The players knew they were just kidding themselves.
But everyone had dreams. Without dreams, wouldn’t they be no better than dead fish?
When he clicked into the video, Zongzong discovered that the cutscene was only a few minutes long. It opened on a moonlit night, where a handsome, tall man clutched a swaddled infant and dashed through a bamboo grove. Bamboo leaves rustled in his wake. The man seemed utterly exhausted, but a storm of hidden weapons rained down on him from behind like a violent gale. If he stopped even for a moment, he would die.
The infant in his arms was still too young, its age too tender to tell if it was a boy or a girl. Perhaps sensing the jolting motion, or catching the scent of blood—or maybe driven by hunger—it wailed uncontrollably.
“Little one, don’t cry. If you make a sound, they’ll find us,” the man murmured tenderly, brushing aside the soft fuzz on the infant’s forehead even as he sprinted along the edge of death.
Zongzong drew in a sharp breath. At first, he’d wondered why this was Ruan Xuezong’s backstory video—it was just a group of black-clothed assailants chasing a man carrying a baby. Where was Ruan Xuezong? Now it hit him: Zongzong must be that infant!
“Family, look how refined and handsome this baby is. You can already see the stunning grace he’ll grow into. Has to be Zongzong,” one netizen gushed, overflowing with paternal affection.
The others grabbed magnifying glasses and peered closely. Moments later, they recoiled in disbelief. The crying infant in the video had faint eyebrows furrowed in grievance, its flushed face all scrunched up like a wrinkly little monkey. Where was any trace of future beauty?
The video continued. Suddenly, the man broke pattern and ruthlessly hurled the swaddled bundle into the mortuary. That very night, flames devoured the entire place, leaving not a single tile intact. The black-clothed men spotted it and departed with satisfied smirks, one calling out as they left: “The infant has been slain. Mission accomplished. Time to report back.”
With that, he vanished like a ghost.
The players were stunned. Just as they were about to curse the man out, he reappeared on screen. Half his face was smeared with blood and grime, nearly sealing his eyes shut. Yet in the crook of his arm nestled the infant, and behind him trailed a mother sheep heavy with milk.
It was the dead of winter, bitter cold everywhere. Without its swaddling, the baby huddled half its body into the man’s broad coat. The stench of blood clung to him, but the little one seemed accustomed to it now—no more crying or fussing. One tiny hand clutched at the man’s lapel, looking perfectly content.
“You’d make a walking target from birth. They think you’re dead, so I can’t keep carrying you like this—it’d be too conspicuous. With nothing to our names, you’d just live a life of poverty, wandering the world.” The man gave a wry smile to the child in his arms, then turned wearily away to roam as a vagrant.
At last, he arrived at a place familiar to every player: Heart Washing Manor.
The gates opened to a couple in their thirties. No one knew what the man said to them, but their expressions shifted from shock to joy, and finally to resolve. “Thank you, Hero Qi. We’ve been childless for over a decade. If you’re willing to entrust him to us, perhaps this is heaven’s will… No matter who he truly is… Heart Washing Manor will pour all its strength into raising him well.”
The players were floored! This was ancient history—the couple had to be the old manor lord and his wife of Heart Washing Manor, Ruan Xuezong’s foster parents! The timeline traced back eighteen years!
The old manor lord and his wife took the infant. One tender arm, plump as a lotus root section, peeked out.
A sharp-eyed player spotted a peach-red birthmark on the baby’s arm, shaped like flower petals.
Sensing the impending separation—or perhaps the withdrawal of a familiar presence—the infant stirred awake. It scrunched its tiny brows, black eyes brimming with tears. Those clear, innocent eyes opened wide, one small hand gently tugging at the man’s sleeve.
Man and couple alike fell silent.
Yet in the end, the man pried the tiny fingers loose, drew a knife, and walked away. Even as he descended the steps of Heart Washing Manor, he glanced back every few paces until his figure faded from view.
In that moment, the players felt a deep resonance.
