[Vol. 1] Chapter 3 - Proving Grounds
Xiaolan had made a discovery. She had tried clicking only the "Save" and "Load" buttons on her system interface, to no avail.
By the time she thought to speak the commands aloud, her chance to test them coincided with Bai Yu's arrival...leading to her first, disastrous use of the Save function.
Now, back here once more, Xiaolan stared wide-eyed at the familiar man before her.
Bai Yu, his muted blue-gray hair slightly windswept yet failing to diminish his refined air, bowed. "Miss Xiaolan. I've been told to make myself useful to you."
"Mm…" Xiaolan nodded, only one thought screaming in her mind: Please leave!
"I am Bai Yu, your instructor," he introduced himself, offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Xiaolan's expression shifted to shock. He just lied to me. She regarded him with open wariness. He cannot be trusted.
Bai Yu observed the young miss before him, noting every micro-expression that flickered across her face as he spoke.
Her shock had given way to nerves, but there had also been… recognition. She was wary of him.
He mentally reviewed his performance. He had played his part well, yet her response was not confusion, but the guarded alertness of someone who already knew to be on her guard.
His eyes swept over her from head to toe before offering a curt nod. Alertness is essential in a successor, he thought, though this young lady…
His gaze shifted to the space behind her, and his expression darkened. Her bedroom was in disarray… had she been neglected?
"Follow me," he said, guiding the potential successor forward. Even with Xiaolan walking behind him, he remained acutely aware of her presence.
Her eyes darted restlessly, and to him, it seemed she was searching for an escape.
Xiaolan felt goosebumps rise, pierced by the sensation of being watched. As they moved along the paved paths flanked by plum blossoms, her gaze drifted sideways.
A thin scatter of snow lingered… winter's last breath. From the upward-curving eaves, icicles dripped steadily in the thaw.
Servants beginning their morning duties stole curious glances as they passed. A cold wind breathed through the courtyard.
They passed through successive paifang gates, climbing higher into the mountains. Xiaolan's mind raced. The Lin compound is built deep into the mountains… tiered, isolated.
This ascent was a first. In her playthrough as Qing Yao, these paths had been forbidden and marked "out of bounds" for a player who was, after all, an outsider to the Lin family.
"I believe you are very aware of your situation," Bai Yu's voice was flat. When they finally arrived, he turned to face her. "For your alertness alone, I'll grant you five points. But alertness is one thing. Without power, it is nothing."
His hands remained behind his back. The clearing was enclosed by tall trunks, old snow lingering in shadowy patches. A thin fog clung to the branches.
And then she noticed...at some point, figures had already gathered here, silent and waiting.
Xiaolan offered a tentative smile, but it faded as she looked at the waiting group. Their gazes were… pitying. She didn't understand until Bai Yu continued.
"Everyone here is a potential successor. You have all met your future assistants, but you will not be able to give them direct orders without confirmation from management."
"Your task is simple: survive three days here in the fog. Keep track of the days. Remember, points are important. You can earn them by hunting beasts, or…"
His gaze swept across the group. "…take them from other participants."
Now it was clear—Xiaolan had topped the list of "fat sheep."
Bai Yu produced multiple talismans, which flew toward the participants and wrapped around their wrists.
"Ah!"
His voice followed the action. "These talismans will display a number representing your current points."
In short, the more points you carried, the more attractive a target you became.
Intense gazes turned toward Xiaolan from all directions. One of the fiercest came from a sweet-looking girl with braided hair and a pastel ruqun.
Her appearance was charming, but her expression was sharp and sour, brimming with killing intent. One might think Xiaolan had wiped out her entire clan to deserve such hostility.
Just then, a voice cut through the tension. "Shouldn't we eat breakfast first? Everyone's hungry, after all." It came from an average-looking man with warrior-style hair and attire so worn it resembled rags.
"What's your name?" Bai Yu asked with a fond smile.
"Wenhui, sir," he introduced himself, cupping his fist respectfully.
"You're kind-hearted to think of others. It shows a compassionate nature. But don't worry, I ate early this morning." Bai Yu's smile was radiant.
Wenhui offered a sheepish grin. "It's not that, sir. It's just… most of us haven't eaten yet."
"Mhm." Bai Yu nodded, letting him continue.
"Sir, shouldn't we all eat first before entering the fog?" Wenhui asked politely but directly.
"There is food in the forest," Bai Yu said, pointing toward the mist. "You're considerate, though. Ten points to you."
Wenhui's face looked as though he'd just eaten a fly.
"The talismans on your wrists also act as signal transmitters. If you are ever in trouble, simply channel your qi into one, and it will alert us."
A collective sigh of relief passed through those who had been holding their breath.
"You can steal points from other participants by ripping off their talismans," Bai Yu added. The instructions sounded simple, but it was clear he was glossing over details
—because…
Xiaolan looked behind him. There stood a tall stone carved with countless inscriptions, a testament to long-standing rules.
"…"
Just then, someone from the group raised a hand. Bai Yu ignored them.
Whether the person didn't notice or took it as acknowledgement, they pressed on: "Why is someone from the Chen family here?"
The cute girl who had been glaring at Xiaolan shifted her fierce attention to the speaker. Her gaze held an intensity that reminded Xiaolan of something… though she couldn't quite place it.
"Chen Mingyuan came here herself," Bai Yu explained with a half-smile.
"Though the Chen family has its own… methods of training successors, she specifically requested to train with us."
So her name is Chen Mingyuan. Xiaolan glanced over only to meet that fierce gaze once again. A thought crossed her mind: Would she cry if I pinched her cheeks really hard?
A murmur rippled through the group. Though quiet, with everyone possessing some degree of cultivated senses, the words were easily caught.
"The Chen family? Aren't they just a branch family? She's adorable… Is she really a candidate for succession? She looks like an Omega."
"Hah, a cute girl like her, here for training? I don't believe that. More likely she's fishing for a marriage proposal."
The girl, Chen Mingyuan, scoffed. "Heh. What do you know? The Lin family is a branch family too, isn't it?"
Hmph. The retort gave her only a temporary respite, clearly placing her on the target list alongside the other "fat sheep." There was a difference, though: she had chosen this spotlight herself, while the two did not.
But above all, she had come here for one reason...to win against Xiaolan. Mingyuan glared fiercely across the space, her gaze locking with Xiaolan's halfway.
[Charge points +10]
[Current charge points: 10]