Three months ago, when Henry Owen awoke in this world, he was buried together with this young girl in a lavishly constructed noble’s tomb.

Relying on a strange spell, the two of them came back to life, returned to the world of the living, and, concealing their identities, temporarily settled down in Xiushui City.

Neither wanted to acknowledge that absurd ghost marriage manipulated by others, and because of the spell, their lives were now bound together. So, for the time being, they referred to each other as brother and sister.

The whole process was even more fantastical than the stories in "One Thousand and One Nights."

After entering, Emily Owen first tidied the door curtain, blocking out all the sunlight streaming through the crack before turning around.

She saw Henry Owen leaning against the kitchen doorway, his gaze fixed on her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, her eyelashes fluttered, and she looked away a bit awkwardly. “Are you steaming fish? I could smell it from far away. Feeling generous today—did you get the inner sect spot at the martial arts school?”

“Mission accomplished.” Henry Owen snapped back to his senses, his expression a bit embarrassed as well. He pulled out the newly acquired inner sect token from his pocket and tossed it over.

The token was wooden, inscribed with Henry Owen’s name, its edges inlaid with copper, and engraved with several unique runes.

He gave a wry smile and fed the chopped firewood into the stove. “Just for this thing, we’ve worked ourselves to the bone for three whole months, and even owe people favors.”

But Emily Owen’s eyes showed a hint of delight, her tone calm: “There’s no other way. This is the fastest route for you to enter the inner sect. Your aptitude is only a bit above average. Normally, it would take at least half a year to fully master the Wind-Chasing Blade. And even then, whether you’d pass would depend on the examiner’s mood.”

She glanced at the token, then paused in surprise. “Why is there a silver leaf on it?”

Right below Henry Owen’s name, a silver bamboo leaf was engraved.

This was a mark of Zhengyang Martial Arts School, representing the rank of an inner sect disciple.

Inner sect disciples were ranked from no leaf up to three leaves.

The more leaves, the higher the status, and the closer one was to becoming a true disciple.

They could enjoy better teachers, better treatment, and better resources within the school.

Newly admitted disciples usually had no leaf. Only those who ranked at the top in both performance and talent in the inner sect exam, and were under fourteen years old, could become one-leaf disciples.

“That’s a long story. Go wash your hands first.” Henry Owen lifted the pot lid, and as a cloud of white steam billowed out, a rich, fresh aroma instantly filled the entire house.

Emily Owen’s gaze was drawn over. When she saw the steaming perch in the pot, her throat bobbed involuntarily as she swallowed.

A moment later, the two sat face to face at a square table, with two dishes on the table: one of perch, the other of boiled water spinach.

Emily Owen sat as straight as a javelin, her back perfectly upright. Holding her bowl, every movement of her chopsticks and every gesture was measured and orderly, exuding an air of grace.

Henry Owen didn’t bother with the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping. He ate while recounting his experiences from the morning.

When only bones were left on the plate of perch, Emily Owen lifted her eyelids.

“Awakened your bloodline right before the fight? That does happen sometimes. But the second young master of the Long family also practices the fast blade. For you to counter speed with speed and injure his hand before he could draw his blade—that’s quite a bloodline talent. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve awakened the Hand of Wind-Chasing Lightning, the best talent for practicing the Wind-Chasing Blade!”

Her eyes showed a hint of interest as she put down her bowl and chopsticks. “Try slashing at me now.”

Henry Owen was a bit helpless, but without hesitation, he drew his blade from his waist.

It was still the Wind-Chasing Blade’s draw technique, “Wind from the Hollow,” the blade light flashing like a white ribbon as it slashed toward Emily Owen’s throat.

Because he had switched to a “Hundred-Forged Light Steel Blade,” he felt his blade speed was twenty percent faster than in the morning.

But then, he saw Emily Owen across from him lightly pinch the blade between two fingers, stopping it cold.

Those fingers were slender and delicate, yet their strength was like iron pincers, making his blade impossible to move.

Henry Owen wasn’t surprised at all, because the woman across from him had an extraordinary background.

If not for Emily Owen being seriously injured, afflicted with a curse, her true energy sealed, and her martial arts nearly crippled, she would still be one of the top figures in the entire Great Ning Dynasty.

“Indeed, very fast!”

A bright gleam appeared in Emily Owen’s eyes. “Now I’m even more confident! With your current talent, plus the things hidden in Zhengyang Martial Arts School, you can enter the Wuxiang Divine Sect in the shortest possible time.”

Her azure eyes were calm and clear, holding an indescribable brilliance, as if they could endure for all eternity.

Henry Owen listened thoughtfully. He had always known that this “inner sect disciple” status was just the beginning.

Emily Owen’s plan was to start with Zhengyang Martial Arts School and reclaim everything step by step.

His own goal was simply to survive, to live freely in this world.

“—Tomorrow is crucial. According to Zhengyang Martial Arts School’s tradition, all newly promoted inner sect disciples must spend two days in the school’s ‘Scripture Repository,’ studying martial arts classics and choosing the martial techniques they will inherit in the future.”