The first book in the Master of Mischief series Who Am I

Chapter 7

A beautiful, graceful, composed face with a touch of heroic spirit appeared above me. A half-moon was perfectly positioned in the night sky where her face faced, bathing her in its gentle moonlight. This further emphasized her beautiful features, which seemed to be born from the essence of heaven and earth, and as distinct as the undulating mountains and rivers.

I was startled, sat up straight with embarrassment, and said gratefully, "You saved me, didn't you? I'm so sorry, I can't help you."

Xiaoyue sat down gracefully, gently crossed her legs, and handed me a box of cookies and a pot of water.

I then realized that my stomach was pounding, and I immediately began to wolf down my food.

Xiaoyue watched me eat with great interest, her bright, star-like eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at me softly:

“You did a great job. Thanks to you, we were able to get out alive. I was too confident. I thought my magic power could surpass that of the great master Yuan Ying from three hundred years ago. Back then, in order to unify the Qing Dynasty and bring peace to the world, he suppressed the troublesome Tianyizi in Jiangnan. I couldn’t break through any of the four sealing talismans he set up, and I almost dragged everyone down with me.”

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're not even twenty yet. Yuan Yingzi used her whole life to set up the spell, and you were able to calmly lead everyone out of it. That's already quite remarkable," I murmured, trying to comfort her. Actually, I didn't know if saying that would actually help.

"Thank you!" she said softly, a little shyly. "Really, your comfort was very helpful."

I scratched my head, unsure of what to say.

---janeadam

Reply [30]: Chapter Fourteen: Passion (Part Two)

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“Everyone I know thinks I’m strong, capable, perfect, and incapable of making mistakes!” She paused, then lowered her head. “Actually, I’m just like any other girl. I need understanding, help, and comfort.”

Seeing her human-like appearance, I was stunned. My mouth was full of cookies but I couldn't close it. I stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say.

She smiled sweetly and said playfully, "Silly boy! Silly boy!"

Even a fool would have heard a hint of affection in her words. My heart skipped a beat, but then Xiaoqingzi's image flashed through my mind, and I thought of Yu'er. My heart ached, and the sorrow buried deep within me surged up endlessly.

"Who were you thinking of just now, Xiaoqingzi?" she asked with a mixture of curiosity and calm. "My great-aunt passed away 90 years ago. She was only fifteen when she died. You actually know her and seem to have a close relationship with her."

"I... actually, everything I have now is thanks to her." I was a little nervous and swallowed the biscuit in my mouth, but I still told her in detail how Xiaoqingzi used my true energy to transcend reincarnation and how she infused me with half a century's worth of spiritual energy.

"I don't even know if I saved her or she saved me, but this experience made me realize that life and death are actually very simple, separated by only a thin veil. There's no need to make a fuss about it. When you're alive, just feel it, and when you die, there's no need to be afraid."

Once I started talking, and because I felt a deep respect and admiration for her, and also because it involved my suicide attempt, I told her about my spiritual love affair with Yu'er and its tragic end. Finally, I asked her:

"For the past three years, I have been asking myself: Who am I? Why am I alive? What is the purpose of my life? What is its meaning?"

Xiaoyue listened quietly, sometimes nodding in sudden understanding, sometimes showing a look of affection. When I asked the last series of questions, she was also taken aback. She thought for a moment and said:

“My mother died while giving birth to my younger brother. My father was always depressed because of her. When I was thirteen, he left us and never returned. From then on, with the help of my fellow students, I began to take care of my younger brother and manage the entire academic affairs on my own. The meaning of my life is probably to fulfill my responsibilities and do what I should do, but have I ever been happy?”

A blush suddenly rose on her face, and she said softly, "You may not believe it, but when I caught you after you fell from the roof, I felt a deep sense of emotion, as if what I had been searching for all these years was right there in my arms. Immediately, I told Sister Yaxian and Fanglong to take my little brother away, away from the area of Gantian Village. Then I held you in my arms until we reached the stream, watching over you and healing you for a whole day and night until you woke up."

I suddenly remembered that I had been unconscious for a day and a night, and asked in surprise, "Is tonight the fifteenth?"

"There are still three hours left before Tianyizi is born," she said sadly, with a sweet smile on her face.

The entire village of Gantian was silent, including the haunted house on the north slope. This calm before the storm was even more unsettling, giving people a sense of helplessness about the future.

