Now, I know this looks bad, but let me explain—

Miss Gu smiled warmly at the guards but persisted in her request. "Please, stand up. There's no need for you to kneel every time," she urged, her tone gentle yet firm.

The guards remained kneeling, their expressions resolute. The one with the scar spoke respectfully, "How dare I not show such respect when the lady has taken care of me and my brother."

Miss Gu smiled and placed a hand on the guard's shoulder. "Come on, get up. We have a guest today," she insisted, her eyes conveying warmth and understanding.

Turning towards the distant abode, Miss Gu began walking, prompting Shen Wu to follow. However, he was halted by the imposing guard, who stared down at him. Shen Wu, unfazed, casually addressed the guard, "Hmm... what's up, big guy?"

In a demanding tone, the guard asked, "Who are you?"

Shen Wu smiled disarmingly. "I'm Shen Wu," he replied, meeting the guard's gaze confidently.

The guard scrutinized Shen Wu for a moment, then released his grip. Shen Wu, unfazed, quipped, "Thanks, big guy. I'll see you later," before bounding up to catch up with Miss Gu.

As they approached the abode, Miss Gu turned to Shen Wu. "Please forgive him, dear. He has had quite a hard life," she explained gently.

Shen Wu waved it off with a grin. "Aye, no biggie. He doesn't seem like a bad guy," he remarked casually.

At the entrance of the abode, a woman with brown hair and chestnut eyes, dressed in a purple robe, bowed respectfully. "Welcome home, lady," she greeted, her demeanor gracious and respectful.

As the woman turns towards Shen Wu, her gaze soft yet inquisitive, she poses the question, "And who might you be?", Shen Wu smiles and replies, "I'm Shen Wu, what about you?" The woman nods and says, "You can call me Maid Yi."

Maid Yi then turns to Miss Gu and says, "Please come in, my lady. I have heated up a bath for you." Miss Gu smiles and walks into the abode, expressing her gratitude to Maid Yi. She then asks, "But would it be fine if this child were to bathe first?"

Shen Wu, feeling a bit awkward about imposing, interjects, "I can wait, don't worry about me." However, Maid Yi's expression turns stern as she responds, "The lady has already said that you should bathe first, so do it."

With a blank face, Shen Wu turns to Miss Gu and says, "Sure, I'll bathe, but I need a favor." Miss Gu smiles and asks, "And what might that be, dear?"

Shen Wu replies, "Could you get me some nice clothes? These are all muddy." He feels a bit guilty about intruding and asking for more, but Miss Gu reassures him with a smile, saying, "No problem, dear."

Grateful, Shen Wu smiles back and says, "Thanks, I'll be sure to repay the favor. Now then, where's the bath?" Maid Yi points down the corridor and says, "Down the corridor and then left, there's a hot spring there. I'll bring your clothes in a few minutes." Shen Wu nods, thanking her, and heads off to the hot spring.

Miss Gu and Maid Yi head upstairs, entering a room adorned with a small table holding a tea set. Miss Gu takes a seat, the window above providing a view of the surroundings. As she gazes out, she asks, "Little Yi, is there something bothering you?"

Maid Yi hesitates before responding, "My lady... that boy, why did you bring him here? If the martial alliance were to track him here..."

Before Maid Yi can finish her sentence, Miss Gu interrupts, "Don't worry about that. Even if they do find this place, the twin guards will take care of them."

Maid Yi's worry remains evident as she persists, "But that boy... just who is he? He definitely isn't ordinary."

Miss Gu smiles gently and looks at Maid Yi, saying, "The child is my husband's disciple."

Maid Yi's eyes widen in shock as she absorbs this revelation. "The Blood Demon's disciple... But he doesn't have any internal energy..."

Miss Gu nods and then asks, "That's why I need you to train him a little bit so he doesn't get himself killed out there."

Maid Yi bows respectfully and responds, "It shall be done, my lady."

[At the same time in the hot spring]

As Shen Wu lounges in the warm waters of the hot spring, feeling the steam enveloping his toned body, he contemplates how to become stronger. Thoughts whirl around his mind, pondering the mysteries of martial arts and internal energy.

