The hawk lazily glided through the air, riding on the updrafts to keep afloat.
Its piercing eyes could see the inn at a distance, it allowed itself to begin a slow descent.
Moments later, it alighted on the edge of an open window. Stepping into the room on the other side, its body began to shift, growing taller and taking on the form of a human body.
“Ugh! The sensation of transforming into animals is a little too vivid, now that I've reached a state of semi-mastery in the Beast Transformation Technique.” Liang Wu couldn't suppress a shiver from running down his spine at the memories of taking on different forms—especially the fly.
“On the bright side, at least I can keep my clothes on now.” He had gained a better understanding of his technique after experimenting following the dungeon fight. Through those experiments, he had reached semi-mastery, gaining the ability to keep his clothes on during the transformation by covering them in his qi, so they would change along with him.
He glanced down at the clothes he was wearing—initially he had changed into a set of plain clothing and was going to use his technique to change his face while looking around the Qian Manor. However a sudden thought struck him—what if I become an animal and enter the manor? It worked out better than he could have imagined.
Another shiver assaulted him. “Ugh! Why did I become a fly?” He began stripping his clothes. “I need to take a bath to wash away this disgusting feeling!”
Just as he stripped his last piece of clothing off, the door to his room swung open.
“Liang Wu, are you her—?” Chen Li Li came walking in, carrying a plate with slices of fruit.
Liang Wu blinked. She had kicked the door shut behind her, balancing the plate in her hands. How did she open the door? Liang Wu thought randomly. Wait, why's she so calm? Shouldn’t she be freaking out?
“Um… aren't you going to scream? Or at least look away?” He asked after a second, noticing her gaze still on him. Her calmness made him feel embarrassed—which is no easy feat.
He quickly grabbed his pants off the ground and slipped them back on so he wasn't standing completely naked.
“Why would I scream?” She raised an eyebrow, her voice carrying genuine confusion. “It’s not like this is the first time I've seen you naked.”
Walking towards him she set the plate down on the table in the center of the room. “Would you like some fruit?”
“Uh… No thanks, I don't have much of an appetite now.” He shivered at the sight of the food. Which reminded him of the time he'd spent as a fly, watching through his compound eyes as that fat pig gorged itself on literal tons of food. “I'm going to take a bath. Could you call Daiyu in?”
“Why, you want us to join you in the tub?” She teased with a playful smirk.
He paused, thinking about it for a moment. Hmm… that's not a bad idea, I could use some help washing.
“If you want, I wouldn’t mind some help washing.” He answered seriously.
She gave him a flat stare. “I was joking.” She stated plainly.
“Oh…” He scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, I'm going to go take a bath now.”
“Go ahead. I'll get Daiyu.” She turned to leave but stopped mid-step. A thought seemed to cross her mind, and she spun back around.
“Oh, I have something for you.”
Her spatial pouch glowed softly, and an exquisite set of finely sewn robes appeared in her hands.
A mix of emotions flickered across her face—hesitation, pain, and finally, resolve.
“Here, I want you to have these robes. They’re called the Robes of Runic Weave.” She gently pushed them into Liang Wu’s hands. “They were supposed to be a birthday gift for my father… but… well, you know…”
Liang Wu stared at the robes, then back at her. “Ah, are you sure I can have these?”
“Yeah, they're just going to collect dust if they don't have someone to wear them.” She said with a firm nod. “Plus, you need to look the part of an arrogant young master, and these robes would fit that image perfectly.”
She flashed him a happy smile, her earlier emotions pushed to the back of her mind. “I bet they'll make you look even more handsome.”
“Impossible, I'm already the most handsome man in this world.” He boasted arrogantly.
“Wow, your acting is really believable.” She praised, thinking he was joking.
“What acting?”
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“Hehe! Okay, I'm going for real now.” She giggled at his acting, thinking that it seemed very real.
What acting was I doing? He thought while watching her leave, he couldn’t figure it out. Whatever, I have to wash.
He glanced back down at the robes in his arms, a system panel flashed before his eyes.
Robe of Runic Weave - Immortal-Grade Clothing
Description: A finely sewn robe of the highest quality immortal silkworms threads. The intricate runic designs add not only superb style, but also incredible defense against mental attacks, along with increasing qi gathering speed.
Abilities
—
Mental Defense: Increases the wearer's mental defense. Automatically blocks 3 mental attacks below immortal-grade per day. (3/3)
Qi Gathering Speed: Draws in twice the normal amount of qi.
Superior Defense: Due to the use of immortal silkworm thread the defense of this robe is far superior to normal silk robes. Increases defense modifier by 300.
“Where did that girl get Immortal-Grade clothing?” He wondered aloud, with no one to answer his question, he discarded his distractions and made his way to the bathroom.
---
Liang Wu stepped out from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Another in his hands he used to dry his wet hair.
