My Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden

If Qi Yu didn't understand at first and turned to ask them, then Qi Yu would still have a sliver of hope.

After all, the principles of not being ashamed to ask questions and that diligence can make up for shortcomings are truths everywhere.

Qi Yu is already twenty-one, having missed the age for martial arts training. That's fine, but his attitude towards learning is poor, which means he's destined not to go far.

The Su father and son exchanged a glance, both seeing the disappointment in each other's eyes.

Qi Yu had no idea that this was a test from the Su family father and son, and that he had already been marked as unqualified.

He's watching it with great interest right now; he really understands it and comprehends it thoroughly.

Soon, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, and Qi Yu finished reading everything, with strange knowledge surging in his mind.

"So? Can you understand it?" Su Yun asked indifferently.

Qi Yu looked at his brother-in-law with suspicion. Why had his tone become so indifferent after only a short while?

Although he used to be a cold and aloof man with a stern face.

“Yes, and very thoroughly!” Qi Yu said with a smile.

Su Chengying shook his head, then stood up and left the pavilion.

He had never really liked Qi Yu before, because he was just an ordinary person and didn't deserve Su Yue.

But Su Yue insisted, and he had no choice but to agree.

He didn't like him to begin with, and it was only a reluctant acceptance. Now that Qi Yu was pretending to know everything and was so concerned about saving face, he felt even more that Qi Yu was unworthy of Su Yue.

But now that the die is cast, there's nothing that can be done even if you don't like it. You can't just kill Qi Yu with a sword, can you?

For once, a look of disappointment appeared on Su Yun's handsome and aloof face.

"Qi Yu, you're not suited to learning martial arts!"

After saying that, Su Yun left, leaving Qi Yu alone sitting in the stone pavilion, looking bewildered.

Am I not suited to learning martial arts?

Qi Yu raised his hand, picked up the cup on the table, and gently squeezed it.

click!

The cup was crushed, but the tea inside remained suspended in the air, as if it were being held by an invisible cup.

Qi Yu sighed helplessly, wondering if he really was a weakling.

The "Azure Netherworld Manual" states that Azure Netherworld True Qi can freeze water, but I can only shatter the cup; the water itself cannot freeze.

It really comes down to talent; maybe I'm just not suited for martial arts.

With a heavy heart, Qi Yu carefully put away the "Azure Netherworld Technique" and left the backyard.

If he can't practice martial arts, he'll have to rely on Su Yue to protect him in the future if he's in any danger.

But Qi Yu didn't want that. He wanted to protect Su Yue, not be protected by Su Yue.

Since martial arts are not an option, let's go into science and technology.

There are many roads to Rome, and becoming stronger is not limited to becoming a martial artist.

In this era, forget about guns, because there is no mature forging technology, and even gun barrels are difficult to forge.

Since that's the case, we can only do something that's not too complicated but still has great destructive power.

For example, crossbow bolts, hidden arrows, and other concealed weapons; moreover, gunpowder seems like a good option as well.

While thinking about these things, Qi Yu walked out of the backyard.

Shortly after he left, a crisp sound came from the stone pavilion—the sound of a piece of ice the size of a ping-pong ball hitting the stone table.

……

Qi Yu spent an afternoon in Su Yue's former boudoir, during which he drew blueprints for hidden weapons.

Since practicing martial arts is not an option, one must at least have some means of self-defense.

Su Yue returned to her room at dinner time, looking somewhat hesitant and uncertain.

Su Chengying and Su Yun had already told her about Qi Yu's situation, and she didn't know how to react or how to comfort Qi Yu.

"Husband, what are you doing?" Su Yue placed a bowl of freshly made white fungus soup next to Qi Yu and asked with a smile.

Qi Yu put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and said, "Since I'm not suited to martial arts, I'll make some weapons for self-defense. I need to have some ability to protect myself, right?"

Su Yue didn't know how to comfort Qi Yu, so after putting down the white fungus soup, she went behind Qi Yu and massaged his shoulders.

Then, naturally, he saw the blueprints drawn by Qi Yu and was slightly taken aback.

"Husband, what kind of weapon is this? I've never seen it before."

Qi Yu picked up the blueprint and smiled, "This is called a sleeve arrow. It can be hidden in your sleeve. It's small, exquisite, and easy to carry."

Su Yue nodded; with just one glance, she understood how to use and what the hidden arrow was.

"Then what is this bow with a handle?" Su Yue asked.

Qi Yu laughed and said, "This is called a repeating crossbow. It can fire arrows continuously without needing to fire one arrow and then reload the next. However, it still has some drawbacks. Its accuracy cannot compare with that of a bow and arrow."

Su Yue glanced at Qi Yu. She had never seen such a thing before, and according to her husband, it must be very powerful.

