Coming back to life this time was horrible. The thoughts of my final moment lingered. That life had lasted nearly eighty years, but all my memories of it were overshadowed by the terror of suffocating to death while being unable to move.


    The memory compression that came with a rebirth helped. It separated me. Still, a lingering fear tainted all memories from that life black. I retained everything I learned, but if I thought about how I learned it, fear struck.


    Focus on the future, not the past.


    “System, I want to expand my storage space to 1,000 cubic centimeters.”


    Cost 29,760.


    Confirmed. 13,070 credits remaining.


    I didn’t feel any different, but when I looked into the storage space, I found it significantly larger. This would, at minimum, let me start lives easier.


    After that, I considered a few other purchase options. I thought about asking where to find a spatial spirit fire seed or where I might be able to get powerful cultivation techniques, but I decided not to. I wanted to look for these on my own. If I didn’t make any progress, I could always buy the information later.


    There was one thing I was interested in looking into though. A long time ago I bought an ability that would let me identify pills. The original ability was ‘limited’ and could only identify a few of the pills I had made. I had expanded it during my seclusion to help me further, but even the limited ability had been useful.


    “System, how much would it cost to buy a limited ability to identify cultivation techniques up to Rank 3?”


    The cost is 500,000 credits.


    “And the cost if it only goes to Rank 2?”


    5,000 credits.


    “So, it’s equal to the credits generated from level 5 of that tier? Seems likely. Unfortunately, it seems like getting Rank 3 is off the table until after I reach Rank 3.”


    I thought about other possibilities options.


    “System, how much to expand my pill appraisal to Rank 2 as a limited ability?”


    1000 credits.


    The value of Martial Master 1.


    I considered buying one or both of those abilities, but they wouldn’t benefit me immediately. I could buy them at any time. I decided to hold onto my credits in case something came up during this life that was worth spending them on.


    Purchases complete, it was time to move forward.


    <hr>


    I wasn’t sure what I should do. I could return to the sect, attempt to join the Blue Wind Pavilion, or strike out on my own. I decided to lay out potential goals to pursue to help me focus.


    <ol>


    <li>Acquire a Profound Rank 1 or better cultivation technique</li>


    <li>Acquire a Peak-Yellow Rank 2 or better cultivation technique</li>


    <li>Acquire a Rank 3 cultivation technique</li>


    <li>Acquire a spatial spirit fire seed</li>


    <li>Learn how to use my spirit fire seed</li>


    <li>Learn how to make Rank 2 pills</li>


    <li>Look into cultivation techniques that can use multiple affinities</li>


    <li>Learn more about the world around me</li>


    <li>Find out more about the fight at the Su Clan</li>


    </ol>


    I considered these goals and how to best accomplish them. Heading off to explore on my own had some appeal, but it wasn’t for me.


    So, Blue Wind Pavilion or Twin Mountains Sect.


    The Pavilion felt like it was the better choice, but I had to go there first anyway, so I decided to just play it by ear. I would do what felt right in the moment.


    “System, send me to Dragon Gate City.”


    Confirmed. 13,040 credits remaining.


    <hr>


    I considered advancing a few stages before heading to the Blue Wind Pavilion, but it seemed like part of the reason WuJing valued me was my ability to do alchemy with no cultivation. I had no idea what his cultivation was, but I could guess that any level of Martial Disciple wouldn’t impress him much. Performing alchemy with no cultivation base had, so that is what I went with.


    Understanding how the Pavilion operated this time, I acted like the sophisticated gentleman that I was and headed directly for the pauper’s entrance. I didn’t see any need for a repeat of what happened last time.


    “Hello, my name is Fan BingQing, can I help you?” asked a woman in a disinterested voice.


    It wasn’t Mei. It was a young woman only a little older than my current self. She wore the same light-blue qipao dress uniform as the other women I had seen working in the Pavilion, but her makeup was a bit heavier.


    Of course, this place had dozens of workers, so running into someone new shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the difference in reception was.


    “Yes,” I said taking a pill from my storage space, “I want to sell a pill.”


    It was the only pill I had, and it wasn’t in a proper bottle. I hadn’t had a chance to make pills since purchasing the expanded space. This was a pill from my last life that I had kept in my old storage sheath.


