Chapter 16
Whispers spread through the crowd like ripples on water.
“They don’t look like they’re from Ping’an City…”
“Lower your voice, what if they hear you?”
“I didn’t even say anything. Why would they hit me?”
“That depends on their temperament. Do you even know their cultivation level?”
“…What level?”
The man’s companion quickly tugged him back, lowering his voice to a near whisper. “At least two major realms above us.”
The man sucked in a sharp breath. “Holy—Golden Core?”
A stiff nod. “Yeah. So keep your head down.”
Similar murmurs echoed all around them. Once people realized Lou Yuqing’s group was not to be provoked, the chatter quickly died down, replaced by wary silence.
Elder Wei Tu paid it no mind.
At higher cultivation levels, this kind of reaction was expected.
Ping’an City sprawled across a thousand li. Under normal circumstances, reaching the northwest district on foot would take hours.
Wei Tu didn’t bother with “normal.”
With a casual flick of his sleeve, a lightness technique settled over the group.
Lou Yuqing felt her body lift, weightless as air.
She tapped her foot—and shot forward.
Three… four zhang in a single step.
The world blurred.
Her figure skimmed the ground like drifting smoke, swift and untethered, as if she might dissolve into the wind at any moment.
Whoosh—
A faint breeze swept past.
Pedestrians caught glimpses of something—just a shadow, a flicker at the edge of their vision.
They turned.
Nothing there.
A chill crawled up their spines.
“…Did you see that?”
“…No.”
…Must’ve been a ghost.
At that speed, it didn’t take long.
The group arrived at the entrance of Sunset Street.
Si Nidie pointed ahead. “That’s the one—the third house from the left!”
The northwest district had been nothing but decay—cracked walls, sagging roofs, doors barely hanging on.
But this house… was different.
Clean walls. Sturdy structure. Subtle decorations that hinted at quiet wealth.
There was life here.
Warmth.
It stood out like a polished gem in a pile of rubble.
“They’re living pretty well,” Si Nidie muttered, frowning.
This didn’t match her expectations at all.
The others felt the same.
Only Lou Yuqing remained calm.
[Captain Wei’s parents are both skilled in the Hundred Arts. His father is an alchemist, his mother a Gu master. Their earning power easily surpasses an average Foundation Establishment cultivator.]
[If not for the massive cost of treating Meng Siyu’s congenital illness, they could’ve lived in the city center.]
Si Nidie clenched her fists.
Then why—
Why abandon him?
They clearly had the means to raise two children. Unless…
She shuddered.
If Captain Wei had been born healthy, then what awaited him would likely have been far crueler—a life reduced to nothing more than a living source of blood.
Human essence and blood were vital to cultivation. To be drained of them, again and again, wasn’t just suffering—it was a fate worse than death.
In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered who became their second child.
From the moment they were born… they were already doomed.
Her nails dug into her palms, anger blazing in her eyes.
Wei Houming stood motionless.
On the surface, he appeared completely calm—composed, unshaken, as if nothing in the world could stir him.
But beneath that still exterior, everything was in turmoil.
He had thought he could remain detached, thought he was prepared for this moment.
Yet now, standing at the very threshold of the truth—his heart refused to obey.
Elder Wei Tu stepped forward, raising a hand to knock—
—but before his knuckles could touch the door, movement caught their attention.
A figure approached from the distance.
A woman.
Petite and delicate, her skin so pale it almost seemed translucent beneath the light. Her expression was strained, eyes glistening with unshed tears, as though she were fleeing something unseen, something pressing close behind her.
Instinctively, Lou Yuqing and the others shifted aside, giving her space to pass.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she stopped.
Right in front of the house.
And at that exact moment—voices rang out from behind her.
“Xiaoyu, give me another chance!”
“Xiaoyu, I’m the one who loves you the most!”
“Xiaoyu, don’t leave me!”
Three men rushed up, each strikingly handsome in his own way—one pleading, one resolute, one heartbroken.
Lou Yuqing’s eyes lit up.
…Oh?
Drama?
Her gossip instincts activated instantly.
Ears: fully operational.
Xiaoyu bit her lip, voice trembling. “Please… don’t make this harder for me. You’ve all been so good to me… I can’t bear to hurt any of you.”
Her voice broke.
Like a rain-drenched flower—fragile, pitiful.
The effect was immediate.
“Xiaoyu, it’s my fault.”
“Don’t cry…”
“You’re too kind…”
All three men looked like their hearts were being carved out.
They reached toward her—but she slipped away, subtle and graceful, just out of reach.
“Meeting you… was Xiaoyu’s fortune,” she said softly, eyes shimmering. “I’ll never forget you. And I believe… you won’t forget me either.”
Her expression was gentle. Moving. Perfect.
“Let us become each other’s most beautiful memory,” she continued. “Better that… than clinging until we hurt one another.”
The words struck deep.
The first man clenched his fists—then released them.
“…You’re right. If we can’t be together… forcing it would only make things worse.”
He forced a smile. “Xiaoyu, remember me. I’ll remember you too.”
