Lin Hao returned to his quarters, gathered fresh clothes, and headed to the bathhouse. Luck favored him—the spacious communal pools were empty. He selected the largest tub, filled it with naturally heated spring water, and sank into the steaming bath. The Kung Fu Fly, averse to moisture, buzzed outside to explore. The Wolf Spider remained perched on the rim, guarding its master.
Unbeknownst to Lin Hao, the fly drifted into the adjacent women’s section, drawn by floral fragrances. His mind flooded with vivid imagery transmitted through the insect’s eyes: billowing steam, lithe figures of young Zhao women, and—
Zhao Ling’er.
His wife glided into the chamber, flanked by two maids carrying silk robes and scented oils. The maids bowed and retreated as Ling’er raised her hands. Her fingers traced an intricate pattern in the air, summoning a shimmering rune. Blue light pulsed, and the room filled with a dense mist, veiling her form as she disrobed.
Water magic. Lin Hao marveled. So this is how mages manipulate elements. Though tempted to linger, he commanded the fly to withdraw.
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Relaxing in his tub, Lin Hao mimicked Ling’er’s gestures, fingers dancing absently. The Wolf Spider’s sudden hiss snapped him alert.
“Well, look who’s here—the blind leech.”
Second Steward Ma Tianyun waddled in, flanked by three lackeys. His piggish eyes narrowed at Lin Hao. “Get this trash out. Scrub the tub twice!”
The lackeys advanced, smirking. Lin Hao continued bathing, unfazed.
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!
The Wolf Spider spat silken threads—needle-thin and venom-tipped. Each struck a lackey’s cheek.
“AiyAAAARGH!” The men collapsed, faces swelling, foam frothing at their mouths.
Ma Tianyun stumbled back, jowls quivering. “D-demonic creature!” He fled, shoes slapping unevenly.
Lin Hao rose, toweling off. The lackeys twitched but breathed—sublethal doses. Wolf Spider’s venom only kills on direct bite. Useful.
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Outside, Ma Tianyun rallied a dozen servants armed with clubs. “Kill that monster spider!”
Lin Hao emerged, the Wolf Spider hidden in his sleeve.
“Y-you’re alive?!” Ma sputtered.
“Alive?” Lin Hao tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Was there danger?”
“Useless cripple.” Ma shoved a lackey forward. “You! Go in first!”
The men hesitated, eyeing the bathhouse door like a beast’s maw.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Lin Hao strode past, suppressing a smirk. Let them cower. Tonight’s lesson was clear: cross him, face the shadows.
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In his chamber, Lin Hao replayed Ling’er’s rune patterns. His fingers traced phantom symbols, channeling the day’s residual灵气. A faint mist coalesced above his palm—water droplets trembling in midair.
Ding! Host comprehends elementary water manipulation. Talent synergy activated: Hydro Control proficiency +10%
He dismissed the vapor. Mastery would come. For now, patience—and more gold to evolve his arsenal.
The Kung Fu Fly alighted on his shoulder, antennae twitching with gossip from the servants’ quarters. Tales of a cursed bathhouse, a demon spider, and a blind madman immune to poison.
Lin Hao smiled. Fear bred caution. Let them whisper. Soon, the entire Zhao household would learn: the “cripple” they scorned now pulled their strings.
And when the time came, even Zhao Ling’er’s water magic would bow to his shadow.
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Zhao Ling’er’s Suspicion
Outside the bathhouse, Second Steward Ma Tianyun howled, clutching his groin as Wolf Spider’s venomous silk struck its mark. Foam bubbled from his lips, his face purpling. The servants who’d rushed inside now gaped at their writhing superior, his manhood rendered permanently useless.
Zhao Ling’er emerged from the women’s baths, damp hair coiled like ink against her ivory robe. Steam clung to her, amplifying her ethereal beauty. Her frosty gaze swept over Ma’s convulsing form.
“What happened?” Her voice cut through the chaos.
A servant stammered, “A venomous spider attacked! The second steward was—was—”
“Spider?” Ling’er’s brow furrowed. She turned to Lin Hao, who stood motionless nearby. “Describe it.”
Lin Hao tilted his head, milky eyes vacant. “Asking a blind man to describe a spider? How… inventive.”
He brushed past her, deliberately stumbling. His hands groped the air in exaggerated blindness. Ling’er watched his retreating back, a flicker of recognition crossing her features.
That posture…
Memories surfaced: the shadowy figure in the gambling den, movements precise as a predator’s. The assassin called “Jing Ke,” who’d slaughtered a room of bandits unseen.
“You.” Ling’er’s voice halted him.
Lin Hao hunched further, fingers trembling against the corridor wall. “Yes, wife?”
Her scrutiny lingered. The set of his shoulders, the cadence of his steps—mirror images of the mystery killer. Yet here he stood, a pitiable blind fool.
“Nothing.” She dismissed him with a wave. “Search every corner. Burn that creature if found.”
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Safely secluded, Lin Hao shed the cowering act. His spine straightened, steps silent as a stalking panther. Wolf Spider crawled from his sleeve, mandibles clicking smugly.
“Too close,” he muttered. Ling’er’s sharpness demanded caution.
In his quarters, he pondered wealth-building strategies. Assassination remained lucrative—especially with pets invisible to wary eyes. Who’d fear a fly? A mosquito?
His musings halted as the Kung Fu Fly’s vision revealed an anomaly: a leather-bound manual on Ling’er’s bed.
Martial Techniques for Water Affinity.
Lin Hao’s pulse quickened. Blind from birth, he’d never touched a cultivation manual. Now, with the Fly’s eyes, he devoured each diagram—hand seals, meridians, qi circulation.
“Forbidden chamber, eh?” A smirk tugged his lips. Ling’er’s sanctum held secrets worth risking her wrath.
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Nightfall draped the Zhao estate. Lin Hao lay awake, mentally rehearsing water runes. Condensation formed above his palm—a trembling sphere.
Ding! Host replicates elementary water manipulation. Talent mastery accelerated: Hydro Control proficiency +20%
Footsteps echoed outside. Ling’er’s silhouette paused at his door. Through the Fly’s eyes, he watched her observe his feigned sleep, suspicion warring with logic.
She left without entering.
Lin Hao exhaled. The game deepened. Let her doubt. Let her hunt phantoms.
Tomorrow’s contract awaited: a merchant’s rival marked for death. Payment—50,000 gold.
The Kung Fu Fly buzzed excitedly. Lin Hao stroked Wolf Spider’s carapace.
“Rest well,” he murmured. “Dawn brings work.”
Invisible hunters needed no sleep. Only gold. Only growth.
And revenge, patient as a spider’s web.