Abbess, I Don't Want to Work Hard Anymore!

The mountains and rivers of Shu were known for their beauty, wonder, danger, and steepness, and Mount Emei was the most remarkable of all. Its peaks and ridges overlapped endlessly, shrouded in swirling clouds and mist, making it seem like an immortal realm.

Mount Emei was also the foundation of the renowned Emei Sect, one of the most prestigious sects in the martial world.

Purple Cloud Palace was hidden amid the sea of clouds atop the peaks, while Qingyin Pavilion dotted the mountain streams and forest springs, creating a truly tranquil, immortal atmosphere. Yet today, that tranquility had been shattered.

At the foot of Xuan Nü Peak, before the thousand-zhang flight of steps paved with bluestone, a throng of people had gathered.

The morning mist had yet to disperse, but several hundred people were already braving the cool mountain wind and waiting along the steps. Their eyes were filled with both longing and unease toward the prestigious sect.

Among the crowd were wealthy young ladies in brocade caps and sable furs, farm girls in cloth skirts and hairpins of thornwood, and young women from martial families whose resolute faces held traces of arrogance between their brows.

Yet nearly all of them were eleven or twelve years old.

Today was the day the Emei Sect opened its gates wide once every decade to select outer disciples.

However, atop the mountain, everyone's gaze kept drifting toward one corner.

That was because every person visible on Xuan Nü Peak was a girl, except for the sole person standing in that corner—a boy.

The boy was about eleven or twelve years old. He wore a dark-blue, coarse-cloth jacket that was neither new nor particularly worn. His skin was fair, his features handsome, and he carried a scholarly air that made him seem unlike someone from a poor family.

Perhaps because he was the only male present, or perhaps because of the calm bearing he carried, several abbesses unconsciously turned their gazes toward him.

Gu Shaoan's eyes passed over the shifting heads and landed beneath the tall jade archway at the end of the stone steps.

Several figures stood there in spotless white Emei robes, their bearing solemn and composed.

At the head stood a middle-aged woman with a thin, austere face and eyes as sharp as lightning. She was none other than Master Juechen, the Foreign Affairs Court's executive elder, renowned for her strictness.

As her gaze fell on Gu Shaoan, an elder beside her said, "I didn't expect Senior Sister to bring back a boy this time."

Master Juechen said softly, "This child was originally from a scholarly family in Jiangnan. Three months ago, when he passed a mountain temple, he once gave me food."

"Unexpectedly, the very next day, he encountered bandits, and his entire family was killed by them."

"Just then, the Sect Leader ordered us to search outside for suitable disciples and bring them back. I saw that the child was alone and wretched, but resolute, well-read, and courteous, so I brought him back to give it a try."

The elder who had asked the question looked at Gu Shaoan and nodded unconsciously.

"His bearing is excellent, and his appearance is outstanding. I like him as well, but everyone in Emei, from top to bottom, has been female these past years. Besides, you know that ever since—"

She paused before continuing, "Ever since that person died, the Sect Leader has never said so outright, but none of the men who came for the examination in previous years received her approval to join Emei. I'm worried this child won't pass the Sect Leader's test."

Master Juechen naturally knew this. After thinking for a moment, she sighed.

"If it truly doesn't work out, I'll take him to another sect. At worst, I'll bring him to a nearby town and leave him some money."

Perhaps sensing Master Juechen's gaze, Gu Shaoan raised his head at that moment.

Their eyes met, and Gu Shaoan bowed toward Master Juechen in the distance.

Master Juechen gave him a slight nod in response, a trace of amusement flashing in her eyes.

Seeing that slight nod, Gu Shaoan felt relieved.

It really works.

Two months ago, Gu Shaoan had still been sitting in front of his company computer, staying up late to perfect a game. Then, after he smelled something burning, he closed and reopened his eyes—only to discover that he had transmigrated to the Great Wei Kingdom on this land of Jiuzhou.

After digesting the previous owner's memories, Gu Shaoan learned that in this Great Wei Kingdom, True Master Zhang of Wudang had ended the Sixty-Year Demon-Slaying Campaign ten years ago.

The Five Peaks Sword Sect and the Sun Moon Divine Cult were locked in fierce battle.

Piecing together the scattered fragments of information in his memories, Gu Shaoan guessed that he had transmigrated into the game.

Another reason that convinced Gu Shaoan he had entered the game was a different object.

[Abbess's Favor (Gold): You can always arouse abbesses' goodwill and attention.]

One of the distinctive features of the game Great Jianghu that Gu Shaoan had developed was the incorporation of "traits."

Players could obtain new traits through various channels in the game, thereby gaining enhancements.

Traits were divided into nine grades, from lowest to highest: gray, white, green, blue, red, purple, gold, orange, and rainbow. (Just remember the red, purple, gold, orange, and rainbow grades.)

Every game character could obtain one innate trait free of charge.

And the innate trait Gu Shaoan carried was this [Abbess's Favor].

As the game's designer, Gu Shaoan naturally knew exactly what kind of game he had created.

For players, it was absolutely full of fun.

But for the natives of this Jianghu, it was nothing short of dangerous.

If you walked along the roadside, looked at someone one time too many, and asked, "What are you looking at?" the response might not be, "I'm looking at you, so what?" It might be a saber straight to your face.

If you passed by and happened upon two experts fighting, you could easily be caught in the crossfire and take a slash.

The previous owner's parents had both died at the hands of bandits, which further confirmed this point.

As the Emei Sect happened to be recruiting disciples this year, and Gu Shaoan's innate trait was the most useless thing in the early game, he had come to take a chance after encountering Master Juechen.

Abbess, I don't want to work hard anymore!

"Next, as long as I pass the outer disciple examination, I'll at least have a place to stay for the time being."

"Silence!"

Just then, a chilly voice suddenly rang out.

The voice was not loud, yet it struck like metal and stone, instantly suppressing all the noise.

Hundreds of eyes converged on Master Juechen.

At the same time, behind Master Juechen, beyond the lattice window of a pavilion suspended over the cliff, a figure had appeared at some unknown point and stood silently.

Her golden-and-white monastic robes were immaculate. She appeared to be in her early forties, with delicate features. Yet her eyebrows were extremely long, lending the face that should have been beautiful an air of coldness and severity. Her eyes held an even more chilling glint.

She was none other than the current Sect Leader of Emei, Master Miejue, renowned for her iron blood and ruthlessness.

Miejue's gaze also swept carelessly over the people below.

The stone steps resembled an anthill, the eager faces blurred and indistinguishable.

Until Gu Shaoan's figure inadvertently entered her line of sight.

With that single glance, the withered fingers hidden within Master Miejue's spacious robes suddenly tightened!

It was not only because of the persistence and resilience in his eyes. More importantly, it was the air around Gu Shaoan below—the bearing he displayed, the straight line of his back, and the stillness of his presence, calm as stone. They gave Miejue a sense of familiarity that had lingered for years.

In an instant, a shadow rose without warning from the deepest, most painful, most untouchable corner of her heart.

Then—

It swiftly overlapped for a moment with the cloth-clad boy beneath the stone steps!

"Senior Brother Gu Hongzi?"