I Was Born a Man, Not a Maiden

He Kongyue had a dream.

He stood before a magnificent mansion, with a pair of imposing stone lions guarding the entrance. The towering vermilion gate was adorned with exquisite dragon and phoenix carvings, and above it hung a blue plaque bearing two large characters—

He Manor.

He skillfully pushed open the gate and walked into the He family compound, which was covered with glazed tiles and green roofs.

The courtyard was empty, but the cries of a baby echoed continuously.

He followed the sound, walked through the garden, and went around the screen wall, only to find that it was the inner courtyard where his parents lived.

A middle-aged man with a square face was holding a small baby girl, rocking her back and forth to soothe her incessant crying.

But the man's eyes were also filled with tears. He himself was so sad, how could he possibly comfort others?

"Moon... In the main branch of my He family, the position of family head has always been passed down through male heirs. Your mother was gentle and had two daughters. Now that she is gone, I can no longer marry dao companion, so I can only ask you to make do..."

The baby girl continued to cry.

A tear fell from the man's eye and landed on the baby girl's face.

"I'm sorry... it's all my fault... Your mother always said she hoped her next child would be a boy. She said boys are good because boys don't have to care about so many worldly opinions, boys can do whatever they want, and then they won't repeat the same mistakes..."

The man's voice choked with emotion, broken and intermittent, as he continued to confess to the baby girl:

"Your mother endured countless hardships to give birth to you, always hoping you would be a boy. She's become somewhat delirious. To make her happier in her final moments, I asked the midwife to say you were a boy from the moment you were born. Later, we'll take you to the sacred mountain to be frozen, so your mother won't know whether you're a boy or a girl... There's no going back... I'm sorry, Yue'er, just live as a boy. Just do it for your mother's sake..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the baby girl finally stopped crying.

The scene shifts, and it's the same room again.

A woman with an indistinct face, accompanied by a three-year-old child, visited this middle-aged man who looked utterly frail.

The child was dressed as a boy, and his handsome features were already evident. At an age when he should be running around and playing wildly, the child was unusually well-behaved, looking timidly at the middle-aged man.

"Venerable Peiyu, Kongyue is already three years old this year," the woman said calmly.

He Kongyue knew that "Venerable Peiyu" was the title of her father, He Mingpei, the head of the He family.

"Didn't we already agree that you'd send her back when she's ten?! She's so young now, how can she return to the He family?! What if others notice something amiss?!"

He Mingpei became somewhat hysterical, which frightened Xiao He Kongyue to tears.

"Counting the hundred years she was frozen in our land, she has been away from home for 103 years. She said she missed home, so I took her home to visit."

He Mingpei was somewhat moved; he then realized that he and his wife hadn't seen each other for 103 years...

As time went by, he felt that his emotions were becoming increasingly difficult to control, just like his wife's.

Is it because I miss you so much that I've fallen ill with longing? But how can I not miss you all...?

He patted Xiao He Kongyue's head:

"Moon, Father misses you so much. But Father is a man, so I can only keep my longing to myself. You are a man too, so you must be strong, okay?"

Xiao He Kongyue stopped crying and nodded silently.

Then, when he was four years old, the woman brought Xiao He Kongyue back.

"Moon, I dreamt of your mother yesterday. She was very happy because she gave birth to a boy. She hopes you can grow up carefree and do whatever you want. Father feels the same way. Whatever you want to do when you grow up, Father will support you unconditionally!"

Xiao He Kongyue was stunned for a moment, but still nodded sensibly.

She was frozen in ice for a hundred years, which made her more precocious.

Having a son is a mother's long-cherished wish, becomes a father's obsession, and ultimately a responsibility she cannot shake off.

For her parents' sake, for the sake of the He family, she needed to become a man.

Then, at five, six, seven years old...

Until he was ten years old, He Mingpei became increasingly mentally unstable, with an unusually volatile temper, and he was always talking incoherently. He would only calm down a little when he talked about his wife and son.

As He Kongyue grew older, He Mingpei's tone became increasingly firm, as if he had already accepted that this was his son, the son his wife had left him.

When Xiao He Kongyue was only ten years old, he was already planning to find He Kongyue a girl from a wealthy family and arrange a marriage for her in advance.

He Kongyue was frozen in the sacred mountain for a hundred years. The sacred mountain continued to protect her for another ten years, citing the need for time to adapt after thawing. In fact, it was entrusted by He Mingpei to teach her for ten years. The most important thing was to teach her to act as a man and think as a man, so that she could be a perfect man.

The year she returned to her clan at the age of ten was the day He Mingpei was most lucid; this middle-aged woman with dementia seemed to have been waiting for this day all along.

