Collapse, Cross-dressing Guide Kiana, and Then Chapter 6

The water and moonlight here are quite healing.

His gaze shifted slightly, landing on a corner where several large rocks lay scattered, blocking the ripples of the water's reflection.

"Sit for a bit."

He walked over, about to jump onto a large rock.

The clear water, which had been reflecting the full moon, suddenly changed.

The stars and moonlight dispersed, replaced by human-shaped silhouettes.

However, Bai Yan didn't stop in time, nor did he even notice the subtle change beneath his feet.

He stepped directly onto one of the silhouettes.

Without looking down, he simply jumped onto the rock, turned around, and prepared to sit.

The moment he turned, a figure that suddenly appeared nearly made him stumble and fall off the rock.

The figure was female, not tall, with a slender build and white hair.

What made it most unbelievable to Bai Yan was that her eyes were covered by a black cloth.

"...Jingliu?!"

"No, where did this place drag me to?!"

While Bai Yan was shocked, Jingliu turned her head to face him, remaining still.

The two, one high and one low, "looked" at each other.

After about a minute, Jingliu spoke first, her expression surprisingly grave.

"Is this your domain, little sister?"

Hearing this, Bai Yan instinctively looked down at himself.

His skirt hadn't changed.

He tilted his head slightly, and a pair of earrings dangled, reflecting the cold moonlight and shining brightly.

He immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

How did Jingliu get in here? Could this place be more than just my own... or is it some kind of special public space?

Hmm... a hyper-dimensional space that can connect to all realms?

This thought flashed by, because something even more troubling occupied Bai Yan's mind: how to face Jingliu.

First impressions are important.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Bai Yan glanced at Jingliu and immediately noticed that she was facing him with a defensive posture.

Even a sense of apprehension?

The esteemed teacher of the Seven Banners of the Emperor Bow, Jing Yuan, formerly one of the Five Braves of the Cloud, the former Sword Master who once captured Hulei on the Luofu Xianzhou – would she not see through someone like him, whose combat power was less than that of chicken feed?

Putting on airs would be pointless; she was a genuine ancient being of a thousand years, and any act could be seen through at a glance.

Therefore, he should choose the first approach: honest, but not completely revealing.

Bai Yan quickly jumped off the large rock, carefully avoiding splashing too much water.

After matching Jingliu's height, he spoke in a female voice.

"Hello, my name is Bai Yan. Actually... I was just testing my abilities, and I didn't expect to pull you in by mistake. I'm truly sorry!"

Bai Yan bowed readily. When he looked up, he found Jingliu seemed a bit distracted.

Moreover, she had already taken off her eye patch and was staring intently at the eye patch in her hand.

After a moment, she looked up at Bai Yan.

"Abilities, huh..."

"It should recover in about ten minutes – it'll end when the time's up, probably. I'm not very skilled yet."

There was no need to hide anything. If he didn't put her at ease, she could use the eye patch as a weapon and make him restart ten times.

"No matter."

Jingliu lowered the hand holding the eye patch, gazed at Bai Yan, and then walked towards him step by step.

She stopped seven steps away from Bai Yan.

"I want to know, can you bring me into this space again next time?"

Her current state seemed very calm, vastly different from how Bai Yan expected her to be when afflicted by Mara-struck.

But he didn't dare to ask. He simply closed his eyes and felt it quietly.

"How is it?" When Bai Yan opened his eyes, Jingliu immediately asked.

"Yes – uh, you want to come again next time?"

Oh no, I'm still a water plant in a shallow pond, and now I have to be with a ruler of the deep sea?

Jingliu nodded.

"In exchange, you can make a corresponding request."

Her face was calm, but within her thousand years of bitterness, a ripple of emotion stirred at this moment.

Her feelings wouldn't be wrong.

From the moment she entered this place, the Mara-struck had fallen completely silent...

Volume 1: Chapter 8: My Life Has Been Like Walking on Thin Ice

Jingliu wanted to come back later, why?

Well, the thousand-year-old beauty indicated she still wanted more...

Agreed!

