13 Hou'er

-Hou'er-

After returning, Jiang Jie hit the sack and tried to sleep. Of course, it was a little uncomfortable for him since he was no longer in his world, but he was getting used to it. But among many things humanity was most successful in their ability to adapt, and Jiang Jie was just an advanced human. Although using his powers he would have gotten used to it even faster, he didn't like to use his powers on useless things like this. But still, what made him surprised was that; despite this world not having any electric generating technology, they still had devices to cool rooms like an air conditioner.

And that was achieved by a bunch of geometric drawing made atop another in a scaled fashion. On the middle of the drawing, there was a similar stone to what the sect master had given him, but dim and small. The stone on the middle of the drawing wasn't even one-hundredth of what the sect master gave him, both by size and glow. Jiang Jie was although interested in the mechanics, he didn't mess around with it. He had planned to study it in the future at the library. Like this, the night passed, and Jiang Jie only managed to sleep towards 4 AM in the morning.

*Knock*knock*

Someone knocked his door loudly, making Jiang Jie sprang up from his sleep. Then adjusting his composure, he took a deep breath and calmed his breathing, then shouted: "Come in!"

The mahogany doors opened as a young maid in braid hairs came in holding a set of blue-white robes. Placing them on the table, she went into the attached bathroom and started to prepare water. While all this happen. Jiang Jie just dumbly continued to watch. From his memories of Jiang Chao, he remembered that this maid was actually someone who was rescued by Chao form streets. She couldn't speak due to her underdeveloped tongue since birth, but her devotion to Chao was real. She was even prepared to lay her life at a moment's notice for him.

Jiang Jie moved emotionally when he remembered the young maid's situation. Jiang Chao tried many things in secret to restore the maid's ability to talk but ultimately failed. He later found that there was an alchemist in a neighboring kingdom who could help him, but he had no way inviting an alchemist to treat a maid. Remembering this, Jiang Jie decided to give that alchemist a visit and see if it was really possible for the poor girl to speak. Although he could help with his vast powers, he didn't want to expose his identity this soon.

After preparing water for him, the maid came near his bed and signaled him to get up so that she could tidy it and also help him a bath. Since she couldn't speak, she learned to relay her meaning via actions and signals, Jiang Chao taught her that. Once again Jiang Jie had to give it to the Chao's mind. He really had a brilliant mind. Unfortunately, he was killed too soon.

"Yeah! I am going." Jiang Jie said as he sluggishly got off the bed. The moment he did, the maid was instantly upon him, fumbling with his school blazer, trying it open. But since she had never seen anything like that, she couldn't open it even after trying for some time. She tried some more but was disappointed since she couldn't open it at all. She looked at Jiang Jie with a pitiful expression, with her lower lip trembling as if she was about to cry.

"Look! This is how you should open it" Jiang Jie said as he showed her how to open a blazer and his pants which was fastened with belts. The young maid nodded her head as if she understood everything. In the middle of opening his pants, Jiang Jie stopped with a weird expression on his face. Looking at the young maid, he found her staring at him with stars on her eyes.

"Look that way!!" Jie shouted pointing his index finger at a corner of the room. The girl pouted once more but obeyed nonetheless. She was also found it weird, the young master would always let her disrobe him, why would he suddenly not allow her to look?

Fastening the silk towel around his waist, he walked into the bathroom before jumping into the big stone bathing tub. The warm water relaxed his nerves, as he soaked on it. He also felt a few strands of psionic energy entering his body through various pores and dissolving into his bones and muscles, making them strong and elastic. Jiang Jie was startled to this discovery. He had never thought of using psionic energy like this. He couldn't help but praise the people of this world.

Under his supervision, he watched as the intense psionic energy surged through his body, nourishing his bones and muscles. He watched as the microcells forming his bones and muscles repeatedly died and rebirthed until it was strong enough to handle the psionic energy coursing through his body. Normally this medicine bath was supposed to be for a 5th level body tempering layered cultivator. But Jiang Jie's body was just that of a normal human's, the medicine's effect was this strong on him. This process should have been a painful process normally, but Jiang Jie had shut off his pain receptors, so he didn't felt any pain.

The process of breaking and reforming took more than an hour until his body was strong enough to handle the effects of this medicinal bath. When he saw that the medicine didn't have any more effect on him, Jiang Jie decided to get out of the bath. After opening the door, he found the young maid fumbling around with the clothes he just discarded on the floor, his school uniform. She was trying to button the blazer and his shirt. Jiang Jie once again became speechless at her workaholic nature. It's no wonder Chao was even prepared to invite an alchemist with exalted status for her. She deserved it after all.

"Ahem! Huo'er can you help me wear my clothes?" Jiang Jie asked after seeing that he couldn't make head or tail out of how he should wear his clothes. Hearing Jiang Jie's voice, the girl yelped in surprise, before taking a deep breath to regain her composure. Then she came around him to help him dress.

Hou'er was only 15 years old, despite such a young age, she had suffered many hardships due to her disability. In this world, if commoners had the lowest status, then disabled people had even lower status than them. Despite all that, she, instead of wallowing in despair, tried to live her day happier each day. Checking her out, Jiang Jie found that she was also not that bad looking, but compared to Wang Rong or that sect master, she was way behind the line. He also tried to check if she had any cultivation but found none. She was no different than him except for his powers. She was a complete human with no cultivation.

After helping him wear his boats, the girl nodded and retrieved a full-length bronze mirror from somewhere and held it against his body. Jiang Jie inspected himself and found he looks somewhat heroic in these robes with long sleeves. The only thing he lacked was long hair like the people of ancient times. Nodding to himself, he flicked his overly big sleeves as he tried to pretend some rich young master of ancient times, eliciting a giggle from Hou'er.

Suddenly at this time, a figure entered his room uninvited, destroying the mood created between the two. It was a young man looking somewhat similar to him, wearing black robes of the same style as his. He also wore a black headband with a metal coin-like accessory in front of his band.

"Oh! Little brother you seem to have already prepared for the occasion!" the young man said with a mocking smile on his face. He was Jiang Tao, son of Jiang Chao's father's 1st concubine. Although he didn't have the status like Jiang Chao's or sons of other official wives, he was an avid follower of the second young master.