Chapter Thirty: Master Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, and You’ll Fear Nothing Anywhere in the World
After the explosion, a long silence followed.
The training ground of the Dali Court, which usually gathered over a hundred people, was now utterly silent. Everyone was dumbstruck. What had just occurred was clearly beyond their comprehension.
Such an explosion was something even a fifth-rank sorcerer could scarcely achieve. Yet Li Yunjie, an eighth-rank martial artist, had accomplished it with ease!
“What…what happened?” someone in the crowd asked, clutching his head.
“A sorcery?” replied a knowledgeable man. “But I distinctly saw him use the Thunder Talisman from Taihu Academy!”
“That can't be right!” another adjudicator, whose understanding had just been shattered, shouted, “Lord Li practices martial arts, doesn't he?”
Even Lu Xin, perched on the roof, was full of doubt. His usual smiling demeanor had turned grave. A martial artist wielding a Thunder Talisman, producing an explosion on par with a fifth-rank sorcerer—who wouldn't be bewildered by such a sight?
While the crowd was still astonished, Li Yunjie, who stood at the edge of the blast, slowly rose, brushing the dust from his body.
“The power is decent,” Li Yunjie said calmly.
He then removed his armor and walked toward Chen Jingshan, who was utterly shaken by the blast.
“Are you alright?”
Chen Jingshan’s face was blackened, his expression one of utter disbelief. He struggled to turn around, the whites of his eyes stark against his skin, making him look quite comical.
“I’m fine,” Chen Jingshan murmured, trying to sound calm. As his lips moved, wisps of white smoke escaped his mouth.
“Not really…”
As soon as he finished, his eyes rolled back, foam appeared on his lips, and he collapsed.
Seeing this, the crowd hurried forward, chattering anxiously. Li Yunjie’s heart tightened; he quickly knelt and checked Chen Jingshan’s pulse.
“Luckily, he’s only fainted.”
Li Yunjie breathed a sigh of relief, grateful he had experimented beforehand to control the blast’s force.
“You two, hurry and take your master to the physician,” Li Yunjie instructed Chen Jingshan’s two subordinates.
Only then did the guards snap out of their daze, their faces shifting from confusion to panic. They pushed through the crowd and carefully carried Chen Jingshan away.
Lu Xin leapt down from the roof, his brow relaxing slightly, and bowed. “Lord Li, what exactly was that explosion?”
Li Yunjie smiled faintly, a gleam in his eye. “It was the Water Electrolysis Technique.”
The crowd exchanged confused looks; the mystery only deepened.
“Water electrolysis?” Lu Xin, a sorcerer, frowned, his eyes filled with curiosity. “I’ve never heard of this technique before. Could you enlighten us?”
“It’s nothing more than splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, storing them inside bamboo tubes, then using the Thunder Talisman to ignite them,” Li Yunjie explained, his eyes shining with intelligence.
“This is why, if you master mathematics, physics, and chemistry, you’ll be fearless anywhere in the world!”
Everyone nodded, not understanding but sensing greatness.
“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained,” Li Yunjie sighed. “Go on, disperse.”
With that, the crowd, still full of questions, gradually dispersed.
Lu Xin, however, kept repeating Li Yunjie’s words under his breath. “If you master mathematics, physics, and chemistry, you’ll be fearless anywhere in the world! Is that the key to the technique?”
Li Yunjie simply shook his head.
“Master,” Eleven asked curiously after the crowd had left, “when did you secretly learn these mysterious techniques?”
Li Yunjie smiled. “I mastered this method when I was fifteen, but never had the chance to use it.”
Ninth-grade chemistry, the water electrolysis experiment: positive oxygen, negative hydrogen, ratio one to two. That year, Li Yunjie had just turned fifteen.
“Fifteen?” Eleven was baffled.
At fifteen, Li Yunjie was already inseparable from wine and spent his days in brothels. When would he have found time to learn such things? Could one really learn these skills in a brothel?
