Cave
The wheels rolled over the cracked bluestone slabs. The Emperor's Ship was hidden deep in the mountains. Anyone who wanted to enter the Emperor's Ship had to reach the pine and bamboo forest outside the city before sunset.
After the Gu family members escorted Gu Youan to the pine and bamboo forest, they all left. A cold wind blew, and the bamboo forest crackled. Gu Youan lifted the curtain, and someone suddenly appeared behind her, covering her eyes with a black cloth. The person gently stroked her hands, saying, "Whose young lady is this, insisting on coming to hell?"
His slender fingernails gently stroked her face. "Did you come to the Emperor's Ship voluntarily?"
Gu Youan shrank back. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she was still afraid, as the person behind her seemed to be coiling around her like a venomous snake.
She gently gripped her clothes. "I'm willing to join the Emperor's Ship."
The woman behind her grabbed the back of her neck and gently sniffed her neck. "She's still a girl."
The woman became interested. "Women rarely come into the Emperor's Palace."
A voice as sharp as a snake's venom came from behind, "Why did you voluntarily enter the Emperor's Ship?"
The woman's breath was close to Gu Youan's ear, and the sound of the bamboo rustling and tearing made Gu Youan tremble slightly.
The woman smiled knowingly, "Don't be afraid, little sister. Once you're inside the Emperor's Ship, it will be your strong backer."
"I admire the splendor of the Emperor's Ship and wish to join it to learn martial arts."
She suddenly felt the hand behind her neck tighten, and long, thin nails dug into her skin.
Gu Youan lowered his head. "My lord, I only ask for a way to live. Please take me in."
The woman burst into laughter, and the carriage instantly split apart.
A roar came from beside her. Gu Youan covered her ears and huddled in the woman's arms. After an unknown amount of time, the black cloth fell to the ground, and Gu Youan gently opened her eyes.
Looking around, the surrounding mountains soared into the clouds, dark clouds obscured the sun, making it hard to breathe.
The woman gently took her hand and said, "My name is Rumei. From now on, you will follow me and become my apprentice."
Ru Mei took out a wooden plaque and said, "Engrave your code name on this. Once you join my Emperor's Account, forget your past."
Gu Youan took the wooden plaque, which was tied with only a red string.
She examined the wooden plaque, and smiled gently, "You know medicine?"
Gu Youan's eyes flickered slightly, and in her panic, the wooden sign fell to the ground.
Time stood still. She stared at the wooden sign on the ground, picked it up shakily, and suddenly the red string on the sign turned into a thin thread that burrowed into her veins.
She held the wooden sign in her hand, examining it repeatedly. "System, am I seeing things?"
The wooden plaque displayed the two characters "璇玑".
Ru Mei gently took the wooden plaque from Gu Youan's hand. Sunlight shone through the dense forest onto the plaque, and the two characters "Xuanji" faintly glowed.
"From now on, your name will be Xuanji." Her red lips parted, and her gentle voice reached Gu Youan's ears.
“The wooden plaque has a spirit. It has chosen you to be its next master. Xuanji, from now on you will learn about poisons from me.”
Gu Youan's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. The wooden plaque had a spirit. Could this be a world of cultivation?
Ru Mei gently held her hand. Gu Youan looked at her red nails and felt scared when she remembered what had just happened.
"The mountains are full of miasma and wild animals and insects. You have just arrived. If you do not have the wooden plaque to protect you, you may not survive more than three days. You will first learn poisons from me. After you have completed your apprenticeship, you will be able to walk freely in the mountains."
Gu Youan hesitated for a moment. If he couldn't graduate, wouldn't he die here from the poison?
Her panicked eyes looked at Ru Mei, "If I fail, will I die?"
Ru Mei's alluring eyes gazed at Gu Youan, "If you fail to pass the first test, you will become fertilizer in the mountains, Xuanji."
Those hands hooked around the back of Gu Youan's neck. Gu Youan lowered her head. As expected of the number one assassin organization in the world, and as expected of the Emperor's Name, which survived to the end.
Such an imposing name belies the brutal method of talent selection, where failure results in death.
"System, you have to help me, I can't die here."
"Host, I can only do my best in some areas, but you must learn this poison technique."
Gu Youan's eyes darkened, and her body relaxed. Fortunately, she was a medical student, and medicine and poison were inseparable, so this could be considered as advance preparation.
As Ru Mei led her into the cave, a chill swept over them, and Gu You'an pulled her clothes tighter.
Ru Mei glanced at her and said, "If you want to survive here, you still have a lot to learn. Xuanji, I don't care what kind of life you lived before. Once you enter the Emperor's Ship, only the strong can survive to the end. If you don't become strong as soon as possible, there will be no place for you, whether inside or outside the Emperor's Ship."
Gu Youan suddenly stopped. "Master, why are you telling me all this?"
He pressed his slender fingers to Gu Youan's lips. "I am not your master, I am your instructor. Only when you leave me or go out into the world can you truly call me master."
Gu Youan nodded, and then heard Ru Mei say, "Women rarely enter the Emperor's Palace. I hope that you will become one of the twelve envoys of the Third Rank and inherit my mantle."
