"…Inheritance?"
Ren Ming's thoughts raced as he stood in the strange, glowing chamber. His eyes flicked upward, trying to find the source of the sound.
The air itself seemed to shimmer as a voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.
It was soft, ethereal, a woman's voice. It was the voice of someone immortal. At least that's what he thought.
"Congratulations on finding my inheritance..." the voice said slowly, but then stopped.
"Hmm… but it seems there are two of you... Unfortunately, I can only accept one inheritor."
Ren Ming's eyes widened in shock and awe. Stories like this were whispered in the corners of sect libraries—old fairy tales about immortal legacies and divine inheritances. But there were never any true records—no real proof. And now… it was happening in front of him.
He glanced to the side. Ren Fei.
She stood frozen, her body stiff like a statue. She hadn't spoken, hadn't moved. Not since the voice spoke. Why? he didn't care!!!
Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee and lowered his head.
"Your Excellency!" he called out with a loud, respectful voice. "This humble one is named Ren Ming. Me—uh—My wife found this place together. It must be fate! The heavens guided us here!"
He kept his tone dripping with reverence, but also pushed just enough confidence.
"I've heard stories, yes, that inheritances like this only allow one to receive the blessing… but that is fair! As it should be!"
"I am prepared!" he continued, voice firm, hands clenched. "My cultivation is solid, my heart unwavering, and I've trained for years with the dream of reaching the peak! Please, allow me to prove myself worthy. I will not disappoint you!"
A moment of silence followed. Then, the voice hummed faintly.
"Hmm... You are right," the voice finally said.
"The fact that you made it to this place is already a sign of fate… enough to earn my inheritance."
Ren Ming's lips twitched upward. He had done it.
But then the voice continued.
"But tell me…"
"Why do you believe I would choose you... Instead of that girl standing right there?"
'huh?'
"Y-Your Excellency! She doesn't even know how to cultivate!" Ren Ming shouted, voice rising with urgency.
"She's completely inexperienced! Also, she's my wife—I'm sure she'd want me to take your inheritance!"
A soft hum echoed through the chamber.
"Hmm…? Is that true, young one?"
The sparkling light in the air turned toward Ren Fei, who seemed to finally awaken from her daze. Her lips parted as if to speak, but the voice continued before she could.
"But just so you know… I cannot allow anyone to leave this place knowing my secrets… except for my chosen inheritor."
A cold silence fell over them. That meant—only one of them could leave this place alive.
Then, a voice cut through the silence.
"I can't die."
Ren Fei's voice. It didn't sound like a wish, but an obligation.
Ren Ming blinked and turned sharply toward her, caught off guard. Her expression had changed. She looked… focused. Determined.
His brows furrowed. Fury burned inside his chest, but he held it back—he didn't want to lose face in front of the immortal being.
"Wife… I've always treated you well," he said, carefully controlling his tone. "I gave you a better room, gifts, made your life comfortable… and yet you never gave me anything in return."
He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing.
"And now, with your mortal self, you're saying I should die here? You think you deserve this more than I do?"
"Besides, we don't even know if this inheritance would help you in any way! You're not a cultivator, it must be useless to you."
"I never asked for any of that," Ren Fei answered, voice steady.
"I don't care if the inheritance helps me or not. I just want to live."
Her hand gripped her chest. Something deep inside was surging; she more or less now understood more what was going on with her, all of these years, her sudden feelings, but for now, she dismissed that. She needed to focus on only one thing.
I have to live.
"You ungrateful lowlife-"
Ren Ming's voice snapped, but was cut off by the immortal voice.
"Enough..."
A pause, before a soft chuckle echoed through the air.
"Fufufu~ I found a solution."
In the next instant, two plain swords appeared out of thin air—one hovering in front of each of them.
"The last one standing… wins. Simple, isn't it?"
Ren Ming's breath caught in his throat.
Then his lips curled into a wide grin.
'Heh… I knew she'd choose me in the end... I was me after all!'
'To fight this girl, who's nothing but a pretty face? She's just a mortal!
His fingers twitched toward the blade.
He thought to himself.
A one-on-one? With her? A mortal?
