Chapter 26: Why a Gun Is Called a Gun

"I don't know. The intruder's movements were extremely stealthy. It just so happened that our grandfather, the strongest in the family, had left the city to rescue you and Zui'er. If the intruder hadn't accidentally triggered the restrictive formations set up within the Yang estate, we likely wouldn't have even detected that anyone had broken in," Yang Yitan said, shaking his head slowly with a trace of helplessness on his face.

"Is that so..." Yang Qingyuan rested his chin in his hand, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

If it were impossible to determine whether the intruder was human or demon, things would be a bit difficult. If it were a demon, the situation would actually be much simpler. It would mean the wolf demon in the village outside the city had indeed intended to lure the tiger away from the mountain, with the goal of sacrificing its own life to coordinate with the actions of this demon within the city. But if it were a human, then things became a bit more interesting.

"By the way, where exactly did this intruder trigger the restrictions?"

"Deep within the Yang estate, at the family head's residence."

"The family head's residence..." Yang Qingyuan narrowed his eyes. The so-called residence of the family head was the core area inhabited by the branch of the family belonging to the current head, Yang Yifang. Although the Yang estate was called a mansion, it occupied a significant area. Just the outer perimeter, which provided rooms for servants, contained over a hundred rooms. As for the rooms for other branch members, they were countless. The very core of the entire estate was the residence of the family head, Yang Yifang. Ordinarily, aside from the most core servants and disciples, no one else was qualified to enter that area.

Regardless of whether the intruder was human or demon, Yang Qingyuan could confirm one thing for certain: there was definitely a secret hidden within the family head's residence.

"Did you think of something?"

"What could I think of? At that time, I was nearly gutted by that wolf demon..."

"Fair point. Very well. I came today primarily to check on you for my aunt. Since you are not seriously injured, my aunt will be able to rest a little easier when I return."

"Speaking of which, Sister Yang Yan’s child should be born soon, right?"

"Yes, soon. It is a critical period now; otherwise, my aunt would have come to visit you herself," Yang Yitan nodded.

It really was fast. In the blink of an eye, several months had passed, and little Mumei was about to be born. However, with his intervention in this lifetime, Mumei’s father did not die, and Yang Yan did not leave the Yang family. Presumably, Mumei would at least have a complete childhood.

"Please thank Sister Yang Yan for me. By the way, let me ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Can you get in touch with Li Quzhuo?"

"Li Quzhuo? What do you need him for?" Yang Yitan looked at Yang Qingyuan with a hint of confusion.

"I want him to help me forge a weapon. When I encountered that wolf demon this time, if it hadn't been for Wangquan Zui's Dream Sword, I would have been forced to fight the demon with my bare hands."

"I see. How about this: tell me your requirements for the weapon, and I will make a trip to the Li family of Taoyuan on your behalf."

"That works. As for the forging fees, this is all I have on me for now. If it's not enough for a deposit, then forget it; I'll ask again once I have more money."

Yang Yitan glanced at the silver notes in Yang Qingyuan’s hand, hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out and took them. "Alright."

"My requirements for the weapon are as follows..."

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Half a month later, while Yang Qingyuan was practicing basic spearmanship with an ordinary spear in the courtyard, a whimsical figure snuck in from outside.

As an ancient family of the Yi Qi Dao League, the Yang family naturally possessed many records of various supernatural arts and martial skills within their library, thanks to their cheat-like bloodline talents. Therefore, it wasn't difficult for Yang Qingyuan to find books on spearmanship in the Yang family’s scripture pavilion. Since he couldn't find a master of the spear to teach him, he had to practice slowly according to the books.

The spear is the most ancient of weapons. In the era of chariot warfare, soldiers favored long weapons; aside from bows and arrows, the spear was the most suitable. Thus, the phrase "eighteen-foot spear" exists, and the origin of the spear truly begins there. Even though, in the world of fox spirits, personal preferences aside, the sword was the mainstream weapon used by the Taoists of the Yi Qi Dao League. The reason for this was likely that the reputation of the "Sword of Heaven and Earth" was so resounding that people in this world subconsciously believed the sword to be the strongest weapon. Consequently, as various artifacts imitating the Wangquan Sword emerged, it was no surprise that the sword became the mainstream weapon.

However, since he was cultivating the techniques of the True Monarch, he naturally had to pair them with the True Monarch's weapon; otherwise, Yang Qingyuan felt it would be incongruous. Furthermore, the spear had been the "King of a Hundred Weapons" since ancient times, capable of both attack and defense. In actual combat, the truth that "an extra inch of length provides an extra inch of power" was not just talk; it had been tested through countless wars. Even in the modern era, although the meaning of the word "gun" had changed slightly, the truth that "range is king" remained immutable.

In any case, Yang Qingyuan had not hesitated in the slightest when choosing his future weapon; he had opted to start practicing the spear.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Whether it was because he had some talent for spearmanship or not, after only half a month of practice, Yang Qingyuan could already wield the spear with impressive flair and form. However, he was not so foolish as to think he had mastered it.

"A month for the staff, a year for the saber, and a lifetime for the spear."

In truth, the spear is not difficult to pick up. Even someone who has never practiced before can instinctively make basic thrusts when holding a spear. Even if a beginner holds a spear, as long as they have the courage, it is very difficult for someone who has practiced the saber for a year to win against them; they would likely lose. Therefore, the spear is easy to learn but difficult to master. To truly master the spear, one must put in a great deal of effort. Moreover, the power of spearmanship techniques has almost no upper limit; even after a lifetime of study, there is always room to improve.

After practicing the spear techniques recorded in the book one more time, Yang Qingyuan took a deep breath, stopped his training for the day, and glanced at a corner of the courtyard.

"You've been watching for a long time. Don't you intend to come out?"

"Oh, I didn't think you'd discover me."

As the words fell, Wangquan Zui emerged from behind a large tree with a playful smile.

"Please, I'm not blind..."

"Really? But my brother is always so focused when he practices the sword that sometimes he doesn't even hear me when I call him."

Yang Qingyuan twitched his lips. He wanted to say: is it possible that your brother was just pretending not to hear you because he simply didn't want to deal with you?