It is perfectly reasonable for a guesthouse owner to carry a needle and thread, isn't it?

"I have considered that. Making it thinner is not a problem; it doesn't require such high tensile strength anyway. Even if the steel wire can withstand it, the mechanism wouldn't be able to handle that kind of force. As for it no longer being suitable as a hidden weapon, that is even less of an issue. This is for my own use, and I don't really have a need for such mechanical hidden weapons."

Du Ruo had thought it through quite clearly. What he actually needed was a weapon that was easy to control, preferably one capable of large-scale clearing, and with excellent concealment.

"Are you sure? If you do this, it will be far inferior to what it used to be."

Chen Yanting frowned and confirmed again. It was no wonder he reacted this way; the Panlong Silk (Coiling Dragon Silk) had always been a formidable weapon in every aspect. While it might have lacked in sharpness or cutting power, that was compensated for by its durability and other qualities.

But now, with Du Ruo’s modifications, in Chen Yanting’s eyes, it had been reduced to nothing more than a retractable, concealable steel wire, with its utility greatly diminished.

The original Panlong Silk was eight feet long, with about four feet—a little over 1.3 meters—between the dragon tail and the dragon clasp. This length allowed it to be pulled taut between both hands. Now, the wire was to be ten meters long, meaning five meters between the tail and the clasp. Such a distance made it impossible to use for grappling or cutting others in close-quarters combat.

One certainly couldn't use their bare hands to grip the wire to strangle someone; by the time the opponent’s head was severed, the wielder's hands would be destroyed as well.

Losing both long-range control and close-quarters defense, Chen Yanting honestly couldn't see what use this Panlong Silk would have.

"I am sure. Don't worry, Master Chen, just do as I say. I believe that only what suits me is the best."

Du Ruo was full of confidence.

"Very well then. We have experience making parts for this weapon. If we work overtime, it will be finished in two days. As for the cost, it will be thirty-five thousand; after all, this kind of specialized steel wire isn't cheap."

Seeing this, Chen Yanting had nothing more to say. As Du Ruo said, as the user, he would know best whether it was good or bad. Besides, if the wire needed to be shortened later, Chen Yanting would still have a way to do it, but if he wanted it longer, that would be impossible.

As for the money, business was business. Since they weren't close friends or relatives, the most he could do was take a slightly smaller profit; losing money or giving it away for free was out of the question.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you."

Du Ruo finished speaking, raised his teacup, gestured, and drained it in one gulp.

"Very well. I won't keep you all any longer. I'll go call my people to prepare the materials and start work."

Chen Yanting finished his tea as well, then stood up to see the three of them off.

Initially, Chen Yanting had actually wanted to exchange pointers with Du Ruo. After all, from Li Qiyao’s descriptions, he knew Du Ruo must possess genuine skill.

His usage of the Panlong Silk seemed to have unconventional methods; he could treat a three-to-four-meter height as nothing, he had fellow martial artists coming and going, and he had even received high recognition from Lamas in the snow region. He had heard all these stories from Li Qiyao, though he remained somewhat skeptical, suspecting that beauty was in the eye of the beholder.

He had wanted to test his skills; otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned the origins of his own boxing style just now—it was intended as a sparring invitation.

But that one sentence from Du Ruo had immediately dispelled his thoughts. He already treated White Crane Boxing as a mere hobby and a part of his lineage; if he engaged in a sparring match and was thoroughly humiliated by the other party, he couldn't afford the loss of face.

"Where are we going next?"

Sitting in the car, Li Qiyao asked. Xiang Yuanyuan also looked at Du Ruo; she had been here for several days and had already visited all the sights worth seeing.

"How about we go to the zoo to see the tigers?"

It was a sudden whim of Du Ruo's. In truth, he had long wanted to visit a zoo. After all, regarding the Twelve Shapes of Xingyi, Du Ruo knew that it was difficult to grasp them on his own. He hadn't even seen a tiger, so trying to master the Tiger Shape was quite a tall order—let alone trying to capture its true essence. It seemed impossible no matter how he looked at it.

"See the tigers? There are no tigers in the city zoo here. If you really want to see them, I'm afraid we'd have to go to the West Lake in Hangzhou. The zoo there is quite famous."

Li Qiyao sat in the car, looking a bit troubled, but she said it after a moment's thought.

"Where???"

Xiang Yuanyuan's eyes lit up. She was currently in a wild, playful mood, but visiting a zoo was something she hadn't done since she was a teenager. Come to think of it, she wanted to go too.

"Are you coming? If you’re busy, we can go by ourselves."

Du Ruo thought about it. The Panlong Silk would take two days anyway, so going out for some fun seemed like a good idea. He had never been to West Lake in Hangzhou either and wanted to take the opportunity to see it. However, seeing Li Qiyao’s expression, he assumed she didn't want to go, so he didn't intend to force it.

