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..."
Paths Along The Journey
"I've been thinking about this, Master," Wu Ling said. "Hall Master Bian in my sect has outlined different paths to leverage my ability as a shapeshifter. I've been trying to think about which of the options she outlined feels the most useful to me. She did say that I should eventually learn all of them, but I think my first choice should help me overcome my immediate challenges."
"While the paths outlined by your Hall Master are not poor options for many cultivators, you would do well to discard all of them," the Immortal Empress said firmly. Her voice landed on Wu Ling like the Mandate of Heaven, so firm was her will that he was terrified of defying her orders. His heart shivered at the notion of defying Hall Master Bian Xing's intentions but his very soul felt like collapsing at the idea of defying his Master!