JustJae

Following his father's murder, Wu Ling's mother returned to the life of a courtesan, disguising her young son as a girl to take refuge in the Bamboo Silk House, a women's only sect dedicated to the arts. Now, as his powers awaken, he'll find himself torn between protecting his family and the goals of powerful cultivators who see him as a means to an end. 

"Wu Ling, I've accepted a marriage proposal on your behalf," the bewitching Hall Master of the Bamboo Silk House declared. "When you enter the Inner Sect, you'll enter under the name 'Hua Qianhu', fiancee of a young lord of the Liang family." 

"Hall Master, that's impossible!" Wu Ling protested. "Even if you ignore my relationship with Meifeng, I might have dressed well enough to hide as a mortal woman but I could never..."

"So you truly didn't realize what you were doing," the Hall Master said, a dark smile on her lips. "Little Ling, you're a natural-born Shapeshifter. I'll teach you what you need to know," she said, her features shifting until she looked like a mirror image of the stunned Wu Ling. "As long as you follow my arrangements and learn my techniques, it isn't impossible for you to reunite with Meifeng..." 

"But you should consider Young Lord Liang carefully," the Hall Master added. "His affection for you is genuine. Perhaps, one day, you'll even feel the same for him..."

Unparalleled Artist: Unlikely Hero

<p>When Wu Ling considered the consequences if Xiong Dahuo betrayed him, his mouth went dry and his heart raced in his chest. It took several moments before he could calm himself and consider the question of whether or not the crimson-haired saber wielder would actually complete the task he'd given him. </p>

<p>"Xiong Dahuo is aggressive, maybe even brutal," Wu Ling considered. "But nothing about him felt devious. He didn't like the task I gave him, but he didn't say he wouldn't do it." In fact, when he considered the thick layer of ochre resolve he'd seen in the other man's aura at the end of the night, it felt like the other man had succeeded in summoning the courage to do as Wu Ling had asked. </p>

Where Things Went Wrong (Part Two)