"You can stay. As for the condition..."

Bai Yan paused.

What could Jingliu offer him?

Based on his current feelings, he couldn't take her back to his own world. Otherwise, wouldn't it be great to just hug her leg for support?

However, Jingliu was so strong. If he could get her to teach him a move or two and then hide it away, he'd have an extra trump card in the future.

A trump card hidden from everyone in the Collapse world.

He pondered which path to walk... The Hunt wasn't suitable for him, and he couldn't rely on The Destruction.

The Preservation might work, but with his personality, it was completely unsuitable.

While Bai Yan was silent, Jingliu suppressed a certain impulse and sized him up, forming some guesses.

"She doesn't seem to have noticed at all. Perhaps if she had, I wouldn't have had the chance to enter... It's also a matter of fate.

"What request will she make?"

Bai Yan hesitated for a long time before speaking, "First, I'm very sorry, but I must correct a misunderstanding."

"Hm?"

He switched to a male voice, "Actually, I'm male. I was forced to disguise myself like this to carry out a mission, so I apologize."

"..."

Jingliu was stunned.

She stared intently at Bai Yan, examining him closely. After a long while, she still felt a sense of disbelief.

With her experience, she could tell Bai Yan's aptitude for martial arts just by looking at him.

Although she hadn't formally studied physiognomy, years of experience had made her remarkably accurate at reading people.

But this time, she truly couldn't discern the gender of the person before her.

After a minute of being completely immobilized, she shook her head, "Unbelievable..."

"Ahem," Bai Yan tried to mask his awkwardness, "So, do you know any martial arts or other combat abilities? Could you teach me some? The kind for saving my life."

Jingliu sighed, skipping over the previous interlude, a hint of a smile in her eyes, "You actually know who I am, don't you?"

"Ah?"

Wait, you can tell that too?

"A person's first reaction is often their truest self.

"When you saw me just now, your gaze lingered on my eyepatch for a very long time, and your eyes showed extreme apprehension and worry... I think that's the most fitting answer."

"You saw through me," Bai Yan shook his head helplessly, "So please put your eyepatch back on, I'm scared."

"Don't worry. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but for someone like me, it's very obvious."

"Obvious?"

"Indeed. This place can suppress all sorts of extraordinary powers to a considerable extent. Haven't you noticed?"

Bai Yan was startled and instinctively looked down at his feet.

A thin film of water shimmered, and the ordinary clear water now exuded an indescribable power.

This special power seemed to drown out all the invisible forces in the space.

Bai Yan suddenly understood.

So that's how it is!

This is my real cheat! It's finally here!

But he quickly calmed down.

How did Jingliu get in? Was it an accident?

Based on his feelings, he could vaguely sense the "registered personnel" here, and he could pull Jingliu in next time.

As for suppressing the extraordinary, it was more like it suppressed her Mara-struck.

No wonder she was willing to stay here. It's like a patient discovering their terminal illness can be treated; they'd try anything, even if it's just a temporary fix.

"It seems so... So, what about my conditions?"

"Of course, no problem."

Bai Yan lifted her skirt, ready to formally begin her apprenticeship.

"Wait a moment!"

"Hm?"

"You should switch back to your female voice. Your current appearance is really inappropriate."

"...Alright."

Bai Yan didn't think much of it and immediately switched back to her female voice.

Anyway, she'd have to maintain this disguise long-term, so it was good to get used to it.

"I feel like you might be more suited to being a woman."

"Don't tease me. I was forced into this."

Although Jingliu was smiling, there was no malice in her expression, which made Bai Yan feel a little better.

She decided not to dwell on it and cleanly completed the apprenticeship ceremony.

"Disciple Bai Yan greets Master."

"Ha, no need for such formalities. Actually, I'm no longer in a position to take on disciples..."

"No, you must take me."

Seeing Bai Yan's determined expression, Jingliu could only say, "Very well, as you wish."

Bai Yan got her wish. She stood up and leaned closer, grinning. "We don't have much time today, Master Jingliu. I'll definitely find a way to extend my stay later so we can spend more time together, master and disciple."