"Back when Senior Wu Beier fought against Tianyizi, she had her ancestor Xiaoyuzhi by her side; I never imagined that 120 years later, you would appear by my side. What more could I ask for!" Her eyes revealed a tender reminiscence.

I was utterly shocked: "Wu Beier—the Wu Wizard mentioned in your grandfather's diary, is she a woman?"

"She is the niece of the leader of the Sanlu Sect, and she and my ancestor were lovers."

Shocked, I suddenly understood why Xiaoyue had spoken so much to me tonight, revealing all the troubles and emotions of her life without any restraint. It was because she had made up her mind to die, imitating the sorcerer Wu, and was going to perish together with Tianyizi.

My heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife. I subconsciously felt that Wu Beier's sacrifice back then was just like Xiaoyue's today, who was selfless, sweet, and sorrowful for the person she loved.

---janeadam

Reply [31]: Chapter Fifteen Blood Curse

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I hesitated for a moment, then resolutely grasped her soft, boneless hand. She didn't pull away; instead, she gently nestled into my arms. At that moment, I felt that heaven and earth were with me, the green mountains were my witness, and time was my proof. Although we had only met a few days ago, our feelings seemed to have gone through countless cycles of spring and autumn to reach this eternal moment. It was as if all the joys and sorrows, the partings and reunions, across thousands of mountains and rivers, through countless ages, were all for the sake of this reunion, for us to lean on each other and embrace.

I didn't say anything, because with Xiaoyue's will, it was impossible for me to persuade her to give up her feelings. I secretly made up my mind that even if I died, I would not let Xiaoyue disappear in my arms like Xiaoqingzi. I have already lost one Xiaoqingzi, how can I bear to lose another one?

The world suddenly trembled. Xiaoyue immediately stood up and said to me seriously, "Quickly circulate your energy using the authentic cultivation method of my Xiao family. Your dantian has been modified by Xiaoqingzi. It will only take an hour or two to recover your spiritual energy. I will protect you."

I immediately followed her example, quietly practicing meditation and breathing exercises, using the most advanced breathing techniques she taught me. Then, I discovered that my spiritual energy was flowing in my lower abdomen, starting like a stream and then becoming a river. My dantian, like the ocean embracing all rivers, gathered at the fastest speed.

Three hours flew by in the blink of an eye. Hand in hand, Xiaoyue and I, just like Wu Beier and Xiaoyuzhi 120 years ago, walked step by step to the Lin family ancestral hall, facing each other in silence.

As the moon reached its zenith, an immense, chilling wind surged from the ground, and countless evil spirits swiftly surrounded us, like monstrous birds released from hell. Their deafening, mournful cries echoed as they attacked us from all directions with frenzied fury. I even noticed countless black, oozing limbs and severed arms reaching out from the ground towards us.

Xiaoyue calmly whispered in my ear, "Don't let hallucinations cloud your judgment."

Following Xiaoyue's plan, we sat back to back. I recited the Heart Sutra, releasing a protective layer of spiritual energy—enough for just the two of us to hide within—based on my self-sufficient spiritual power. The outer edge of the protective aura resembled a series of constantly circulating light guns, scattering all the approaching spirits.

But the evil spirits here are incredibly powerful. With each wave of attack, my true energy trembles and weakens rapidly.

At this moment, Xiaoyue went berserk. A money sword appeared in front of her and then rushed out of my circle of light. She danced with the sword amidst the densest yin wind and evil spirits. The sword energy was like a rainbow, crisscrossing everywhere. One after another, talismans flew out from the brocade pouch on her back. As if they had eyes, they followed the sword energy and shot towards each real evil spirit. Then they stuck to the evil spirit's body and burned fiercely, quickly turning into a wisp of green smoke.

Whenever Xiaoyue ran out of energy, she would immediately retreat into my protective aura to gather her strength, and then charge out again to wield her sword and annihilate the evil spirits. The evil spirits screamed and cried out, but they were helpless against us.

An hour later, the evil spirits were becoming thinner and thinner, and the yin wind had subsided, but Tianyizi still hadn't come out.

The tornado suddenly shrank, shrinking into the main hall of the ancestral hall. A thunderous roar suddenly erupted, and Xiaoyue and I immediately stood up, back to back, feeling each other's body heat, a subtle feeling of being connected by blood.

