"Young Master, do these words say '天下' (Tianxia; under heaven)?"

  Hai Ling saw Ze Ning reading a document. As she ground ink for him, she leaned over to take a look.

  Ze Ning was reading: "The Ministry of Justice shall appoint five officials to review all submitted case files across the empire, ensuring no arbitrary trials…"

  Hearing her question, he smiled and nodded. Her literacy was improving quickly.

  Hai Ling felt a bit proud. She was at a crucial stage of learning to read, eager to recognize every character she saw. As she ground the ink, she noticed the golden characters on the ink stick and read aloud:

  "....... 八宝沉香" (Bā bǎo chénxiāng, means Eight Treasures Agarwood)

  She did not recognize the two characters before it—'建隆' (Jianlong; Dragon Sword)—the era name of the founding years of the Song Dynasty.

  Ze Ning put down the document in his hand, pointed to the long sword on the wall, and then to the first character, "建" (Jian), in front of him.

  He was teaching Hai Ling to read. Her face flushed slightly. Ever since Ze Ning had held her hand that time, they had grown much closer. Whenever he was free, he would stay by her side—not necessarily doing anything, just listening to her talk to herself, watching as she cleaned with a cloth and broom. He would watch her for a while, and then a faint smile would appear on his lips.

  "Jian—" She observed Ze Ning's expression.

  "Jian—" She saw him nod and couldn't help but smile.

  "Jian!"

  Ze Ning then pointed to the dragon pattern on the sword's bde and then to the character "隆" (Long).

  "Long?"

  Hai Ling noticed that both times he pointed, it was at the long sword. She lifted her head and studied it carefully. That wasn't Ze Ning's personal weapon—he never used weapons. Nor was it a mere decorative sword. It was a true bde.

  A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind—one that didn't belong to her at all: This is a deadly weapon!

  Ze Ning was surprised to see her staring bnkly at the sword. He stood up, gazing at it as well, unsure of what was wrong. Then, he walked over, took the sword down from the wall, and handed it to her.

  Hai Ling snapped out of her daze. He must have thought she was simply curious and wanted a closer look. But she was curious—what had just fshed through her mind was

  The Zhanling Sword.

  A bde exactly three feet and three inches long, forged from refined steel, etched with a dragon pattern, capable of drinking blood, severing hair with a breeze, and cutting through anything with ease—

  How did she know that?

  What nonsense was she thinking?

  Just then, Ze Ning handed the sword to her. Shocked, she instinctively pulled her hands back. The sword slipped from his grip and began to fall.

  Such a deadly weapon—its scabbard alone could wound someone!

  Seeing it about to crash onto Ze Ning's foot, Hai Ling reacted without thinking.

  Her hand shot out—swift as lightning, silent as a shadow—and caught the falling sword midair.

  With a sharp cng, not only did Hai Ling catch the long sword, but she also instinctively gripped the hilt, locking the bde securely within its spring mechanism, preventing it from slipping out and injuring anyone. Her fingers and palm held the sword with perfect precision—fwlessly controlled!

  Her movements were swift, decisive, and shockingly skillful.

  Hai Ling had caught the Zhanling Sword. But she was the first to be stunned. She stared bnkly at the weapon in her hands, unable to comprehend how she had done it.

  How was it possible?

  In her haste, she had gripped the scabbard with slightly too much force. Her index finger pressed a little too forcefully against the razor-sharp sheath, slicing a thin wound into her skin. Blood welled up and trickled along the dragon pattern engraved on the scabbard, winding down toward the sword's tip.

  Though it wasn't much, by the time the blood reached the tip, it had nearly dried—never once dripping from the sheath.

  "A bde etched with a dragon pattern, capable of drinking blood."

  She stared at it in a daze, utterly bewildered. What is happening to me?

  Ze Ning's gaze deepened, his expression unreadable. He gave her no time to regain her composure.

  Without hesitation, he grabbed a scroll from the table, wielding it like a weapon. With a precise strike aimed at her Shaohai acupoint on the elbow, he attempted to disarm her.

  Hai Ling reacted without thinking. Her sheathed sword extended forward, aiming directly at Ze Ning's Jianzhen acupoint on his right shoulder, forcing him to withdraw.

  A flicker of intrigue fshed through Ze Ning's eyes. His wrist twisted, and the scroll glided down along her sword, striking her Yango acupoint on the back of her hand.

  Hai Ling gasped. Instinctively, she twisted her grip, and the tip of the sheathed sword angled toward Ze Ning's lower abdomen.

  Too fast!

  His attacks came so swiftly that unless she countered with a move leading to mutual destruction, she wouldn't be able to hold onto her sword.

  "Those who abandon their sword shall die! Those who abandon their sword shall die!"

  A murky, indistinct voice suddenly echoed in her ears, buzzing like an inescapable command.

  "You may lose your life, but never your sword!"

  A deep, unshakable belief was imprinted in her mind—so deeply ingrained that in that moment, she completely forgot she was merely sparring with Ze Ning.

  Then, just as abruptly as he had attacked, Ze Ning retreated. He stopped.

  (T/N: The acupoints Shaohai (少海), Yango (养老), and Jianzhen (肩贞) are specific points in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), often used in acupuncture and martial arts for healing and striking techniques.

  Shaohai (少海 - HT3)Location: On the inner side of the elbow, in the depression between the ulnar end of the transverse cubital crease and the medial epicondyle of the humerus.Function: Associated with the Heart Meridian, it is used in acupuncture to calm the mind, relieve anxiety, and treat elbow pain.In martial arts, striking this point can cause numbness, pain, and weakening of the arm.Yango (养老 - SI6)Location: On the ulnar side of the forearm, in a depression just above the styloid process of the ulna, near the wrist.Function: Belongs to the Small Intestine Meridian and is used to treat vision problems, stiff shoulders, and wrist pain.In martial arts, a precise strike here can cause sharp pain, weaken the grip, and momentarily disable wrist movement.Jianzhen (肩贞 - SI9)Location: On the posterior aspect of the shoulder, just below the teral end of the scapu (shoulder bde).Function: Part of the Small Intestine Meridian, used to relieve shoulder pain, tension, and nerve issues.In martial arts, striking this point can disrupt shoulder movement, making it difficult to lift or swing the arm effectively.In the context of the story, Ze Ning is using precise acupoint attacks to test Hai Ling's reflexes, trying to disarm her without seriously harming her. These types of targeted strikes are common in Chinese martial arts (wushu) and qinna (joint-locking techniques).