"I wonder if I could persuade Miss Gu to ask those big guys to teach me some martial arts," Shen Wu muses, watching the wisps of steam rise around him. He recalls the disparity in his training compared to Ling's, wondering silently why Master Gu chose to impart knowledge to Ling but not him.

"Perhaps I lack internal energy," Shen Wu thinks aloud, considering the importance of sutras in gathering and purifying internal energy. With determination, he straightens up and sits cross-legged, closing his eyes to focus. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the familiar void.

"Well, I wanted to gather internal energy, not come back here, but whatever," Shen Wu mutters to himself, looking around for the mysterious egg he had encountered before. Instead, he spots a small, orange chick—a fluffy and adorable creature. Intrigued, he scoops up the chick into his hands, marveling at its presence.

"What a cute little guy. I wonder why you're here," Shen Wu says softly, the chick perched in the palm of his hand. As he gazes at the chick, its eyes begin to glow with a dark orange hue, mirroring the sudden change in Shen Wu's own eyes.

"Huh, whatcha doing, little guy?" Shen Wu asks curiously, noticing the unfamiliar colour in his eyes.

As Shen Wu holds the small chick in his hand, it suddenly chirps and transforms into flames, catching him off guard. Instinctively, he waves his hand to dispel the fire, surprised that it doesn't burn him but still trying to extinguish it.

"Why'd you go and do that?" Shen Wu exclaims, frustrated at the unexpected turn of events. Despite his efforts, the flames fuse with him, enveloping his body in fire. Shen Wu inspects his hands and then sniffs them cautiously.

"Well, they don't smell tasty, so I wasn't cooked. Is this some kind of revenge from chickens?" Shen Wu wonders aloud, scanning the void for any answers to his predicament.

"Listen, I know I ate too many chicken nuggets, BUT in my defense, they were tasty," Shen Wu calls out, half in jest. However, the void remains silent, offering no response to his banter.

"Okay then, looks like I didn't anger any chicken god. Now then, how do I leave?" Shen Wu ponders, searching for an exit.

Suddenly, he feels intense heat emanating from his chest as the intense heat surges through him, Shen Wu's chest feels like it's ablaze, each pulse of energy spreading like molten lava through his veins, igniting every nerve ending in its wake. He grits his teeth against the searing agony, his fingers clawing at his chest in a desperate attempt to contain the overwhelming sensation threatening to consume him whole.

"Now... what?!" Shen Wu grumbles hoarsely, his voice strained by the intensity of the pain. His muscles tense as if forged in the fires of torment, every fiber of his being writhing in the crucible of agony.

After what seems like an eternity of torment, Shen Wu's senses reel as he finds himself abruptly back in the hot spring. Yet, the tranquility of the scene is shattered as he realizes all the water has vanished, leaving only swirling wisps of vapor enveloping him.

"Errm?" Shen Wu mutters, utterly bewildered by his strange experience in the void.

As Shen Wu rises from the hot spring, he senses a newfound lightness in his body, as if a dam has burst, unleashing a powerful current of energy that courses through him. His veins feel different, pulsating with vigor and vitality.

"Well, I guess the little chick made me... stronger?" Shen Wu muses aloud, his hand resting on his abdomen where he feels a warm, comforting sensation emanating from within.

"Is this what you call internal energy?" he wonders, puzzled by the unfamiliar but invigorating sensation.

Exiting the hot spring, or what remains of it, Shen Wu encounters Maid Yi standing at the entrance, holding fresh clothes for him. Her expression is stern, tinged with anger. She had witnessed Shen Wu's extraordinary display of power—evaporating the hot spring, unblocking all his meridians, and condensing a dantian.

Seeing Maid Yi's disapproving gaze, Shen Wu offers a sheepish smile and begins, "Now, I know this looks bad, but let me explain—"

Before he can finish his sentence, Maid Yi bonks him on the head with surprising force, knocking Shen Wu unconscious.