With the Hidden Severance Guard beginning to forge themselves into a nascent, brutal force, Jianyu felt a dangerous satisfaction. His male form, Xu Jianyu, was the ruthless commander, the architect of their vengeance. But the world still clamored for the "Saint," for Niánmei. It was a perfect distraction, and he intended to exploit it.
He returned to Heifeng Cheng, a city still buzzing with the aftermath of his public duel and the unsettling appearance of his imposter. The sects, though wary, continued their desperate attempts to court or control the enigmatic "Saint." This gave Jianyu the perfect cover to begin experimenting with the deeper capabilities of his System, particularly the seamless transition between his two bodies.
In the solitude of his chambers, he practiced. He acquired a collection of mirror veils and reflection talismans, ancient artifacts designed to capture and manipulate light and spiritual essence. He would stand before them, shifting. One moment, the stoic, male Jianyu, his qi a sharp, tempered steel. The next, the ethereal, female Niánmei, her aura a soft, alluring silk. He discovered he could not only switch between them, but hold both forms in a flickering, almost simultaneous existence, a rapid oscillation that blurred the lines of reality.
It was during these intense sessions that he discovered a third "presence" in his soul. It was not a distinct form, but a passive observer, a silent echo that seemed to "remember" things he didn't, fragments of knowledge, of sensation, that predated even his reincarnation. The System, in a cryptic flash, labeled it: Observer Node: 03. It was a chilling realization: he was not just dual; he was tripartite, a complex, layered entity. And this third node was beginning to stir, to act on its own, subtly influencing his thoughts, his instincts.
Using his newfound mastery over his duality, Jianyu orchestrated a dangerous game of political chess. As Niánmei, he arranged simultaneous, clandestine meetings with both Gong Xuelan and Mistress Zhao Hansu. To Xuelan, he leaked carefully crafted lies about Hansu's supposed attempts to undermine Chixia Gong's influence in Heifeng Cheng. To Hansu, he whispered tales of Xuelan's secret experiments and her true, possessive intentions towards Niánmei. He watched, with a cold, detached amusement, as the seeds of mistrust he planted began to blossom into open suspicion between the two matriarchs.
Meanwhile, Mei Ling'er, his loyal companion, had begun her own cultivation under his guidance. He had taught her the basics of qi circulation, the initial steps of meridian re-mapping. To his surprise, she proved unusually compatible with blood-based runes, absorbing and utilizing them with an ease that hinted at a hidden potential. Her progress was rapid, almost unnatural.
Jianyu observed her, a cold thought forming in his mind. Ling'er was devoted, naive to the brutal politics of the sects, and utterly loyal. But her unusual compatibility, her rapid growth… it mirrored aspects of his own. He began to suspect she too might be a failed vessel, a discarded prototype, perhaps even a hidden creation of Xuelan's, saved and forgotten. Ling'er, however, remained blissfully unaware of the chilling possibility that her own blood held a secret as profound and terrifying as his own. He kept his suspicions to himself, for now. She was a valuable asset, and a potential key to unlocking more of his own fragmented past.