A black pillar rose, and at its summit emerged a monster the size of a car engine, with ears but no eyes, covered in thick red hair, naked and inhuman. It roared furiously, and as it emerged from the pillar, its limbs outstretched, it stood fifteen meters tall, equivalent to a four-story building. Flames spewed from its various acupoints, mouth, nose, and ears. The world instantly changed color; the dark, eerie wind was illuminated by the hellish light, making the spirits within it appear even more grotesque and terrifying.

Such ghosts and spirits are enough to terrify the entire city just by looking at them.

I exclaimed nervously, "Tianyizi?!"

"Yes, that's its form in the spirit world. When it transforms and possesses the human world to do evil, it becomes a vicious and unfilial person who harms the people and commits all kinds of evil, but it is also full of wisdom and can dominate a region as a warlord or bandit."

---janeadam

Reply [32]: Xiaoyue shouted and flew towards Tianyizi with her sword. In an instant, the talismans and magic weapons on her body, along with the sword energy, struck Tianyizi with a crackling sound, making it howl like thunder.

Tianyizi immediately retaliated with his fireballs, repeatedly knocking down or burning Xiaoyue's talismans and magical artifacts in mid-air. However, Xiaoyue was small and agile, flying around Tianyizi's massive body like a butterfly, dodging Tianyizi's fireballs every time.

At this critical moment, I certainly wasn't idle either. Clusters of spiritual energy condensed in my palms, forming energy balls the size of volleyballs, which I then used to launch sneak attacks on Tian Yizi's most vulnerable areas: his groin, the bridge of his nose, and his ears. I discovered that my attacks caused Tian Yizi more damage than Xiao Yue's, because each strike forced him to retreat at least two or three steps, but I could never inflict a fatal wound.

After I unleashed a dozen or so attacks from the shadows, Tianyizi's nose started bleeding. He clutched his groin and jumped wildly, then angrily turned and retaliated. At that moment, I could only turn and slip away. I was powerless against those fireballs, each larger than a battleground, but my objective had been achieved—

Taking advantage of Tianyizi's unpreparedness, Xiaoyue, who was engaged in close combat, struck Tianyizi's chest with the most powerful Kunlun Five Thunder Talisman, and then shouted loudly:

"Divine soldiers, act with utmost urgency, unleash five thunderbolts!"

Suddenly, a deafening clap of thunder erupted from the dark clouds in the sky. A scorching bolt of lightning struck Tianyizi in the chest, followed by a continuous stream of electric shocks. At that moment, Tianyizi resembled a gorilla, leaping and roaring on the ground, fireballs shooting wildly in all directions.

Fifteen minutes later, the lightning stopped, but Tianyizi, as if his clothes had been burned through, slapped himself and walked towards us as if nothing had happened, while a series of fireballs attacked us indiscriminately again.

"No way!" I exclaimed, thinking that no wonder Wu Beier and Xiao Yuzhi could only end up with both of them being badly injured back then. We had no choice but to split up and launch a second attack on Tianyizi, following the same strategy we had just used.

This time, Tianyi was much more careful, protecting his nose and abdomen with his hands and feet, and using his mind to control the fireballs shooting from his mouth, ears, and acupoints. He tried to multitask and retaliate against Xiaoyue and me separately, but his aim was terrible. I was able to move more easily under him, and when he was not paying attention, I gathered a larger energy ball to attack. Finally, I caught him again and hit his ear hard. With a loud bang, Shi fell to the ground, scrambling around. Xiaoyue immediately struck the Kunlun Five Thunder Talisman into his chest.

"Divine soldiers, act with utmost urgency, unleash five thunderbolts!"

This time, Tianyizi was really finished. A few minutes later, its spirit was charred by electricity, burned inside its body, and then disappeared.

"Yay! I did it!" I jumped for joy and flew down to Xiaoyue's side, wanting to hug her and give her a passionate kiss. But at the same time, I felt something was strange. Defeating Tianyizi was not easy, but it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. Why did Wu Beizi have to act like this?

The answer was out. Before I could even reach Xiaoyue, I heard her shout "Watch out!" But it was too late. A fireball had already silently struck my back. My hair immediately started smoking, and my internal organs felt like they were being crushed. I tumbled through the air a dozen times before crashing to the ground, almost fainting.

Joy turns to sorrow!