    I didn’t think too much when I had stored it away, but I suddenly remembered it was a 100% Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pill. I didn’t know how common they were, but I had never heard of anyone else making one. I wasn’t sure if showing it had been a good move or not.


    The woman grabbed it from my hand and gave it a quick look.


    Her expression suddenly froze, but only briefly.


    She looked up at me, then back at the pill in her hand. After a moment, she snorted.


    “I’ll give you 15 silver for it,” she said.


    “15? Isn’t that closer to the price of a High-Purity?” I wasn’t sure what the value of a Perfect pill was, but it had to be worth more. High-Purities were worth 20 and I sold them for 14. Even if it was only worth 30, 15 was a low-ball offer.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    “You haven’t been storing it in a pill bottle, and I have no idea how much efficacy it’s lost. These pills aren’t so rare that I’m willing to overpay for questionable goods. If you insist, I can get an appraiser down here. I’ll go up to 19 silver, but that’s the limit,” she said sternly.


    “Alright, fine. I’ll take 19,” I said sighing. The price didn’t matter much anyway. I was just selling the pill for starting capital and to get my foot in the door. My current alchemy skills were equivalent to printing money, at least at the level of silver and gold.


    “Please sell me two blue peonies and an alchemy room for an hour,” I said.


    “What?” She gave me a sharp look. “Are you an alchemist?”


    “Yes, I made that pill. I can show you if you want.”


    I could see the gears turning in her head. “Alright… let’s go there then,” she finally conceded.


    The walk was short. I took the flowers and quickly made them into two new Perfect pills. I had already shown my hand, so I decided to make it as strong as I could for the meeting ahead.


    “I’d like to meet with your boss, Chen WuJing,” I said, handing her the pills.


    She took them and stared at them for a long moment.


    “Okay, I can arrange that. Come with me.”


    She led me to a room with only a couple of old chairs inside. It was small and dusty. The walls were stark gray bricks with no windows or any sign of decoration. The room felt like a storage closet.


    “Please wait here for a bit. Someone will come to find you when Manager Chen is available.”


    She left me alone in the room.


    I generally consider myself a good-natured person. I wasn’t going to criticize a low-level employee for doing her job, even if she was a bit rude. I don’t know, maybe she had a bad day. It’s fine. But being stuck in what was little more than a prison cell for more than an hour? That got to me.


    Finally, Fan BingQing returned.


    “It has been,” I started before being cut off.


    “The manager can see you now,” she said indifferently, turning around and walking away.


    Swallowing my irritation, I followed her up to the door of WuJing’s office. This girl didn’t matter.  I expected her to just walk in like Mei. Instead, she knocked politely and waited. It was nearly a minute before I heard someone loudly command “Enter.” Without glancing at me, Fan BingQing quickly opened the door and entered first.


    I walked into the same richly appointed office I had been in before. Fan BingQing stood off to the side, and Chen WuJing sat behind his desk reviewing some documents. After a brief pause, he set them down and looked up at me.


    His eyes instantly narrowed. They shot to Fan BingQing quickly before coming back to rest on me.


    WuJing hurriedly got to his feet. He cupped his hands in a martial arts salute and gave me a slight bow.


    “Hello, welcome to the Blue Wind Pavilion. I am Chen WuJing, Manager Chen. How may I address you?”


    “Su Fang,” I said, surprised by the difference from the last time we met.


    “Ah, so it’s Alchemist Su. I have long heard your well-known name. I apologize for not greeting you from afar.”


    At this moment, the only person more stunned by WuJing’s change in demeanor than me was Fan BingQing.


    “Manager Chen…” she said.


    But WuJing cut her off quickly. “Qing’er, please prepare some tea for our guest.”


    “Yes, Manager Chen.”


    She departed as WuJing’s attention returned to me.


    “Alchemist Su, how may this one help you today?”


    Originally, I was split on what to do in this life. Join the Pavilion or return to the sect. This interaction though… it was all wrong. This wasn’t the foundation I wanted here. If Mei came, maybe her ability would help fix things, but it would still be a strained beginning. I decided not to pursue a position here in this life. That could come in the future.


    “Manager Chen, I was hoping you could tell me what you know about the Twin Mountains Sect.”


    “Of course, Alchemist Su,” he said after a brief pause to think. “I would be happy to share what little knowledge I have. May I ask what business you have there? I do not wish to pry into your secrets, but knowing may help me understand what information would be of value to you.”


