Ch. 134 - Yu Yetian the Ascetic

It was morning.

I had slept like a log, and I woke up feeling completely refreshed. But as I headed downstairs, I heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen.

Someone’s up?

If they had an early class, the timing made sense, but I couldn't imagine any of my current roommates making that much noise in the kitchen.

Usually, the kitchen was a ghost town; we always ate out. Plus, the villa wasn't exactly stocked with groceries.

Driven by curiosity, I pushed open the kitchen door. A figure stood at the stove with her back to me.

Her long hair, a striking gradient of gold fading into black, draped over her shoulders in a slightly messy tangle.

Sensing my presence, she turned around.

"Hi... Hello. May the Holy Light be with you, my roommate whom I didn't get to meet last night."

"Uh... hi..." I stood there, momentarily stunned. With that gold-gradient hair, she definitely wasn't anyone I knew.

Her greeting told me everything I needed to know. She was a freshman who had just arrived last night, and her speech pattern was a dead ringer for a believer of the Holy Angel Sect.

I did some quick mental math: she was probably a recruit originally destined for the San Angel School. Either her grades hadn't cut it (unlikely given the timing), or she’d been "scouted" (read: snatched) by the Witch School at the last minute.

And since she was in this specific dorm, it meant this girl with the heavy "homemaker" energy was... also formerly a guy?

Word was the Holy Angel Sect didn't put much stock in gender, since Angels were technically genderless anyway. If she used to be a guy, she’d probably adjusted to her new form without much fuss. It made sense.

"I’m Yang Yuehan. You can just call me Yuehan," I said, falling back on my well-practiced self-introduction.

"I know. The others filled me in on the house dynamics last night. They all call you 'Big Sis Yuehan,' so you must have a way of commanding their respect. Oh, I almost forgot—my name is Yu Yetian. If you want to be friendly, you can call me Yu, or Tian is fine."

"Alright... Tian."

And with that, the formal introductions were out of the way.

"So... are you making breakfast?"

"Yes. As an ascetic, it’s a bit of a habit of mine. But my meals are very plain—I wasn't sure if they’d suit your tastes, so I didn't make much. Wasting food is a sin, after all." As she spoke, she pulled a small bowl from the cupboard, gave it a quick rinse, and ladled out a serving of plain congee.

"Is that... for me?"

"Of course. Want a taste? See what you think of my cooking." Tian looked at me with a soft, expectant smile.

"Thanks. You're actually the first person to use this kitchen." I took the bowl. The congee was steaming hot, straight off the stove.

I took a cautious sip from the edge... and yeah, it was exactly what I expected. Plain white rice porridge. No salt, no sugar, just the faint, clean taste of boiled rice.

"Thanks. It's actually pretty good."

"Really? You're the first non-ascetic to say my congee tastes good. You must have the potential to follow the Holy Light."

"Uh... I'll pass on that. I'm just not a picky eater." I waved her off quickly. A side of pickles would have been nice, but it didn't look like she’d prepared any.

And as for "faith in the Holy Light"? No thanks. I know the difference between believing in something and having faith, and I wasn't about to hand my soul over to some cosmic flashlight.

"Is that so? Then I apologize for being too forward. Still, we’re under the same roof now, so I hope you’ll look out for me, Big Sis Yuehan."

"Oh... looking out for you is... well, let’s just say we’ll work hard together."

"Let's strive for excellence then, Madam Class Prez."

"Wait, what?" I blinked, confused.

"Ah, sorry—I guess you didn't know yet," Tian said, tilting her head up to look at me. That soft smile of hers suddenly took on a bit of a mischievous edge. "Since I arrived yesterday and was assigned to Section 14, they placed me in your dorm so you could help me get settled. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh... I see. That’s fine. Why would I mind? But there aren't any classes today, so you should probably just take the day to get used to the campus."

"True. I was hoping you could show me around, but since you’re up this early, I assume you have plans of your own," Tian said, her head dropping slightly in disappointment.

"Sorry about that... yeah, I’ve got some stuff to do. If you don't mind, you could go with Hong Chenyi? She’s also in Section 14, and she’s super energetic. She’ll help you get adjusted in no time." I felt a twinge of guilt. A class president should really be the one helping a new student, but... wait, since when did that become my job? She was totally playing me.

