When autumn arrived, Xiaobai didn’t feel much of a difference. Although she had switched to wearing the Ice Soul Soft Armor and had been diligently taking the Snow Lotus Pill, her body was still unlike that of an ordinary girl. The scorching heat of July made no distinction to her.
She continued wearing light clothing as usual. Because of her martial arts training, Shang Ruling had granted her special permission not to wear skirts. Delighted, Xiaobai switched to trousers, and her hairstyle became increasingly simple. Often, before Shang Yu could come to style her hair, she would casually tie it into a ponytail and slip out. At a glance, she looked more like a handsome young man than a girl.
This saddened Shang Yu somewhat, especially when he noticed that the young master now often spent time with Guo Tongxia, laughing and chasing each other around, which made him feel particularly out of place.
With just one glance, Shang Yu could point out over a dozen flaws in Guo Tongxia—clumsy, not thoughtful enough, handwriting not particularly good, accounting skills just passable… But no matter how much he criticized, Guo Tongxia had one advantage that far surpassed his own: he was not a household servant. He had the right to sit beside the young master, unlike Shang Yu, who could only stand behind.
However, what his own servant was thinking mattered little to Xiaobai. Her daily routine involved practicing basic skills with Old Master Shang and cultivating the Ethereal Immortal Trace. Although she still had to attend some dull and tedious lessons, overall, she had much more freedom than when she first arrived. Not only could she roam the Shang household, but she could also explore the entire Kaiyang Prefecture. Even if she caused trouble, Guo Tongxia would take the blame. The boy was honest and simple-minded, never voicing his grievances, just nodding silently. Afterward, she would casually give him some gifts and say a few kind words to appease him, and everything would be settled.
Xiaobai was, after all, not truly a child, so she also paid attention to the changes in those around her. After Old Master Shang returned, Miss He visited the Shang household more and more frequently. Or rather, after a few days of initial despondency, she seemed to have come to a realization, almost openly expressing her willingness to take care of the master for the rest of his life.
Xiaobai liked to pull Guo Tongxia along to crouch in a tree, watching from afar as He Qiman tried every possible way to strike up conversations with Shang Ruling. What was strange was that despite having such a delicate and beautiful woman before him, who humbled herself and gazed at him with tender affection, Shang Ruling remained unmoved. Instead, he politely and distantly urged her to return home and not linger at the Shang household every day.
“Miss He is so pitiful. Why do you think my father doesn’t like her?” Xiaobai said, sighing at the thought that she wasn’t a man. Otherwise, with her family’s wealth, not marrying twenty or thirty beautiful women would be a disservice to the Shang ancestors. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford it—why not marry them?
Guo Tongxia had little interest in Old Master Shang’s romantic life, but since the young master had spoken, he felt he should offer some response. “Perhaps the master practices Virginity Cultivation…”
Seeing Xiaobai’s displeased expression, he quickly corrected himself, “Anyway, no matter what cultivation the master practices, it’s not good for Mistress He to persist like this. The flower may be willing, but the stream is indifferent. It would be better for her to find a man who truly cares for her as soon as possible.”
“Right, if she doesn’t seize the opportunity while she’s young, it’ll be hard to marry when she’s old and faded,” Xiaobai said matter-of-factly, only to see Guo Tongxia’s disapproving expression.
“I think a woman like Mistress He, even when her beauty fades with age, will still retain her grace and knowledge. She won’t be unable to marry…” he murmured softly.
Xiaobai was at a loss for words. Then, with a “smack,” she slapped the back of his head. “Hey, you brat, do you have feelings for Miss He?”
Guo Tongxia looked flustered, stammering as he tugged at Xiaobai’s sleeve. “I, I… Mistress He is so beautiful, but I won’t betray the young master. No matter how good-looking others might be in the future, it has nothing to do with me…”
Xiaobai flicked his forehead with her finger. “You little rascal, dreaming big, aren’t you? Save those thoughts for when you become a great hero like your father.”
As a fellow man—or rather, someone who had once been a man—Xiaobai understood all too well. If a man relentlessly pursued a woman, waiting for her devotedly, there might come a day when she would change her mind, or at least feel a pang of guilt. But when it came to a woman a man didn’t fancy… he would never fancy her, not in a lifetime. Even if he felt a hint of guilt, it would vanish in the blink of an eye.
However, the vast majority of men in this world wouldn’t refuse a beauty who threw herself at them. If there was something to gain, they might even close their eyes and take the plunge, no matter how unattractive the woman was. After all, they could always seek out a few pretty ones afterward to lift their spirits. As for women, they could always be coaxed back if needed.
