Western Profession: Model

As soon as he stepped onto the second-floor flooring, Li Xiang's gaze was drawn to the scene in the center of the hall.

The space on the second floor was wider than the first, and the interior decoration was even more luxurious.

The most eye-catching thing was a display area in the center of the hall that had been crafted to resemble... a T-shaped runway.

Standing on the display stage were several figures.

They were young men and women with tall statures and perfect proportions. Regardless of gender, their appearances were all top-tier.

They wore various kinds of gorgeous attire, including the Zhongshan suits currently popular in the South, as well as Western Tailcoats and evening gowns.

These people were not standing completely still; rather, from time to time, they changed their poses.

Every once in a while, they would change a posture extremely naturally, either raising a hand or turning around. Their movements were graceful and smooth, perfectly displaying every detail and every trace of gloss on the clothing they wore.

Yet what made Li Xiang feel the most peculiar was that, within his perception, there was neither vitality nor dead energy on these people, only a kind of extremely pure... object-ness.

It was just like clothes having turned into spirits?

Generating a certain resonance with the garments on their bodies, the originally static clothes came to life upon them.

The luster on the silk flowed, and the flowers and birds on the embroidery seemed as though they were about to fly out. That spirituality was more than ten times stronger than when they hung on clothes racks.

“This is...” Li Xiang stopped in his tracks, his gaze locking onto a Male Model who was displaying a Martial Cultivator's jacket.

The Male Model's stature was not particularly burly, but after he put on that garment, the aura he exuded actually made Li Xiang feel a trace of oppression.

"They are all professional models who have studied abroad in the West."

Seeing Li Xiang stop, the female clerk paused and introduced, "When ordinary people wear clothes, that is man wearing clothes; when models wear clothes, that is clothes wearing man."

"A model?" Qin Zhong wore a look of curiosity. "Isn't that just wearing clothes for other people to look at? Does this even require studying abroad in the West?"

"Mr. Qin, this is different, he..."

"The model is a new profession passed down from the Western side. Counted fully, the history of its birth is not even a hundred years."

Before the female clerk had time to explain, a lazy and magnetic voice drifted out from a studio deep within the second floor.

Accompanied by a series of crisp high-heel sounds, a woman wearing an ink-green woven-gold qipao walked out.

She held a soft ruler in her hand, wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses hanging from her neck, and her long hair was pinned up casually with a jade hairpin.

Time seemed to have left not many traces on her face; instead, it settled into a charm unique to a mature woman.

This person was precisely the mistress of the Shocking Heron Martial Arts Hall and the owner of the Wanqing Tailor Shop, Ye Wanqing.

"Boss."

The guiding clerk hurriedly retreated to the side.

The noblewomen sitting around on the sofas watching the model fashion show also all greeted her with smiles: "Madam Ye, you're done with your work?"

Ye Wanqing nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then walked up to Li Xiang and Qin Zhong.

"Mistress!" Meeting Ye Wanqing, Qin Zhong was as respectful as could be.

"Martial Hall Mistress." Li Xiang also cupped his fists in a salute, maintaining a sense of propriety in his address.

He knew clearly in his heart that Qin Zhong was a true transmission disciple, so calling her mistress was a matter of course and also a sign of closeness.

He himself was merely a trainee at the Shocking Heron Martial Arts Hall, not a true transmission disciple of Hong Tianbao, nor had he formally entered the Ye Family.

According to the rules, he had no qualification to call her mistress; calling her martial hall mistress displayed respect while guarding propriety.

Ye Wanqing's gaze swept over Qin Zhong's body, finally landing on Li Xiang.

A pair of autumn-water-like pupils were currently like two sharp scissors, wanting to cut open Li Xiang's skin, flesh, and skeleton to examine him thoroughly.

Li Xiang only felt his entire body tighten, inspected thoroughly from head to toe.

"You are curious about models?" Ye Wanqing withdrew her gaze, sweeping it across those few models. "The profession of a model was initially just for displaying the effect of clothes."

"But as you also know, in this world of ours, people are dead, yet rules are alive."

Ye Wanqing's voice grew distant, recounting an unknown history.

"Originally there were no roads in the world, and when many people walk, they become a path—this sentence is suited beyond measure when applied to the occupational system."

