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

"I can take back half of the imperial decree attached to Bai Heng."

When those words slowly emerged from behind the door, the voice remained cold, thin, and like ink seeping from the back of an old sheet of paper.

Compared to the previous condescending scrutiny and evaluation, this statement now clearly carries a hint of "setting conditions."

in other words--

The hand behind the door finally began to truly move in the direction of "talking".

At the edge of Changqing, the wind was very gentle.

Su Changqing stood on the boundary membrane, his robes fluttering slightly in the wind, and he still held the half-eaten hawthorn in his hand.

After listening, he didn't respond immediately. He slowly chewed the last bit of hawthorn, swallowed it, and then softly said "Oh".

"Only half back?"

The voice from behind the door said calmly:

"Half of it is enough to free Bai Heng from the direct influence of the old records."

"He is no longer a living thread in the book, only a few traces remain."

"For you, it also eliminates the trouble of being potentially targeted by reverse location at any time."

That's a very straightforward statement.

You could even say it's very "practical".

If it were someone else, they would probably already be thinking about it in their mind at this moment:

If Bai Heng's body were truly half as strong, wouldn't his "hook" be safer? At least he wouldn't have to keep peeking down from behind the door.

But Su Changqing is none other than himself.

After hearing this, he actually laughed.

"The way you're saying that makes it sound like you're thinking of me."

"It's not for you," the voice behind the door said. "It's mutually beneficial."

"Now that you've grasped the essence of the book, you should know what Bai Heng is like now."

"Like what?"

"Like a torn corner of a page."

"If you tear it any further, the tear will get bigger and bigger."

"If you insist on pulling upwards along this crack, you will certainly see more, but that means the old books will notice you even faster."

"By withdrawing half of my intention, I am essentially helping you to cover up this crack first."

"You have Bai Heng."

I need to cut my losses.

"This is what we call negotiation."

This statement sounded more like a "negotiation" than any of the previous ones.

There was no condescending instruction to "how you should do it".

They also stopped using any kind of backdoor system, registered special names, or continuous observation to pressure people.

It simply lays out the pros and cons.

It was as if it were telling Su Changqing: You're holding a torn corner of a page right now, and you can certainly tear it deeper, but if you tear it too fast, the whole book will see you first. Rather than that, let me take back half of the book and cover the tear, so you can be more at ease.

It must be said that these words carry considerable weight if spoken to someone who truly understands the field.

Standing at a distance, Li Hanyi couldn't hear all the deeper meaning behind the voice from behind the door, but she could guess the general idea from Su Changqing's reaction.

They were making concessions behind the door.

Moreover, it's not the kind of concession that's just for show.

They are genuinely offering incentives.

Her brow furrowed slightly.

The book-like meaning on Bai Heng's body is connected to the old book, and also to the deeper traces behind the door.

If half of it were truly recovered, it would indeed reduce the risk of Su Changqing being "tried to be found again".

But it also means—

The hook will be shorter.

The line will be a shade lighter.

Searching upwards again later might not be as convenient as it is now.

It's hard to say whether this matter has advantages or disadvantages.

But Li Hanyi knew even better that Su Changqing never liked others to "arrange the pros and cons" for him.

Especially things like behind doors.

If you calculate things too clearly for him, he will start to suspect how much you are hiding.

Su Xiaonuo, of course, couldn't understand any of this.

She only saw her father standing in front of the door, and a voice talking incessantly behind the door.

The little girl leaned on Li Hanyi's shoulder and whispered:

"Mother."

"Um?"

"Is that bad guy trying to bargain?"

Li Hanyi was slightly taken aback.

Then, a smile appeared in her eyes.

"almost."

Su Xiaonuo immediately perked up.

"Did it not bring enough money?"

"..."

Li Hanyi remained silent for a moment, then realized that those words might have hit the nail on the head.

Because of the way that thing behind the door is behaving now, it seems to be—

He wanted to take back half of the book from Bai Heng empty-handed.

According to Changqinglou's logic, isn't this just trying to bargain because they didn't bring enough money?

She nodded gently.

"It should be."

Su Xiaonuo immediately became serious, gripping Li Hanyi's shoulder with her little hands, her face extremely solemn.

"Father can't agree to that!"

Why?

"Because if you don't bring enough, you'll have to go back and get more."

"You have to pay me back first, then we'll talk about anything else."

"..."

Li Hanyi's lips curved slightly, and she finally couldn't help but smile softly.

This child has truly mastered the logic of Changqinglou.

However, she also knew—

This logic probably really applies to Su Changqing.

……

The edge of the Evergreen Zone.

Su Changqing flicked the hawthorn pit in his hand.

The hawthorn pit didn't go towards the shadow of the door.

