NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 8 - Su Muqing
He hadn’t expected cultivation in this world to be so absurd.
According to Bailian, as long as you cultivated, your chest would grow. So what about those immortals who’d been at it for centuries—how massive would theirs be?
Picture this: a giant watermelon dangling in front. No matter how beautiful someone was, that’d be hard to stomach.
But apparently, there was a limit to the growth. Immortals had ways to suppress it—a natural ability that came with higher realms, they said.
Su Yu figured, well…
In this world, men had sky-high looks and fair, flawless skin as compensation for not being able to cultivate. That didn’t seem unacceptable.
But… it still felt like self-delusion!
Su Yu’s mood was a tangled mess.
“If you’ve got nothing to do, Young Master, you could stroll around the estate more, take in the sights. Spring’s warm, flowers are blooming, colors bursting everywhere—it’s the season for it. Enjoying the beauty of a hundred blossoms vying for attention might lift your spirits.”
Sensing his dejection, Bailian offered what she thought was a solid suggestion.
Su Yu frowned, catching something else—only in the estate?
Right. He was now a delicate, flower-like beautiful young man, unable to step outside carelessly, lest some female predator take advantage of him.
That thought made his mood even gloomier.
If… cough cough! He’d never admit he wanted to taste what being “taken advantage of” felt like—that’d tarnish his righteous air.
…
Freeloading spiritual energy was a bust, but he still needed a plan.
How exactly was he supposed to activate this system?
Su Yu racked his brain and realized it all boiled down to one thing: money.
He needed money—lots and lots of it.
After all, a broke nobody had no business cultivating. Su Yu finally grasped the weight of that truth.
But a sum that huge was no joke. Selling himself wouldn’t even cover it.
Sitting on a treasure mountain with no method or door to enter—itchy and frustrated beyond words.
With a sigh, another lingering doubt crept up.
Over the past few days, Su Yu had noticed that while he’d inherited his predecessor’s memories, they felt like flowers in the fog—hazy and always a beat slow.
Take Bailian: he only recognized her as his wet nurse after seeing her, then recalled their shared past. Or the spirit stone’s value—it took Little Qing’s reminder for him to realize something that should’ve been common knowledge.
Su Yu secretly suspected this memory glitch was a form of protection.
After all, a person’s character is mostly shaped by their memories and thoughts.
Two sets of memories clashing—who would he become in the end?
Sixteen years of memories washing over him wasn’t that simple!
“There are pros and cons, but overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”
The upside was obvious: he was still himself, purely himself.
The downside? It raised the risk of slipping up. Two entirely different people—habits, speech patterns…
Luckily, the body was the original’s, and this world’s cultivators didn’t seem to have body-snatching tricks.
“Young Master, shall we start?”
A youthful voice broke through. Little Qing held a sword, looking at Su Yu.
For some reason, the Young Master had recently taken an interest in martial arts, asking to see her sword dance. It felt a bit awkward, but how could she refuse him?
Su Yu nodded eagerly.
Little Qing raised her longsword gracefully, swinging it with poise.
Unsheathed, the blade seemed alive, its arcs mysterious, as if brimming with the principles of heaven and earth.
Sword strikes! Shadows follow!
…
What the hell was this!?
Su Yu gaped at Little Qing’s swordplay, stunned.
Since cultivation methods snubbed men, he’d turned to ordinary martial arts instead.
The Divine Sky Sword, The Mysterious Blade Technique, The Solitary Three Strikes…
Little Qing’s martial skills had names that sounded impressive, but after being burned once, Su Yu wasn’t falling for it so easily.
She’d practiced these for years, so he figured he’d see what mundane martial arts could do.
They might not grant immortality—just martial world tricks—but at least they’d give him some self-defense, right?
But…
“This? This!?”
Su Yu knew zilch about swordsmanship, but he had basic eyesight.
What kind of sword master trips over their own feet or slices off their own hair with one swing?
Watching the little maid flail around the courtyard with her ee-yah noises, Su Yu quickly calmed down. He even felt like munching on sunflower seeds. His faint hopes fizzled out.
Forget it. The more he watched, the worse it got.
Little Qing finished her dance, wiped her sweat, and secretly peeked at him.
She’d expected praise, so why was he sighing?
Her swordplay was clearly flawless.
Hearing her muttering, Su Yu’s mouth twitched. He said gravely, “Little Qing…”
“Hm, hm~?”
“People need self-awareness.”
“Huh?”
Little Qing tilted her head, clueless.
Just then, a servant’s voice called from afar.
Little Qing went to check and returned, saying, “Young Master, it’s Miss Muqing. She says it’s been too long and she misses you dearly. She’s waiting outside the courtyard—will you see her?”
Miss Muqing? Su Muqing?
His sister!
“Of course not—”
Su Yu started to excuse himself with a fake illness, then stopped mid-sentence.
Wait. If he said he was unwell, with Su Muqing’s brother-obsessed nature, she’d barge in to check on him.
“Little brother, little brother, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt? Let me see!”—then she’d yank his clothes off, and things would spiral…
“No, no way!”
He needed another excuse.
But on second thought—Su Muqing was his sister. They’d see each other constantly; he could dodge her now, but not forever.
He had to meet her!
Su Yu tensed up. Could he avoid slipping in front of a sister he’d lived with day in, day out?
If she saw through his identity, what then?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through him, but in the end, he steeled himself.
“Invite my sister to my room.”
Little Qing nodded and left.
…
Since he was meeting his sister, he had to be fully prepared.
Though “prepared” just meant getting some tea ready.
They were blood siblings, not strangers—too much formality would raise suspicions.
In that moment, Su Yu frantically scoured his mind—how had his predecessor interacted with Su Muqing?
Oh, right. He didn’t need to do anything—just bask in her doting.
His nerves eased as he waited patiently.
Tap, tap, tap!
The sound of shoes on the floor—hasty footsteps drawing closer.
“Little brother, I heard you’ve taken an interest in cultivation lately. What’s with that idea? Men just need to know some needlework—that’s enough. Don’t go picking up those crude, violent things.”