Ugh, this is mortifying. Shame prickles like hot sand on skin. I finally slip into the changing room, but my hands freeze like winter branches. I don’t want girl clothes.

If I refuse, Xinuo won’t let me off. If I can’t become a Sword Wielder, my dream sinks like a stone into deep water.

Forget it. Rip the bandage off. The longer I fuss, the worse it hurts.

I grit my teeth. I press the shame down like a lid on boiling tea. I strip and pull on the maid outfit.

Minutes later, the mirror shows a stranger in moonlight.

Liquid-platinum hair spills down my back like a waterfall, topped with a white lace maid headpiece, light as frost. Wine-red eyes glisten, wet as garnets in rain.

My face is small and clean, blushing like peach petals. It’s embarrassingly inviting.

The sky-blue dress and white apron hug a slender frame. Bare legs, porcelain-pale, mix pure spring with a nip of summer heat.

No matter how I look, the girl in the mirror is top-shelf. It’s weird. I fought this like a storm, but now, aside from shame, I don’t hate it.

…Go out.

I stare at the mirror like a pond catching clouds. I sigh and step out.

…

Waaah! Emperor turned into a girl! So cute!

Serenemoon bolts in and squeezes me tight. My face sinks into her soft chest like a pillow of clouds. I can’t breathe.

Hey, hey, Serenemoon! Let go of my brother! Xinuo and I can’t see!

Littlesky runs up and pries her off. Whew… saved. No—both Littlesky and Xinuo stare at me like sunbeams fixed on glass.

The gaze burns. Shame spikes. I lower my head. Heat climbs to my ears like rising dusk.

A long beat…

Waaah! I knew it! Brother in a dress is gorgeous! Just like a real girl!

Mm-hmm. Emperor blushing shy like this is criminally cute. Makes me want to bully you, just a little.

Serenemoon’s eyes flash like foxfire. Danger, in every sense.

Indeed. Servant, are you sure you aren’t a girl to begin with?

Xinuo’s calm tone cuts like a thin blade. It hits straight to the heart.

Don’t say that, Xinuo! I’m a bona fide boy!

I can’t stand being mistaken for a girl. I snap back, loud as a drum.

A joke. Don’t get heated. Xinuo strolls over and pinches my cheek, light as a breeze. Still, the maid look fits you. Decided. When you’re by my side, keep this look.

Eh, what?

Once wasn’t enough? Long-term? No! Wear it too long and my body and mind will twist like vines. Please tell me I misheard.

No, I’m serious. Servant, it’s just girl clothes. You’ll get used to it.

Right! Don’t lose to a mere outfit, Brother! It really suits you. I get how Xinuo feels.

Exactly. You’re so cute, Emperor. Not wearing it is a waste. You wore boys’ clothes for over ten years. A stint in girl clothes won’t kill you.

They stand united. The tide’s against me. No words can dam this river.

Fine…

No point wasting breath against a mountain. I swallow the bitter tea. For now, clothes don’t matter. Sword practice does. Shift focus, and the heart breathes.

Good.

Xinuo nods, satisfied. She picks up Shattered Light and tosses it to me like a silver fish. Servant, go train.

Got it!

I catch the Shattered Light Sword and head out. Walking in a skirt is a drafty nightmare. My legs feel like winter reeds.

…

Outside the Mizumi Clan’s main house.

I clear my mind like wiping fog from glass. I recall Xinuo’s words from yesterday. I weave them with yesterday’s feel, thread by thread.

Then—something clicks. I slip into a river-borne state. My body moves by itself, like leaves caught by wind. Shattered Light Sword flows through the basic forms, end to end.

The motion is smoother than yesterday, like oil on jade. No stiffness. Only easy rhythm.

That light, offhand feel grows natural, like an everyday walk under clear sky. No more awkward knots.

Not bad. Looks like you’ve fully mastered basic swordsmanship, Servant.

Her praise lands like spring rain. The gloom from the forced outfit vanishes. Joy remains, bright as sunlight.