Instead, it fell into the pale blue membrane beneath its feet, like a pebble falling into still water, creating a very light and shallow ripple.

Then, he looked up and saw the shadow of the door.

"Are you done talking?"

The voice behind the door paused for a moment.

That's all for now.

"OK."

Su Changqing nodded, his tone flat.

"Then let me tell you."

It became quiet behind the door.

Clearly, it also knew that it was time for Su Changqing to set the terms.

Su Changqing stood still, unhurried, and even glanced back at Li Hanyi, who was holding Su Xiaonuo not far away.

Under the moonlight, there are white clothes, children, peach groves, bamboo sticks, a sacred spring, and lights in a small building.

Everything is perfectly fine.

The doorway stood outside the boundary, cold and indifferent, like a piece of ink out of place.

The smile in Su Changqing's eyes faded slightly.

"First, you said you would take back half of Bai Heng's intentions."

"I don't want half."

The voice from behind the door immediately asked:

"How much do you want?"

"It's not a matter of how much."

Su Changqing said calmly.

"It's a matter of belonging."

"Bai Heng is in my cage now."

"I was the one who dismantled the bones, I was the one who saved the life, and I was the one who stopped them from deleting the wires behind the door last night."

"in other words--"

"The books that Bai Heng still carries, whether they are whole, fragmented, shallow, or deep, are all part of my collection."

"If you want to take it back, then it's no longer 'helping me suppress the crack'."

"They've come to redeem the goods."

A gentle breeze was blowing.

The edge of the doorway, marked by cold ink, paused slightly.

This statement is more direct than the previous one, "What you want is not important; what you are prepared to give in exchange is."

Redemption.

Su Changqing directly classified the half of the book on Bai Heng's body as something from Changqinglou's inventory.

You're not here to help me.

You've come to redeem me.

With just one word difference, the positions have been completely reversed.

The voice behind the door remained silent for a moment before slowly saying:

"You really like to bring up 'goods' and 'compensation' in your arguments."

"Um."

Su Changqing nodded.

"Because you bunch of people, the two words you should hear most are the most."

"In the past, you didn't have to negotiate when you wrote down other people's names, edited other people's names, or deleted other people's names."

"That's because no one can stop you."

"Now that we've stopped you, you naturally have to learn from us—"

"What does it mean to exchange something for something?"

The voice from behind the door was even colder than before.

"You want me to learn how to do business?"

"It's not about learning how to do business."

"It's about learning the rules."

As these four words fell, even the membrane swayed slightly.

The doorman remained silent.

Su Changqing continued:

"The rules behind your door were written by yourselves."

"How you record it, how you change it, how you erase it is your business."

"But now, your hands are reaching out to me."

"Extend your hand over, and we'll follow your rules."

"Bai Heng is in my hands. If you want to take the book back—you can."

"Pay up first."

The voice from behind the door finally spoke again.

What do you want?

This time, it didn't go around in circles.

They also stopped trying to persuade them from the perspective of "this is also in your best interest."

Because it realized that Su Changqing wasn't buying it at all.

You talk about profit, he talks about belonging.

You talk about stop-loss, he talks about compensation.

You talk about the cracks in the old books, he talks about the inventory of Changqinglou.

They are not in the same system at all.

Therefore, the voice behind the door can only return to the most direct question.

What do you want?

Upon hearing this, Su Changqing smiled.

"This sentence sounds like a discussion."

After he finished speaking, he finally stopped stalling and started talking directly:

"First, you can't just take away half of Bai Heng's book of intentions."

"You need to replace a page of the incomplete chapter."

The voice behind the door deepened.

"A fragment of a chapter?"

"right."

"What kind of fragment?"

"A fragment of a booklet."

"The requirements are not high: three inches square, able to make out two lines of old text, and showing a bit of the hand-turning technique on the edge of the page."

"..."

Silence fell behind the door.

These conditions may seem insignificant.

Three inches square.

Two lines of old text.

A slight flip of the hand.

The problem is that it hits the target too accurately.

This is no longer just a casual request for a "fragment of a booklet".

Instead, it precisely targeted the most useful areas.

The fragment was just the right size for him to study the page material and the way the characters were placed.

Two lines of old text are enough to see how the contents of a page were recorded in the old book.

The act of turning the page at the edge is directly aimed at the "holder of the book" himself.

This is not a fragment.

This is a key.

The voice from behind the door spoke slowly:

"You have quite an appetite."

Su Changqing said calmly:

"good."

"Compared to how you usually use an entire realm of living beings to feed your orchards, what is my appetite?"

The voice behind the door didn't respond to that question, but instead said:

"I can't give you the incomplete scroll."

"If you can't give it, then don't accept Bai Heng's offer."

