In the end, the pretty youth Nan Yi did not turn into a woman, because he is the only son of the Bai Yue Sect’s sect leader, so the sect leader needs him to continue the family line.
But the wall between him and Pang Wan, was thus established.
He hates Pang Wan, hates this wretched girl that appeared out of thin air and robbed the secret manual that had belonged to him, as well as the love and care of his father. In the following six years, he would always seize every opportunity to add poison in Pang Wan’s meals, release snakes into Pang Wan’s bathing water, place sharp pieces of blades in Pang Wan’s pillow —— in conclusion, all is done with the general goal of getting rid of Pang Wan, having Pang Wan killed, taking to whatever cruel means possible.
At first, Pang Wan had almost went insane, she went crying to the sect leader, went protesting to the sect members, but everyone would look at her with a “sorry, I would love to help but I can’t” look.
—— this is an unorthodox sect, black and white reversed, does not speak of any morality nor justice, Nan Yi’s intentions and doings, cannot be considered any more normal in the eyes of the Bai Yue Sect members, after all, it is one of the many noted doctrine in the Bai Yue Sect: kill your opponent no matter if he is inferior or superior, strong or weak. As for Pang Wan, since she is the destined Sheng Gu, she should naturally strike back at every strike encountered, under each and every attack, she is to come out completely unscathed.
These six years, thanks to the nimble and intelligent Rong Gu-Gu by her side, Pang Wan had been able to hold onto her dear life during each and every struggle, otherwise, she would have long died seventy/eighty times, her corpse turning over and rolling back.
“Still one more month, and Sheng Gu will be leaving the sect for real world training, don’t know what kind of mission Sect Leader will send her on when the time comes?”
Rong Gu-Gu inserts the pearl flower ornament into Pang Wan’s hair, plentiful and radiant like clouds. She smiles at the person in the mirror, the combing custom is completed.
Watching that distorted portrait in the bronze mirror filled with bumps and hollows, Pang Wan held little interest, feebly sounding a reply: “Presumably finding some sort of treasure back huh!”
Her inner heart only thinking of that mercury mirror that had been hidden away, that mirror was brought back by Sect Leader when he happened to be at the Persian Sect.
“It’s also possible, to bring back the head of someone from one of those righteous sects.”
Rong Gu-Gu softly raises the corners of her lips into a seeming smile.
“Ah, Sheng Gu, say, whose head should we choose then? The abbot of Shaolin? Afraid that a bald man’s head wouldn’t be good to carry; the sect leader of Wudang? It seems as though dishevelled hair is draping down from their heads all year round, you would even have to tie their hair back for them first……”
Every time she sees such dreamy expression from Rong Gu-Gu, Pang Wan would always get this chilly feeling of goose bumps crawling up from the soles of her feet.
“Rong Gu-Gu, wanting me to rid of all sorts of big name sect leaders right now, is it not, a little too early?”
Pang Wan uses a type of expression that is cautious and bitter enough to squeeze out coptis root juice as she looks at Rong Gu-Gu.
“Silly child, what kind of words are those? Young Master Nan Yi descended the mountain two years ago for real world training, and did he not bring back the heads of Kong Dong Sect Leader and Qing Cheng Sect Leader?”
Rong Gu-Gu uses a look of regarding something seldom seen as strange, those eyes of soft metal turned steel glances at her.
“The dignified Sheng Gu of our Bai Yue Sect, no matter what, should also kill a bigger name figure ah! In order to help you get your name out there, Sect Leader had already sent the sect’s people out to spread news since half a year ago, saying you had already taken hundreds of lives with your own hands at a very young age, right now, your reputation is renowned eh!”
It would be better if the latter half of the sentence wasn’t spoken, the more spoken, the more Pang Wan’s mood sank.
A famed reputation is divided into two kinds, one is a beautiful reputation, the second is a cursed reputation, seeing this situation, the mighty lord Sect Leader sure wants to pull her along in running down the road of being condemned by thousands and trampled by millions, with no intention to turn back.
“……don’t know if, there are any heroes that are able to remain unaffected towards this vast amount of lies, instantly seeing into the loneliness residing in the depths of my heart?”
Pang Wan who was at the mercy of fate, sorrowfully mutters to herself.
She deeply, deeply misses her last life, in which the whole world loved the female lead unconditionally.