"Then what is this?" Su Yue pointed to the bottom drawing.

Qi Yu smiled and said, "This is a siege crossbow; one arrow can shatter a city wall and split rocks."

"Oh? Is it that amazing?" Su Yue asked in surprise.

Qi Yu proudly raised his head and said, "That's right, like the city gates of our Jiangzhou City, which can be pierced by an arrow."

Su Yue stared blankly at Qi Yu, then laughed, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief.

I thought Qi Yu couldn't practice martial arts and was just isolating himself in his room!

It seems my husband isn't as fragile as he appears now.

Unable to practice martial arts, he still managed to create this weapon, and it was a groundbreaking invention.

"My husband, you are truly amazing!" Su Yue said sincerely.

Qi Yu was very pleased. Being praised by Su Yue made him happier than if he had found five hundred taels of silver.

"Husband, dinner is ready. Let's go eat!" Su Yue said.

After putting away the blueprints, Qi Yu and Su Yue left the room and headed to the lobby.

……

Upon arriving at the lobby, Su Chengying and Su Yun were already waiting, as was Su Chengying's wife, Xu Shuqin.

So the whole family was waiting for me!

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Chapter Fifteen: A Prodigy

My whole family is waiting for me!

Even Qi Yu, with his thick skin, couldn't help but feel his cheeks burning.

I got so engrossed in drawing that I completely forgot about time!

Su Chengying's expression was somewhat unpleasant, while Su Yun remained indifferent and aloof.

Only his mother-in-law, Xu Shuqin, smiled gently at Qi Yu and waved to him and Su Yue.

"Come, come, I knew Yu'er was coming today, so I made a lot of this. Sit down and have a taste!"

Qi Yu bowed to Su Chengying and Xu Shuqin, then sat down next to Su Yue.

The eldest son, Su Yun, did not get married; instead, his younger sister, Su Yue, married him first.

"Come on, Yu'er, eat more!" Xu Shuqin used serving chopsticks to put a lot of food on Qi Yu's plate, so much so that the bowl was almost full.

Qi Yu smiled at Xu Shuqin, then thanked her earnestly, and began to eat.

It has to be said that Xu Shuqin's cooking skills are really good. Even with fewer seasonings, her dishes can still satisfy Qi Yu's appetite, which is a real foodie.

"Mother-in-law, this fish is so tender! And it doesn't have a fishy smell at all. Did you marinate it with wine and ginger slices?" Qi Yu took a bite of the fish and his eyes lit up.

This fish is very fresh and tender; it was definitely steamed. However, steamed fish can have a fishy smell if it's not prepared properly.

But the fish didn't have a fishy smell, which means it had already been processed before steaming.

Xu Shuqin looked at Qi Yu in surprise and asked, "Yu'er, you know how to cook?"

Qi Yu nodded and said, "Unless you're too kind, Mother-in-law, I'm an expert in this area!"

Xu Shuqin was extremely surprised. Are there still educated people who can cook these days?

Let alone scholars, even the two brutes sitting next to me can't even boil an egg.

"Yu'er, you say you know how to cook, so can you tell me how to remove the muttony smell?" Xu Shuqin asked.

Qi Yu put down his chopsticks and said, "This is very simple! When stewing, add more slices of ginger, and if you have Shaoxing wine, add a little. If not, add some dried orange peel, or add some sugarcane to cook together."

"Can orange peels be used as a seasoning?" Xu Shuqin asked in surprise.

Qi Yu nodded and said, "Sure, besides orange peel, there are some medicinal herbs that can also be used as seasonings."

"For example, star anise, cinnamon, angelica, and ginseng are all suitable."

Qi Yu doesn't have any particular hobbies; his only love is food, making him a complete foodie.

For this reason, Qi Yu even went to learn to be a chef in his previous life, becoming a complete gourmand.

Qi Yu and Xu Shuqin chatted more and more enthusiastically, and when it came to food, Qi Yu was second to none.

The three men surnamed Su could only watch the two men with different surnames chatting happily at the table, while they could only eat silently, unable to get a word in edgewise.

Although Su Yue can cook, she is still not as good as her mother.

"Yu'er, is the beggar's chicken you mentioned really edible?" Xu Shuqin asked, somewhat puzzled when she heard that the whole chicken was wrapped in mud.

Qi Yu smiled and said, "Mother-in-law, after the chicken is marinated, you can wrap it in lotus leaves, then cover it with mud, and finally throw it into the fire to roast."

"When you're eating it, just break the mud off. With the lotus leaves as a barrier, the chicken won't get mud on it!"

Xu Shuqin nodded, and then realized that her husband and children had almost finished eating and were looking at her and Qi Yu.