From Hero Qi’s perspective, giving up the child he’d guarded with his life was heartbreaking. From the infant’s viewpoint, a knight had shielded him with everything, only to be unable to continue—and that man, this living target, seemed ready to die for him. Infants might be young, but they often sensed partings and deaths keenly, hence the tug… And of course, everyone knew Ruan Xuezong had grown up at Heart Washing Manor.
“Wuuu, I’m bawling. This is abuse.”
“Take back what I said about Zongzong looking like a monkey. He’s adorable once he stops crying.”
“Ruan Xuezong: confirmed beautiful, strong, and tragic.”
“Rational discussion: What exactly is Ruan Xuezong’s identity, protected by everyone? Who were those black-clothed killers after him and Hero Qi? Plot timeline: five or six years ago, the great fire at Heart Washing Manor killed his foster parents while he survived. Related to his true identity being exposed? The devs are shady, piling on the mysteries.”
“I’ve looped that line endlessly: ‘The infant has been slain. Mission accomplished. Time to report back.’ The speaker’s voice is so shrill and thin—gives me the creeps. These black-clothed guys kill and burn, but they don’t seem like Demonic Sect forces.”
The promo ended there, like a character backstory that would update piecemeal. But the netizens were fired up. Forum threads on Heart Washing Manor, Hero Qi, and Ruan Xuezong’s origins exploded, spawning whole plot-analysis buildings. They reached no conclusions, but one thing was clear: Ruan Xuezong’s backstory had become the hot topic. Countless players’ admiration morphed into profound pity.
Ruan Xuezong was mostly satisfied with the video, though not entirely. He liked how it stirred some memories, but…
He’d tweaked and refined certain details, lingering especially on the “peach-colored petal birthmark.” System 007 asked: 【Why emphasize that?】 With all the blood, tears, separations, the mortuary blaze, and foster-parent kindness, how could the focus be a birthmark?
Ruan Xuezong replied offhandedly, “You’ll find out later.”
All his efforts were to make future actions seem logical and grounded.
…
After the Peacock Manor incident, Ruan Xuezong decided to head back to Jiangnan.
“Even allies can’t have me freeloading forever,” he said aloud. Only the 007 System knew the truth: the guy just couldn’t stand Jinling City anymore.
Post-lifespan banquet, word of Ruan Xuezong escaping disfigurement spread through the Rivers and Lakes like it had wings. Rumors embellished wildly, comparing him to peerless beauties who’d stirred storms at twenty, drawing countless jianghu heroes’ longing. They schemed every way to glimpse him and verify the hype.
Ruan Xuezong wanted out immediately, back to his base in Jiangnan City.
He’d come by land, which was bumpy; any roadside tigers, and he’d hesitate to kill outright for reputation’s sake. So return by water.
He picked a random day to depart. Unexpectedly, it drizzled. Amid players’ stunned disappointment, he donned a white veil hat.
This hat—also called a travel hat—had wide brim like a conical hat, with a dangling veil that hid the face while blocking rain and sun. Utterly practical.
Waiting for the southbound ship at Jinling City’s docks, Ruan Xuezong was glad he’d slipped away fast. He overheard jianghu folk gossiping: “Heard Manor Lord Ruan of Heart Washing Manor wasn’t disfigured in the blaze. The face under that mask could stun the world!”
“How do you know?”
“That brother got Peacock Manor’s invite, went to the banquet. Turns out it was a plot—nearly lost his life. But he saw clear as day: Manor Lord Ruan’s face was so stunning, even the Demonic Sects held back.”
“Real talk? The Demonic Sects are ruthless—they’d kill a Righteous Path Fairy without blinking.”
“But I heard the Righteous Path Fairy didn’t get killed. She threw herself in front of a Demonic Sect blade willingly.”
