Ling Feng was utterly captivated by his Master's Wife from the moment he laid eyes on her. This wasn't mere attraction—it was a profound, unsettling certainty that seized him with the force of a thunderclap. He could feel it in the frantic rhythm of his heart and the depth of his yearning. This was love, he told himself, a dangerous and undeniable obsession.
His gaze swept across the hall, falling upon his three senior brothers. In their carefully guarded expressions, he recognized the same hungry look he felt within himself—the restrained desire of men who knew their longing was forbidden. They might hide it behind discipline, but Ling Feng understood that gaze all too well.
Then he observed his senior sisters. While Lu Feier still carried the unpolished grace of a novice, Qin Wanfeng and Xie Linlan were already renowned beauties. Xie Linlan, adorned in pink silk, moved with lively intelligence, her rosy cheeks and bright eyes sparkling with youthful energy. Yet even her remarkable beauty paled before Tan Wanfeng's ethereal presence. Where Xie Linlan was captivating, Tan Wanfeng was transcendent—a vision of pure elegance whose cold dignity outshone even the Master's Wife's noble bearing. She seemed like what Bai Junyi must have been in her youth, perfected into icy perfection.
This place is paradise, Ling Feng marveled. How does Huashan gather so many extraordinary beauties? Even the men possessed striking looks, though naturally, none could match his own handsome features that would undoubtedly mature into devastating charm.
The Master's Wife's voice broke his reverie.
"As Yan Bing's son, you're exempt from the entrance examination,"
she said with a smile that nearly stole Ling Feng's soul.
"But choose one of your seniors to spar with—I wish to see your foundation."
"Yes, of course! I've trained diligently!" he stammered, struggling to maintain composure.
As he surveyed potential opponents, Ling Feng's merchant upbringing asserted itself. His three senior brothers regarded him with clear hostility—his presence disrupted the sect's balance, the perfect symmetry of Three Heroes and Three Phoenixes now threatened by an extra contender. Fighting them meant certain humiliation.
Among the senior sisters, Tan Wanfeng's icy demeanor promised merciless defeat. Xie Linlan seemed kinder, but her poised stance revealed experienced grace. That left Lu Feier—youngest and presumably least experienced. The logical choice.
What Ling Feng didn't know was that as the sect leader's daughter, Lu Feier was a prodigy who had mastered Huashan's techniques by thirteen. Her skills surpassed most seniors, second only to Lu Chengtian and Tan Wanfeng.
"I choose Junior Sister Lu," Ling Feng announced confidently.
"Then draw your sword, Senior Brother!"
Before he could complete his formalities, Lu Feier's blade flashed forth. She hated being underestimated for her youth. In his haste, Ling Feng failed to even unsheathe his weapon as she executed the "Nine Plum Blossoms" technique—a sophisticated Jade Maiden Sword maneuver that even his mother could only manifest seven blossoms from. The fact that Lu Feier produced nine spoke of terrifying talent.
Retreat! Ling Feng's survival instincts screamed. He scrambled left, but not fast enough. The sword energy grazed his robes, tearing open his trousers and exposing his pale buttocks to the entire assembly.
"Senior Sister, have mercy!" he pleaded, genuinely shaken. He now regretted relying solely on theoretical knowledge without building proper foundational energy. At this rate, even his mother might lose to this girl.
The Thirty-Six Stratagems deemed retreat the superior option, and Ling Feng excelled at Huashan's Lightfoot Technique if nothing else.
"Shameless coward!" Lu Feier cried, her sword weaving toward his legs like a silver river—the "Long River Sunset" technique.
In desperation, Ling Feng feigned a stumble, collapsing dramatically. As Lu Feier's strike whistled over him, he sprang up with triumphant laughter, reaching for her sword arm.
His grasping hand found not her wrist, but something unexpectedly soft and rounded—the firm swell of her developing breast.
A thirteen-year-old with such womanly curves? The shock lasted only a moment before her furious kick sent him flying. Pain exploded through his body as he landed heavily three yards away, grass staining his fine silks.
"I'll kill you!" Lu Feier screamed, her composure shattered.
"Enough!" The Master's Wife's voice cut through the tension. "Fei'er, cease this instant or face the Cliff of Repentance. Binghao, escort your junior brother to his quarters."
As Wang Binghao bowed in acknowledgment, Ling Feng lay defeated in the grass—a privileged young master humiliated, his expensive robes making him look like some exotic insect against the greenery.
Thus was born his nickname: Huahua Chongzi, the Flashy Bug. The label would cling to him, becoming a source of mockery among his peers and the first chapter of his troubled legacy at Huashan.