With her unparalleled beauty, she shattered all doubts about her identity and gender, extinguished the ambitions of the collateral branches of the He family to replace the main branch, and made those outsiders who thought the He family had no heir blush with shame.

That night, He Mingpei held his wife's memorial tablet and cried, "Madam, did you see? Yue'er was a remarkable man..."

He Kongyue stared blankly at this real scene that she had dreamed of countless times, feeling an immense weariness envelop her.

I was born a man, not a delicate woman.

What am I tired of...?

He Kongyue woke up from her dream and found tears in the corners of her eyes.

On a clear winter day, with thick, cotton-like clouds, a magnificent sedan chair leisurely travels through the swirling mist.

You Su chatted politely with Tao Yaoyao for a while, then fell into deep thought and wearily closed her eyes.

He still can't think of a good solution to the matter of making Brother He his relative, and it's definitely impossible to tell Brother He directly.

Brother He is a man with lofty ideals of eliminating evil and purifying the world. If he knew that he would wake up one day to find himself transformed into an evil spirit, he would probably go mad.

Judging from the behavior of his junior sister and Xue Ruo, as long as he doesn't give orders that only a master can do, those who become his followers won't know that they are his followers, and in fact, You Su himself doesn't know that either.

For now, we can only keep it a secret and pretend nothing happened.

Afterwards, I will ask Lord Ash if there is a way to sever the kinship relationship, and then help Brother He get rid of the kinship label.

Perhaps because she had slept in the same sedan chair for a long time, even though the space was cramped, You Su slept soundly amidst the sweet milky aroma filling the sedan chair.

He slept for a whole day.

He Kongyue also awoke while You Su was asleep.

He Kongyue always acted like a gentle and refined gentleman, leaving a very good impression. She and Tao Yaoyao quickly became acquainted.

Tao Yaoyao embellished the story of how You Su had argued for her in front of everyone, He Kongyue also expressed that she would definitely thank You Su properly.

Tao Yaoyao's eyes welled up with tears, feeling that the two men in her sedan chair were excessively handsome. The young talents she had seen on the sacred mountain, disregarding cultivation and focusing solely on appearance, were all inferior to these two.

These two, one strong and the other gentle, no wonder they can be such good friends.

Tao Yaoyao thought ambiguously.

The magnificent sedan chair made a temporary stop by a small town for rest. In fact, the energy stored in the sedan chair was enough to fly back to the sacred mountain. However, Tao Yaoyao said that there was a shop in this town that made excellent peach blossom pastries, and she insisted on getting out of the car to buy some for He Kongyue and You Su to try.

He Kongyue thanked him and then stayed in the sedan chair to watch over You Su.

This exceptionally handsome young nobleman had changed into an expensive long robe; the light gray silk perfectly complemented his noble bearing.

He was sitting by the window, watching the clouds drift by outside.

"Brother He..."

You Su thought about things during the day and dreamed about them at night, murmuring them aloud.

He Kongyue looked at him in surprise, You Su mumbled a few words.

You Su always sleeps very peacefully. When she is awake, her slightly sharp eyebrows and eyes soften considerably when she is asleep, making her look harmless.

He Kongyue stared at You Su's face, feeling a pang of melancholy for some reason.

"Who could have imagined things would turn out this way..."

In Henggao City, He Kongyue was known for her wide circle of friends.

However, due to her background, He Kongyue often occupies a higher position in a friendship with others.

For example, she would pay for visits to brothels, and she would cover any gambling losses...

She has always been very generous. These material losses are just a drop in the ocean for the wealthy Ho family, but they can win over many partners and solidify her position as the eldest son of the Ho family.

But this unequal relationship made it impossible for her to consider anyone a trustworthy friend.

But You Su was a different one.

You Su would feel guilty for taking advantage of her, and would try to make up for it in every way, but she never considered that these things were actually insignificant to her. This shows that You Su sincerely hoped that the two of them would be on equal footing, and this blind woman's sincerity was irresistible.

You Su would also joke with her, but without any pretense or hidden flattery; instead, it was a genuine display of his mischievousness.

He Kongyue had never met someone so in sync with her, and their daily interactions were always so relaxed and natural. When faced with real danger, they instinctively trusted each other and understood each other's meaning without needing much communication.

In just five days, they defeated Huo Yuandi together, killed Tiger-headed Goby together, and even saw through Cheng Ying Venerable's strange illness...

Their meeting was not predestined, but rather driven by their own ulterior motives.

But as the two got to know each other better and overcame difficulties together, those initial motives seemed to have faded away.

