"I observe, Your Highness, that your glabella is clouded in darkness. Today, you are destined to suffer a calamity of blood."
Suri's voice rang across the silent plains, carrying clearly to every cultivator present.
Those who heard him stared with their mouths agape.
In the eyes of the cultivators of Qianling Holy Land, Suri didn't look insane.
On the contrary—
They admired him.
There was an old saying: The first step in winning a maiden's heart is to spark her curiosity.
And look at this guy!
Opening with thunder itself, directly telling the Holy Maiden, "You are fated for a bloody disaster."
Who else would dare?
How could that not pique her interest?
The problem was—
The young woman standing before him was ranked among the Top Ten Beauties of the Realm (unordered).
She was ranked among the Top Ten of the Azure Cloud Prodigy List.
She was the foremost rising genius of the sword path in her generation.
She was the current Holy Maiden.
And the future Holy Lord.
So…
For this brave young man openly "teasing" the Holy Maiden—
Everyone could only pray that afterward…
He would at least still be alive.
"Impudent!"
Before the Holy Maiden could respond, one of the guardian attendants behind her stepped forward sharply.
As a personal protector of the Holy Maiden, how could she fail to see through such tricks?
Wasn't this no different from those shameless lines in pulp romance scrolls?
"Miss, allow me to take your pulse."
"Miss, I can realign your bones."
"I promise, I'll only rub against you a little."
What was the difference?!
"Which peak or hall are you a disciple of?" the attendant demanded coldly. "How dare you harass the Holy Maiden? Do you think this will attract Her Highness's attention? You might as well have told her to 'drink more hot water'!"
"..."
Suri was offended.
What was wrong with drinking more hot water?!
Hot water was good!
In this scorching weather, Suri trembled with indignation, his hands and feet turning cold from righteous fury.
Was this world ever going to improve?
How were men supposed to survive in a society like this?
Tears nearly streamed down his face.
This cultivation world was filled with oppression against men.
When would the Hot Water Faction finally rise?!
But—
For Fate Points.
He endured.
"Komon. Kurisu. That is enough."
Before Suri could defend the honor of hot water, the Holy Maiden of Qianling Holy Land spoke calmly.
The two attendants pouted slightly, clearly aggrieved, but before the woman they revered from the depths of their hearts, they obediently fell silent.
"It was they who were discourteous. I ask that you forgive them, Dao—ah—Fellow Cultivator."
She inclined her head slightly.
Her eyes were like a frozen river—still, crystalline, devoid of emotion. Her breathtakingly beautiful face did not show the slightest ripple.
It was not arrogance.
It was simply her nature.
Like a snow lotus blooming atop an unreachable mountain.
"I am Suri of Hane Peak," he replied with a respectful salute. "I possess some minor knowledge of divination."
"Hane Peak?" A faint flicker passed through her gaze. "Are you… female?"
"Ah. No. Male. Entirely. Undeniably."
Her gaze grew even stranger.
Even though Hane Peak was now on the verge of being dissolved due to the absence of its Peak Master—
Everyone knew that Hane Peak only ever accepted female disciples.
Then she recalled a rumor.
Years ago, the Peak Master of Hane Peak had once traveled the world, become drunk, mistaken a boy for a girl—
And accepted him as a disciple.
So.
It must be him.
Ignoring her puzzled expression, Suri continued calmly.
"May I ask, Miss, whether you enjoy pears but dislike eel?"
The two attendants behind her stiffened, lifting their chins slightly.
Their expressions clearly read: How does he know that?
Suri offered a refined smile.
"Furthermore, Miss sleeps by kicking off her blanket. Each morning, a single stubborn lock of hair sticks straight up."
The two attendants gasped sharply.
He was steady now.
He continued smoothly:
"Your favorite colors are soft pink and white."
"You step forward with your left foot first when walking."
"You once loved raising spirit beasts—but no matter what you kept, it would die. So you eventually stopped."
"I am correct, am I not?"
Now, even the Holy Maiden herself raised her gaze fully, her obsidian-like eyes widening in unmistakable surprise as they fixed upon Suri.
Of course he wasn't wrong.
It was all written in the Fate Script.
From the side, seeing the Holy Maiden's rare expression of astonishment, the surrounding cultivators instantly took mental notes.
Decided!
Next time they would gift her pears!
Clothes in pink and white!
In a few days, they would challenge her in dialogue!
Surely they could win her favor!
But once they finished noting everything down, they looked at Suri differently.
Why did he know these things?
He claimed to be skilled in divination—
Did that mean he calculated nightly what the Holy Maiden liked to eat? What she wore?
Damn!
Was this guy a stalker?!
This man…
He was impressive.
But also deeply suspicious.
Suri stood upright, righteous and composed, speaking once more:
"Though my cultivation is shallow, I have some understanding of divination. Today I obtained a hexagram indicating that Miss will suffer a calamity of blood—your fragrance fading, jade shattered, leaving only lamentation.
"I know this may sound abrupt. But if I failed to inform you, my conscience would torment me for the rest of my life."
As he spoke—
He pointed solemnly at a young girl, no more than eleven or twelve, dressed in a black gown standing not far behind the Holy Maiden.
"This child is the senior disciple of the Black Demon Sect. She cultivates the Ten Thousand Forms Technique. Today, she has come solely to assassinate—"
Before Suri could finish—
Black qi erupted from the girl's body.
Decisive.
The moment she realized her identity was exposed, she struck without hesitation.
In an instant—
A dagger flashed forward.
Piercing toward the Holy Maiden's delicate back.
Straight for her heart.