“Is Sheng Gu worried about having no real life combat experience?” Rong Gu-Gu seeing her gloomy face, heart contains concerns, “Do not worry about having no experience, it is also fine to ask others, making a little more preparations would always guarantee complete success……that’s right!” Her eyes instantly brightens, “I heard Lu Wei had just returned from his real world training yesterday, Sheng Gu can go ask him, gain a little insight!”
Lu Wei is one of Nan Yi’s twelve guards, is considered a promising youth in the sect. Due to having served as Pang Wan’s training partner for a short time, towards Pang Wan, he has always been more warm and friendly.
After a little thinking, under Rong Gu-Gu’s arrangements, Pang Wan brings along a basket of fruits, as she gracefully leaves Sacred Heart Chamber, heading towards the Southern Tower where Lu Wei is.
Just when she had reached fifty meters away from the Southern Tower, Pang Wan suddenly stops in her steps.
She spots a familiar figure standing before the doors of the Southern Tower.
Not seeing him for half a year, that person’s handsomeness seems to have matured even more, a slender and upright figure, currently focused on wiping the sword in hand.
——same weapon, same black attire, same earrings;
——that venomous heart, ey, without thinking, must certainly be the same as well
Just when a certain someone had turned around wanting to leave, a sharp cold light pierces the air from behind, hissing as it flies towards her.
“Again?” Pang Wan’s face shows bitterness, instantly somersaulting to avoid the attack.
Before she had even landed, all that can heard is shua-shua-shua! Countless sword attacks bursts out from the ground like bamboo shoots after the rain, forcing her to have no opportunity whatsoever to gain a foothold, seeing that she was practically about to be stirred into flying flesh any time soon, all that can be seen is one toss of her sleeves, and a line of white silk flies out from within her sleeves, securely wrapping around the top of the huge tree, bringing her to a safe distance of approximately half a zhang away from the sword attacks. (Zhang丈measurement, approx. 3.3. meters)
Was just about take a breath, when the sharp chill flashes through the air again, the force of the sword directly heading to the white silk. Pang Wan grits her teeth, with one tug of the white silk, her body swings, going around one hundred and eighty degrees before firmly standing on the treetop, all whilst quickly withdrawing the white silk back into her sleeves.
The entire action smoothly flowed like that of water and drifting clouds, gestures were also considered gracefully light.
Pa-pa-pa, someone gives her a round of long drawn out and utterly insincere applause.
“Not seen you for half a year, and Sheng Gu’s skills has improved significantly.”
That person leisurely walks to the bottom of the tree.
Pang Wan’s curved brows straightens, eyes staring dead onto that figure in black who is slowly walking over, heart harbouring the impulse to have him hacked into millions of pieces before collecting it all up to make stuffed dumplings.
“No matter how much you glare, your eyes can’t shoot out knives.”
The person below the tree reminds with fake concern, entire body from top to bottom exuding a type of “what can you do to me” attitude of extreme arrogance.
Pang Wan tightly purses her lips, eyes emitting flames of anger. She thinks to herself, should her eyes be able to shoot out knives, afraid the person across from her would have long been cut into pieces, not leaving behind a single strand of hair.
The person under the tree is very calm, also very patient, he does not speak, continuing to look at her in waiting.
Hence the deadlock that lasted half a stick of incense, seeing that the branch under her feet will soon snap, the very moment the “ka” in the sound of ka-cha was heard, Pang Wan pouts her lips, reluctantly calling out —— “Brother Nan Yi”.
In the end it is still her who was defeated.
Nan Yi showing up at the Southern Tower right now, is something Pang Wan had not expected at all, although the Southern Tower is his living quarters, she had always thought he was out in the Jiang Hu for real world training, yet to return.
“Did Sect Leader not give you two years’ time to go challenge the righteous sects? How come you’re back in less than six months?”
Following the snapping sound of the branch, Pang Wan seizes the opportunity to jump to the ground, hands firmly holding the fruit basket.
“Naturally came back with good news.”
Nan Yi watches her every move, the corners of his lips revealing a hint of a suspicious smile.
“What news?”
Pang Wan hides the fruit basket behind her back on full alert, having just relaxed a little, her hairs once again stands on end.
