Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

The gate to the Evergreen Realm slowly closed in front of the Taiji Hall.

When that sliver of blue light receded, it seemed to conveniently shut out the hustle and bustle of the world, the lights of the nightclub, the silence in Bai Heng's cage, the account book in Sikong Changfeng's arms, and the ambiguous phrase "We can talk outside the door" behind the door.

Inside the door, the moonlight shone.

Outside the door, a storm was brewing.

Su Changqing showed absolutely no intention of "having a talk" from beginning to end.

The person who suffered the most from this incident was not Xiao Se, not Sikong Changfeng, and not even Bai Heng in the cage.

But -

Behind the door.

At least that's what Bai Heng thinks.

Because he knew all too well what the phrase "talks can be made outside the door" meant.

It means that the holder of the register, or some higher will behind the holder, for the first time, did not continue to choose the established process of "recording", "modifying", "erasing" and "sealing" when faced with an anomaly in the world.

Instead, they wanted to "talk".

This is an extremely rare concession in the system behind the gate.

Or rather, it's a forced stop-loss.

Because continuing to write in the same way as before is no longer stable.

If you write it again, the word "sugar" will stick to it.

If you mark it again, the bamboo skewer will bend.

If you send another gatekeeper, you'll have three more paper talismans in your dream.

After applying Bai Heng's makeup again, Su Changqing said something directly in front of everyone—

"Why are you deleting my goods?"

This logic is too twisted.

Those who were used to turning pages, putting pen to paper, and drawing circles behind the door were beginning to realize for the first time that every step they took was like providing material for the next performance of Changqinglou.

Therefore, they had no choice but to speak up.

I have to test the waters first:

We can talk outside the door.

But the result?

As a result, Su Changqing glanced at it, nodded, and immediately used that half sentence as the preview text for Sikong Changfeng's additional performance tomorrow.

Then--

I'm going back to sleep.

This is more than just ignoring what's behind the door.

It was like the hand behind the door, having rarely put down its pen, coughing and saying, "Let's talk," only to be met with the reply:

"Okay, I'll talk about it when I wake up tomorrow."

This feeling is probably something only Bai Heng can truly understand.

Because from the moment he stepped out of the Heavenly Gate, the area behind the gate had been losing its rhythm.

Now, they have not only lost their rhythm, but have also been forcibly dragged into Su Changqing's schedule.

This is probably more painful for those things behind the door than the word "sugar" in the old book.

……

Within the Evergreen Zone.

The moonlight remained the same.

The breeze in the peach grove was still warm.

A very thin mist floats around the spring, carrying the fresh scent of damp grass and trees, as well as the cool, warm air that slowly emanates from the sun-baked bluestone at night.

Two small lights were still on outside the building.

It wasn't dazzling; it was just enough to illuminate the gravel path in front of the door and the small porcelain bottle with candied hawthorn skewers and peach blossoms stuck in it next to the stone table.

When Su Changqing pushed open the door and entered, the room was very warm.

Su Xiaonuo was so sleepy.

She had been forcing herself to listen to the night trial in the Taiji Hall, and by the end her eyelids were drooping. If she hadn't been constantly worried about whether the bad guy who kept the accounts behind the door would come back tomorrow, she probably would have fallen asleep in Li Hanyi's arms long ago.

As soon as she entered the room, she almost instinctively buried her head in Su Changqing's shoulder, her voice as soft as melted candy.

"Father... I'm sleepy..."

"Yes, I know."

Su Changqing smiled and gently placed her on the bed.

The little girl hadn't even taken off her shoes properly when she half-closed her eyes, hugged the corner of the blanket, and shrank further into the bed.

Li Hanyi walked over, gently took off her little shoes, and then untied her slightly disheveled cloak and placed it aside.

Su Xiaonuo vaguely remembered one thing.

She stretched out her little hand and made a grasping motion in the air.

"sugar……"

Li Hanyi thought she was still thinking about candied hawthorns in her dream, and was about to gently pat her to lull her to sleep.

As a result, Su Xiaonuo's next sentence was:

"The bad guy who keeps the books... he'll have to pay for it tomorrow..."

After saying that, he fell into a deep sleep.

Li Hanyi paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"This child, he even dreams of collecting debts for you."

Su Changqing walked to the bedside, brushed the stray hairs from his daughter's forehead, and spoke gently.

