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

"Ladies," Liang Xiong called as he made his preparations. "The carriage is built from reinforced ironwood. As long as you stay inside, it should protect you from the beasts."

"How strong are these beasts?" Wu Meifeng asked, stepping out of the carriage and looking into the distance. "As strong as Brawlers or Soldiers?" Meifeng didn't even consider that they could be stronger than that. If they were, she was certain that Liang Xiong would be leading them in a desperate race for shelter instead of standing to fight.

"Mostly as strong as early to middle-stage Brawlers," Liang Xiong replied, keeping his eyes on the approaching buzzards. "They're the size of a small dog with wings and talons powerful enough to carry away lambs and other livestock," he explained.

Accepting Fate