The speed of riding a flying sword was naturally far beyond that of a horse-drawn carriage. While the beggars had spent a full half-month traveling from Wucheng to Chucheng by carriage, Xiao Lingyu, relying on his flying sword, had already arrived that afternoon at the rear courtyard of the largest inn in Wucheng, leisurely sipping some tart plum juice and nibbling on small snacks.
Because of his concern that Xiao Lingyu was riding a flying sword for the first time and might not adjust well physically, Wu Yunzi had ensured that Xiao Lingyu ate his fill and rested properly.
Finishing the last piece of snack, Xiao Lingyu looked at Wu Yunzi’s kindly smiling face and felt a pang in his chest. Memories of how Xiao Xiaozi would look at him flashed through his mind. He tried to blink and smile at Wu Yunzi in a shy and cute manner.
Meanwhile, Old Ghost in his mind was critiquing endlessly, “The smile is too stiff, lift the corners of your mouth a bit. Your eyes blink too slowly—yes, just like that. No, now it’s a bit too fast. Are you having a spasm?” If Old Ghost had a physical body, Xiao Lingyu felt he would want to grab him, mash him up, and kick him away.
Fortunately, Wu Yunzi had little experience with children. Even if he noticed Xiao Lingyu’s twitchy behavior, he only attributed it to the fatigue from the flying sword ride and promptly reassured him to rest early.
It wasn’t until Wu Yunzi had left the room and was out of sight that Xiao Lingyu gave up the strained smile and returned to his usual expressionless face.
When Xiao Lingyu had lived with the beggars, he rarely pretended to be a child. Partly because he was naturally unusual from a young age and the beggars were accustomed to him not acting like other children, and partly because Old Shui had tirelessly promoted him as “blessed by fate,” the beggars likely thought that was how someone so blessed should behave. Thus, Xiao Lingyu had lived freely for many years without the burden of acting childish.
Now, facing life in Yun Tian Sect, he fully realized the problem he was up against. The beggars in the temple wouldn’t care about his oddities, but the sect’s elders, who had lived hundreds or even thousands of years, were extremely sharp. They would soon notice his abnormalities, and the consequences would be far from pleasant.
Considering this, Xiao Lingyu recalled the behaviors of a few children around him: the chubby little boy obsessed with sweets, always flashing a gap-toothed smile; Xiao Xiaozi, constantly pestering him with his snotty antics; the beauty-loving, emotional chubby girl; and so on. The last one he didn’t need to consider—their innate traits were too different.
After reviewing the two main children in his mind, Xiao Lingyu concluded their characteristics were too extreme to imitate. Just imagining himself smiling foolishly for candy or holding a snotty child made him shudder—such a notion was almost cruel to imagine.
Yet, pretending to be a child wasn’t a major problem. Most of the sect’s elders were either in seclusion or otherwise occupied, so encounters would be rare. He only needed to be careful when meeting them, and a few years would pass before he matured, easing the pressure further.
His main concern was how to gain the favor of his fellow disciples this time. In his previous life, he had focused solely on one person, neglecting his peers, resulting in a poor reputation. He had even been labeled cruel and scheming, causing his master to worry constantly. This time, he wanted to be filial and obedient, ensuring his master wouldn’t have to fret, and thus cared about how his peers viewed him.
After pondering endlessly, he had no solution, so he reluctantly called upon his trusted ghost adviser, Old Ghost. “Old Ghost, I’m going back to Yun Tian Sect. Should I be high-profile or low-profile this time? What image should I present to the others?”
The normally bored and lazy Old Ghost immediately became animated. “Ah, an excellent question, quite profound. First, explain to me what you mean by high-profile and low-profile.”
Xiao Lingyu looked at him incredulously. “Isn’t it obvious? High-profile means showing off everywhere: fastest cultivation, first in sect competitions, top in the young generation. Low-profile is the opposite: don’t strive for first in everything, but also don’t fall too low—stay in the mid-range while occasionally showing brilliance so the elders notice.”
