He looked into the mirror and almost fell into a daze, he was too beautiful, his face could no longer be called handsome, it had shattered that realm.

He was struck dumb, unable to move or speak. In the mirror, his reflection stared back at him, the face of a perfect, ageless beauty. It was as if the world had been frozen in time, and he was the only one who could see it.

"What... what is this?" he managed to stammer, still unable to look away from the mirror. The reflection of his face looked calm and serene, like a work of art come to life. The face had high cheekbones, full lips, and eyes that sparkled like diamonds. But it was more than that - the face seemed to hold a power all its own, like a magnet that drew his gaze. He felt as if he could stare into those eyes for eternity and never tire of them.

While he wondered on his own, the maiden who had fallen unconscious was now awake, her stable heart was palpitating. Though she wasn’t looking at his face directly, her senses where able to observe everything in the room as if she was staring at it. She was shocked, her heart had been stolen, whoever her heart rate slowly dropped.

Whis had unconsciously put on back the mask, since when had he looked this perfect. Even back on earth, he would be considered handsome at most.

But what he saw was inconceivable. After putting the mask back on, his visage still looked extremely handsome, seems that the mask can only diminish his beauty by a small margin.

He wanted answers – could it have something to with the bath? He pondered but soon laughed the idea off, how can water give him a mask – wait! He eyes suddenly lit up, whoever put the mask on him, should give him a clue? His memories were somehow clearer now, it’s was as if he had lived two lives. He dug deep into his mind but what he found left him even more flabbergasted, not knowing whether to cry or to laugh.

Turned out the previous owner was adopted by the third concubine of the Shang Dynasty. When she was about to take her bath, she found baby whis, his face was so cute that the all the frustration would disappear upon a mere glance. That year, the pregnancy of the third concubine was more believable than her to have adopted a child.

She was known as the `ruthless witch`, a member of the Acultist Sect, before she was subdued by the current emperor. So, it was easier to see a ghost in daylight than her to have adopted an orphan.

However, someone as evil as her had been melted by the child and decided to take him in. She had used her famous treasure, the phantom mask, to lessen the child's beauty. The mask had the power to alter a person's appearance, and she had used it to make him less attractive so that no one would suspect the truth of his adoption.

Turned out he was just born like that, whis sighed, if only she was still alive, she was the only person good to him in the entire kingdom. From here on, he decided never to take the mask off before he had enough strength, it wouldn’t’ be weird for this world to have some lustful demons who would want to have him as their gigolo.

But he also realized something even more worrisome. If the previous owner knew he had been adopted, why did she never tell him about the mask? Did she intend for him to die without ever knowing the truth? It seemed like the cruelest thing a parent could do to their child. He wondered if he would ever be able to understand why she did what she did.

He turned around and spotted the sleeping beauty, his was conflicting his heart and mind, one told him to approach, the other to leave. Surrendering to his heart, whis slowly approached her, lifted her head and took a careful glance at her perfectly shaped visage, her trimmed eyebrows, and her cherry lips, he was immediately enchanted as he drew his face near her

“I’ll compensate you if we ever meet again”, he murmured and softly pried open her mouth with his, the softness and smoothness of her flesh almost drowned him in bliss, but he knew he shouldn’t get caught, and quickly withdrew his mouth, leaving a slight trail of saliva.

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‘My first time gone just like that’, he murmured turning around to leave, but his arm was suddenly grabbed. His heart palpitated – had he been caught.

He slowly turned around and saw the bashful cheeks of the maiden, she didn’t look hostile or angry, slightly embarrassed, he only kept quiet, a rush of feelings swept over him - fascination, awe, and a strange sense of familiarity. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he had known her before. And as their eyes met, he felt a connection that was both exciting and terrifying

“Here is a storage ring, there’s some clothes I bought for my senior and an intro to cultivation”, she softly explained, trying not to meet his gaze.

“I noticed, you just drained my five-element bath and broke through, the guide will be useful”

“How do I use this”, whis asked, not understanding her shyness.

