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..."
What’s In It For You?
When Wu Ling considered the others, Zhang Buyan and his Junior Sister were invested in the furthest destination the group was aiming for. In the near term, he felt he could rely on them to be committed if cautious. Similarly, Su Xiang might question him but she would do it from a place of good intentions. That left Xiong Dahuo and Yu Jinqi as the most vulnerable elements that he should reinforce. Xiong Dahou might have become the disciple of his father's mistress, but their relationship was built on shaky ground at best.
Yu Jinqi, on the other hand, seemed to be as close to breaking through as Su Xiang was. If Wu Ling could figure out a way to help him make a breakthrough to Novice early in the journey, he was certain that not only would he gain a reliable supporter within the group, but the group would then gain the benefits of an Alchemy Novice for the rest of their journey.