"Professions are never unchangeable."

"In the past, there were no gunfighters, no mechanics, no revolutionaries, and no models."

"Following the shifts of the era, as new things appear and when a sufficient number of people harbor the same conviction to do the same thing, they will gain the favor of the heavens, which is to say, the recognition of the rules."

"Thus, the new 'Dao', meaning the new profession, is born."

A giant shock shook Li Xiang's heart.

This was the truth behind the birth of new professions?

Not bestowed by gods, not destined by the heavens, but walked out by people?

"These people were originally just ordinary clothes racks."

Ye Wanqing walked up to a female model, reaching out to straighten her collar.

"The moment when they stand there day after day, perfectly fusing their bodies and temperaments with the clothes upon them, forgetting themselves for the sake of displaying the soul of the garments, they have stepped onto the path."

"As long as a model steps onto the path, they will birth an ability similar to Martial Force, called 'Resonance'."

"Resonance?" Li Xiang felt somewhat uncomprehending.

"That's right." Ye Wanqing explained, "Models who have stepped onto the path possess no fixed temperament; their temperament changes along with the clothes on their bodies."

"Putting on a general's armor, they are veteran commanders of the battlefield; putting on a scholar's robe, they are filled with scholarly knowledge; putting on a beggar's outfit, they are down-and-out wanderers."

"And the most crucial part is..." Ye Wanqing turned around, looking at Li Xiang and Qin Zhong.

"When they wear Enchanted Garments, they can resonate with the Enchanted Garments and gain extra enhancements."

"Oftentimes, in order to test the limit of a top-tier Enchanted Garment, or for some special purpose, we hire professional models to wear them."

Resonance...

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. If it was truly as Ye Wanqing said, a model who stepped onto the path could resonate with the Enchanted Garments on their body and obtain additional enhancements.

For a Martial Cultivator, this was simply a god-tier supporting profession.

Martial Cultivators relied on their bodies; if one added an Enchanted Garment capable of flowing with one's intent and amplifying battle prowess, that would not merely be a matter of defense, but an all-around enhancement.

One plus one was definitely greater than two.

"Since you understand the inner workings, don't just stand there stunned."

Ye Wanqing turned around, pointing at the row of racks behind her hung with all sorts of sample garments.

"Go on, those are a few new Western styles that just arrived. Go try them on."

"Try them on?"

Qin Zhong scratched his head and asked, "Mistress, isn't this a bit wrong?"

"Wrong?" Ye Wanqing raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong about it?"

"My old master told us explicitly to come find you so you could tailor a set of Enchanted Garments for us to wear at the duel in a few days."

Qin Zhong pointed at the sample garment rack over there. "Since everyone says it's custom tailoring, shouldn't we measure sizes first, then choose the materials, and finally pick up the scissors?

How come we're trying on these ready-made clothes right off the bat?"

"And..." Qin Zhong glanced at those flashy foreign outfits, a disgusted expression emerging on his face.

"These Western clothes look quite spirited, but those are for young masters to wear while drinking coffee, or for compradors to wear while discussing business."

“We're Martial Cultivators. Wearing these to martial contests—are we playing monkeys or fighting a battle?”

"Won't the crotch split the moment you lift your leg?"

Qin Zhong's words were rough yet contained truth.

A Martial Cultivator's Enchanted Garments needed to be loose but well-fitted, with room at the joints, and had to be wear-resistant and durable.

These Western suits were slim-cut, binding a person tightly like a rice dumpling—how could they possibly stretch their fists and kicks?

Li Xiang stood to the side, his gaze revealing the same doubt.

He also felt this process had some problems.

Hong Tianbao had said they were coming to pick up customized Enchanted Garments, but the current stance made it seem like they had come to serve as coolies instead?

"Hah."

Hearing Qin Zhong's questioning, Ye Wanqing did not get angry; instead, she let out a light laugh.

That smile carried a bit of helplessness, along with a comprehension that had seen through everything long ago.

She took off the gold-rimmed glasses hanging from her neck, took out a piece of deer-skin velvet cloth to gently wipe the lenses with extremely graceful movements, yet spat out a sentence that left the two of them flabbergasted.

"Custom tailored?"