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

The carriage ride lasted much longer than Wu Ling and Su Xiang's previous venture down the Pilgrim's Road. Without the need to organize a large expedition of Scholars, even with the delays in fetching Su Xiang and their extended midday break, they still not only left earlier in the day but also spent more time on the road itself. The lengthening spring days gave them even more precious minutes and after several hours they reached the famous Blade's Edge Waystation.

The Pilgrim's Road continued beyond Blade's Edge but was impassable to carriages and wagons. Because of this, Blade's Edge had become the busiest of all the Waystations along the road, with thousands of mortals serving the hundreds of cultivators that passed through on any given day.

"Big Sister Yeyan," Wu Ling said with a smile. "Will you join us for dinner tonight? We may set out earlier in the morning than is reasonable for you to join us but at least let me thank a friend with a meal."

A Gathering of Young Heroes