The target of his romance route… was a cultivation technique?
Gu Chengming's brain crashed for a full three seconds. He stared blankly at the two lonely options on the panel.
The Huiyuan Sword Art — Huiyuan Gate's foundational sword technique. Its moves were broad and sweeping, yet the sword-path itself was cold and aloof, making it a uniquely vexing style to deal with.
The Qingxin Formula — a supplementary mental cultivation method that helped practitioners clear their minds of distractions and maintain spiritual clarity.
What was this supposed to be… an immortal cultivation version of a monster-girl collection?
But even monster girls came in the form of fox spirits and sword spirits and that sort of thing — what in the world was a cultivation technique doing here?
Gu Chengming took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Whatever. This was the only lifeline he had right now.
The Blood Essence Deficiency death countdown wasn't going to wait around for him.
If he had to romance something, then fine — he'd romance something. It was just an affection grind, wasn't it?
As a hardened veteran with over a decade spent conquering every corner of the galge world — triple digits in completed titles, minimum — what hadn't he seen?
Aliens, robots, ghosts, monster girls — he'd cleared them all.
All that had changed was that his romance target happened to be a cultivation technique.
That… shouldn't be too much of a problem. Right?
His fingers hovered in midair, wavering briefly between the [Huiyuan Sword Art] and [Qingxin Formula] options.
In the end, he steeled himself and made his choice. His fingertip pressed lightly on the former.
[Romance Target Selected: Huiyuan Sword Art]
The panel flickered, then switched to a new screen.
[Huiyuan Sword Art]
[Affection: 10 / Stranger]
OK. Now that's the galge interface I know and love.
Seeing that classic UI, Gu Chengming felt an inexplicable rush of warmth.
But wait.
Where was the character art? The character art — the most important part? Without a concrete visual to look at, he couldn't get into it at all! Who was going to fill that gap for him?!
Setting the missing art aside, he turned his attention back to the familiar interface and quickly got into his groove.
A new problem immediately presented itself.
Why was the starting affection so low? Normally, didn't characters start somewhere between 30 and 50?
A value of 10 was basically roadside-NPC territory — the kind of number that could go negative the moment you accidentally bumped into someone.
As if hearing his thoughts, a new line of small text slowly materialized beneath the name [Huiyuan Sword Art] on the panel, tinted in a mournful, grievance-soaked grey.
[The Huiyuan Sword Art believes you are no different from every other disciple of Huiyuan Gate. Not one of you can manage even the simplest things. None of you have ever truly seen it through.]
Hm?
The undertone of that text… why did it reek of a bitter, scorned woman?
Before Gu Chengming could think too hard about it, more grey text appeared in succession.
[The Huiyuan Sword Art believes it won't be long before you go looking for something new. Something stronger, something better, something flashier.]
[A plain, unremarkable foundational sect technique like itself — who would ever truly value it? In the end, its only fate is to be forgotten in some corner, used as a stepping stone on someone else's path to greater swordsmanship.]
What the — it really was a bitter woman! And not just a little bitter — absolutely stewing in it!
Faced with this wave of simmering grievance so thick it was practically tangible, a curious sense of déjà vu stirred in Gu Chengming's chest. A flash of insight hit, and the perfect label snapped into place.
Right. The neglected wife-type. Got it.
As a niche archetype in the galge market, this type still commanded a small but intensely devoted fanbase.
As a connoisseur who had sampled countless works, Gu Chengming had naturally explored more than a few titles featuring exactly this type.
He could even rattle off a few classics on the spot — titles like Yowai Miboujin Desu or Miboujin Wakaokamino Yūwaku, for instance.
As every seasoned player knew, characters of this type — whether bitter wives or neglected widows — could complain, sneer, and push everyone away all they liked, but it all traced back to the same root: profound insecurity.
What they craved above all else was unwavering companionship — someone who would break through their defenses with steady, persistent affirmation.
Compared to tsunderes, airheads, or energetic sunshine girls, this archetype was actually the easiest to conquer, as long as you found the right approach.
The moment that clicked, the last traces of uncertainty in his mind evaporated.
So he needed to practice swordsmanship? Then let's go!
On the panel, the Huiyuan Sword Art's self-pitying monologue continued.
[It has seen too many disciples just like you. They begin with grand vows, and within three months, they shelve it entirely — off chasing whatever sword art sounds more impressive…]
Gu Chengming ignored the muttering.
