IFILWMWMAE Chapter 1: A Handsome Young Gentleman

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The setting sun was as crimson as blood, and the wine banners fluttered fiercely in the wind.

A winding city wall stretched across the vast wilderness, like a sharp dagger, a sword slashing a throat.

At the foot of the wall, a pack of wild dogs had gathered.

As the sunset's rays passed over the wall and fell upon the meat they were tearing apart, I took a step forward.

I was terribly afraid of dogs, but hunger had clouded my mind, pushing me into the midst of their battle.

A row of eyes, as large as copper bells, fixed on me. I clutched a bamboo stick I had picked up, silently chanting in my heart: If the enemy does not move, I will not move.

A black dog flicked its tail, glaring at me viciously. Suddenly, it lunged forward and bit the tip of my stick. I let go immediately, grabbed a greasy, blackened chicken leg from the ground, and sprinted away.

The pack of wild dogs howled excitedly and chased after me.

I quickly ran out of strength, stumbled, and tripped over a rock, falling hard onto the ground.

A dog leaped toward me. My legs trembled uncontrollably as I shrank backward. In that instant, a massive dog face filled my vision.

A nerve in my brain snapped, leaving me blank.

The dog's head landed in my lap, blood splattering all over me. It took me a long moment to react. Then I screamed, flinging the head away, and burst into wailing sobs.

He stood against the setting sun, watching me with an impassive expression. After a moment, he walked over, hooked my outer robe with his sword, and wiped the blood from the blade with a frown.

I cried as I watched him strip off my outer robe. I cried as I watched him clean his sword. I cried as I watched him perform a fire spell to burn my soiled clothing to ashes.

But he never said a word to me.

Finally, I cried myself hoarse. I moved my foot, picked up the chicken leg, and was about to stuff it into my mouth when—suddenly—my hand went numb, and the chicken leg rolled back to the ground.

I looked at him, wanting to cry again, but the sobs stuck in my throat.

I kept sniffling, thinking to myself, There is no one in this world more pitiful than me.

He sighed and took me to an inn. As if handling a puppet, he pinched the back of my neck and tossed me into a wooden tub filled with hot water.

The scrapes on my elbows stung, but it didn't matter. My mother always said that in unfamiliar places, one must learn to endure.

I sat in the tub for a quarter of an hour, and the warm water gradually turned cold.

The tub was tall and deep. I tried several times to climb out but failed. My legs gave way, and I plunged face-first into the water. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of grievance. I didn't get torn apart by wild dogs, but now I'm going to drown.

I had a dream. In my dream, my mother was still alive. She sat on a reef, smiling as she pinched my cheeks.

Mother was so beautiful.

In the dream, I felt as if I were floating on a big, fluffy cloud, soft and comforting.

After a while, I opened my eyes and stared blankly at the intricate carvings on the bed frame. Everything around me was unfamiliar.

Much later, I learned that Su Zezhou had taken me back to Cuiwei Peak.

Cuiwei Peak, once the most illustrious spiritual mountain in the world, was a sacred place in the eyes of cultivators. The Qingxu Sect that resided there was powerful, and every five years, the grand occasion of their disciple selection drew much attention.

It was difficult to enter the sect. That was why Su Zezhou broke the sect rules by bringing me back, stirring considerable discontent.

Qingxu Sect's Rule No. 24: Regardless of background or status, all who wish to enter Qingxu must first pass through the Chilian Secret Realm.

I learned this from Lu Yan, a direct descendant of the prestigious Lu family. His greatest hobby was leading a gang of followers to bully me.

"When Senior Brother left, he said you don’t count as a member of Qingxu," Lu Yan said leisurely, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "I think he’s just keeping you as a little pet."

"Pets like cats and dogs are meant to entertain people. Lin Yunpu, press harder."

Lin Yunpu, who was older and much stronger than me, immediately grabbed my head and shoved it deep into the water.

Water splashed everywhere as I struggled. I had no strength to resist. Accepting my fate, I closed my eyes, and a stream of bubbles rushed to the surface of the water.

