Stepping inside, the space felt vast. The warm light cast golden glows across the walls and ceiling, where detailed carvings and paintings made the mansion feel truly grand and expensive.
Zhang Wei followed the maid down the East hallway. After several turns through the long corridors, he finally arrived at a spacious area with a clear green pool that seemed to glow with its own light. Beautiful plants surrounded it, filling the air with a peaceful, sweet smell.
"Young Master Ethan, the pool is ready for you," the maid announced. As soon as she spoke, the other servants who had been quietly preparing the area quickly and silently left. They had all been told what to do beforehand.
After everyone disappeared, only the original maid remained.
She stood there nervously, gripping the fabric of her maid uniform with trembling hands.
"Um... Young Master, should I help you bathe?" she asked carefully, watching his face for any reaction. Her cheeks turned red as she already knew what might happen next.
"If it's with Young Master, then..." She couldn't finish her sentence, her face growing even redder as she clutched her skirt nervously.
As a servant, pleasing her master was her most important duty. This kind of service was perfectly normal in this world. There was nothing wrong with it, and if she was lucky, she might even gain his favor and improve her position.
Hearing her offer made Zhang Wei sigh at the customs of this world. He was slowly beginning to understand why nobles and powerful people, both here and in his past life, had such bad reputations.
He looked at her. Really looked.
Her face was flushed, hot. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on her fair skin, tracing a path down from her forehead... over her neck... disappearing beneath her collar... hinting at soft curves below. Her eyes held a nervous, expectant look.
It was like her whole being whispered: "I'm all yours. Ravage me whenever you want. Freely."
Zhang Wei felt his heart race.
With this kind of power and temptation constantly available, it was no wonder that even good people could be corrupted. Even those with the strongest willpower had to be careful not to fall into these traps.
All he could think was that stereotypes about powerful people might not be completely true, but they weren't completely false either.
Behind every story was some truth.
Here was the proof, blushing and sweating right in front of him.
*Gulp!*
Zhang Wei swallowed hard and forced himself to look away from the tempting girl in front of him.
"I still have too many important things I need to do, and my situation isn't stable yet," he thought to himself. Remembering his unawakened magic, the upcoming test, his enemies, and the dangerous world outside, he made his choice.
Even though it was disappointing, he wasn't in a position where he could afford to get distracted. He was at the lowest point in this life, but unlike others, he had a real chance to change his fate. With his talent, he could still move forward and succeed.
If he gave in to temptation now and wasted his potential, he would never be able to forgive himself later. How many people wanted the chance to improve their lives but couldn't? Yet here he was, about to throw away his opportunity for temporary pleasure.
"Focus! I need to stay focused!" Zhang Wei told himself firmly, his expression becoming calm and determined.
Maybe when he wasn't being chased by time and danger, he could relax and enjoy these kinds of pleasures. But not now.
"No, I'll bathe myself," Zhang Wei said, turning away like a composed master.
"Ah? I... I see. Then I'll leave you alone, Young Master Ethan," the maid replied, clearly surprised.
Her reaction showed her disappointment. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but quickly changed her mind.
Her eyes lost their brightness, but she managed a smile and slowly backed toward the door, remembering to close it behind her.
"Why do I feel so disappointed? Shouldn't I be happy that I can save myself for someone I truly love?" she wondered to herself.
Shaking her head, she walked toward the right side of the hallway. Behind her, several other servants watched and whispered among themselves.
"Looks like that girl didn't succeed."
"It's probably better this way. She wouldn't have a good future if something had happened."
"Yeah, Young Master Jasper and the others would be better choices for her."
They spoke in low voices, and though they didn't mention any names directly, everyone understood who they were talking about.
---
Listening to the footsteps fading away and then the sound of the door closing, Zhang Wei was silent for a while, getting it out of his mind. Then he took a step forward and got into the wide pool.
*Splash...*
"This is cold!" he exclaimed, feeling the coldness. After a while, he found a good position and relaxed, feeling the medicinal properties entering his body, healing and strengthening it.
His fatigue slowly disappeared, and he laid his head back against the smooth edge, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the test soon.
"...Eastern Red Lands. What is that place? Are the customs there different? What kind of food do they have? How would they react to people like us?"
"And can I even get a place in the upcoming test?"
He let his mind wander, thinking about his future, until the medicinal properties were thoroughly absorbed.
