One in seventy thousand

A young man with a hoarse voice introduced himself as Wu Yazi. After Tian Yu saw through his intentions, he proceeded to share his entire story with her.

In essence, his life had been quite smooth in the first half. He had cultivated his martial arts to a transcendent and saintly level, believing himself unbeatable in the martial world. However, a moment of carelessness led to betrayal by his own disciple, causing him to fall off a cliff and become disabled.

His disciple was exceptionally talented and highly skilled, with few rivals in the martial arts community. As a result, after narrowly escaping death, Wu Yazi dared not show himself openly.

“Fortunately, my eldest disciple, Xing He, rescued me from the bottom of the cliff. He feigned deafness and muteness, swore an oath, and tricked my treacherous disciple into moving to the Western Star Sea. Afterward, he brought me from the Dali Kingdom to the Central Plains,” he sighed deeply before continuing, “But hiding like this cannot last forever.”

Only then did Tian Yu realize that the middle-aged man who had been inseparable from Wu Yazi was actually his eldest disciple, named Xing He—a rather pleasant name.

“Is there a big difference in martial skills between your two disciples?” she asked.

Wu Yazi nodded. “A huge difference.”

“My treacherous disciple was naturally gifted and obsessed with martial arts, determined to become a master. Xing He, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. From a young age, he had broad interests and learned various miscellaneous skills, making him no match for his brother. The fact that I survived at the bottom of that cliff was thanks to a mysterious formation.”

“However, Xing He’s medical skills are unrivaled in the martial world. If your friend receives treatment and care from him, they will surely be fine.”

“He is the person our master hired,” Tian Yu said, “I never worried about that.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yazi suddenly glanced at her sideways and asked, “Do you know who your master is?”

Tian Yu pursed her lips. “No.”

Before he could say more, she quickly added, “And I don’t want to know. If you know, you don’t have to tell me.”

Wu Yazi was puzzled. “Why not?”

“I’m just a helper at his shop. There’s no need for me to know too much about his past,” she said frankly. “Besides, if he doesn’t say, there must be a reason.”

“If I found out from others, I might just bring myself unnecessary trouble.”

Stepping back, even if she really wanted to know, she could always ask her master directly instead of eavesdropping on gossip.

Wu Yazi chuckled, “You’re quite perceptive for your age.”

Tian Yu thought, of course—spend ten years as a mediocre nobody in a circle full of cunning people, constantly judged like a dish on a menu by collaborators, and you’d be perceptive too.

Those who aren’t perceptive often end up mentally unstable.

Suppressing her inner thoughts, she continued the conversation.

“So your enemy is the second disciple who betrayed you?” she asked, seeking confirmation. “What’s his name?”

Wu Yazi sighed again. “His name is Ding Chunqiu.”

Tian Yu’s brow furrowed. Wait, Ding Chunqiu? That name sounded familiar—she must have heard it somewhere.

“Five years ago, he pushed me down the cliff and, relying on martial skills far surpassing Xing He’s, forced him to reveal the location of our sect’s martial arts manual. Xing He tricked him into thinking it was in the Star Sea, so he moved to the Western Regions,” he began to detail his enemy’s story. “In recent years, he founded the Star Sect in the Western Regions, bringing half the area under his control, committing all manner of atrocities—burning, killing, looting.”

“In the past year or two, his infamy has spread throughout the martial world.”

“His disciples call him the Star Elder Immortal, while the Central Plains martial artists refer to him as the Star Elder Fiend.”

Upon hearing the title “Star Elder Fiend,” Tian Yu finally recalled why the name Ding Chunqiu sounded so familiar.

This was the villain from the classic novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”!

Though she had forgotten the exact plot, in her previous life when she first entered the industry, she had auditioned for a remake of that iconic martial arts work.

If she remembered correctly, the role she had tried for (but didn’t get) was A Zi, a girl with a somewhat sickly and obsessive personality. A Zi’s master was precisely this Star Elder Fiend, Ding Chunqiu—an unpredictable and ruthless villain who killed without mercy.

He was a genuine arch-villain.

Tian Yu: “...”

What on earth? She was supposed to be from the “Little Li Flying Dagger” world, so why was there stuff about “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”?

Perhaps because she couldn’t fully control her emotional reaction at that moment, Wu Yazi, sitting quietly in the corridor, misread her expression.

“Although he’s powerful, he never learned the orthodox martial arts of my sect,” he began to instruct kindly. “You have learned the Northern Darkness Divine Skill. As long as you practice diligently, you will surpass him in the future and avenge your master.”

Tian Yu had yet to recover from the shock of hearing the title “Star Elder Fiend,” but when he said “master,” she twitched at the corner of her mouth.

“Wait.” She immediately corrected him, “I didn’t take you as my master, right?”

“Since you’ve learned the inner skill of the Xiaoyao Sect, you are my disciple.” He had his own reasoning.

“But I also learned my master’s sword technique,” she said indifferently. “First come, first served—I should be his disciple.”

Wu Yazi smiled, “That’s not what you said earlier.”

“You said just now that you’re merely a helper at his shop.”

