Jiutun Mountain's solitary peak jutted out, like a sharp sword blade thrust directly into the earth. Winds swirled clouds and mist around it year-round. A section of a silver-white waterfall cascaded from a "sheath" in the rock, striking the grey, cold stone with a deafening roar.
Beneath the spray, a lean, black-clad youth with two missing arms was submerged up to his waist in the icy pool. He tilted his head back, his upper body enduring the relentless assault of the powerful current as if undergoing torture.
His exposed skin was like that licked by volcanic lava, reddened all over, as if burning, flesh and blood torn open, as if the power within his body was uncontrollable, violently tearing apart his fragile flesh.
The icy water seemed to offer him a sliver of comfort. The burning pain slowly receded. His skin changed from fiery red to frozen purple and blue, and his torn wounds visibly healed.
At this moment, he abruptly opened a pair of clouded, vacant eyes, "staring" forward.
A faint, ethereal voice sounded, "Not bad. You've already gone through mortal transformation and refined your spirit. However, this body might not withstand your current spiritual power. The next step should be to reshape your physical form."
He stood up from the water and, with his long, strong legs, strode step by step to the bank. Water streamed down his sleek, powerful form. His waist was firm, every inch imbued with explosive strength. The scrawny young boy of before had now vaguely grown into the strong physique of an adult.
Water droplets slid from his black hair, gathered at the nape of his neck, over the contours of his face. His nose was straight, his lips thin, his eyes handsome, and his brows elegant, his features deep.
This outer disciple, once considered an ant by the master of Jiutun Mountain, this registered disciple everyone overlooked and forgot, had now reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.
"Three years. You never tell me your name or origin. You help me, but for what?"
His voice, long unused, now held a masculine steadiness and low resonance after his period of change, along with a husky rasp from enduring pain.
He was Heaven-Blind. From birth, his vision had only ever been darkness. But with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could only sense a presence as light as a gentle breeze and bright moon in front of him through his consciousness. He never knew her true appearance.
"I told you. There's something I want in you."
He turned his face slightly, his jaw set firmly. "Even if it's my life, if you want it, I'll give it." He paused, then lowered his eyes and said, "Just allow me to finish what I need to do."
"I don't want your life. And you do whatever you want to do."
The words faded before they were fully spoken, their trailing end distant, like flying blossoms carrying away the lingering cold. The wind blew the swirling mist onto the faintly trembling eyelashes of the ghost infant, making them glisten.
—
It could be said that the Great Evolution Sect had been peaceful and stable in recent years, but recently, a sensational romantic incident had occurred among the disciples.
Three years ago, shortly after Liu Jiang Fusheng and Fang Rui entered seclusion respectively, the Master of Nianhua Mountain took in a new female disciple. This disciple was no ordinary person. Although her background was unknown, her talent and aptitude were both outstanding.
In the past three years, no one knew what had happened, but this woman had somehow caused the Masters of Zicao Mountain and Wuwei Mountain to become jealous and quarrel over her. A few days ago, they had even fought, losing the dignity of a mountain master, and were punished by the sect leader to enter seclusion for reflection.
This matter could not be kept secret. After all, when a mountain master made a move, it was never a small skirmish. Many people had witnessed the entire process.
Everyone was discussing it in private, and those who hadn't seen her were curious about what kind of breathtaking beauty this female disciple possessed to make these two bachelors, both over a hundred years old, fall into a lovesick state. This was even rarer than an old tree blooming.
"I heard that this junior sister is indeed exceptionally beautiful."
"Really? How does she compare to Junior Uncle Fang Rui?"
"Uh, Junior Uncle Fang Rui has been in seclusion these past few years, and I don't know what she'll look like when she emerges. But I think they are beautiful in different ways. Senior Sister Fang Rui is graceful and charming, bright and moving, while that junior sister is all smiles and charmingly lovely. Either way, they are both beautiful."
"Then... then there must be a ranking, right? Oh, and Uncle Fusheng's mortal wife... I saw her talking with Uncle Danya at Jiutun Mountain a while ago. Do you think she's prettier, or is that junior sister better looking?"
At this, the female disciples fell silent for a moment.
"Even if a mortal's appearance is good, it can only last for a few years..."
Speaking of this matter, she also found it strange: "It's mainly... when I see her, especially when our eyes meet, this, this inexplicably feels like I shouldn't define her with words like beautiful or not."
This statement immediately resonated with others. "Yes, she's clearly just an ordinary mortal. If Uncle Danya hadn't taken care of her a bit because of Uncle Fusheng's face and let her work as a page at Jiutun Mountain, she'd probably still be working as a handyman at the lower peak, serving others. But every time we talk about her, there's always a feeling..." The female disciple exchanged glances with them, speaking with a hint of awkwardness and embarrassment, "It feels like we're offending her. It's really weird."
At this, the female disciples fell silent again.
Clearly, she was not the only one who felt this way.
"Forget it, let's not talk about her. Let's get back to that junior sister's matter. By the way, what's her name?"
"I know this. A very beautiful name, Zi Ying."
Zi Ying?
Gu Junshi, in the spiritual valley's wheat field, patted her clothes and stood up. The wheat ears around her were plump, and the wheat, watered by spiritual energy, was golden and white. As the wind blew, the waves of wheat rolled, refreshing the mind. The autumn breeze also carried the chattering conversations from not far away into her ears.
Nearly three years had passed, and her little husband was about to end his seclusion. According to the plot's progression, it was time for the third female lead, Zi Ying, to appear.
Gu Junshi's understanding of the original plot came from piecing together fragmented dreams. It was like knowing the chapter directory and general synopsis of the content, but not as clear as having read the entire book in detail.
She judged the occurrence of events based on character appearances. For instance, the appearance of the third female lead, Zi Ying, meant that the main storyline was officially beginning. Her little husband would also start his journey as a dominant male, and it represented both opportunities and dangers.
Speaking of the third female lead, Zi Ying, in terms of competition for favor, Zi Ying was the one who received more affection from her little husband than the second female lead, Fang Rui.
However, the second female lead, Fang Rui, appeared earlier and provided significant help to her little husband in the early stages. In the end, based on contribution value, she was ranked second.
After listening to the female disciples' discussion about Zi Ying, Gu Junshi pondered for a moment.
She felt that after Fang Rui emerged from seclusion, she probably wouldn't have any chance to come to her for breach of contract fees.