"Like me, that's fine."

Li Hanyi glanced at him sideways.

"Like you in what way?"

"Having principles."

"What principle?"

"Every penny of compensation owed must be paid."

"..."

Li Hanyi remained silent for two breaths, but in the end, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"You call this a principle?"

"Of course it counts."

"A black-hearted principle?"

"Business principles".

Su Changqing corrected him very seriously.

Li Hanyi looked at him, the smile in her eyes deepening.

It had been a very long time since she had ever carried the coldness and distance of the Snow Moon Sword Immortal.

In the Changqing world, by Su Changqing and Su Xiaonuo's side, she often forgot that she was once the person whose sword swept across the snow and moon, whose sword intent chilled half of the martial world.

Now, she takes off her child's shoes and covers them with a blanket; she sits at night waiting for her husband to return from his dreams; she remembers which vendor's candied hawthorns were sweeter during the day; and when she hears "talking is possible outside the door," her first thought is—

Will he finally be able to get a good night's sleep tonight?

This is so human.

That's good too.

As she was thinking, Su Changqing got up and placed another very faint blue dream curtain beside Su Xiaonuo's bed.

Unlike a prohibition.

It's more like a thin layer of flowing water.

Silently, it gently spread out, close to the edge of the bed, the corner of the blanket, the pillow, and the little girl's breath.

Li Hanyi watched this scene and whispered:

"Are you still guarding against door slaves?"

"Not a door-guarding slave."

Su Changqing said.

"If the gatekeeper comes again, he will not be allowed to enter."

"So what are you doing?"

"Things to keep an eye on people."

"Annoying stuff?"

"For example, there are some forgetful gazes, some handwritings that want to follow the marks on old books to take a look, and some people who are so engrossed in flipping through pages in the middle of the night that they are trying to eavesdrop in their dreams."

Li Hanyi's eyes were slightly cold.

Will you continue trying behind the door?

"meeting."

Su Changqing spoke calmly.

"And it won't be too slow."

Why?

"Because they're already in a hurry."

After he finished speaking, he walked to the window and reached out to push it open a crack.

The moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his profile clearly and serenely.

"Bai Heng is caged, old books are defaced, the brush tip is bent, and the gatekeeper is out of contact."

"Now they've taken the initiative to say 'we can talk outside the door,' which means they're revealing a side of themselves that they never used to show."

"The more skin is exposed, the more anxious one is."

"When they get anxious, they can't help but keep checking."

"To confirm what I really am, to confirm how much more Bai Heng can vomit, to confirm whether the sugar stain and bamboo skewer mark are just a coincidence, or whether I can really modify the pen in the old book."

As Li Hanyi listened, her gaze gradually calmed down.

She didn't actually like dealing with things like old books behind doors.

She would rather face an enemy with a sword in hand, standing before her, saying, "Come and ask me about swordsmanship."

At least that way, it's clean.

But behind the door, these things are always separated by a layer, a page, a shadow, a wisp of air, a dream.

The whole picture is not visible.

And every detail reveals a calculating nature.

But she also knew that Su Changqing was least afraid of this kind of enemy.

Because he is more patient than they are.

They are also more likely to follow the clues and find the source.

Are you going to sleep tonight?

Li Hanyi walked to his side and asked softly.

Su Changqing turned his head to look at her and smiled.

"sleep."

"What if we try again behind the door?"

"Let it try."

"You're not going to do anything about it?"

"Why shouldn't I care?" Su Changqing chuckled. "I mean, let it try first."

"I'll collect it after I've tried it."

Li Hanyi looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said:

"The way you're saying these things now sounds more and more like you're waiting for a fish to take the bait."

"almost."

"You really think they're fish?"

"They themselves treat the world as a pond and people as fruit; it's not unreasonable for me to treat them as fish."

Li Hanyi did not refute.

Because of this, she also felt it was true.

She simply looked up at the perfectly round moon outside the window.

"So, do you want to appear in my dreams again tonight?"

"Um."

"Opening a business in your dream again?"

Su Changqing chuckled softly.

"That street went smoothly last night."

"If they really come again, I have to leave some new stock for the third son."

Li Hanyi: "..."

The slight sense of gravity that had just risen in her heart was almost dispelled by those words.

