Bai Zihan melepas pakaiannya lalu melangkah masuk, membiarkan air hangat yang menenangkan membersihkan segala kotoran.
"Ahh..."
Dia menghela napas puas sambil bersandar, membenamkan diri lebih dalam ke kolam.
Ketegangan di otot-ototnya larut, dan dia bisa merasakan tubuhnya menyerap sisa energi spiritual di dalam air, semakin memurnikan meridiannya.
Untuk pertama kalinya dalam waktu yang lama, Bai Zihan membiarkan dirinya bersantai.
Setelah sekitar tiga puluh menit, dia selesai mandi dan siap pergi.
Bai Zihan berdiri, air menetes dari tubuhnya, dan meraih handuk di dekatnya.
Dia mengeringkan tubuhnya dengan efisien sebelum mengenakan jubah baru yang ditinggalkan Luo Qing untuknya.
Kainnya halus dan nyaman, hitam pekat dengan sulaman perak samar.
Setelah berpakaian, dia berjalan menuju cermin perunggu yang terpasang di sisi kamar mandi.
Itu akan menjadi pertama kalinya dia melihat bayangannya sendiri.
Dia melangkah di depannya—dan membeku.
Satu wajah menatap balik—kulit mulus, mata tajam, dan ekspresi penuh arogansi.
Wajah yang dirancang untuk satu tujuan: dihancurkan oleh protagonis sebelum ceritanya benar-benar mulai.
Tampan, tentu saja. Tetapi dengan ketajaman jahat yang berteriak 'young master cannon fodder.'
Dia memiliki penampilan—jenis ketampanan tajam dan licik yang berteriak 'batu loncatan sekali pakai.'
Rambut hitamnya sedikit lembap, menempel di dahinya dalam helaian, membuat penampilannya semakin mencolok dengan mata merahnya.
Matanya menyipit saat dia mendekat.
(Serius? Dunia memberiku wajah seperti ini?)
Seolah-olah dunia telah bersusah payah membentuk penampilan 'Young Master yang Harus Kamu Kalahkan' yang sempurna.
Bai Zihan tertawa kecil dengan getir.
Tentu saja!
Tentu saja dia akan terlihat seperti ini.
Semuanya masuk akal.
Dia tidak hanya memiliki nama antagonis yang ditakdirkan kalah—dia bahkan memiliki wajah yang cocok.
Ujung jarinya menyusuri garis rahangnya saat dia mempelajari dirinya lebih jauh.
Dia menghela napas, melangkah mundur dari cermin.
(Yah, setidaknya aku tampan!)
Tetap saja, mengetahui bagaimana penampilannya di mata orang lain membantu banyak hal.
Dan jika dunia ini benar-benar mengikuti skrip novel kultivasi...
Maka dia perlu mengubah perannya dengan cepat.
Segera setelah itu, dia keluar dan memanggil Luo Qing.
"Luo Qing, kamu di sana?"
Dia ingin meminta Luo Qing menyiapkan makan siang untuknya karena sudah berhari-hari sejak terakhir kali dia makan.
Biasanya, dia tidak terlalu peduli mengisi perutnya, karena seorang kultivator bisa berminggu-minggu tanpa makan, dan dengan pil, tidak perlu makan sama sekali.
Tapi bagaimana dia bisa dengan mudah melupakan kebiasaan duniawinya?
Salah satu dari sedikit hal dalam hidup yang benar-benar dia nikmati di kehidupan sebelumnya adalah makanan.
Alih-alih makan hanya untuk hidup, dia juga hidup untuk makan.
Dia tidak terlalu kaya di kehidupan sebelumnya dan hanya makan makanan biasa, tetapi di sini, ceritanya berbeda—dia bisa mendapatkan apa pun yang dia inginkan, terutama dalam hal makanan.
"Luo Qing!"
Bai Zihan memanggil lagi.
Aneh kalau dia tidak segera muncul. Sejauh yang dia ingat, Luo Qing jarang membuat kesalahan seperti ini.
Saat dia bertanya-tanya apa yang terjadi, Luo Qing akhirnya muncul.
!!!
Tetapi yang mengejutkannya bukanlah penampilannya—melainkan siapa yang dia bawa.
"Bai Zihan, jadi kamu di sini!"
Nada yang memerintah dan arogan.
Hanya ada satu orang di seluruh Desolate Heaven Empire yang bisa berbicara kepada Bai Zihan seperti itu—kakak perempannya satu-satunya, Bai Xueqing.
Jenius sejati pertama Klan Bai, kebanggaan generasi muda, dan salah satu sosok paling cemerlang di seluruh Desolate Heaven Empire.
Ini juga pertama kalinya Bai Zihan benar-benar melihat wajahnya.
Rambut perak panjang tergerai di punggungnya seperti benang cahaya bulan, kontras tajam dengan jubah gelap elegannya yang disulam pola seperti es.
Matanya biru es menusuk seperti danau beku di musim dingin—tenang namun tak kenal ampun, menyimpan ketajaman yang tampaknya menembus segalanya.
Fisiknya ramping namun kuat, bukti latihan ketatnya.
Tidak seperti kecantikan lembut Luo Qing, Bai Xueqing membawa dirinya dengan keanggunan halus seorang dewi bela diri—tak tergoyahkan, percaya diri, dan sepenuhnya tak tersentuh.
Dia adalah seseorang yang berdiri di puncak, dikagumi oleh banyak orang di kekaisaran.
Dan saat ini, dia menatap langsung ke arah Bai Zihan dengan campuran tidak sabar dan sedikit jengkel.
Itu wajar.
Karena di mata Klan Bai, Bai Xueqing adalah naga yang ditakdirkan untuk kehebatan.
Dan Bai Zihan?
