Chapter 20: The Lady’s Gravity Sword

"The reason you cannot convincingly disguise yourselves as middle school students is that your hearts aren't truly in it."

Li Xingming pointed to his own chest before tidying up his workbench, arranging his tools with meticulous precision.

The private tutor seemed to have a sudden realization. "Is it the theory of 'roleplay'? If one commits fully to a persona and enters a state of flow, it naturally leads to the creation of work that matches the proficiency level of the subject being portrayed..."

"Roleplay" is one of the ways humans grasp the extraordinary, ranking alongside methods like "meditation." Neither is inherently superior, though roleplay sounds more impressive and carries a slightly higher barrier to entry. For instance, the contemporary era’s most renowned mechanical designer, Ibrahim von Heuis, performs a ritualistic sequence before every project that rivals the intensity of a shamanic trance. By his own account, when he creates those magnificent, highly practical, and extraordinary works, he is in a state of chaotic, trance-like delirium. One wonders which demigod might be possessing him.

Everyone present in the family workshop possessed a background in modern engineering, so they easily grasped Li Xingming’s approach. However, genuine roleplay usually involves a clear target and typically requires a lower-tier individual to imitate a higher-tier one. Trying to roleplay a middle school student... it still sounded a bit too abstract.

Wait, no. Li Xingming had been quite abstract since he was a child. Thinking about it, this was right up his alley; the probability of success was quite high.

Suddenly, Li Xingming’s eyes widened. A burst of "stupid yet clear-eyed" energy radiated from him.

"I’m going to be the top student in Dongjiang Province!"
"With No-Holds-Barred combat, I could compete in the Haicheng Major!"
"If I entered the S8 National Middle School Magic Arts Tournament, I’d take the championship for sure!"

After muttering these nonsensical lines, Li Xingming picked up his rune-carving tools. He worked in one fluid motion.

"...So, you see, the solution to many problems in craftsmanship is to infuse them with genuine, raw emotion."

Li Xingming shoved the core component of the fully automatic ping-pong ball launcher into the arms of the stunned tutor and returned to his own workbench. Ancient craftsmen often poured their entire being into their work; in other words, only those who truly loved their craft entered the trade. Modern people, however, have too much to consider: performance metrics, social obligations, mortgages, year-end layoffs, blind dates back home...

"Oh, right," Li Xingming added, casually asking the tutor, "Brother Wu, I remember you went on a blind date a few days ago. How did it go?"

"Don't ask. Please, don't ask."

"Understood, meow."

The tutor and his assistants observed the freshly completed piece at close range. Suddenly, they all looked up at once, stared at each other, and nodded solemnly.

"It’s done. Let Xingbo take this to satisfy his school assignment. It’s so natural, it looks exactly like something Xingbo would make. Look here—the coupling is absolute trash. If it were even a hair off-center, the entire structure would collapse."

"Xingming, you really understand. Tell me, have you been in deep contact with middle schoolers doing competition projects lately? It’s impossible to capture this 'scent' without field research."

"So, you are roleplaying... er, a collection of stereotypes about middle schoolers with inflated egos and blind arrogance?" the tutor asked with genuine curiosity.

Unlike many who merely followed the crowd, the tutor held Li Xingming’s level of skill in high regard. Being a zero-tier mortal capable of independently completing complex rune work proved that his soul possessed an innate, hyper-sensitive connection to spiritual energy. In a sense, Li Xingming was the true genius of the third generation of the Li family, though almost no one believed it. Some things must be seen with one's own eyes, setting aside prejudice for rational evaluation, to uncover the truth. In this age of social media saturated with emotion and lies, the truth is a precious commodity.

Li Xingming thought for a moment and brushed him off. "Something like that. I’m going to work on my own project now. Quiet."

"Understood."

The tutor didn't leave just because his own task had been completed with Li Xingming's help; instead, he watched silently as Li Xingming worked. Since he hadn't been told not to watch, he took it as permission to observe. Li Xingming was a straightforward person.

The locking pin at the back of the "Granite Mechanical Hound" had a formal name in the Sixth Era: the "Gravity Grip." Due to the gravity-based attributes embedded within, even a user lacking strength could unleash formidable lethality if trained properly. It was perfect for the petite and slender Jiang Qianqian.

First, Li Xingming performed an all-encompassing, deep, thorough, and precise ultrasonic cleaning of the Gravity Grip. Given how he had defeated the Granite Mechanical Hound, this step was crucial. With the grip secured, he only needed to work on the main body of the weapon.

Li Xingming selected a suitable piece of precious ore, harvested from ruins and stored in the family workshop, and began forging the weapon's frame. Two hours later, it was finished.

"This is..." the tutor asked cautiously, like a dull student often scolded by his teacher, "a light greatsword?"

"Yes."

"Just a light greatsword?"

"What else would it be? A magical catalyst that unfolds light-wing blades and unleashes an Infinite Sword Works?"

"…Haha, it’s not that you aren't impressive; it’s just that I assumed any weapon you forged wouldn't be so ordinary."

"Actually, it’s quite ordinary. Qianqian doesn't need a particularly special weapon right now. A simple one is better for cultivating good habits. As long as the weapon's primary characteristics suit her personal development path, that's enough."

The tutor’s expression froze. "Is this for your childhood sweetheart?"

"Yes."

"..."

"It’s so nice to have a childhood sweetheart. Unlike you, I won't have to go on blind dates in the future."

"What does having a childhood sweetheart have to do with blind dates?"

"..."

The tutor couldn't tell if Li Xingming was playing dumb or if he genuinely believed his relationship with Jiang Qianqian was perfectly innocent. After all, he could roleplay an ego-inflated middle schooler so vividly—his talent for "trolling" was profound. When the false is treated as true, the true becomes false.

Fortunately, someone burst into the family workshop, interrupting the tutor’s train of thought. It was Xingbo, home from school. He was a boy with a face radiating that specific "stupid yet clear-eyed" look. Upon seeing Li Xingming, his eyes lit up, and he rushed over to ask, "Brother Xingming, you saw the great Ye Sheng yesterday, right?"

"I saw her today, too."

"Is she amazing? Is she as knowledgeable and fierce in combat as the legends say?"

"I suppose so. She didn't hit me."

"Haha, that’s great! I’m going to become a powerhouse like her, too." Xingbo clenched his fist. "Even though I’m starting at a disadvantage, I believe that with the right approach, I can top the Dongjiang Province exams, get into the best university in the capital, and eventually have a chance to surpass her."

"Good luck, meow," Li Xingming said, turning away to tidy his workbench.

Xingbo paused, thinking, *Ah, I feel like my cousin is being a bit dismissive.*

*Whatever,* he thought. *He’s just a cousin who doesn't focus on his career and only hangs out with some civilian girl studying art.* Xingbo didn't pay much mind to Li Xingming’s attitude and instead turned to talk to the tutor.

"Mr. Wu, our coach showed us videos of the No-Holds-Barred combat tournament in PE today. I feel like if I train hard enough, maybe I could compete in the Haicheng Major International Invitational!"

"Should I sign up for that National Middle School Magic Arts Tournament? I looked at previous years' cases, and some of the winners seemed quite mediocre—their work wasn't even as complex as our big assignment, the automatic ping-pong launcher. Maybe if I put in the effort, I could win it too."

"..."

The tutor struggled to keep a straight face, fighting back the urge to laugh. He glanced at Li Xingming and found that the guy was completely calm, as if he didn't find his cousin’s inflated confidence in the slightest bit ridiculous.

Now, he understood why Li Xingming could imitate Xingbo’s style so precisely.

*Perfect. He’s playing the part exactly right!*