"..."

The shadow of the door trembled slightly.

Clearly, the other party was suppressing their emotions.

Or rather, it is a reassessment.

Looking at it from afar, Li Hanyi suddenly felt a very subtle sense of strangeness.

The hand behind the door seemed to be being forced by Su Changqing to learn "bargaining" little by little.

It was supposed to be the one turning the page and putting down the pen.

Now, however, he has to stand outside the door and talk to the owner of Changqinglou about whether a single page of a fragment is worth exchanging for half a book.

This art style would have been unimaginable even a day ago.

But now, it has happened.

And it happened very naturally.

Because Su Changqing was standing there, he was incredibly stable.

It's as steady as that door; no matter what's standing behind it, in the end, everyone has to learn the meaning of "loss" first.

……

The voice from behind the door finally rang out again.

"Fragments cannot be exchanged."

"But I can give you a page of 'Lunar'."

"Intuos?"

"It is a rubbing of a page from an old book, not the original fragment. It only leaves a trace, not the substance."

"You may borrow it to read the words, but you cannot borrow the first page."

Su Changqing's eyes flickered slightly after hearing this.

Intuos.

Although it cannot compare to a true fragment.

But it can be considered a step back.

At least, the hand behind the door has started to lean towards "actually giving something".

only--

He was still not satisfied.

Su Changqing shook his head.

"not enough."

The voice from behind the door was slightly cold.

Don't push your luck.

"This is not called pushing your luck."

Su Changqing said calmly.

"That means what you offered wasn't worth the price I asked for."

"Half of the book's contents on Bai Heng's body is enough for me to extract a lot of information."

"You think you can just trade away a single page of a photolithography that you can only look at but not touch?"

"Do you think this is suitable for you?"

After hearing this, even Li Hanyi began to feel a headache for the hand behind the door.

Because what Su Changqing said was indeed true.

He didn't set an arbitrary price.

Rather, what you gave was simply not good enough.

The voice behind the door remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Then what else do you want?"

"The second one."

Su Changqing held up two fingers.

"I want another name."

"What's your name?"

"Who were those three gatekeepers from last night?"

The shadow of the door suddenly froze.

This time, it wasn't the chill, but a distinct pause.

Because of this question, the question was asked even more aggressively.

If Bai Heng were to exchange half of the book's contents for a single fragment or a rubbing, it could still be considered a "loss."

Kemennu came from whom?

This already indicates that the hand behind the door has revealed a certain level of internal execution.

In other words, this isn't about asking for money.

It's about who rang the bell behind your accounting office.

The voice from behind the door spoke slowly:

"The servants have no master."

Upon hearing this, Su Changqing immediately laughed.

"Are you treating me like a fool, or are you treating yourself like a fool?"

"If the gatekeepers are truly without a master, who gives them commands?"

"Who let them into my dreams?"

"Who hung that old, stained ink line on them?"

"You say it's ownerless? Who are you trying to fool?"

Menying did not reply immediately this time.

Clearly, the other party also knew that this perfunctory response was useless.

Su Changqing continued:

"I don't want you to expose everyone behind the door."

"And I don't need you to tell me the real name of the registrant."

"I want the page that the gatekeeper came down from last night."

"A code name, or a recognizable film title, will do."

"This is the second one."

"Without it, Bai Heng's half-book of intent still cannot be redeemed."

In the Evergreen Realm, the wind was very quiet.

But the voice from behind the door was noticeably colder.

Because Su Changqing wasn't asking for things indiscriminately.

He was very precise in his requirements.

Don't touch the things that are truly unattainable at the very top.

But you must get a sufficiently straight end of thread.

Whether it's a fragment, a copy, or a name.

None of them are fatal.

But all of these things together were enough to make him explore deeper and deeper as he went on.

What makes this person terrifying is not just his fighting ability.

Rather, he's very good at "cutting".

The cut was extremely precise.

Always start with what you think, "This isn't the most important thing, it might not matter if I give it to you."

But once you give it away, the whole game starts to fall apart.

The voice from behind the door finally uttered a sentence:

"If you really want to find the door, why go through all this trouble?"

"Go around?"

Su Changqing smiled.

"If I don't beat around the bush, will you give it to me?"

"If I didn't dismantle Bai Heng's four bones, would you even be here to talk?"

"If I didn't leave any sweet words in the old books, would you all be waiting here in the middle of the night?"

"So don't talk like I'm willing to take my time."

"You're the ones who insist on losing face layer by layer, I'm just helping you lose it faster."

These words caused the door to sway slightly.

Even through that door, Li Hanyi could feel the hand behind it becoming increasingly unstable.

The more unstable it is, the more it proves that Su Changqing has a good grasp of the situation.

