C12 To Repay

The door creaked open, and Lu Xingyao peered out, her eyes betraying a timid curiosity mixed with a reluctance to speak.

"If there's something on your mind, out with it," Fu Chengyang said, sparing her only a brief glance before looking away.

"I've heard about the recent events," Lu Xingyao murmured, biting her lower lip. "If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Without Fu Chengyang, she would have remained a lowly servant until her death. Was it so wrong to follow the dark path? If she used the forbidden arts to eliminate evil, could she really be labeled a villain?

Lu Xingyao decided to trust her gut.

Fu Chengyang couldn't help but chuckle. The girl was earnest, almost as if she were saying, 'If you don't give me something to do, I'll find a way to repay you myself.'

"Have you been practicing the cultivation technique I gave you?" he inquired.

Lu Xingyao nodded emphatically. "I've nearly mastered it..."

As they spoke, Fu Chengyang inadvertently turned his head, and Lu Xingyao's spiritual realm and destiny unfolded before him once more.

The seventh level of Foundation Establishment?

His eyes widened in disbelief. In just one day, she had reached the Foundation Establishment level using the method he had provided.

She was progressing faster than he had with the Goldfinger!

He had thought that with the Goldfinger, he could defy the heavens, but he hadn't anticipated encountering someone who could exploit an opportunity to such an extreme.

Truly, she was a person blessed by the heavens!

Once an inconsequential maid under Yu Yaolu, her remarkable talents had been hidden away like a pearl in the dust.

Now, thanks to Fu Chengyang, she had broken free from that life!

For Lu Xingyao, this was a debt of life-saving gratitude. For Fu Chengyang, however, she was merely a valuable ally to win over.

He had given her only the most basic cultivation technique. If he were to share the more powerful techniques, the potential for growth in the woman before him would be formidable.

Fu Chengyang remained silent for a long while, leaving Lu Xingyao feeling anxious. Finally, gathering her courage, she said, "Regardless, you are the one who gave me this life. If there's ever a need, you must let me know."

Fu Chengyang felt a sense of shame wash over him. With her innate fortune, she hardly needed his assistance. Merely being in her presence, he could catch a bit of her great luck!

He meticulously counted the days; less than a week remained until the ascent of the Sky Stairway. What piqued Fu Chengyang's curiosity was the original script's narrative: Lu Xingyao, holding the female lead's script, accidentally entered the Sky Stairway, sparking a chain of events. What if this time she deliberately climbed the ninety-ninth step?

The outcome seemed to be largely unchanged. Fu Chengyang pondered silently. Her innate luck not only brought good fortune to those around her but also promised her own significant breakthroughs.

Even if none of this altered the course of her life... Whether he intervened to save her or she continued as a maid, the moment she set foot on the Sky Stairway again, the ending was seemingly predestined.

Moreover, this perfect Fate ensured that everyone would ultimately meet a favorable fate, ascending to higher realms as if it were expected. As for himself, he glanced at his own Fate and Life Matrix and sighed.

"Don't worry. When I need your help, I won't hesitate to ask," Fu Chengyang said, looking up to find that she was still in his room, prompting a smile from him.

Lu Xingyao hesitated for a split second, seemingly on the verge of speaking, but ultimately, she remained silent.

To Fu Chengyang, her behavior was somewhat baffling, but he didn't dwell on it, assuming she had come simply to express her gratitude. He shook his head and returned to his tasks.

Little did he know, as he turned to leave, Lu Xingyao straightened her posture.

The timid look on her face vanished, replaced by a gleam of determination. Beyond seeking Fu Chengyang to express her gratitude, she harbored a bit of ulterior motive.

In truth, she had come to bid farewell, as she was about to embark on a daring endeavor.

If her memory served her correctly, the Stairway to Heaven would open in ten days. When that time came, disciples from the Outer Sect would swarm to it, seizing the triennial opportunity to advance into the inner echelons!

However, this opportunity was reserved solely for the Outer Sect disciples.

As a mere maid, I had no chance whatsoever.

Now free from Yu Yaolu's control, I belonged to no one and had no standing. Living within the Outer Sect meant that the Swiftbreaker Sect was teeming with people who wouldn't miss one more mouth to feed.

Climbing the ladder was an impossibility for me. My name wasn't even on the list; I was nothing more than Yu Yaolu's servant.

But I refused to surrender. Someone had saved me, granting me the chance to continue my cultivation, and I was not ready to let go of that hope.

I had swallowed my pride for too long. Since my mother's death, giving up had never crossed my mind. Now that I had glimpsed hope, I was determined to cling to it.

If... if I could gain entry to the Inner Sect and become an official disciple of the Swiftbreaker Sect, could I then repay the one who saved me?

With this thought, I glanced back at Fu Chengyang's room, its door and windows shut tight, leaving me to wonder what he was doing inside.

I was acutely aware of the consequences if my actions were discovered.

If my talents proved insufficient, managing only to ascend a single step without even entering the threshold, what would become of me?

I bit my lip with resolve, facing the reality before me.

I would be cast out, never to return. That was the grim outcome I faced!

"It's quite unexpected that being near her brings such advantages," he mused, somewhat astonished, after Lu Xingyao had left. He gazed down at his dantian.

During our recent encounter, I sensed a slow, rising flow of Qi in my dantian, a sign that my cultivation technique was at work. After completing a cycle, the technique in my mind shifted, bestowing upon me a subtle insight.

Upon reflection, these fortuitous events seemed to occur only in her presence. It appeared I needed to seek out more opportunities to interact with her in the future.

Before his thoughts could race any further, he suddenly recalled the morning's events.

If he wasn't mistaken, it was she who had irritated him to such an extent, though she was admittedly less than adorable in doing so.

As for why the elder of the Sword Pavilion would protect him, he felt he already knew the answer.

Lost in contemplation, a soft chuckle suddenly reached his ears.

Opening his eyes, he saw the sword spirit seated on a chair at the center of the room, looking at him with a curious gaze.

"Is there something on my face?"