Martial Saint

Gu Chengming organized the completed manuscript into a volume and bound it with a thin cord, nodding in satisfaction.

Chapter 17: The Abominable Cliffhanger Hook!

Carrying the freshly minted "Interactive Storybook," Gu Chengming once again set off toward the Sword Repository Pavilion.

This time, his luck was good; he didn't have a wasted trip.

Yu Wenqiu was sitting upright behind that large rosewood desk, holding a Jade Slip in her hand, appearing to be earnestly handling sect affairs.

However, Gu Chengming keenly noticed that her gaze was somewhat unfocused; clearly, her mind was not on the Jade Slip at all.

Seeing Gu Chengming walk in, Yu Wenqiu's eyes lit up instantly.

She was obviously remembering the "Unique Copy" that Gu Chengming had promised last time.

"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 did not call her bluff. Smiling, he took the beautifully bound storybook from his robes and presented it with both hands.

"This disciple has not failed the mission. I have found the book 'Containing the Ultimate Truths of the Mortal World' that the Elder required, and have come specifically to offer it to you."

Yu Wenqiu's gaze lingered on the thick storybook for a moment. She reached out, appearing nonchalant, but in reality, she took the book with lightning speed and, with a highly practiced motion, slid it smoothly into her wide sleeve.

The movement was fluid and natural, executed in one go; she was clearly a repeat offender.

"Mm, you have a heart for this."

Yu Wenqiu nodded slightly.

Of course, such an occasion was certainly not suitable for reading it immediately.

After all, there were other disciples moving about nearby, and she still had to maintain the dignity expected of an Elder.

The two chatted briefly, mostly with Yu Wenqiu asking roundabout questions about the source and sequels of the storybook, while Gu Chengming gave vague, evasive answers, saying only that if the Elder liked it, sequels would naturally be provided in the future.

Having received a satisfactory reply, Yu Wenqiu was in high spirits, even offering Gu Chengming a rare, genuine smile.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Gu Chengming tactfully took his leave.

That night, in Yu Wenqiu's Cave Abode.

On that comfortable rattan hammock, Yu Wenqiu changed into her light purple loungewear and couldn't wait to pull out the storybook she had kept hidden all day.

By the soft glow of the Moonlight Stone, she turned to the first page. It was indeed a Unique Copy she had never seen before.

Yu Wenqiu felt a secret joy in her heart, thinking, Little Gu is truly honest; he didn't lie to me.

She adjusted into a comfortable position and began to read.

At first, she held a mindset of scrutiny and mere amusement.

After all, she usually preferred storybooks about talented scholars and beautiful ladies, or tales of grudges and romance. She actually had little interest in stories that, at a glance, were about cultivation, monster-slaying, and leveling up.

However, as she read on, her eyes changed.

The narrative style of this storybook was too unique!

Unlike the flat, third-person perspective of traditional storybooks, this one unfolded entirely in the first person, "I."

The delicate psychological descriptions and the immersive portrayal of the environment made her feel as if she had instantly traveled into the world of the book, becoming that Servant Disciple who was born into humble circumstances but harbored great ambitions.

The anger when being bullied, the wild joy when encountering a stroke of luck, the tension when facing a powerful enemy...

Every emotional beat struck her nerves with precision.

"This sense of immersion... is it not too strong?"

Yu Wenqiu muttered to herself. She had originally intended to just flip through it casually, but before she knew it, she was completely absorbed.

She read like this for the entire night.

Until—

When the story reached a critical juncture, where the protagonist faced a Life and Death Crisis and had to make a choice, two eye-catching option boxes suddenly appeared on the page.

[Option One: Swallow your pride and hand over the treasure to save your life. (Please turn to page 45)]

[Option Two: Fight to the death and activate the power of the Remnant Soul to force a breakout. (Please turn to page 68)]

"This..."

Yu Wenqiu was stunned.

Is this even possible?

Can one actually make choices on behalf of the characters in a storybook?

This unheard-of, novel method instantly ignited her intense curiosity.

"Hmph, is Yu Wenqiu the type to fear death? Of course, I choose to fight to the death!"

She chose the second option without a moment's hesitation and flipped to page 68.

However, the plot that followed left her dumbfounded.

Because the protagonist lacked sufficient strength, forcing the activation of the Remnant Soul's power caused his Meridians to shatter completely. Although he dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, he ended up exploding and dying himself.

[Ending: Heroic Sacrifice.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Some paths cannot be traversed by passion alone.]

"He died?!"

Yu Wenqiu's eyes widened in disbelief.

As an esteemed Elder of the Wenjian Sect, she had actually chosen a dead end?!

"No, no! This doesn't count! Do it over!"

Refusing to accept this, she flipped back to the option page and chose the first option this time.