She had many questions, but Mei shook her head and said, "Keep moving forward, don't worry about the mud under your feet, the road ahead will give you the answers."
Gu Youan knelt down and bowed, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor."
In this world, no one will tell you how to get ahead. In this unfamiliar place, on this cruel Tianzi ship, Rumei brought her her first warmth.
Ru Mei stroked her face and said, "No matter what you were taught in the past, once you enter the Emperor's Ship, you must remember that no one is your friend. Don't be soft on anyone, including me."
Gu Youan hesitated before speaking, not understanding what Ru Mei meant.
"Instructor, I..."
Ru Mei shook her head, her eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow. "My hands are stained with the blood of many, the blood of my fellow disciples and the blood of traitors. So many couldn't survive and became fertilizer on the back mountain."
She held Gu Youan's delicate hand and said, "If you want to rise to a high position, your hands will be stained with the blood of your fellow disciples."
Gu Youan suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She realized that the person in front of her was not so simple. He was a bit crazy, with a red mark between his eyebrows on his alluring face.
She helped Gu Youan up. "Xuanji, you must remember, here you are just the orphan Xuanji, not Gu Youan of the Gu family."
She paused, her panicked gaze meeting Ru Mei's eyes. "How did the instructor know my true identity?"
“When your three older brothers died, I was just a refugee. I caught a glimpse of you in front of the Gu family’s gate. The moment you stepped into the pine and bamboo forest, I knew it was you.”
Ru Mei gently stroked Gu Youan's eyes, "Don't be afraid. The Emperor's Ship is not hell. As long as you study diligently, you will eventually become the strongest."
Gu Youan followed Ru Mei deeper into the cave.
Suddenly, a cold, sticky, soft substance fell onto the back of her hand. She gasped and looked down to see a leech on her hand.
Ru Mei turned to look at her, "Leech can be used in medicine, don't panic."
She gently patted her arm, the gentle feeling spreading throughout her body. The elders in her family had once said that if you encounter a leech, you must never tear it off.
As the demon lit the torch, the firelight reflected on the wall, where many geckos were crawling. Gu Youan shrank his neck slightly.
Ru Mei smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. You'll be living in the same room with these animals from now on."
The cave was very quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps. After walking for an unknown amount of time, their view suddenly opened up, and a beam of light shone through a crack onto the wall. In front of them was a huge pool of water, from which white steam rose.
Ru Mei gently pulled her hand and removed her outer garment. Gu Youan's eyes flickered slightly, and she heard Ru Mei say, "The water in this pool can help you reshape your bones and muscles, and help you cultivate better."
She led Gu Youan step by step into the pool. Gu Youan sat in the pool, and Ru Mei pressed her shoulders. Countless small insects slowly crawled onto her body. She opened her mouth slightly, but Ru Mei pressed her shoulders to prevent her from getting up.
"Don't be afraid, these insects can help rebuild your bones and muscles."
Gu Youan suppressed her nausea and closed her eyes slightly. A tingling sensation spread throughout her body. The insects bit through her blood vessels and burrowed into her body, turning the pool of water bright red. She turned her head slightly and exclaimed in surprise as she felt the insects wriggling inside her.
"Don't resist them; they can help you improve your skills."
Gu Youan closed her eyes slightly and stretched her muscles. She could feel a power accumulating in her body, like a demon sprinkling powder into the pool, and the blood in the pool suddenly disappeared.
"Don't close your eyes. You need to feel the changes in your body. This is just the first step for you to enter the Emperor's Ship. You will face more bloody scenes in the future."
The discomfort disappeared, and Ru Mei handed her a cup of medicine. "Drink this medicine, and you will forget your past."
Gu Youan hesitated, her hands trembling slightly as she took the cup. "Have you forgotten your previous memories?"
She brought the cup to her lips but hesitated to drink, her slender, enchanting fingers tracing her neck. "Now that you've entered the Emperor's Ship, you'll be a person here for life."
Gu Youan was astonished. "System, what's going on? Why does the Emperor's Seat Assassin Organization insist on making people lose their memories?"
"Host, don't worry, you won't lose your memory after drinking this potion. She's lying to you."
Gu Youan closed her eyes slightly and drank the water in the cup in one gulp. She suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils gradually dilating. "This is water?"
Ru Mei looked at her approvingly, "You have guts. Now that you've joined my Emperor's Company, you don't need to worry anymore."
"As an assassin, you must become cold-blooded and ruthless. Here, only the strong can survive."
Gu Youan nodded. Ru Mei scratched her skin with her fingernail and placed an insect on her wound. The insect crawled into her body.
Gu Youan felt a sharp pain in her heart. She looked up at Ru Mei in a panic. Ru Mei placed her hand on her head and said, "Don't be afraid. This is a gift from the Emperor to each of you. This is a Gu worm from the Southern Frontier, which makes a woman's body more supple. You can use it when you go out on missions in the future."
She lowered her head slightly, disgusted by the idea of women using their bodies to gain benefits. Many scholars and writers had linked women's knowledge with that of men, ignoring the abilities they inherently possessed.
Gu Youan pressed her hand to her chest. Even in the world of the book, there was a subtle hint that women were inferior to men.
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