Xiao Wufeng trailed behind the two
identical maids, their footsteps a
haunting rhythm against the cold stone
floors. The air thickened with each step,
dim lights casting long, sinister shadows
that seemed to slither and writhe along
the walls. The mansion was a labyrinth of
dark elegance, more akin to a spectral
palace than a residence. Wufeng’s unease
deepened as the maids led him to a room
at the end of a particularly gloomy
hallway.
“Hey, brat, this is your uniform,
” one
maid sneered, tossing a bundle of clothes
at him.
“Good job picking our young master .
Now we’re forced to serve a loser like
you, and you’ll bother our master . She
hates these sect leader duties, you know.
”
The twins exchanged knowing
smirks before vanishing into the shadows,
leaving Wufeng bewildered and
indignant.
“Are these maids insane? Is that how
lowly maids speak to the number one
scholar and cultured man from the land
of Qin?” he muttered, glancing around
the room.
“And what do you mean the sect
leader will be bothered by my presence?
Why did she have her name on the token
list if she didn’t want a student? Oh, I am
so screwed. I have seven days. Ai ya, XiaoWufeng! You’ve done yourself this time.
What luck is this?” He flopped onto the
bed, a cloud of dust rising and filling the
air . Coughing, he waved his hand to clear
it.
“Maybe if they spent more time
doing their jobs as maids and less time
talking smack, this mansion wouldn’t be
so dusty.
”
Though the mansion was generally
spotless, some unoccupied rooms had
been left to gather dust for ages.
Exhausted, Wufeng fell into a fitful sleep.
- - -
Wufeng awoke to the tantalizing
aroma of meaty delicacies. His stomach
growled loudly, and he leapt out of bed,
following the scent down the hall to a
candlelit dining room. The two maids
stood on either side of the room, and
there, at the head of the table, sat Gu
Luyang. Even in the dim light, her
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
elegance was undeniable. Although
Wufeng prided himself on being literate
and intelligent, with a sweet mouth to
woo the ladies, he was utterly stunned by
her presence. She seemed dierent from
the figure he vaguely remembered in the
cave, more radiant and intimidating.
He stood there in silence, captivated
by her beauty and aura.
“The last time
someone stared at me like that, he
became legally blind,
” she said calmly,
her voice carrying a weight that made his
knees weaken and heart sink.
Martial artists of her caliber had a
strong aura that could induce absolutefear or boundless comfort, depending on
their cultivation. As she was from an evil
sect, her aura commanded respect and
fear .
“The food is getting cold,
” she said,
her eyes meeting his.
Bright blue and forever glowing, it
was no wonder she wore a blindfold
during the tournament. Her eyes were
both terrifying and mesmerizing.
Wufeng managed to tear his gaze
away and sat at the table. The dining hall
was smaller than he expected, with
intricate carvings adorning the walls and
soft candlelight casting a warm glow over
the scene. He ate voraciously, his hunger
overriding his sense of decorum. Before
he could finish the soup, Gu Luyang had
already left without a word. The maids
silently cleared the dishes, leaving only
the empty table.
One of the maids approached him
with a disdainful look.
“My master has
analyzed you. She said you need to follow
this book, and it might settle the
uncomfortable energy within you that
makes you feel hot and cold and eat like
a pig,
” she said, dropping a martial arts
book on the table. She turned on her heel
and left, leaving Wufeng to glare after
her .
Ignoring the maid’s attitude,
Wufeng picked up the book titled "Sun
and Moon Skill.
" He read through the
night, the intricate illustrations and
detailed descriptions captivating him
until he finally passed out at 4 a.m.- - -
“Master, we have received payment
from the minister . He wants the general
to... disappear . He has paid 400 taels.
Should we refuse this oer like the
others?” one of the maids asked, pouring
rose-scented water down Luyang''s back
as she sat in a steam bath.
“Normally, yes... but we are running
out of money. I can barely keep this place
running. Now that I have broken into the
sixth level, I might need funds to carry
out my plans,
” Luyang said, covering her
eyes with a blindfold again.
“Master, you used Demon Gaze to
check why his meridians are broken. You
gave him your most precious Sun and
Moon Scroll. What’s special about him?
He has little to no internal energy, just a
dumb nerd,
” the maid blurted out, unable
to contain her curiosity.
“Hmm, you question my judgment?”
Luyang asked, her voice dangerously
soft.
The maid quickly covered her mouth,
realizing her mistake. Though Luyang was
usually fair, she was known to be severe
when her authority was challenged.
“I can’t use Demon Gaze for a
couple of days. It consumes too much chi.
I need time to recuperate. I’ll leave you in
charge of his training. Three days have
been wasted. Make sure he learns this
skill to help oset the imbalance within
him,
” she instructed, settling back into thebath to relax. The maids exchanged
malicious glances and nodded.
the angry shouts. The Fourth Master and
a group of students banged on the main
gate of Luyang’s mansion, their voices
“Yes, master, he will master the Sun
Skill... in no time,
” they agreed.
- - -
The sun’s rays pierced through the
curtains, bathing Wufeng’s face in light. A
gentle breeze blew into the room, rousing
him from his sleep. He lay in bed with the
Sun and Moon Scroll in one hand, dark
rings under his eyes from reading all
night. He felt lighter, as if he were
floating, neither hot nor cold, just in a
perfect state. His peace was abruptly
disturbed by a loud commotion outside.
“Master Gu, open this door now! We
know you’re in there. Stop hiding!” came
echoing through the hallways. The maids
opened the door and tried to explain that
their master was busy recuperating, but
the visitors were insistent.
They accused the school of stealing
a martial arts scroll that belonged to
them, one of their many attempts to
discredit Gu Luyang and have her
expelled.
“ Jizao, explain what happened, just
like you told me,
” the Fourth Master
commanded, pushing a nervous junior
forward.
“It was late at night when I was
patrolling the training grounds. I saw afigure that definitely looked like Xiao
Wufeng. It wore black and seemed to be
carrying a book—our school’s martial arts
book. I went to confirm, and it was
missing. So, I called the sect leader, and
now we are here,
” Jizao lied, his voice
trembling but filled with false conviction.
“Peeeeeeiiii!!” Wufeng spat, stepping
forward from behind the maids.
“Brother Jizao, you slandered me
today! The lies I’ve heard come out of
your mouth could make the devil sound
like a saint!” he said confidently, his voice
ringing with righteous indignation.
Bickering was one thing he excelled
at, and he was not about to let this false
accusation go unchallenged.
“Xiao Wufeng! Give me our school’s
scroll, or you won’t leave in one piece
today!” the Fourth Master insisted, her
high-pitched voice grating, always eager
to stir trouble for Gu Luyang.
Wufeng interrupted her by sning,
and he finally blurted,
“I was wondering
what smelt like shit, till people started
talking and confirmed my suspicions.
”
“Wufeng! How dare you say such
words to your senior!” Jizao said,
stepping forward to defend his master,
who was fuming.
“Hey hey, Jizao, you slandered me
again. Luckily, I have witnesses this time.
All I said was that it smelt like shit when
people spoke. I never mentioned who. Didyou just say Master Mi Rong’s mouth
smells like shit?”
Everyone was astonished, for they
had never met someone as shameless as
Wufeng. As he continued on,
“You said
you saw a black figure at night. How can
you confirm it was me? I came to Hell’s
Gate Sect yesterday. How am I familiar
with where your sacred books are kept?”
The Fourth Master couldn’t bear it
anymore. Wufeng’s shamelessness was
too much. She reached out and waved,
her internal energy still too strong for
someone as weak as Wufeng. The
energy-filled air sent Xiao Wufeng flying.
He coughed blood, his eyes red with pain,
opening new wounds and reopening old
ones. He screamed in agony as the chi
imbalance that wasn’t fully healed began
attacking him. Mi Rong was astonished.
How could she have known this kid was a
loudmouth but had no martial arts? How
could such a small blow put him in such a
state? She waved her hand and signaled
the angry mob to part ways as she left.
The maids were panicking. They rushed
Wufeng into a hot tub and filled it with
medicinal herbs. He was heating up
pretty much.
I can’t bear this pain, it... hurts so
much. Grfrrf ahhh...
” he couldn’t, he just
couldn’t….