Dia selalu menjadi adik laki-laki yang memalukan, yang hanya bisa bersembunyi di balik bayang-bayang kecemerlangannya.
Alis Bai Xueqing berkerut sedikit saat dia melipat tangannya.
Dia mengira akan menemukannya cemberut,
Bai Zihan undressed and stepped in, allowing the warm, soothing water to wash away the impurities.
"Ahh..."
He let out a satisfied sigh as he leaned back, submerging himself deeper into the pool.
The tension in his muscles melted away, and he could feel his body absorbing the residual spiritual energy within the water, further refining his meridians.
For the first time in a long while, Bai Zihan allowed himself to relax.
After about thirty minutes, he was done with his bath and ready to leave.
Bai Zihan stood up, water dripping down his body, and grabbed a nearby towel.
He dried himself off with practiced efficiency before slipping into the fresh robes that Luo Qing had left for him.
The fabric was smooth and comfortable, a deep shade of black embroidered with faint silver linings.
Once dressed, he walked toward the bronze mirror mounted on the side of the bath chamber.
It would be the first time he saw his own reflection.
He stepped in front of it—and froze.
A face stared back—flawless skin, sharp eyes, and an expression dripping with arrogance.
A face designed for one purpose: to be obliterated by the protagonist before the story even got going.
Handsome, sure. But with a sharp, villainous edge that screamed 'young master cannon fodder.'
He had the look—the type of sharp, wicked handsomeness that screamed 'disposable stepping stone.'
His black hair was slightly damp, clinging to his forehead in strands, making his appearance even more striking with his red eyes.
His eyes narrowed as he leaned closer.
(Seriously? The world gave me this face?)
It was as if the world had taken extra care in sculpting the perfect Young Master You Must Defeat appearance.
Bai Zihan let out a low, bitter chuckle.
Of course!
Of course, he would look like this.
It all made sense.
He didn't just have the name of a doomed antagonist—he even had the face to match.
His fingers brushed against his jawline as he studied himself further.
He sighed, stepping back from the mirror.
(Well, at least I'm good-looking!)
Still, knowing how he appeared to others helped put a lot of things into perspective.
And if this world was truly following the script of a cultivation novel...
Then he needed to change his role fast.
Immediately after, he went out and called for Luo Qing.
"Luo Qing, are you there?"
He wanted to ask Luo Qing to prepare lunch for him since it had been many days since he last ate.
Normally, he didn't care much about filling his belly, as a cultivator could go weeks without eating, and with pills, there was no need to eat at all.
But how could he so easily forget his Earthly habits?
One of the few things in life he had truly enjoyed in his past life was food.
Rather than eating just to live, he also lived to eat.
He wasn't particularly rich in his past life and had only eaten normal meals, but here, it was a different story—he could have anything he wanted, especially when it came to food.
"Luo Qing!"
Bai Zihan called again.
It was strange that she didn't immediately appear. As far as he could remember, Luo Qing rarely made such mistakes.
Just as he was wondering what had happened, Luo Qing finally appeared.
!!!
But what surprised him wasn't her appearance—it was who she had brought along.
"Bai Zihan, so you were here!"
A commanding and arrogant tone.
There was only one person in the entire Desolate Heaven Empire who could speak to Bai Zihan like that—his only sister, Bai Xueqing.
The first true genius of the Bai Clan, the pride of the younger generation, and one of the most dazzling figures in the entire Desolate Heaven Empire.
This is also the first time Bai Zihan has properly seen her face.
Long, flowing silver hair cascaded down her back like threads of moonlight, contrasting sharply against her dark, elegant robes embroidered with frost-like patterns.
Her icy-blue eyes were as piercing as a frozen lake in winter—calm yet unforgiving, holding a sharpness that seemed to see through everything.
Her physique was slender yet powerful, a testament to her rigorous training.
Unlike the delicate beauty of Luo Qing, Bai Xueqing carried herself with the refined grace of a martial goddess—unshakable, confident, and completely untouchable.
She was someone who stood at the peak, admired by countless people in the empire.
And right now, she was staring directly at Bai Zihan with a mixture of impatience and mild annoyance.
It was only natural.
Because in the eyes of the Bai Clan, Bai Xueqing was a dragon destined for greatness.
And Bai Zihan?
He had always been the disgraceful younger brother, the one who could only hide in the shadows of her brilliance.
Bai Xueqing's brows furrowed slightly as she folded her arms.
She had expected to find him sulking, flinching, or trying to weasel his way out of whatever lecture she was about to give.
But instead, he just stood there, calm and composed.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Bai Zihan, what are you doing?"
She asked, her voice carrying its usual authority.
Bai Zihan blinked.
(What kind of dumb question is that?)
He crossed his arms and replied casually, "I was taking a bath. What does it look like?"
Silence!
Luo Qing's eyes widened in shock.
Even Bai Xueqing's expression stiffened for a brief moment, as if she hadn't expected such a direct response.
Normally, Bai Zihan wouldn't even dare to meet her gaze, let alone speak to her so nonchalantly.
She had been so used to seeing him act meek and fearful in her presence that this new attitude...
It was almost unnerving.
Luo Qing, who had been standing quietly behind Bai Xueqing, looked between the two siblings with a stunned expression.
(This... isn't normal. Young Master Bai Zihan never talks back to Lady Xueqing like that!)
Even in the past, Bai Zihan had always been arrogant toward those beneath him, but when it came to his sister, he was completely different.
He had never once shown defiance toward her.
Yet now—he had spoken with confidence, without a trace of hesitation or fear.
Bai Xueqing's sharp gaze studied him carefully.
There was something different about him.
For as long as she had known Bai Zihan, his eyes had always been filled with either frustration, self-loathing, or false bravado.
But now, there was something else.
Something new.
He looked straight at her.
No avoidance! No cowering!
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