Secrets and Similarities

Nero found himself in an incredibly awkward situation. Even with his eyes closed, he could still identify Yuanen Yehui. The problem was she was draped in nothing but a bath towel, the fragrance in the air clearly indicating she had just bathed. "Ungh mmph!" hearing Yuanen Yehui's muffled sound, Nero removed his hand from her lips.

"YOU…" she began to exclaim, only to have Nero cover her mouth once again with his hand. "Shh! Do you want to alert the entire world? Yes, we're in a secluded area, but that doesn't guarantee no one would be nearby," he cautioned, his voice hushed. Hearing his words, Yuanen Yehui's eyes widened in realization, the gravity of the situation sinking in. She quickly shook her head, understanding the potential consequences of being discovered in such a state.

Nero slowly released his hand, allowing Yuanen Yehui to speak. "You, what are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice a mix of embarrassment and slight anger. Her anger might have been stronger, but since Nero had closed his eyes as soon as he entered the room, she felt a bit relieved. "Because this is my room," Nero replied. Then, as if a thought occurred to him, he asked, "Actually, I should be asking why you were bathing here, especially when you're disguising yourself as a boy."

Yuanen Yehui was stunned for a second by Nero's question. Before she could respond, the sound of door unlocking reached their ears. "Click!" Instantly, Nero reacted, "Iblis, put up a shadow curtain." In an instant, a translucent dark curtain materialized, forming a barrier that acted as a partition.

"Hey Nero, are you in... Wow, why is there a shadow curtain?" Xie Xie's voice filled the room, his surprise evident. He had entered the room only to be greeted by the unexpected appearance of the shadow curtain.

Suppressing the urge to reprimand Xie Xie for his terrible timing, Nero replied, "Yes, this is my room, and I was taking a bath. Now, why are you here?" Xie Xie scratched his head, his expression slightly sheepish. "Ah! I wanted to check on you after you forced Elder Cai to use her Spirit Avatar." Upon hearing this, Yuanen Yehui's wide eyes fixed on Nero with a hint of shock, her reaction almost turning into a gasp if not for Nero's earlier reminder.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry. Can you leave? I want to rest, as I'm a little tired," Nero asked Xie Xie, his words laced with a touch of urgency. Yuanen Yehui was still present in the room, and even though Nero maintained a calm exterior, inside, he was still a bit flustered; after all, it was his first time being this close to a girl.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Xie Xie said, and after he left the room, both Nero and Yuanen Yehui let out relieved sighs. "You can change your clothes; I'll step out," Nero offered before exiting the room momentarily.

"You can come in," Yuanen Yehui's voice reached his ears. Nero stepped back inside, and observing her in her true appearance, he had to admit that she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. {Unlike in the original timeline, where she physically tried to resemble a boy, she now used illusions to disguise herself.}

"So, what's your name? We should introduce ourselves properly, after all, we'll be living close," Nero asked after sitting down on a chair.

"Yuanen Yehui, I am a Rank 40 Spirit Elder. My martial soul is the Titan Great Ape and..." She stopped mid-sentence, hesitating about something.

"Fallen Angel, right?" Nero finished her sentence, acknowledging what she was hesitant to mention. "Don't be surprised, I can clearly see the dark purple aura around your left hand."

"Then what you said at that time..." Yuanen Yehui began, recalling the words spoken during his trial.

"Yeah, I meant both your real appearance and your other martial soul. Perhaps I wasn't clear myself with my wording, so listen again: Focus on yourself. If you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no one, and that also includes you," Nero clarified his advice once more.

"Why did you help me, when you didn't even know me?" Yuanen Yehui asked after a moment of silence. She couldn't understand why Nero would help her when they were complete strangers. Since childhood, she had been told to change herself if the world didn't like her, but he was the first person to advise her to stop hiding.

Hearing Yuanen Yehui's question, Nero chuckled before continuing, "No particular reason, really. I just saw confusion and self-doubt in your eyes, and it reminded me of a certain idiot who kept doubting himself over something he had no control over, just because of what other people said. Although I'm not a saint, I still have this much humanity ". Nero shifted his gaze to Yuanen Yehui and found that she was looking at her left hand with a look of remembrance in her eyes, " Mom..." even though it was a faint whisper but Nero still heard it.

"Do you want to change how you look after your martial soul manifestation?" Nero asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

Yuanen Yehui seemed to be brought back to reality by Nero's question. "Yes, but I don't really know how," she responded with a tinge of frustration in her voice.

" How about I help you? " Nero said while pointing at himself. Yuanen Yehui looked puzzled. "But why would you?"

Nero's explation followed, " I mean, even though I closed my eyes at that time, technically I saw you in a state I shouldn't have. So, how about I help you with your martial soul? This is the least I can do. "

He couldn't just say sorry. While it wasn't either of their faults, the fact remained that Yuanen Yehui must have felt very uncomfortable in that moment, especially considering she had been hiding her true self for most of her life.