Humming a tune, he wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, failing to notice the two young women sitting off to the side.
Daiyu and Chen Li Li’s eyes followed him, roving across his bare chest, watching intently as the water droplets cascaded down his chiseled abs. Their hearts beat with every drop that splashed against the floorboards.
Chen Li Li blushed deeply, glancing away for a moment before sneaking another peek, her heart pounding in her chest. This was a bit too sensual for her to handle, unlike their earlier interaction.
Daiyu, on the other hand, continued staring unabashed, her lips curling into a slight smirk as she swallowed the drool threatening to spill.
Their imaginations ran wild, each lost in their own flustered thoughts.
A devious gleam appeared in Daiyu’s eyes, she stood silently, sneaking up behind Liang Wu. “Master, let me help you change!” She said suddenly.
“Whoa!” Liang Wu shouted in surprise. Whipping around, he saw Daiyu standing behind him with a bright innocent smile.
“Why didn't you tell me you were here earlier?” He asked, trying to hide the embarrassment from his moment of surprise.
“We didn't want to interrupt your bath.” She pulled him towards a changing screen in the corner of the room.
Oh, there was a changing screen, wish I had seen that earlier. He thought as they approached the screen.
“I can change on my own, but I appreciate the thought.” He tried to politely refuse her help, however she pushed him behind the screen while pretending not to hear his refusal.
The sound from a towel rustling as it fell to the floor echoed in the silent room.
Daiyu’s voice came from behind the screen. “Oh, wow! Your muscles are so hard.”
Chen Li Li blushed hearing her voice, various imagines playing in her mind.
Liang Wu stepped back out from the screen, pulling Daiyu with him—the towel around his waist still in place.
“I'll change on my own.” He said firmly, pushing her towards the table where Chen Li Li was still seated.
He came back out from the screen a few moments later. He had changed into the robes Chen Li Li had given to him earlier.
image [https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdfWaZRV61gOD6dmmS32cumpe8H8sXZaABs_afmcj2youmAiV13z5CZhhrEtPN_IKccItBm5KmyPEAsxRfj8unybWFBibeCTGGvutZ1q3106Ih3P1I6qyS3OMmfcHSDiD8rZkG_BqUefU7FnppH4NkwsNiP?key=y78hvyGkRa7sM_wnYjCLfw]image [https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfuJzS6AFOGcAfH87k6gfP_wXLFNjMZuE6mtQgXLbYZeBl_7jVUmszv8k2DcknnjB0SSZbxCi3rW-TELIphlYVBl1E75_MbsvICdsfjnC_D21b_xAhzh_-7Vr142uaMQnyGkTxP9M13KwGeYdXz289_vs1t?key=y78hvyGkRa7sM_wnYjCLfw]image [https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcUnp5HKuC2lfvedh-UzJKQJ-GONVJ88VBb3u8Lqq6OFiHnwvE_gnHtzDwMWaKWB5aHyvKHgtUq2PVwHyMJs4BIon43LX66rlIqNZnKjk4K4qJXMpMFL7kRhe3UEBsLefkbkIMFY2ULcrhAmZ2i2wIHoank?key=y78hvyGkRa7sM_wnYjCLfw] (I couldn't decide which image I liked more, so enjoy all three!)
He stepped out from behind the screen a few moments later, now dressed in the robes Chen Li Li had gifted him earlier.
The robes shimmered with a soft blue energy, the runic patterns woven into the silk glowing faintly. The bluish-gray and white tones of the fabric complemented the intricate golden designs that adorned the shoulders and hems, giving the garment an air of elegance and power.
His black hair, now dry and loosely tied back, flowed gently behind him as he moved.
Chen Li Li and Daiyu both gasped, their eyes widening at his appearance. For a moment, neither of them could find their words, clearly taken aback by how strikingly handsome he looked in the new attire.
“Li Li, where'd you get this Immortal-Grade clothing?” Liang Wu asked, deciding to address her more intimately now that they were getting closer.
“What are you talking about? What Immortal-Grade clothing?” His voice snapped her out of the daze she'd been in, thanks to his appearance. However she couldn't understand what he was asking about.
“These,” he said, pointing to himself. “They’re of the Immortal-Grade.”
“They are!?” She shouted in disbelief. It was the first time she was hearing about this.
“You didn't realize?”
She shook her head. “No, I haven't taken it out since everything changed, so I've never seen its description.”
“Where did you get it from then? There shouldn't be many, if any, Immortal-Grade items on this continent.”
“I don't know, my mother brought it back from a trip a few years ago.”
“Hmm… Curious, but I suppose it doesn’t matter for now.” He sat down at the table with them, eyeing the plate of fruit. He'd gotten his appetite back after cleansing himself in the bath. “I'll tell you about what I've learnt about the Qian Family in a moment.”