“Just send some Qi into it”, she responded again with her head facing the other direction

Whis knew she was embarrassed from the rude action he just did, so he just foolishly scratched his head while giggling. Then he remembered

“Miss, I don’t know your name”, whis asked earnestly, to which the maiden answered “Su Lin”

“Mine is Whis”, he answered while extending his hand, a habit he earned during all those freelance meetings with clients, clearly he didn’t’ know that maidens don’t shake hands and only bow.

“You should leave now”, Su Lin said sheepishly, not accepting whis advances

‘What a shameless scoundrel’, she murmured under her lips, she thought whis wanted to take a mile after being given an inch, somehow, he had tolerated him.

Whis only laughed and the pouting beauty and was about to leave when it struck him, he was still naked, that’s when he realized why Su Lin wasn’t willing to look at him, his face was full of embarrassment.

“Miss Lin, can you tell me how to use the storage ring, you see I am a mortal, I don’t know anything of this world”, whis tried to explain but the beauty frowned, she thought whis was getting shameless, and would get eaten if he stayed any longer, so she immediately told him the way and pushed him out of the door.

Whis stumbled outside with only his pants on and he hurriedly put on his top. While he did so, he had drawn attention to himself, as servants and other passengers looked at him and at the symbol on the door her just walked out off.

It was a maiden only bathroom, and was only used by talents from powerful backgrounds, when they saw him walk out of the room unharmed and with a glowing visage they couldn’t help look with admiration, it meant whis was also of high background.

Whis had also glued the pieces and only shook his head and walked triumphally with his head high, suddenly a wild thought surfaced in his brain.

…

Back in the spring bath, the old lady revealed herself, she stepped off the void, her visage was now visible, under her mature wrinkles there was a hidden sense of beauty, she was a man’s enemy in her youth.

As soon as Su Lin’s gaze met hers, she was embarrassed, she knew that she was under surveillance all this time, but she could lower her guard in her presence.

“Grandma Liv, w-was that him?”, she stuttered, the bashfulness and embarrassment showing up.

The old woman lightly chuckled at the behavior of Su Li, ‘good to be young’ she thought, then she sighed after hearing the question, a tender longing could be felt.

“I too, am confused, his back looked like him, but the aura… I can’t tell”, she an expert who can conceal herself in space was uncertain of something, Su Li hearing this was shocked but she only got bolder, and held grandam Liv’s arm and said coquettishly

“So, grandma, if it is him, then what?”, she looked innocently into the woman’s eyes, the old lady was bashful, she roughly stroke Su L’s head. Her heart jolted, the feelings and the scene of meeting him, her lifespan was almost coming to an end, at most she has a decade.

“Line’r don’t joke with grandma anymore, or I will die of a heart attack”, it was rare to see an old-woman shy, but her countenance immediately got serious, more urgent matters at hand.

“Whether its him or not, we have to hurry to the bunch, general Liang is on the crusade gathering more sisters, we want to be there when he appears”, grandma Liv said with a sense of yearning, a faint compassion flickered in her eyes.

“I still don’t get it, why wasn’t he struck by heavenly lightning then?”, Su Li pouted, she didn’t like being ordered by her grandma, but had to drop the matter, any more poking can strangle the old lady, her yearning for a child was even stronger than that of a hungry monkey to wild bananas

“Maybe he was lucky, the old lady said with resolution, she didn’t want any more questions, she stood there in silence, no one knew what she was thinking.

….

The towering capital stood on a flat land, its gleaming spires and gold-plated roofs stretching towards the sky. A wide moat encircled the city, protecting it from invaders, and an invisible veil surrounded the capital, massive gatehouse loomed at the entrance, ready to keep out any unwelcome visitors.

The walls of the city were made of smooth, gray stone, punctuated by tall, narrow windows. Inside the walls, a maze of narrow streets wound their way through the city, lined with shops and markets, homes and palaces.

And at the center of it all, a massive palace rose up from the center of the city, its size and grandeur befitting the ruler of the kingdom. On the highest floor, in a large, ornate throne room, sat the emperor, his face a mask of fury. He glared down at the imperial guard, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Tell me again," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "what happened at the harbor?"

*Definitions*

Claustrophobia– the fear of confined spaces

Acultist Sect – an evil force consisting of sorcerers, witches and wizards

Gigolo – a man who is used for reliving sexual desires