Chapter 113
In the back room of a modest weapon-refining shop tucked away in the market district, Min Daode sat before a table piled high with spirit stones.
Having just concluded yet another successful deal with one of Du Fengyao's devoted admirers, he leisurely counted his earnings, unable to suppress the smug smile spreading across his face.
His companion clutched his share of the profits so tightly his knuckles turned white, his excitement barely contained.
"Brother Min, we're making a fortune!"
Min Daode chuckled. "We are."
He casually tossed another stack of spirit stones into his storage bag before leaning back in satisfaction.
"We really should thank Du Fengyao. She's done all the hard work building her reputation, and now those loyal little admirers line up to hand us their savings."
His lips curled into a sneer.
"Honestly, they're fools. The moment they hear the words discount or special price, they stop using their brains altogether. They never stop to wonder why anyone would sell a genuine artifact so cheaply."
The two quickly divided the remaining profits, stuffing them into their storage bags until they were nearly overflowing.
Even then, his companion looked far from satisfied.
"Brother Min..." he said eagerly, patting his bulging storage bag. "Who should we target next? Making money like this is easier than picking it up off the ground. At this rate, we could keep doing this forever."
Min Daode's smile faltered.
"Forever? Impossible."
He shook his head.
"They haven't caught on yet, but it's only a matter of time before someone realizes something is wrong. Once the truth comes out, we won't be able to stay here—let alone keep selling."
Even as he spoke, regret flashed across his face.
Every transaction brought in resources that would have taken him years to earn honestly.
Just a few more sales...
Just a little more...
He would never have to worry about cultivation resources again.
His companion quickly leaned forward.
"Then let's make today our last."
His eyes gleamed with greed.
"Every sale earns us thousands of spirit stones. Where else could we ever find an opportunity like this?"
Min Daode hesitated for only a moment before nodding decisively.
"Fine. We'll finish one final round of sales today... and disappear before anyone realizes what's happened."
A sharp knock suddenly echoed through the shop.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Both men instinctively turned toward the front door.
For a brief moment, they exchanged puzzled looks.
Business at this little shop had been dead for months.
Their reputation had become so poor that ordinary cultivators rarely even glanced at the storefront anymore.
So...
Who could possibly be knocking at their door now?
His companion swallowed hard.
"Brother Min... you don't think someone's come demanding a refund already, do you?"
"Impossible."
Min Daode dismissed the idea with a snort, though a flicker of unease crossed his face.
"I changed both my appearance and my voice every single time we made a deal. Even if someone suspected they were cheated, there's no way they could trace it back to us."
His companion finally let out a relieved breath.
Then, almost immediately, his face turned pale again.
"W-Wait... what if it's someone who bought one of our old artifacts? Maybe they've finally come back to return it..."
The moment those words left his mouth, both men froze.
Their expressions darkened in unison.
Back when they had still been running an honest business, nearly eight out of every ten artifacts they sold had been returned because of poor craftsmanship.
Eventually, word had spread so thoroughly that customers stopped coming altogether.
Min Daode shot him an exasperated glare.
Did you really have to remind me of that now?
He rose to his feet and dusted off his sleeves, forcing himself to remain composed.
"Enough guessing. We'll know once we open the door."
His companion hurried after him, rubbing his icy palms against his robes in an attempt to calm his nerves.
Stopping before the entrance, Min Daode called impatiently,
"Who is it?"
He yanked the door open, fully intending to send whoever it was away before they could even explain themselves.
Instead—he froze.
Two neat rows of Enforcement Hall disciples stood outside the shop, their expressions cold and solemn. At their head stood a stern-faced elder whose imposing aura filled the entire doorway.
The color drained from Min Daode's face.
His knees nearly gave out beneath him as he staggered backward.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
It's over.
His companion, unable to stop in time, slammed straight into his back.
Rubbing his aching nose, he complained, "Brother Min, why did you suddenly stop—"
Before he could finish, Min Daode silently stepped aside.
His companion looked past him-and instantly went rigid.
The words caught in his throat.
"H-Hall... Hall Elders..."
The two exchanged a despairing look, both on the verge of tears.
The Enforcement Hall moved far too fast!
They had only been running this scam for two days.
Two days!
How had they already tracked them down?
At the front of the group, Wei Houming stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as cold and immovable as carved stone.
He lifted a hand.
"Take them."
Min Daode and his companion didn't even think about resisting.
Before either of them could take a single step back, Enforcement Hall disciples had already seized them by the arms.
They understood the sect's rules well enough.
Those who confessed willingly might receive a lighter sentence.
Those who resisted would only make things worse.