"And, since I'm feeling generous and I also know your two secrets, you can ask three things about me, and I'll answer them truthfully," Nero offered after a brief moment of contemplation. Yuanen Yehui nodded and after taking a deep breath asked the question that had been troubling since her Martial awakened." Ok, My First question is, Approx. Eight years ago when my martial soul awakened. My fallen angel was suppressed. Do you know anything about this? ".

Remembering about his blood boiling, Nero replied, " So it was because of you that I gained slight access to my Spirit energy before my Martial soul awakening. I have been wondering what caused my Bloodline to fluctuate at that time. ". "How are you able to suppress my Fallen Angel?" Yuanen Yehui asked immediately, seeking clarity. Nero's response came swiftly," Because my Demon bloodline is something that can suppress the entire Demon plane, I can't tell you the exact reason as it might put you in danger but all I can say is no one in this world can suppress my bloodline, Your fallen angel probably got suppressed because the demon seed inside it should have subconsciously tried to affect my bloodline " Nero noticed a glimmer of relief in Yuanen Yehui's eyes, understanding that the revelation must have provided her some solace, especially considering the suffocating situation she faced being treated like a ticking bomb even by her own family.

Bringing her back to the present, he asked, "So, what's your last question?" His voice carried a patient tone, giving her the space she needed to express whatever was on her mind. "I don't know. Since my martial soul awakened, I've been consumed by thoughts of the Demon seed inside me. I had no friends and no one to talk to. My family always pushed me to focus solely on cultivation. So, I don't really know what to ask you. This kind of interaction is new to me" Yuanen Yehui said after a moment of silence, Her words carried a sense of confusion and uncertainty as talking to someone with her true self was unfamiliar to her.

"Why not save it for later? If you're not sure, then save it for when you are. Try experiencing life without burdens and having someone as a friend. Once you've settled into that, you can think about what you want to ask me," Nero suggested. He extended his hand towards Yuanen Yehui and continued, "So, friends?" "Friends," Yuanen Yehui replied with a smile, firmly shaking his hand in agreement.

"So, why were you, you know... bathing in my room?" Nero asked, still trying to understand why Yuanen Yehui was in his room." But, it is my..." Yuanen Yehui stopped mid-sentence and looked at Nero with shock. Nero sensed a bad premonition and tried to clarify, "Don't tell me this is your room and you never informed the Outer Courtyard manager that you're actually a girl." Yuanen Yehui's embarrassed nod confirmed his suspicion, and Nero couldn't help but feel a sense of exasperation at the situation. "At the very least, you could have informed the teacher in charge," Nero suggested. Yuanen Yehui retorted, "I did inform Elder Cai ". ' That Old hag ' Nero mentally thought in annoyance, he was certain that the old hag must have done this on purpose.

"Should we go talk to her?" Yuanen Yehui suggested, but Nero shook his head in response. "If it was someone else, she might agree, but with me, no way. She would probably just bring up the fact that you're registered as a boy and even if we try to explain that you'll stop disguising yourself soon, she'd argue that according to the rules of working students, boys and girls can live together," Nero explained. Trying to offer reassurance, he added, "Don't worry, I'll have this sorted within a week. Until then, we'll divide the room into two parts using the shadow curtain." Curious, Yuanen Yehui asked, "What's your plan?" Nero smirked, his mind already working on the details, "Something that might annoy that old hag." With a hint of mischief, he began formulating his plan to reshape the dormitory situation.

" Aren't you worried that I might expose this to her " Yuanen Yehui asked with a playful tone in her voice. Nero's reply was nonchalant, "Not really." He then raised an eyebrow and inquired further, "And, Is this the real you, Miss Yehui?" Yuanen Yehui responded with a smile, placing her hands under her chin, "Perhaps, you'll find out if you're lucky enough." Nero responded with an exaggerated tone, "Oh, what an honor it would be!" After a brief moment of silence, they both burst into laughter, enjoying each other's playful banter.

For the next two hours they both talked about different things, even Nero didn't noticed the time passing. Perhaps it was their similar experiences that allowed them to communicate so easily.

"Do you have any idea that could help with her Martial Soul problem?" Nero inquired of Aria as he lay on the bed. [Hmm, I have two ideas—one temporary and one permanent. The temporary solution would address the problem of her appearance, but other aspects would remain unchanged.] "And what about the permanent solution?" Nero inquired further with curiosity. [The permanent solution involves a metamorphosis of her Martial Soul, but it might take about a week for me to perfect it. During that time, I won't be able to attend to other matters.] Hearing this, Nero asked, "Do we have anything important to handle right now?" Aria responded, [Not really.] Nero quickly decided, "Then you can focus on that."

[This is the first time I've seen someone become so close to you so quickly. Is she special?] Aria inquired curiously. 'I just found it comfortable talking to her. She engaged with me without concerning herself with my power, status, or bloodline. Maybe her own experiences enabled her to see me as just Nero, not some prodigious soul master. While conversing with her, thoughts of the Spirit Pagoda, being a soul master, and so on never crossed my mind. I enjoyed that sensation of forgetting my burdens,' Nero replied with a smile that even he wasn't aware of.

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