Chapter 17: Su Lan Bed
Inside the silent hall of the Sixth Peak, the atmosphere was cold, still, and charged with tension.
Meng Hao stood before the throne where Su Lan sat like an untouchable deity, her gaze fixed upon him with the indifference of a snow-covered mountain—beautiful, yet distant. The lingering spirit lights above bathed the hall in soft luminescence, making her silhouette seem even more ethereal.
Then her voice echoed once more, as emotionless and sharp as ever.
"Meng Hao."
Hearing his name spoken by her for the second time, Meng Hao lowered his head respectfully, placing his fist to his palm in salute.
"This junior greets the Elder."
He raised his eyes subtly, hoping for even the faintest reaction from her, but Su Lan's expression remained like still water. No emotion flickered on her flawless face—not amusement, not irritation, not approval.
It was as if his respectful demeanor meant nothing.
A few seconds passed before Su Lan spoke again, her tone icy and blunt.
"You could have chosen another peak, couldn't you?"
She rose slowly, her sword still resting casually in her hand.
"Then why are you standing before me now?"
Meng Hao remained silent, her words hanging heavy in the air. But inside, his thoughts stirred.
"This question... it aligns almost too perfectly with the tip the system gave me earlier when revealing her status," he thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. "It seems this is a test... a question that probes more than the surface. A question that seeks my truth."
Lifting his bowed head, he met her gaze fully.
Their eyes locked.
His calm black irises met the unfeeling violet of hers. For a moment, it was as though two worlds collided—one a glacier, one a burning storm hidden behind layers of restraint.
Then Meng Hao spoke.
"From the moment of my birth until now, I have been bound by the way of the world."
His voice was steady, but heavy with emotion.
"Since childhood, I longed to pursue my own Dao… to walk a path that I could call my own. But I was restrained—by expectations, by fear, by weakness."
He paused, his chest rising and falling softly.
"No… it wasn't because of others. I was weak. I am weak. That is the truth."
He clenched his fists as his voice gained strength.
"And I no longer wish to live chained by that weakness."
As he said this, a single tear slipped down his cheek, tracing the curve of his chin before falling to the polished floor below.
Su Lan's eyes narrowed slightly.
There was no mockery in her gaze. No cold rebuke. Instead, for the first time, there was a flicker of thought—an acknowledgment of his conviction.
After a long silence, her voice answered, softer now, yet still bearing the weight of an elder's pride.
"It seems I was not wrong in my judgment of you."
She descended slowly from the platform, her robes trailing behind her like mist.
"You are indeed unlike the other boys who seek comfort in flattery or ambition. You have the face of a beauty, one that could easily win the heart of a noble daughter or a powerful cultivator, and live a life of comfort beside her."
She stopped just a few steps away from him, her violet eyes studying him deeply.
"Yet here you are… asking to walk the hardest path of all."
There was a pause, her gaze sharper now.
"The path of my disciple is colder than ice, harsher than steel. You will not be pampered, nor will your beauty shield you from suffering. What lies ahead will test your body, your will, and your soul beyond measure."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Do you still wish to follow this path?"
Meng Hao didn't hesitate.
He nodded once, firmly, his eyes still brimming with unshed emotion.
"Yes."
For the first time since he had arrived, a subtle change came over Su Lan's face. A glint, a shade of expression—something that hinted at acceptance.
"Very well," she said. "From this moment onward, you shall be my ninth personal disciple."
Meng Hao's eyes widened. A surge of triumph swept through him.
Immediately, he fell to his knees and bowed deeply, his forehead touching the icy floor.
"This disciple greets the Master!" he shouted with reverence, his voice echoing with sincerity.
And in that moment, just as the declaration faded from the hall, a ding echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Favorability Increase Detected.]
[Su Lan – Sixth Peak Master]
Cultivation: Nascent Soul – Late Stage
Status: Single
Known for: Rejecting all male disciples
Personality: Cold, Dispassionate, Untamed
Affinity: ★★☆☆☆ (2 Stars –Very Interested in you)
Has never seen a boy more beautiful than you. Your unique appearance and the unwavering conviction in your Dao pursuit have intrigued her deeply. She now sees you as an ideal disciple—and possibly more.
Reading the notification, Meng Hao's lips curled upward into a small smile.
But unlike the earlier smile he had shown Su Lan—one filled with humility and resolve—this smile was different.
It was crooked.
Dark.
Satisfying.
"It seems… the day I walk across her cold bed of ice is not far away."
He lifted his head slowly, still kneeling before her, but within his heart, a fire began to burn—not just of cultivation, but ambition.
An ambition that now included the untouchable Su Lan.