Bait

Calm down.

There’s no need to panic.

This is merely a technical adjustment.

Xie Shenhong attempted to soothe himself with these words, his hand slowly rising to his throat.

With a tentative touch, he found it gone.

His Adam’s apple, once subtle but undeniably there, had vanished without a trace!

Drawing a deep breath, Xie Shenhong scrutinized his reflection in the mirror.

Remarkably, he looked much the same as before; no discernible changes.

He then meticulously inspected every part of his body, particularly his torso and between his legs, and upon confirming that nothing new had appeared nor anything vanished, a sigh of relief escaped him.

That was a lie!

His skin, which had been neglected for three years, had once again become smooth and delicate!

“What is happening?”

To avoid disturbing his sister, Xie Shenhong hissed, his voice a frantic whisper.

He was aware that using the golden pocket watch would transform him into Hai Zhu…

Yet, he had never been informed that his original body would also undergo such a feminine metamorphosis!

“Could it be… I’m gradually transforming into Hai Zhu?”

No.

This must be an inevitable consequence.

For an artifact capable of granting power far surpassing other Battle Dukes, it was only logical that a significant price had to be paid.

It was akin to those legendary martial arts techniques, where one must first castrate themselves to master the skill.

He speculated that, in the end, he would simply vanish from the world, only to reappear as Hai Zhu.

The very existence of Xie Shenhong would be erased, as if he had never graced this world.

“Such an ending truly befits a useless person like me…”

Slowly, Xie Shenhong’s agitation subsided.

He found himself gradually coming to terms with this desolate destiny.

After all, as one devoid of magic, if he truly wished to alter the future, to rescue the kingdom and humanity, he had no recourse but to sacrifice everything within his power.

“So what if I gradually transform into a woman? I’ll show you; don’t assume such a thing can intimidate me!”

Having adjusted his mindset, Xie Shenhong collapsed onto his bed, succumbing to an exhausted sleep.

Regrettably, merely forgetting his troubles for a while did not equate to genuinely resolving them.

****

The very next morning, Xie Shenhong’s troubles began anew.

At home, he made it a point not to speak in a feminine voice.

Consequently, he utilized his phone’s recording function, painstakingly lowering his vocal pitch and practicing for a considerable time before his voice sounded adequately masculine.

The predicament, however, lay in the fact that he had not realized this crucial detail upon returning home the previous night.

A wave of trepidation washed over him, only to recede once Shen’ai had finished her breakfast and departed, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

This, however, was merely the prelude to his nightmare—

****

“You look quite beautiful today, you know.”

Encountering Lyte at the school gate, Xie Shenhong froze at the young man’s very first remark.

Indeed, he had meticulously styled himself that morning; his long, curly hair cascaded elegantly, complementing the courtly stand-collar shirt and wide-brimmed skirt he wore, a combination that exuded an air of grace and sophistication.

Crucially, however, to conceal his naturally flawless skin, he had deliberately applied a substantial amount of makeup, aiming to create a “processed” look.

By all accounts, he should have appeared less striking than his usual self, so why had Lyte offered such an unexpected compliment?

Could this fellow have seen through his disguise?

“Shenhong, is something amiss?”

Noticing Xie Shenhong’s unmoving stillness, Lyte inquired with a hint of curiosity.

‘Stay calm,’ he cautioned himself inwardly. ‘Do not let your reactions betray anything!’

As Xie Shenhong inwardly delivered this stern warning, he adopted a somewhat aloof expression.

“Am I only beautiful today, then?”

No sooner had the words left his lips than Xie Shenhong was overcome with regret.

‘Ahhh, what kind of petulant girlfriend remark was that?!’

‘Damn you, Lyte, what have you made me say!’

“My apologies, Shenhong, you are beautiful every single day.”

‘Hey, you idiot, don’t you dare respond with such a straight face!’

Xie Shenhong’s face flushed crimson in an instant, but this was assuredly not from shyness; rather, it stemmed from sheer humiliation… No, no, no, the more he tried to explain, the worse it sounded, utterly infuriating him.

‘No, I must retaliate!’

‘Wait, no, our relationship has become amicable; I must feign concern!’

“What I meant was, you should reserve such compliments for a girl you truly like, not for me…”

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t actually…”

Lyte was about to offer a denial, but then a sudden realization struck him, causing him to freeze mid-sentence.

‘What? This fellow actually has someone he’s interested in?’

Xie Shenhong found himself genuinely surprised.

However, on second thought, even if Lyte was cunning and astute, he was still merely a seventeen-year-old youth, at an age when romantic feelings begin to blossom. Having spent five years in a foreign land, it was hardly surprising for him to have found one or two individuals to comfort his heart.

Xie Shenhong instantly felt a surge of excitement.

“Well, who did you think of? A girlfriend? Or a girl you secretly admire?”

For this girl was highly likely to be Lyte’s Achilles’ heel!

“My apologies, it’s neither a girlfriend nor a girl I secretly admire; it’s simply someone I hold in deep reverence…”

Lyte, uncharacteristically, appeared somewhat abashed.