But for Shang Ruling, given his current status, there was no need to accommodate He Qiman. Moreover, he had no interest in beauties, so his rejection was swift and decisive. Seeing that Miss He had no chance of becoming her stepmother, Xiaobai felt relieved and dragged Guo Tongxia off for a sparring session, giving him a good beating.
What Xiaobai didn’t expect was that, just a few days later, He Qiman came looking for her.
As if she had forgotten the previous awkwardness, He Qiman warmly embraced Xiaobai and chatted with her about everyday matters. Now that their positions had shifted—Xiaobai was the young master, and He Qiman couldn’t become Madam Shang—there was hardly any conflict of interest between them. It made sense for them to get along.
Xiaobai had always been lenient toward beauties, but she was no naive newcomer, easily swayed by charm. Besides, to put it bluntly, she didn’t even have the “equipment” now, and seeing something she couldn’t have was even more frustrating. So, after a short while, she asked straightforwardly, “What brings you here today, sister?”
Xiaobai had already made up her mind: if He Qiman was trying to cozy up to her in hopes of becoming her stepmother, she would reject her even more coldly than her father had.
Instead, He Qiman asked her, “I heard from the master that he agreed to let you seek a master…”
Noticing Xiaobai’s subtle gaze, she added, “Don’t look at me like that. I know you’re not interested in my Cloud Sleeve Neon Raiment. I just wanted to ask which sect you plan to join.”
Detailed information about various sects had been sent to Xiaobai’s study, including many secrets she hadn’t known before—more thrilling than any storybook. Excited, she had stayed up for several nights in a row to finish reading them.
The Shang family was truly formidable. From renowned major sects to all sorts of unorthodox schools, and even some low-key, reclusive clans, they had records of nearly all of them. Beside each entry were Shang Ruling’s annotations, objectively and fairly outlining the pros and cons.
Moreover, the Shang family was confident they could secure Xiaobai a place in any of these sects and had even listed suitable master candidates. Among them, Xiaobai recognized many familiar names and had already made her decision. But in front of He Qiman, she still had to put on a bit of an act.
“I only want the most powerful master,” Xiaobai said after some thought, reluctantly adding, “But I’m not that picky either. There are a few who could catch my eye if I had to settle. Basically, those from the famous major sects.”
Her words were ambiguous, but He Qiman did not press further, calmly saying, “Then has Xiaobai considered Nine Yin Mountain?”
“I heard from my father that there are many beautiful sisters there, and their martial arts lean toward the yin aspect, but it seems they don’t have particularly powerful masters.” Regarding her own future, Xiaobai had naturally given it careful thought. Strictly speaking, her constitution was unsuitable for cultivating either extreme yin or extreme yang techniques.
Extreme yin techniques essentially suppressed the fiery blood within her body, making progress inevitably slow and potentially leading to qi deviation. Moreover, the thought of a mountain full of women… filled her with complex emotions. By now, Xiaobai understood that women were not as simple as they appeared. However, for men, whether a woman was truly simple didn’t matter—as long as she appeared simple in front of them, they wouldn’t dwell on it.
As the old saying goes, one should marry a virtuous and magnanimous wife, choose a confidante who understands unspoken words, and for the rest, beauty alone suffices.
As for pursuing the extreme yang path… aside from the fact that sects cultivating extreme yang techniques in the martial world generally did not accept female disciples, even if she were accepted, she would not be taken seriously. While her body might progress quickly with extreme yang techniques, she feared ending up neither male nor female, ultimately succumbing to qi deviation as well.
Thus, what suited her best were balanced techniques that harmonized both yin and yang, maintaining a clear and moderate path. Sects like Nine Yin Mountain and Blazing Sun Palace, which pursued extremes, were absolutely not an option.
He Qiman chuckled softly. “It’s just as well not to go to Nine Yin Mountain—it’s not suitable for you. To be honest, Young Master, in my early years, I paid a certain price to obtain the Youth-Preserving Secret Method from Nine Yin Mountain.”
She spoke lightly, but even though Xiaobai had once been male and paid little attention to youth-preserving methods, she knew how much women valued their appearance. Youth preservation was a defining feature of Nine Yin Mountain’s martial arts, attracting countless beauties to study there and facilitating marriages to influential or well-connected heroes and renowned figures.
Thus, a saying widely circulated and accepted in the martial world was: “Better to kick down the gates of the Five Sacred Mountains than offend the women of Nine Yin Mountain.” Perhaps their skills were not the highest, but their backing was undoubtedly the strongest.
For a woman like He Qiman, who had never joined Nine Yin Mountain, to obtain their Youth-Preserving Secret Method, it was clear she must have paid a considerable price.