It was practically a guaranteed win. The immortal lady probably just wanted to test him first—to see his skill or something.
Meanwhile, Ren Fei stared down at the sword resting in her hand.
It felt strange, but not in a bad way.
Somehow… holding it made her feel calm.
I want to live.
So if she had to kill him for that… then that was what she would do.
She didn't know how to use a sword. Not really. But she felt like she could. She had to.
And just then, she heard.
A thud.
Someone fell.
"W-What?! My cultivation… It's gone!? Why?!"
Ren Ming's voice rang out, confused.
He had tried to move just now—to use a movement technique—but his body dropped straight to the ground.
"Hehehe~"
A soft giggle echoed from the spark in the air.
Ren Ming's face twisted in realization. So this was how it was.
But even so, His confidence didn't vanish.
'Even without my cultivation… I've trained for years. I know the sword. There's no way I'd lose to a girl who's never even held a blade before.'
He pushed himself up and took a deep breath. Their eyes met.
Neither said a word
Then, Ren Fei moved. Her body reacted on its own. No hesitation, no doubt.
He blocked it. Sparks jumped between them.
His brows raised slightly.
'She's fast... Fierce, too.'
He took a step back, then countered. She dodged, came again. Wild, but focused.
'Tch.'
He parried once more. Then again. She didn't speak. Her breath didn't even change.
She just kept thinking the same thing, over and over in her head,
"I can't die…"
Ren Ming started to regain control. He'd seen enough duels in his life to recognize when someone didn't know what they were doing.
Her strikes were too direct. Too open. She was fast, sure, and desperate, but desperation only lasted so long.
He gritted his teeth, stepped in, and—
Swung.
A clean slash, aimed right at her neck.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't move back.
Didn't even block.
Instead, she struck forward.
Ren Ming's lips curled slightly.
"Heh. Too easy."
He was already imagining her sword dropping as his blade reached her throat, but then Ren Fei's body flinched.
With her bare hand, she reached up and grabbed his blade.
"What—?!"
Her fingers wrapped around the cold steel.
Her skin split instantly. Blood gushed from her palm, running down to her elbow.
The blade bit into her hand, slicing through flesh until it touched bone.
It had to hurt like hell. But she didn't make a sound.
Didn't cry out. Didn't let go.
His eyes widened. In that same instant—
Her sword reached. It sliced through his neck in one, smooth motion.
A breath caught in his throat.
His mouth opened slightly. As if trying to say something, but before he could, his head fell. Rolled on the stone floor.
Meanwhile, another sound echoed.
Thud.
Ren Fei dropped to her knees, her sword slipping from her fingers and clattering to the blood-soaked ground. Her breathing was ragged, chest rising and falling rapidly, her whole body trembling with exhaustion. Her severed arm throbbed with searing pain, blood pouring freely from the open wound while she slowly fainted on the ground.
"H-How... How did this... Why... I was supposed to win... I die like this? It wasn't even fair!"
Then, before the darkness fully took him, he heard a voice, cold and final. Even though he couldn't see the immortal face, he felt like she was disgusted.
"hehehe.... I was just playing, you know... Your fate was sealed the moment you stepped into this place. You're lucky that she was the one who killed you..."
What?
???
Before he could render her words, Ren Ming died,
The immortal lady glanced over the fainted figure, who was still losing lots of blood. She kept watching her until a dangerous voice echoed through the place.
"Hmm... What to do~"
"Ughh…"
After a long time, a soft groan slipped from Ren Fei's mouth as she slowly started to awake. But then, a strange sensation sent a jolt through her.
Wait… someone was fondling her breasts?
"?!!"
Her eyes snapped open, and she looked down—only to see her own hands kneading her breasts through the thin fabric of her gown.
"W-W-What!" she gasped.
Her cheeks flushed with heat, confusion swirling in her head. She didn't even notice her arm was completely healed.
Had she… started touching herself in her sleep?! But no, something felt off. Very off.
'I-I can't feel my hands…! It doesn't feel like me! It's like someone else is playing with my body!'
The thought made her shiver, but before she could react further, a voice echoed in her mind.
Smooth. Ethereal. Teasing. A familiar voice.
"Mmm… they really are perfect~"