Chapter 7: 007: The Wenxin Signature

The young man reached out his right hand toward Shen Tang, palm facing upward.

Shen Tang was confused. She hesitated for a moment before placing her own right hand on his, tilting her head to ask him.

"Like this?"

The young man looked at her with an indifferent expression, his eyes conveying a complex emotion, as if asking her, "What do you think?"

Shen Tang retracted her hand as if she had been electrocuted.

"Condense your *qi* in your palm."

Seeing that Shen Tang still wore a look of bewilderment, the young man was forced to offer guidance. He had assumed he was being clear enough, but unfortunately, Shen Tang didn't even know what "qi" was.

Seeing that Shen Tang remained motionless for a long while, he had no choice but to say, "When you used your *Yanling* earlier, did you feel something moving from your *danfu* along your meridians? That is 'qi.' Now, try to draw it out from your *danfu* and condense it in your palm. Can you do that?"

*Yanling*—the Word Spirit—was not something that succeeded every time; it was a matter of proficiency.

This young lad before him had been able to use his *Wenxin* (Literary Heart) to forcibly contend with a third-rank *Zannia* and had produced a powerful *Yanling* effect; he shouldn't be completely ignorant.

The young man spoke clearly, and Shen Tang carefully recalled that mysterious and strange sensation from before.

*Qi*, *danfu*, *Yanling*, *Wenxin*...

After a long while, she vaguely grasped something and guided it to slowly travel toward her palm.

Finally—

A colorless mass of *qi* gradually took shape, expanding from the size of a pea to the size of a fist, hovering an inch above her palm.

Shen Tang looked up at the young man and asked, "Sir, is this 'qi'? It’s truly magical... What rank is my *Wenxin*?"

Since the appearance of this *qi*, the young man had kept his eyes slightly lowered, most of his face hidden in shadow, making his expression difficult to discern. However, Shen Tang was certain his gaze was fixed on her palm. She felt the atmosphere was off, so she asked again.

The young man finally snapped out of it and responded, "Refine and solidify this mass of 'qi' further, just like I did."

As he spoke, a pale cyan vortex of *qi* quickly appeared on his outstretched right hand. At first glance, it looked like a thin mist, but within two breaths, it transformed into a viscous, deep cyan gel. Finally, under Shen Tang's gaze, it solidified into a uniquely shaped, deep cyan seal the size of an infant's fist.

Seeing Shen Tang's curiosity, the young man took the initiative to hand the seal over.

The seal was exquisitely crafted, with the seal script "Sixth Rank, Middle-Lower" carved on the side, and "Qi Clan, Yuanliang" carved in the same script on the bottom.

"Your name is Qi Yuanliang?"

If this was his name, then "Sixth Rank, Middle-Lower" must be the grade of his *Wenxin*.

The young man said, "Qi's given name is Shan, courtesy name Yuanliang."

As he spoke, he stared into Shen Tang's eyes.

Seeing that her gaze was clear and held not the slightest contempt for a middle-lower rank *Wenxin*, he was slightly satisfied, and his expression appeared less distant.

Shen Tang habitually said, "That really is a good name."

With both "Shan" (Good) and "Liang" (Virtuous), he seemed like a good person.

Qi Shan was speechless after hearing this.

Shen Tang handed the seal back.

"I think I know what to do now."

Following the method Qi Shan had demonstrated, she compressed the vortex of *qi* inward. The vortex gradually turned from colorless to a milky-white gel, and then from a milky-white gel into a small, crystal-clear object.

Shen Tang then withdrew her *qi* and hurriedly looked at the side of the seal.

The result—

"Huh? Why are there no characters?"

"No characters?"

Though he said this, Qi Shan's voice didn't sound surprised, as if he had expected it all along.

Shen Tang held out her seal and asked in confusion, "There are indeed no characters on the side, only on the bottom."

On the bottom was carved seal script with clean lines and rounded strokes—

"Shen Clan, Youli."