Witnessing this rare display, Xie Shenhong knew he could not possibly let the matter rest.

“We are friends, are we not? Are you truly unwilling to confide even this small detail in me?”

Xie Shenhong uttered, a hint of disappointment lacing his tone.

Indeed, to any observer, his display was clearly feigned.

After all, one moment he had been playfully prying, and the next he had become utterly heartbroken; who was he trying to deceive?

However… Lyte, being intimately familiar with Xie Shenhong’s somewhat self-effacing nature, might just be susceptible to such a ploy.

Even if Lyte saw through his act, it mattered little.

To uphold his carefully crafted persona and to achieve his objective of forging a friendly alliance with the Duanmu family, he would undoubtedly choose actions that preserved their burgeoning friendship…

He could never have conceived that Xie Shenhong, possessing knowledge of the future, had regarded him as an adversary and had been meticulously plotting against him from their very first encounter!

As expected, Lyte eventually sighed, opting for candor:

“I was thinking of Lady Hai Zhu.”

“Huh?”

Xie Shenhong wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.

“Go ahead and laugh if you wish. When you spoke of a girl one might like, Lady Hai Zhu was the first person who came to mind,” Lyte admitted with a self-deprecating smile.

Xie Shenhong was utterly bewildered.

Initially, his immediate thought was that his secret had been exposed.

However, observing that Lyte was not looking at him, but instead gazing off into the distance, his face alight with a touch of admiration and profound reverence, Xie Shenhong immediately cursed inwardly.

‘This guy actually likes *me*?’

Yet, almost instantly, Xie Shenhong dismissed this excessively narcissistic thought.

He had only recently transformed into the Hai Zhu puppet.

Lyte’s affections must surely be for the previous Hai Zhu, whoever she may have been.

This was hardly surprising; if one were to poll people on the streets about their admiration, the vast majority, regardless of gender, would invariably name Lady Hai Zhu.

Such was Hai Zhu’s immense popularity throughout the Vermillion Bird Kingdom.

Her ethereal beauty, akin to that of a celestial being, certainly justified this widespread acclaim.

The “admiration” Lyte spoke of was likely a similar sentiment.

Furthermore, there was the lingering suspicion that this fellow might be feigning affection merely to parade his unwavering loyalty.

‘Don’t let yourself be swayed so easily.’

Having mentally organized the situation, Xie Shenhong promptly spoke:

“I won’t mock you, but you haven’t had much interaction with Lady Hai Zhu, have you? Are you certain this emotion you feel is genuine affection?”

“I cannot be certain, and indeed, I haven’t had many direct encounters with Lady Hai Zhu.”

This was entirely understandable. Although the Deep Sea Crimson Knights were reputedly the Saintess’s direct legion, many within their ranks had never truly interacted with Hai Zhu. Furthermore, with Duanmu Yun and others intentionally concealing the fact that the Hai Zhu puppet was not at its peak, public perception of Hai Zhu was largely characterized by aloofness, coldness, and rationality…

“Nevertheless, through my two most recent encounters with Lady Hai Zhu, I have at least come to understand one crucial thing…”

Lyte’s expression shifted to one of profound longing. “Lady Hai Zhu is not as icy as the rumors suggest; on the contrary, she is an incredibly gentle and considerate individual.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Shenhong nearly choked on his own breath.

‘Who was gentle and considerate?!’

‘I was trying to subdue you… bah!’

‘That’s a fraud, you fool, don’t fall for it!’

“Yet, the accounts I’ve heard suggest that Lady Hai Zhu is kind to everyone,” Xie Shenhong managed to say, barely suppressing his rising anger.

“Perhaps,”

Lyte murmured absently, his thoughts seemingly drifting to a more distant past. “But there is no doubt that I was redeemed by Lady Hai Zhu. Her every nuanced expression, her graceful bearing, her gentle words… all are deeply etched into my very soul…”

“Stop, cease this excessive idealization of her in your mind!”

Suppressing a wave of nausea, Xie Shenhong uttered with undisguised disdain.

“Lady Hai Zhu’s beauty, I believe, is universally acknowledged,” Lyte countered, standing his ground.

“That may be true, but I must remind you that Lady Hai Zhu is considerably older than you are.”

Hai Zhu first appeared a decade ago, at which point she already seemed seventeen or eighteen. Now, ten years later, by all reasonable estimates, her age would be approaching thirty.

Thus, any typical male high school student would merely voice their admiration, but in reality—

“I have always maintained that true love transcends any disparity in age,” Lyte declared, his expression earnest.

‘Damn, this guy doesn’t like older women, does he?’

Recalling Lyte’s somewhat fervent gaze during his two most recent transformations into Hai Zhu, Xie Shenhong felt a sudden chill of revulsion.

Lyte, however, seemed oblivious to Xie Shenhong’s discomfort, instead pondering with utmost seriousness:

“Moreover… Lady Hai Zhu is an ‘Eternal Body,’ is she not?”

At this, Xie Shenhong swiftly regained his composure.