---
Feeling the relaxing coldness on his body slowly fading away, Zhang Wei looked around and saw that the light green color had almost disappeared, leaving only faint traces.
Standing up, he looked at his body and saw that it was clean. He felt like he was in the best condition, but also felt like he wanted to sleep. One of the ingredients, called "Night Flowers," had properties that helped with sleeping. It was only found in the western part of the territory, under the mountainous area, and only bloomed at night.
Getting his towel and wiping his body, Zhang Wei quickly got dressed in his sleeping clothes, which the servants had already prepared.
He then went outside.
---
"Young Master Ethan, have you finished bathing?"
The young maid from before greeted him outside with a smile, although it looked awkward, and she didn't even look at him in the eyes for long.
"Yes. Call the others and have it cleaned up."
Zhang Wei said, then quickly went toward his bedroom, ready to sleep as he still had something to do tomorrow morning.
"Understood, Young Master Ethan."
Looking at his back, she had a complex expression, half longing and half shame.
---
"Get used to it. Embarrassment is part of our career, and if you want to climb up, you must be shameless."
Suddenly, an old voice rang out beside her.
"Ah!?"
Surprised, she turned around and saw an old man in butler clothing beside her.
"N-no, I don't know what you're talking about," she quickly explained, not knowing what she needed to explain.
He just smiled and didn't expose her.
"Call the others to help with cleaning."
He said again, then walked away.
"Ah, yes!"
She quickly went to find others to help.
"I've got to clean the bath the young master used," she thought. The idea made her feel a little strange—but also warm inside—as she hurried even faster.
.....
Morning
Chirp! Chirp!
Birds flew high in the sky, beginning their day hunting for food.
Whoosh!
Between trees and low branches, a figure sprinted at full speed, brushing past wet leaves from the night and dodging obstacles.
Stopping in a clearing, Zhang Wei caught his breath and calmed down.
"It's already dawn," he muttered.
Ahead of him, a faint mist filled the grassland. Rivers shimmered in the distance, and the sun peeked over the horizon, its light scattering across the mist in dreamy colors.
The buzzing of insects slowly faded, replaced by the low roar of unknown beasts in the distance.
Zhang Wei stood quietly for a moment, then moved on toward the East. Thanks to yesterday's bath, his body felt refreshed, and even his dreams had been peaceful. He could feel it—his complexion looked better, his energy was high.
Today, he had set a tough mission for himself: complete the second requirement to upgrade his swordsmanship. It wouldn't be easy, and he probably wouldn't finish it today—but he enjoyed doing it this way.
In the mountains, where fierce winds howled across wide, open land...
"My target..."
Zhang Wei came to a sudden stop. Ahead of him stood a possible target—a lone wolf, over two meters tall, tearing into its prey on the ground. Just one look at its massive teeth was enough to know: this was not a beast a normal human could face and survive.
Zhang stood on higher ground, with a three-meter drop below.
"Can I really beat this thing?"
He stared at its sharp claws, watching how easily they ripped through flesh. Doubt crept in—was his sword sharp and strong enough to deal with this monster?
After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth. If I back down now, what's the point of all this hard work? Living a good life is a joke if I run away in fear without even trying.
"Let's do this!"
Clenching his sword, Zhang Wei leapt down, slashing at the massive wolf from above.
Swoosh!
The wolf, still chewing its meal, suddenly pricked up its ears at the sound of the blade cutting through air.
Grrr!
It dropped the meat and bit behind itself, catching a blur in its jaws.
Clang!
The clash of sword and teeth rang out across the grassy land.
It caught it?!
Zhang Wei's eyes sharpened. He twisted the sword slightly, letting it slide out of the wolf's bite and strike a soft spot inside its mouth—drawing a burst of blood.
Whimper...
The wolf recoiled in pain, then swiped at Zhang Wei with its claw.
"Vertical slash!"
Slash!
Zhang Wei's sword hit just above the claw, slicing through soft tissue and cutting it off. But the force of the blow sent him flying, rolling through dirt and dust.
Gritting his teeth, he planted a hand on the ground, pushed himself up, and stood in a defensive stance—feet wide, sword low.
Grrr!!
In front of him, the wolf growled, licking its bleeding claw while glaring at Zhang Wei with hateful eyes. It was angry now. It wouldn't back down.
"Okay..."
Zhang Wei patted his bruised shoulder, still aching from the fall. There was no doubt now—this beast met the requirements.
But whether he could actually defeat it...
That was another question.