"Shen... You... Li? You truly are not a disciple of the Gong clan." Because the seal was transparent, it was a bit difficult to make out the characters. Qi Shan squinted slightly, commenting as he looked at the characters on the bottom, "However, young lad, this courtesy name of yours is a bit too delicate..."

At first listen, one would think it was a woman's name.

Shen Tang: "..."

She had already given up on explaining that she was a girl.

Since this world defaulted to the idea that anyone with a *Wenxin* was a man, there was no benefit in jumping out to argue, regardless of whether people believed her or not. Let them misunderstand; she would wait until she figured out why she had a *Wenxin* or until she was strong enough, lest she be branded a heretic and killed.

"Mr. Qi, my name is Shen Tang."

"'The leaves of the pear tree fall in the color of rouge, the buckwheat flowers bloom with the fragrance of white snow.' It is also a good name." Qi Shan revealed a faint smile.

Shen Tang: "..."

Although she really wanted to say that her name was just "Shen Tang" and "Youli" was a pen name she had picked at random with no special meaning, since he thought so and wanted to show off his literary flair, she couldn't pour cold water on him and could only accept the compliment. What she cared about most right now was the rank of her *Wenxin*.

"Mr. Qi, what rank is my *Wenxin*?"

To her surprise, Qi Shan asked in return, "Which rank would you like it to be?"

Shen Tang: "What does that mean???"

Qi Shan went on to talk about something else.

"Unlike the twenty ranks of the Martial Courage, the *Wenxin* only has nine ranks. First rank, top-top; second rank, top-middle; third rank, top-lower, and so on down to the ninth rank, bottom-bottom. Martial Courage can be honed and promoted through hard work, and those with high talent can even reach the rank of Marquis, but a *Wenxin* is born at a certain rank and stays there. Mine is a sixth-rank middle-lower *Wenxin*, neither the best nor the worst. So, what rank do you hope to be?"

Shen Tang was startled: "This... can it be decided by my wish?"

Qi Shan said, "If it were anyone else, naturally not, but since you have met me, I can do you this favor."

Shen Tang was completely confused.

Her intuition told her that Qi Shan had hidden meanings in his words.

But he didn't explain much, only hinting in a calm voice, "A child carrying a thousand pieces of gold through a busy market is not a good thing."

Shen Tang subconsciously tensed up.

What exactly was this *Wenxin* that it could be so serious?

So, this transmigrator's perk could actually invite a fatal disaster.

Shen Tang suppressed her curiosity, which was enough to kill a cat, and didn't probe further, only asking, "Can any rank of *Wenxin* be faked?"

Qi Shan himself had a "sixth-rank middle-lower" *Wenxin*, and since a *Wenxin* could not be changed—born at a certain rank, it stayed that way—he certainly couldn't help someone truly change their *Wenxin* rank. That left only disguise.

Since that was the case—

Shen Tang probed, "Then—would first-rank top-top be possible?"

Qi Shan almost laughed at her question.

"A first-rank top-top *Wenxin* is the rank of a Sage; it is a nominal rank that only a feudal lord holding the national seal can possess. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Shen Tang looked down at her *Wenxin* seal.

"Then let's be safe and disguise it as ninth-rank bottom-bottom."

"Ninth-rank bottom-bottom? Heh, you are quite clever."

When the four seal characters for "Ninth Rank, Bottom-Lower" appeared on the side of the seal, Shen Tang toyed with the transparent object, not knowing what to do with it.

"How do I put this away?"

"Why put it away? This is used to prove your identity. Even a 'ninth-rank bottom-lower' *Wenxin* is better than being an ordinary person."

In this chaotic era where a generation could change their nationality twice, the lives of ordinary people were worth less than grass, let alone Shen Tang, who was a fugitive being sent into exile.

The characters carved behind her ear were done through special means; unless she cut off her ear, they could never be removed.

But with the *Wenxin* seal, and using an ear ornament to cover it, ordinary officials wouldn't dare to inspect it, which was equivalent to having a guarantee of safety.

The seal was her identity.