If Sikong Changfeng knew that he already had a place in the "Mr. Su's Dream New Products Development Project", he would probably be so moved that he would swear on the spot to devote himself to Changqinglou.

……

At this time.

Unknown land.

Behind the door.

The old book still hangs there.

It belongs neither to light nor to darkness.

It's more like a cold noodle dish made of countless old sheets of paper, lying across all realms.

Each page has recorded names, altered destinies, circled lines, deleted consequences, and suppressed the embers of cause and effect of an entire realm.

But now, on one of the pages, there are a few things that shouldn't be there.

糖。

Bamboo skewer marks.

That line, "Remember me, just remember to buy a ticket."

And a small paper talisman left behind after the gatekeeper went missing yesterday.

These items are completely out of place with the old book.

They don't belong here.

But it's stuck here, like a few candied hawthorn sticks stuck on an altar.

The hand holding the book still hangs over the edge of the page.

Compared to the daytime, it is no longer as serene as it was at the beginning.

If the earliest instance was "noticing something unusual, and then naming it," then...

The next step was "An anomaly detected, prepare to label".

Later, it was reported that "a bamboo stick was used to hold the pen, the door servant went missing, the old book was defaced, and a new book had to be compiled."

So now, what the holders are facing is no longer as simple as "an anomaly has appeared in this world".

But -

This anomaly, in turn, left its mark on the old records.

This is extremely rare.

The few remaining wills that had been observing from behind the door, separated by deeper pages, finally turned their gazes toward them.

A chilling will, like the gentle wiping of a corner of a page as it's turned.

"He left words with sugar, used bamboo sticks to hold up pens, and used dream cages to capture door slaves."

"This method is unlike that of ordinary people in the world."

The other will was heavier, like the weight of countless old debts.

"First, determine the source."

The third path carried an indescribable strangeness, like someone seeing something that shouldn't be there at such a height, initially feeling disgust, but then developing a strange and inexplicable interest.

"He will contaminate the book."

Upon hearing this, the hand on the edge of the old book paused slightly.

Yes.

Pollution.

This is the most accurate word.

It's not about destruction.

It is not destruction.

It's not about direct confrontation.

What Su Changqing did was more like "pollution".

The word "sugar" has dragged the old book out of the solemn and cold record system and into the everyday life of the streets.

The bamboo stick twisted what should have been a decisive correction into a crooked and comical joke.

The three gatekeeper paper talismans further transformed the "dream cleansing mechanism" into a self-defense item that Evergreen House could sell next.

Judging from the results, the system behind the gate did not collapse immediately.

But it got dirty.

It has been tainted by the human world.

This makes them more uncomfortable than tearing a corner of a page.

Because it's dirty, it will spread.

It will adhere.

It will make many people who previously only felt awe, fear, and admiration suddenly realize:

Oh, so even old books behind the door can be coated with sugar.

It turns out that even when the person holding the book puts down their pen, it can be tilted.

It turns out that when the gatekeepers arrived, they were also made into paper talismans.

Once this understanding spreads, one of the greatest powers of the old book—the mysterious authority of "untouchable, unlaughable, and untouchable"—will begin to crumble.

With that thought in mind, the hand finally slowly fell, turning to a deeper page.

This page no longer belongs to Bai Heng.

It's not simply "Su Changqing".

Rather, it is a more complex page that has not yet been fully unfolded.

Two intertwined yet staggered tracks are faintly visible on the page.

One is the original "Orchard Line" of the "Young Heroes" series.

The other one looks like a blue mark that was forcibly inserted from outside the page.

The blue mark did not belong to the original pattern of the book page.

However, at many points, the original fruit lines were forcibly broken, pulled off course, and disrupted.

Those whose hidden meridians should have been eliminated were not.

Those who were destined to fall from the imperial star have risen.

A bunch of hapless characters in the martial arts world who should be crazy, die, and burn each other are dragged to the kitchen to wash vegetables, chop, and serve plates.

Snow Moon Sword Immortal was supposed to be one of the key figures in several major events, but instead she became a wife in the Evergreen Realm, sleeping with her children and eating candied hawthorns with her husband.

And the most outrageous thing is—

All of this is not just "biased".

They seemed to have been caught by something higher yet more alive.

It is not a "correction" to the original booklet system.

Instead, they were dragged into another order.

