Unparalleled Artist: Unlikely Hero
Following his father's murder, Wu Ling's mother returned to the life of a courtesan, disguising her young son as a girl to take refuge in the Bamboo Silk House, a women's only sect dedicated to the arts. Now, as his powers awaken, he'll find himself torn between protecting his family and the goals of powerful cultivators who see him as a means to an end. "Wu Ling, I've accepted a marriage proposal on your behalf," the bewitching Hall Master of the Bamboo Silk House declared. "When you enter the Inner Sect, you'll enter under the name 'Hua Qianhu', fiancee of a young lord of the Liang family." "Hall Master, that's impossible!" Wu Ling protested. "Even if you ignore my relationship with Meifeng, I might have dressed well enough to hide as a mortal woman but I could never..." "So you truly didn't realize what you were doing," the Hall Master said, a dark smile on her lips. "Little Ling, you're a natural-born Shapeshifter. I'll teach you what you need to know," she said, her features shifting until she looked like a mirror image of the stunned Wu Ling. "As long as you follow my arrangements and learn my techniques, it isn't impossible for you to reunite with Meifeng..." "But you should consider Young Lord Liang carefully," the Hall Master added. "His affection for you is genuine. Perhaps, one day, you'll even feel the same for him..."
Selecting a Gift
"This one is a bit more complex," the silver-haired woman said, pulling out a separate page. This one depicted a collection of five intricately carved bracelets, linked together to be worn as a single piece.
"You mentioned that she used calligraphy to command the power of the elements," Armorer Dian said, waiting to receive a nod from Liang Xiong before she continued. "That reminded me of something else that commands the power of the elements. These bracelets would be carved from the branch of a Songwood tree."
"Each bracelet is carved in a way that corresponds to one of the elements the Songwood tree is best known for manipulating; earth, wind, rain, thunder, and fire," she continued. "The armament is flexible and could be used to both defend and attack. If the woman you're courting is more likely to fight by your side than hide in the rear then this would be your best option," the silver-haired woman advised.