Gu Chengming gathered the manuscript he had finished writing into a booklet, bound it with string, and nodded in satisfaction.
Damn Cliffhanger Hook!
Carrying the freshly finished "Interactive Storybook," Gu Chengming set off for the Sword Repository Pavilion once more.
This time, luck was on his side. He hadn't made the trip for nothing.
Yu Wenqiu sat upright behind the broad rosewood desk, a Jade Slip in her hand. She seemed to be earnestly handling sect business.
But Gu Chengming keenly noticed that her gaze wandered. Clearly, her mind wasn't on the Jade Slip at all.
The moment she saw Gu Chengming walk in, Yu Wenqiu's eyes lit up.
She had obviously remembered Gu Chengming's promise last time to find her a "Unique Copy."
"Ahem."
Yu Wenqiu set down the Jade Slip in her hand, straightened her back, and cleared her throat.
"Gu Chengming, what brings you here today?"
Gu Chengming didn't call her out. Smiling, he took the beautifully bound storybook from his robes and presented it to her with both hands.
"This disciple has thankfully fulfilled his duty and found the book the elder wanted, one 'containing the truths of the mortal world.' I've brought it here to present to you."
Yu Wenqiu's gaze lingered on the thick storybook for a moment. She reached out, appearing nonchalant, but took it with astonishing speed. Then, with a practiced motion, she slipped it into her wide sleeve.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water, all in one fluid motion. Clearly, this wasn't her first time.
"Mm. You've been thoughtful."
Yu Wenqiu nodded slightly.
Of course, this wasn't the right occasion to start reading it at once.
There were still other disciples walking about, after all. She had to keep up the airs of an elder.
The two chatted briefly. Yu Wenqiu mainly tried to fish for information about the book's origins and what came next, while Gu Chengming gave her vague answers, only saying that if the elder liked it, he would bring her more later.
Satisfied with his answer, Yu Wenqiu was in high spirits. She even gave Gu Chengming a rare, genuine smile.
Seeing that he'd accomplished his goal, Gu Chengming tactfully took his leave.
That night, in Yu Wenqiu's cave abode.
On the comfortable wicker hammock, Yu Wenqiu had changed into her pale purple loungewear. She eagerly pulled out the storybook she'd kept hidden all day.
By the gentle glow of the Moonlight Stone, she opened the first page. Sure enough, it was a Unique Copy she hadn't read before.
Yu Wenqiu was secretly delighted. Xiao Gu really is honest. He didn't lie to me.
She settled into a comfortable position and began to read.
At first, she read with a detached, leisurely curiosity.
After all, she usually preferred romantic storybooks about talented scholars and beautiful ladies, love and hatred. She wasn't particularly interested in a tale that was clearly about cultivating immortality, going on trials, and fighting monsters to level up.
But as she read on, her expression changed.
The storybook's narrative style was so unusual!
Unlike traditional storybooks, which simply recounted events from an onlooker's perspective, this one unfolded entirely in the first person, through "I."
The delicate descriptions of the protagonist's thoughts and the vivid depictions of the surroundings made her feel as if she'd stepped right into the world of the book and become that Servant Disciple—humble in origin, yet harboring great ambitions.
The fury of being bullied, the wild joy of finding a fortuitous opportunity, the tension of facing a powerful foe...
Every emotional beat struck right at her nerves.
"This sense of immersion... It's incredible!"
Yu Wenqiu murmured to herself. She'd only meant to skim through it, but before she knew it, she was completely absorbed.
She read through the entire night.
Until—
When the story reached a crucial moment and the protagonist faced a Life and Death Crisis that demanded a choice, two eye-catching option boxes suddenly appeared on the page.
[Option One: Swallow your anger and hand over the treasure to save your life. (Please turn to page 45)]
[Option Two: Fight to the death and activate the Remnant Soul's power to force your way out. (Please turn to page 68)]
"This..."
Yu Wenqiu froze.
You could do that?
You could make choices on behalf of the characters in a storybook?
This unprecedented novelty instantly sparked her curiosity.
"Hmph. I, Yu Wenqiu, am no coward who fears death! Of course I'll fight to the death!"
Without hesitation, she chose the second option and turned to page 68.
But what happened next left her dumbfounded.
The protagonist wasn't strong enough. Forcing the Remnant Soul's power to activate shattered his meridians. Though he dealt the enemy a grievous wound, he exploded and died too.
[Ending: A heroic sacrifice.]
[Achievement unlocked: Some roads can't be traveled on sheer passion alone.]
"He died?!"
Yu Wenqiu's eyes widened in disbelief.
She, an elder of the Wenjian Sect, had chosen a path that led to death?!