Just as I was about to drown, Lin Yunpu suddenly let go. I collapsed onto the ground, soaked like a drenched stray dog.

Lu Yan still wasn’t satisfied, but since I had never cultivated, I was too weak. He didn’t dare to kill me. He simply chuckled, kicked me twice, and then used a spell to erase the wounds on my body.

The scars were gone, but the pain remained.

This went on for about half a year.

I almost forgot to mention—ever since I arrived at Qingxu Sect, I hadn’t seen Su Zezhou again.

In the south, a ferocious Teng serpent had devoured entire villages. The cultivators sent to suppress it had failed, so Su Zezhou had rushed over to finish the job.

No sooner had he dealt with the Teng serpent than news came that the barrier around the northern Evil Valley had been weakened by the vicious beasts imprisoned inside, threatening to break at any moment. Su Zezhou immediately hurried over to reinforce it.

…

The great Immortal Su Zezhou devoted his life to upholding justice and protecting the world.

I sat under the windowsill of the mountain school, listening to the instructor praise him, and subconsciously touched the spot on my neck where he had once grabbed me.

The noble Immortal Su Zezhou, who cared for all the suffering people of the world, had not only saved my life—he had also pinched my neck.

Gossip on the mountain had it that, out of the countless people in distress, Senior Brother Su had taken a special interest in me—a worthless waste—perhaps because of my good looks, which inspired pity.

I naturally knew that I was good-looking—after all, my mother was a mermaid, a race renowned throughout the Four Seas and Eight Desolations for their breathtaking beauty.

A mermaid’s facial features, once fully formed, would only grow proportionally with age, never changing otherwise.

Thus, I already knew what I would look like in a few years.

But I firmly believed that Immortal Su Zezhou was not such a shallow person. There must be something about me that was worth his attention.

Perhaps my spiritual bones were extraordinary, a once-in-a-lifetime talent for the immortal sects.

I secretly looked forward to Su Zezhou returning to Cuiwei Peak to teach me cultivation.

I wanted to cultivate. I didn’t want to be called a useless waste anymore.

Recently, Lu Yan had accepted a sect mission to hunt down a water demon that was wreaking havoc in the mortal world. I wouldn’t have known about it, but on the day of their departure, they brought me onto the flying boat with them.

The flying boat soared through the thick clouds. I was still young, and as I watched the billowing clouds rushing past, my curiosity grew.

Lu Yan remained inside the boat, and Lin Yunpu was dozing off at the stern. No one was paying attention to me, so I carefully crept to the edge of the boat and curiously peered down.

Through the gaps in the clouds, I could see a vast expanse of lush green, stretching endlessly like an emerald ocean.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up my tailbone. Just as I turned my head, Lin Yunpu kicked me off the flying boat.

I had long suspected that they harbored ill intentions, but I never expected them to be this ruthless.

I plummeted faster and faster. There was no time to think—only one thought echoed in my mind.

If I die, will I finally see my mother again?

A moment later, I felt my descent slow, nearly coming to a stop.

I let out a breath of relief, thinking I had narrowly escaped death.

But just as suddenly, I dropped again like a stone. Panicking, I shut my eyes tight.

I crashed into the ground—but it didn’t hurt.

The surface beneath me was soft.

Scrambling to my hands and knees, I climbed up—only to realize I had landed on top of someone.

A handsome young gentleman.

He was dressed in black robes, a jade pendant pressed against his chest, and the edges of his garments were embroidered with red spider lilies.

I wondered if he was of the merfolk as well. Otherwise, how could he be as beautiful as me?

Even compared to Immortal Su Zezhou, he was just a little more striking.

His gaze was particularly fierce, and I dared not move, keeping the same posture as before.

He said nothing.

I was a little afraid. Sitting on his lap, I lowered my head, not daring to speak.

After a long while, my legs went numb.

Timidly, I lifted my eyes to look at him.

He met my gaze, then grabbed me by the collar and stood up himself.

I thought, He must have known my legs had gone numb, because my eyes can speak.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood and said,

"Where did this little rascal come from, daring to plot against this prince?"

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