As they strolled through the bustling night streets of Skycloud City, Chen Li Li couldn’t keep her curiosity at bay any longer. The city’s liveliness faded into the background as her thoughts replayed the battle at the Qian Manor.

"Liang Wu, how did you do that glowing thing and not take any damage from that elder’s punch in the pavilion?" Her voice was soft, but her eyes sparkled with a mix of admiration and confusion.

Liang Wu glanced at her, then looked ahead, hands clasped behind his back in his usual relaxed manner. "It was an exploit."

Li Li tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "Exploit? What does that mean?"

"An exploit is an unintended flaw in a video game that gives players an advantage. It's like finding a loophole that the game’s creators didn’t account for." He smiled to himself as he thought of various glitches and exploits in the video games he'd played, all the best games have exploits.

Her face scrunched up in concentration, clearly trying to piece it together. "So... what was the exploit you used?"

Liang Wu paused, thinking about how to explain. "Well, in my case, I used the leveling system. Whenever you level up, you earn free stat points, right?"

She nodded, still trying to keep up.

"By placing those points into a stat—any stat, really—you experience a moment where your body is, for just a fraction of a second, invincible. You’re able to shrug off any damage, no matter how deadly the attack."

Li Li’s eyes widened as she processed the information. "So, you leveled up mid-fight? That's... insane!"

Liang Wu gave her a sidelong glance, his expression turning serious. "Yes, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. The timing has to be perfect—down to the millisecond. If you're even slightly off, you’ll still get hit. That’s why it’s incredibly dangerous to attempt."

Her excitement faltered slightly as she saw the gravity in his expression. "Wait... so it's risky?"

"Extremely." He stopped walking and turned to face her fully, his tone growing stern. "Li Li, don’t even think about trying to use this exploit. 9.9 times out of 10, it’ll fail. And if it fails, you’ll be left wide open, or worse, dead."

Li Li blinked, biting her lip, clearly rethinking whatever ideas she’d had forming in her head. "That bad, huh?"

Liang Wu nodded firmly. "It’s not worth the risk. I was the one that created the system, and even then, I barely pulled it off. It's a last resort, not something to rely on."

She gave him a slight smile, though there was still a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "Fine, fine, I won't do anything reckless. But it was impressive, I’ll give you that."

Liang Wu laughed, his earlier tension easing. "Impressive, maybe. But remember, it’s the tricks you don’t use that keep you alive."

As they resumed walking, Li Li fell into step beside him, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of exploits and the mysterious world of systems and stats that Liang Wu seemed to understand so well. He was its creator after all.

Soon they reached the city walls, where Che Fu stood waiting with the carriage. He gave a slight bow when he saw them approaching.

Li Li waved at him cheerfully. “Why'd you have Che Fu wait all the way out here? Why couldn't he just wait at the Qian Manor with us?”

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Liang Wu’s expression remained calm, his gaze scanning the surroundings as he answered. “In case we had to flee. I could escape with you girls, but Che Fu and our carriage would’ve been left behind.”

Li Li frowned, her curiosity piqued. “How would you have escaped?” She imagined the wildest possibilities, but knowing Liang Wu, it could be something even more outrageous.

He glanced at her, his tone casual, almost indifferent. “I would’ve turned into a God Realm dragon and flown away.”

Li Li blinked, caught off guard by his calmness. “A... God Realm dragon!?” Her voice rose slightly, disbelief clear on her face. “Doesn’t your technique need Qi Fluctuations for something like that? Where did you find a God Realm dragon?”

“I’d just borrow Tian Feng’s Qi Fluctuations,” he replied, still as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Both Li Li and Daiyu froze mid-step, the weight of his words slowly sinking in.

“Tian Feng’s Qi?” Li Li repeated, more confused now. “What does Big Sis Feng have to do with a dragon?”

Liang Wu turned to face them fully, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a half-smile. “Tian Feng is a dragon.”

The silence was palpable. Both girls stared at him, mouths slightly open, as if trying to process this new reality. Their faces were a mix of shock and confusion, as if the entire world had just tilted on its axis.

“What!?” They both shouted in unison, their voices echoing against the city walls.

Liang Wu snickered under his breath, shaking his head as he continued toward the carriage. “Come on, you’ll both get used to it.”

Still wide-eyed, Li Li muttered, “Used to it... He just casually says she's a dragon…”

As they climbed into the awaiting carriage, Daiyu missed her step, her foot slipping on the edge. She stumbled forward, her usual grace lost in the moment. Liang Wu’s reflexes kicked in, his arms moving swiftly to catch her before she hit the ground.

Daiyu found herself pressed against his chest, his strong arms supporting her. She blinked up at him, her heart pounding from the sudden fall. For a moment, there was a pause, Liang Wu waiting for her to offer a word of thanks. But something shifted in her eyes as they locked onto his face, still smeared with blood from the earlier battle.

Her expression twisted in terror.

“Aahhh! Get off!” she shrieked, her voice a piercing wail that seemed to echo through the quiet night. Her wide eyes fixed on the crimson streaks across his cheeks, as if only now realizing the carnage they had left behind. “I… I don’t want… Noo!” Her voice broke into hysterical sobs as she flung his arms away with surprising strength. She collapsed into a crouch on the stone-paved road, her hands trembling as they flew up to cover her head.

Liang Wu stood frozen for a moment, the warmth of her touch still lingering on his skin, but her reaction had left him stunned. The normally, composed Daiyu, the one who always kept her emotions in check, was now breaking down in front of him.

The door to the carriage creaked open, and Li Li’s concerned face appeared. She stepped out in a hurry, eyes flickering between Liang Wu and the distraught Daiyu.

“What happened?” Li Li asked, her voice high with worry. She moved toward Daiyu but hesitated, unsure how to comfort her. “Daiyu! What’s wrong?”

Liang Wu shook his head, still processing the abrupt shift in Daiyu’s demeanor. “I… I don’t know,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain. “She stumbled, and I caught her… then she just—” He gestured to his face, wiping at the blood, his brow furrowed. “Maybe it was the blood?”

Li Li knelt beside Daiyu, who was still crouched with her arms over her head, shaking. “It’s okay, Daiyu,” she whispered softly, her voice gentle, though her own confusion was clear. “You’re safe. It’s just us.”

But Daiyu didn’t respond. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, as if she was trapped in a memory or fear she couldn’t escape.

Liang Wu’s gaze softened as he realized the weight of the situation. This wasn’t just about the blood on his face. Daiyu, always stoic and strong, had her limits, and tonight, they had found them. He took a slow step back, suddenly feeling as though his presence was only making things worse.

Li Li looked up at him, worry still etched on her face. “I’ll stay with her,” she said softly. “Maybe she just needs time.”

She gently half-carried Daiyu into the carriage, her movements careful as she settled the unresponsive girl onto the cushioned seat. The door creaked as Li Li pulled it shut behind her, the sound loud in the silence that followed.

Liang Wu stood outside for a second longer, the dark clouds of his thoughts mirrored by the overcast sky above. He exhaled, forcing the tension from his shoulders before turning to Che Fu, who waited patiently near the front of the carriage.

"For now, ride up front with Che Fu," Li Li's voice echoed out through the carriage walls, her words lingered in the air. With a resigned sigh, Liang Wu nodded to the older man, who gave him a knowing look, a slight tilt of his head indicating understanding without words.

As Liang Wu climbed onto the front seat, his mind still lingered on the battle, on Daiyu, and on the weight of the decisions that would follow. The road ahead was fraught with danger, but for now, all he could do was move forward. One step at a time.