    “It’s no secret. I recently received a blessing that has been of benefit to me in alchemy, as you can tell by the pills I have sold you. I wish to further my studies, and I have heard that sect may be a good place to learn, but I know little of it.”


    WuJing looked at a pill bottle that had been sitting off to the side. “Yes, a Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pill. Very impressive. If you wish, a position in the Pavilion could be opened for you, but the Twin Mountains Sect is a fine choice too.”


    “Is that so? You would recommend it?”


    “To someone at your level? Yes. It is likely the best place for you in all the Wastes.”


    “Do you know about their cultivation technique? I have heard a little and am concerned.”


    “Yes, I know of it,” he responded slower. “It is not my place to share their secrets, but I can assure you there is nothing to worry about. The technique I believe you are referring to is given only to the less skilled disciples.”


    “Oh? And would you still recommend the sect to someone like that?


    “Absolutely, even more strongly. The Twin Mountains Sect provides a home. It isn’t for you. It isn’t for anyone with true ability, but it is better than they can expect from most places.”


    “You are so convinced of my ability after seeing only one pill?”


    “I know what it means to make a Perfect pill, as would anyone trained in alchemy. The elders will fight over you if you go there. You should be careful who you choose to ally with though. Make no mistake, the sect may seem peaceful, but as with any organization, the waters run deep.”


    “And you have a suggestion for me?” I asked.


    “Elder Mu,” he said firmly. “Mu is a close acquaintance of mine. I believe you will do well with his guidance.”


    WuJing seemed very conflicted about what to say on the topic, as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know if he should. As I had seen before, he was a great actor though, so I couldn’t be sure what was real and what wasn’t.


    “You are a new Martial Disciple, right? You understand that after Disciple is Martial Master then Martial Grandmaster?”


    I nodded.


    “Do you know what is above Martial Grandmaster?”


    “No,” I said honestly.


    “Above Grandmaster is Martial Lord. The ascension to Lord is a bit different than others, more complicated. Suffice it to say that it is impossible to become a Lord in the Wastes and no Lord can enter the Wastes. All the Grandmasters here, including myself and Elder Mu, are looking for an opportunity to leave and ascend.”


    “And you believe that I can somehow help Elder Mu ascend?” I asked, confused.


    “Yes. The reason I would recommend the Twin Mountains Sect is that they are an outpost of a strong sect in the outside world. I believe with your abilities you will be able to climb up to that sect. As your master and teacher, Elder Mu will benefit from your achievements, helping him to leave and ascend to the Lord realm.”


    He looked at me meaningfully.


    “That is why the elders will fight for you, and that is why Mu will want you too. The reason I think you will want Mu is because he is aloof from many of the sect’s politics. His only desire is to advance. Most of the other elders are too worried about internal affairs and have lost the hunger needed to move forward.”


    It was left unsaid the benefits WuJing himself would get from this arrangement.


    “How should I get in contact with Elder Mu?”


    “That may be difficult. I cannot contact him directly, so you will have to rely on yourself to do so. You can, of course, make a public display of your abilities. If you openly craft a few perfect pills, you will certainly draw attention, but then you may not be able to choose the master you follow. The best path is to find a deacon who reports to him. All deacons in the sect are subordinates of one of the elders. As long as you can find one of his deacons, I trust you will be able to get their attention.”


    After a few more pleasantries, I departed. Originally, I had planned to ask for information on some of my previously listed goals, but I didn’t. Asking for techniques and fire seeds here didn’t feel like the right play. WuJing had sent me to learn from someone else. I would see what Elder Mu had to offer.


    Should I completely trust WuJing? No, but I always felt he was playing straight with me. His shift in personality made it clear that what he showed me was an act, but even then, it didn’t feel dishonest. If he wanted, he could probably easily kidnap me and force me to work for him.


    He had a powerful social blessing and the skills to use it. He may or may not be a nice guy, I don’t know, but he seemed to know how to do business. Screwing over someone caught in a time loop would definitely be bad business. He may not know the details, but I believe his blessing gave him enough information to be cautious.


    I would follow his advice and meet Elder Mu. It would be a good test of how far I could trust him when he wasn’t being told how to act. If everything proved out, I would be more than happy to work with WuJing in future lives. I just wanted to meet with Mei first next time.