He turned and left, shoulders heavy with sorrow.
“Xiaoyu wishes you well,” she said softly.
The second man lingered.
“We had so many good memories…” he said hoarsely. “Are you really letting go?”
“It’s not that I want to,” she whispered. “But I only have one heart. If I could split it into three… I would.”
Her gaze trembled.
He broke instantly.
“If you ever need anything, come to me.”
He left, slower, heavier.
Only one remained.
“I’ll love you with everything I have,” he said, voice raw. “Can you… love me a little too? Even just a little?”
Xiaoyu lowered her head.
“I can’t,” she said quietly. “I want to treat you all fairly… but I know… you’ve been more sincere than the others…”
His eyes lit up. “Yes! Xiaoyu, I—”
“Oh, right,” he added hastily, rummaging through his storage bag. “The Treasure Pavilion released a new robe recently. Here, take these spirit stones.”
He pressed them into her hand.
Xiaoyu hesitated. “I can’t accept this… I haven’t done anything—”
“I’m giving them willingly,” he said firmly. “A girl should dress nicely. Don’t be so distant with me.”
She paused—then smiled.
“Then… I won’t refuse. I’ll wear it for you someday. Will that be alright?”
That smile—
Completely disarmed him.
“Alright! Of course!”
He left, dazed, still savoring that moment.
The moment he disappeared, Xiaoyu’s smile fell away as if it had never existed.
The softness drained from her face, leaving behind something cold—sharp, almost contemptuous.
“Pathetic idiots,” she muttered.
One poorer than the next.
What could they possibly have… that was worth her affection?
“…Wow.” Si Nidie let out a long breath. “That was… impressive.”
Three men—handled without a single misstep.
Not a trace of resentment left behind.
And through it all, she had never even let one of them touch her hand.
…The gap between people was truly terrifying.
Lou Yuqing nodded solemnly. “Mm.”
Morally questionable? Definitely.
But those men had walked into it willingly—no one had forced them.
Interfering now would only earn a string of curses.
Better to stay out of it.
Gu Buqi and Wei Tu didn’t even spare it a glance.
To them, it was trivial.
Wei Houming paused, his gaze lingering on Xiaoyu.
Something… felt off.
Xiaoyu noticed.
A flicker of irritation surfaced as she looked up—but the moment their eyes met, she froze. Her pupils contracted sharply, something unreadable stirring in the space between them.
She broke eye contact almost immediately, turning toward the door as if nothing had happened—but her hand stalled mid-motion.
That brief hesitation didn’t escape notice.
Si Nidie’s gaze snapped between the two of them, suspicion lighting up her eyes.
Wait…
No way?
Was Captain Wei also one of her “fish”?
Wei Houming: “…”
Don’t overthink it.
He shot her a look.
Si Nidie coughed. “Ahem. I am a respectable person.”
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing was scrolling through her system panel, frowning.
[The system never said Xiaoyu lived with the Meng family…]
[Could she be a tenant?]
[No… the system even records trivial details. It wouldn’t miss something like this.]
She paused.
Then—
[Wait. I get it.]
Everyone turned to her instinctively.
What did she figure out?
Her thoughts came again, clear as day—
[The “Yu” in Meng Siyu and the “Yu” in Xiaoyu—same pronunciation.]
[They’re the same person.]
Silence fell.
Then came the shock.
Eyes widened one after another, disbelief rippling through the crowd. Even Gu Buqi’s composure cracked for the briefest moment.
Wei Houming’s heart lurched.
That slender figure—that woman—
…was his brother?
His entire worldview seemed to fracture on the spot.
“…Meng Siyu?” he called, his voice low.
Xiaoyu stiffened.
Just for a split second—then turned and walked away as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
Lou Yuqing: confirmed.
Wei Houming’s expression hardened. “I’ve already exposed you. Still pretending?”
He had thought he could sever everything cleanly.
But seeing this—seeing his own brother disguised as a woman, deceiving others for spirit stones—something twisted deep in his chest.
Was it nature?
Or circumstance?
If it was the latter…
“Meng Siyu.”
He stopped.
Turned.
His eyes were red.
“…Fine. It’s me,” he snapped. “Satisfied now?!”
Wei Houming didn’t react to the outburst.
“Why lie to them?” he asked, voice cold.
Meng Siyu let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Why?” he echoed. “What else could it be? We’re brothers—born with the same congenital illness. You got cured, became a disciple of the Wendao Sect… and me?”
He let out a breath, voice tightening. “I’m still stuck here. My parents scrape together spirit stones just to keep me alive—and it’s never enough.”
His voice rose, raw with frustration. “I was just trying to survive. What, are you going to judge me now?!”
Wei Houming fell silent for a moment.
Then he asked quietly, “If you knew I was in the sect… why didn’t you come to me?”
Meng Siyu’s chest rose and fell unevenly.
The words caught in his throat.
Before he could answer—a voice cut in.
“We can answer that.”
The door creaked open.
A man and a woman stepped out.
The Meng couple.