desire came a surge of potent, aggressive, and scorching internal energy.

It was only because of the system that he could master the Bixie sword techniques directly. Anyone else, without performing self-castration, would have succumbed to madness long before even reaching the introductory stage.

Wang Jingyuan pondered for a moment. This discomfort was unbearable. He took off his pants, raised his sword, and took aim.

He knew there was a "censorship mode" in effect. He wasn't sure if the restricted content would be implemented via gameplay or cutscenes, but since he wouldn't be needing that particular equipment anyway, he figured he might as well chop it off to gain strength. It wasn't as if he hadn't played female characters before; compared to raw power, such trifles were not worth mentioning.

*Clang!*

He remained completely unscathed.

Damn it! Aside from the lack of friendly fire, was self-inflicted damage also disabled? He tried again with the "A-San Fish-Slaying Technique," striking several times, but still, he remained unharmed. It seemed the game prevented self-injury from every conceivable angle.

Pulling his pants back up, he walked to the door next door and knocked.

*Bang, bang, bang!* "Junior Sister?"
*Bang, bang, bang!* "Junior Sister?"
*Bang, bang, bang!* "Junior Sister?"

"What... ah! You pervert! Go away!" Yue Lingshan had barely opened the door when she caught sight of the conspicuous bulge and immediately slammed it shut.

"Hey! I need your help with something, open the door!" Wang Jingyuan continued to pound on the wood.

"It is very late, Junior Brother, please have some self-respect!"

After a few more knocks, realizing he wouldn't be able to trick Yue Lingshan into opening the door, he returned to his room in low spirits. He called for a servant to bring a tub and cold water, then submerged himself.

Only after a long while did he feel slightly better. He stepped out of the tub, too lazy to dress, and practiced a few moves again. As soon as he felt the urge returning, he stopped and jumped back into the cold water.

After multiple tests, Wang Jingyuan realized that if he only performed two or three strikes, there would be no ill effects. But if he continued, the surging desires would interfere with the circulation of his internal energy. Not only the Bixie sword energy but even his Mount Hua internal energy would begin to run wild.

Wang Jingyuan was currently at a shallow level of cultivation. Had his internal power been more profound, he likely would have vomited blood during these experiments.

He now understood the situation: he could use the Bixie sword as a "cooldown" move, unleashing two or three strikes before his internal energy reacted. But if he used it continuously, he would suffer from qi deviation. In the short term, it served as a powerful killing move. As for deep cultivation, one had to complete all seventy-two forms to gain a single point of proficiency.

Wang Jingyuan reckoned that practicing it once a day was his limit. Fortunately, the game system’s proficiency gain was rigid: killing enemies provided a steady increase, and not practicing for long periods did not result in a loss of skill—once mastered, it stayed mastered.

He could only skirt the rules like this because of the game mechanics. If it were anyone else, they would have to master the technique in a single attempt, or practice sporadically—three days of fishing and two days of drying nets—without losing progress. What kind of talent would that require? And if one possessed such talent, would they really need to practice the Bixie sword at all?

For the next few days, Wang Jingyuan and Yue Lingshan stayed at the Fuwei Security Bureau. Wang Jingyuan was quite content, mostly because someone was there to do his laundry. During the day, he engaged in high-intensity sparring with Yue Lingshan, and at night, he practiced the Bixie sword once before soaking in cold water.

After that night, Yue Lingshan was always a bit evasive, though she never refused his requests to spar. Ultimately, her sword skills were limited; having traveled this far, Wang Jingyuan was now her equal, and she relied entirely on her deeper internal energy to keep up.

In their most recent bout, Wang Jingyuan easily knocked the sword from her hand in a single exchange, and everything began to feel dull. It wasn't that he disliked bullying the weak, but once Yue Lingshan could be defeated so easily, he no longer gained proficiency from the fights. No one likes grinding monsters that yield no rewards, except perhaps for testing output on a training dummy.

Wang Jingyuan decided to send her off to spar with Lin Pingzhi instead.