The Manual’s Riddle and a New Outfit

In short, that was the gist of it.

As for the specifics of the content itself, however, though I prided myself on my scholarly lineage and knew I was no mere good-for-nothing or pampered weakling, the words within this manual proved incredibly abstruse and profound.

My current understanding was so limited that it might as well have been a celestial text.

To put it another way, aside from the title of each section, the only line I could truly comprehend was the red inscription at the very beginning:

“To cultivate divine power, draw the blade and castrate yourself!”

Yang Laoer, who later heard the tale, had a rather blunt assessment.

“So, Fourth Brother,” he’d said, “you held this precious manual, yet all you managed to learn was how to… cut…”

Alas, what a transgression, what a transgression. Some words are simply not fit for a young woman’s lips, so I must deviate from his original phrasing to convey the meaning:

“All you learned was how to castrate yourself!”

****

With a sigh of dejection, I wrestled with the text once more.

Ultimately, I concluded that my current intellect was simply insufficient to decipher the manual’s secrets.

With a solemn air, I re-wrapped it, deciding to put the matter aside until I returned to school, only then to consult Principal Dugu, the man Master had repeatedly urged me to seek out.

Lost in these thoughts, I carefully re-secured the package, yet tucked the *Sunflower Manual* booklet close to my person.

Next, I rummaged through my belongings for a change of clothes.

To my dismay, my former physique differed drastically from my current one, and the distinct male-female proportions meant the top I chose looked utterly out of place.

Its neckline, at least, offered a slight improvement over the crew-neck cultural shirt I’d been wearing.

That previous shirt had led to countless inquiries from the five ‘senior brothers’ with questionable intentions along the way.

“Junior sister, why are you wearing such an oversized men’s cultural shirt?” they’d often asked. “Is it your boyfriend’s?”

To their questions, I could only offer a perfunctory excuse.

I claimed I was traveling and had initially planned to disguise myself as a man to conceal my identity and move freely through the martial world, but had inadvertently purchased oversized clothing.

Thankfully, these ‘senior brothers’ seemed more concerned with my relationship status than my peculiar attire.

Hearing my flimsy explanation, they each seemed secretly pleased, and thus didn’t press me further on my obviously flawed fabrication.

Despite my explanation, the shirt’s elongated hem hung so low it completely enveloped my backside.

There was no alternative; I would simply have to make do for the time being.

Given that the shirt’s length reached my hips, perhaps I could simply treat it as a makeshift miniskirt?

Years later, Linghu Ruoxu, who had somehow picked up some rather crude habits, would offer a far more vivid, and frankly, offensive, description.

“Fourth Brother,” he’d once quipped, “with your shirt hanging to your hips like that, a fart would be enough to make the hem flap up, wouldn’t it?”

That remark instantly earned him a swift punch from me, though that, of course, is a tale for another time.

I hastily adjusted my clothes, then resolved to sleep fully dressed that night.

After all, I was traveling the martial world, staying in a small inn at the foot of a mountain.

Should any unforeseen incident occur, I would be ready to react instantly, sparing myself the valuable time of dressing.

Throughout the restless night, whether I was awake or lost in sleep, my mind constantly drifted back to that subterranean abyss.

The deep cavern, where earth had quaked and mountains collapsed, remained perpetually devoid of sunlight.

As I pondered Master’s unknown fate — whether he lived or perished — an overwhelming sadness welled within me, and my quilt grew damp with tears.

‘Master, what has become of you?’

‘Are you truly still alive?’

Naturally, I prayed for his survival.

Yet, to live on in that collapsed cave, now a tomb, would be nothing more than a prolonged wait for death.

What a desolate and heartbreaking fate that would be!

But then again, how could I possibly wish for my own Master to be gone?

****

Specks of dawn light, soft and ethereal, filtered through the paper-paned window, scattering gently across the room.

In the hazy moment between sleep and wakefulness, I saw this tranquil scene, accompanied by a gentle yet persistent knock at the door.

“Young lady, little lady, are you awake? I’ve come to bring your breakfast!”

It was the voice of the inn assistant who had led me to my room last night.

I recalled how, after he’d shown me the room, I had discreetly slipped him a few coins, urging him to look after the gentleman sleeping in the woodshed and ensure he didn’t catch a chill.

He had, at the time, departed with a joyful nod.

Now, he was back at my door so early, knocking to deliver breakfast. Was it my previous kindness he remembered?

“I’ve only just woken,” I replied with a clear voice. “Please leave the breakfast outside for now; I’ll fetch it myself after I’ve tidied up.”

A soft rustling sound from outside indicated the breakfast had been set down.

However, the assistant didn’t leave; instead, he knocked again.

“Those gentlemen traveling with you have already risen and are about to have breakfast,” he announced. “They asked me to convey a message: if you have no other errands, please join them soon so you can all set off back to school.”

“I understand, and thank you,” I replied with a sigh.

Then, a new thought struck me, and I quickly added:

“Assistant, I must ask, are there any silk or ready-to-wear clothing shops nearby?”

“To answer your question, young lady,” the assistant promptly replied from outside, “there are no silk shops.”

“However, if you head two blocks east, you’ll find a tailor named Zhu who runs a rather clean ready-to-wear clothing store. If you have need, young lady, you might find something there.”

“Excellent, thank you so much!” I called out, committing the information to memory.

After a hurried wash, I retrieved the still-warm breakfast from outside and quickly ate.

Seizing the opportunity before the five overly enthusiastic senior brothers came looking, I quietly slipped out of the inn.

My first stop was the ready-to-wear clothing store, where I haphazardly purchased a somewhat presentable girl’s outfit: a proper women’s T-shirt paired with cropped jeans.

Next, I ambled over to the post station to retrieve my horse.

Only then did I leisurely make my way back to the inn where I had lodged.

Before I even reached the entrance, I spotted a large head peeking out from the doorway, scanning the street.

The moment they saw me approaching in the distance, a hand shot up, waving enthusiastically.

“Junior Sister Little Fang!” a voice boomed.

The sheer boisterousness of the greeting made me wince.

Anyone unaware of the situation might have assumed I owed the man a significant sum of silver!

As I rode closer, guiding my horse with its saddle and bridle, I finally distinguished the figure waiting at the door: it was Peng Shuxiong.

“Good morning, Senior Brother Peng Shuxiong!” I greeted him, a touch apologetically, deciding not to dwell on his earlier loud outburst. “Did you sleep well last night? Thank you again for everything.”

He rubbed his head and chuckled sheepishly. “Heh heh, I slept fine, just fine. Even though it was the woodshed, the innkeeper arranged everything perfectly, and I slept soundly until morning! Heh heh, it was nothing, Junior Sister, you needn’t worry about it. Tsk, tsk, Junior Sister, you look truly…”

He didn’t get to finish his thought before a slap landed on the back of his head.

“Third Brother!” Guo Hao emerged from the inn, a look of exasperation on his face. “How is it I never noticed you were so good with girls? I sent you to check if Junior Sister was back so we could set off early, and here you are, just dawdling!”