Gu Xuanming, the once stoic and cold boy who had everyone under his thumb, was now on the training grounds, forced to hold himself in a plank while Qing Yuru sat on his back.
“What’s wrong, disciple Xuanming?
Can’t handle the weight?” Qing Yuru’s smugness only got worse, increasing her own weight by augmenting her muscles despite still looking normal.
He tried to control his breathing, but Gu Xuanming struggled with all this weight on him.
“I have high hopes for you.
Remember, this will last for 5 hours, and we will do this every day, after class, for 5 hours, understand?” Qing Yuru said happily.
She seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on Gu Xuanming, but he couldn’t say no.
It didn’t matter if he wanted to say no; he would still have to do it.
If he tried to run away, she would pull him right back.
If he tried avoiding her so he could focus on his cultivation, she would drag him out.
Yes, she did have her benefits, but he would have much rather kept things simple.
He didn’t need so many things overlapping on top of each other, needing him in many different places at once.
He was already dealing with finding the inheritance, the Zhao clan, and learning martial arts by himself.
He didn’t need another problem.
Now, some may think that it would be a good thing.
After all, with a master, you can access the adept, elite, and advanced martial techniques at a faster rate if you’re lucky.
And one would be right unless you were Gu Xuanming.
Having a master led to complications.
He would have to obey Qing Yuru at all times, and he could not say no when she demanded training.
This could interfere with his plans.
After all, there was a lot he wanted to do and demonic acts he would have to commit, but with her around his neck, it would make committing such acts harder than before.
Gu Xuanming decided to remain silent in spite of these issues, choosing to go along with it.
‘I should just go along with this.
At least with this, I can use her as extra protection.’
‘After all, a master must protect their servant should someone conspire against them.’
‘Being a third-stars cultivator, it meant my protection is solid.
Not even the Zhao clan will be able to go unnoticed if he tries something against me.’
‘There are certainly benefits, but still…it would have been easier if I could just advance myself.’
Gu Xuanming did as Qing Yuru said, remaining in a plank position for 5 hours.
When he was done, his arms were sore, aching from how long he had been on them, especially against such rough ground.
“Are you okay, lord Gu Xuanming?”
A familiar feminine voice came from in front of him, and it was not Qing Yuru.
It was Feng Qingwu!
No longer did she hold the presence of a servant, average and dirty.
No.
Now she carried herself like a noble woman, her beauty enhanced to make all men around her gain an erection.
She was practically unrecognizable from what she once looked like.
Her lustrous ebony hair was gathered into an elaborate pair of coiled buns, each adorned with intricate golden flower ornaments from which delicate tassels swayed with every movement.
She had long jade-green ribbons cascading from her coiffure, framing her figure and lending her an air of elegance.
Her porcelain complexion was flawless, accentuating her delicate features and lending her an almost ethereal presence.
She was clad in layered robes of deep jade and autumn amber, with delicate ornaments adorned her neck and ears, turquoise and amber gemstones gleaming softly in the light.
Yet the faint innocence lingering within her gaze softened her otherwise regal bearing, making her seem less like an untouchable fairy and more like a gentle maiden descended from the heavens.
“Oh my!” Qing Yuru said, admiring the beauty of the girl before her.
“Is this your concubine, disciple Gu Xuanming?
You better not get to anything sexual, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did…”
She chuckled under her breath.
“Your training is over.
Be sure to be back here tomorrow,” Qing Yuru left, leaving Gu Xuanming with Feng Qingwu.
Feng Qingwu helped Gu Xuanming to his feet, holding his arm.
“Would you like me to bring you to your dorm?”
Gu Xuanming nodded, seeing no reason to speak.
I still won’t be able to leave the village to search for the inheritance, so for now, I should focus on learning as many basic martial techniques as I can.’
The reason Gu Xuanming thought this was because the examination was upcoming.
By the end of this month, they would determine who was fit for advancement in their martial arts.
By that, they would be allowed to go from basic to adept, and then next month, elite, and then after that, advanced.
In total, it would take four months unless Qing Yuru decided to give him the techniques in advance.
Gu Xuanming closed his eyes, looking deep into his primeval galaxy.
He could see the emptiness of space within his astral body, and the stars, which took a different form.
‘Okay, they’re glowing brighter, but not bright enough.
They need to connect to create a constellation.
Once I create 3 constellations, they connect, which signifies a call from the heavens.’
‘At least that is what is said, but I suspect it’s more like a signal that the heavens search for, waiting to strike that cultivator down.’
‘The heavens control fate, so naturally, they despise someone who cultivates, which slowly removes those strings.’
Gu Xuanming grew a genuine grin on his face.
He had begun to feel once more, not even the defectiveness of his brain able to stop such feeling.
‘And I will be one of those people.