There was nothing to gain by struggling now.
Escorted through the streets toward the sect grounds, the two men kept their heads lowered in silence.
Walking just behind them were Du Fengyao and Su Zhile.
Neither said a word.
Yet the pressure radiating from the pair was enough to send chills racing down Min Daode's spine. It felt as though a layer of frost had settled over his back, making every step colder than the last.
For the first time in his life, he found himself genuinely grateful for the Enforcement Hall disciples escorting him.
Without them...
He had little doubt Du Fengyao and Su Zhile would have dragged the two of them into some deserted alley long before now and beaten them half to death.
Meanwhile, back at the tournament grounds, an uneasy silence had settled over the arena.
Lou Yuqing's revelation lingered in everyone's minds like a thundercloud that refused to disperse.
Countless pairs of eyes turned toward He Wenjing, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
No matter how carefully they looked, however, he appeared to be an ordinary young man in every respect.
His disguise was flawless.
Not the slightest inconsistency could be found.
Meng Zonghan narrowed his eyes, studying him without speaking.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Many secretly wondered whether the Hall Master was about to lose his temper.
Instead, a faint violet glow gradually gathered within his pupils.
He silently activated a secret ocular technique capable of seeing through disguises and illusions.
His gaze swept over He Wenjing once.
Then again.
His frown only deepened.
Finally, he spoke.
"Tell me..." His calm voice echoed clearly across the silent arena. "Are you a man... or a woman?"
The result had surprised even him.
His secret art had failed completely.
It revealed nothing.
If Lou Yuqing's words were true, then either his technique had somehow failed... or the disguise before him was so extraordinary that even his divine sight could not penetrate it.
Across from him, Meng Shuangya stared unblinkingly at He Wenjing.
Her expression remained composed, but her fingers had quietly tightened into fists.
Whatever the truth was... she needed to hear it from him.
[Wow—even Hall Master Meng noticed something was off. No wonder he leads the Enforcement Hall. His instincts are terrifyingly sharp.]
Standing on tiptoe at the edge of the spectator stands, Lou Yuqing watched the unfolding drama with open admiration.
Beside her, Ling Yunxiao had to suppress a laugh. He stole a glance at Meng Zonghan, only to find the hall master's expression as calm and unreadable as ever. There wasn't the slightest indication that he'd heard Lou Yuqing's commentary.
A Nascent Soul cultivator's composure really was something else.
Meanwhile, He Wenjing stood rooted to the spot, completely bewildered.
The hands he'd unconsciously clasped together slowly fell limp at his sides.
He had prepared himself for accusations.
For anger.
For questions about betrayal.
But... why was Hall Master Meng asking that?
It was such a simple, ordinary question that it left him completely at a loss.
"Are you deaf?" Meng Shuangya snapped, the last thread of her patience finally breaking. "It's a simple question. Is it really that difficult to answer?"
Disappointment flooded her eyes.
She had once admired his calmness, his intelligence, his unwavering composure.
But now?
All she saw was someone who hesitated, evaded, and refused to answer.
How could I have believed I knew him well enough to choose him as my Dao partner?
I never knew him at all.
"I... I was just surprised," He Wenjing blurted out hastily.
The moment the words left his mouth, regret hit him.
Seeing the frost spreading across Meng Shuangya's face, he hurriedly tried to explain.
"Surprised?" she repeated with a bitter laugh.
There wasn't a trace of warmth in it.
"When you decided to deceive me..." Her eyes locked onto his. "Didn't it ever occur to you that this day might come?"
She took a slow step back.
"If no one had exposed your secret... would you have continued lying to me forever?"
"No!" He Wenjing shook his head immediately. "That's not what I—"
"Enough." Her voice cut through his explanation like a blade.
She looked at him as though even meeting his eyes exhausted her.
"I don't want to hear another excuse. Drop the disguise. Show me who you really are."
He Wenjing froze.
"...Shuangya." Pain flashed across his face. "But... this is what I really look like."
He looked at her in confusion, unable to understand why she insisted he was still hiding behind another face.
Meng Shuangya slowly shook her head, disappointment settling over her features.
"Even now, you still refuse to tell me the truth."
She looked at him steadily, her voice quiet but firm.
"My father has already seen through your disguise. There's no point pretending anymore. Please... don't insult my intelligence by insisting otherwise."
He Wenjing finally found his voice.
"Wait, please listen to me." He took an anxious step forward. "I admit there are things I've kept from you. But my face—my appearance—I've never disguised either of them. This is how I've always looked."
The disappointment in Meng Shuangya's eyes only deepened.
"So even now... you're still lying."