"Hong Chenyi? I sense a certain... lack of purity in her," Tian remarked. "Out of everyone in this villa, you’re the one I feel most comfortable with, Yuehan. Dongli Yiren is a close second. If it’s not too rude to ask, what exactly are you doing today?"

"Uh... I’m... heading to the lab to do some research on Spell Books," I explained, trying to find the right words.

"Wait, you’re already doing Transcendence research?" Tian’s eyes lit up. "Could I... come along and see? If it's too much trouble, please feel free to say no. I don't want to be a burden."

"I mean, I could take you, but it might be dangerous. If you're okay with that..."

"I don't mind at all. Just give me a second—I promised the others I’d make them breakfast, so let me finish serving this up first."

I watched as Yu Yetian finished cleaning up. I’d polished off my small bowl of congee—she had made such a point about not wasting food that I figured I’d just treat it like drinking a glass of water, even without any side dishes to make it interesting.

"Looks like the others aren't waking up anytime soon. Shall we?" Tian unknotted her apron and smoothed out her clothes.

She definitely had that "homemaker" aura down, but she still seemed awkward in her feminine attire. The way she fumbled with her long hair gave her away; it was clear she was brand new to being a girl.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, catching me staring. "I'm sorry. This is only my second day as a girl. If anything looks off, please feel free to correct me."

I was floored by how blunt she was. Her level of self-acceptance was already right up there with mine!

"Oh, it's nothing," I said quickly. "Just be yourself. Don't let anyone else's expectations force you to change who you are."

"I suppose you're right. Thank you."

Talking to her was... exhausting, for some reason. I felt a wave of relief as we reached the bus stop, but then she spoke up again.

"Oh? Yuehan, Hong Chenyi mentioned you already know how to fly. I'm surprised you're taking the bus."

"Wait, you knew about that?"

"Of course. Are there restrictions on broom flight? Are freshmen not allowed to use them often?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just... I haven't really flown with a passenger before. I thought the bus would be safer."

"I see," Tian said, looking a bit let down. "When I first arrived at the academy, the senior who recruited me brought me in on a broom. She said flying was a staple of the Witch School experience. I was hoping to feel that again."

"I mean, I can take you. It might just be a little slower. You want to try? The bus is probably going to be a while anyway."

"If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to."

After a bit more back-and-forth, we decided to fly. I’d flown with Bai Yu before, so I was confident I wouldn't crash.

As we took to the sky, I felt Tian’s small hands clutching the hem of my shirt. I could feel her tensing up behind me.

"You okay?"

"I'm... fine. I have a bit of a fear of heights, but it’s a weakness I must overcome... May the Holy Light grant me the strength to face this... struggle..."

"Right..." I hadn't realized she was acrophobic. I used to be a little uneasy with heights myself, but once you master flying, that fear turns into a kind of rush—the thrill of embracing the open sky.

Of course, we couldn't fly too high, or we’d hit the Academy's Dome. The morning air was crisp and refreshing, and watching the sun climbed over the horizon felt like the perfect way to start a new day.

When we finally touched down at the central teaching block, it was Tian’s first time seeing the area since she’d missed yesterday’s classes.

"Are you alright?"

Tian was literally on her knees on the pavement. I rushed over to help her. If her fear was this bad, why on earth did she talk me into flying her? What was she trying to prove?

"I’m... ugh... I’m okay. Thank you for asking..." she stammered, clearly trying to maintain her dignity.

"Let's get you up. The tiles aren't exactly clean enough to sit on." I grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet, but she still looked incredibly weak.

"If you're that afraid of heights, you should have said something! You look terrible."

"I’m sorry for the trouble... but I want to fly. Facing one's fears is an essential part of an ascetic’s training..."

"Forget the 'training' for a second. There are better ways to get over a phobia than torturing yourself." I supported her as we walked into the lab building.

"So... this is where you study magic? It’s my first time inside a facility like this."

"Yeah, pretty much. I’m in Lab 8401. Our advisor, Ji Niang, is usually in 8405 if you ever need to find her."

"Is that so? Thank you for letting me know. I actually do need to speak with her, so it works out perfectly."

"Actually, she has classes today, so she’s probably not in. Sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, that’s alright. I’m not disappointed. I still get to see your lab, right? May I come in and look around?"

"Sure. Just don't touch anything."

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