"No, I was just thinking about the best way to get there. By car, it takes about five hours, but by high-speed train, four hours should be enough."

Li Qiyao smiled. It was rare for her to have a friend, so she cherished it. Besides, she had finished handling her affairs over the past few days and had time to tag along.

"Let’s take the high-speed train then. Driving is a bit tiring."

In the end, Xiang Yuanyuan made the final decision, and neither Du Ruo nor Li Qiyao had any objections.

"Shall we head out now?"

Li Qiyao started the car and opened the navigation.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Xiang Yuanyuan sat in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt, already impatient. Since she stopped drinking, she had begun to enjoy the daily routine of eating, drinking, and having fun.

In the past, she spent her days alternating between being drunk and waking up, and apart from hiking, she never wanted to move. Now, she was actually enjoying this lifestyle.

The high-speed railway station wasn't far, and Li Qiyao arrived shortly after driving. Xiang Yuanyuan had already booked the tickets on the way; for a trip of this length, buying tickets was easy, and she didn't mind the cost, as long as there were seats available.

After parking the car, the three of them had no luggage, so they each took a bottle of water from the vehicle and walked straight into the station.

Traveling nowadays was no longer complicated, nor did it require much preparation. There were ways to travel for the rich and ways for the poor, but the desire to go out and explore had never changed.

There was no need for paper tickets; they could simply scan their ID cards to enter the high-speed station.

Everything was going smoothly, and Xiang Yuanyuan was still talking about the last time she went to the zoo and which animals she had seen, but a problem arose at the security checkpoint.

Xiang Yuanyuan and Li Qiyao were fine; they each had a small bag, and the security scanning process was just a formality. But when it was Du Ruo’s turn, he was stopped.

"Hello, are you Du Ruo?"

Two people clearly dressed in police uniforms walked over and smiled at Du Ruo.

"Oh? Yes, I am Du Ruo. Here is my ID."

Du Ruo was clearly stunned for a moment, and he handed over his ID card as he held it.

"Right, okay. Sorry, but you need to undergo a check here."

One of the officers scanned Du Ruo’s ID, compared it with the photo, and then politely asked him to step aside. Another officer used an instrument to scan Du Ruo’s body.

Xiang Yuanyuan and Li Qiyao looked at each other in confusion, but they didn't ask questions and waited nearby.

The officer scanned him once, and Du Ruo took out his ID and mobile phone from his pockets. Finally, when the scanner reached his waist, it kept making a beeping sound.

"What is this? Please take it out."

The officer’s attitude was very good, smiling as he spoke without taking the liberty to search him, simply asking Du Ruo to take it out himself.

"Oh, right."

Du Ruo was stunned for a moment, then realized the reason. He unfastened a belt made of thick woven rope from his waist and placed it in the officer’s hand.

The officer scanned it with the instrument, then scanned Du Ruo’s waist again, confirming that the metal detector sound came from the belt. He then looked at the belt closely.

"Sorry, I need you to explain the purpose of this."

The officer held several sewing machine needles and asked Du Ruo seriously.

Du Ruo had made this himself. The belt was common enough, but it was densely packed with hidden needles. He had gotten into the habit of wearing it; he didn't have any malicious intent, it was just convenient to carry. He had even worn it through various airports before without anyone questioning it, so he hadn't expected to be checked today.

"I’m a guesthouse owner. Carrying some needles allows me to help guests mend their clothes at any time. Yes, that’s exactly it."

Du Ruo blinked, offering a very "reasonable" explanation, and even provided a justification for himself just in case they didn't believe him.

"Hehe~"

Du Ruo didn't laugh, and the officer didn't either, but Xiang Yuanyuan, standing to the side, giggled after hearing his explanation.

"I’m sorry, but this cannot be brought onto the train. We can keep it in our custody, and you can come back to retrieve it later. Of course, you can also have it mailed from here."

The officer held the needles and the needle-filled belt in front of Du Ruo, then spoke seriously.

"I see. Then I'll come back to retrieve it later."

Du Ruo didn't ask further, as he roughly knew the reason. He nodded and agreed to leave the needles with them.

"Very well. I wish you a pleasant journey. You can use your ID card to retrieve your items when you return."

The officer nodded and left with Du Ruo’s needles.

"Hehe, Du Ruo, why did those police officers take your hidden weapons? These needles aren't prohibited items, are they?"

Xiang Yuanyuan leaned in curiously to ask. She wasn't the only one; Li Qiyao was just as curious, listening intently.

"Because they aren't prohibited items in your hands, but they are in mine."

Du Ruo felt a bit helpless, but at the same time, he understood what Officer Huang had meant the other day when he said his information had been updated—it meant he was receiving more attention.

In reality, everyone knew that doing this didn't mean much for Du Ruo; even empty-handed, he could pose a significant threat to society. But they did it anyway, serving as a minor warning to let Du Ruo know that someone was keeping an eye on him in the country at all times.