An order imbued with the flavors of taverns, lights, peach groves, springs, candied hawthorns, kitchens, wives and daughters, pots and pans, cages, buying tickets, and losing money.

Several wills behind the door remained silent for a long time.

Finally, a voice slowly spoke:

"He is not simply an anomaly."

"He is in Changjie."

The moment those three words were uttered, the old book trembled slightly.

Long boundary.

It is not a hidden paradise, not a small world, not a secret realm.

But -

It grew into a new world.

If that's the case, then things are completely different.

Because that means Su Changqing wasn't just an accidental victim who accidentally broke several lines behind the door.

He is starting from scratch.

They will cultivate a separate plot of land.

If he truly develops this habit, then it won't be a problem that can be solved by simply changing one page.

"So, shall we talk?"

That third question, tinged with a hint of interest, was about willpower.

"talk."

The holder of the registrant's hand finally fell.

But this time, the pen is not being written on the old books.

Instead, it gently pushed out a very faint doorway beyond the pages of the book.

We can talk outside the door.

This time, it wasn't just a casual probe.

It was not a doorway that had actually taken shape.

However, it is still "outside the door".

The person behind the door still doesn't intend to actually come out.

Not yet, at least not now.

……

Within the Evergreen Zone.

Su Changqing leaned against the bedside, not falling asleep immediately.

He had one hand on Li Hanyi's shoulder, the other hanging casually at his side, but his gaze seemed to be fixed on some unseen place higher up.

Li Hanyi knew that he was "watching".

It's not about seeing with your eyes.

Instead, they followed the remaining inscriptions, old ink marks, and the few characters extracted from the gatekeeper paper talisman on Bai Heng's body, and felt upwards.

The two sat side by side.

No one spoke.

The room was quiet, with only the occasional soft breathing sounds from Su Xiaonuo after she fell asleep.

After a moment, Li Hanyi asked softly:

"Have they turned the page again?"

"Um."

Su Changqing responded with a faint "yes".

"This is not a label."

"What is it?"

"Build a door."

"A door that can be discussed from the outside?"

"almost."

He glanced at her sideways and smiled:

"This is slightly more sincere than what he said during the day."

Li Hanyi looked at him.

Are you going?

"Whether I go or not, there's no rush."

Why?

"They're putting up the door because they want to keep me calm."

"If I go there now, it will only make me seem impatient."

Li Hanyi nodded slightly.

She understands this principle.

The reason they want to talk now is essentially because this is the first time they've truly felt out of control.

Su Changqing, however, is the one who holds the initiative.

At this point, whoever takes the first step will be at a disadvantage from the start.

"So when do you plan to deal with them?"

"It depends on my mood."

"Just based on your mood?"

"Um."

Su Changqing smiled.

"We'll see how well the third brother sells tickets tomorrow."

Li Hanyi: "..."

The sense of unease she had just felt about the high-level power struggle was dispelled once again.

But she also knew he wasn't joking.

For Su Changqing, wanting to talk behind the door was not the most urgent matter.

Bai Heng is still in the cage.

The paper talisman for the gatekeeper hasn't been photographed yet.

The anti-dream charm is not yet layered.

Sikong Changfeng's review session and pre-sale session for tomorrow are not yet over.

If you really want to talk behind the door, get in line first.

This is the rule of Changqinglou.

Su Changqing reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair from Li Hanyi's forehead behind her ear.

"Go to sleep when you're tired."

Li Hanyi looked at him and whispered:

"And you?"

"I'll wait until that door is a little more stable."

"Will it be dangerous?"

"A little."

Li Hanyi's eyes turned slightly cold as her hand rested on the hilt of the Iron Horse Ice River sword.

Su Changqing chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's not that kind of danger."

"But those guys behind the door are really eager to find out who I am."

"And I also want to find out exactly how high they sit."

Li Hanyi was silent for a moment, then said:

"If you're going, take me with you."

"next time."

"Why next time?"

"This time they only set up a shadow door; they haven't actually dared to open the door properly yet."

"If you go there now, you'll probably only get a few pages of paper and a few drops of old ink."

"This is so boring."

Li Hanyi's eyes flickered.

"So you want to wait for them to open the gate themselves?"

"Um."

"Take them all at once?"

Su Changqing looked at her, his smile deepening.

"Madam is intelligent."

Li Hanyi's ears burned slightly, and she gave him a light glare.