Seeing Li Yunjie nod sincerely, Eleven secretly resolved that he would encourage his master to visit more often in the future.
“Why do you have that sly smile?” Li Yunjie interrupted Eleven’s thoughts.
“Nothing,” Eleven replied with a grin. “Master, from now on, I won’t stop you from going to brothels!”
Li Yunjie’s eyes darkened. This fellow was definitely thinking nonsense!
After this incident, Li Yunjie had firmly established himself in the Dali Court. The morale of his colleagues in the Investigation Division soared; even their gait seemed brisker.
The proud members of the Pure Records Pavilion now took detours whenever they saw Li Yunjie.
“Our lord is truly remarkable!” the bearded deputy said in the Investigation Division. “He knocked down Lord Chen with just a few bamboo tubes!”
“He’s a genius!”
Qin Fang exclaimed, “After this confrontation, our division can finally hold its head high!”
Then he looked at Jiang Kui, “Chief, will Lord Chen really ask to be demoted?”
“Lord Chen is a man of his word,” Jiang Kui replied gravely. “He’s always been proud. After this defeat, he may never recover.”
“Really?” As they chatted, Li Yunjie appeared behind them without anyone noticing. “He’s that narrow-minded?”
The group bowed. Jiang Kui sighed, “You may not know, but before you arrived, Lord Chen made a promise.”
“If you won, he would request a demotion.”
“Is that necessary?” Li Yunjie was somewhat helpless. “Victory and defeat are commonplace in the world of warriors. Why be so fixated?”
“It is necessary,” the bearded deputy said seriously. “Lord Chen is stubborn and set in his ways.”
Li Yunjie had heard about Chen Jingshan’s stubbornness these past few days.
Two years ago, while investigating a murder case, Chen Jingshan had lain in ambush near the scene alone throughout the winter, enduring snow and wind without sleep for three months until he solved the case.
Such a fierce man, once he locks onto an idea, won’t let go, like a dog with a bone.
Today’s duel was because Chen Jingshan believed Li Yunjie unworthy of his position.
“But on the other hand,” Li Yunjie smiled, “his stubbornness isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“At least he has principles.”
He sighed, “Once he recovers, I’ll try to persuade him.”
Driving Chen Jingshan out just after taking office—how would others view him? Li Yunjie felt uneasy. Clearly, Chen started the trouble, yet now he had to placate him?
“Don’t!” Qin Fang objected. “With Lord Chen’s temperament, he absolutely won’t see you.”
“What then?”
Jiang Kui responded, “In the entire Dali Court, only Lord Xu might be able to persuade him.”
“Alright,” Li Yunjie stood. “I’ll go find Lord Xu.”
The group gazed at Li Yunjie’s back.
“Our lord is not only skilled in martial arts, but possesses such a broad heart,” the bearded deputy said bashfully. “He’s simply irresistible!”
He stomped his foot and pouted, his coquettish demeanor making the others grimace.
“I have work to do!”
“Me too!”
……
Prime Minister’s residence.
Main hall.
“He won?”
Su Ming, usually stern and reserved, was astonished upon hearing that Li Yunjie had defeated Chen Jingshan.
“He won,” Fang Zhong replied, bowing.
“How did he win?”
“They say, by the Water Electrolysis Technique,” Fang Zhong answered, “From the name, it sounds like sorcery.”
Even Su Ming, experienced as he was, was taken aback by the name of the technique.
“Never heard of it.” Su Ming laughed softly. “That he could invent his own technique—his future is limitless.”
“But…” Su Ming suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, “Isn’t he a martial artist?”
“I find it incredible as well,” Fang Zhong said, puzzled. “But I saw with my own eyes Lord Li using the Thunder Talisman to create a blazing fire.”
Su Ming frowned, silent for a long time before sighing, “No matter, victory is always good.”
“With this, he can establish himself in the Dali Court.”
“It saves me the trouble of arranging things for him.”
With that, Su Ming took a yellowed case file from the desk.
“Next, it’s time for him to begin investigating this case…”