The undead have descended upon the world? I possess a sword that can cleave the heavens once more!

Wu You returned home, pushed open his bedroom door, and picked up the sword that was leaning against the door.

Just as I picked up the sword, I heard the door open behind me.

He turned his head and saw Wu Jing coming in from outside the house.

They must have just come back from dinner.

On Saturdays and Sundays, Wu's parents eat at the factory canteen, and since no one cooks at home, he and Wu Jing usually eat out near their apartment complex—either a bowl of noodles at a small shop downstairs or something from a roadside stall.

Wu Jing was still holding a cup of milk tea in her hand, with the straw sticking out, so it must have been just bought.

The two exchanged a glance.

Wu Jing's gaze slid from his face to his hand, lingering for a second on the sword he was holding. Without saying a word, she looked away and walked straight to her room.

Wu You didn't say anything, took his sword and went out the door.

The moment the door closed behind her, Wu Jing had already entered her room.

She put the milk tea on the table, but didn't drink it right away. She stood there for a while, stunned.

Then he muttered to himself:

"What's going on... why does he seem like a completely different person?"

The scene from just now is still replaying in my mind.

Wu You stood in the living room, holding the silver-gray sword in his hand. His posture was casual; he just stood there, but for some reason, he felt different.

What was Wu You like before?

She was gloomy and didn't like to talk. She always walked with her head down and would look away after making eye contact with someone for no more than three seconds. She didn't dare to say a word when she was bullied at school. When she got home, she would hide in her room. You could barely exchange three sentences with her, and when she did, it was just "uh-huh" and "yeah".

But that one just now...

She looked the same, her features were the same, and she was still wearing that white T-shirt. But the feeling, the composure she exuded while standing there, the calm look in her eyes—

It's like he's become a completely different person.

Wu Jing shook her head, sat back in her chair, and took a sip of her milk tea.

It might just be my imagination.

. . .

downstairs.

Wu You didn't go to the usual cement spot; the sun was still strong at this time, making it easy to get heatstroke.

He went around to a corner of the neighborhood and found a flat area with shade.

The tree wasn't very big, but its branches and leaves were quite dense. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the ground. When the wind blew, the light spots swayed, like reflections in water.

Wu You drew his sword and began to practice.

Footwork includes advancing, retreating, moving vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.

Breathing, footwork, and sword stance must be coordinated and kept in order.

The thirteen stances are: draw, carry, lift, parry, strike, stab, point, collapse, stir, press, chop, intercept, and wash.

Then came those three sword moves.

The straight thrust sword technique is the simplest, but the most difficult to master. The sword and arm form a straight line. The power originates from the feet, passes through the waist, shoulders, and arms, and finally exits from the tip of the sword. A slight lack of power will result in weakness, while an excessive amount will lead to stiffness.

The top-splitting sword strike—moves downwards with great force and weight. Power must be generated from the waist, not just the shoulders. Shoulder power is brute force; waist power is dynamic.

The Gate-Blocking Sword is a defensive sword technique, but it is also the beginning of a counterattack. The sword is used to block the opponent's path, and then the opponent waits for an opportunity to strike.

After finishing one set, start another.

The shade of the trees shifted imperceptibly, and the sunlight shone from left to right, then gradually faded from right to left.

Wu You was completely absorbed in it.

The feeling was hard to describe—with each swing of the sword, I could feel my body getting stronger. It wasn't an illusion; I could really feel the coolness from the sword manual circulating within my body, seeping into my muscles and bones with every breath and every exertion of force.

The feeling of gradually getting stronger is addictive.

So much so that he felt neither thirst nor the passage of time.

After finishing a set of sword techniques, he stopped to catch his breath and realized that the sun had already set.

Orange-red light filtered through the gaps in the buildings, bathing the entire sky in a warm hue. The tree shadows stretched long, spreading diagonally across the ground.

Wu You took out his phone and glanced at it.

16: 34.

I practiced for more than four hours.

He sheathed his sword, intending to go home for a drink of water. He had just turned around—

"Wu You!"

A voice came from behind, sounding somewhat exasperated.

Why didn't you accept my friend request?!

Wu You turned his head.

Floral dress, long, straight black hair, oval face.

Hua Linlin.

Standing next to her was another person—a woman in her early thirties, with delicate features and a languid charm in her eyes. She was dressed simply, yet she was undeniably beautiful. She stood there smiling, saying nothing, simply watching the two of them.

Wu You was stunned for a moment.

What's Hua Linlin doing here?

What friend request?

Why didn't you accept my friend request on Fetion?

Seeing that he still looked blank, Hua Linlin added another sentence.

Wu You then realized what was happening.

He knew about Feixun. Everyone in this world had a communication and social networking app, similar to WeChat in his previous life. He also had it on his phone, but he rarely looked at it, except for scanning a QR code to make a payment. He hadn't used any of the other functions.

He took out his phone and opened Feixun (a Chinese instant messaging platform).

Sure enough, there was a small red dot in the bottom right corner.

Click in.

A friend request.

The online name is "Wang Mumu", and the application was submitted yesterday afternoon.

The profile picture is of a cartoon girl wearing a flower wreath and with a sassy expression.

Wu You remained silent for a second.

Wang Mumu...Hua Linlin?

He clicked "agree".

"You and Wang Mumu have become friends, you can chat now."

This message popped up on the phone screen.

Hua Linlin glanced down at her phone, and her expression softened a little.

Then she looked up, tapped the screen a few times, and pushed a business card towards her.

"This is my cousin!"

Wu You glanced at it.

The business card reads: "I love practicing swordplay." The profile picture is a close-up of a sword, seemingly taken during a competition, with bright lights reflecting off the blade.

“Every time I see you,” Hua Linlin said, “you’re either practicing your sword or on your way to practice.”

Wu You thought about it and realized that it did seem to be true.

"My cousin also likes to practice swordsmanship," Hua Linlin continued, her pride returning. "He's a professional-level swordsman, so you can ask him anything you don't understand."

Professional level.

Wu You glanced at the business card and could tell that her cousin really liked swordsmanship.

He nodded and put his phone away.

"Thanks."

Upon hearing those two words, Hua Linlin straightened her neck slightly and raised her chin a little, like a proud little swan.

"You're welcome!"

After saying that, she turned and left.

The woman next to him had been smiling the whole time and hadn't said a word. Now she turned around and walked towards Hua Linlin.

After walking a few steps, Wu You vaguely heard a few words drifting on the wind—

"So Linlin likes this kind of thing."

"Oh dear, what are you saying! I only like handsome guys, and he's not handsome at all!"

"Huh? Not handsome? I think he's quite handsome!"

"Um... it's alright. Let's hurry up and go. My parents are already at Shiwei Pavilion, we're the only ones left."

The sound grew fainter and fainter, finally disappearing into the setting sun.

Wu You stood there and shook his head.

What love and romance he has to do with anything?

He only wanted to practice swordsmanship.

He gripped his sword tightly and headed home.

Go back, have a drink of water, and have dinner.

However, today is a little different—Wu You will not practice his sword after dinner.

I need to do some hunting in the neighborhood today.