The Note

“Oh, it truly pains Qiuqiao to see Young Master Gu in such distress…” Yu Qiuqiao murmured, a smile playing on her lips.

A considerable amount of time had passed, and Gu Bei was no longer suffering as intensely. Hearing her words, he immediately began to ponder what new mischief this ‘demoness’ was planning.

As he mused, Yu Qiuqiao’s fist suddenly appeared, hurtling towards him.

Regardless of Yu Qiuqiao’s cultivation level, given Gu Bei’s current posture, the punch was already unavoidable the moment it entered his field of vision.

Yet, the delicate, pink fist halted just inches from his forehead.

With a flick of her slender finger.

The impact sent a buzzing reverberation through Gu Bei’s head.

He stumbled backward, rising unsteadily, and retreated several steps.

“Since Young Master Gu is unwilling to ‘get comfortable’ with Qiuqiao,” she purred, “then perhaps we should try a different approach.”

Yu Qiuqiao remained seated, watching the bewildered Gu Bei with a serene smile.

With an effortless motion, she produced a longsword of unknown grade and tossed it to him.

“Come, cross swords with this humble one.”

Gu Bei instinctively caught the longsword as it arced through the air, just as Yu Qiuqiao’s skirt flared, and she launched herself forward, using the low table as a springboard to close the distance.

Without time for further thought, Gu Bei adopted a defensive sword stance.

‘Hah, this Chief Disciple may dislike engaging in combat, but that doesn’t mean I am inept at it!’

‘A mere demoness—a Nascent Soul cultivator?! Are you utterly shameless?!’

It was an overwhelming display of the strong bullying the weak, without an ounce of suspense.

The disparity between Nascent Soul and Qi Condensation cultivators was immense; in the eyes of many major sects, Qi Condensation practitioners were barely considered cultivators at all.

Only after achieving Foundation Establishment could one truly command spiritual energy and unleash profound magical techniques.

It was not merely a long-ranged attack against a short-ranged one, but advanced technology pitted against primitive weaponry.

It was akin to an aerial assault against a ground-bound warrior.

The core of it all was a complete and utter suppression, from attack range to power levels to fundamental combat mechanics.

Gu Bei was thoroughly beaten, his head a mass of bumps and bruises.

After pummeling him for the duration of an incense stick, Yu Qiuqiao gracefully landed, retracting her fists with a smile and tucking them into her slowly falling long sleeves.

“Don’t you feel much better now?” she inquired.

Though pain wracked his entire body, Gu Bei could only force a smile, sheathing his sword and cupping his hands in a respectful salute. “Many thanks, Fairy Yu.”

At least Yu Qiuqiao had largely spared his face.

Yet, it had to be said, the burning heat that had consumed his body had now completely dissipated.

In fact, Gu Bei sensed that despite the one-sided beating, he had gained something from the experience.

However, despite this unexpected gain, he found himself utterly incapable of offering Yu Qiuqiao sincere thanks.

First, he had been toyed with, then subjected to a brutal beating; even if he had objectively benefited, it was difficult to simply swallow his pride and accept it.

“It’s getting late, Young Master Gu. Would you care for another cup of tea before you leave, or perhaps…”

Yu Qiuqiao spoke the words, yet her actions—turning and slowly strolling deeper into the room—betrayed no intention of actually detaining him.

“Then I shall take my leave now.”

“Oh, are you truly not staying a little longer? There might be good things in store, you know?”

“No, thank you. Farewell, Fairy Yu.”

Gu Bei had already begun retreating towards the door the moment his first sentence left his lips, and by the time his second was uttered, he was already outside.

Gu Bei’s parting words prompted Yu Qiuqiao to glance back briefly, her gaze falling upon the now empty, wide-open doorway.

She pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly.

“Farewell? Hmm… indeed, it is farewell…”

****

Gu Bei was seething with a belly full of suppressed rage.

He cursed inwardly as he walked.

But what could he do?

Back in his room, everything seemed to irritate Gu Bei.

The effects of the Fire Plume Yang Grass had worn off, but his temper was now flaring anew.

‘Enduring for a moment only makes me angrier the more I think about it.’

‘Taking a step back only makes me feel more wronged the more I dwell on it.’

‘—If I can’t beat you, can’t I at least beat myself off for you?!’

This thought, so utterly absurd, made Gu Bei chuckle despite himself.

‘Ah, life. The most important thing is to humor oneself, to deceive oneself, and many troubles will simply pass.’

With that thought, he let out a long sigh and slowly settled onto the bed.

He looked around; the room felt somewhat dim.

All the necessary furnishings were present, however.

‘In about ten days, I’ll be returning to Fairy Ning’s side…’

‘Instead of fuming over Yu Qiuqiao, I should consider the true nature of the predicament I’ve found myself in.’

‘Yu Qiuqiao might not be able to take my life, but this situation…’

‘Fairy Ning surely wouldn’t ask me to do anything too perilous… would she?’

‘After all, she has a past connection with my master. I’m just working for three years; surely it won’t cost me my life.’

‘If they truly intend for me to sacrifice my life, then I’ll just slip away when the time comes.’

‘Anyway, there are only so many people within the sect. If the monk runs, can the temple really hold him?’

‘But if I were to flee, wouldn’t I be letting Guest Elder Yun down a little?’

