Dual Cultivation In Martial Peak - Chapter 37: Service
Chapter 37- Service
Standing outside Su Mu’s living quarters, Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang politely knocked on the door, not daring to be disrespectful as they waited for permission to enter.
After a few minutes, Su Mu’s voice came from beyond the closed door. “Come inside.”
Hearing his approval, Lan Chu Die opened the door and entered the room, followed by Du Yi Shuang.
Inside, Su Mu was sitting cross-legged on the bed, indicating that before their visit, he was busy with his cultivation, or at least that’s what Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang thought.
“Young Master Su, we…” Du Yi Shuang muttered, worried that they disturbed Su Mu while he was cultivating.
After a few seconds, Su Mu opened his eyes.
Looking at the worried looks on their faces, he chuckled. “There is no need for you two to worry, for I wasn’t cultivating. And it’s not like I will eat you, so why must you be scared?”
Hearing his words, both women sighed in relief.
“We would never be scared of Young Master Su. After all, he is our saviour.” Lan Chu Die replied, shaking her head lightly.
“So, what brings you here?” Su Mu asked, ignoring Lan Chu Die’s flattering words, as he calmly looked at the two with a smile.
“We would like to thank you for saving our lives.” Lan Chu Die said, bowing her head.
“If it wasn’t for you, we couldn’t have survived in that Monster Beast’s Den.” Du Yi Shuang said, bowing as well.
Although there were things Du Yi Shuang wished she could’ve said, she knew that Su Mu was someone beyond her reach. The best she could hope for was to look at him from afar, admiring him with all her heart.
While this was going on, several thoughts crossed Lan Chu Die’s mind, but at the end of the day, she decided to remain silent.
Lan Chu Die was the same, but she was intelligent enough to know her place, not wishing to step out of boundaries and displease Su Mu.
After all, from her eyes, it wasn’t difficult to tell the relationship between Su Mu and the Hu Sisters. And she doubted that someone like Su Mu would bother looking at her, not even with her beauty and appearance.
Although Lan Chu Die was considered the second most beautiful disciple after Su Yan, she knew how inferior she was when compared to her. Be it Su Yan’s temperament or talent, she was leagues above Lan Chu Die.
And for someone like Su Mu, she wasn’t worth batting an eye at, so she just decided to thank him for saving her life.
“Raise your heads.” Su Mu said, making Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang do so.
“If there is anything Young Master Su wishes for us to do, please ask, and we will do our best to be of service to you.” Lan Chu Die said with a serious look on her face, and Du Yi Shuang nodded in her support.
‘Hmm, so they’ve discussed what each of them will say after meeting me.’ Su Mu thought, a bit intrigued by what they must be thinking.
“Any kind of service is fine?” Su Mu said with an enchanting and seductive smile, dumbfounding the beautiful ladies for a good few seconds.
Before Lan Chu Die could reply, the always shy and quiet Du Yi Shuang spoke.
“Yes, anything is fine as long as… it’s with Young Master Su.” After saying that, Du Yi Shuang’s face quickly reddened.
“Yes, Young Master Su.” Lan Chu Die agreed, her face reddening a bit.
‘D-Did we cross the line?’ Lan Chu Die thought, panic rising inside her heart. Indeed, what Du Yi Shuang did wasn’t what they previously decided, but she agreed with it nonetheless.
After a moment of silence, Su Mu laughed a bit. “I am joking.”
Hearing that it was only a joke, Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang felt their faces flushing from embarrassment, yet there was also a bit of disappointment in their heart, almost as if they were expecting their visit to be a bit different and more exciting.
Su Mu got up from the bed, standing in front of the two. “Don’t tell me you two were looking forward to serving me. Even though you two are pure maidens?”
Hearing him call them virgins, both Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang showed surprise on their faces, and soon, the former asked, “Young Master Su, how did you know that we are still pure?”
Although she hated to admit it, there have been a lot of ill rumours going around the High Heaven Palace about her, and most of them were started by male disciples who she turned down or female disciples who were jealous of her.
Thanks to that, she was surprised by how Su Mu called her a pure maiden. And although it was the truth, she didn’t expect him to not believe the rumours.
“A gift from the heavens, I suppose.” Su Mu said with a slight smile, taking a seat in the chair placed not too far away from the bed.
Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang looked at each other, and seeing the determination in each other’s eyes, they nodded.
“Ummm… Young Master Su…” Du Yi Shuang muttered, her face blushing.
“Although Young Master Su may be joking, we were very serious about our services.” Lan Chu Die continued, trying to remain calm, but as she went on, her voice got as quiet as a mosquito. “Even ‘that’ kind of service.”
Hearing their words, Su Mu chuckled. “Then how about this, I have an offer for you two, and I think it’ll be of your interest.”
Although it took some time, both Du Yi Shuang and Lan Chu Die snapped back to reality, and the latter asked. “What kind of offer, Young Master Su?”