“The most well-known characteristic of Nine Yin Mountain’s women is their Ice Skin Jade Bone and mastery of youth preservation. After obtaining their Secret Arts, I sought out Divine Physician Shen of Medicine King Valley and consulted Sister Sanxiao. Through continuous refinement, this Secret Method now also allows cultivating women to refine a natural fragrance and achieve a boneless, supple, and agile physique. In this way, it has become a Body Tempering technique suitable only for women.”
Xiaobai was astonished. While there were many Body Tempering techniques in the martial world, the most exquisite ones were suited only for men. It was widely believed that women were inherently unsuited for Body Tempering. Yet, He Qiman had pioneered a Body Tempering technique exclusive to women, with its accompanying effects… all things women dreamed of.
“Yet this ultimately does not belong to a Secret Art I created myself. I have merely been continuously refining it based on the foundation of the Nine Yin Mountain Secret Arts. Therefore, my original promise to Nine Yin Mountain still stands—in this lifetime, I will only pass this Secret Art to one person. I originally intended to pass it on to my daughter, but now, I no longer hold such hopes. If the young master does not mind, I shall impart it to you, which would also fulfill a long-held wish.”
He Qiman had clearly pondered this decision for a long time. She looked at Xiaobai, her face blooming with a radiant smile, yet an uncontrollable sorrow lingered between her brows. At this moment, however, Xiaobai only saw her as peerlessly elegant and graceful.
Some women, whether in the bloom of youth or in their twilight years, never lose their beauty. Instead, like fine wine, it grows richer and more profound with age. He Qiman was indeed an extraordinary woman. Despite being limited by her martial arts aptitude, she created the martial art Cloud Sleeve Neon Raiment and refined the Nine Yin Mountain Secret Arts, which were originally only used for preserving youth and beautifying the skin.
What was even more astonishing was her unwavering devotion. When Shang Ruling said he was incapable, she was willing to forgo having children and even remain unmarried for life. She could have sought a successor to care for her in old age, yet in the end, she chose to pass this Secret Art to Xiaobai.
This was because she loved Shang Ruling—a humble, unrequited love. Even though he was unwilling to accept her, she still cared for him, and even for his only child.
This was also because of her pride. He Qiman was willing to pioneer Body Tempering techniques for women. She possessed not only the Cloud Sleeve Neon Raiment but also this unique Secret Art.
“Young master, a woman’s pursuit of beauty is not merely for marriage but also to become a better version of herself. I have never regretted my choices, and I hope that you, too, will find happiness in the days to come.”
He Qiman gathered her feathered sleeves and gently touched Xiaobai’s cheek.
This was something she had never dared to do to Shang Ruling in her entire life.
Xiaobai took a deep breath. She suddenly realized that Guo Tongxia was not foolish at all—that kid was sometimes even smarter than her.
She’d go beat him up again tomorrow.
She clasped her hands in salute to He Qiman. “Then Xiaobai thanks Sister He.”
Author’s Note: Hmm… Yesterday, to relax, I caught up on some anime. I highly recommend The Demon Lord Azazel Summons You. It’s arguably the most bloody and intense anime I’ve seen in recent years. It’s not as risqué as Interspecies Reviewers, but it’s packed with jokes. I wouldn’t recommend watching it while eating.
The male and female leads are really likable. To put it this way, the protagonist of my last book was often criticized as a true villain, but the male lead of this anime… I can’t find a single redeeming quality in him. He’s responsible for 80% of the bloody violence in the series, but the fact that he’s not lustful, doesn’t have a harem, and is only gentle to the female lead is truly commendable! However, he doesn’t get much screen time. The female lead has the most, and she’s adaptable, morally grounded, consistently intelligent, and steadily descending into darkness. In the first episode, she’s still a newbie, but by the second, she’s already learning from her superior, the male lead, to enslave the contracted demons. It’s quite satisfying.
Also, this is the first anime I’ve seen that manages to make a side character whose hobby is eating feces (literally) so endearing.
【Mini Theater】Acting
Interview: Young Master Guo, why do you get beaten up by Miss Xiaobai every day?
Guo Tongxia: My mother said I mustn’t hurt the young master, so I’ve been practicing how to lose more naturally every day.
Interview: Although I originally wanted to ask why you got beaten up, this answer is also good. So, Miss Xiaobai, what are your thoughts on this?
Xiaobai: Does that idiot think I can’t tell how fake his loss was? If he likes to act, then let him keep acting. Anyway, the one who throws the punch never loses.
Thank you all very much for your support. I will keep working hard!