A Summon

Knock. Knock.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them.

"Ahem." Jiang cleared his throat, masking his unease. His Junior Sister stopped immediately, tilting her head before stepping back. That same eerie smile lingered on her lips.

Jiang stood, smoothing his robe. "Let's continue later."

She giggled. Soft. Sweet. And yet, something in it crawled under his skin. "As you wish, Senior Brother."

Then, just as swiftly as it had appeared, the unsettling gleam in her eyes faded. Her expression shifted—her smile softening into something innocent, harmless, like the obedient junior sister she was supposed to be.

Jiang suppressed a shudder. Damn, that creepy smile. The way she could switch personas so effortlessly was disturbing. 

And once again, the urge to rephrase his words. He had meant to say, Let's continue our talk later, but the cursed Personality Speech skill had twisted his tone into something far too vague.

He mentally cursed both the system and his own rigid, aristocratic demeanor.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his sleeves and turned to the door.

"Who is it?"

The door slid opened.

A female disciple.

She wore the same red embroidered black robes as him. Her light brown hair was perfectly tied back, not a strand out of place. She had sharp, intelligent eyes—calm but observant, scanning him with quiet caution. At her hip, a well-maintained sword rested in its sheath, positioned with precision, as if always ready to be drawn.

His brain screeched to a halt.

The moment he saw her, realization struck like a slap to the face.

F-ck. This is worse.

He glanced back. A junior female disciple sitting in his room. And now, a female disciple at his door, watching.

From the fragmented memories he had, Jiang's reputation was already bad enough—a typical bullying young master, arrogant and despised.

But now? If this girl at the door got the wrong idea…

This was exactly the kind of misunderstanding that spiraled out of control. The kind that turned into scandalous rumors about a Senior Disciple seducing a Junior Disciple behind closed doors.

And with the old Jiang's already awful reputation? People would believe it.

Shit. If she talks, I'm done for.

Jiang's stomach twisted.

Getting dragged before the Jiang Clan Elders and the Sect's Masters was inevitable. Stripped of status, publicly shamed—or worse, thrown into fire pits.

Oh, mighty heavens, great celestial beings, merciful gods—whoever's listening—please, I swear I've never done anything worthy of this kind of dramatic punishment!

For the first time in his life, the self-proclaimed atheist found himself praying.

"Young Master Jiang."

The formal address snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.

Polite speech?

His mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion.

Is she here to blackmail me? Force me into some ridiculous scheme? Or is she going to use me to do something more sinister?

He had seen—and even experienced—NPCs twisting simple quests into messy situations, setting them up for failure, or worse, dragging them into conflicts they never signed up for.

Jiang focused on her face, but his body moved on instinct—his hand lightly touching the bridge of his nose near his forehead, a habit whenever his brain failed to function.

Due to their height difference, his downward gaze combined with his blank expression made it seem like he was staring her down with cold displeasure.

The female disciple flinched slightly.

Then, in one swift motion, she bowed deeply.

"I apologize, Young Master, if I have disturbed you."

Her head dipped lower, her tone cautious, and polite.

Jiang blinked.

His mind scrambled through fragments of memory.

Then, it clicked.

A Hall Master… Jiang Rumei… a martial master from a branch family of the Jiang Clan…

This girl was a disciple under her.

Jiang exhaled slowly.

Wait. This… might not be as bad as I thought.

His tense shoulders relaxed, and this time, when he spoke, his tone didn't carry that same nervous stiffness.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

But before the words fully left his mouth—

[Personality Speech Activated]

His voice came out low, cold, and laced with arrogance.

"Do you have a death wish, disturbing me?"

Jiang winced internally.

The female disciple visibly tensed.

No. Not again. Not this. 

He had meant to sound casual, but Personality Speech had twisted it again.

His entire soul cringed.

Why does this have to make me sound like some shitty third-rate villain?

He watched her reaction carefully, expecting irritation, annoyance, maybe even protest.

But instead—she nodded quickly, as if this was normal. She looked used to this.

Her posture remained stiff, but she answered without hesitation.

"Master Rumei has requested your presence, Young Master."

Jiang exhaled softly.

Rumei?

That was unexpected. From what he could recall, the old Jiang had never taken her seriously.

Despite sharing the Jiang surname, she was from a branch family, while he was the heir of the main family. That alone was enough for him to dismiss her outright. Status dictated respect, and to the old Jiang, she simply wasn't worth listening to.

Even when she did try to teach him, he had never cared. Never listened. His focus had always been elsewhere—politics, influence, power struggles. Martial arts? That was beneath him.

Why did she call for him now? Would someone like the old Jiang have even bothered to show up?

Probably not.

But ignoring it didn't seem like a good idea—especially since Rumei wouldn't have called for him without a reason. If he refused and it turned out to be something serious, it could stir unnecessary trouble.

Besides, he needed information, and who better to get it from than her?

Not only was she a Hall Master at the Sect, but she was also a member of the Jiang Clan.

Two birds with one stone.

"I see." Jiang adjusted his sleeves, keeping his expression indifferent.

He glanced back. His junior sister still stood inside his room, giggling quietly like a fool, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

He needed to get her out before things got worse.

Careful. Choose your words carefully.

"Tell that junior over there to leave my room," he said lazily. 

His Personality Speech didn't seem to distort it much, but the words still felt too commanding.

The female disciple bowed slightly. "Understood, Young Master."

Jiang said nothing. He didn't glance at anyone—just waited as she turned to carry out his order.

A few moments passed.

Then, Jiang Shen stepped out of his quarters, the female disciple quietly shutting the door behind him. She lingered for a moment, and silence stretched between them.

She looked as if she wanted to say something.

Before she could, Jiang spoke. "Lead the way."

The words hung in the air. The female disciple hesitated, her expression shifting into something close to disbelief. 

Jiang understood why. Someone walking ahead of him? For the old Jiang, that was practically an insult.

Still, after a brief pause, she nodded and stepped forward, though her posture remained stiff, as if bracing for reprimand.

Jiang followed, letting out an internal sigh of relief. Maybe for the first time, he was grateful for that cursed skill and the old Jiang's erratic temper. If anything seemed out of character, he could just brush it off as a mood swing.