Nan Yi uses the breathing of his nose to express his disdain towards her little action, then looks up to the sky, proudly speaking every word every phrase: “I, the Young Master, have finally found a beloved woman, specifically bringing her back to meet father this time, preparing to marry her into the family.”
Hong-long!
A clap of thunder bursts out from Pang Wan’s heart, shocking her organs to chaotically go running pa-da-pa-da in all four directions, north east south west.
“Is, is a woman you met outside the sect?”
Her face pales, the words from her mouth starting to come out somewhat unsmooth.
“Is my life saver.” Nan Yi nods, “Three months ago I was being pursued by Kunlun Sect, losing footing and fell down the cliff, she found me at the foot of the mountain, took great care of me tenderly, and had almost got bitten by a poisonous snake when gathering herbs……” Speaking up to here, Nan Yi takes a deep breath, “Getting to know her for three months, I finally understood what the ‘one pair one lifetime’ mother had spoken of is —— Ah Wu is the lifetime’s companion I was meant to find.”
On the youth’s face that had only ever showed brutality, tender and loving affection emerges, just like the blossoming moment of first love.
Nan Yi was still speaking on and on about his and Ah Wu’s meeting, yet Pang Wan is already at the point of not letting anything in.
In her naïve mind, there is only the echoing of Nan Yi’s previous words —— Ah Wu is the lifetime’s companion I was meant to find.
Lifetime’s lifetime’s lifetime’s, companion companion companion……
Seven years it has been since arriving in this foreign place, knowing Nan Yi for six years, even though these six years was spent with Nan Yi bullying her and harassing her, even though no spark of passionate feelings had popped up between the two youngsters, but! But somewhere deep in her heart, Pang Wan had but always regarded Nan Yi as her male lead ah! (So handsome, also highly skilled in martial arts, in particularly having a compelling personality, even his name is called male one (as in male lead, pronounced nán yī), if he isn’t male lead then who is male lead?)
But this male lead, the moment his romance took off, actually tells her he had fished his bride back from the bottom of a cliff?
——could it be, I’m not actually the female lead, but only supporting female ABCD?
——could it be, my ultimate fate is to have female lead Ah Wu get rid of me, or perhaps quietly disappear, rotting away in an unknown corner?
The more she thinks the more afraid she is, the more afraid she is the more she thinks, the sudden news dealt a great impact on Pang Wan. She was stunned senseless, simply stood still in place, like a toy removed from all its screws, eyes looking empty, expression dull and foolish.
Nan Yi finds Pang Wan doesn’t seem to be acting right, his fist raises to whack Pang Wan’s shoulder.
Before that one whack had landed, two lines of pure and clear streams flow down from Pang Wan’s eyes, drop along her cheeks and roll onto her skirt.
“……Wan Wan?” Nan Yi was somewhat startled.
He thought that he would be teased by Pang Wan, even thinking of the ridiculous scenario that she would mention the time he swore to become a woman at a young age, but had never thought, Pang Wan would use two lines of crystal tears to respond to him.
He is not afraid of Pang Wan crying, when young, what he loved most was precisely seeing Pang Wan’s howling wails after being rendered a state of turmoil [1] by him. Just that this little wretch’s tears today, gives him the feeling that something’s different.
Exactly what is different though? This he cannot tell.
Pang Wan finally snaps out of it, she gazes at Nan Yi who is currently stiffly staring at her, thousands of thoughts had already flew by her mind, time brings great changes to the world.
“Brother Nan Yi, I……give you my blessings.”
Wiping away the tears on her cheeks, her hand reaches out to Nan Yi’s shoulder, letting out a sigh.
Nan Yi had always hated others coming close to him the most, seeing Pang Wan’s current soulless state, he did not know why he did not push her away.
“Brother Nan Yi having only just returned to the sect, must surely be busy with many affairs, Wan Wan shall pay respects to sister-in-law another day.” Pang Wan sends him a smile worse than that of a sobbing face, “I shall go find Lu Wei to discuss some matters.”
“You specifically came to send Lu Wei fruits?” Nan Yi glances at the bamboo basket in her hand.
“When requesting others, one must naturally cater to their pleasure.”
Pang Wan waves her hand at him, turning around to continue heading to the Southern Tower, just that her movements are slightly shaky and staggering, losing the beauty of her previous gracefulness.
Nan Yi watches her leaving figure, containing slight suspicion as he narrows his eyes.