You Su is not Allah, nor is she a disciple of He Shutong; she is not a member of the Purification Sect, nor is she a family member of He Shutong...

If only none of these conditions existed, she and You Su would have become best friends...

He Kongyue had somehow ended up sitting down next to You Su.

She lowered her head slightly, her loose black hair falling from her temples, smooth as silk, radiating a soft luster that complemented her gentle face.

She subconsciously reached out, seemingly wanting to touch You Su's face.

Sudden!

A rough, large hand grabbed He Kongyue's hand!

He Kongyue turned around in alarm, and saw an old man with tears streaming down his face looking at her with pity:

"Moon, you mustn't fall in love with a man!"

This is He Mingpei's face.

He Kongyue returned to her clan at the age of ten and was kept hidden away in the He family for eight years, where she learned the He family's secret techniques. When she was eighteen, He Mingpei discovered the list of geniuses on her desk and went into a fit of madness, the most in recent years.

He Kongyue finally managed to calm the mad old man down, and the old man's face was also streaked with tears.

"Moon, you mustn't fall in love with men! You are a man, you should like women. You should find a woman as beautiful as your mother, understand? You shouldn't be interested in these men!"

He Kongyue felt utterly helpless, her heart filled with unspeakable grievances:

"Father, I'm going to be born tomorrow. I just want to get to know them beforehand so I won't forget their names when we meet."

"That's good..."

After that, He Kongyue began to constantly turn down dao companion introduced to her by others, and started frequenting brothels. Even the rumors that the eldest son of the He family liked to visit prostitutes were spread by her herself.

A person of such high status should not have such bad habits, but the existence of this stain makes He Kongyue's identity and gender more real.

He Mingpei, the head of the He family, was in a state of confusion, but when he learned that his son liked to visit brothels, he did not get angry. Instead, he would show a relieved smile.

Only the He Kongyue remains, and my heart and strength are exhausted.

Memories flooded back, He Kongyue gently shook her head, trying to forget.

She didn't understand what was wrong with her. After all these years, she had completely gotten used to being a man, so why was she starting to have these unrealistic thoughts again...?

She turned her head and You Su still lying on the armchair, sleeping peacefully.

Her hand was less than an inch away from You Su's face.

She didn't touch it again; instead, she hovered there.

Looking at You Su's sleeping face, her turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.

Let's just stay friends...

With so many friends, He Kongyue, having one more true friend is nothing. Why would I be overthinking things?

He Kongyue's gentle gaze hardened; she had persevered for so many years, and she had to continue.

I was born a man, not a delicate woman!

Having adjusted her mindset, He Kongyue was about to withdraw her hand from You Su's cheek when the sedan curtain was suddenly parted.

Tao Yaoyao stared wide-eyed, her pupils gleaming with disbelief as she looked at He Kongyue, whose hair was loose and flowing, and who was reaching out to touch You Su's face...

Ahhh, so I didn't make a mistake!

I knew it!!

Tao Yaoyao was extremely excited; her little face was flushed, and her eyes had changed from disbelief to utter anticipation, as if to say:

Hurry up and touch it... hurry up and touch it...

He Kongyue's mind went blank. She felt as if the girl was staring at her, as if she were being roasted on a fire.

She had lost the ability to explain herself verbally, so she steeled herself, her once soft hand suddenly tightening with force, her outstretched right arm gathering all her strength, and then she swung it with all her might—

"Smack!"

Under Tao Yaoyao's shocked gaze, You Su suddenly woke up, covering his left cheek with a bright red handprint, his head still spinning.

Forced to wake up, he was utterly bewildered as to why he had been slapped for no reason while he was sleeping soundly.

"Ahem, it's good that Brother You is awake."

He Kongyue sipped her smooth milk tea, using it to hide her embarrassment.

"Miss Tao has already told me about Venerable Jiyuan's matter. Thank you for your righteous words, Brother You. However, both of us are depleted of our Source Qi and should replenish it in time to avoid developing any chronic illness. I couldn't wake you up just now, so I had no choice but to resort to this method. Please forgive me."

Tao Yaoyao squinted her big, watery eyes at He Kongyue, one hand supporting her cheek, as if to say:

Keep making this up, I'm listening.

In her heart, she thought with admiration: one was straight and uninterested in men; the other was gay, suppressing her feelings and afraid to express them...

Oh my gosh, this kind of unrequited love is just too amazing! I'm totally smitten!

Tao Yaoyao even clenched her fists in excitement.

He Kongyue gave a helpless twitch of his lips. He had seen many women like this in Henggao City. They liked to fantasize about homosexual relationships between handsome men to bring them pleasure. He called these women "fujoshi" (腐女).