About fifteen minutes later, I caught my breath and examined my whole body with my mind. Fortunately, my protective true energy had protected all my meridians in time, so it did not cause too much damage. I had just swallowed a mouthful of blood, which was why I couldn't speak.

I thought of Xiaoyue, and immediately jumped up and ran back to the battlefield.

At this moment, Xiaoyue attacked the other identical Tianyizi like a madwoman, her actions a complete desperate struggle, utterly unlike her previous graceful demeanor. Balls of fire grazed past her, burning her clothes in patches and leaving her hair a mess, a far cry from her saintly image. Worse still, the talismans failed to strike any vital points.

I stealthily crept nearby and, taking advantage of Tian Yizi's unpreparedness, hurled an energy ball, about half my size, at Tian Yizi's groin. Tian Yizi, still gloating, had never experienced such a display before. He immediately let out a wild scream, stumbling dozens of meters away, spitting out clumps of black matter, which appeared to be his true spirit.

Xiaoyue froze in mid-air and shouted to me in surprise, "Sword Heart!"

---janeadam

Reply [33]: Two Kunlun Five Thunder Talismans immediately shot into Tianyizi's chest, and two bolts of lightning struck Tianyizi after countless thunderous roars.

Xiaoyue and I stood close together, watching Tianyi struggle amidst the lightning, our eyes glued to the screen, but our minds remained focused for a moment.

"What's going on? There are two sons of the same surname!" I shouted.

“There should be another one! My father once told me: Tianyizi can split into three, with red fur and no clothes, with ears but no eyes, and able to fly thousands of miles.” Xiaoyue said solemnly, carefully observing her surroundings, “When this one disappears, another clone will appear.”

"How many Kunlun Five Thunder Talismans do you have left?"

"There's only one item; I've already taken everything from my brother's person. The rest are useless."

My face changed drastically. This meant that we could only beat the other one half to death. I said anxiously, "What should we do?"

At this moment, Tianyizi disappeared under the attack of the two lightning talismans. In the other direction where he was, another Tianyizi rushed over with great spirit, spitting fireballs and charging towards us furiously. His feet landed lightly on the ground. Although he was big, he was not as clumsy as he looked.

Xiaoyue suddenly grabbed my hand, bit my finger hard, and, ignoring my heart-wrenching screams, dripped blood onto the center of the last Five Thunder Talisman—the talisman's core.

"Listen to me," she grabbed my collar and said sternly, "The Five Thunder Talisman can summon five bolts of lightning, but my power is insufficient, and I can only summon one. Your power is twice that of mine, and with your blood curse, you can kill it in one blow! As for its final true form, my soul will seal it away!"

Listening to her tragic words, I was completely dumbfounded. It turned out that besides these three clones, there was also a true body that hadn't appeared yet. If the clones were already this powerful, I couldn't even imagine how powerful the true body must be.

---janeadam

Reply [34]: Chapter Sixteen: Fire Phoenix

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At this moment, Xiaoyue had already flown over and entangled the Tianyizi, attacking it wildly. I had no choice but to rush over in a daze and attack from the side as planned. Now it could no longer be called a sneak attack; the Tianyizi was on high alert against both of us, and I couldn't find an opportunity at all.

This battle lasted for more than an hour, with both sides locked in a stalemate. In another half hour, when the sun rose, Tianyizi would be able to fly a thousand miles and disappear into the distance.

Suddenly, Xiaoyue charged straight into a string of fireballs. I shouted loudly, and Xiaoyue's whole body condensed into a white ball of light, shattering each fireball. With each fireball she shattered, her protective aura weakened. In the last few fireballs, she went straight in with her true form, and when she emerged from the fireballs, her whole body was on fire.

My whole body trembled, my blood boiled, and I immediately realized that the Five Thunder Talisman that had imbued my blood curse had pierced Tianyizi's chest. Following Xiaoyue's teachings, I clasped my hands together, concentrated all my spiritual energy, and focused on guarding my spiritual gate, reciting the incantation word by word:

"Divine soldiers, act with utmost urgency, unleash five thunderbolts!"

A deafening roar echoed across the sky, as if the earth were being torn apart. Dark clouds swirled all around, and five bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, instantly turning Tianyizi into a wisp of smoke.

Xiaoyue fell diagonally, like a withered petal gently floating to the ground. I also felt a wave of exhaustion, my whole body weak. I ran over and caught her, and we both collapsed to the ground.