When she turned to page 45, she saw that although the protagonist had saved his life, he had been forced to surrender his core treasure. This caused his Dao Heart to be damaged, leaving him dispirited and fading into obscurity among the masses.

[Ending: A Mediocre Life.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Living is shameful, but is it... actually useful?]

"Argh! This is infuriating!"

Yu Wenqiu was so angry that she threw the storybook onto her hammock and began rolling around on the bed in a fit of pique.

What kind of garbage options were these?! Every choice led to a tragedy!

She certainly didn't want to die, and she wanted to see such a spineless ending even less!

But...

That intense sense of unwillingness, coupled with her craving for the subsequent plot, made her unable to stop herself from picking the book back up.

"I don't believe it! There has to be a perfect ending!"

And so, this usually aloof and cold Elder began to lock horns with the storybook.

Like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, she tried every single option, not even sparing those that seemed utterly ridiculous.

Even though she hated seeing the protagonist die, a strange desire to collect—the urge to unlock every single ending—kept her hooked.

The thrill of walking on the edge of death and controlling the direction of fate was a hundred times more exciting than simply reading a story!

Before she knew it, the sky outside the window had begun to turn the pale white of dawn.

"Whew... satisfying!"

She closed the storybook with a look of contentment and stretched her arms wide.

However, when her gaze inadvertently swept across the bright daylight outside the window, her entire body froze.

"Oh, man..."

Yu Wenqiu glanced at the storybook in her hand, then back at the blazing sun outside.

"I read all night?! It's over, it's over, I still have to go to work!"

She let out a wail and sprang up from her hammock. With faint dark circles under her eyes, she scrambled to wash up and get dressed in a flurry of panic.

As she tidied her appearance, she felt an itch she couldn't scratch.

No, I have to finish reading it before I go to the Sword Repository Pavilion.

Having made this decision, Yu Wenqiu didn't even bother finishing putting on her clothes before she started flipping through the storybook again.

However, just as she reached the final page, feeling unsatisfied and eager for the next part of the plot, she saw a line of infuriatingly smug small print:

[Volume One: End.]

[To see what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment.]

"It's finished just like that?!"

Yu Wenqiu gritted her teeth in frustration.

Looking at how thick the book was, she had assumed it was a complete story! To think it would cut off right here?!

Ahhh, damn it!

I really want to see what happens next!

Wait, I think I skipped work again.

Chapter 19: Chapter 18 - Master, Try It Yourself

Gu Chengming was unaware of the frenzy that a certain truant elder was currently experiencing over a cliffhanger back at the Sword Repository Pavilion.

His own days were passing quite smoothly, one might even say methodically.

Although he had found a direction for mastering the Pure Heart Art.

Conversely, progress on the Huiyuan Sword Art seemed to have stalled once again.

Ever since the last time he finished interrogating Senior Sister You from the Jingyu Pavilion, the favorability growth of the Huiyuan Sword Art had stagnated.

Is it that the further you go, the harder it is to raise favorability?

Whether he practiced the sword or not, the favorability remained stuck there, only creeping forward at a glacial pace over time.

Hmm... perhaps it has reached a bottleneck?

Gu Chengming rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

According to his years of experience playing GALGAMEs, this usually meant that the favorability had reached the cap for a certain stage. He would need to trigger a specific "Bond Event" or complete a high-difficulty "Breakthrough Mission" to break through this limit and unlock the next stage of the plot.

It was just a pity that reality wasn't a game; there was no golden exclamation mark floating above anyone's head to tell him where to trigger a mission.

"Forget it, there's no use rushing."

Gu Chengming sighed, comforting himself.

Fortunately, aside from this difficult "main palace" candidate, the progress with the other two was quite encouraging.

There was no need to even mention the Calm Heart Art; writing scripts provided a steady increase in favorability, much like practicing the sword had before. He had essentially found the path to wooing her.

As for the Hundred Bones Ming, which had been quiet for so long, although he hadn't officially mastered it yet, Gu Chengming could feel that the window-paper-thin barrier was about to be pierced. The power of Qi and Blood within his body was accumulating bit by bit, like a flood ready to burst, waiting only for that final bottleneck to give way.

Once the water gathered to a certain level, breaking through that pass would only be a matter of time.

However, thinking about it this way was actually a bit embarrassing.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was trying to romance some high-difficulty hidden character and was about to enter an H-route.

Just as he was thinking this, the courtyard gate was knocked upon.

The person who arrived was none other than Jiang Lu.

Upon learning that Gu Chengming had already "repaid" a portion of Yu Wenqiu's favor, Jiang Lu—who knows what kind of unspeakable plot he had imagined—wore an incredibly colorful expression on his face.

He wanted to say something but held back, then wanted to speak again, only to stop once more, finally letting out a long, meaningful sigh.

"Senior Brother Gu... you've worked hard."