Without a word, Xuan Lue bowed deeply three times, declaring, "Master, I am profoundly grateful."

Zhou You lifted him up and, after some thought, gifted him a set of twelve flying knives as a gesture of their first meeting. Additionally, he gave him the secret manual of the first five levels of the Taiyi Heart Sutra.

"You... Master, you've entrusted me with this just like that? Aren't you afraid I might disclose it?"

Zhou You opened a webpage and, after logging in, showed it to Xuan Lue, who exclaimed in surprise, "Is... is this... our internal cultivation method?"

"Yes, I've already uploaded it online. But not everyone can access this site. It's tiered, and I've left my email here. Anyone who's eligible and has queries can reach out. Up until now, I haven't received a single email."

Shao Qi said, "The level of this manual is very high; very few can view it. The manual repository is still under construction, and many features are yet to be perfected."

"I have a feeling that in just a few years, our country will be full of martial artists. By then, neither mutated beasts nor foreigners will be able to bully us."

"Everyone is working towards that day. While you train, be proactive. Even though I've taken you as a disciple, training is your own responsibility. I'll be here for guidance, but understanding varies from person to person, and my insights might not always suit you."

"My grandfather said the same thing. He's very disappointed in us, saying we lack insight, merely sticking to the book. While external skills can be developed through training, internal skills truly rely on understanding."

Zhou You encouraged him, saying, "You have a good intuition; have faith in yourself."

Noticing the back and forth between the master and disciple, Shao Qi frowned, "It's getting late. Let's continue this discussion tomorrow."

Chapter 205: Aviation

"Finally, it's just the two of us." Shao Qi slowly cornered Zhou You against a wall, using his height advantage to trap him. He leaned down and asked, "Shall we honor the promise made earlier?"

"What promise?" Zhou You feigned ignorance.

Shao Qi, with both hands cradling Zhou You's chin, pressed his lips onto his, passionately parting Zhou's lips with his tongue.

Their post-marital life had been quite mundane. Shortly after getting their marriage certificate, they embarked on a mission. Subsequently, they lived separately, not even enjoying a honeymoon phase.

Of course, honeymoons are no longer in vogue. For the average person, they can't even leave the base, let alone go on a honeymoon trip.

"Let's shower." Shao Qi, reluctant to let go, lifted Zhou You, carrying him to the bathroom. On the way, he bumped into the door frame and the washbasin, nearly tumbling into the bathtub.

As the hot water cascaded down on them, they frenziedly undressed each other. The room temperature soared as the two stood bare before each other.

By the time they returned to bed, the bathroom was in utter disarray—wet floors and scattered clothes, indicating a fierce encounter.

That night, Shao Qi scarcely slept, constantly indulging in Zhou You's company, seemingly compensating for lost time. Both had great stamina; they felt no fatigue despite staying up all night. However, the next morning Zhou You found his legs wobbly and back aching, reminding him that even for the most powerful, the human body has its limits.

Cheng Zi'ang was waiting at the hotel early in the morning. Marshal Shao Qi's public visit to the Jiangnan base attracted many, and the hotel had been visited multiple times.

The hotel manager, having learned from past experiences, locked the main entrance. Entry was restricted to those with hotel key cards. Thus far, only Commander Cheng had been granted access without reservation—even the mayor had been previously turned away.

Militarily and politically, Shao Qi shouldn't be concerned with administrative affairs. Plus, he didn't have the time for unnecessary meetings.

"These are all the insect corpses we collected after cleaning the battlefield. Most are mere shells. Master Fan has inspected them and believes these shells can be forged into incredibly robust weapons. Their quantity is sufficient to arm a thousand-strong battalion."

Cheng Ziang showed Shao Qi a video he had captured. The empty husks were collected and stored in a warehouse. The decision on how to deal with them would be discussed later.

Shao Qi remembered he had picked up a few bugs that were barely alive. Upon checking inside the sturdy glass jar, the feeble bugs remained motionless. If not for the faint sense of their psychic energy, he would have thought they were dead.

Zhou You leaned in, attempting to probe with his psychic energy, a skill he had learned from the bugs. He hadn't had the chance to try it on living beings, so he was uncertain if it could launch an effective attack.

He felt his psychic energy radiate outward, but it didn't latch onto anything. Instead, it coalesced into an intangible force, targeting one particular bug.

They then witnessed one of the bugs in the jar spring to life, its blue luminescence glowing brightly. It darted frantically inside, seemingly agitated.

Zhou You pondered, it didn't seem like the bug had been attacked. Instead, it appeared to have been attracted. Could these creatures possibly absorb psychic energy?

He tested on a few more bugs and, indeed, roused them all. The jar shimmered with blue lights. If one overlooked the dark bugs, the scene was quite enchanting.

"I'm not sure what they're sensing," Zhou You began, lifting the jar to inspect it closely, "But my psychic energy seemed to flow into them without resistance, so I can't understand what stimulated them." His expression turned peculiar.

"What's wrong? Did you find something?" Concerned about the bugs' potential threat, Shao Qi held the jar for him. Zhou You suggested, "Call my apprentice over for a test. I want to see if it's only me who feels this way."