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!