“For the future, I would need some permanent maidservants, and I can’t see any better person than the two of you, so?” Su Mu said with a smile.
“Maidservants?” Du Yi Shuang and Lan Chu Die simultaneously muttered.
“Indeed, I will take care of your needs, be it Cultivation Techniques or Martial Skills, and all you have to do is serve me as your Master. Of course, you two will be my exclusive Dual Cultivation partners as well, all while maintaining your duties as servants.” Su Mu explained with a smile. “I won’t force you to accept the offer, and if you wish to, you can leave. But, if you accept the offer, you will get a chance to see a world that you can never even dream of, much less imagine it.”
Hearing his words, both of them were surprised. Lan Chu Die was thinking about Su Mu’s offer very carefully, as she was sure that he was the one who inherited the final inheritance of the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance, so the weight his words carried was too much for her to deny this offer. After all, in this world, the weak served the strong.
And soon, Du Yi Shuang spoke while looking down, her fists tightly clenching the clothes she was wearing, “Young Master Su, even if I were to agree, the Storm House wouldn’t let a disciple go, not after the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance just ended, so I won’t be able to leave.”
“Du Yi Shuang.” Su Mu spoke calmly, but unlike how he usually referred to her as Little Sister Du, Su Mu spoke her complete name, which was something Du Yi Shuang noticed as well. “What do you think is the base of a relationship?”
“… Trust?” Du Yi Shuang replied after thinking about it for a few seconds.
Listening to her reply, Su Mu smiled.
“Then, if you, as my Servant, can’t trust me, your Master, then the relationship will be pointless, and the same goes for you, Lan Chu Die, as while rationally thinking about your gains and losses is the best, sometimes, you must listen to your instincts as well, because there are things that your brain cannot comprehend. But do note, after this, there will be no second chances.”
While he said that, both Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang couldn’t help but be mesmerised by Su Mu’s presence. His words were profound, almost as if he was speaking with an experience far beyond their imaginations. His presence was far more refined than any Sect Elder they had ever seen, and comparing it to them would be like comparing a God to a Mortal, something utterly disrespectful.
“So, tell me, are you willing to hand over your fates in my hand?” Su Mu asked, an amused smile appearing on his face.
“I…” Du Yi Shuang muttered as she decided to follow her heart and continued. “I am willing to follow you, Young- no, Master. Although I am not that capable, please accept me as your humble servant.”
After saying that, Du Yi Shuang got on one knee, lowering her head towards Su Mu.
“I, Lan Chu Die, wish to follow you as my Master, so please allow me to become your humble servant.” Lan Chu Die got on one knee and lowered her head towards Su Mu.
Su Mu smiled, looking at Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang, who were kneeling in front of him and spoke. “Very well. Rise.”
Hearing his command, both Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang stood up, trying to act as respectfully as possible.
“So, which one of you know about the southernmost area of the Great Han Dynasty?” Su Mu suddenly asked, surprising his newly appointed servants.
The reason Su Mu asked this was simple. It was the direction where Yang Kai was running, and from his movements, it looked like he was trying to create his Movement Technique. If things were to go as Su Mu assumed they would, Yang Kai would reach the southernmost parts of the Great Han Dynasty in around a month.
“If I’m not wrong, that is where the Sea City is, Master.” Lan Chu Die answered, placing her index finger on her chin, pondering.
“Sea City?” Su Mu muttered.
“It’s a Coastal City that borders the Endless Sea. It is a famous tourist spot and is known for its beautiful environment. On top of that, all the Sects within the Endless Sea Islands use Sea City as their connection with the Great Han Dynasty, giving it a good reputation for aspiring cultivators who wish to join one of these top sects.” Du Yi Shuang explained.
“You know a lot about Sea City, huh?” Su Mu said, making Du Yi Shuang blush a little, but she still had a proud smile and continued.
“One of the top Sects in that area is the Supreme Solitary Sect, and it alone is said to be comparable to Great Han Dynasty’s Eight Great Families. Then there is Ancient Cloud Island and so on. Sects in the Endless Sea Islands each own different Islands, and higher-ranking disciples never leave those Islands unless necessary. They usually have lower-ranking disciples assembled in Sea City to manage the business. Um, Master?” Du Yi Shuang continued but soon stopped, noticing that Su Mu was about to fall asleep.
“Master?” Lan Chu Die added.
“Ah, my bad habits are resurfacing.” Su Mu muttered with a slime. “It’s been a while since I had a good nap, too.”
‘I need a good nap, even if it’s only for a few months.’ Su Mu concluded, nodding to himself.
“Master, should I continue?” Du Yi Shuang asked.
“No, I lost interest in that topic.” Su Mu replied, making her nod.
“Moving on to important topics, how many steps were you two able to climb inside the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance?” Su Mu asked.
“I climbed around 1500 steps before I was pushed back, Master.” Lan Chu Die replied without delay.
“I was only able to climb 1000 steps, being pushed back after that.” Du Yi Shuang replied, somewhat dejected.