“Why even ask? Obviously, high-profile! Even in your previous life, though you fell into the path of evil later, you were part of the sect initially, right? Resources are distributed based on potential—perform well, get priority; perform poorly, get scraps. Why would you choose a low-profile path?” Old Ghost spoke with unyielding certainty.
Xiao Lingyu waved his hand, slightly mocking. “Do you think I’m stupid? But I’ll encounter that person again, won’t I? That person’s talent is impressive, but compared to me and the Yun Tian Trio, there’s still a gap. He relies on cunning and effort. In the previous life, I stayed hidden under his brilliance, while the more talented Yun Tian Trio were eliminated, two of them with my help. This time, I’m determined to avoid entanglements. I can’t have him or his loyal followers harming me again. You know, it’s easier to dodge open attacks than hidden ones.”
Old Ghost sneered, “You think he’s a heartthrob everyone loves? Nah, only you. He plays the ‘ordinary charming’ route—always in white, gentle to everyone, smiling like spring. You could take that route too: wear white, gather a few loyal followers to handle threats. Why be afraid?”
Xiao Lingyu shuddered at the mental image of himself in white, with a group of loyalists behind him. It was almost unbearable.
Old Ghost pressed on. “You could also try the ‘ice queen’ route: ignore anyone you dislike.”
Xiao Lingyu frowned. “That’s simple. I followed something like that in my previous life. But unfortunately, the second of the Yun Tian Trio, Luo Shaohan, also took this route. That person resented him once, and—well, it ended tragically, and I was involved too.”
Old Ghost rolled his eyes. “You really were that person’s golden weapon—whoever you targeted, you hit. Yet in the end, you were cannon fodder! Miserable indeed!”
Xiao Lingyu’s expression darkened. Once again, he wished he could mash Old Ghost into a ball and kick him away.
Old Ghost, eager to contribute, proposed a new idea: the “sickly white lotus” route, currently all the rage. Wear simple clothes, pale complexion, slightly thin, faintly furrowed brows, and cough before speaking. Keep it up and people will naturally do everything for you.
Hearing this, Xiao Lingyu’s face immediately darkened. In the previous life, that person loved precisely this type, especially his innocent little junior disciple. Xiao Lingyu had risked his life to obtain treasures, only for them to be given to this junior. Any harsh words towards the junior would provoke endless outrage from others. He had always been the “villain” in everyone’s eyes.
Now, should he adopt this route from the start? Once the sickly junior arrived, everyone would fawn over him. The thought pleased Xiao Lingyu immensely.
Old Ghost, noting his excitement, poured cold water. “Not so easy. First, your looks are an issue—sickly white-lotus types are usually delicate and serene, not strikingly beautiful like you. But makeup can adjust that. Second, the body—these types are usually frail. You’ve been cultivating since childhood and are physically strong, so you need a plausible reason to weaken yourself.”
“Plausible reason?” Xiao Lingyu thought for a moment, then slapped the table excitedly: “What about cultivation gone wrong?”
Old Ghost’s eyes lit up—perfect! No one could fault it.
“Exactly! You’re young now, still on the ‘cute’ route. When you’re older, you can stage a minor cultivation mishap, then officially switch to the sickly white-lotus image. How about that?”
Xiao Lingyu nodded. “Agreed. From now on, under the high-profile general plan, the sickly white-lotus route will be my outward persona. This gentle image also helps gain favor with fellow disciples.”
The two of them eagerly discussed their plans, imagining a bright future. Xiao Lingyu’s expressions shifted rapidly with excitement. By bedtime, his young master would have been astonished, seeing him switch between joy and ferocity in thought. The master, having experience with children’s solitary psychology, understood Xiao Lingyu’s lonely play-acting.
Feeling guilty for his inattention, the master resolved to fix his young disciple’s loneliness. Wu Yunzi remembered the child he saw earlier at the city lord’s mansion—slightly frail, but well-behaved, likely a good companion for Xiao Lingyu. He decided to fetch the child tomorrow, as a surprise, without telling Xiao Lingyu.
Thus, the master went to sleep with a smile, while Xiao Lingyu, chatting animatedly with Old Ghost, remained unaware of the “big surprise” awaiting him the next day.