The voice from behind the door grew deeper and deeper, but ultimately did not erupt in anger or lose control. It simply said slowly:

"Secondly, I can give you a movie title."

"And the third one?"

Su Changqing smiled.

"You're quick to learn."

The voice from behind the door said coldly:

"Since you're willing to offer a price, don't deliberately stop at the second item."

"OK."

Su Changqing nodded readily.

"Thirdly, I want you to be forbidden from touching Bai Heng again today."

Bai Heng was in the cage at a distance. Although he couldn't hear everything, he still instinctively raised his head when the name "Bai Heng" was uttered, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

The voice behind the door paused noticeably for a moment.

"You want to protect him?"

"I said, it's not about protecting."

Su Changqing looked at the doorway, his tone indifferent.

"He's my merchandise."

"The trial isn't over yet tonight. We still need to film the anti-dream talisman, and we have a debriefing session tomorrow afternoon. We also need to keep the talk outside the door hanging on."

"If you continue to scribble and erase at will as you did last night, it will affect his condition—"

"Consider it you ruining the goods."

These few words silenced more than just those behind the door.

Even Li Hanyi almost couldn't help but laugh.

What a waste of goods.

If Bai Heng is moved again behind the door, it's no longer just "wanting to wipe out their own people." In Changqinglou's logic, it has directly escalated to "damaging Mr. Su's inventory."

This translation style is simply beyond words.

Yet, it is also incredibly accurate.

Bai Heng's eyes trembled violently.

Su Changqing told him not to touch him behind the door today.

It wasn't out of pity.

It wasn't because I felt I could still be saved.

Rather, it's because—

I will continue operating my business tomorrow.

I kept getting asked questions.

Continue to be used as bait.

Continue to be a living advertisement.

This reason is even more suffocating than the reason for wiping the stitching behind the door yesterday.

But the voice behind the door didn't immediately refuse.

Clearly, it also understands Bai Heng's current value, which is no longer just that of a "disqualified guide".

Instead, it was a very favorable hand in Changqinglou's hand.

Moreover, if he were to force it again tonight, Su Changqing would most likely hold it against him in public again.

New content can be added to Bai Heng's special event at that time.

This is simply adding insult to injury.

After a long silence, the voice from behind the door finally spoke slowly:

"Today, we won't touch Bai Heng."

"it is good."

Su Changqing nodded.

"Now, of the three items, how many can you give me?"

The voice from behind the door said coldly:

"A mere fragment of the original text won't do; a rubbing of it will suffice."

"The origin of the term 'gate slave' is unknown; could you please provide a name for it?"

"It is acceptable to avoid Bai Heng today."

"In exchange—"

"I will take back half of the book's contents that Bai Heng possesses."

After listening, Su Changqing did not immediately agree.

He stood there, as if he were truly weighing things carefully.

There was no urging from behind the door.

Since the other party already knows, urging them won't help.

If Su Changqing feels he has lost out, then he has lost out.

No matter how anxious you are, he will only say: "Then go back and collect the money and come back later."

After a moment, Su Changqing finally spoke:

"I need to see the Intuos first."

"Let me hear what the shadow says first."

"As for Bai Heng's half of the book—"

He paused, then looked up at the doorway.

"I'll only let you collect the shallow layers."

"The deeper half must remain in my hands."

For the first time, the voice behind the door carried a hint of barely suppressed cold anger.

"You're going to keep half?"

"Didn't you only say half of it first?"

Su Changqing countered with a question.

"I'm just helping you figure out which half you can take and which half you can't."

"The shallow layer is yours; enough for you to go back, stop the bleeding, and report back."

"The deeper area belongs to me, making it easier for me to continue watching what's behind the door."

"That's what fairness is."

fair?

The hand behind the door almost laughed out of anger at those two words.

But ironically, it knew that Su Changqing really thought that way.

Moreover, in the current situation, this is already considered a "concession".

Because he didn't say he'd keep everything.

He kept half and released the other half.

It's like a shopkeeper saying to someone who comes to redeem goods: You can take the shell, but I'll keep the core.

There was silence behind the door for a long time.

So long ago, the night breeze gently blew through the Evergreen Realm once again.

Finally, the voice slowly uttered a sentence:

"……Can."

As soon as that word was uttered, the gate outside the Evergreen Realm actually solidified slightly.

This "talking outside the door" has finally, for the first time, moved from tentative exploration to the threshold of a real exchange.

Su Changqing looked at the doorway that was beginning to solidify slightly and smiled.

"That's more like a discussion."

The voice from behind the door said coldly:

"You're quite like the shopkeeper too."

"Um."

Su Changqing nodded.

"That's who I am."