As they spoke, a refined figure emerged from the Green Bamboo Hall and slowly walked this way.

The wind lifted his transparent eye veil, revealing a pair of downcast, thick dark lashes.

Chang Boning seemed lost in thought. Only when he reached the tree did he raise his eyes: "Rugu, how are you feeling?"

Feng Rugu asked apprehensively: "Has the punishment been decided?"

"Yes." Chang Boning nodded slightly. "Master's wife said for you to go into closed cultivation for five years to reflect on your mistakes."

Feng Rugu was dumbfounded and blurted out: "He definitely didn't say that! He definitely said that I damaged the dagger he spent five years forging, so I have to compensate him for his five years of effort!"

Chang Boning smiled faintly, not denying it.

Feng Rugu struggled: "Where is Master? I want to see Master!"

"Master..." Chang Boning felt it was inappropriate to discuss unsuitable matters in front of junior disciples, so he said tactfully, "is unwell and resting in bed today, not yet up."

Feng Rugu said resentfully: "Doesn't Master have any authority as the husband?! Doesn't he know to manage..."

Yan Jiangnan was shocked and turned pale. He quickly went over to cover his mouth: "Shut up now. If Master's wife hears this, I'm afraid I won't see you for ten more years."

Feng Rugu, who had been hung upside down and baked in the sun for several hours, felt extremely wronged. He hugged Chang Boning's waist and pleaded softly in a spoiled manner: "Senior Brother - save me."

He was from Jiangnan and usually spoke the common language quite fluently, but he knew when to switch back to the soft and gentle Wu dialect of the water towns. He dragged out the two words "Senior Brother" in a mellow and lingering way, which matched his face perfectly and made people want to give him the whole world.

Chang Boning felt quite helpless being hugged by him. He gently stroked his face, then knelt down under the tree in a dignified manner, facing Feng Rugu upside down. He lowered his voice and said, "I have a solution."

Feng Rugu looked at him eagerly, and Yan Jiangnan also came over.

Chang Boning said mildly, "Two days ago, Master told me to prepare to go down the mountain to travel and gain experience."

He continued, "Rugu is naturally intelligent and has already mastered the self-taught Guixu Sword Technique. But my Tasha Sword Technique still has no progress."

"Master said that although I have mastered the mental method, because I lack the intent to kill, I'm stuck at the critical juncture and can't advance an inch."

The three junior brothers and sisters all knew about Chang Boning's cultivation obstacle.

Chang Boning had long ago perfected the Fengling Sword Technique and had his own insights, writing the "Tasha Sword Technique". But every time in actual combat, the effect was insufficient, at most only reaching the standard of a second-rate sword technique.

Master Xu Xingzhi had watched Chang Boning practice swordsmanship once and pointed out the crux of this set of sword techniques in a simple and easy-to-understand way: "Boning, the ultimate purpose of all sword techniques is to cut people, but you simply don't want to cut people."

To put it more bluntly, Chang Boning had too good of a temper, was too Buddha-like, and couldn't exert even thirty percent of the power his sword techniques should have.

"That's great," Feng Rugu said, swaying as he hung from the tree. "Senior Brother, if you go out into the world, you're bound to encounter a few things that make you want to draw your sword and kill someone."

Chang Boning said softly, "Actually, I don't want to leave the mountain. I think there must be some other way to enhance the power of the Tasha Sword Technique, without necessarily having a murderous intent."

Yan Jiangnan somewhat understood, "Senior Brother, you want to substitute for Junior Brother..."

Chang Boning nodded and turned to Feng Rugu, "You and I will secretly exchange faces. You will travel in place of Senior Brother, while I will go into seclusion to comprehend the sword techniques, each getting what we need. It's just..."

He paused slightly, "It's just that once the faces are exchanged, the technique can only be undone by my spiritual power. I don't know if you're willing to use Senior Brother's face?"

Feng Rugu let out an "oh" sound, not looking too excited.

He narrowed his eyes, "Senior Brother, did Master really tell me to go down the mountain to travel?"

Chang Boning smiled faintly and said gently, "Mm, he really did."

Feng Rugu didn't say anything more and hugged Chang Boning tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Chang Boning was stunned by the hug, then also started laughing. He patted his back, "Alright, a fourteen or fifteen year old is not a child anymore, don't keep acting spoiled."

Feng Rugu held him tightly, as if suddenly hugging his own mother - safe and warm.

Seeing that he wouldn't let go, Chang Boning had no choice but to laugh softly, "Okay, you can be spoiled for a little longer."

Yan Jiangnan's eyes darted around and she leisurely got up, quietly commanding her little squirrel to go around to the vines tying Feng Rugu's feet. It opened its little mouth and took a bite--

Feng Rugu was instantly flung up by the moving vines.

"Yan Jiangnan--"

...

Feng Rugu opened his eyes.

He had actually fallen asleep sitting on the corridor and nearly tumbled into the greenery below.

Because of the lingering sense of weightlessness from the dream, for a moment he couldn't tell if he was the fourteen-year-old Feng Rugu, and just stared blankly at the brightening sky.

Just then, Ruyi, who always got up early, came to the courtyard well to draw water.

He always did this himself.

Hidden by the greenery, he didn't notice Feng Rugu sitting by the corridor.

Feng Rugu glanced at him, then closed his eyes. The image of a beautiful child appeared in his mind. The child was leaning over the well, struggling to pull the rope, pulling the bucket up over and over again, then lowering it back down, repeating the process.

He walked over and asked the child, "What are you doing?"

"Moon, in water, there is," the child had some difficulty speaking and couldn't say complete sentences. "Scoop it out, whole one, for adoptive father."

Feng Rugu couldn't help but smile at the child in his illusion and casually said, "Little Hongchen, I..."

The sound of the bucket slipping and heavily splashing into the water rang in his ears, shattering Feng Rugu's illusion and instantly waking him up.

...Oh no.