Chapter 80: Into a Martial Arts Novel, Day 2

Chapter 80: Day 2 of Transmigrating into a Wuxia Novel

With the experience of several lifetimes, and the mind and power honed over hundreds of years, he wasn't particularly alarmed.

His abilities were his biggest trump card.

Compared to his abilities, this world's martial arts were no more dangerous than a tickle.

Just then, footsteps so faint they were almost imperceptible stopped just outside the door.

If not for An Yi's powerful mental senses, he'd have nearly missed it.

A young voice, respectful but barely hiding his fear, came softly from outside the door: "Young Master, are you awake? I was ordered to deliver your medicine."

A flicker crossed An Yi's eyes. He steadied his breath and said hoarsely, "Come in."

The door opened softly. A young man in Fuyi Sect low-rank robes walked in, head lowered, carrying a bowl of thick, dark medicine.

"Put it down and leave," An Yi said curtly.

"Yes." The young man, as if pardoned, set the bowl on the bedside table, bowed, and tiptoed out, carefully closing the door.

An Yi glanced at the bowl of medicine. A strong, bitter smell mixed with a weird, indescribable medicinal odor hit his nostrils. He didn't touch it.

According to the original body's memories, this medicine was prescribed by the sect's doctor to stabilize chaotic internal energy after a qi deviation. The prescription was fine, but he didn't need it.

He needed some time to fully get used to this body and this world's power system.

Over the next two days, An Yi claimed he needed rest and turned away all visitors, including an inquiry from his nominal "father," the Fuyi Sect Leader, An Luyuan.

He spent this time trying to mobilize and merge the Corrosive Heart inner force with his own abilities.

He found that his abilities operated completely outside this world's rules. In fact, thanks to his strong mental power, he could control them even more smoothly than at the start of his last life.

As for the Corrosive Heart inner force, though its nature was insidious, it was fundamentally a form of energy. His ice ability seemed able to mimic and suppress its toxic energy to a certain extent.

His eyes crinkled. Not bad at all.

On the third morning, An Yi decided to take a walk and check out his surroundings.

Staying holed up in his room would only look suspicious.

The Fuyi Sect headquarters sat in the dangerous mountains of the western regions. The buildings climbed the slopes, rugged and gloomy. Everywhere he went, patrolling sect members with sharp auras and keen eyes were on guard. When they saw him, they bowed and cleared a path from afar.

Many people's eyes showed a mix of awe and fear when they looked at him.

An Yi kept his face blank, but inside he thought this identity's villainous vibe was maxed out.

In terms of destructive power, it was way less than his life as Chief Grand Secretary stirring up the world, but this identity's intimidation and swagger were even bigger. The stage presence was huge.

An Yi kept a cold, tired, stay-away expression as he strolled, looking casual, but quietly memorizing the terrain, guard posts, and where everyone was stationed.

He reached a secluded training ground by a cliff, with a wide view of distant snow-capped mountains and swirling mist below.

He'd barely stopped when a lazy, mocking voice came from behind him. It was clear and pleasant, but had a hook in it.

"Well, if it isn't Young Master An? Heard you had a little training accident a few days ago. Now you're up and about already? Truly... a sturdy constitution. Congratulations."

An Yi's body stiffened almost unnoticeably.

That voice... An Yi dug through the original owner's memories to place him. Not from the Fuyi Sect!

He slowly turned around.

Not far off, a young man was lounging on a gnarly old pine branch.

He wore a faded indigo linen robe, sleeves rolled to his elbows, showing smooth, strong forearms.

At his waist hung a red wine gourd on one side and a sheathed sword on the other. The scabbard was plain and a bit worn.

He looked about twenty, with a handsome, wild face. His slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes held a half-smile. He tilted his head, sizing up An Yi without any pretense.

Sunlight fell through the pine needles, dappling him with shadows. He looked as carefree as a mountain breeze, totally out of place in the gloomy, oppressive atmosphere of the Fuyi Sect.

An Yi's mental senses had already warned him someone was there. He'd assumed it was a sect member, but this was a stranger.

Who is he? How'd he get in? The Fuyi headquarters is heavily guarded; no outsider could just waltz in.

An Yi was wary, but his face showed nothing: "Who are you? How dare you trespass on Fuyi Sect grounds?"

Hearing this, the guy not only showed no fear but grinned even wider, showing perfect white teeth.

He jumped down from the tree, landing silently, light as a feather.

He stepped closer, leisurely in pace, but his gaze was heavy as it swept over An Yi, lingering on his pale face and unnaturally calm eyes. A playful smile tugged at his lips.

"The young master is a busy man with a bad memory."

He stopped about five paces away—close enough to exert silent pressure without provoking direct attack: "We crossed paths about two months ago. I'm Ling Fengyao."

Ling Fengyao?

An Yi quickly searched the original owner's memories. Nothing. But this name... oddly familiar?

Just then, the voices of the comment section reached his ears.

"Oh~ This guy didn't die?!"

"The author went into so much detail describing An Yi's looks earlier, so he won't die. Must be a villain side character with some screen time."

"Could he be

—wait, described so beautifully, and he's after a guy, not a girl?"

"What do you mean upstairs? Can't a man compete for a man? Are you discriminating against homosexuals?"

"????????"

"????? When I type this question mark, it's not that I have a problem, but that you have a problem!"

"Get it straight! This is a male-genre novel!"

"Can't male-genre novels have gay content?!"

"No!"

"Screw off!"

"......"

An Yi: "..."

Great.

The comments came in late, but they came.

The plot also arrived, albeit late.

So, yeah, he really had been transported into a book.

The original host was a cannon fodder villain who was meant to die in this very qi deviation.

And the person before him was none other than the original male lead, Ling Fengyao.

The original novel was a standard wuxia novel with a male lead, no romantic subplot, set in a fictional world.

The story centered on the martial world's search and clash over the previous dynasty's secret manual, the Youhuan Shu.

In the end, naturally, Ling Fengyao obtained the Youhuan Shu, taking his martial arts to a higher level and becoming invincible under heaven—a classic feel-good power fantasy.