A male hero scoffed. “What jianghu top beauty? It’s all hearsay snowballing. The world’s full of mediocre sheep, blindly following. Call a flower beautiful enough times, and everyone nods along…”
This inner disciple from some sect was fresh to the jianghu, dreaming of swift justice and dashing adventures. He’d heard the Peacock Manor tales until his ears blistered—especially Ruan Xuezong and his manor’s retainers.
He regretted missing it; otherwise, crushing Demonic Sects, exposing plots, and claiming fame might’ve included him! As for beauties? He sneered at them as painted skeletons slowing a true wanderer.
Little did he know fate loved mockery.
At Jinling docks, he brushed past a youth in a white veil hat. First impression: strong, a young expert.
Second: clothes spotless, pure white save for pitch-black hair like ink on snow. In the gloomy rain, it popped—refreshingly pleasing.
Third: As the youth boarded amid a breeze, the veil lifted slightly, revealing half a stunning, aloof profile.
With green hills and ancient trees lining the shore, mist weaving ribbons through the clouds, that white-clad, black-haired figure evoked a living landscape painting—inhuman, like a gleaming pearl or graceful peak.
The hero froze in shock, heart surging with awe. He didn’t notice the slick stone steps underfoot.
Splash! He tumbled into the water, choking desperately. A bunch of players thought it was some jianghu quest and fished him out excitedly. No quest? Massive letdown.
Heart Washing Manor had chartered three large ships—one Ruan Xuezong’s dime, the rest player-funded.
Once aboard, Ruan Xuezong relaxed among his own. He lifted his veil hat, cradling a teacup. He inhaled the aroma, steam veiling his refined features, making him even more captivating.
His pale lips, like frost without color, flushed pink after a gentle sip, drawing gasps from countless players.
“Wuuu, Zongzong is so gorgeous!”
“Hubby drank my tea today!! By math, we’re basically having a kid!!”
“Stop flexing. Tea-brew quests used to need 1000 favorability—no line. Now even 1000 has a queue. Fair?”
The three ships set sail, brushing past one exotic vessel of foreign flair.
As Ruan Xuezong sipped, a white-haired youth on the neighboring ship turned abruptly. He stared blankly toward a certain direction with empty eyes.
Just then, clouds parted, rain cleared, sunlight spilling down.
Others noticed: not just white hair, but golden eyes shimmering with faint glow.
The youth tilted his head slightly, asking his guard: “Was that person just now good-looking?” His ears were keen—he’d caught the splash, then the gasps. Something had genuinely awed the crowd.
The guard glanced, glimpsing Ruan Xuezong’s face. His stern brows flickered in surprise before he replied, “Yes. Very.”
“Too bad he’s blind and sees nothing.” Snowy lashes like the youth’s hair fluttered like butterfly wings as he spoke.
“Between him and Mother Queen, who’s prettier?” the youth pressed.
A death question!
The guard paled. Everyone knew the Queen seemed normal but was mad inside, and this little ancestor was a pint-sized psycho. He hedged: “They’re different styles. A man’s beauty can’t compare to a woman’s.”
“So you’re saying he’s prettier than Mother,” the youth nodded, then pivoted: “They say Central Plains beauties’ hearts and livers cure eye ailments. True?”
The guard: “Perhaps…”
The youth’s vacant golden eyes held no dazzle—beauty meant nothing to his sightless world, just calm.
His guards trembled, dreading some slaughterous whim on this foreign soil.
Luckily, their ship soon passed the three, destinations diverging: one to Jiangnan, one back to the Western Regions. No overlap likely.
Heart Washing Manor reached Jiangnan City docks. System 007 told Ruan Xuezong: 【Twilight Spring’s here. Game Will’s out the promo. To meet player hype, server maintenance incoming.】
Ruan Xuezong, puzzled by the custom: 【After?】
【Post-update: new features galore, plus a half-month Twilight Spring Festival Event.】
Ruan Xuezong frowned lightly: 【Twilight Spring isn’t a traditional festival here.】
System 007: 【You wouldn’t get it. Players crave festivity; game devs make holidays whenever.】
Ruan Xuezong: 【???】
