"Yunli got something good; I can't afford to fall behind. Miss March, let me give you a hand too!"
Yanqing gritted his teeth, took out his Jade Abacus, and spent the one million Credits lent to him by the General.
No kidding. Faced with Yunli's provocation, how could he possibly not take the bait?
March 7th encouraged, "Alright, Master Yanqing, you can do it too!"
"Mm."
Yanqing nodded politely, then strode confidently toward the shelf.
As he looked at the rows of trash cans, his mind drifted back to the day he obtained Massacre Ruler.
When he learned that it had once been a sword used by a woman, his composure completely shattered. Though he was very satisfied with Massacre Ruler's power, deep down, it had always felt like a thorn lodged in his heart—he wanted to obtain a truly mighty and masculine sword!
As his hand brushed across the trash can, a strange sense of connection welled up inside him, as though he could feel the emotions of the trash can itself.
Was it an illusion? No—it was the can responding to him!
Good! It's decided, it'll be you! Come on!
With a loud boom, the trash can sprang open, and a beam of blue light shot out.
Another scroll fell into Yanqing's hands.
He exhaled in relief.
He wasn't delusional enough to think that his luck would explode and he'd just happen to draw a divine sword.
But holding the scroll in his hands, he still brimmed with confidence.
At the very least, this thing couldn't be worse than Yunli's, right? Maybe it wouldn't completely outshine hers, but it surely had to be better than pulling a bottle of Classic SoulGlad or bean-flavored soda.
If he ended up drawing that pair of drinks again, it'd be beyond embarrassing.
Besides…
Could it be that he'd really communicated with the trash can's soul earlier? That it had heard his unspoken determination and sought to fulfill his wish?
That had to count as divine intervention, right? Ha!
With that optimistic thought, he asked eagerly, "Shopkeeper Sylvester? What kind of scroll is this?"
Sylvester glanced over the description and raised an eyebrow.
This guy again. Why does he always get tangled up with this kind of thing? Was this… a fateful calamity in disguise?
Waving a finger with mock gravity, Sylvester said, "The [Ayanami Grace Gossamer Steps]—a rather mysterious movement art."
He then struck a perfect Tai Chi embrace-the-moon pose and continued, "It's based on the legendary supreme divination method—the sixty-four trigrams—and fused with the graceful poise of ballet to form an ultimate light-footed technique."
"Its movement patterns are incomprehensibly intricate. As long as you follow the trigrams, you can evade most enemy attacks even with your eyes closed and without any perception at all. Moreover…"
Sylvester's expression turned deadly serious. "The movements will be extremely, extremely, extremely graceful."
"What?! There's such a thing?!"
Listening from the lounge area, Yunli cried out in shock.
A technique that let you dodge attacks without even watching your opponent? Did that mean the enemy's choices couldn't alter the outcome of the strike?
How was that even possible? Was it really all derived from those sixty-four trigrams?
That kind of evasion efficiency was just too absurd!
Yunli's small lips pouted, and a sense of crisis welled up in her chest.
She was a heavy-sword type fighter—her entire style revolved around one decisive strike. Her attack frequency was extremely low. Harassment or suppression through rapid blows was a light sword's domain. If Yanqing mastered this step technique, wouldn't that be her natural counter?
Her grip on her scroll tightened.
There was no helping it. It seemed she'd really have to seriously study this [100% Barehanded Blade Catch] technique after all.
Hmm…
Tch. Hopefully, when the day came for her to use it, she wouldn't end up socially dying on the spot. This style of combat was just too bizarre.
While Yunli braced herself as though facing a mortal enemy, the supposed "enemy" Yanqing was far less optimistic than she imagined.
The moment he heard Sylvester describe the technique's properties, a strange, foreboding feeling crept up inside him.
Ballet? Grace? The more he listened, the more it sounded like… something meant for women.
He looked down at the scroll in his hand, and his heart sank halfway to the floor.
Swallowing hard, he asked hesitantly, "Shopkeeper Sylvester… does this technique's name have any particular origin?"
After speaking, he clenched his jaw and prayed inwardly.
Please, please, let it be a man's technique…!
Sylvester said slowly, "The words 'Ayanami Grace' come from a timeless masterpiece in another world. Its author was the son of a great conqueror and a literary genius of his age."
"Haah~" Yanqing let out a deep sigh of relief.
So his fears had been unfounded.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead—produced by sheer tension—and smiled. "Then what does Gossamer Steps mean?"
Yanqing asked lightly, but when he heard the answer, he realized he'd celebrated far too soon.
Sylvester replied without hesitation, "Oh, it's a movement art created by a great woman named Rei Ayanami, combining her dance movements with the trigrams. Because her name sounds the same as 'Ayanami Grace,' the technique was named after her."
"Cough!"
Yanqing felt as if someone had just smacked him hard across the head.
Perfect timing—right when his guard had just dropped.
The relief that had only just settled in was instantly crushed.
Clutching his chest, his face twisted in the same mixture of grief and rage Yunli had worn earlier when she drewthe barehanded blade catch skill scroll.
Looking down at the scroll, he couldn't tell whether it was Sylvester's fault or the trash can's.
So his premonition had been right—the trash can had heard his wish! But it was clearly a malicious trash can!
Not only did it fail to grant his desire, it also ripped open his old wound—and then rubbed salt, chili powder, and cumin into it for good measure!
"Master Yanqing, are you alright?"
March 7th rushed forward, worried, as she saw Yanqing nearly coughing up blood.
How could this happen? The technique sounded amazing! Could it be like those old tales—was the scroll laced with poison, and Master got afflicted the moment he touched it?
That couldn't be right; Shopkeeper Sylvester had no grudge against them.
"I… I'm fine," Yanqing managed weakly.
But the hand holding the scroll trembled.
No, this really wouldn't do. Absolutely not.
Massacre Ruler's former owner might've been a woman, but the weapon itself had no gender.
This, however, was different—it was a technique specifically derived from a woman's dance!
Did that mean he had to fight while moving like a dancing maiden?
Sure, he admitted his face was quite handsome, and some had even said he looked a bit effeminate—his voice too, perhaps—but he was a man, through and through!
If he performed this kind of movement on the battlefield, it was anyone's guess whether his enemies or his allies would die of embarrassment first!
A woman mimicking a man's stance could be charming—but a man imitating a woman's mannerisms? That was just… creepy!
This wasn't just embarrassing—it was true social death!
He grabbed March's arm desperately. "March! This scroll—one million Credits—no, fifty thousand! It's yours. Do you want it?"
Gritting his teeth, Yanqing decided to sell it at a loss just to get rid of it.
"Eh, Master, that's too much of a loss!"
March smiled awkwardly, though her heart was leaping with joy.
Long live Master Yunli!
Her brilliant idea of having someone else "draw from the can" for her had paid off big time!