Just you wait, once I break free, I will rub my freedom in your eyes and make sure you regret chaining me down.’
Malicious intent began to leak from Gu Xuanming, catching the attention of the sect leader.
He immediately stood up like his life was on the line!
He ran over to the window, frantically looking around outside to see where it had come from!
“Such…such intent!
But…he isn’t here.
If he were, everything here would have been destroyed!”
“Who could have harbored such murderous intent, and how young?
It couldn’t have been Gu Xuanming.
His emotions are too hard to read, nor do I ever see or feel the color red.
It couldn’t be Zhao Cangsheng.
For as talented as he is, he hasn’t shown any capability to control his emotions just yet.
Nangong Xuanhe is far too emotional, battling with his envy to unleash such feelings.”
“Perhaps one of the other C-grade students?
I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case.
But who?”
Resting his hand on the window, he calmed himself, going back to work so he could investigate further.
…
Gu Xuanming sat on the mat in his room, choosing to focus on the current energy within his body.
Over the days, he had been easily learning how to circulate qi, letting his body naturally absorb it so he could focus on circulation.
This has allowed him to augment his body just a little bit better than before each day.
Gurgle…
Opening his eyes, Feng Qingwu was pouring him some hot chocolate, one of the only few things that had truly satisfied his taste buds.
In his eyes, this was some sort of unique flavor that only he could appreciate.
After all, telling anyone else only pushed them away.
Chocolate was not a delicacy of this time; only bitter tastes were.
“Here you go, lord Xuanming.
One cup of hot chocolate.”
Gu Xuanming looked at the cup, watching as she threw marshmallows into it.
He raised his hand, signaling her to step back.
At the same time, as Gu Xuanming was sipping his hot chocolate, Lin Suwen had returned, smiling brightly until she saw Feng Qingwu.
“…um, young master Gu Xuanming…who is she?” She asked.
Gu Xuanming could immediately tell there was disdain in her words.
Just like he wanted her to feel.
“She’s my concubine, what else?”
Silence… Get faster updates on g.com.
Lin Suwen’s eyes went wide.
Feng Qingwu bowed, ignorant of the swirling anger building within Lin Suwen.
What she felt was beyond just simple anger; it was something deeper.
Disdain?
Murderous intent?
Envy?
No.
It was not just one of those feelings; it was all of them.
Like the gathering of qi to the primeval galaxy, all those emotions had condensed into a single, indescribable feeling.
Her focus immediately shifted to her own heel, mainly the pointy end.
However, she looked at Gu Xuanming, who sipped his chocolate.
‘It’s fine, I can still become his concubine.
It’s not like you’re limited to one.’
‘Still… You chase this random whore over me first!’ She shouted internally.
A bit of her anger peaked when she introduced herself to Feng Qingwu.
“Hello, my name is Lin Suwen, I am young master Xuanming’s humble servant.
May I know your name?”
She spoke with a passive-aggressive tone, bowing in hollow respect.
“My name is Feng Qingwu.
As you already heard, I am his concubine.
It’s nice to meet you.”
Both women looked at each other, one a glowing light, a heavenly treasure, with a smile brighter than the sun, while the darkness within the other oozed out like a plague, meant to corrupt everything it touched.
Gu Xuanming was satisfied with how things were going.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He needed her to be envious, making her careless.
There was also the fact that she was taken by the Zhao clan, so there must have been something she would do to him.
He knew she wasn’t exactly loyal, so if she was offered something desirable like freedom from being a servant of the Gu clan to become Zhao Cangsheng’s concubine, then she would no doubt accept.
Of course, this was only speculation, and she could have been offered anything.
“Young Master Xuanming, I’ve received an invitation for you.
It was given to me by Lord Zhao Cheng’an.”
Gu Xuanming glanced over at the card in her hand.
He hadn’t noticed it before, feeling too satisfied with his current results.
“And the contents?”
“You’re invited to the Grand House.
He wishes to speak with you directly.
He also offers to buy you one thing next month during the next auction.”
After hearing the contents, he closed his eyes, taking another sip.
‘Is that so?’
‘Well, at least I have a month of training, and I will still have to do the examination too.’
‘I will be much stronger compared to now once I do meet him.’
‘He obviously can’t do anything to me, but certainly, he will hire others to try and kill me.
I guess there are more benefits to having Qing Yuru as my master.’
“Lin Suwen…”
Lin Suwen immediately looked at Gu Xuanming.
“Yes, young master?”
“Would you kindly tell Zhao Cheng’an I accept the invitation?”
Lin Suwen bowed before him.
“I understand.
Your servant will do as you said.”
Gu Xuanming smirked.
‘Very well, it’s time for me to spend the rest of this month training.
If I do that, I should be ready for both events.’