He rose to his feet, walked to the weapon rack in the corner of the courtyard, and lifted down the most ordinary of plain steel longswords. The blade was cool against his palm, carrying the characteristic heft of metal.
He took a deep breath and settled into the opening stance of the Huiyuan Sword Art.
No more deliberating — just do it.
Drawing on the inherited memories in his mind, he began running through the forms one move at a time.
His movements were stiff and awkward. His body, weakened by the Blood Essence Deficiency, felt hollow and powerless — even a simple bow stance made his legs tremble slightly. When the blade cut through the air, there was no sharp whistle of a clean strike, only a sluggish, labored whoosh.
[You have completed one full run of the Huiyuan Sword Art. Proficiency +1.]
A system notification blinked onto the panel. Alongside it, the grey, grievance-font text reappeared.
[The Huiyuan Sword Art has noticed your movements. It lets out a quiet sigh to itself, certain this is just another flash-in-the-pan.]
Gu Chengming had no attention to spare for it. He adjusted his breathing and began again. Thrust, chop, sweep, hang, tap — he ran through every form from memory, over and over.
Sweat quickly soaked through his inner robe, clinging to his skin with a sticky, clammy discomfort. His arms ached from the repeated motion.
[You have completed one full run of the Huiyuan Sword Art. Proficiency +1.]
[As your movements grow more resolute — clumsy still, but resolute — the Huiyuan Sword Art's sarcastic inner commentary gradually quiets.]
[It watches you practice in silence.]
Gu Chengming had sunk entirely into his own rhythm. He forgot about the time. He forgot about the exhaustion in his body. His mind held nothing but the flow of sword forms.
From stiff and halting to marginally smoother. From stumbling and broken to barely coherent. He could feel it — with every swing of the blade, his control over his own body was improving in ways too small to see.
[You have completed one full run of the Huiyuan Sword Art. Proficiency +1.]
Without his noticing, the afternoon sun tilted westward and sank behind the distant mountains. The sky shifted from gold to crimson, and finally deepened into the blue of dusk.
The light in the courtyard faded quickly. Only a handful of early stars had appeared to flicker against the darkening sky.
"Hah…"
Gu Chengming finally stopped. He planted the sword against the ground and stood there heaving, gasping in great mouthfuls of air.
His entire body felt as though it had been dragged out of a river. Sweat dripped from the tips of his hair and the line of his jaw, spattering small dark blossoms across the bluestone slabs beneath his feet.
The ache of his muscles and the deep weariness in his bones crashed over him like a tide, nearly buckling his legs.
The grey text on the panel updated again.
[The Huiyuan Sword Art has watched your entire afternoon of practice in silence. It does not know how much of this enthusiasm of yours is genuine.]
[It thinks again: a weakling of a waste like you, with a constitution this feeble, can probably only practice something as basic as itself for now. Perhaps you did not choose it out of sincerity — only because you had no other choice.]
Still going with the personal attacks?
Gu Chengming stared at those lines, his expression darkening.
But then a new notification popped up on the panel, and every trace of his annoyance was instantly blown into the stratosphere.
[Huiyuan Sword Art Affection +5]
[Current Affection: 15 / Stranger]
Well then. Tsundere behavior confirmed — mouth says no, heart says yes.
Watching those five solid affection points tick up, Gu Chengming gave a satisfied nod.
As long as the numbers went up, it could insult him all it wanted. Besides, everything it said was technically true — this body really was a thoroughgoing waste.
Just then, another unexpected notification suddenly popped up on the panel.
[The Qingxin Formula has been watching from the sidelines this whole time and found it rather interesting.]
[You suddenly feel your mind become crystalline and clear, as though a cool spring has flowed through it. Your spirit settles into a stillness unlike anything you have felt before. The Qingxin Formula has automatically completed one full cycle on its own.]
Oh? A bonus reward just fell into his lap?
Gu Chengming blinked in mild surprise. As that cool, refreshing sensation spread through his mind, he felt his spirits lift.
The sharp, splitting ache that had been tearing through his exhausted body seemed to ease considerably, settling into something bearable.
Even stranger — every move and motion of the Huiyuan Sword Art that he had drilled for the entire afternoon now played back in his mind like a film reel, frame by frame, with perfect clarity. Details of force and transitions he had glossed over before suddenly became obvious, the logic behind them snapping into focus.
Had the Qingxin Formula always had this kind of effect?
He had no time to dwell on it.
Knock knock knock.
The sound of someone knocking at the gate broke the silence of the small courtyard.
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