Chapter 74: Experiment

How?

Chang Junyan was startled.

It can't be scratched through—don't you find that a bit strange?

"Um… I generally really don't use much force…" Chang Junyan said, though he already had a vague understanding.

Even with the slightest force, your daily scratching leaves no skin problems at all—isn't that too strange?

Seems so, so, specifically…

Maybe it's some kind of defensive ability—where the bumps are, you don't get hurt?

Iron Shirt?

Chang Junyan is goofy but not stupid; he just often has an overactive imagination, causing him to overlook some routine facts.

Possible. Chen Mu nodded.

"Oh ho, impervious to blades and spears!" Chang Junyan seemed intrigued.

Besides, because of the itch, maybe the more they hit you, the more comfortable you feel?

"Haha, I'm so base." Chang Junyan burst out laughing.

Chen Mu: "…"

Meanwhile.

The sound of their talk also drew others over.

"What are you talking about?" Dong Junwei asked.

"Chang Junyan's ability is starting to show some clues." Chen Mu replied.

"Oh?" Tang Jing spoke first—after all she'd considered this issue, though she hadn't really taken it to heart, and besides, the data sample was too small to reference.

"It seems the bumps don't get hurt." Chen Mu explained.

"Because it can't be scratched through?" Tang Jing nodded.

You've already thought of it?

I've had a few ideas; this is one of them, but I never had time to test it with Old Chang.

Chang Junyan, try scratching harder a few times—put some force into it!

Oh.

Chang Junyan said, then three bumps appeared in a line on his forearm, each the size of a thumbnail, and with his other hand he made a tiger‑claw gesture and scratched back and forth hard a few times.

He kept scratching for nearly half a minute.

Only then did he stop.

It really seems to be the case.

Kind of interesting.

Because he used more force this time, the surrounding skin showed obvious blood marks, while the three bumps, aside from their own red swelling, showed no signs of damage.

So, if Chang Junyan's whole body were covered in bumps, would he be impervious to blades and spears?

Not necessarily; fingernails and blades/spears are still different.

Just as those words were finished.

Everyone then heard a clatter from behind.

That was the sound of a blade being drawn.

Turning around, they saw Tang Jing holding a scabbard in one hand and, in the other, the flowery little treasure sword that Chen Mu had painstakingly made for her.

"Since we're not sure, let's just give it a try."

The genteel Tang Jing held the treasure sword, speaking softly, but her words were enough to send chills down everyone's backs.

Chang Junyan was the first to shout: "Tang Jing, sis, stay calm! Stay calm!"

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Tang Jing gave a slight smile and stepped forward.

Everyone voluntarily stepped aside.

"Help!" Chang Junyan suddenly shouted.

"Shut up; if you keep struggling, the blade might veer."

Those words indeed worked; Chang Junyan instantly fell silent and dared not move.

"Don't be afraid, I've got it under control."

"You need to be gentle." Chang Junyan said with teary eyes.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Everyone knew Tang Jing wouldn't mess around, but this study committee member brandishing a knife and poking at Chang Junyan really gave people a creepy feeling.

How are you going to do it?

Chen Mu still trusted Tang Jing more, but he was a bit worried that if she drew blood, it wouldn't look good.

Test from light to heavy, step by step.

After Tang Jing finished speaking, she turned to Dong Junwei and said: "Class monitor, help me disinfect the blade."

Dong Junwei nodded, took Tang Jing's short sword, held it, and soon faint blue smoke rose; Dong Junwei's ability had also improved recently, and since this short sword is small and thin, the front part quickly became almost red‑hot.

Tang Jing pulled some cotton thread from a towel, wrapped it around the sword hilt, then gripped the treasure sword and turned her gaze back to Chang Junyan.

Chang Junyan shuddered all over.

"Don't be afraid, let's take it slow."

Tang Jing revealed a smile she thought was gentle, but to others it looked demonic.

While she spoke, she waved the short sword back and forth to cool it quickly. If it were a lump of iron, after Dong Junwei's heating its cooling would be slow, but the short sword's thin blade cooled down after a few minutes.

"Good, stretch out your hand."

Chang Junyan tremblingly stretched out his left hand.

"Don't be afraid, I'll just touch it."

Tang Jing said that, and indeed she only lightly touched his swollen spot with the sword blade.

When Chen Mu forged her short sword, he deliberately didn't sharpen the blade much, fearing that she and Dong Junwei—girls unused to blades—might hurt themselves; of course, when truly needed, the sword could still easily cut skin.

He hardly used any force, merely touching the blade's edge to the skin.

Chang Junyan relaxed a little, bursting into laughter through tears: "I don't feel anything."

"How about this?"

Tang Jing added a bit of force and lightly made a pulling motion.

"Not painful."

"Do you feel anything?"

"Yes." Chang Junyan nodded.

"What feeling?"

"A little pleasant."

Everyone was stunned.

Tang Jing asked: "Is it the pleasant feeling of scratching an itch?"

"Exactly, it's even better than scratching with fingernails." Chang Junyan seemed to have forgotten his fear, and instead said, "Why don't you add a bit more force—just a little, not too much."

"Okay."

Tang Jing nodded and added a bit more force.

Where the blade passed, a mark appeared, but it was merely like the skin had been pressed, and it soon faded.

"What feeling?"

"Even more pleasant."

"Then should I add more force?"

"Hmm." Chang Junyan's courage also grew.

This time Tang Jing used about thirty to forty percent of her strength.

Normally, even this amount of force from a girl like Tang Jing would be enough to cut an ordinary person's skin, yet Chang Junyan suffered no injury—instead he seemed so pleased he was about to moan.

"Holy shit, this ability is so base."

Zhu Hao, who always sticks by Chang Junyan, couldn't help but exclaim.

"Chang senior, I told you you're amazing." Sun Yuan also clapped excitedly beside him.

The result seemed already clear.

Chang Junyan's ability, which everyone thought was quite goofy, now appears rather formidable.

Blades and spears cannot penetrate.

Speaking of which, it can't be considered useless.

Although the accompanying phenomenon is somewhat… weird, the flaw does not hide the merit; as long as the ability becomes proficient and mental strength is strong enough, it can completely be used as a set of armor.

Thinking of Chang Junyan's whole body covered in bumps in the future, everyone couldn't help but shiver.

Moreover, imagining him being hacked while shouting in pleasure, everyone agreed this ability suits him well.