Tian Yu: “...”

Too careless—she had just contradicted herself.

“Then I won’t be your disciple either.” She ignored his words and continued her own. “I admit the Northern Darkness Divine Skill is powerful, but let’s be honest, practicing it comes with great risks. Don’t you agree?”

Wu Yazi acknowledged that without hesitation.

There was nothing wrong with admitting that.

“I’m willing to take the risk to learn it because I want to help my friend,” she went on. “You taught it to me hoping I would avenge you in the future.”

“Since I have indeed helped my friend, I promise to use it to avenge you when the time comes.”

“Rather than becoming master and disciple, I think it’s better for us to maintain an equal transaction relationship.”

“What do you say?”

She emphasized the word “equal” to remind him that from the start, it was he who had targeted her, and she owed him nothing.

If she owed him nothing, why bind herself with the constraints of a master-disciple relationship?

She was not like Ding Chunqiu, who would betray his teacher and ancestors. If she took him as master, she would have to respect him and honor her elders—what was the difference from finding a father?

It was unnecessary.

Absolutely unnecessary.

Wu Yazi was taken aback by her stance and exclaimed, “You are so clever—aren’t you guessing that besides the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, our Xiaoyao Sect has many other exquisite martial arts?”

“So what?” she raised an eyebrow.

“So, if you take me as your master, you can learn more divine skills.” He still wanted to accept her as a disciple. “For example, our sect’s Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand. Although it consists of only three routes of grappling and three routes of palm techniques, it encompasses the essence of Xiaoyao martial arts. Every move in the world can be absorbed into it.”

After introducing the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand, he wanted to mention more, but Tian Yu interrupted him.

“I’m a swordsman.”

Inner skills could be changed or relearned; it was no big deal. But external techniques? The sword style taught by her master was enough.

The Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand might be impressive, but since it was composed of palm techniques and grappling, it didn’t suit her.

She had no interest.

She was a swordsman.

She would not let herself fight empty-handed.

Wu Yazi: “...I understand.”

Sensing his tone of giving up, Tian Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

She then promised him that when she had the ability to kill Ding Chunqiu, she would definitely act.

However—

“I still have one question I haven’t figured out,” she looked at Wu Yazi, somewhat puzzled. “Why did you choose me to avenge you?”

As someone betrayed by his disciple, Wu Yazi should be cautious in his actions now.

Yet, after just one meeting, he had taken a liking to her—teaching her martial arts and revealing his past.

It didn’t make sense to her.

Wu Yazi was silent for a moment before quietly saying, “Xing He said, twenty years ago, when he first entered the martial world, he was framed because of his medical skills and nearly lost his life.”

“At that time, your master happened to meet him by chance and risked his life to save him.”

“This shows your master’s noble character—a rare hero in the world.”

“You were adopted by him, so your character should be no worse. And besides...”

“And besides what?” Tian Yu noticed his tone became strange, hesitant, as if embarrassed.

He had nearly forced her to learn the skill against her will; what could he be shy about?

“And besides, you are very handsome,” Wu Yazi said. “Such a one-in-a-million appearance is enough to make the person who helped Ding Chunqiu betray me switch sides.”

“If those two worked together, no one could avenge me.”

“That person acts according to her heart. She prefers handsome young men. When she sees your face, she will surely like you very much.”

“If you gain her favor, even if you can’t convince her to join you in killing Ding Chunqiu, she won’t side with him anymore.”

Tian Yu was shocked: “...Ah?!”

Was he implying she needed to use seduction when necessary?

“Is this person you mentioned male or female?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Wu Yazi gave her a sidelong glance, as if saying, “Why would you even doubt?”

“Of course, she’s female,” he said. “She is my junior sister.”

Tian Yu: “...”

Damn.

“Don’t worry, my junior sister is extremely beautiful.” Seeing her expression, he added, “Moreover, as disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, as long as our skills remain intact, our appearances age very slowly.”

“If I hadn’t told you, you probably wouldn’t guess that I’m already sixty-eight years old this year.”

“She is five years younger than me and has never been injured. By now, she should be a radiant beauty in her prime.”

Tian Yu thought, but I just turned fifteen this year—does it really make sense to send a teenager to seduce a sixty-plus-year-old?

And more importantly—

“I’m not male.” At this moment, her face twitched uncontrollably. “I’m afraid I can’t win your junior sister’s favor.”

Wu Yazi nearly thought he misheard and froze on the spot.

After a long pause, he said in disbelief, “You’re female?”

“I thought you would have known when you checked my pulse,” she said, surprised he didn’t know her true gender. “Is it really undetectable?”

Wu Yazi’s face darkened. “...Of course not.”

There are indeed differences between male and female meridians. Generally, men’s meridians are thicker and stronger, while women’s are relatively finer.

Her meridians were exceptionally strong, and her appearance was more heroic than delicate—broad shoulders, narrow waist, tall stature. Naturally, he never doubted her gender and assumed she was a handsome young man.

“Now that you know,” she said expressionlessly, “you’d better find another way to prevent your junior sister from teaming up with Ding Chunqiu again.”

As for her? She had no such capability!