"No, no! That doesn't count! Do it over!"
Unwilling to accept it, she flipped back to the page with the choices and picked the first option this time.
But when she turned to page 45, she saw that although the protagonist had survived, handing over the vital treasure had damaged his Dao Heart. From then on, he lost all ambition and faded into obscurity.
[Ending: A life of mediocrity.]
[Achievement unlocked: Crawling along in shame may be useful, but is it really worth it...?]
"Aaah! This is infuriating!"
Yu Wenqiu angrily flung the storybook onto the hammock and rolled around in a tantrum.
What kind of lousy options were these? No matter what she chose, it ended in tragedy!
She herself certainly didn't want to die, and she didn't want to see such a pathetic ending either!
But...
Her intense frustration, coupled with her craving to know what came next, made her pick the storybook back up despite herself.
"I refuse to believe it! There has to be a perfect ending!"
And so this usually aloof elder began wrestling with the storybook.
Like a compulsive completionist, she tried every option, even the ones that looked utterly ridiculous.
She hated seeing the protagonist die, but her strange desire to "unlock every ending" kept her hooked.
The thrill of teetering on the brink of death and steering the course of fate was a hundred times more exciting than merely reading a story!
Before she knew it, the sky outside had begun to pale with the first light of dawn.
"Whew... That was so satisfying!"
She closed the storybook, content, and stretched out with a huge yawn.
But when her gaze happened to sweep across the bright light outside, she froze.
"Oh, no..."
Yu Wenqiu looked at the storybook in her hand, then at the bright sun outside.
"I read all night?! I'm doomed! I still have to go to work!"
With a wail, she sprang off the hammock. Sporting faint dark circles, she hurriedly washed up and changed.
As she fixed her appearance, she found herself itching to keep reading.
No, she had to finish it before going to the Sword Repository Pavilion.
Having made up her mind, Yu Wenqiu didn't even bother to finish getting dressed. She started reading the storybook again.
But when she reached the last page, still eager for more and anticipating what would happen next, she found a maddeningly smug little line:
[Book One · The End.]
[For what happens next, hear the tale in the next installment.]
"That's it?!"
Yu Wenqiu ground her teeth in fury.
It was such a thick book. She'd thought it was a complete story! Who knew it would end on a cliffhanger?!
Ahhh, damn it!
She wanted to read what came next so badly!
Wait, hadn't she skipped work again?
The Master Should Try It Herself
Gu Chengming had no idea that over at the Sword Repository Pavilion, an elder who'd skipped work was going mad with frustration over the cliffhanger.
Things were going quite smoothly for him, even orderly.
He'd found a way to increase favorability with the Pure Heart Art.
By contrast, his progress with the Huiyuan Sword Art seemed to have stalled again.
Ever since he'd finished grilling Senior Sister You of the Jingyu Pavilion, the Favorability of the Huiyuan Sword Art had stopped increasing.
Was it harder to raise Favorability the further he went?
Whether he practiced swordsmanship or not, its Favorability remained stuck, barely inching along with time.
Hmm... Had he hit a bottleneck?
Gu Chengming stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Based on his years of playing GALGAMEs, this usually meant Favorability had reached a certain stage's limit. He would have to trigger a specific "Bond Event" or complete a difficult "Breakthrough Mission" to break through that limit and unlock the next stage of the story.
Unfortunately, reality wasn't a game. There was no glittering golden exclamation mark floating over someone's head to tell him where to trigger the mission.
"Forget it. There's no point rushing."
Gu Chengming sighed, reassuring himself.
Fortunately, things were going very well with the other two, even if the main heroine was proving difficult.
There was no need to mention the Calm Heart Art. Writing storybooks steadily raised its Favorability, just as practicing swordsmanship had before. He'd found a way to make progress there, at least.
As for Hundred Bones Cry, which had been quiet for so long, he still hadn't officially begun cultivating it, but he could feel that the barrier was so thin he was about to pierce through it. The Qi and Blood within his body were gathering bit by bit, like a flood poised to burst, held back by only one final dam.
Once the water had gathered enough, breaking through that dam would only be a matter of time.
Still, when he thought about it, it was kind of embarrassing.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he was pursuing some high-difficulty hidden character and about to enter the H-route.
Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
It was Jiang Lu.
When Jiang Lu learned that Gu Chengming had already "repaid" some of Yu Wenqiu's kindness, he must have imagined something unspeakable. The expression on his face was a sight to behold.
He started to speak, stopped himself, seemed to want to speak again, and finally let out a meaningful sigh.
"Senior Brother Gu... You've worked hard."
Before you continue