"Be poor."

But her worries were indeed lessened considerably by the phrase "all at once".

This means that Su Changqing never regarded the shadowy figure behind the door, who was "open to discussion from the outside," as any truly insurmountable threat.

He just felt—

The door hasn't been opened enough yet.

Not enough fishing line has been added yet.

Once it's more stable, longer, and shows a little more, it will be easier to harvest.

This stance can no longer be described simply as strong.

It's more like a sense of leisure as you look down at the layout from a much higher vantage point.

Thinking of this, Li Hanyi suddenly said softly:

"I used to think that asking about swordsmanship was the most direct thing to do."

"I'm only realizing now that when you get to this point, I don't even bother asking anymore."

"Just wait for it to come to us, then we can collect it."

Su Changqing smiled.

"I just feel that if we're too hasty, we're more likely to earn less."

Li Hanyi: "..."

it is good.

We've come full circle again.

As expected, the true nature of the owner of Changqinglou will never change.

……

The night was darker.

The moon over Changqingjie slowly moved past the eaves.

Outside the peach grove, Little Flower, lost in a dream, suddenly fluttered her wings and mumbled something indistinctly:

"Buying tickets...price gouging...giving away candy as compensation..."

Then I went back to sleep.

Big White rolled over and started snoring, exposing half of its belly, sleeping like a big white woolen cushion.

Everything is peaceful.

But beneath this tranquility, on the distant horizon of the Evergreen Realm, at the edge of the sky, a thin layer of mist suddenly shone faintly.

It's not a crack.

It's not a shadow of an old book either.

Instead, it was just a very faint outline of a door.

The door isn't big.

But it's very tall.

It's as if someone outside the Evergreen Zone used extremely fine and cold ink to draw a "door" that doesn't actually fall in.

The door frame is not solid.

The door was not opened.

There was only a doorway, standing there quietly.

Su Changqing raised his eyes and glanced at it.

"It's all set up."

Li Hanyi followed his gaze.

Even though her perspective has changed, she can only barely make out the very faint shadow of that tall gate.

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

"Is this what they mean by 'talking outside the door'?"

"Um."

"It's waiting for you outside."

"Let it wait."

Su Changqing answered casually.

Then, he actually got up and dimmed the bedside lamp.

Li Hanyi was stunned for a moment.

"You're not going?"

"I'm not going tonight."

Why?

"It's too late."

Li Hanyi: "..."

She was taken aback at first, and then she actually felt like laughing.

After much effort, a "doorway that allows for conversation" was erected outside the Evergreen boundary.

Anyone in that situation would probably want to go and take a look.

Su Changqing's reason was—

too late.

This is not a perfunctory response.

This person genuinely felt that it was time to sleep at night.

She looked at him, and finally a very faint smile appeared on her lips.

"So it waited in vain?"

"It's its own fault for not choosing to do it earlier."

"..."

These words were spoken so naturally that Li Hanyi momentarily felt as if it were indeed the fault of those behind the door.

She shook her head and sighed softly.

"You really are..."

"Um?"

"Those behind the door probably hate you to death right now."

Su Changqing walked back, lay down next to her, and pulled her and Su Xiaonuo into his arms, his tone still as languid as ever.

"Let him hate if he wants to."

"Anyway, they won't be able to get in anytime soon."

"I'll go check the doorway again when I wake up tomorrow."

Li Hanyi leaned against his shoulder and whispered:

"Just looking?"

"Let's take a look first."

"and then?"

"Then we'll decide whether to remove the door or charge a fee."

"..."

Li Hanyi fell completely silent.

Because she suddenly realized that if she continued to ask, Su Changqing might actually reveal the "negotiation fee standards behind the door".

But outside of Evergreen.

The faint shadow of the tall gate stood silently in the night.

Like a rare guest who humbles himself and knocks on the door.

But the person inside was already asleep.

The doorman waited for a moment.

There was no movement.

After waiting a while longer.

Still no movement.

So the door had no choice but to remain standing.

Like a hand that reached out from behind the door for the first time, only to be left hanging outside.

The moonlight is silent.

Peach blossoms fall gently.

The most absurd thing that night was not that Bai Heng was imprisoned, nor that the gatekeeper turned into a paper talisman.

But -

Behind the door, old books were opened to discuss matters.

Su Changqing said:

It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow.