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

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  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….