A puzzled murmur spread through the crowd.
Something felt... off.
Meng Zonghan frowned as he watched the exchange. The more he listened, the stranger it became.
It felt as though the two of them were having entirely different conversations.
Neither seemed to understand what the other was actually asking.
Just then, Lou Yuqing's voice echoed across the square once again.
[His face is real. He never disguised his appearance.]
[The only misunderstanding is his gender.]
[Well... from his perspective, he doesn't even think he's hiding anything.]
[His people don't see gender the same way cultivators here do, so it never occurred to him that this would become such a huge problem.]
The explanation left countless people looking even more bewildered than before.
He Wenjing glanced around at the sea of confused faces before asking hesitantly, "...Is it really that strange?"
No one answered immediately.
The possibility simply hadn't crossed anyone's mind.
Meng Shuangya stared at him, her thoughts in complete disarray.
"You... you're not human?"
Lou Yuqing's commentary continued.
[He's from the Changjing Clan.]
[Their customs are far more open than those of the Seven Sects.]
[He grew up believing that falling in love with someone of the same gender was perfectly ordinary.]
[He has refined, delicate features, but his build and voice both lean toward the masculine side.]
[You assumed he was a man... and since he never imagined it mattered, he never thought to correct you.]
[By the time either of you realized there was a misunderstanding... things had already reached this point.]
A wave of realization swept through the crowd.
"...Oh."
"So that's what happened."
"It was all a misunderstanding..."
One after another, people nodded as the pieces finally fell into place.
He Wenjing drew a slow breath, finally understanding why she had reacted the way she did.
Among the Changjing Clan, something like this would never have been an obstacle. But to Meng Shuangya... it was an entirely different matter.
A small part of him was relieved.
At least she hadn't discovered the real secret behind how they first met.
Yet that relief was quickly swallowed by something far heavier.
The thought of losing her.
Even now, there were still ways to change the situation...
But the memory of how he had approached her in the beginning tightened around his heart like a noose.
Meng Shuangya bit her lip, studying him as though she were seeing him for the very first time.
She had always believed he was simply another human cultivator.
Never, not even once, had she imagined he belonged to an entirely different race.
Suddenly, He Wenjing straightened.
Determination replaced the uncertainty in his eyes. He refused to let this be the end.
"Shuangya... If this is what's troubling you... it isn't impossible to change. I can become a man."
The words struck the arena like a bolt of lightning.
The crowd exploded into whispers.
Meng Shuangya stared at him in stunned disbelief.
"...What did you just say?"
He met her gaze without wavering.
"I know the person you want to spend your life with is a man. So... I'll become one."
Her mind went blank.
"...How is that even possible?"
[Oh!]
Lou Yuqing's excited voice rang out again.
[I know this one!]
[The Changjing Clan has a unique racial ability.]
[Every member gets to choose their gender twice during their lifetime.]
[The first choice comes when they awaken their spiritual power. The second comes after reaching adulthood.]
[It's a tradition found only among the Changjing Clan.]
[People even joke that they're the only race capable of experiencing life from both perspectives.]
A wave of astonishment swept through the spectators.
None of them had ever heard of such a race.
For many cultivators, this was the first time they realized the world still held so many strange and wondrous bloodlines beyond the lands they knew.
He Wenjing's eyes instinctively swept across the crowd.
Somewhere...
That mysterious voice was still watching.
It knew every secret he carried.
If it chose to reveal more...
He had no choice but to face whatever came next.
Taking a steadying breath, he looked back at Meng Shuangya.
"I'm not the same as you humans. When members of the Changjing Clan come of age, we undergo a coming-of-age ceremony. During that ceremony... we can choose our final gender. If I return home and complete the ritual. I can remain a man for the rest of my life."
His voice softened.
"So... would you be willing to wait for me?"
Meng Shuangya stood motionless.
She neither stepped closer nor turned away.
Her thoughts drifted back to the warning she had heard earlier.
A marriage built on deception.
At first, she had believed it referred only to his gender.
Now...
She wasn't so sure.
His reaction had been too calm.
Too prepared.
Changing his gender didn't seem to frighten him at all.
The thing he truly feared... was something else.
Something he still hadn't told her.
She looked at him quietly.
"Why are you so afraid?"
Her voice was calm, but every word landed with unsettling precision.
"What is it... that you're still hiding from me?"
He Wenjing instinctively reached toward her, desperate to close the distance between them.
But Meng Shuangya took a small step back.
Avoiding his hand.
Avoiding his gaze.
A chill settled over her heart.
For the first time, she realized the distance between them wasn't measured in steps—but in secrets.