“I see. Since both of you don’t cultivates a Yin or Yang-based Secret Art, it’s understandable why you only climbed up that much in a week.” Su Mu nodded.
“… Master, can I ask something?” Lan Chu Die suddenly asked.
“Yes, I was the one who obtained the Heaven’s Cave Inheritance.” Su Mu replied, surprising Lan Chu Die, after all, that was exactly what she wanted to ask.
‘Can he read my mind?’ Lan Chu Die pondered.
“Right, Shuang’er.” Su Mu suddenly called out, surprising Du Yi Shuang.
Being called out in such a familiar way by Su Mu, Du Yi Shuang felt embarrassed, but she still replied. “Yes, Master?”
“You said that Storm House wouldn’t let you leave?” Su Mu asked.
“Yes, Master, leaving without doing anything noteworthy for the Sect is considered a taboo within the Storm House.” Du Yi Shuang replied.
“Then, all you need to do is make a big contribution?” Su Mu asked.
“That is indeed it, Master. As long as the contribution is big enough, a disciple can leave if they wish to.” Du Yi Shuang nodded.
“I see. Shuang’er, from that table, bring me two scrolls, along with a brush and ink.” Su Mu said, pointing towards his table, making Du Yi Shuang nod as she followed his order.
Du Yi Shuang gave the empty scroll and brush to Su Mu while holding the pot of ink in her hands, standing on his right side so he could write freely. As for Lan Chu Die, she was holding the second empty scroll that Su Mu ordered.
Su Mu smiled, dipping the brush into the inkpot before he started writing something on the empty scroll.
‘What proficient Qi control.’ Lan Chu Die and Du Yi Shuang were both mesmerised by how Su Mu was able to write on the scroll by hardening it using his Qi. Such control was something even they couldn’t do, much less understand how he was doing it.
After about fifteen minutes, Su Mu was done writing whatever he wanted on both scrolls and handed the brush over to Du Yi Shuang, who placed it back along with the inkpot.
“Master, are those Martial Skills?” Lan Chu Die asked, a curious expression on her face. Although she could understand that these were Martial Skills when Su Mu was writing them, she wasn’t able to understand what they were about, indicating that they must be very profound.
“They are.” Su Mu nodded, and handed over the scrolls to Du Yi Shuang. “Pay your respects to the Storm House, and give them these two Mysterious Grade Martial Skills, it should be more than enough. And if they still bother you, just tell me.”
“M-Mysterious Grade? Master, a-are you sure?” Du Yi Shuang muttered, unable to calm her heart as she looked at the scrolls in her hands.
“They’re just Mysterious Grade Martial Skills, no need to overreact. As my servants, you will receive things far more valuable. So, you must remember to act worthy of your status as my servants.” Su Mu said, shaking his head.
‘Indeed, I made the right choice.’ Lan Chu Die accepted the fact that accepting servitude to Su Mu might be the best decision for her life. After all, who in this world could hand over two Mysterious Grade Martial Skills like they were some random trash?
“Remember, as long as you have trust in me, everything will be fine.” Su Mu stated, making his two servants nod.
“Yes, Master.”
“Lan’er, listen.” Su Mu said, making Lan Chu Die a bit confused.
“Master, that’s not my name.” She replied with an awkward smile.
“I know, but I will call you as such.” Su Mu said, making Lan Chu Die nod. “In High Heaven Pavilion, a disciple is allowed to keep two servants, no?”
“Yes, Master, but that only applied to Inner or Core Disciples.” Lan Chu Die replied.
“I see.” Su Mu muttered, turning towards Du Yin Shuang. “Shuang’er, after you’re done paying your respects, come back to the High Heaven Pavilion, and I will register you as my servant so you can live here. I’m sure they’re more than willing to make an exception for me.”
Du Yi Shuang nodded.
“Do you guys have any family?” Su Mu asked, making both his servants shake their heads.
“I don’t, Master.”
“Neither do I.”
“Is that so?” Su Mu muttered, leaning back on the chair.
“Umm… Master…” Du Yi Shuang muttered, a light blush appearing on her face.
“What is it?” Su Mu asked, a bit intrigued.
“About… our ‘services’ for you, can we start now?” Du Yi Shuang gathered all her courage and said, making Lan Chu Die’s cheeks redden as well, but she nodded in agreement nonetheless.
“Can we, Master?” Lan Chu Die asked.
Hearing that, an amused smile appeared on Su Mu’s face. “If you wish to serve me, I won’t stop you.”
Du Yi Shuang placed the scrolls on the ground, not caring about them since in her eyes, her Master was much more important. She looked at Lan Chu Die, who nodded at her.
Turning towards Su Mu, both of them bowed lightly. “Please excuse us, Master.”
After saying that, Lan Chu Die started loosening her disciple’s robes, making Du Yi Shuang remove the casual robes she was wearing, all while Su Mu leisurely watched the two of them, increasing the amount of embarrassment they were feeling.
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A/N-
I have resurrected.