Lost in thought, he unhurriedly poured himself a cup of tea.

It was cold tea, ready to drink immediately.

Just as his hand touched the teacup, instinctively reaching for a sip, he suddenly felt something extra tucked into his robes.

Reaching into his robes.

He couldn’t help but wince as his fingers brushed against a wound.

He pulled out a small box of tea leaves.

‘The demoness put this here?’

‘When did she slip it in…?’

‘Having something suddenly missing from one’s person is alarming, but having something suddenly added is equally unsettling.’

“Young Master Gu, do you require a meal now?”

The maid’s voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, startling Gu Bei.

He was indeed a little hungry and was about to instinctively agree.

However, remembering the ‘ingredients’ Yu Qiuqiao had put in his tea earlier, he suddenly felt like a burnt child dreading the fire.

“There are also some things the Young Mistress sent for you, Young Master Gu? Are you there?”

‘?’

‘What new trick is that demoness up to now?’

“J-just leave it outside the door for now,” Gu Bei stammered. “I’ll come out to get it shortly.”

“And the midday meal, should that also be left outside the door?”

“Yes, yes, leave everything,” Gu Bei replied, much like a certain famous esports team from his previous life. “I’ll come out to retrieve it later.”

The maid acknowledged him, and her footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Gu Bei waited until the footsteps were entirely inaudible before opening the door to retrieve his meal.

A platter of exquisite dishes.

There was even a pot of wine.

And a small porcelain bottle, with a note tucked beneath it.

Gu Bei carried the platter inside.

He stood with his arms crossed, gazing at the steaming, fragrant food.

After a moment of consideration, he decided to read the note first.

The handwriting on the note was elegant, yet it subtly exuded an air of mischievous malice.

‘[Young Master Gu, you truly impressed this humble one just now.]’

‘[And it seems Young Master Gu’s cultivation has shown signs of a slight breakthrough.]’

‘[The ‘Dao Heart’ often spoken of in the cultivation world is, at its core, one’s true self.]’

‘[This humble one is quite curious about Young Master Gu’s true self. If Young Master Gu doesn’t mind, would you perhaps show this humble one what you would do without any reservations?]’

‘[No matter what grand deeds Young Master Gu accomplishes, this humble one can provide you with a safety net—even if Young Master Gu were to sleep with Ning Changxi?]’

‘[Heh heh.]’

‘[Qiuqiao’s promises are quite valuable, you know.]’

‘[Young Master Gu, please consider it?]’

‘[Oh, and by the way, the pill in the porcelain bottle… Young Master Gu, can you guess if it’s a healing elixir, or… something else entirely?]’

Gu Bei finished reading the note, his face utterly expressionless.

Had he not been tormented by Yu Qiuqiao for so long, merely reading this note might have led him to believe Young Mistress Yu was a good woman.

He stared at it for a long time before finally deciphering the true meaning hidden between the lines.

Clearly written throughout the entire message were three words.

‘To watch the show.’

Her words, both overt and subtle, were clearly egging him on to ‘mess with’ Fairy Ning.

But truthfully, Fairy Ning hadn’t really troubled him; in fact, she had even shown him kindness.

Even setting aside these considerations, and looking at the objective situation, if he were to offend Ning Wanzhuang, the entire Minor Sword Sect would suffer. Rather than “sleeping with” Fairy Ning, it would be better to “sleep with” that demoness Yu herself.

At least the reach of the Xiaoyao Pavilion didn’t extend quite so far.

Gu Bei tossed the note into a corner of his storage ring.

‘First, I’ll eat.’

It had to be said, while the ‘demoness’ might be a bit too human-like, the mansion’s food was genuinely excellent.

Gu Bei had traveled far and wide for many years, but he had rarely encountered food this delicious.

After finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth and his gaze fell upon the pill bottle.

‘A healing elixir, or… an O-yao (TL Note: A common internet slang term, ‘O-yao,’ referring to an aphrodisiac or stimulant.)?’

‘Hah, whether it’s a healing elixir or an O-yao, I’ll consume it all the same!’

‘If it is an O-yao, then don’t blame me for… well, you know, Yu Qiuqiao!’

The good news: it was a healing elixir.

The bad news: it was also an O-yao.

Gu Bei’s eye twitched, and a corner of his mouth spasmed simultaneously.

He cursed profusely in his mind, over and over again.

He didn’t even dare to curse aloud.

After enduring his frustration for a while, he ultimately did not fulfill his earlier promise.

‘If I really ‘beat off’ right now, I might just lose something incredibly important.’

‘The act itself isn’t the problem.’

‘The problem is that Yu Qiuqiao is currently occupying his entire mind.’

Taking a deep breath, he retrieved his longsword from his storage ring and began to practice his sword forms, move by painstaking move.

Having fallen victim to another of the demoness’s schemes, Gu Bei, uncharacteristically, didn’t sleep a wink that night.

By the time dawn broke the next day, the room’s floor was littered with various weapons.

Gu Bei had practiced everything from the Thirteen Basic Sword Forms to the Eight Fundamental Staff Techniques.

Having stayed awake all night, he had reviewed every foundational martial art technique Mu Qingsi had once taught him, from beginning to end.

Gu Bei, drenched in sweat, gazed at the gradually rising morning sun outside his window, his eyes filled with profound resentment.