Most women in this category are sexually normal, since their interest is still directed towards men. Just as many men enjoy watching stories between women, it's actually a form of female aesthetic appreciation, and ultimately, they still prefer women.

He Kongyue had always maintained an attitude of respect despite not understanding these people, but she never expected that one day she would become the object of their fantasies.

He had his own difficulties, knowing that once these kinds of people got into his mind, they were impossible to correct, so he simply gave up. Anyway, he wasn't saying this to make Tao Yaoyao believe him, but to make You Su believe him.

You Su rubbed her still-stinging left cheek, quickly took out the two bottles of Source Nurturing Pill from her Universe Bag, and gave one bottle to He Kongyue.

"I must have been sleeping too soundly. In that case, Brother He, please eat. This bottle is yours."

He Kongyue breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that You Su believed him. He took the pill, but only poured out one, and then pushed the bottle back.

"You earned all of this; I only need to lend you one."

"The Venerable Jiyuan agreed to one bottle per person. Brother He, do you really have to be so polite with me?" You Su's tone was somewhat serious.

He Kongyue pursed her lips. "Then I'll consider it an obligation for me to owe you a bottle of Source Nurturing Pill."

"Brother He, if you really want to calculate things so clearly, then I dare not ask you for anything again in the future." You Su smiled and pushed the medicine bottle back to He Kongyue.

Tao Yaoyao watched the two of them 'pulling back and forth' with great interest, wishing she could take out a handful of melon seeds and crack them open while watching.

You Su, well aware of the principle that those who see it should share it, took out another Source Nurturing Pill from his medicine bottle and gave it to Tao Yaoyao:

"Sister Yaoyao, thank you for bringing us back to the sect. I don't have much to offer, so I'll give you this."

Tao Yaoyao was flattered. As the personal maid of the Hua Jing, First Seat, it would be almost impossible for her to get such a top-quality elixir.

And this divine being bestowed it upon her so easily.

"I... I can't accept this..."

The girl hunched her shoulders and lowered her head, her chin resting directly on her overly ample breasts. She said she was embarrassed, but her hands moved quickly to catch the object.

My name is Miss Tao, but you just call me Sister Yaoyao Yao...

He Kongyue narrowed her eyes, resisting the urge to take one from her bottle for Tao Yaoyao and then take back You Su's.

"By the way! You must be starving after not eating for so long!"

Tao Yaoyao was delighted to receive such a generous gift and quickly took out the exquisite pastries she had specially bought.

"These Xue Ji Peach Pastry are delicious! You should all try them!"

Unable to refuse the girl's enthusiasm, You Su and He Kongyue each took one and put it in their mouths.

"Your mouth is filled with the delicate fragrance of peach blossoms, sweet but not cloying, cool but not cold. Sister Yaoyao certainly knows how to eat," You Su complimented.

He Kongyue nodded outwardly, but inwardly he thought, "Isn't this sip of milk tea and bite of pastry just the classic afternoon tea of those young ladies in Henggao City? What's so special about it? It's not even as good as a single hair of my Northern Ao Continent Yak Jerky."

Receiving a positive response Tao Yaoyao giggled, "Of course! These Xue Ji Peach Pastry are not only delicious, but they also have a meaningful connotation!"

"What's the meaning?" You Su asked, playing the straight man.

Tao Yaoyao exclaimed happily, "The shopkeeper said that people who share a plate of Xue Ji Peach Pastry will grow old together!"

"Cough cough cough!"

He Kongyue seemed to choke and began to cough violently.

"Is Brother He alright?" You Su asked with concern.

He Kongyue shook her head and quickly took a sip of milk tea to swallow it.

Only after swallowing did she realize her mistake; this fujoshi was truly cunning, she should have just spat it out...

Tao Yaoyao caught a glimpse of He Kongyue's appearance out of the corner of her eye, and found it even more amusing:

"Young Master He, even though the peach blossom pastries are delicious, you should eat them slowly. There are still plenty more here."

He Kongyue raised her dark eyebrows, pretending not to understand:

"Miss Tao is right, I'll take a moment."

"Actually, this meaning is something the shopkeeper made up to attract customers. Eating Xue Ji Peach Pastry together in the snow, with your heads covered in snow, wouldn't that mean you'll grow old together?"

Tao Yaoyao knew that teasing shouldn't go too far, so she picked up a pastry and put it in her mouth. "I don't care about such superficial things. I only know that their pastries are delicious."

He Kongyue caught a glimpse of crumbs landing on the girl's firm chest and Curse inwardly:

It's best if this implication is false, otherwise you won't be able to escape either!

Returning to peak tomorrow