Chapter 14: Reverse Engineering and Counter-Reverse Engineering
Late at night, He Youzhou held a book—this so-called “novel”—in his hands.
After he had dug up several boxes of novels and comics from the ruins, the site had collapsed, then transformed into countless specks of light that vanished into the ether.
It was no longer possible for He Youzhou to learn anything more from those ruins, but fortunately, he was a slow reader, so the books he already had would last him quite a while. These were not mere entertainment, but rather a wellspring of inspiration.
While others burned the midnight oil to achieve fame and fortune, he stayed up late simply because he found these things enjoyable to read.
He Youzhou thought the light of the candle was a bit feeble, so he summoned spiritual energy to make the flame burn more brightly.
“Master.” As he pondered over the protagonist who fought his way through the world, he heard his senior disciple’s soft voice. “May I come in?”
“Mm, wait a moment.” He Youzhou placed the book back into the box, then rolled up his sleeves and walked over to open the door for Zhi Shi.
The moment he opened it, he beheld Zhi Shi dressed in enticing nightclothes. Her top was as light and ethereal as mist, while her bottom half was clad in a short skirt that revealed her legs. The red-white fabric complemented her white hair and blood-colored eyes, making her all the more striking under the moonlight.
Zhi Shi walked into the room, then, before He Youzhou could react, pulled him straight onto the bed.
Zhi Shi lay on the bed, meeting He Youzhou’s gaze. Both could distinctly feel each other’s breathing.
There was no hint of surprise on He Youzhou’s face. Instead, he reached out to stroke Zhi Shi’s soft white hair, his motions full of affection.
Zhi Shi, who had been doted upon by her own Master, felt dizzy, and all the things she had learned from Yu Lan slipped from her mind.
Seduction? She couldn’t even begin to think about seduction right now.
She had wanted to take the initiative with her Master, but this doting gesture made her instead want to act spoiled.
“Master, do you remember when you took me in?” Zhi Shi mumbled in confusion, licking her Master’s ear.
More than ten years ago, a three-year-old Zhi Shi had stood amid a field of dead bodies. She watched as children with hair and eyes like hers were forcibly dragged onto a wooden cart. Because they had white hair and red eyes, everyone in her village was deemed savages, a different kind of people, and all those who resisted were slaughtered.
Those who didn’t resist, especially the women and children, were taken to various places. At one point, Zhi Shi tried to escape from a mine but was almost crippled in the process. Yet she managed to get away once, and it was then that she met her Master amidst a storm.
The master she remembered from the past was different from the one she knew now. He wouldn’t have allowed himself to look so disheveled, and his eyes were much sharper than they were today.
The Master in the past was beautiful, cruel, and vicious, like a bloodstained asura wielding a sword. She had managed to escape only because all those who chased her down had collapsed in their own pool of blood after Master killed them all.
“Master, I’ll always remember what you said.” Zhi Shi leaned into him. “You said, ‘From today onward, you belong to me.'”
“Zhi Shi feels more than just respect for you; she loves you deeply.” Over the years, her feelings for her Master had continued to ferment, until they had spoiled. “Master, can you allow Zhi Shi to be selfish just this once?”
“All right, but be warned that this kind of thing is habit-forming; don’t let yourself get addicted.” He Youzhou squeezed Zhi Shi’s cheeks. “Also, it’s not helpful for your cultivation.”
At these words, Zhi Shi’s face glowed pink.
‘What did Yu Lan say? Like a snake, coil around him? But how does one act like a snake?’
Zhi Shi suddenly felt anxious.
Before she could relax, the lamp in He Youzhou’s room was snuffed out.
“Forget it; we won’t read tonight. I’ll stay with you all night instead,” He Youzhou’s voice rang out from the darkness.
“Mm…ah…” As Zhi Shi felt her Master soft hand rub her nipple attentively, she instinctively let out a whimper.
Moments later, as she reached her peak, Zhi Shi let out a coquettish cry—but whatever had happened after she reached orgasm remained a mystery, as the door remained closed.
Yu Lan had originally intended to check on her Senior Sister’s progress, but when she approached He Youzhou’s room and saw that the light was off, she knew that whatever was happening, it was not something she could witness.
Her heart pounding, she tiptoed closer and listened in through the window. Her face flushed red with only the sound of the voices inside, but she wasn’t an inexperienced maiden, unacquainted with such matters; rather, she was quite knowledgeable. Yet hearing her Senior Sister’s wanton cries made her blush with shame.
She couldn’t imagine how such coquettish sounds could emerge from her usually impassive Senior Sister.
What exactly was happening inside? She had an urge to poke through the paper window covering and sneak a peek, but her rational mind told her that if she did, she would surely be discovered.
And if she were discovered, she could anticipate only one outcome: death.
With no one to collect her corpse, Yu Lan abandoned her idea to spy on them. Of course, listening in a little longer wasn’t the worst thing in the world—such an opportunity to hear her Senior Sister’s coquettish voice was not something she could easily come across again.
“But he really is incredible,” Yu Lan said, swallowing unconsciously.
The next morning, Zhi Shi lay on the bed in He Youzhou’s room, but her Master was nowhere to be seen. She put her finger in her mouth and gently licked, her eyes unfocused as if she still hadn’t recovered from the experience of the night before.
Her Master had been right, this truly was a habit-forming thing, the pleasure that she felt last night is enough to make her mind go crazy.
Despite being busy ‘dual cultivating’ with Master all night, there’s no improvement on Zhi Shi cultivation realm.
“Like Master had previously said, it doesn’t help with cultivation at all,” she mumbled, “but…”
She clutched the blanket her Master had slept under and took a deep sniff.
After a while, she noticed her cultivation robes had been set aside. She changed into them and tidied herself up within her room.
The charming maiden who had been dominated all night long was gone, and in the mirror stood a cold and aloof girl once more.
Zhi Shi rushed to the main hall, searching for her Master. “Master, good morning.”
“Good morning, Zhi Shi.” He Youzhou acknowledged her with a nod. “Remember to practice.”
Zhi Shi bowed. “This disciple understands.”
She left the great hall and turned to Yu Lan’s room, where she saw the girl feeding the ducks, looking rather glum.
“Yu Lan, did you enjoy your sneak peek last night?” Zhi Shi asked, suddenly appearing behind her.
“Senior Sister! I–!” Yu Lan jumped at Zhi Shi’s sudden appearance, then nearly lost her soul when she heard the question. “I didn’t take a peek! what are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t matter; I’m not here to interrogate you about that.” Zhi Shi shook her head, and there was a pause in her voice. “I’m here to tell you that you did well—you’ve done very well,” she said to Yu Lan. “And I want to thank you for it.”
“Starting today, I acknowledge you as my Junior Sister.” She clapped Yu Lan on the shoulder, her tone serious. “I’ll look after you.”