I don’t quite get it, but Brother is amazing!

Mm-hmm! Emperor, keep it up and catch up to Qianji~

Littlesky and Serenemoon call from the steps of the main house. Their words rise like banners and stir the blood.

Xinuo, what do I train next?

I run the forms again. The result matches before. I stop and ask.

Once basic swordsmanship passes, you reach the second layer—Sword Skills.

Second layer? Sword Skills?

I don’t quite follow. I wait for her to continue.

Fine. You’ve stepped through the gate to a Sword Wielder’s path. Time you learned. The three swords—Swordsmanship, Sword Aura, Sword Intent—each have three layers.

I’ll speak on Swordsmanship. Listen and brand it in your mind. I’ll only say it once.

Understood. Please, Xinuo!

Even Littlesky and Serenemoon perk up, ears like little foxes. Curiosity flickers.

Swordsmanship has three layers:

First—Entry, Basic Swordsmanship. Nothing more to say.

Second—Advancement, Sword Skills. This layer holds the essence. Sword Skills split in two—ordinary skills and Sword Aura skills. You’ll train the former next. The latter waits till you grasp Sword Aura.

Third—Extreme, World Sword. At this layer, your sword returns to simplicity, like a plain stone hiding a mountain. You merge with the world and draw its strength into your blade.

In other words, your foe faces more than you. They face a world.

Xinuo says it mild as mist, yet the meaning strikes like thunder. I stand stunned. So just Swordsmanship alone, at its third layer, carries that much power. No wonder the Ancestor once walked invincible under heaven.

Xinuo, what level did the Ancestor reach back then?

Littlesky recovers first and asks. Serenemoon and I lean in, hearts taut as bowstrings.

Sheng, that guy? Swordsmanship—Extreme. Sword Aura—Extreme. Sword Intent—second layer peak.

We go silent, shocked. Two swords at the third layer? How strong was that? And what realm is Xinuo, who raised him?

I want to ask, but I bury it like a secret under snow. Ask too much now, and Xinuo’s patience will crack.

Ordinary Sword Skills… how do I train them?

Honestly, I’m lost in fog.

I’ll teach you in a moment. But before that, aren’t you curious about the World Sword?

Xinuo smiles, beautiful as moon on water. I stare, spellbound and uneasy. Yesterday, she wore the same smile when she proposed that test.

Of course I’m curious.

I tell the truth. My unease grows like a shadow at dusk.

Good. They say, “Seeing is real; hearing is hollow.” How about you taste what it’s like to face the World Sword? It may help your growth in Swordsmanship.

Is Xinuo joking? Her eyes say no. Curiosity kills cats, and I’m the cat. Fear coils inside, but I still want to try.

The unknown stirs both fear and wonder. I want to see if the World Sword is truly as terrifying as she says. Her lure nudges me over the edge.

I can’t help myself. Fine! I want to try.

No medicine for regret. I swallow hard, throat dry as sand. I brace my mind like tying a boat to a pier.

Don’t be so afraid. I plan to let you feel the aura of the World Sword, not take the strike.

Xinuo speaks as she snaps a branch from a nearby tree. The twig is green, fresh as spring. Servant, ready?

Rea—

The next word sticks. Her stance says this is real. What do I do? Fear spreads like ink.

Brother, don’t force yourself! If it’s too much, don’t do it. It’s the World Sword! Even the name is scary.

Littlesky’s voice trembles like wind in grass.

Littlesky is right. Even just the aura, for Emperor right now, is too much. Try it after you grow stronger?

The earlier excitement is gone. Both Littlesky and Serenemoon wear worry like rainclouds.

By rights, I should yield. But backing down feels shameful, like turning from a mountain path half climbed. Especially in front of Xinuo, I refuse.

Say I’m prideful and ask for pain—fine. I just don’t want to quit before I even try.

After wrestling with myself, I decide. I meet Xinuo’s eyes, steady as stone. No problem. I’m ready.